NORTH BY NORTHEAST 2K8
The SIS Recap by Dany Sloan

He came, he saw, he conquered. Our own Dany Sloan headed across country lines and spent a long weekend in Toronto for this year's installment of North by Northeast. Here's a look back at his five favorite and most memorable performances that he caught while there.

The Books Elusive: Every so often I hear a band that reaffirms my love for music and right now, these guys are it. Their set at NXNE was everything you could want from a young band – raw, original, energetic and absolutely insular. Lead singer/guitarist Lynne Dubuc has a voice that most might compare to Karen O, but that comparison doesn’t really do it justice, while drummer Damon de Szegheo is much like The Muppets’ Animal in human form. He assaults his drumkit like there’s no tomorrow without missing a beat, and at this particular show, if you didn’t see the passion in his eyes, you saw it in the broken drum sticks that littered the venue’s floor.

Still Life Still: There are too many bands out there to know about every good one, so it’s always good to have friends who can clue you in to the ones that you’re missing. This is exactly the case with this East York (Ontario) band, who are a sort of collective that create a mess of sound similar to Broken Social Scene and Annuals. But good. When the band went on around 1 am, I was tired and ready to go to bed, but as they closed their set, I was anxious for even more.

The Blood Lines: The most interesting music will always come from the off the beaten path, and while Saskatoon is not exactly the middle of nowhere, it is definitely not Toronto or Montreal. This four piece deftly takes familiar styles and make them all new and shiny again, a concoction of ‘70s rock and ambitious indie that expands your mind without being pretentious.

Spies in Limbo: This Newcastle five piece is so good that we’ve already made them a “Band of the Week.” This is indie dance done right, and I know there are people out there fed up with this genre, so if it really bothers you, then turn off the fucking radio and only listen to the good stuff – like these guys. It’s their dark moodiness that really sets them apart.

Ketch Harbour Wolves: I started to dub these guys “nautical-core” and it’s starting to stick. Their set on Thursday night may have been positively sauna-esque, but those are the sacrifices you need to make for great music. Their new EP, Dead Calm Horizon is absolutely no match for their live show – it’s like the difference between looking at the Grand Canyon in a magazine or seeing it in person. While the pictures may be beautiful, it’s no match for experiencing it in person. KHW definitely have something special going on.