What could be a more Canadian name for a band? In case you don't speak Small Town/Northern, let me break it down for you:
Beauty: noun, plural [byoo-tee]
1. the combination of all the qualities of a person or thing that delight the senses and please the mind;
also, interjection:
2. an expression of approval or agreement.
e.g. "Did you see Crosby's deke last night? He's a beauty!"
I digress. I first encountered the Beauties, who have been on the indie music scene in Toronto since 2006, at a Canadian Music Showcase at the (Legendary) Horseshoe Tavern, one of my favourite places to see live music in the city. It was one of the best concerts I've seen in a looooong time. Sure, there was some cheesy Canadiana, covering Summer of '69 and such, but it featured members of Our Lady Peace, the Arkells, Treble Charger, the Hip... it was who's-who of awesomeness.
The Beauties had the challenging task of being the "house band" for one of the sets. They provided the core of the band, then various members of different bands joined them for a song or two. Their ability to step back and let the guest shine wasn't lost on me, as I'm sure it wasn't lost on the musicians that joined them. What I really enjoyed was hearing their originals. They're hard to pidgeonhole into one particular style - a little bit rock, a little bit country, a little bit bluesy, a little bit folk - and a whole lot of awesome. Case in point, my personal favourite - their version of Holly Golightly's "Devil Do."
It's may or may not be my new theme song. They're a regular fixture at the Dakota Tavern, and their upcoming gigs can be found on their website or Facebook group.
Even better, you can listen to their whole album for free on their website: http://www.thebeauties.ca/music/
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