It’s an Arts & Crafts kinda day. For starters, The Montreal Mirror talks to Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene about the making of their eponymous new album, which he succinctly describes as “a big fucking mess” (he’s a little more positive about it in talking to The Ottawa Sun). I’ve been listening to Broken Social Scene a fair bit over the past couple weeks trying to formulate an opinion, and I think Mr Drew has hit the nail on the head.

But that’s not necessarily a negative thing – I’ve always felt that chaos is a fundamental part of what makes Broken Social Scene work. The ever-shifting lineups, seasonal declarations of breaking up, the police beatings… it’s more than just mystique, it’s integral. Their live shows are ramshackle, sometimes sublime, sometimes shambolic, but always unpredictable and volitile. And that’s part of what made their breakthrough You Forgot It In People so amazing – it managed to capture that spirit of reckless creativity, pure and undiluted, and it was to this honesty of artistic intent that the teeming masses responded to. But after all the touring, press and critical hosannas, the question is – what do you do for an encore?

Broken Social Scene is unavoidably more self-conscious than its predecessor. There’s no way it couldn’t be – this was one of the most hotly-anticipated releases of the year (in indie circles), and that sort of pressure had to have had some effect. I mentioned a couple weeks ago upon initial listens that it was a dense record, and that I was hearing the mix more than the music. More than anything, for all of the seventeen people listed as being BSS-ers in the liner notes, this album belongs to producer Dave Newfeld. If on People he was a documentarian, this time around he’s a conductor. At first pass it may well sound like the mess Kevin Drew describes, but with further listens you realize that every sound on the record is meticulously and deliberately placed – compared to organicism of People, BSS sounds almost synthetic in its cut-and-paste composition. Some have commented that Broken Social Scene sounds like a shoegaze record, and there’s some truth in that – it does offer up a huge wall of sound but it’s arrived at through layered arrangements and countless overdubs rather than distortion, delay and reverb.

With a few exceptions, the (mostly) structured pop songs of the last album are traded in for looser jams and grooves and even the poppier numbers are bent, twisted and otherwise sonically deconstructed. What struck me the most is how the “secret weapons” of People – namely the vocals of Ms Feist, Haines and Millan were utilized. Instead giving each lady a song to sing and make her own, it sounds like their parts were recorded, chopped up and thrown into the mix like any other instrument. Any one of these ladies could have turned any song into a classic if their voices had been allowed to carry the song, but BSS don’t take the easy way out. After all, this is a band that claims to have omitted the catchiest numbers from the record, perhaps for later release, perhaps to hide away forever, in the name of self-preservation.

So as I expected, it’s a grower and it’s growing. Hell, it took me well over a year before I truly and fully appreciated You Forgot It In People, so it would be unfair of me to pass a final judgement on Broken Social Scene after just a couple of weeks. And even if I were going to, it’d still be some completely useless combination of intrigued, confused and ambievalent. But I still feel compelled to listen, and you know what’s interesting? I was listening to the album via headphones while writing this, and by sealing myself in with the music and concentrating on it and everything going on, it really began to reveal itself. This record is going to make you work, but I suspect in the long run it’ll be worth it. If you’re still undecided, listen to it on a good pair of headphones. This record was made for headphones.

And more news from the world of A&C:

Pitchfork finds out what’s going on in the world of Stars. Amy Millan’s long-promised solo Honey From The Tombs is now looking like a Spring release, backed up by Amy herself who chimed in on the Broken Telephone message boards with promises of a March release. Interestingly, no word about the previously promised Set Yourself On Fire remix album but the news of a cover of The Pogues’ “Fairytale Of New York” more than makes up for it. I don’t know if Torq’s arch, precise delivery will be a proper substitute for Shane McGowan’s whiskey-marinated essence but Amy doing Kirsty MacColl will be awesome.

