Went and caught the CD release show for The Hidden Cameras last night at the Bloor Street United Church – an unusual venue for a show, but perfectly suited. I’ve had Brad and 517 preaching the Cameras gospel to me for nigh on a year now, but had never gotten around to checking out one of their live spectacles until now, and I’m happy to say that the praise is totally deserved. The Cameras put on an energetic and infectious show – I mean, when there’s over 20 people on stage jumping around like they’re having the best time of their lives, how can you not want to get in the game?

As you’d expect in a church, the acoustics were terrific and the band took advantage by playing the first three songs totally unamplified. The crowd was obligingly silent, letting the nuances of the acoustic guitar, violin, cello and voices hang in the air – a very effective opening. Then the rest of the band poured onstage and it was glorious pandemonium. Particularly refreshing was the crowd – despite this being a pretty hyped-up show, the crowd was refreshingly hipster-free. Most everyone in attendance seemed to really be there to enjoy the show, and not just be seen or whatever. With their new album The Smell Of Our Own getting its worldwide release on the legendary Rough Trade records next month, it will be interesting to see how the Cameras maintain the inclusive love-in atmosphere as they play outside their hometown where folks may not quite ‘get it’. But good luck to them regardless.

np – The Mountain Goats / Tallahassee

Quick summary of the day. Went back to Oakville in the morning to pick up tax junk from the parentals’ place. Was asked by my dad to hook up his A/V receiver, despite the fact that he doesn’t use the speakers. I just plugged it in and left it as is. Went for a little driving tour of the old hood with Kyle. They’ve torn down one of the malls and replaced it with one of those big box complexes. The world I grewed up in is gone.

Went for a quick sweep of the Annex, came out with Calla’s Televise (found used – in your face Kyle!), The Chameleons’ Live In Toronto, The Very Best Of Otis Redding and Jeff Tweedy’s Chelsea Walls soundtrack. Not a bad haul.

I also finally picked up the new guitar neck and got that installed. Took a little more doing than I anticipated to get it set up – it was adjusted pretty different from my old neck. I will post a pic of the final result tomorrow.

Going to see the Hidden Cameras tonight after watching the first period of Owen Nolan’s debut as a Leaf.

np – Calla / Televise

I think I promised some reviews of the Postal Service’s Give Up disc and The Minus Five’s Down With Wilco.

If the Traveling Wilburys were, say, the Justice League of musical supergroups, then the Minus Five could rank as, oh, the Doom Patrol. And the Postal Service… Rip Hunter and the Time Masters? Hmm, okay, this metaphor just died a slow, painful, gurgling death.

I love this Postal Service disc. Combining 80s New Wave songwriting with Ben Gibbard’s heart-on-sleeve unabashedly romantic lyrics and vocals and grafting it all onto some truly catchy IDM-esque electronic backing tracks, and you’ve got a pretty damned unique record. My main beef with most electronic music is that it lacks that human element that give pop obsessives like myself something to connect to – not a problem here. For no particular reason, this record makes me think of this movie, Electric Dreams. It was about this nerdlinger guy (this was the 80s, before nerds were cool) who finds himself competing for the girl of his dreams with his computer. The soundtrack was by Phil Oakey, of the Human League. The main theme song of the film, “Together In Electric Dreams”, was great – especially its use over the closing scenes. It’s weird to use describe something from a forgettable 80s comedy as such, but it was a really uplifting and exhilirating scene. Or at least it is in my head, and that’s how I’ll choose to remember it. The point of this? That’s how this record makes me feel. Exhilirated and uplifted. And grammatically inept. The Human League connection is just gravy.

I’ll bet that 80% of sales for The Minus Five’s Down With Wilco will be because of the title and what it implies. Namely, that Wilco is all over this disc – which they are – but it’s not immediately obvious. First, some brief history. The Minus Five is a side-project principally involving Scott McCaughy of the Young Fresh Fellows” and Peter Buck, professional plane trasher and guitarist for R.E.M.. They’re occasionally (and on this occasion) joined by ex-Posie Ken Stringfellow, and for this go-around, all of Wilco. This is most obvious in Jeff Tweedy’s backing vocals and the one time he takes lead vox. It’s interesting to hear Tweedy’s rasp alongside the smoothness of Stringfellow’s voice – a real contrast in styles. What you’ll find on Down With Wilco is a set of very sharp, polished pop songs pretty far removed from Wilco’s ragged glory. They are the backing band and perform admirably, but you won’t sit up and go, “Man, that was SO Wilco!”. I have to bite my tongue to keep a Golden Smog comparison from coming out – whil you definitely get the sense that everyone involved is having a great time the same way you do on the Smog records, the musical content is considerably less rootsy, more sophisticated and a good deal weightier in lyrical content. Down With Wilco isn’t an essential record, but it’s a solid effort from some real heavyweights.

Watched The Last Castle tonight. It was okay, not the worst way to spend a Friday evening. But not, I suspect, the best. Robert Redford is looking muy craggy these days.

Finally – I have a notice from the post office that I have to pay duty to pick up a package in their care tomorrow. My guitar neck has arrived! I was getting worried that I was going to be out $140 with nothing to show for it. Looks like I get to dismantle my axe again!

np – The Flying Burrito Brothers / The Gilded Palace Of Sin

If unconsciously turning off your alarm in the middle of the night and oversleeping were an Olympic sport, I would be on a box of Wheaties.

Okay, what’s this all about? Over the course of the day, I’ve found out that one of my university roommates is pregnant (or more precisely, his wife is) and expecting in September, and another former roommate just had his second child. I used to get drunk with these people. The mind boggles.

Anyway – congratulations to expectant Chris and Karen and to Bryan and Eva on the arrival of Dominic this past Monday.

np – various artists / Return Of The Grievous Angel : A Tribute To Gram Parsons

All day, meetings meeting meetings. Or at least it seemed like it. Nothing I like more than lying head down on a table in front of a speakerphone, faint bit of drool out the side of my mouth. Nothing at all. But now I am home and now I am off to band practice. My life is a whirlwind.

But I leave you with this – someone has ported the old Infocom Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy game to a Java applet, playable on the web. I loved these Infocom games. Many a day I spent in fear of the grues that lurk in the dark when your battered Elvish lantern finally goes out. The only problem I see right now is an inability to save. Which means that I’ll just have to play the whole thing in one sitting!