Guitarist, vocalist and electronic sound artist Matt Smith is best known as a member of Les Mouches, and in some ways he is the low-key foil to Owen Pallett and Rob Gordon's onstage catharsis. His song "Spalding Man" is definitely the one smooth soul jam on You're Worth More To Me Than 1,000 Christians. As an improviser, however, Matt has appeared on stages around town under numerous different monikers. Here he appears as Nifty (sometimes King Nifty or Prince Nifty). Whatever the identity, you know with Mr. Smith that you're going to get free and free-spirited playing, that is also gratifyingly free of pretension.

WITH SO MANY ALIASES TO CHOOSE FROM, NIFTY, JOHN WAYNER, MATT SCHMIDTH... HOW DO YOU PICK WHO'S GOING TO PLAY EACH SHOW? DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE THE KOOL KEITH OF AVANT-ROCK? I like to think that there's a real difference between each title, and there is (generally) a simple distinction: Matt Schmidth (or sometimes, Schitt), is - I suppose - my given name. John Wayner and Nifty, on the other hand, are taken names that mean more or less the same thing, separated only by the number of participants. John Wayner is a lonesome cowboy, and Nifty is never without company. However, this is not by any means, a respected distinction. I am easily confused.

SOMEONE ONCE TOLD ME THAT "IMPROVISING IS NOT A YOUNG MAN'S GAME. DO YOU EVER WISH YOU WERE AS OLD AS DEREK BAILEY? Improvising is more like ringette, it's a young women's game. And there's nothing more serious than ringette. That kind of a statement is usually indicative of a narrow view of improvisation, and also of music. It's similar to someone saying, "improvisation ought to be good." And that is usually followed by comments about taste, and chops and tight pockets. Improvisation can be bad and even more so, almost nothing at all. And still it can be as profound as an intimate evening with the Free Music Ensemble. It's an interaction, and perhaps it needs the patience of the aged, but it also needs to not take itself too seriously.

SOMEONE (ELSE) ONCE TOLD ME YOUR BIGGEST MUSICAL INFLUENCES GROWING UP WERE JEFF BUCKLEY AND JAMIROQUAI. TRUTH OR FALSEHOOD? I never really listened to much Jamiroquai, but I most certainly adored Jeff Buckley. He's one of those boring iconic traps that are so easy to fall into, like Dave Matthews, Jaco Pastorius, Coltrane and the like. Buckley snatched so many up by pulling at our heartstrings and our sense of the beautiful. Once I got over the beautiful, I got back to the things that fascinated me when I was without heroes as artists: sounds. Maybe I've simply replaced Buckley with Cage. It's possible, I think, to get better with your mistakes.

WILL THE MUSIC SCENE IMPROVE IF EVERYONE JUST FREAKIN' LEARNS TO PLAY THEIR INSTRUMENTS BETTER, OR WILL THAT JUST TAKE THE FUN OUT OF IT? Are you saying I suck? To answer the question, yes (to your question). I don't think we should all crack down and learn our modes and prepare labouriously for our Humber auditions. I do think we should treat our instruments more like material, and we should constantly reinvent the way we play them: break them, modify them, prepare them, challenge them, simplify them, disguise them, affect them.

WHAT WOULD YOUR IDEAL CROWD RESPONSE TO A NIFTY SET BE? Polarization. If everyone's into it, or if everyone hates on me, that's okay too, but I think it's best when there's confusion. If it's too slick or too aggressive, it lingers like burnt popcorn. It becomes another thing, an illusion. But if the wires are hanging out all over the place, the trick is exposed. The process - and in the case of looping, the moment - is exploited, and that's more important than pleasing or displeasing.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TOYS YOU'RE BRINGING DOWN TO WAVELENGTH ON NOV. 7? The toys will be the usual fare: pedals, boards, instruments, but maybe this time, a P.A. system and possibly a few or a bunch of friends and their toys. I'm not sure whether to follow the Nifty guideline or not. Heads yes, tails no... ... ... tails! Whatever, we'll see.