The Austin Chronicle looks back fondly at the career of locals (locals to them, not me) American Analog Set, whose protestations that this final tour and album don’t necessarily mean the end of the band are sounding less and less convincing. At least promises of a tour-only 12″ and a final b-sides/rarities comp will make a decent going away presen Andrew Kenny also contributes a list of “Top 10 things I’ve learned from 10 years in the AmAnSet”.

The Winnipeg Sun has words with Feist. Chronologically speaking, this piece was published before the Toronto Sun one I posted yesterday. Oh well. But do check out another video for “Mushaboom”, this one directed by Patrick Daughters. I love this one – the a capella intro, the wire-work, the dance numbers… sublime. Thanks to Donewaiting for the link.

BrooklynVegan looks at the Pitchfork/Arts & Crafts conspiracy (henceforth abbreviated to PFACC, pronounced “faaakkkk”), noting that all reviews of non-BSS-family A&C bands have received grades of 6.8… Interesting.

…and that’s all the Arts & Crafts scuttlebutt I have for now.

I have Ingrid at V2 to thank for tipping me off about the Ukula Bright Lights Festival going down at the Distillery District on November 5. It’s a hell of a lineup – check it out. Elbow, The Duke Spirit, Islands, The Meligrove Band, The Call Up (featuring current and ex members of The Dears and The Stills, respectively), Stirling, The Coast and The Empires. How’s THAT for a show? Tickets are $25 and should be on sale very soon at the usual outlets. Grok the poster here.

I think that’s enough for today.

np – Rogue Wave / Descended Like Vultures

If I kept a running list of bands I’ve been a long-time fan of, but have somehow never managed to see live, then Son Volt would have to be at or near the top of that list. My excuses are myriad and uninteresting – what is important is that last night, after a decade of following his career, I finally got to see Jay Farrar live and more importantly, he didn’t disappoint.

With his recent solo work leaning more towards the acoustic, folkier side, I had forgotten how much of Jay’s repetoire was full-out rock. Luckily, Jay hadn’t. What he lacked in charisma (I’ve never seen anyone stand at a mic stand so straight and motionless before), he made up for in endurance and quality. The epically long setlist (28 songs, 1h50m for those keeping track) drew from all points of his career and while it was great to hear all the SV material played live, it did serve to reinforce my general opinions about his career. One – Trace remains the best album he’s ever made. Cliche, but true. The songs from the Son Volt debut still stood out from the pack as being the best of the bunch. The other material from Son Volt I was also strong, and the Okemah material, while solid, seemed to lean a little too much on the rock and lacked some of the nuance and feel of the earlier material. Almost all of it was still better than the solo stuff, however. Placed alongside the Son Volt material, it seemed meandering and out of focus. If anyone ever needed proof that Farrar works best in a band context, this was it.

And the new band was good, though Brad Rice’s touring guitar dude’s Chris Frame’s guitar parts were more noodly than Dave Boquist’s more economical playing in the old band, no doubt his (assumed) session guitarist past coming to the surface. Personally, I preferred it when Jay took lead guitar duties, most notably on the final song of the encore, “Chickamauga”. Yes, “Chickamauga” – he actually trotted out one of my favourite Uncle Tupelo songs, actually the first time I’d ever heard any Tupe material performed live. I don’t know if this is something he’s always done or if it’s a recent development, but it certainly made my night. Full marks to Son Volt Mk 2 for putting on a helluva show and I hope this new incarnation sticks around a while.

I’d seen opening act Fruit Bats once before, at a tiny show in 2003 in support of Mouthfuls. As I recall, it was a good laid-back show and the record, which I picked up afterwards, didn’t disappoint. Their latest Spelled In Bones, however, had gotten enough lukewarm reviews to put me off picking it up yet. The band is different now, too – frontman Eric Johnson remains, but keyboardist/vocalist Gillian Lissee is no longer in the picture. This is a shame, since her harmonies were a big part of Mouthfuls‘ charm. The bassist and drummer certainly did their part to cover the backing vocals and it sounded pretty good, but it wasn’t as nice as the 2003 show. And the new material was perfectly decent pop, but alongside the Mouthfuls material, it just didn’t compare.

