By definition "pop" is brainless. Sometimes bodies aren't even required; corpses have been known to churn out the occasional impressive track.

God bless The Rivoli and their arse of a bouncer, they manage to add a few brain cells to the mix with their Pop with Brains shows. Some nice names worth checking out are on this Friday's bill. My fresh pick of the litter, The Dunes, don't contribute much to the "Pop" part of the show, but genre definitions aside they're worth the low price of admission alone.

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The Dunes Myspace page, with 5 songs (there's a scroll-ey wheel thingie)

One thing that stood out right away to my ears was a lack of over polished effort on the part of The Dunes' vocalist Kevin Pullen. Calling All Cars, with it's consistent beat an two guitars that let you breathe during the verses, is a prime example; it's as if this is just how Pullen talks, perhaps while ordering a poutine with extra gravy. He's got that mild growl that was present on many of the better alternative/grunge albums of the early 90s. Hurry Up and Lost have The Dunes showing some alterna-soft that contrasts quite well with Do It All the Time and Calling All Cars.

Leaning a bit towards the slower and grungier side of rock, The Dunes round out an impressive lineup at the 10th edition of Pop With Brains. And for $5, with some of that going to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, you aren't doing anything more worthy of your fiver this Friday anyways.

POP WITH BRAINS 10
w/ The Dunes, Germans, Eden Ants, Oh! The Pretty Things and Modernboys Moderngirls
Friday July 20, 2007
@ The Rivoli (334 queen st.w.)
416-596-1908
Cost: $5

Original photo by Optimus Prime as posted to the blogTO Flickr Pool