Out of this Spark

Out of This Spark and KYEO Present:
Burning Torch: A Tribute to Royal City - June 24 & 26

Guelph & Toronto Host All-Star Concerts Celebrating Royal City 1999-2004

In honour of the new b-sides/rarities compilation Royal City 1999-2004 (out June 23, 2009 on Outside Music in Canada/Asthmatic Kitty elsewhere), fans and friends have scheduled live tributes to the band itself, Royal City.

Spearheaded by Aaron Riches, Royal City made a significant impact within underground, alt-folk circles in their brief five years together. Formed in Guelph, ON in 1999, the band married Riches’ raw, inventive wordplay and sharp storytelling with fellow songwriter/guitarist Jim Guthrie’s penchant for off-kilter chord progressions, ambitious arrangements, and swinging rhythms (fostered by bassist Simon Osborne and Royal City’s respective drummers, Nathan Lawr and Lonnie James). They toured a lot; collaborated closely with Feist, Sufjan Stevens, Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy), Edwyn Collins, and Bob Wiseman; made three excellent records (2000’s At Rush Hour the Cars, 2001’s Alone at the Microphone, 2004’s Little Heart’s Ease); put Three Gut Records on the map; earned a spot on the respected Rough Trade imprint; and received a Juno Award nomination before they ceased functioning in 2004. Royal City’s new, posthumous release collects obscure songs spanning their entire duration as a band.

With no signs of RC re-forming soon, the next best thing is Burning Torch: A Tribute to Royal City—all-star benefit concerts, featuring followers and even former members playing their favourite RC songs. Two separate events have been scheduled:

Wednesday June 24, 2009: Ebar - 41 Quebec St. - Guelph - $10 – 9:00 PM- AA/Lic. - Proceeds benefit Out on the Shelf, Guelph’s Queer Library and Resource Centre

Friday June 26, 2009: Tranzac - 292 Brunswick St. - Toronto - $10 – 8:00 PM – Proceeds benefit the Tranzac and the Toronto Cat Rescue.

Copies of Royal City 1999-2004 will be sold each evening with some proceeds benefitting the aforementioned charities, all courtesy of Outside Music).

The list of confirmed performers includes:
Andy Magoffin (Two-Minute Miracles) - Chad Ross (Quest for Fire/Nordic Nomadic) (Toronto only) Cry, Cry Papsmear - Evan (ex-Royal City) & Geordie Gordon (The Magic/Human Highway/Islands) - Evening Hymns (Toronto only) - Gavin Gardiner (The Wooden Sky) - Gentleman Reg (Toronto Only) - I Am Robot and Proud (Toronto only) - Jeff Peers (Anagram) (Toronto only) - Jenny Omnichord - Magali Meagher (Phonemes/Metal Kites) - Nathan Lawr (ex-Royal City/FemBots) - Scott-o-Bot (Ragg Mopp) - Steven LuChuck (ex-We’re Marching On/Ohbijou) - Woolly Leaves (Constantines) (Toronto only) + more!

For both long-time followers and young fans that never had a chance to see Royal City, Burning Torch promises to be a wonderful, belated, two-night bon voyage for one of Canada’s great independent bands.

Out of this Spark (OOTS) is excited to announce that Timber Timbre has signed a worldwide recording, management and publishing deal with Toronto’s Arts and Crafts. Arts & Crafts will reissue Timber Timbre’s self-titled full-length album in Canada on June 30, 2009. Originally released in January on Out Of This Spark, Timber Timbre’s self-titled full length will also be released internationally via Arts & Crafts on July 28, 2009.

In addition, Out of this Spark has entered into a distribution partnership with Arts & Crafts.

“As a label we pride ourselves on our role in our local community and working with Arts and Crafts, who share our passionate belief in the strength of independent music, will allow us to grow and broaden the scope and reach of what we do,” states Out of this Spark’s Stuart Duncan.

"Bry Webb from the Cons turned me onto the Timber Timbre record and I immediately fell in love with it," says Arts & Crafts President, Jeffrey Remedios. "I went to acquaint Kevin Drew and he simultaneously tried to tell me. We both knew we had to try and tell the world about Timber Timbre and we're honoured he's giving us a chance to do just that." He continues, "Out Of This Spark has been doing great things for the Toronto music community and we're excited to be working more
closely with them."

“Out of this Spark has been privileged to have had the opportunity to work Timber Timbre (a.k.a. Taylor Kirk),” says Duncan. “We are thrilled that the world now has a chance to learn how exciting and innovative Timber Timbre’s work is.”

Our next monthly presentation at the Tranzac (292 Brunswick Avenue in Toronto)happens this Friday night and will feature Diamond Rings (John O from the D'Urbervilles), old OOTS friend Chris Yang and UK import M.S.

Show is around 10 PM and as always is Pay What You Can.

Guelph indie-sensation Jenny Omnichord and Toronto folkster Dog Is Blue share a lot in common. Most notably they're sharing a car, as they travel across eastern Canada playing music, basking in the gorgeous countryside and spreading all around good vibes. Also, Jenny has a new baby boy (along with an awesome duets record made in his honour) and Dog Is Blue just released his debut album, which is sort of like a baby. Furthermore, they each offer up endearing and melodic tunes full of charming lyrics. Check the tour section for dates.

Out of this Spark records presents the second of our monthly shows at the Tranzac :

Friday April 3

Picastro (http://www.myspace.com/picastro)
Casey Mecija (http://www.myspace.com/ohbijou)
Chriss Sutherland (www.myspace.com/chrisssutherland)

Tranzac (front room) - 292 Brunswick Avenue - Toronto ON

10 PM - Pay What You Can

More info on Chriss :

Chriss Sutherland was born in 1976 in New Brunswick, Canada. He grew up in central Maine a pained, confused but energetic boy. Playing in punk and hardcore bands during his high school years Chriss cultivated his social and political desires, which transformed into artistic/musical aspirations. Upon graduation in 1994 he moved to Boston to form Cerberus Shoal. Quickly, the group relocated to Portland, Maine and the Blue House (Tank 28). Chriss resided there 13 years working, living, creating, recording and touring with the many amalgams of Cerberus Shoal (10 full lengths, a bunch of splits and singles released). In the final years of his residency he helped to found the acoustic evolution of CS, a group called Fire on Fire (an ep and full length released by Young God Records). Now after so many collaborative years Chriss is journeying outside himself to record and tour with his own songs delivered in a solo fashion. Singing in both Spanish and English Chriss writes long, heavy rhythmic tunes on acoustic guitar, which turn into anxious pleas for sense and harmony. He released his first solo record “me in a “field”” in November of 2007 with Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Digitalis Industries. He is now releasing his second full length “Worried Love” with Portland, Maine’s peapod recordings.

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