Top 10 Albums of 2018

1) Idles - Joy As an Act of Resistance (Partisan)
2) Actors* - It Will Come to You (Artoffact)
3) Low - Double Negative (Sub Pop)
4) Freak Dream* - Into the Sun (Artoffact)
5) Peach Kelli Pop* - Gentle Leader (Mint)
6) Alpha Strategy* - The Gurgler (Antena Kryzku)
7) Superorganism - Superorganism (Domino)
8) Plains Apparition* - Adrift (Independent)
9) Confidence Man - Confident Music for Confident People (Heavenly)
10) Dumb* - Seeing Green (Mint)

Honourable Mentions:

Single Mothers* - Through a Door (Dine Alone), Kaelan Mikla - Manadans (Artoffact), Dilly Dally* - Heaven (Dine Alone), US Girls* - In a Poem Unlimited (4AD), Beak> - >>> (Temporary Residence)

DNTTA Playlist for December 14, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Durban Poison - Too Many Fish in the Sea* - Stereophonic Tonic (Shake!)
The Buzzcocks - Harmony in My Head - Ever Fallen in Love: Buzzcocks Finest (EMI Gold)
Pete Shelley - Telephone Operator - Telephone Operator (12") (Arista)
Naked Raygun - Love Battery - Something's Gone Wrong Again (C/Z)
Map 71 - Nuclear Landscapes - Void Axis (Foolproof)
Single Mothers - Across the Couch* - Through a Wall (Dine Alone)
Forbidden Dimension - Infiltrating the Crypt* - Muchas Moscas (Fuzzwarp)
We Hunt Buffalo - Angler Must Die* - Head Smashed In (New Damage)
Ensign Broderick - Tear Stained Venus* - Bloodcrush (Six Shooter)
Invasives - Well to Do* - Just Another Under the Sun (Bummer)
Young Jesus - Fourth Zone of Gaits - The Whole Thing is Just There (Saddle Creek)
Ministry - N.W.O. - Psalm 69 (Warner)

DNTTA Playlist for December 7, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Floes - Thrown for a Loop* - Passionals (Independent)
MC Sultan - Der Bauch - Mystic Groove (Quango)
The Herbaliser - Moon Sequence - Very Mercenary (Ninja Tune)
Thievery Corporation - Warning Shots (ESL)
Sievi - Charms* - Rebirth (Independent)
Jayne Murray - Sleeping Monsters* - lookgoodfor (Independent)
Rob Mitchelson - Asteroid Ice Cave* - Knightlaser: 2042 (Independent)
Bob Moses - The Only Thing We Know* - Battle Lines (Domino)
Graham van Pelt - Saving Grace* - Time Travel (Arbutus)
Fade - Fall in Love - Fall in Love (Luminelle)
Interplanetary Acoustic Team - Islands in the Cosmos

DNTTA Playlist for November 30, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Baron Samedi Esq. - Join Me Fashions* - Baron Samedi Esq. (Independent)
Songjae Son - Baram - Near East Quartet (ECM)
Trygve Seim - Birthday Song - Helsinki Songs (ECM)
Tord Gustavsen Trio - Duality - The Other Side (ECM)
Acid Bunny - Flax* - High School Fantasy (Bent River)
Myriad3 - Diamond* - Vera (Alma)
Nick Fraser - Arachnid* - Is Life Long? (Clean Feed)
Bad Luck - Capital - Four (Origin)
The Mackrosoft - Suck Out the Poison - Snakerhythms (Independent)
Ramsey Lewis - Do What You Wanna (Mr. Scruff remix)

DNTTA Playlist for November 23, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Jerk with a Bomb - Don’t Forget Your Love*
Hate Drugs - Afterimage - Tsunami Soul II (Independent)
Dilly Dally - Sober Motel* - Heaven (Dine Alone)
Hex Ray - Helicopter* - Coin of the Realm (Independent)
Beanpole - Pumpkin Pickin’ Time - All My Kin (Chimera)
Pip Blom - Babies Are a Lie - Singles (Nice Swan)
Jooj - Crushed* - Jooj (Last Gang)
Iceage - The Day the Music Dies - Beyondless (Matador)
Spiritualized - On the Sunshine - And Nothing Hurt (Fat Possum)
Freak Dream - Can’t Connect* - Into the Sun (Artoffact)
Sci Fi Romance - Long Ways Left - Dreamers and Runaways (Broken Imagine)
Calvin Arsenia - Toxic - Cantaloupe (Fat Possum)

DNTTA Playlist for November 16, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Sully - Palidrome* - I Have Much to Report (Nettwerk)
Mary Lou Newmark - Oceanica - Room to Breathe (Green Angel)
Laurie Anderson - Slip Away - Life on a String (Nonesuch)
The Babe Rainbow - Eureka - Double Rainbow (30th Century)
Richard Reed Parry - Song of Wood* - Quiet River of Dust (Independent)
Body/Head - In the Dark Room - The Switch (Matador)
J.Alpinist - Waldorf* - Offerings (AlpineHaus)
Dave Soldier - And When You See a Fire - Naked Revolution (Mulatta)
Olafur Arnalds - Partial - Re: Member (Mercury KY)
Wishkaah - Winter Sun* - After (Independent)
Art d’Ecco - Lady Next Door* - Trespasser (Paper Bag)

Best of 2017: #1 - The Horrors - V (Wolf Tone)

The Horrors are no strangers to my year end Top 10 lists. In 2009, they were #2 with Primary Colours, and in 2014, they were #10, with Luminous. This year, they're #1, with V, appropriately, their fifth album. The Horrors have long been one of my favourite modern bands digging into the style of the 80s and merging it with a more modern style. 2014's Luminous was a nice return to form for the English band, with a punchy, garage tinged retro style, but this year's V was a remarkable leap forward. Intensely catchy and rooted in the giants of early new wave, the album is reminiscent of the best work of Gary Numan and Echo and the Bunnymen. "Hologram", the lead off track is vintage Numan, detached, dark, brooding and paranoid synth-rock. "Something to Remember Me By" plumbs Depeche Mode and Portishead for a catchy, shadowy dance floor vibe. "Machine" is one of the best tracks of 2017, equal parts crisp new wave and bruising post punk.

