NXNE 2010: Ten Kens, Comanechi, Evening Hymns

After the dizzying highs of Thursday, I suppose it was only natural that night two of my epic band crawl would be a bit of a comedown. There were still plenty of treasures on offer at NXNE, it just took a bit more digging to find them.

Things got off to a slow start, with me opting for dinner instead of Ghost Bees, and heading straight to the (ironically named) Comfort Zone to get a spot for the hyped Comanechi set. I arrived just in time to hear Ten Kens, a Toronto-based alternative band whose heavier-than-heavy guitars (billed as Sonic Youth-esque, but closer to death-metal in some spots, psychedelic rock in others) set my jangled nerves on edge. I'm choosing to blame my response on the creepy, blacklit venue, which always makes me feel like I'm being held hostage in some subterranean meth lab.

Just when I was about to flee from the bad vibes, a playful house band known as Catl set up shop at the side of the stage, letting in much-needed rays of light with their simple and sweet brand of three-chord garage pop. They transformed their little corner of the world into a loosey-goosey rec-room party, providing welcome distraction until Comanechi took the stage.

All the rumours about this revered U.K. duo are true: they bring the noise. (It was the first time at this fest that I needed my earplugs.) Hiding under a mop of Thurston Moore hair, Simon Petrovitch provided intricate, rapid-fire '90s-era guitar, content to stay on the sidelines, while drummer Akiko Matsura grabbed the spotlight that was rightfully hers. This charming little sprite pounded on her drum kit as if her life depended on it, throwing her whole body into her playing. And if you looked closely, she was breathing hard between numbers. That's the kind of intensity Akiko brought throughout, and I haven't even mentioned her vocals, which sound like the primal screeches of a mother who's just lost her firstborn. All the more surprising, then, that the band's lyrics are quite comical - especially in the standout song My Pussy, which Matsura insisted was written about her cat.

After realizing I had no chance of getting into the hot-ticket Japandroids set, I made a beeline for The Dakota Tavern, which proved to be one of those happy NXNE accidents. The night's low-energy vibe (which seemed to be plaguing all festivalgoers) was finally lifted thanks to two Toronto bands who felt like fresh discoveries.

As their playful name hinted, Young Doctors in Love are all about the fun. Barreling through a set of tunes from their recently released EP, the five-piece offered up deceptively simple pop. With keyboard player Jen Short and guitarist Lesley McRae belting out all kinds of smooth sha-la-la and shoo-bee-doo harmonies, you'd swear they were channeling the Bangles. But the set intensified as it went along. Lead guitarist Clay Puddester's unpredictable chords, coupled with some pretty clever lyrics, make the band much closer to offbeat acts like the B-52s. Their final song, a crowd-pleasing charmer called Running Down Love, seems destined for radio airplay in the near future.

But the most spellbinding moments of the night came courtesy of an artist known as Jonas Bonnetta, who performed (with backing band) under the moniker Evening Hymns. Due to the line-up outside, I arrived mid-set, just in time to hear a hushed, moody stunner (complete with backing accordion) that felt like it should be played on a farmhouse porch on a hot, starry summer's night. From there, things got even better, with Bonnetta dismissing the band to deliver an earnest, intense solo number in which he used only his guitar, plaintive vocals and some pedals and knobs to create a swirling soundscape. The entire room was mesmerized. When the wildly charismatic performer asked for hand-clapping support on his final song, a hooky tune called Broken Rifle, the rapt audience was only too happy to oblige.

On an evening when there was a fair bit of posturing going on - with some bands recalling other, better acts - Evening Hymns' meticulously crafted singer-songwriter material felt truly original.