BEAMS will teach you how to love, they play the Moustache Club Apr 5

BEAMS are playing the Moustache Club Thursday Apr 5. Annie Sumi is opening. BEAMS have a new album, Teach Me To Love.

By Will McGuirk

Berlin baby, it has the pull, the pull of the nightlife - Cabaret and Kraftwerk, Bowie, Reed, Iggy and Peaches, It’s a Feistian bargain BEAMS has struck, the capital of cool imbues the Toronto band’s latest album, ‘Teach Me to Love’ but there is an accessibility, dare one say pop, to the avant-folk ramblings of Anna Mernieks, brothers Keith and David Hamilton, Heather Mazhar, Mike Duffield, Craig Moffatt and Martin Crawford.

The album marches in with simple sturdy strident sounds, mix up Kraftwerk’s “Computer Love” and Neil Young’s “Computer Age” and then play lead on a banjo or conversely just listen to the first three tracks. BEAMS play synth-pop who knew with nary a synthesizer in sight, I’m looking at you “Live In The Real World”.

“Pull of the Night” has Martha & The Muffins “like a loaf of bread in the oven you look good to me” baked in - could be the accent.

The journey through the anything goes world of Berlin the Myth continues on “I Notice Every One”  which flutters on every one from Dave Brubeck to Focus to the Beatles.

As the album progresses it moves into more prog-folk territory, with the music becoming a subtle cradle for the voices of Mernieks and Mazhar, sonics ease, less stilted Kraftwerk more the wash of Tangerine Dream, albeit covering “Heroes”, as though nothing could fall.

Ultimately its the harmonies which hold up BEAMS and with such a strong core the band can play around with the walls, whether them walls be from Berlin or no.

No videos yet for the new album but here’s some oldies but goodies.

Celebrate St. Pats day in Downtown Oshawa with wild local music

Oshawa digs deep into its own scene to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. If overpriced green beer, squeaky reels and sad songs about the old sod are not your bag step away from the bar and get to the clubs for some sounds of the city, Shwarock style.

Its been a while since the Standstills have rocked this town. They are in tonight for a hometown gig at the Oshawa Music Hall. They have a new single out at the end of the month. The next gen Crown Lands are also on the bill. Don't be fooled by each act only having two members - this is going to be loud.

We suggest you get to the Moustache Club early as the bad lads in Tijuana Jesus are quite likely to drink all of the beer tonight. Its a full bill with four acts; Fish Head Phil, Bad Waitress and Thrash Eater are also in the house. There will be a selection of local breweries onsite too so this one goes deep deep in to the culture of the D-Rock. 

There's a somewhat softer twanginess to the tunes from GT Harris and the Gunslingers who are playing at the Atria. There's a fiddle so if you are going to seek out fiddle music tonight then this is where you want to be. They shall be joined by Terry Savage and the Wonky Honkys so there's that. 

All venues are within walking distance of each, staggering if late in the evening. Enjoy and don't do stupid.

Catch them if you can, Excuses Excuses at Moustache Club Mar 16

Ah you gotta love the snotty 905 thrash punk. Its alive and festering and Excuses Excuses are keeping it so. The band has just released a new track, "Pizza and Cigarettes" which, even by title alone, is a snotty 905 thrash punk classic but open the can and the sum41-ish, treblechargey billy talent-esque track explodes like a paintball to the face.  It's the lead single of the band's upcoming EP 'Catch Me If You Can'.  Catch'em at the Moustache Club Friday Mar 16 2018.

Birds of Bellwoods return for the spring, play Moustache Club Apr 19

Toronto folk-poppers Birds of Bellwoods will be on the road in the Spring and make a stop into Oshawa Thursday Apr. 19 2018 at the Moustache Club. The folks have been through the city many times including playing RMG Fridays.

Moustache Club goes green for St. Pats with local beers and bands

Lower your carbon footprint as you lower a few brews at the St. Patrick Day's Bash, Saturday March 17 2018, at the Moustache Club in Oshawa. The club celebrates the environmentally friendly local diet with beers from Old Flame in Port Perry, the Second Wedge in Uxbridge, Five Paddles in Whitby and Manantler in Bowmanville. On stage local bands will get their Irish on. Fish Head Phil, Tijuana Jesus, Thrash Eater and some pals from TO, Bad Waitress (formerly Nude Dogs). I usually avoid St. Paddy's Day as it is annoying as all hell to see people reduce the whole of Irish culture to so many glasses of green swill, but a night celebrating with independent minded creatives could be the closest thing to being at home on the Emerald Isle.

Urban cowboys Johnson Crook play the Moustache Club Wednesday Mar 14

Life is a highway but not every highway is grit 'n gravel, some run smooth like the proverbial passenger seat. Toronto based four-piece Johnson Crook drive on well paved country roads with radio-hummable melodies, inviting harmonies and steering wheel tapping beats.  Ol' Mr. Life Is A Highway, Tom Cochrane, joins them on the track "Mr. Nobody", from their 2017 album, 'The Album' on Coalition. A record is a journey and 'The Album' is worth the drive. Take it all the way through to "Desert Rose". Its a great place to end, (I'm a sucker for fat twang-y solos), and maybe a great place to begin again. Johnson Crook and Joey Landreth play the Moustache Club Mar 14. Patrick Dorie is also on the bill.