BY JONNY DOVERCOURT

The Secret hail from Hiroshima, Japan. They have a Canadian connection, former Plumtree bassist Catriona Sturton. Here's the story:

Can you share the story behind the formation of The Secret? What with two continents involved, I'm sure it's pretty freakin' intriguing. Catriona Sturton: I moved to a small city in Japan in 2000. At first it was hard to find live music because I didn't speak or read Japanese. Slowly I was able to find out about shows, and later that year played bass in a rock band and a punk band (covering classic Japanese punk rock with a bunch of 17 year old boys) and harmonica in a rockabilly band. It was all a lot of fun, but communication was difficult and I didn't feel like I was being very creative. I met Sonnet (originally from Arizona and living in the next town over from mine) the next year and saw her playing with a band called Kiku no Koro. I was so impressed with her band that it really inspired me to try to do something with the songs I had written. We met Rey (our drummer) through her husband. They manage a "live house" (music venue) in East Fukuyama. I had to leave Japan at the end of that year, and luckily Sonnet got Lena to move to town so that the Secret could carry on. Sonnet Bingham: Catriona's reputation preceded her by a year. When I arrived in Japan in August 2001, I was dead set on learning the guitar and starting a band. Every music store I went into, everyone asked me, "Have you heard of Catriona?" It wasn't until almost a year later that I met this famed punk rock, bass-playing, shamisen-stuying Canadian. Much to my surprise and elation, she asked me if I would be interested in listening to some stuff she had been working on. She came to my apartment, and played me a lo-fi tape of her songs. I played some of my songs, and our collaboration evolved quite naturally.

You are the first Japanese band to play Wavelength in the five-year history of our series and zine. That's pretty freakin' cool. How did your Canadian tour come together? CS: I'm from Canada (grew up in Ottawa and lived in Halifax), and always said that it would be fun to tour Canada with The Secret. Sonnet and Lena seem to have a "thing" for Canada and always talked about how they would like to live here. I'm excited to tour in Canada again because I got really used to how things work in Japan. Shows are expensive, but you are spoiled by generally having amazing sound and light systems, even at small clubs. I will definitely miss the healthier food that you can buy at convenience stores in Japan. On the other hand, I'm looking forward to everyone seeing Canada for the first time, especially Halifax.

I just saw Audition by Takeshi Miike, and it was only the most disturbing thing I've ever watched. Pretty freakin' awesome though. What are some of your favourite films from Japan? SB: NOT Battle Royale. CS: My favorite Japanese movie is called After Life (in English) - Wandafuru raifu ("Wonderful Life" in Japanese) by Hirokazu Koreeda. I'm watching it this weekend to try and remember some Japanese before the rest of the band arrives!!

In one song, you sing, "I hate playing games/ Especially this one." Can you tell us what it is? Or is that a freakin' secret? CS: Someone is totally acting like they have a crush on you, but you are not sure if they really do. Add another language and culture into the mix, and it becomes even more frustrating. It's even better if the two people involved are ridiculously shy, live in cities far from each other, and only communicate with cryptic text-messages in a language that is not their mother tongue. These messages should be received and read late at night, on emotionally fragile days. Perfect. Crushes. I think that's why most of our initial songs got written. Now all my songs are about death. SB: If you really like someone, you should say it. (Fab, if you are reading this, I really like you.)

BY JONNY DOVERCOURT

Scandalnavia: the mere name makes you want to know more about the band. You don't know anything about them, but you just know they're going to be cool.