DNTTA Playlist for November 9, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Digital Poodle - Metal Fight* - Combat! (Cleopatra)
Sarah Davachi - Third Hour* - Gave in Rest (Ba Da Bing!)
Shmu - Amulet - Lead Me to the Glow (Independent)
Mai Lan - Vampire - Autopolot (Cinq7)
Christine and the Queens - Doesn’t Matter - Chris (Because)
Ciive - Black Water - My Giraffe (Qusp)
Underworld and Iggy Pop - Get Your Shirt - Tea Time Dub Encounters (Caroline)
Beat Market - Elastic* - All Good (Indica)
Dragon Inn 3 - Backstabber - Double Line (American Laundromat)
Figurine - An Electronic Address - Transportation + Communication = Love (Blackbean and Placenta)

DNTTA Playlist for November 2, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Duchess Says - Talk in Shapes* - Sciences Nouvelles (Blow the Fuse)
Dark Time - Raven* - Dark Time (Independent)
White Denim - Fine Slime - Performance (City Slang)
Wyves - Distractions - RU OK? (IndependentO
Kaelan Mikla - Umskiptinger - Manadas (Artoffact)
Alpha Strategy - Pissed Out the Fire* - The Gurgler (Antena Kryzku)
Cope - Trench Foot* - EPs (Norwegian Blue)
The Jesus Lizard - 7 vs. 8 - Goat (Touch and Go)
Phono Pony - Tattoo of My Face* - Monkey Paw (Independent)
Adventure Violence - Fierce Invalids - Adventure Violence (Imaginator)
Arson Cult - Bad Samaritans* - Lay Waste to Past Erections (Independent)
Girl Band - Baloo - Holding Hands with Jamie (Rough Trade)
High Tension - Mountain of Dead - Death Beat (Cooking Vinyl)

DNTTA Playlist for October 26, 2018 - Halloween Special

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Skinny Puppy - Worlock* - Rabies (Nettwerk)
Ministry - Every Day is Halloween - Twelve Inch Singles (Wax Trax)
Xymox - Blind Hearts - Twist of Shadows (4AD)
Nitzer Ebb - Violent Playground - That Total Age (Geffen)
Cygnets - Dark Romantic* - Dark Days (Independent)
Human League - Love Action - Greatest Hits (Virgin)
Bauhaus - Stigmata Martyr - 1979-1983 Volume One (Beggar's Banquet)
Three Inches of Blood - Destroy the Orcs* - Battle Cry Under a Winter Sun (Teenage Rampage)
KEN Mode - Learning to Be Too Cold* - Loved (New Damage)
Dead Girls Academy - I Can’t Feel a Thing - Alchemy (Victory)
Grand Massive - Am I Demon - Gdansk: A Tribute to Danzig (Metalville)
Plaster - Disconnected Heart - Transition (Kvitnu)

DNTTA Playlist for October 19, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Cursed Arrows - Dear Widow* - Rebirth (Independent)
The Records - Starry Eyes - Shades in Bed (Virgin)
Glass Animals - Young - How to Be a Human Being (Wolf Tone)
Joyfultalk - Monocult* - Plurality Trip (Constellation)
The Cure - Why Can’t I Be You - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (Elektra)
Devo - That’s Good (EZ Listening Version) - EZ Listening Disc (Ryko)
Kraftwerk - Computer World - Computer World (Elektra)
Jeremy Dutcher - Egpahak* Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (Independent)
Basement Revolver - Baby* - Heavy Eyes (Sonic Unyon)
Sonic Youth - Silver Rocket - Daydream Nation (DGC)

DNTTA Playlist for October 12, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Beef Terminal - Alchemy* - The Grey Knowledge (Noise Factory)
Rasmus Juncker - Norddum - Ophold (Kingdoms)
Christian Loffler - Mt. Grace - A Forest (Ki)
Night Club - Schizophrenic - Scary World (Gato Blanco)
!!! - When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough get Karazeee
Vanden Dool - It Came to Me in a Dream* - Year Four (Independent)
Ethan Gold - In Open Air at Last - Expanses (Teenage Synthrumentals) (Elektric Gold)
Ouri - Escape* - We Share Our Blood (Make it Rain)
Lex Plexus - Spongebob Effigy* - Gadget Babies (Ulusulu)
Trevor Powers - Playwright - Mulberry Violence (Fat Possum)
The Librarian - Booksy Riddim*  - EVD Bass 3 (East Van Digital)

Best of 2017 #2: Woolworm - Deserve to Die (Mint)

One of the greatest joys of working in campus radio is following a band from their obscure beginnings, recording independently, and seeing them blossom into a full-fledged band with a focused sound. I got this experience with Vancouver's Woolworm, who I discovered in 2012 with their EP Everything Seems Obvious on the Hockey Dad label. Admittedly, they'd been around since 2009 by that time. I knew if they kept at it, they'd go from a great band to a fantastic band. Deserve to Die took them into the elite of Canadian college radio and got them some looks in the US and Europe too. Deserve to Die was their first album for the prestigious Mint record label, home to some of the best indy bands in Western Canada. Go see them live, I've seen them three times so far. Excellent merge of post punk with melodic indy rock.

DNTTA Playlist for October 5, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Caribou - Melody Day* - Andorra (Matador)
Kate Bush - Experiment IV - The Whole Story (A&M)
Ensign Broderick - Rough Bells* - Ranger (Six Shooter)
Nicholas Krgovich - Spa* - Ouch! (Tin Angel)
Tetrix - Time Won’t Save Your Soul* - Drugs in the Water (Independent)
Birch Barks - One Step Flat* - Red Thread (Independent)
Bardo Pond - Swig - Dilate (Matador)
Painted On Silent Blue - Miracles - Heaven Is (Ephraim)
Jim James - No Use Waiting - Uniform Distortion (ATO)
The Church - Chromium - After Everything Now This (Cooking Vinyl)
Megative - Can’t Get Away* - Megative (Last Gang)
Echo and the Bunnymen - Do it Clean - Crocodiles (Korova)

DNTTA Playlist for September 28, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Black Feelings - Golden Children* - Black Feelings (Alien8)
Future of the Left - Goals in Slow Motion - The Plot Against Common Sense (Xtra Mile)
Winchop - Adolescent Horse - Look Who's One! (Independent)
VALV - Simpler - Nautilidae EP (Cuchubata)
Not Of - Astoria Jack* - Hypocritic Oath (No List)
Chastity - Choke* - Death Lust (Royal Mountain)
Lie - Birthday Party* - Hounds (Mint)
Killing Joke - Follow the Leaders - The Singles Collection (Spinefarm)
Outpatient - Indoor Plant* - Cosmic Pessimism (Independent)
Psychosomatic Itch - Land of the Free* - Psychosomatic Itch EP (Shake!)
Nine Inch Nails - Ahead Of Ourselves - Bad Witch EP (Capitol)
Mobina Galore - You’re Not 23 Anymore* - Cities Away (Independent)
Ooluu - Perpetuities* - Antediluvian EP (Independent)

DNTTA Playlist for September 21, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Kollage - Lotus Petals* - No Muss No Fuss (G-Three)
Nick Fraser - Empathy* - Is Life Long? (Clean Feed)
Ugly Beauties - Sniffin’ Around* - Strange Attractors (Independent)
The Cluttertones - Bears* - Leeways (Snailbongbong)
Lake Street Dive - I Can Change - Free Yourself Up (Nonesuch)
Tom Aldrich - Aspirations - Princes (Independent)
Moskus - Voyager - Mirakler (Hubro)
Jean Derome - Vamp* - Resistances (Ambiences Magnetiques)
Ensemble Super-Musique - Water Carrier* - Les Portueses d'O (Ambiences Magnetiques)
Nils Okland - Lux - Lumen Drones (ECM)

