THE LOCAL DISH #2: BRAIDS

Who-they?-Tuesdays return with festival favourites, BRAIDS.  This week we’re cheating just a little bit with the whole ‘local’ thing, though.  You see, BRAIDS live in Montreal, but up until recently were known as Calgary-favourites The Neighbourhood Council.  Make no mistake, my fellow Albertans, we’re calling them our own.  Just pretend like we’ve got some Chowhound praise-worthy fusion on the menu for today…

Mixing honest-to-goodness pop with mature texturing and unconventional, but perfect melodies, BRAIDS, more than perhaps any band I’ve seen, strike a perfect balance between thoughtful and careful writing and energetic, open-book playing.  It’s no surprise, then, that they not only stood their ground on a stacked bill at Sled Island 2008 with one of their favourite bands, Deerhunter (along with BBQ and Azeda Booth), but also provided arguably the festival’s best moment.  As if the jaw-dropping set wasn’t enough, Deerhunter personally thanked them on stage, told a crowd of mostly-Albertans that they had just witnessed one of the best bands in the world, and then asked them to join them on their upcoming North American tour.  BRAIDS…we love you guys and are so happy you’re coming home for this year’s festival!

Don’t take our word for it though, make sure to go see them at Sled Island ‘09.  In the meantime, order up some musical hors d’oeuvres worthy of Ramsay’s praise:
http://www.myspace.com/braidsmusic