Ottawa Explosion is a voyage of discovery, with dozens of young bands — many still in the nascent stages of their music careers — cramming into some of the best rock and roll venues in the city core.
The annual festival, which is resolutely indie-oriented, runs June 17 to 21, with dozens of bands slated to play from across North America. There are plenty of local favourites in the lineup, such as Big Dick, Bondar, the Creeps, the New Swears, the Steve Adamyk Band, and the White Wires — who, with their beach punk sound, somehow personify the hot summer night.
Other bands come in from across Canada and the United States, and the festival spans the galaxy of indie rock, from pop to punk to hardcore to metal, with everything in-between likely to be heard somewhere during the five-day festival. Venues include Mugshots, Club Saw, House of Targ, Avant-Garde, the Dominion Tavern and Vertigo Records.
With full festival passes at only $70, the Explosion is a great example of value for money. There are so many bands playing so many types of rock that it’s rich ground for happening upon the unfamiliar. Many of the bands, especially those from out of town, are new to me, so I took some time to listen to samples on the festival’s web page, which has many links to each band’s Bandcamp page or web page. Here are tight thoughts on what I heard from a few of them . . .
Band: The Ballantynes
From: Vancouver
Album title: Liquor Store Gun Store Pawn Shop Church
Bandcamp description: “Organ wailing, hip shaking, tambourine shimmering, trouble we want you to get into.”
Sounds like: Decidedly retro. Garage rock filtered through Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound.
Band: Cross Dog
From: Peterborough, Ont.
Album title: Vigilante
Bandcamp description: “Using only a bass, drums, and a voice, Cross Dog plays a blend of hardcore punk and classic, riff-driven rock and roll.”
Sounds like: One woman, two men and two instruments creating enough forward momentum to blow back your hair and lips. It’s like a stripped-down, punk-ified descendent of Rage Against the Machine.
Band: TV Freaks
From: Hamilton, Ont.
Album Title: Leeches
Bandcamp description: None, but their Facebook page says “punk.”
Sounds like: Flat-out, throw-everything-at-the-wall punk. Likely to be one of the sweatiest, exhausting live performances at the festival.
Band: Moon
From: Halifax, N.S.
Album title: Moon
Bandcamp description: “Vegetable rock, tiny sprouts with deep roots. Beach glass, paper mache mask, giant bowl of chips. Big songs and little songs, prose and pop.”
Sounds like: Arty college folk pop, for fans of Yo La Tengo in an especially relaxed mood.
Band: Kappa Chow
From: Sackville, N.S.
Album title: Tour Tape
Bandcamp description: “inevitably physical/ undeniably cool.”
Sounds like: Gloriously shambolic, sprawling. All hail the Stooges.
Check the festival’s website to see when and where the bands are playing. If you can’t get to the festival, you can download a free compilation of songs by bands that are on the schedule. It’s 30 tracks of contemporary, indie rock and roll. It’s free, and it’s raucous. Download here: http://www.ottawaexplosion.com.
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What: Ottawa Explosion
When and where: June 17 to 21, various venues downtown
Passes: Festival passes, $70, at Vertigo Records, Antique Skateboards, and Gabba Hey!
More: ottawaexplosion.com
Ottawa’s own White Wires, one of dozens of bands slotted to play the Ottawa Explosion, June 17 to 21. (Photo by Darryl Reid, courtesy Ottawa Explosion)