DNTTA Playlist September 14, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Malhavoc - Wake Up* - Get Down (Fringe)
The Final Cut - Clean the Machine - Consumed (Nettwerk)
M.B. and Barnacles - Astral Fall Dynamism - Sidereal Decomposition Activity (Artoffact)
Nightmares on Wax - Tenor Fly - Shape the Future (Warp)
Afro Sensei - Can’t Hold Us - Let the Beat Breathe (Independent)
Cocteau Twins - Blind Deaf Dumb - BBC Sessions (4AD)
Pout - Elastic* - Nylon Tears (Independent)
Heavydive - Wax Dreams* - Warn the Dark (Independent)
The Purrs - Now You Know - Destroy the Sun (Independent)
The Creation Factory - Girl You're Out of Time - The Creation Factory (Lolipop)
Baby Cages - Flowers* - Bitter Melon (Independent)
Haolin Munk - The Baroness* - Planestasia Suite (HAVN)

Best of 2017 #3: Whimm - A Stare Ajar (Independent)

As life continues to kick my ass, I finally get back to the 2017 countdown. And as luck would have it, this band already has a new EP out, so there's that.

Whimm are a relatively new Canadian band, hailing from Toronto. They're an anthemic noise-rock band, melodic in parts, spacy in parts, and pummelling like METZ in parts. Their debut full length is an immensely enjoyable, tense and driving noise-rock excursion that holds up to multiple listens.

https://whimm.bandcamp.com/

DNTTA Playlist for September 7, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Century String Orchestra - Don’t Stop Believin’* - Century String Orchestra (Boghei)
Plains Apparition - Muted Future* - Adrift (Independent)
Psychic Pollution - Universal Acceleration* - Memoirs from a Flat Planet (Eat Glass)
Tomislav Goluban - Space Drive - Velvet Space Love (Spona)
Receptors - Trans Europe Express - 8 Bit Operators (A&M)
Cold Cave - Catacombs - Cherish the Light Years (Matador)
Yacht - We Have All We’ve Ever Wanted - See Mystery Lights (DFA)
Chvrches - Deliverance - Love is Dead (Glassnote)
Waves That Stray - Painted Red* - Waves that Stray (Independent)
Nite Haus - Calling You - Saturation (Independent)
Ryder Havdale - Partners in Crime* - Candy Haven (White Whale)

Hello Moth and ba:zel at The Art We Are, Sept. 1st.

The Art We Are usually plays host to small, acoustic acts. On September 1^st, the acts were small, but definitely not acoustic.

Calgary's Hello Moth was through town with ba:zel, an electro-acoustic act from Prague in the Czech Republic. Both bands had been on a long cross-country Canadian tour.

Ba:zel are a duo, made up of Ewelina Aifen Chiu on vocals, piano and flute, and Daniel Vlcek, playing guitar and manipulating a production board. Ewelina has an enchanting, ethereal voice, and accented her singing and playing with rhythmic dance moves and swirling arm movements. Daniel mostly played with a sample board and manipulated the piano sound, but did play a guitar on a few tracks. Mostly, the music had a classical feel, with a healthy dose of electronics and post-punk.

Hello Moth met up with ba:zel thanks to fellow Calgarian Foonyap, who toured with ba:zel during a European trip in the summer. Hello Moth plays a sound straight out of the 80s, swirling, crisp synth-pop with vocals reminiscent of Howard Jones or Jimmy Sommerville of the Communards. Hello Moth's musical set up with a simple Casio keyboard and a sampling pedal. He'd play short bits at the start of each song, sample them into the pedal, then layer the bits together to make the base of the song, then sing and play a bit over top of the samples. The result is a full band sound with very little effort.

DNTTA Playlist August 31, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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The Von Zippers - Truck Stop Nun (Da Slyme)* - Oh Canaduh 2 (Lance Rock)
Devo - Satisfaction (Rolling Stones) - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (Warner)
Devo - Head Like a Hole (Nine Inch Nails) - Pioneers Who Got Scalped (Rhino)
Superchunk - Girl U Want (Devo) - Freedom of Choice (Caroline)
Maria in the Shower - Wealthy Poet (Geoff Berner)* - Festival Man (Independent)
Liquid Jesus - Stand (Sly and the Family Stone) - Pump Up the Volume OST (A&M)
Michael Bridge - Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)* - Overture (Independent)
Scala - Creep (Radiohead) - On the Rocks (PIAS)
Red Arms - Academy Fight Song (Mission of Burma)* - Let Every Nation Know (Independent)
The Jolts - Diamond Dogs (David Bowie)* - Shake Sampler Vol. 2 (Shake!)
Beat Crusaders - Debaser (The Pixies) - Tribute to the Pixies (Invisible)
Ethan Gold - Bela Lugosi’s Dead (Bauhaus) - Live Undead Bedroom Closet Covers (Elektric Gold)
Weird Al Yankovic - I Love Rocky Road (The Arrows kinda….) - Weird Al Yankovic (Scotti Bros)

DNTTA Playlist for August 24, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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D.O.A. - Woke Up Screaming* - Something Better Change (Sudden Death)
Bad Waitress - Rabid Dog* - Party Bangers Vol. 1 (Royal Mountain)
Pegboy - Never a Question - Fore EP (Quarterstick)
The 427s - Julie Newmar’s Guitar* - Stay Gold (Stingray Sounds)
Thunderpussy - Badlands - Thunderpussy (Stardog)
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Down the Sink - Gumboot Soup (ATO)
Ghost of You - Tempest - Black Yoga (Indies Scope)
Virtues and Failings - Just an Echo* - Virtues and Failings EP (Independent)
Bison - Dark Skies Above* - Earthbound (No List)
No Liars - The Unheard* - The Cause and the Cure (Independent)
Smitt E. Smitty - Sugar Blast - Just a Modern Guy (Independent)
Death from Above 1979 - Cold War* - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine (Last Gang)
Rocket 3 - I Choose Love - What's the Frequency? (Independent)

Nimblefingers Festival, August 2018

One of the last festivals of the summer season in the BC Interior is the Nimblefingers Festival, held on the last weekend in August in the small town of Sorrento, BC. Nimblefingers focuses mostly on traditional bluegrass. It centers around a week long workshop schedule for musicians, held by the veteran performers invited to the festival, who cap the entire week off with a one-day music festival held in the Sorrento Centre.

The festival is a small one, with just one main stage, and a small afternoon side stage. Most of the action can be seen with just a short two minute walk in between the stages. The weekend was still suffering from the lingering forest fire season, so there was some haze during the day, but nothing too serious.

