Flying Hórses and Future PEERS play wintry weekend gigs in Ottawa

Flying Hórses @ The Record Centre on Thursday, 6:30 p.m., $5 (pay-what-you-can)

Flying Hórses is the brainchild of composer and multi-instrumentalist Jade Bergeron. Under that name, the Ottawa-turned-Montreal musician writes delicate, emotional pieces that sound like magic or a trip back in time.

If Bergeron's music evokes a kindred feel to the sounds of Icelandic bands like Sigur Rós, Amiina, or Múm, there's a reason for that. Bergeron happened to befriend members of that small, tight-knit music scene, and Flying Hórses' debut album Tölt was mastered by Sigur Rós member Biggi Birgisson at the band's Sundlaugin Studio in Iceland.

Since the record came out, Bergeron has been busy: first with relocating to Iceland last fall and winter, then with returning to Canada for a residency at the Banff Centre to work on new material alongside Charles Spearin of Do Make Say Think. You'll likely hear a bit of that new music when Flying Hórses performs at The Record Centre on Thursday night.

Future PEERS @ Bar Robo on Thursday, 8 p.m., $10

There's more Banff Centre alumni to be found around town on Thursday.

If their occasional use of an auto-tuned robot voice doesn't give them away, Toronto band Future PEERS comes from the future — or at least, that's what they claim. The group's flashy, punch-packing debut album came out last week, and it reveals a band whose mood shifts from Daft Punk-ish jams to crashing-banging punk songs to gentler electronic ditties with New Order-style bass lines.

The one thing that ties the record together is its big, celebratory sound — something Future PEERS developed at the Banff Centre alongside mentor Kevin Drew and Grammy-winning L.A. producer Shawn Everett (Weezer, Julian Casablancas).

Lynn Miles @ Irene's Pub on Friday and Saturday (8 p.m.) and Sunday (3 p.m.), $20

Now that we're less than two weeks away from the holidays, it's probably safe to admit that the festive concert season is in full swing. If you're feeling the spirit, you're in luck, as there are a couple of local musicians hosting weekend-long stints at local venues. 

Lynn Miles returns to Irene's Pub for a three-day string of holiday shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon. Expect to hear songs from her album Winter, made up of musings about the merry — and more melancholy — sides of the cold, dark season.

The show features a special set by Foyer & Pike (Lynn Miles and Melwood Cutlery), not to mention a Christmas sweater auction for charity.
 

Jim Bryson @ The Black Sheep Inn on Saturday (8 p.m.) and Sunday (4 p.m.), $25

Meanwhile, Jim Bryson is back at the Black Sheep Inn for another round of annual "holiday-esque" concerts. This time (for what's estimated to be somewhere around the 15th edition) he's shaking things up.

Bryson and his band have put out a call for song requests, new and old. The idea is that they'll put all the song names in a bowl and draw requests, one by one, the night of the show. You can make your request now through the Facebook event page.

In the spirit of the evening, Bryson has re-released his debut solo record, The Occasionals, in digital format for the first time — via free download from his Bandcamp page. The best part: it still holds up as much as it did in 2000.