Broken Bricks Put Aside the Britpop to Channel the Clash in Toronto -- NXNE

It was dreadfully early on a Wednesday night, but the lads in Broken Bricks didn't mind. Ripping through an inspired NXNE set at Toronto's premier Mexican Restaurant cum music venue, Rancho Relaxo, the four-piece band, who were heralded as a not-to-be-missed act this week, proved they were worth the hype.

Guitarist Marlon Chaplin and pianist Luke Kuplowsky traded vocals throughout the short set last night (June 15) and led the band through tunes plucked from their excellent debut EP, 'Little Fugitives.'

Dueling frontmen sometimes bewilder listeners, but the songwriting style were quite complimentary; Chaplin delivered the straight-ahead rock and roll while Kuplowsky served up more artful fare.

The latter's habit of unwittingly adopting an English accent leads to Broken Bricks being often mislabeled as Britpop. However, the band is equal parts the Clash and the White Stripes. In fact, Jack's White's former band provides not only the band's moniker, but also informs their aesthetic.

But when the band closed their set with a cover of the Beatles 'Tomorrow Never Knows,' so well rendered they enticed a group of diehard hockey fans watching the Stanley Cup final away from bar's only television, they did little to dissuade the misguided label.

But labels be damned. It's only rock and roll, right? Last night, Broken Bricks built on the borderless tradition of delivering catchy tunes with fervor and at high volume. Catch them before they blow up.

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