We got there in the late afternoon, in time for the 3 PM concert, The Bucking Mules, a four-piece band from the Carolinas. They played a high-energy style of bluegrass, mostly focused around the fiddle, but also featuring some spirited banjo during their set.



Eli West, from Portland, Oregon was featured next. He played the guitar and the banjo, plus sang, and used a rotating cast to duet with throughout the set. Guests included John Reischman, the Romeros, Chris Coole, and members of the Bucking Mules. West's vocal style was clean and perfect for dueting.


Every year, the festival puts together a band filled with some of the best musicians of the festival called the Nimblefingers All-Stars. Canadian Craig Young was the leader of the band, combined with Keith Yoder (mandolin), Todd Livingston (dobro), John Mailander (fiddle) and Danny Booth (bass). The band took the crowd though a number of old favourites, giving every member a chance to solo and play.

After a dinner break during the Special Consensus concert, we were back for the Lonesome Ace Stringband, a modern bluegrass trio from Toronto. Led by Chris Coole, a fantastic banjo player, they ran through a set of old time folk music with a modern feel, with just a few traditional tunes. They focused a lot on innovation and modern styles, with a strong background in the old-time folk tradition.


The headliners were the Greg Blake Band. Greg Blake, like Lonesome Ace, were fresh off of the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, where they played, then took off down the road to Sorrento for the Nimblefingers Festival. Greg Blake is a wonderful guitar player and vocalist, equally good at traditional country tunes as in traditional bluegrass. He had a six-piece band that played very traditional bluegrass. They were amazingly tight, stringing together solo bridges and vocal harmony with almost no breaks. The band members played off of each other expertly. They were very good at three-part vocal harmony, with Greg Blake leading the vocals, into Blake stepping aside for banjo player Patrick Sauber and Danny Booth joining him on the same mic for harmony. The band also featured some fantastic fiddling from Katrina Nicolayeff and another appearance from mandolin player John Reischman.

DNTTA Playlist for August 17, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Teenage Wedding - St. Maria* - The Sophia of Teenage Wedding (Independent)
Oxlip - Outshine the Devil* - Wolves! Cried the Maid (World Peach)
Whisper Suite - Broken Runaway* - Love Notes (Independent)
Frog Eyes - A Strand of Blue Stars* - Violet Psalms (Paper Bag)
Superorganism - Everybody Wants to Be Famous - Superorganism (Domino)
Blood Wine and Honey - Loosefoot - Fear and Celebration (Do Right!)
Uni - Electric Universe - Uni (Independent)
NOIA - Too Much Attention* - Maybe Forever (Independent)
Mudhoney - Let it Slide - Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge (Sub Pop)
Male Bonding - Mysteries Complete - Endless Now (Sub Pop)
Comets on Fire - Jaybird - Avatar (Sub Pop)
Hello Moth - A Song About Transience* - Slave in a Stone (Independent)

DNTTA Playlist for August 10, 2018 - BC Day Special

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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cub - Motel 6* - Brave New Waves Session (Artoffact)
NoMeansNo - The Graveyard Shift* - One (Wrong)
pooched - Lashes* - wut does music mean to U? (Independent)
Hansmole - Gourmet Bathing* - Bitter Herb (Independent)
Sparkmarker - Tamarack* - Products and Accessories (Independent)
Shearing Pinx - Blood Corridor* - Poison Hands (Independent)
Volcano Calculator - Golden Horns* - Volcano Calculator (Ulusulu)
Gesture - Trains* - No Past, it Started All Over Again (Independent)
Bridal Party - Man of One of My Dreams*
Dumb - Cowboy* - Seeing Green (Mint)
Calpurnia - Louie* - Scout (Royal Mountain)
Crack Cloud - Empty Cell* - Anchoring Point (Independent)
Brilliant Orange - Happy Man* - Last Call (Zulu)

Salmon Arm Roots and Blues 2018: Day 2, August 19, 2018

Day 2 of my Salmon Arm Roots and Blues experience started where yesterday started: at the Shade Stage. We showed up just in time for the Herald Nix workshop. Nix is a Salmon Arm native who put his own stamp on the punk and indy scene in Vancouver in the 80s. He was an original innovator in dark roots music, merging blues, country, folk and punk. The workshop was run by the always entertaining Vancouver-based accordionist Geoff Berner, who introduced each performer, who did a version of the own favourite Herald Nix track. The line up was stellar, featuring Pharis and Jason Romero, Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage, Bill Kirchen, The Lonesome Ace Stringband, Steve Dawson, Monkeyjunk and Russell deCarle. Berner himself did a version of "What a World", replete with profanity, but stripped out and made weird the only way he can.


Sticking around at the Shade Stage for the Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch workshop, where some real collaborative magic happened. This one was hosted by Pharis and Jason Romero, who led the ensemble to play some of their favourite country and roots songs. American bluegrass and country act Greg Blake, and his fiddler played a Johnny Cash tune. Nova Scotia's legendary country singer Cindy Church teamed with BC dobro player Nathan Tinkham for a version of "Satin Sheets". Bill Kirchen did a version of "Looking at the World Through a Windshield" and legendary American country artist Jimmie Dale Gilmore growled his way through a couple of tracks. The ensemble worked to play with each other, with each performer signalling another one to take the bridge and solos. Bill Kirchen was especially good, improvising and breaking out into bridges like the seasoned veteran guitar player he is. This was one of the better concerts of the weekend.


Off to the Barn Stage for Russell deCarle and Steve Briggs. deCarle is an ex-member of the legendary Canadian country band Prairie Oyster and has been performing solo for a few years now. His style has been moving more in the country swing direction, and he's put out an album of jazz songs as well. As expected, deCarle played a solid set of country, blues and swing, and his voice was in a sultry top form all set. Cindy Church was a surprise guest for the middle of his set, performing a series of duets with deCarle.

The Barn Stage was host to the legendary Jimmy Reed, who plowed through a tight set of blues standards. Disappointingly, he did play exactly the same set as he did on the Main Stage the previous night.


Major Love was the first indy-rock band of the day. This new band is formed of Colleen Brown and members of Edmonton based band Scenic Route to Alaska. They had just released their debut album and spend most of their set playing tracks from that new album. They have a upbeat and melodic rootsy take on indy rock and already tightening up their sound.

Steve Dawson next played the Barn Stage. He is a truly talented guitarist, playing both standard guitar and a lap-style guitar. His set was a fascinating mix of country, blues, rock and roots. He brought in fiddler and trumpet player Daniel Lapp for his set. He even busted out a couple of track of traditional 30s Hawaiian guitar tracks.


Off to the Main Stage for the final two concerts. French-Canadian band Oktopus were on the stage, and were easily one of the most inventive bands of the Festival. They played a mostly instrumental style of Eastern European folk, French-Canadian folk, klezmer and classical, formed of a fiddler, organist/pianist, clarinetist, and two ranges of trombone. They were incredibly entertaining and their music was a style rarely heard at summer festivals in Western Canada.

