Arguably CBC’s wackest show ever, Freestyle spun Windom Earle’s “Kitten vs Pegasus” on Friday. Not sure the context, but it probably has more to do with the sensibilities of Lost & Found host Matt Rainnie, who uses the track “Ode to Greg’s Cat” as his closing music. The CD Goldwave debuted at number one on CKDU and is also starting to appear in campus/community charts across Canada.The Sharp Like Knives and Windom Earle live experience was reviewed in Toronto’s Now weekly (NNNN out of NNNNN).
It takes more than just a few good bands to tip a show past merely entertaining into excellent or outstanding territory - there’s gotta be that vibe that gets rolling early and stays till the last band packs it up.
Good thing Halifax’s Windom Earle set the bar high right away Friday at Sneaky Dee’s with an energetic and gleefully fun set. The mostly instrumental three-piece featuring guitar, bass and keys with programmed beats danced through a well-crafted collection of catchy New Order- and Postal Service-inspired jams. But it wasn’t until their endearing karaoke-esque covers of A-ha’s classic electro-jam Take On Me and Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone that it really clicked: these guys are the shit.
Fellow East Coasters Sharp Like Knives who count two of Windom Earle’s members among their flock were no less energetic. Having seen them a year ago, I can honestly say that while they were good then, they’ve honed their showmanship and sound tenfold since. Vocalist Paul Hammond fought for attention over the bombastic musical start-stops of his bandmates, who blasted and thrashed through songs with a heavy At the Drive-In influence, inspiring several failed attempts at body-surfing from one small group of overzealous fans. Knives also inspired some dink to decide it was punk to spit clouds of mist in the air at regular intervals.