My photos didn’t turn out quite as well as I’d hoped, mostly on account of the fact that the band was almost exclusively backlit. So great light on the hair, not so much for the faces. Still, I managed to get a decent gallery out of it all.

Popmatters interviews Jens Lekman, who has finally gotten a proper ad-free website URL. But for those of you prepared to yell “sell out”, don’t worry – it still looks like ass. Jens is at the Music Gallery November 5 with The Phonemes, whose website is nothing to write home about either.

JAM! continues to interview Feist as she traipses across Canada. She’s in Toronto for the second of two sold-out shows tonight.

The New York Times plays dress-up with some of the more comely ladies of the indie rock scene. Eleanor Friedberger… looking good. Keren Ann… not so much. Via The Modern Age.

Harp has finally gotten around to actually making their website useful by putting up actual content. And they’ve made up for lost time by including archived material from as far back as 2001. While not necessarily timely, they’re still good reading – check out features on Billy Bragg, Wilco, Neko Case, Steve Earle, Cat Power, Lucinda Williams, Jay Farrar, Wilco & Sonic Youth… aw hell, go browse yourself. There’s craploads of good stuff there, though. Bravo, Harp. There should be a new ish in stores any day now – My Morning Jacket grace the cover.

np – Shearwater / Winged Life

I found the timing of this Glorious Noise article to be quite interesting, since I am moving in pretty much the exact opposite direction from Jake (author of said piece and GloNoHoncho). While he is abandoning his vinyl in favour of an almost strictly-digital music diet, I have gone from dipping a toe in the analog realm to stepping in up to both my ankles, and liking what I feel.

Unlike him, I don’t have a musical history steeped in vinyl – my folks had a record player (which some of you may remember I unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate earlier this year) and we had some records, but most of my collection consisted of Sesame Street LPs (Bob Sings!) and those Disney storybook/record sets (“When Tinkerbell waves her wand, turn the page!”). There was a smattering of pop music, courtesy of my brother (Abba!), but other than that, my vinyl story begins… this past June, really.

For me, it goes beyond the old argument that vinyl simply sounds better, though it does. It’s somehow more alive than CDs, though that in itself doesn’t override the pragmatic and fiscal realities that will keep CDs my main music medium for the forseeable future. No, I think for me, vinyl offers a sort of bulwark against the increasing intangibility and disposability of music. I download and am sent many MP3s on a daily basis, and I’ll be damned if I ever get around to listening to even half of them – the same probably goes for many of the gigs of MP3s I’ve got on my computer. Similarly, I’ve got over fairly large CD collection which you’d think would make finding something to listen to an easy task. Oft times, it’s the opposite – I’m overwhelmed by the options and can’t pick a damn thing. But with my modest vinyl collection of maybe a dozen pieces? Easy. Plus since I’ve been fairly selective of what I buy on LP, I’m reasonably sure it’s something I’ll enjoy. And if you want me to review something, a sure way to get it listened to is send it on vinyl. I’m just saying.

I like the interactivity of vinyl. Since you can’t get more than 22 minutes or so into whatever you’re doing without having to get up and change records or flip sides (I still believe strongly in the side A/side B album structure), you’re always engaged. If you’re spinning 7″s, that’s all you’re doing. There’s no 100-disc changer or 60GB hard drive that lets you play whatever uninterrupted for days on end, relegating your playlist to background music, to be filtered out and ignored. It’s just you and the music. Handle the sleeves, read the liner notes, examine the art, whatever. In a way, it takes me back to a day when I didn’t have 1200+ albums, and I knew each CD in my collection in-depth and intimitely. Records are truly the ultimate musical fetish object. Even the things that are generally regarded as drawbacks, the careful handling of the record, the cleaning, the maintenance of the turntable – these are all a sort of ritual to me. Communing with the music. Of course I say that now – wait till I have to drop a couple hundred bucks on a new cartridge…

Some days, like this past Saturday, I’ll go vinyl rooting. Take an afternoon and just hit the record shops digging through old vinyl. I don’t usually buy much, if anything. Again, I just like the process of it. Occasionally I’ll find something cool that I inevitably already own on CD, but will buy it anyway if the price is right. I have to stop doing that. I’m actually still trying to figure out how to avoid the whole “buying the same album in multiple formats” thing. I don’t mind rebuying something I already own on CD if the price is right and it’s something I really love, but some restraint is in order. How do you – you being people who similarly juggle formats in purchasing – figure out what to buy and how?

