LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (AlgomA), New Video Finds, And More Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to acknowledge late changes to the K.I.C.K./Elements show at LopLops Lounge on Friday, which did not take place (Saskatoon's Whiskey Jerks played on Friday after all.) The concert was actually scheduled for last night, with K.I.C.K. citing a booking mix-up at the venue for the error, but as they were in Ophir for the Northern Vibe Festival, they missed what was actually the Chicken-Like Birds show, only with The Elements now playing after them in lieu of Sometimes Ange. Hopefully it was a great show from both bands, and apologies on our end for not getting this on the site sooner! Now, for today's post, here's some new videos, assorted updates, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local doom metal trio AlgomA and local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver are joining forces for an eastern Canada tour next month in honour of the impending release of their "Trading Faces" split tape, and the tour will wrap up with a New American Pub concert here in the Soo on Monday, October 2nd! Marking arguably their largest Canadian tour run yet, this will be AlgomA's first local concert appearance in 3 months, while it will be Shit Liver's first stop in their hometown in about a year & a half, so if you've missed Josh, Mike, and Matt since last spring, don't miss their New A return in October! This show is one of 11 dates scheduled for the two bands this fall, including the tour kick-off in Toronto on September 22nd, a St. Catharine's show on the 25th, a Montreal date on the 28th, and shows in North Bay and Sudbury on the 30th and October 1st as they wrap things in the north, so stay tuned to band pages for details on other tour dates. FYI, the bottom of the poster seemingly confirms a release date of September 17th for "Trading Faces", which hasn't been stated otherwise by either band.

Potential extra bands have not been announced as of this writing, nor has a cover charge or event page, but expect this show to be a 19+ event with a 9:00 PM start time on October 2nd, and I'd be surprised if Six, Two, Oh. weren't promoting, given their obvious AlgomA ties. Despite being a Monday nighter, it's great to see AlgomA and Shit Liver join forces for a tour to match their upcoming split, so stay tuned for the teased early digital release and more on "Trading Faces" as it rolls in, and of course, keep watch for updates on what will be a highly anticipated night of local metal!

Next up, here's a new Jimi Hendrix cover video courtesy of... Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno?! In a cover that sort falls into the void between the aforementioned band and their St. Catharine's-based bluegrass side project Dirtfight, this rendition of "Hear My Train A Comin'" was posted to Josh's YouTube channel earlier this month under the handle "Penno-Cash". The video was produced by his own independent film company Spacebag Productions, and features shots of him walking (I presume) outdoors in St. Catharine's, as intercut with Josh playing acoustically on a plain white backdrop. While Dirtfight opened up a new side to the guys of Shit Liver already, this bluesy unplugged solo number does more of that, and Josh has a very good clean singing voice that fits the track! Give Josh's solo performance a look below, and watch for guest appearances from an AlgomA patch!

Also today, here's a Blood Shed Productions track that I only just discovered when compiling their YouTube channel's feature profile on Friday, one which I thought warranted a belated mention in a post, and it's the label's first rap-rock song! Posted to their channel back in June 2015, the song is "The King of Rhymes & References" by label rapper Jean-Paul "Phat Boii" Archambault, but he has a full band behind him, including Them's Tyler St. Amour on guitar, Rotopsy bassist Tyler Gibson, and his Brutally Fatal bandmate Austin McCrae on drums (not to mention, Jean-Paul was a former bandmate of Tyler's in the defunct Tomgrindy.) The song proper has the instrumentation mixed too low, but Phat Boii's rhymes are amusing and quick while retaining the skill seen in his traditional songs! This is also partly notable as a Blood Shed Productions song with a full band rather than a minimalist solo/duo act, so it's worth a listen on that basis, which you can do below!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or promoter name:

• Griphook are back! After taking over a year off following their Rotaryfest Stage 1 set last July (largely due to frontman Joel Syrette's college commitments out of town), the hard rock cover quartet announced on their Facebook page on Wednesday that their hiatus has ended, and that they "will be coming at you live real soon". No word yet on their return date, but this is great news from this talented veteran outfit, so stay tuned for Griphook's next shows when announced, and they're back in our active band links!
• A young local guitarist named Rainey Rancourt is looking for a metal and rock-liking drummer who'd be willing to jam with him and an already-found bassist towards some original compositions. If you're interested in more details, message Rainey at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday!
• The aforementioned Six, Two, Oh. have apparently cancelled plans to host an online battle of the bands in December, as per the Facebook event page on Friday, simply saying "Yeah, nah..." in regards to the event. A reason for the online battle's cancellation wasn't announced, but given that band registrations weren't slated to begin until November, I hesitate to immediately blame low band interest. This was shaping up to be an intriguing contest, but hopefully Six, Two, Oh. revive their Live @ series on YouTube in another form, and don't miss their next concerts!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site as the month winds down, including this month's CD review! Thanks everyone!