For four days next week, Calgary will be flooded with the best in independent music and art. But with 200-odd bands performing, and a festival pass selling for a very reasonable $99, even the most seasoned indie aficionado might need a little Sled Island guidance.
Mount Eerie
Praise the lord! Introspective front man Phil Elverum will fill the church with his ethereal crooning and lyrically dense songs. A must-hear for the lo-fi folk fan. Thursday, June 25, 10 p.m., Central United Church, 131 7th Ave. SW.
The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir
Drawing well-deserved comparisons with Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart, AMGC belts out whisky-infused Appalachia rock complete with twangy slide guitars and bluesy growls. Thursday, June 25, 11 p.m., Broken City, 613 11th Ave. SW.
The Pine Tarts
These ebullient Calgarian pop punks combine classic, fast-paced punk riffs with melodic sock-hop rock. They mix two-parts Sid Vicious, one part mod mishmash and one part sunshine to create highly addictive musical amphetamines. Thursday, June 25, 11 p.m., The Lord Nelson, 1020 8th Ave. SW.
The Darcys
Touted as Pavement meets Thom Yorke meets Heidegger, this shoe-gazing quintet from Halifax play multi-layered, vaguely hallucinatory indie rock. Friday, June 26, 10:15 p.m., Royal Canadian Legion #1, 116 7 Ave. S.E.
Seven Story Redhead
Kind of like bubble gum without all the sweetness, SSR make infectious, tongue-in-cheek music inspired by the New York Dolls. Saturday, June 27, 10 p.m. The Stetson, 10002 Macleod Trail S.