Vinyl-only releases make it easy, I guess. Like The Mountain Goats’ Come, Come To The Sunset Tree, a limited-edition vinyl-only of The Sunset Tree consisting of home-recorded versions of the album. Of course, this issue was so limited (1000 pieces) that I’m not going to find a copy at anything resembling a reasonable price, so that’s moot. But in the future. And while I’m on topic, Sixeyes has a Q&A with John Darnielle and the Mountain Goats are in town at Lee’s Palace tonight. If you don’t have anything else to do on a Monday, go. End aside.

There are also releases that I will decide in advance to get on vinyl. For example, Okkervil River’s Black Sheep Boy Appendix mini-album, out November 22. I want that in LP form if for no other reason than to have this artwork in full-size form. Jagjaguwar has an made an mp3 of one of the Appendix tracks available – thanks to Dreams Of Horses for the pointer.

MP3: Okkervil River – “No Key No Plan”

And finally, I got my copy of Ride’s Going Blank Again on LP in the mail the other day and, well, let’s just say that it’s well-loved. I may take it in to a shop to get properly vacuum cleaned – the crackle on a couple of the sides is pretty harsh. But in general, any suggestions on cleaning vinyl? Are all the commercial cleaning fluids the same, or should I seek out one brand over another? I’ve got the carbon brush thing, but it can only do so much.

But you know, at the same time as I take another step to becoming Steve Buscemi in Ghost World, I’m also thinking that iPods are getting cheap enough that I could see myself getting one in the next year or two, if just to have easy access to music for trips and work. Just watch – before long, I’ll be all vinyl and MP3s, but have no use for CDs.

np – Ride / Smile

Kiss Me Deadly / Misty Medley (Alien8) Montreal’s Kiss Me Deadly advertises itself as an unlikely marriage of 90s shoegaze and DC hardcore punk, but danceable. The influence of the former is tangible, while the the latter is tenuous (excepting the deservedly hidden track, and that plays more like a joke). Maybe they pay homage by charging a $5 cover at all their shows, because their second album Misty Medley is too upbeat, textured and melodic to owe any royalties to Messrs. McKaye or Rollins. The musical bedrock draws much from 80s British new wave with disco beats and chiming guitars but somehow don’t sound much like all the 80s revivalists currently clogging up the indie scene. This is probably thanks in large part to the elastic and breathy vocals of Emily Elizabeth. Her bandmates also step up to the mic for a few tracks, but it’s her voice that gives Kiss Me Deadly most of their uniqueness and character. I was right when I said earlier this week that I had a good feeling about this disc. Bonus points for the sharp gatefold-esque packaging. Kiss Me Deadly are at Sneaky Dee’s December 8. MP3: Kiss Me Deadly – “Dance 1”

Fine China / The Jaws Of Life (Common Wall) Someday, I’m going to review a band that sounds classically British and actually IS British. It won’t be today, however, and that band won’t be Fine China. Hailing from that last bastion of Anglophilia, Tuscon, Arizona, Fine China have got the dapper publicity photos, the lisp-like British affectation on the vocals and jingle-jangle guitars seasoned with the occasional dramatic keyboard swell. On first listen, it’s all terribly proper and pleasant, if rather bland and undistinctive. However it becomes more interesting the longer you listen – mostly because the album is heavily backloaded with the good stuff. While the limitations of Robert Withem’s voice become more evident as the album progresses, the songs themselves compensate by improving proportionately. By the end of its run, The Jaws Of Life overcomes a weak start to end up a mildly decent listen. Still, the band might do well to not make their name quite so appropriate and toughen up their sound just a touch. Either way, full points for the cute website URL. MP3: Fine China – “Don’t Frown”