Capping off the festival was Canadian blues rock legend Colin James. His band was an 8-piece cobbled together from two members of Monkeyjunk, saxophonist David Babcock (who played with the Salmon Arm House Band all weekend), trumpet player Daniel Lapp and parts of his own band. Despite being put together over the weekend, the band was incredibly tight. James himself was very entertaining and highly energetic, and played most of his hits like "Five Long Years" and "Why'd You Lie". He even played some tracks from his upcoming new album, due out in September. Great cap to the entire festival!

Salmon Arm Roots and Blues 2018 - Day 1, Saturday, Aug 18th

One of the highlights of the BC festival season, the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival never fails to impress. This year, I got a chance to get out for part of Saturday as well as Sunday. Of course, it's impossible to cover all the festival, given there are three stages of music going on all day until the Main Stage opens up, then it's two stages for the rest of the night. I can at least talk about the acts I got to see.

The first show of the day was at the Shade stage, a jam session between Tom Landa and his Latin/folk fusion band The Paperboys, and Mexican folk band Son de Madera. They spent most of the time simply trading songs, but by the end of the session, they were playing off of each other's songs like pros. Son de Madera were one of the standouts of the festival, playing a very traditional style of Mexican folk, with two guitars, an small stand-up bass guitar on a stand, and two of the three members dancing tap like a percussion instrument. They played extremely fast at times, with one guitarist strumming so fast, he was hitting several notes a second, plus hitting a note with every single finger he strummed down with. Intriguing band and a style of music rarely heard live outside of Mexico.

The rest of the festival was spent at the Main Stage, with legendary blues performer Lil Jimmy Reed taking the stage with some classic Louisiana blues. Very little banter here, just classic blues. Reed even did a Buddy Guy style solo, wandering out into the crowd for "Hoochie Coochie Man".

Horsefly, BC old time folksters and instrument makers Pharis and Jason Romero were up next, performing stripped down old time folk, country and bluegrass. They brought out world-class mandolin player (and fellow Canadian) John Reischman for several songs as well.

Vancouver's Harry Manx put on a spectacular set of rootsy blues. Manx's guitar style comes from playing it lap style, and his music has a distinct drony Indian style to it. He also played banjo for several songs. Mostly interestingly, he played with a classical string quartet, The Yaletown Sting Quartet, for his entire set.

The Family Stone finished up the Main Stage set, featuring two original members of Sly Stone's band, and Sly's daughter Phunne Stone on vocals. They did a high-energy set of classic rock and funk that the crowd really enjoyed.

Day two coming soon!

Best of 2017 #4: Beck - Colors (Capitol Records)

After Beck's surprise win for the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2015, his next album became a focus of attention. Would he continue to explore his musical range, or would he rest on his laurels, and create another album like Mourning Phase? We got a glimpse when the first single came out in summer 2015. "Dreams" was an upbeat danceable pop track with the skewed funk Beck has done in the past. "Wow" followed a year later, with a dreamy, pop/funk/electronica vibe. It took another year before the album Colors finally came out, and it was a fairly experimental album, with lots of oddball electro-pop involved, but also remained pretty accessible, with some very dancy pop tracks. As predicted, Beck remained unpredictable. After a two year slow burn, Colors was well worth the wait.

DNTTA Playlist for August 3, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Pugs and Crows Band - Two Tasteless Italians* - Fantastic Pictures (Independent)
Sons of Kemet - My Queen is Harriet Tubman - Your Queen is a Reptile (Impulse)
Gordon Grdina’s The Marrow - Wayward* - Ejdeha (Songlines)
Obuxum - Dunkin Vibrations* - H.E.R. EP (Urbnet)
Brahja You Out Sassquash Haolin - Free Your Neutrons* - Friends and Aliens Tapes (HAVN)
Sun Ra and His Myth Science Orchestra - Plutonian Nights - Angels and Demons at Play/The Nubians of Plutonia (Evidence)
Hungry March Band - Zombie Dog - Running Through with the Sadness (Imaginator)
Peggy Lee - Snappy* - Echo Painting (Songlines)
Aeolipile - Line of Enquiry - Observational Error (Foolproof)
Nels Cline 4 - Imperfect 10 - Currents, Constellations (Blue Note)

DNTTA Playlist for July 27, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Geoff Berner - One Shoe* - Klezmer Mongrel (Black Hen)
Jane Archer and the Reactionairies - Old Man Atom* - Great Atomic Power (Independent)
Saor Patrol - Bog Trotter - Battle of Kings (ARC Music)
The Kropotkins - Sissy Wa Wa - Five Points Crawl (Mulatta)
Jennifer Castle - Crying Shame* - Angels of Death (Idee Fixe)
Hasil Adkins - C’Mon Little Jenny - Peanut Butter Rock and Roll (Norton)
Jim James - I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight - Tribute To 2 (ATO)
John Fahey - The Yellow Princess - Vanguard Visionaries (Vanguard)
Jeremy Dutcher - Eqpahak* - Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (Independent)
Weaves - Wide Open* - Wide Open (Buzz)
Wax Mannequin - Boring* - Have a New Name (Coax)

Best of 2017 #5: Gesture - No Past, It Started All Over Again (Independent)

Vancouver's Gesture were a very short lived band, existing for just over a year. Their full-length album, No Past, It Started All Over Again, is a mix of low-fi indy rock, slow post punk and sheer weirdness that's incredibly captivating. Local taste-maker Andy Resto's vocals are extremely odd: reed-thin warbling on the edge of paranoid breakdown. If I could compare the band to another band, the closest I'd get would be The Residents, and that's only a tenuous comparison. A strange band with an even stranger album, you can't help but listen, if only for morbid curiosity.

https://gesture.bandcamp.com/album/no-past-it-started-all-over-again

DNTTA Log for July 20, 2018 - Interview with Adrian Copeland

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Loscil - Weeds* - Monument Builders (Kranky)
Alder and Ash - At Night in the Slaughterhouse* - Psalms for the Sunder (Independent)
Alder and Ash - Black Salt* - Psalms for the Sunder (Independent)
Lying Light in the Quiet - Ritual* - Recovery (Independent)
Jean-Michel Blais - Igloo* - Dans Ma Main (Paper Bag)
Heartfelt - Speakless* - Whispers (Independent)
Beatrice Deer - Atungak* - My All to You (Independent)
Khadja Bonet - Delphine - Childqueen (Fat Possum)
Marianne Nowottny - Nickels - Studio Recordings 2008-2018 (Abaton Book Company)

DNTTA Playlist for July 13, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Weed - Thousand Pounds* - Running Back (Lefse)
Touching God - An Absolute at Large* - Touching God (Independent)
Advertisement - Lash Burn* - Advertisement (Independent)
Dri Heiv - Last Gen* - Place to Live (Independent)
Conduct - Another Measure* - Fear and Desire (Public Tone)
Little Junior - Prime* - Hi (Royal Mountain)
Beach Body - Connor Bought a Van* - Plain Life EP (Independent)
Woolworm - Deserve to Die* - Deserve to Die (Mint)

