The Lost Babies

Toronto based NY garage rock band, The Lost Babies, delivered an electrifying set at Horseshoe Tavern on Saturday, August 18th.

As I was at CNE earlier that day, I had the dilemma to choose between the free Big Sugar show and this local show at the shoe. I'd missed a few chances to see the Lost Babies in the past few months and their new demo really impressed me with their captivating melodic verses, which are right up my ally. Thus, I headed to their show just in time and I do not regret my decision that night at all. In fact, I knew it was the right choice once they commenced their set.

I am not gonna lie that I was, at first, a bit intimidated by the front woman, Valerie Messy's stage presence as she shouted at the audience to get closer to the stage. However, as they proceeded to steady rock n' roll tunes, I was immediately in the world of the Lost Babies. Messy rocked her heart out with her ethereal voice and bold and charismatic presence on the stage, and it reminded me of Cherie Currie of the Runaways and a bit of Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, all these great front women who know how to rock.

Despite having such a strong presence by the front woman, my eyes and ears weren't only stuck by her. Solid drum beats supported and controlled the tempo of the songs, where they cheekily alternated the tempos in songs. The gravity of songs shifted from one to another and immediately escalated its speed and stopped all of a sudden. Their timing was impeccably tight among all the members. The mesmerizing guitar riffs further invigorated the melody lines, while implanting the hooks in my head. As their performance carried on, I found myself getting closer to the stage gradually.

A band like The Lost Babies keeps me wanting to go to shows with a hope to catch something so thrilling like this set.
Posted by Kanae Doi - Music Psychos

Toronto based NY garage rock band, The Lost Babies, delivered an electrifying set at Horseshoe Tavern on Saturday, August 18th.

As I was at CNE earlier that day, I had the dilemma to choose between the free Big Sugar show and this local show at the shoe. I'd missed a few chances to see the Lost Babies in the past few months and their new demo really impressed me with their captivating melodic verses, which are right up my ally. Thus, I headed to their show just in time and I do not regret my decision that night at all. In fact, I knew it was the right choice once they commenced their set.

I am not gonna lie that I was, at first, a bit intimidated by the front woman, Valerie Messy's stage presence as she shouted at the audience to get closer to the stage. However, as they proceeded to steady rock n' roll tunes, I was immediately in the world of the Lost Babies. Messy rocked her heart out with her ethereal voice and bold and charismatic presence on the stage, and it reminded me of Cherie Currie of the Runaways and a bit of Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, all these great front women who know how to rock.

Despite having such a strong presence by the front woman, my eyes and ears weren't only stuck by her. Solid drum beats supported and controlled the tempo of the songs, where they cheekily alternated the tempos in songs. The gravity of songs shifted from one to another and immediately escalated its speed and stopped all of a sudden. Their timing was impeccably tight among all the members. The mesmerizing guitar riffs further invigorated the melody lines, while implanting the hooks in my head. As their performance carried on, I found myself getting closer to the stage gradually.

A band like The Lost Babies keeps me wanting to go to shows with a hope to catch something so thrilling like this set.
Posted by Kanae Doi - Music Psychos

SPHINXS, BB GUNS, DAS RAD and LOST BABIES at the Silver Dollar, Friday, January 11. Rating: NNNN
If you’ve played in a local rock band at any point in the last 15 years, chances are you have a Dan Burke story. And even if that story involves money he still owes you for a gig he booked during his wilder years, it’s likely you respect his passion and vision. So when the wildman promoter puts together a Class Of 2013 showcase of local acts he believes are destined for bigger things, we pay attention.
Sure enough, all four bands at the Silver Dollar on Friday have huge potential. Kicking off the night, Lost Babies frontwoman Valerie Messy had impressive presence and charisma (although they need a bassist). Das Rad’s echo-drenched stoner rock freak-outs were heavy as fuck and gleefully weird. BB Guns’ gang vocals drove home their catchy garage-rock, girl-group hooks. And last but not least, Sphinxs revved up their soul-punk with a three-guitar lineup that made for an imposing wall of sound. (Thankfully, singer Siânteuse has a voice huge enough to compete.)
If this is the sound of 2013, we approve.
BENJAMIN BOLES - NOW Magazine

SPHINXS, BB GUNS, DAS RAD and LOST BABIES at the Silver Dollar, Friday, January 11. Rating: NNNN
If you’ve played in a local rock band at any point in the last 15 years, chances are you have a Dan Burke story. And even if that story involves money he still owes you for a gig he booked during his wilder years, it’s likely you respect his passion and vision. So when the wildman promoter puts together a Class Of 2013 showcase of local acts he believes are destined for bigger things, we pay attention.
Sure enough, all four bands at the Silver Dollar on Friday have huge potential. Kicking off the night, Lost Babies frontwoman Valerie Messy had impressive presence and charisma (although they need a bassist). Das Rad’s echo-drenched stoner rock freak-outs were heavy as fuck and gleefully weird. BB Guns’ gang vocals drove home their catchy garage-rock, girl-group hooks. And last but not least, Sphinxs revved up their soul-punk with a three-guitar lineup that made for an imposing wall of sound. (Thankfully, singer Siânteuse has a voice huge enough to compete.)
If this is the sound of 2013, we approve.
BENJAMIN BOLES - NOW Magazine

The Lost Babies opened things up with an old school punk aural firestorm. Featuring a singer who looks like she could be Mick Jagger's long-lost lovechild with Jeri Ryan, and a flamboyant Japanese guitarist sporting a Jimi Hendrix-style afro you could say they embrace showmanship.

The posing and miming they do on stage could literally knock your beer over especially since "on stage" can mean right out into the audience which is where their singer Valerie Messy, a street walking cheetah with a heart full of napalm, often takes her performance.

