Gary Kendall Band
Feel Real Strong
By David Barnard

Bassist Gary Kendall is a fixture of Toronto's roots music community. The six-time Maple Blues Award winner for Bass Player of the Year has released a carefully crafted follow-up to Dusty & Pearl, his belated 2004 debut. A strong outing, Kendall wrote 11 originals, one with Downchild alumni Cash Wall, who also contributed the droll "When You Tell Me." A modest vocalist, Kendall's compositions are thoughtfully arranged, ensuring the standout element of each song is the tight knit playing of his band. Kendall's deep knowledge of the form ensures a varied play list, with traces of Louisiana swamp pop, Memphis fatback, Chicago shuffles and gospel chording heard throughout. The soloing by guitarist Darren Poole and keys player Shakey Dagenais is focussed and tasteful, as on the title track. A tribute to playing bars for more than 40 years, Kendall pours the essence of his experience perfectly into "Real Good Night," a song blues bands will be playing 40 years from now. (47)
Scissor Sisters
Angry Samoans / Class of 1984
Ra Ra Riot
City and Colour / Tegan and Sara / Wintersleep / Ra Ra Riot
Jenny and Johnny - I’m Having Fun Now
DJ Muggs vs. Ill Bill - Kill Devil Hills
Prosanctus Inferi - Pandemonic Ululations of Vesperic Palpitation
Profanatica - Disgusting Blasphemies against God
Luke Doucet & the White Falcon - Steel City Trawler
Sonny and the Sunsets - Tomorrow Is Alright
Reid Jamieson - Staring Contest
Various - Kompakt Total 11
Lou Barlow and the Missingmen
The Specials
Vampire Weekend / Beach House / Dum Dum Girls
Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard
S. Carey - All We Grow
Sarah Jezebel Deva - A Sign of Sublime
Cotton Jones - Tall Hours in the Glowstream
Neil Hamburger - Hot February Night
Oneida / Cowards
Ion Dissonance - Cursed
Various - Bloody War: Songs 1924-1939
Mogwai - Special Moves/Burning
Reason - Fools
Bars of Gold - Of Gold
Jon Langford & Skull Orchard - Old Devils
Brad Laner - Natural Selections
Surgeon / Various - Fabric 53
!!! - Strange Weather, Isn’t It?
Wildbirds & Peacedrums - Rivers
Fennesz / Daniell / Buck - Knoxville
SMMR BMMR featuring Meercaz, Fist City, Sex Church, Timecopz, Woven Bones
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