DNTTA Playlist for July 6, 2018 - Canada Day Special

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Vailhalen - Bones of the Dead* - Pop Violence (Saved by Vinyl)
Les Georges Leningrad - Lollipop Lady* - Deux Hot Dogs Moutarde Chou (Blow the Fuse)
Jesuslesfilles - Motocycle* - Daniel (Blow the Fuse)
Sussy - Chlorine* - Material (Independent)
Eric’s Trip - Secret for Julie* - Love Tara (Sub Pop)
Peach Kelli Pop - Black Magic* - Gentle Leader (Mint)
cub - Cast a Shadow* - Brave New Waves Session (Artoffact)
L CON - Some Sort of Sign* - Insecurities in Being (Independent)
Texture and Light - Flowers in the Attic* - The Hard Problem with Consciousness (Independent)
Golden Grey - Pinkish Purple* - Colours (Full Flight)
Cancer Bats - Space and Time* - The Spark That Moves (New Damage)
Volcano Calculator - Just Be* - Volcano Calculator (Ulusulu)
The Huaraches - Paper or Plastics?* - Curl Up with... (Independent)
Body Lens - Jiltz* - Body Lens (Independent)

DNTTA Playlist for June 29, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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AA Wallace - Shake it Out* - In Alpha Zones (Culvert)
Steve Bug and Langenberg - Paper Stabs - Paradise Sold (Poker Flat)
Chad Valley - See-Through - Imaginary Music (Cascine)
Mark Pritchard - Circle of Fear - The Four Worlds (Warp)
Anemone - Party Theme* - Baby Only You and I (Luminelle)
Stereolab - Transona Five - Mars Audiac Quintet (Elektra)
Floes - Come Back to Me* - Passionals (Independent)
BLVD Noir - Lumiere* - Ombres EP (Independent)
Fischerspooner - Emerge - #1 (Capitol)
Benedikt - Havana Nights* - Fascia (Independent)
Gel Nails - Strobe Light* - Cool Spam from the Inventors of Purgatory (Independent)
Venetian Snares - Make Ronnie Rocket* - Higgins Ultra Low Track Glue Funk Hits 1972-2008 (Mu)

DNTTA Playlist for June 22, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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The Zorgs - Uptight Rhythm* - Chew on it (Transistor 66)
Teenage Head - Ain’t Got No Sense* - Fun Comes Fast (Warner)
The Gays - No Love in the Village* - The Agenda (Independent)
Silver Dapple - Pines* - Moody Boots (Pink Haze)
D.O.A. - You Can’t Stop Me* - Fight Back (Sudden Death)
Grievance - Winona* - Guns and Roses' Roses (Grooves)
Carissa Johnson and the Cure-Alls - Badlands - Talk Talk Talk (Fuel Heart)
Life in Vacuum - Sinker* - All You Can Quit (New Damage)
The Houses (Where We Grew Up) - We Will Break/Up Someday* - single (Independent)
Nutrition - False Start* - Nutrition (Independent)
Nutrition - Someone Kill Me* - Nutrition (Independent)
Deep Fryer - Jeremy* - Rockin' Right Hard (Ancient Temple)
Softess - Prophetic Void* - Absolute Truth (Independent)
Flesh Control - Naptime* - Weirdest Tuesday (Baffled Octopi)
Hansmole - Gourmet Bathing* - Bitter Herb (Independent)

DNTTA Playlist for June 15, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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SIANspheric - Eight Hundred Mixer* - There's Always Someplace You'd Rather Be (Sonic Unyon)
Deadly Stare - Solitude in Zone Rouge* - The Electric Seaeanfiora (Endemik)
Rosemo(u)nt Antiquartet - En Berne du Realisement* - Fuguer la Cillement du Refuge en Soi (Endemink)
Mogwai - Waltz for Aidan - Come On Die Young (Matador)
Peppermoth - Follow Me* - Glimmer Tide (Big Mind)
Pan American - What Do They Dream? - Kranky Kompilation 2 (Kranky)
Shooting Guns - Another Barn Burner* - Another Wolf Cop OST (Independent)
Laurie Anderson and the Kronos Quartet - Dreams - Landfall (Nonesuch)
Ah Young Hong - Hersch: A Breath Upwards V - A Breath Upwards (Innova)
Yuko Fujiyama - Premonition - Night Waves (Innova)
The Besnard Lakes - Devastation* - Are the Dark Horse (Jagjaguwar)

Best of 2017 #6: Future Islands - The Far Field (4AD)

US band Future Islands are sort of like the indy rock's version of AC/DC. They tend to make the same album, but it's a pretty good album anyway. The band has this odd mix of playful electro-rock, usually with a prominent bassline, with Sam Herring's expressive crooning propelling the emotion of the band along. I rated their last album, Singles, as my favourite album of 2014. This album doesn't break a lot of new ground, but it's a pretty fine album anyway.

DNTTA Playlist for June 8, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Sly and Robbie Meet Dubmatix - Shabby Attack* - Overdubbed (Independent)
Jeremy Dutcher - Oqiton* - Wolastoqiyik Linkowakonawa (Independent)
Gastr del Sol - Each Dream is an Example - Camoufleur (Drag City)
Melotika - Bittersweet Reality* - Unaware (Independent)
Peach Kelli Pop - Los Angeles* - Which Witch EP (Mint)
Peach Kelli Pop - Crooked* - Which Witch EP (Mint)
Kellarissa - Too Drunk to Be Afraid* - Ocean Electro (Mint)
Les Modes - Kiss Her Blue* - Argon (Independent)
David Byrne - It’s Not Dark Up Here - American Utopia (Nonesuch)
The Chameleons UK - I’ll Remember - Strange Times (Geffen)
Autogramm - Jessica Don’t Like Rock and Roll* - 7" (Snappy Little Numbers)
Boniface - Again and Again* - Phantom Limbs EP (Transgressive)
Versa - This is Where We Disappear* - Versa (Independent)

Concert Review: Abby Wale/Bridal Party/At Mission Dolores at the Blue Grotto

Now that the sun is shining, early evening concerts are much more easy to attend. The Blue Grotto in downtown Kamloops has been taking on more rock acts lately, and I'm all for it.

This concert took place on Sunday, June 17th, featuring two local acts, Abby Wale and At Mission Dolores, and Victoria's Bridal Party, on their way through BC headed to the Sled Island Festival in Calgary.

Abby Wale was up first. Abby was (is?) a member of the Kamloops based country/pop band The Bees and the Bare Bones, now out on a solo outing. Abby just had a few songs to play in the pop/rock vein, finishing up a 20 minute set of self-described "sad songs" with aplomb, both singing and playing guitar with her backing band.

