Toronto Urban Roots Festival takes place Sep 18, 19 and 20 at Fort York. Its a lot of bands, its a lot of time but there are three stages as well as shows at Lee’s Palace and the Legendary Horseshoe. SLOWCITY has some suggestions for you.
Photo by Steve Gullick
Wednesday Sep 16 - Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
Friday Sep 18 - East Main Stage - 2:10 p.m. to 2:50 p.m
If the Devil brought any music to his crossroads meeting with Robert Johnson it would be something along the airy eerie lines of Cold Specks. A shallow shroud wrapped over her lowered old soul shoulders, she would hum her dark hymns as the discussions progressed. Her chain gang spirituals and her spellbinding gothic gospel are the perfect soundtrack to selling your soul. And all from a Northern gal. There is something in Cold Specks that travels back through the ages, something within, a strength of song as the Great Deliverer. It’s been something to capture her force on record yet somehow her latest album, Neuroplasticity , on Arts & Crafts, does allow her the freedom to croon and rage and roar and keen. The record moves spritely into Chet Baker style jazz with spiralling beatific freeform sax all the while being held down by some tom thumping drums. Overall the voice of the Cold Specks, soars on, looking on, a spectre, as the Devil’s tallys up his accounts.