Writhing on the floor, slithering against her microphone stand, straddling the railing in front of the monitors...She'll have some bruises after this show.

Some of her vocal stylings embrace a spoken-word/Patti Smith feel. Other times she shrieks, snarls then sings melodically. The vocalising is like her antics on stage - you never know what she might do next. Sometimes you even wonder if she does. The approach is bold but the performer seems equal to it.

Their Tokyo-born axeman Mamoru Anzai and I got to chatting before the set. He said their sound had been likened to 'New York Punk'. I actually found it to be more in line with Detroit punk - Iggy & the Stooges/MC5 etc. At times it veered off into a more 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' vibe. This is a band that has found its sound as well as several others in terrific compositions like 'Sweeter', 'Cobalt B' and 'Really?'.

As I'm sure the reader can imagine the hard-partying roller derby team in attendance was both appreciative and demonstrative. When it comes to whom you attend a show alongside, with women nick-named 'Zom-Boney' or 'Knock Turn' you can't go wrong.

Still, I can't help feeling wistful about the area around the venue. The Bovine is but a stone's throw away from 'The Big Bop' - a legendary venue shutdown a few years ago and turned into a furniture store in keeping with a 'gentrification' project in the area leaving for fewer places to see bands. - Uber Rock UK

The Lost Babies opened things up with an old school punk aural firestorm. Featuring a singer who looks like she could be Mick Jagger's long-lost lovechild with Jeri Ryan, and a flamboyant Japanese guitarist sporting a Jimi Hendrix-style afro you could say they embrace showmanship.

The posing and miming they do on stage could literally knock your beer over especially since "on stage" can mean right out into the audience which is where their singer Valerie Messy, a street walking cheetah with a heart full of napalm, often takes her performance.

Writhing on the floor, slithering against her microphone stand, straddling the railing in front of the monitors...She'll have some bruises after this show.

Some of her vocal stylings embrace a spoken-word/Patti Smith feel. Other times she shrieks, snarls then sings melodically. The vocalising is like her antics on stage - you never know what she might do next. Sometimes you even wonder if she does. The approach is bold but the performer seems equal to it.

Their Tokyo-born axeman Mamoru Anzai and I got to chatting before the set. He said their sound had been likened to 'New York Punk'. I actually found it to be more in line with Detroit punk - Iggy & the Stooges/MC5 etc. At times it veered off into a more 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' vibe. This is a band that has found its sound as well as several others in terrific compositions like 'Sweeter', 'Cobalt B' and 'Really?'.

As I'm sure the reader can imagine the hard-partying roller derby team in attendance was both appreciative and demonstrative. When it comes to whom you attend a show alongside, with women nick-named 'Zom-Boney' or 'Knock Turn' you can't go wrong.

Still, I can't help feeling wistful about the area around the venue. The Bovine is but a stone's throw away from 'The Big Bop' - a legendary venue shutdown a few years ago and turned into a furniture store in keeping with a 'gentrification' project in the area leaving for fewer places to see bands. - Uber Rock UK

Attitude means everything for The Lost Babies. Rooted in a New York post-punk style, this four-piece also skirt the edges of classic rock and indie rock, navigating through driving guitar riffs, exuberant drumming, and a grooving rhythm section, underscored by the charismatic presence of frontwoman Valerie Messy, belting out vocals and radiating a genuine passion for performing by flailing and rock-posturing to an enthusiastic crowd. It’s a frenetic sound, but while relying on loads of swagger and energy, The Lost Babies are traveling down the familiar streets of rock’n roll. - The Lonely Vagabond

Attitude means everything for The Lost Babies. Rooted in a New York post-punk style, this four-piece also skirt the edges of classic rock and indie rock, navigating through driving guitar riffs, exuberant drumming, and a grooving rhythm section, underscored by the charismatic presence of frontwoman Valerie Messy, belting out vocals and radiating a genuine passion for performing by flailing and rock-posturing to an enthusiastic crowd. It’s a frenetic sound, but while relying on loads of swagger and energy, The Lost Babies are traveling down the familiar streets of rock’n roll. - The Lonely Vagabond

While it’s often impossible to predict which “next big thing” bands will actually evolve beyond showcases like this, have faith in knowing that these were hand-picked by longtime Silver Dollar promoter (and general indie-rock guru) Dan Burke. In short: expect a good batch of new choice tunes. The Facebook page acclaims headliners The Lost Babies as “one of the best Toronto club acts I’ve seen in years, so new that they don’t even [have] any online recordings yet.” There’s similar praise for everyone else. Naturally, I looked up TLB on YouTube, and, well, frontwoman Valerie Messy is a creepy-cool combination of low-street fashion, Darby Crash/The Germs, and, um, I want to say… Fucked Up’s little sister? And then her bandmates! Here they are performing at The Velvet Underground last October:

-PAUL AGUIRRE-LIVINGSTON - The GridTO

While it’s often impossible to predict which “next big thing” bands will actually evolve beyond showcases like this, have faith in knowing that these were hand-picked by longtime Silver Dollar promoter (and general indie-rock guru) Dan Burke. In short: expect a good batch of new choice tunes. The Facebook page acclaims headliners The Lost Babies as “one of the best Toronto club acts I’ve seen in years, so new that they don’t even [have] any online recordings yet.” There’s similar praise for everyone else. Naturally, I looked up TLB on YouTube, and, well, frontwoman Valerie Messy is a creepy-cool combination of low-street fashion, Darby Crash/The Germs, and, um, I want to say… Fucked Up’s little sister? And then her bandmates! Here they are performing at The Velvet Underground last October:

-PAUL AGUIRRE-LIVINGSTON - The GridTO