A poster on 20hz once made a snarky comment along the lines of, "There are more girls making music in Toronto than any place other than Girl Island." That may be true, but some girls in indie rock bands can seem like cute little sisters of the rest of the scene, instead of originators of their own style, sound, and fanbase. Scandalnavia, a Toronto-based, five-piece, four-girl-one-boy, two-lead-vocalist band seem to have, so far, operated outside the usual indie rock scene. Though they've been playing shows for over a year now, this is the first time they've played Wavelength. Their song "First Coffee" is featured on the Good Grooming for Girls compilation, and that (and the accompanying showcase at Rancho Relaxo) was the first many of us had heard of them. They've been more visible as part of Toronto's queer music community, playing Pride events, and opening for King Cobra and Lesbians on Ecstasy.

Nonetheless, when they have played mainstream indie rock shows on the fabulous College Street strip, I've seen them win over whole audiences full of fans of all the other bands on the bill. And I've seen Scandalnavia's own devoted fans show up and remind us all how to dress up and move for a band that isn't afraid to be funny, vulgar, political, and danceable.

Like I said, they've got two vocalists. Rapper Natasha and singer Emma trade off lead vocal and guitars, backed up musically and vocally by Pat, Nas, and Maryangela. Their songs range from the old-school, riot-y "Bloody Immigrant" to songs about the Ex (when Natasha asks "Do you want to go faster?," she' s gonna go faster - and faster yet), to one of my favourites, a song in which Pat and Natasha duet about fonts.

Someday (soon? I hope), there'll be a Scandalnavia full-lengther out, and it will be the Best. Road-Trip. Album. EVER. But until then, we will all have to go see the live shows and dream.

BY EMILY ZIMMERMAN

Almost one year ago, we here at Wavelength threw a party whose blurry memory lives on in stories of passing out in coatpiles, passing out with knee-high boots on, and passing out with a crowd-surfing rocking horse. That was also our first party to raise funds to cover the ongoing costs of publishing this here Wavelength magazine, and also marked the relaunch of the snazzy colour-covered zine as we now know it. So consider this a mini-anniversary party of sorts, and another excuse to get rip-roaringly wasted and smoked out silly, as four of our favourite bands of 2004 lend their considerable talents to keep the zine alive. Here's what they've been up to since they last graced our stage...

FEMME GENERATION

Since their last Wavelength soirée in August, Femme Generation has been busy on the campaign trail: rocking asses, taking names, bribing media outlets, and supporting our troops abroad. Having left many tear-stained sheets in their wake, the band is out for BLOOD before the New Year hits. November will see dates across Southern Ontario and Quebec, where Femme Generation will showcase new material and learn the true meaning of friendship. Keep your eyes open for the boys in an upcoming off-Broadway musical based on the life and times of John Cusack. www.femmegeneration.com

I CAN PUT MY ARM BACK ON YOU CAN'T

Here's what icpmaboyc has been up to since our last performance at Wavelength: Practicing. Writing new songs. Practicing. Driving across Canada. Practicing. Sending mailouts. Practicing. Writing prepatory emails. Practicing. What the fuck else would we be doing!? listofcontens.ca

JON-RAE FLETCHER AND THE RIVER

Here are some things we've done since we started playing Toronto a year ago. The River has seen some gains and some loss. Ryan moved to Orillia with his heart and Jonathan (The Pauls) and Mike (Singing Saws) have made great company. We've had many memorable shows, among them the Planet Kensington show, opening for Electric Magnolia Co., and having eight people on a stage for four at the Good Grooming for Girls release party. We recorded songs with Steven Kado that turned out really well and will be released on Permafrost Records in the new year. So... it's been really good this year.
www.deerandbird.com/jonrae.html

FOX THE BOOMBOX

Of late, Fox the Boombox has been less late in showing up for practices. We have been busy being good bandmates. Getting tighter so that we can record our songs. Trying to practice more. We are dedicated to stacking our jam space with delicious cuisine like chips and popcorn. Still drinking. The booze in our space at this point in time is raspberry vodka, gin, and Fireball. We are currently and collectively fixated with parting our hair into various positions and a beau named Al P. These two things keep us inspired. We are very (very very) excited to play the Wavelength fundraiser.

P.S. this show has a slogan: "Pay What We Need!"