Victoria's Bridal Party were a pleasant surprise to my ears. Minimalist dreamy indy pop, summery vibes and a vaguely detached delivery. Think early Talking Heads crossed with Beach House with Kate Bush as lead singer. Or like an indy pop version of the Beach Boys. They even had a beach chair on stage with them, and singer Suzannah Raudaschl sat down for a few songs. I bought both of their albums (on tape), I was so impressed with them.

At Mission Dolores are local favourites and the flagship band of Factotum Recording, who promoted the show. They have the feel of a slacker indy rock band, with the guitar noodling tendencies of a jam band, like Weezer if they had Phish's guitar section. They had the crowd going all through their set and had them chanting for more music when they were done.

DNTTA Playlist for May 25, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Junior Boys - Last Exit* - Last Exit (Domino)
Redress - Gorgon* - Gorgon (Independent)
Tovi - Passenger Seat* - Midnight Hum (Independent)
WYVZ - Meaning Found* - Triangle (Independent)
Always a Bad Thing - Acid Pronoun Burn* - Always a Bad Thing (Baffled Octopi)
Makeness - Who Am I To Follow Love - Loud Patterns (Secretly Canadian)
Jayne Murray - I Cleaned My House* - I Cleaned My House (Independent)
The Herbaliser - Gadget Funk - You Don't Know (Ninjatune)

DNTTA Playlist for May 18, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Les Handclaps -  J’en ai Assez* - Cliche (Blow the Fuse)
Glenn Branca - Lesson No. 1 - New York Noise (Soul Jazz)
Frightened Rabbit - Backyard Skulls - Pedestrian Verse (Clash)
Fanny Bloom - Jure Crache* - Liqueur (Grosse Boite)
Royksopp - Vision One - Junior (Astralwerks)
Front 242 - Quite Unusual - Official Version (RRE)
Charlotte Day Wilson - Falling Apart* - Stone Woman (Independent)
Braggarts - Different Light - Exploring New Stars (Ambulance)
Schulz - React* - What Crisis (Sudden Death)
Fred Cracklin - Cold Spring Full Circle* - Looming Spook (Cuchabata)
Dungen - Bortglund - Dat Te Lungt (Domino)
Matteo Liberatore - Barrea - Solos (Innova)

DNTTA Playlist for May 11, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Eric Chenaux - There’s Our Love* - Slowly Paradise (Constellation)
Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette - Late Lament - After the Fall (ECM)
Glen Hall/Bernie Koenig/MJ Idzerda - Let’s Take a Moment* - Three Way Conversation (Slam)
David Mott/Vinny Golia - Ostenatious* - Have You Heard? (Pet Mantis)
The Buddha Belly - The Marching Powder* - Orchards (Ulusulu)
Mazzle - Alone Together - Genetically Modified Art (Independent)
Peripheral Vision - Chubby Cello* - More Songs About Error and Shame (Independent)
Ken Nordine - Flibberty Jib - The Best of Word Jazz, Vol. 1 (Rhino)
Map 71 - One Dimensional Bang - Gloriosa (Fourth Dimension)
Andrew Hadro - View from Without - For Us, the Living II (Tone Rogue)
\\livingfossil// - Macrophages* - Never Die! (Independent)

DNTTA Playlist for May 4, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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I Am Spoonbender - October Blurred By* - Sender/Receiver (Mint)
Jaunt - Faster Interactions* - Cue EP (Independent)
The Human Statues - The Man on the Radio* - The Human Statues (Independent)
Sunglaciers - Sleepwalk City* - Twin Evil Twin EP (Independent)
Never Betters - Pictures* - Guns and Roses' Roses (Grooves)
LAPS - Another* - LAPS/La Fete Split EP (Independent)
Rampant Lion - Fix Me Up* - Songs for Loves Lost (Independent)
Cousins - Jules* - The Palm at the End of the Mind (Saved by Vinyl)
Ceremony - Adult - Zoo (Matador)
Ensign Broderick - Dead Feelings* - Feast of Panthers (Six Shooter)
Owen - No Language - At Home with Owen (Polyvinyl)
Ringo Deathstarr - Prisms - Shadow EP (Sonic Unyon)

Best of 2017 #7: Alvvays - Antisocialites (Royal Mountain)

Toronto-based band Alvvays' 2014 debut was an album I didn't hear in time for it to make my best of list that year, but if I had heard it, rest assured, it would have been near the top of the chart. Their 2017 album Antisocialites sees the band tightening up their willowy post-punk tinged indy rock and smoothing down the edges of their punky debut's leaning. While their new album lacks the wild abandon of some of the more shambling bits of their debut, and also misses out on the transcendent feel of "Archie, Marry Me" (which seemed to be everywhere in 2014-5), it does have a focus the debut lacked. This album is a few steps behind and ahead of the debut, and is no less enjoyable.

DNTTA Playlist for April 27, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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The Floor - Seconds Later* - Doll EP (Independent)
Francois Couture - Sea Song* - Ballades por Elle (Cuchubata)
Slowdive - Sugar for the Pill - Slowdive (Dead Oceans)
Nap Eyes - Sage* - I'm Bad Now (You've Changed)
Moby - The Tired and the Hurt - Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt (Arts and Crafts)
US Girls - Pearly Gates* - In a Poem Unlimited (Royal Mountain)
They Might Be Giants - Push Back the Hands - I Like Fun (Idlewild)
The Submissives - Don`t Worry* - Pining for a Boy (Egg Paper Factory)
Chris-a-Riffic - Memorial Cup* - Post-Season (Independent)
Hi-Ranger - Warble* - Hi-Ranger (Independent)
Co-Op - New Motive Power* - 2nd View (Independent)
Buffalo Tom - Roman Cars - Quiet and Peace (Schoolkids)

DNTTA Playlist for April 20, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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DS Lori - Tender Seal* - DS Lori (Independent)
The Thermals - A Pillar of Salt - The Body, the Blood, the Machine (Sub Pop)
The Thermals - Returning to the Fold - The Body, the Blood, the Machine (Sub Pop)
Mike Mikus - Plastic Veggies* - Mike Mikus (Independent)
Pizza Bath - North Star* - You Are What You Eat (Independent)
Ponctuation - Nada Brahma* - Mon Herbier du Monde Entier (Blow the Fuse)
Anmls - No Nos Ven - Anmls (Slovenly)
Hyness - Resistor* - The End of Music (Independent)
Actors - Face Meets Glass* - It Will Come to You (Artoffact)
Yamantaka//Sonic Titan - Dark Waters* - Dirt (Paper Bag)
Suuns - Baseline* - Felt (Secret City)
Bort - Hello Mr. Thompson* - Crossing the Desert (Independent)
The Cars - Sad Song - Move Like This (Hear Music)

