Action for the second day of the Electric Eye Music Festival , May 8, centred around two main venues, The Slice and the Owl Acoustic Lounge, though Blueprint Records opened the night’s festivities.

 While I missed Internet Love and Sparkle Blood at Blueprint, as well as  the earlier acts at the Slice and Owl, I arrived in time to catch a catchy set of bass powered dance pop music from Edmonton trio Physical Copies, who include members of Shout Out Out Out.

They had a lot of energy excruciatingly loud bass but tapped in the spirit of ’80s new wave music and synth pop music like Devo and the Talking Heads.

A computer supplied dance beats and synth sounds, while Shout Out Out Out drummer Clint Fraser spun his drum sticks and held down the beat as bassist  Matt Bouchard  held down the thudding bottom end.

 The lead singer would pick up another bass as well for a couple of songs, alternating it with guitar or simply jumping up and down as he manned the microphone.

They played a cover of their remix of the Wet Secrets’ “Sunshine.”

 They had a  good sized audience  who stuck around for local punk/ garage rock trio Advertisement rather than wandering over to the Owl in between sets as I did.

 I wanted to hear newly minted Edmonton garage rock / punk band the Versions, who have only been together for about a year and played their first gig in about three months for the Electric Eye Music Festival.

They played bare bones, back to the basic rock music, though guitarist Tim Hatch pounded on his axe with a pair of drum sticks for one of many newer songs. They had some catchy guitar and a wicked bass groove.

 They had lots of  intense  energy  reminding me of a variety of acts like experimental punks NoMeansno, hardcore forbearers like Black Flag and new punk bands like the B Lines and even sounded more modern rock in places along the lines of the Foo Fighters.

 For a slight contrast to that, I stuck around for more of an indie rock sound with Vancouver’s  Soft Serve.

 They had a more laid back post punk indie rock sound that sounded like a more psychedelic Shins except with a more laid back ’70s feel.

 

There was plenty of ambient delay and lots up upbeat songs with a hypnotic groove which left the audience shouting for an encore that was not to be.

 I was going to go home after that, but stopped by the Slice instead and walked into complete chaos with the last half of the set of Calgary weird rockers Dri Hiev.

 They played short, wild bursts of noise punctuated by frontman Carter Crough, dressed in white overalls and a gold lamée mask,  weaving, bobbing and rolling around on the stage while howling like the tormented ghost of a tortured serial killer. He promised to show the audience his butt if they'd buy a T-Shirt.

 

In the middle of this, Kyle Crough supplied bludgeoning bass-lines and ear shaking rhythms which shook the walls.

 Eardrums were pierced by guitarist Dan Auger and were further shredded by Igor Gvozdenovic’s samples.

 The audience thrashed around in front of the stage, Crough’s overalls fell off, after which he pulled them back up and jumped into the middle of the writhing audience and howled the last couple of songs before hunching back onto the stage, sitting on it, then joining his band mates.

The fun continues today.
The  Magpie Market runs at the Army and navy Veterans Hall from 10-2 p.m.
 That will be followed by the Girls Rock Camp. An all ages gig begins there at 6 p.m. with Sparkle Blood followed by Borsct and Switches.

 It is also a good day for families. While the family jam at the Owl Acoustic Lounge has been cancelled due  to illness, there will be a showcase of Lethbridge bands from Norwegian Blue Records performing this afternoon.

 Bass/ drums duo betterhalf begin at 2:15 followed by  the Supervoid, surf rock band the Atomicos, Commander Xander, Mick Hayward of the Mormon Girls and some country music from Ryland Moranz.

The Owl takes a break until 9 p.m. when there will be a showcase of Saskatchewan rock.

They begin with local First Nations alternative rockers Fox Eyes at 9 p.m. followed by Dead Lake Saskatchewan psych rock, punk and noise rock trio The Faps at 10 p.m. Regina  psych rock country band Snake River and Edmonton Garage punk band the Tee Tahs winding things up at 12:15 p.m.

Over at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, there will be a film festival at noon.
The three and a half minute long 5:4 by Scottish director Lars Koens is an abstract choreography where circles move according to the same pattern, but at different speeds. Each circle.
All the Birds is a 2007, one minute long film by Canadian director Kier Griffiths which is what happens when all of the birds  get swallowed up into a big black cloud.

 

 Graminoids by Scottish directors Demelza Kooij & Lars Koens  is a 2014 6:18 long lilting paean to the manifold strains of native grass that cultivate upon Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh.

 Joy Ride is  another Scottish film by Eva Riley. the 2013,  the  9:23 long film is about a young boy who tries to calm his mother down as she drives dangerously towards the cliffs.
 Mattress Poster is a 2014 Canadian film by Nicole Brunel. The 01:26 long film was created in 2014 as part of the Animation Internship program in celebration of Quickdraw.

Night School is yet another Scottish film by Ben Soper.  The 10:46 film is about a young couple who break into an abandoned school. Strangers to one another they struggle to achieve the intimacy.
Ottica Zero is an American and United Kingdom film by Maja Borg The 12:46 minute long film is about the disappearance of  Italian actress Nadya Cazan Soon after her ‘big break.’
 Pulse  is a 2014 15 minute long United Kingdom noir-like, expressionistic short about peril, rescue and the basic human need to connect.

Renault 5  is a 2014 film which comes from The Netherlands’ Kaweh Modiri. In the five minute long film a family attempts to go on a group outing but its much more difficult than it seems.
Finally, Role of the Night is a 2012 Canadian film from Evan Peacock it is a seven minute response to Igmar Bergman’s Persona.

 After the festival the SAAG features electronica music from Birch Barks and friends at 2:30 plus An Ant An An Atom.

 There is an all ages rock gig after that with Fever Few at 6:30 p.m., followed by Edmonton weirdos The Postnamers and Married Men at 8:30 p.m.

 It is a big night for heavy  Saskatchewan rock at the Slice beginning at 9:30 p.m. with Saskatoon Shoegaze/ psyche rock band the Radiation Flowers followed by Calgary occult punk band Radiation Flowers, Regina riff rock trio Black Thunder and Saskatoon rock band Shooting Guns.

For something a little less intense, Plum has a couple of shows beginning with harp player Mary Wood at 9:30 p.m. followed by Edmonton electronica duo ANZU at 11:30 p.m. 

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor