Time: 9 p.m

Cover: $15

www.myspace.com/danmangan  or www.danmanganmusic.com

On August 11 of 2009, Dan Mangan released his sophomore album, Nice, Nice, Very Nice in Canada. And it was about time. After three and a half years of touring his sleeper-hit debut, Postcards and Daydreaming, Dan was ready and eager to unveil a collection of lyrical ruminations that showcased his growth as a songwriter. 2010 will see releases throughout Europe, America and Australia.

The album immediately shot to #1 on the iTunes Canada Singer/Songwriter Album chart, and #7 at ‘Earshot!’ College/Co-Op radio (#1 roots category). Rave reviews came from heavy hitting national music-mags such as Exclaim!, CHARTattack and Metro as well as countless blogs and print media. Then came the news that Dan had won “Artist Of The Year” from XM Satellite’s Verge Music Awards, beating out acts like Joel Plaskett and Alexisonfire for the top spot – a high profile award with a $25,000 cash-prize. All of this just as Dan hit the road across Canada with his four piece band. Things only got better. Sold out shows became the norm and Mangan graced the covers of three arts/weekly papers; meanwhile, Nice, Nice, Very Nice hit #1 on CBC Radio 3, XM The Verge and 100.5FM The Peak (Vancouver). Dan performed live in studio on CBC’s national programs ‘Q’ and ‘Drive’ and found himself the beneficiary of outstanding rave live concert reviews from print and online media alike.

Titled in reference to a Kurt Vonnegut poem, Nice, Nice, Very Nice was recorded in Toronto in fall 2008 under the creative eye of producer John Critchley (Elliott Brood, 13 Engines, Leather Uppers). Dropping in to add their talents were such hero Canadian artists as Justin Rutledge, Veda Hille, Mark Berube, Hannah Georgas and members of Elliott Brood, Said The Whale, The Hidden Cameras, Major Maker and Small Sins.

Mangan has toured Canada, the UK, USA and Australia numerous times. He’s played coffee shops to six people and festival stages to many more. He has showcased at Canadian Music Week, South-By-South-West, North-By-North-East, The Great Escape (UK), MusExpo (LA), Big Sound (AUS). Whether alone or with his Vancouver-based band, Dan continues to work all the time.

Dan’s debut album has kept him on the move with opportunities. Britain’s NME magazine featured him as one of Canada’s most promising acts. Back home, he has become a darling of the CBC. Gaining respect amid his peers, he has shared stages with Patrick Watson, The Acorn, Elliott Brood, Said The Whale, Great Lake Swimmers, Basia Bulat, Stephen Page, Ohbijou, Arkells, Hey Rosetta!, Geoff Berner, Carolyn Mark, Veda Hille, Mother Mother, and has collaborated with spoken word artists such as Ivan Coyote and the internationally renowned  Shane Koyczan.

Mangan weaves unique lyrical phrases that simply and subtly unfurl complicated ideas. He delivers them with his signature graveled vocals and understated humour. What Mangan has to offer isn’t overly precious or delicate. He simply writes songs that evoke the wonder and the absurdity in what we do.

www.myspace.com/aidanknightmusic  or aidanknight.com

Until recently, Aidan Knight was known as a helpful backing musician, playing everything from pop-rock bass lines to violent, pounding hardcore drums. He has recorded and performed with Maurice, The Zolas, and Counting Heartbeats amongst others. All the while, he was writing songs of his own, recording in intensive three day bursts whenever he was able to raise enough money. Sleeping on the studio floor at Buena Vista Audio, Knight immersed himself in the project, waking up to play most of the instruments himself. Over the course of 2 years, producer Jonathan Anderson (In Medias Res, Kensington Prairie, Eisenhauer) and Knight carefully pieced together the songs, collaboratively. With the arrangements in place, he invited Toronto's The O' Darling to fill in the additional drums, guitars, girl harmonies, strings and horns.

The result of these collaborations is Versicolour, an intimate eight-song collection of haunted chamber folk and moody acoustic pop. Opening track "The Sun" begins with a pulsing, ticking drum loop and baroque piano chords, gradually swelling to a string-laden climax with a dense chorus of harmony, cascading drum fills, and a meditative repetition of the title. "Knitting Something Nice for You" starts as a sparse acoustic waltz, Knight's fingers audibly scraping up and down the fretboard; the mood changes completely halfway through, with a hypnotic keyboard groove taking over while guitar feedback squalls somewhere in the distance.

Even more striking than the arrangements is the songwriting, which is deeply personal yet universally relatable. "Fighting Against Your Lungs," ironically written just a few months before Knight suffered a collapsed lung, is a hushed love song set on top of classic horns and fingerpicked guitar. It's lyric, "I met you on the border cross/And gave up kisses like a winter's frost", a wishful thought between two people separated by the prairies. "Jasper" is humanistic and spiritual in equal measures, describing a summer afternoon spent near the Athabasca River. Over a joyous backdrop of banjo chords and steel guitar leads, the song's group-sung chorus sets a communal atmosphere for Knight's life-affirming lyrics. It's a timeless anthem - no small feat for any songwriter, let alone a first-time artist. With a talent like this, it's clear that it was only ever a matter of time before Knight rose above his supporting role and struck out on his own.

Versicolour will be released in early 2010 via Adventure Boys Club. Look for Canadian tour dates to follow. 

Aidan Knight