CMW Live: Harmonica SNEAKY DEE'S - MAR. 9 - by James Sandham - Undoubtedly the best-looking band on the CMW circuit, Norwegian pop-quintet Harmonica (featuring Monica Johansen on lead vocals and guitar; Karl Magnus Bjoroy on drums; Geir Pedersen on guitar; Nina Hammervoll on bass and vocals; and Ingeborg Selnes on synth, vocals and percussion) served up a heavy dose of serious sexiness alongside their smouldering, high-energy power-pop performance. Ferociously powerful, yet at the same time incredibly cute, only a band fronted by three blonde Norwegian rocker chicks could pull off Harmonica's skilful balancing act of raw punk and sugar pop, and the tight crowd packed into Sneaky Dee's ate it up. "Wow," the band's pleasantly surprised guitarist remarked at one point in response to the enthusiastic crowd. "Maybe we should move to Toronto?" More cheering and half a dozen indie boys immediately proclaimed their love, barely audible over the other catcalls and applause. With plenty of hand-claps and doo-wop choruses, Harmonica was like a younger, more vibrant version of The Sounds. Simple chord progressions translated well despite Sneak's mildly shitty acoustics, but the band's synth-driven beats and buzzing mid-range sounds suggested their studio work contains several more layers of musical complexity beyond what was on display Friday night. I left thinking Harmonica was added proof that SoundProof's showcase was one of the best of CMW.