DNTTA Playlist for April 13, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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KLM - You Didn’t Do It* - Chamber Music (Independent)
Rhye - Count to Five* - Blood (Last Gang)
Kellarissa - Black Sea* - Ocean Electro (Mint)
Texture and Light - Merlin* - Eat Magic (Independent)
M.M. Crone - Broken Moment* - M.M. Crone (Independent)
H. de Heutz - Receiver* - The Natural World (E-Tron)
Lemonade - Ice Water - Diver (True Panther Sounds)
Twink - Ostrich Hop - Happy Houses (Independent)
Cadence Weapon - Don’t Talk to Me* - Cadence Weapon (E1)
Grand Analog - Mutations* - Survival (Independent)
Egyptrixx - Disorbital* - A/B Til Infinity (Night Slugs)
Holzkopf - Hold Me Down* - House of Aud (Independent)

DNTTA Playlist for April 6, 2018

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Humans - Boys and Girls* - The Feels (Haven Sounds)
Do Make Say Think - Her Eyes on the Horizon* - Stubborn Persistent Illusions (Constellation)
A Tribe Called Red - The Virus* - We Are the Halluci Nation (Pirates Blend)
Alvvays - Dreams Tonight* - Antisocialites (Royal Mountain)
METZ - Mess of Wires* - Strange Peace (Royal Mountain)
Blue Hawaii - Versus Game* - Tenderness (Arbutus)
Kid Koala feat Emiliana Torrini - Fallaway* - Music to Draw To: Satellite (Arts and Crafts)
Lucid Structure - Loss Without Form - We Were Never Here (Independent)
Helena Deland - Body Language* - Altogether Unaccompanied Vols. 1 and 2 (Chivi Chivi)
Krista Muir - On the Cities Lips* - The Tides (Hypo)
Disconnected Genius - About Nothing - Nirvikalpa Meow (Independent)

Best of 2017 #8: LCD Soundsystem - American Dream (DFA)

A 2016 tour fueled the buzz around American Dream in 2017, LCD Soundsystems first album in more than 5 years. American Dream showed up on many critics Top 10 lists, often at #1, and for good reason. This wasn't just a comeback for nostalgia's sake. This was a full blown return, with all creative juices flowing. American Dream captures both the classic electro-rock sound of James Murphy's earliest work under the LCD name, but an update of the sound for the 2010s. It also channelled Murphy's deep love for the New York new wave scene, with many tracks looking back in love and detached horror to the stuttering new wave funk of the Talking Heads, the unhinged experimentation of Suicide and the crisp disco sheen of Blondie. LCD are back and better than ever.

Best of 2017 #9: Protomartyr - Relatives in Descent (Domino)

Detroit's Protomartyr made a huge splash on the college radio scene with their last album, 2014's The Agent Intellect. 2017's Relatives in Descent sees the band pulling back a bit, becoming more moody and textured, but no less caustic. This is pure post-punk, insistent, dark, noisy and disturbing. Singer Joe Casey is a near dead ringer for Mark E. Smith, if he were American. Casey is as pointed and accusing as MES, but a touch more smooth and less deadpan. The music is driving, moody and repetitive. Snarly and demanding your attention. Great album.

Best of 2017 #10: Gun Control - Volume 1 (Independent)

Getting a late start to the Top 10 albums countdown and review, but we're at it anyway...

Gun Control are a brand new group from our of Vancouver. Self-described as a noise-rock band, they're much more than that. They've got a melodic take on indy rock, merging that with a grungy, sloppy punk sound. Looking for bands they sound like: think early R.E.M, but with clearer vocals, The Thermals, complete with oddball Hutch Harris style vocals, The Connells, ("City of No" sounds a lot like "Stone Cold  Yesterday"), the melodic side of Sleater-Kinney maybe?

Volume 1 is available on Bandcamp at a the "Name Your Price" option, so give them some cash so they can keep making music!

DNTTA Log for August 25, 2017 - All Covers Show

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Von Zippers* - Truck Stop Nun (Da Slyme) - Oh Canaduh 2 (Lance Rock)
Talking Heads - Take Me to the River (Al Green) - Sand in the Vaseline (Warner)
Dread Zeppelin - Bring it on Home (Led Zeppelin) - Un-Led-Ed (IRS)
The Pixies - Sweet Honey Pie (The Beatles) - Live at the BBC (4AD)
The Pursuit of Happiness* - On and On and On (ABBA) - Brave New Waves Sessions (Artoffact)
Men Without Hats* - S.O.S. (ABBA) - Adventures of Women and Men Without Hate... (Mercury)
John Martyn - Singing in the Rain (Gene Kelly) - Head and Heart (Universal)
The Cramps - She Said (Hasil Adkins) - Bad Music For Bad People (IRS)
The Ex-Pistols - Pretty Vacant (The Sex Pistols) - The Swindle Continues (Restless)
Tankhog* - I Woke Up in Love This Morning (Partridge Family) - House of Beauty (Zulu)
Clinique Delay* - We Are Weapons (Lesbo Vrouven) - Je Re-Reviens Genevieve (Independent)
Sleeper Wave  - A Present for Those Who Are Present (Jerome's Dream) - It's More Like an Homage to You (Zegema Beach)
Anthrax - Got the Time (Joe Jackson) - Persistence of Time (Metal Blade)
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga - Cheek to Cheek (Irving Berlin)

Artist - Song - Album (Label)  * indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Daphni - Ye Ye* - Jiaolong (Matador)
Loscil - Red Tide* - Monument Builders (Kranky)
OneOverZero - Marshlands* - Low Sync Syncopation (Independent)
Sound of the Mountain - B: Part 1* - Amplified Clarinet and Trumpet (Mystery and Wonder)
Foonyap - The Fun Machine (monochrome rainbow remix)* - Apropos EP (Independent)
Moby and the Void Pacific Choir - A Softer War - More Fast Songs About the Apocalypse (Arts and Crafts)
DWNTWN - Fourteen - Racing Time (Jullian)
Kuma - Sugar - The Stranger (Independent)
Eine Kleine China - Mothersbaugh for Your Mind* - Feels Industry (Boat Dreams from the Hill)

Best of 2017

1) The Horrors - V (Wolf Tone)
2) Woolworm* - Deserve to Die (Mint)
3) Whimm* - A Stare Ajar (Pleasance)
4) Beck - Colors (Capitol)
5) Gesture* - No Past, It Started All Over Again (Independent)
6) Future Islands - The Far Field (4AD)
7) Alvvays* - Antisocialites (Royal Mountain)
8) LCD Soundsystem - American Dream (DFA)
9) Protomartyr - Relatives in Descent (Domino)
10) Gun Control* - Volume 1 (Independent)

Honourable Mentions: Hermetic* - Postscript (Big Smoke), Walrus* - Family Hangover (Madic), METZ* - Strange Peace (Royal Mountain), Algiers - The Underside of Power (Matador), Clark - Death Peak (Warp)