Erika Werry - the sunshiney chanteuse of Mary Margaret O'Hara's annual St. Patrick's Day shows - is three solid albums into a promising fast folk career, and I am accustomed to seeing her as an authoritative solo performer, but just when I think she's a solo-folkie-for-life she pulls a Dylan and orchestrates a band! So as of next Sunday she's going to be known as Erika Werry and the Alphabet. Looking forward to hearing the debut of this new incarnation of Erika Werry fronting a four piece on Sunday Oct 2 at the Cloak and Dagger. To balance out Erika's optimistic yang, the gig also features Graig Markell's yin who is famously tagged as the original purveyor of "broken soul" music. There's not a lot of space at the Cloak, so get there at 8 and git yr guiness on.

If you've been disappointed by the boomchik/boomchik of gentrification dance anthemns or the hyah hyah hyah of ambitious Pearl Jam clones, then try to get to Velvet Underground on October 8. It was refreshing to receive a savage rant from one of my favorite misanthropic heroes, Mr. Davy Love, of the dearly beloved and dearly missed Blow Up. In 2005 Davy wrapped up Blow Up and headed up north to his own Walden/Valhalla, but while you can take the mod out of the city you just can't take the Davy out of the booth. While there might not be as heavy a dress-up meme as last time around, Davy has promised to don his armour and raise his sword & shield against the unspeakably evil forces of third generation grunge with this, his second crusade, a monthly of quality danceable music called Hope & Glory. No word if he's going to be playing any music by Austra but we can expect very few barre chords and a lot of proper middle-eights.

Davy's unedited, spectacular, lookin-out-for-the-kids rant after the throw:

From Davy Love:

"I have been asked a million times over to start Blowup again... but have always said no. It just wasn't right. I prefer to leave it at a once yearly Christmas party.

BUT... in recent months I have noticed that bands like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam are rising from their plaid printed crypts... and are intent on stinking up the earth with their waves of audio faeces... This has me very concerned. This is the crap we battled back in the Brit v Grunge wars of the 90's and I thought we had slain these chumps for good. I guess I was wrong. Well, it's time to go to war again! It's time to man the battle stations of good music and repel the greasy toque wearing bastards once and for all.

You see.... my main concern is for today's kids who don't seem to have anywhere to go to hear good music... and will almost surely be tainted by this North West American aural crap attack.

We must provide a place for them to go to hear good music... it is our duty.

SO... I am doing what I have to do and am starting a new monthly party called HOPE & GLORY... and it will be based on the principles of what Blowup was all about a way back when... this being: Playing new British singles with some genuine classics thrown in for kicks.

Of course I am a tad old to be DJ'ing it all on my own (will probably act more as a host)... so I've rounded up some of the old Brit v Grunge War DJ buddies to join in on the fun too... PLUS... I have also enlisted the services of some new, much younger DJ's with their fingers on the current pulse of the British indie music scene.... and trust me... these guys & gals know their new music!

The inaugural party is taking place on SATURDAY, OCTOBER, 8th and will be held at The Velvet Underground - 510 Queen West, Toronto - with doors at 10pm.

Cover is the classic $5 and all money will be going to help eradicate shit music from this planet once and for all ;)

Enlist now!"