Bill Ricchini (MySpace) I have to confess to a bit of superficiality – artists who use ply their trade under their own name bug me. Not bug like annoy, but if I’m looking for something to review cold out of my inbox, say, I’m more likely to go give “Thermonuclear Wallpapper Poppets” a spin than “Milt Walters”. Come on, you’re in showbiz! Glam it up a little! That’s not a hard fast rule, though, and it’s a good thing – else I’d have probably let Bill Ricchini’s email fester in the inbox for a good long time. And in doing so, missed out on some terrific pop music. He may hail from Philadlphia, but his heart is firmly in the 60s. Selections from his second album Tonight I Burn Brightly (which features production from Bryce Goggin and percussion from former Luna drummer Lee Wall) are available to stream on his websites, and they’re uniformly excellent bits of lushly arranged, richly sung, beautifully melodic melancholy. Highly recommended. MP3: Bill Ricchini – “Eugene Hill”

np – Belly / Sweet Ride – The Best Of Belly

Yesterday was a shoegaze kinda day – today, the opposite side of the coin (as far as my musical tastes go). We got some folk, some country, some singer-songwriter, some America(na)… It’s a gol-durned pot pourri.

Scotland On Sunday talks to Gemma Hayes about writing and recording her new album The Roads Don’t Love You on the road in Los Angeles. The album is out October 31 in the UK (cover art). The first single from the album is called “Happy Sad” and you can see the video here:

Video: Gemma Hayes – “Happy Sad” (WMV)

It’s a peppy-ish number, though not as strong at first listen as some of the stuff off of Night On My Side (you can see a couple of the videos from that record here. I heart me some Gemma, and not just for the obvious reasons. Her music is excellent too.

Sarah Harmer will release her new album I’m A Mountain on November 8. It will feature, in Sarah’s own words, “acoustic bluegrass style ditties of mine and some choice covers”. She’ll also be touring the album including a couple of shows at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre on December 2 and 3.

In what might be the coolest thing I’ve heard this fiscal quarter, Neil Young will be the musical guest on Late Night With Conan O’Brien… for a whole week. Neil will appear on the show four nights straight from November 1st through the 4th, certainly performing material from Prairie Wind and hopefully some classic stuff as well. I rarely (read: never) stay up for late-night TV, but may have to make the exception for Neil.

Son Volt to The Chicago Sun-Times – “Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years – Rockin my peers and puttin suckas in fear…” (via LHB). Dirt Music also has an interview. Jay Farrar and his posse are at the Opera House on Monday to rock the mic.

Boston.com looks at the new My Morning Jacket and likes what it sees (via LHB). Maine Today talks to local boy and MMJ drummer Patrick Hallahan. The Villager and Rolling Stone also have pieces. MMJ are at the Guvernment on Wednesday night, and I think I’m going to be there – not 100% certain, still working that out. You’ll find out Thursday if I make it or not.

Embarking on their largest ever tour in support of Black Sheep Boy, Okkervil River are giving their fans an extra treat – they’re taking requests. Whether this is requests for their own material or Neil Diamond covers, I’m not sure, but whatever the set list ends up being November 7 at Lee’s Palace, I’ll be ecstatic.

Thought Sufjan interviews were all played out? Chart disagrees.

Also from Chart – a chat with The Decemberists’ Chris Funk. After the current tour (which stopped in Toronto Thursday night), they’re off to Europe, taking a vacation and then recording their fourth album with an eye towards a Fall 2006 release.

Local Death Cab coverage, part the second – Chart and The National Post (via Adam Radwanski).

Reuters reports that The West Wing will air a completely live episode November 6 to coincide with the Presidential debate between fictional candidates Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda, and not just once – twice. Once for the east coast and once for the west coast. It’s meant to drum up interest in the show, whose ratings are flagging in its seventh season. I blame the time slot move to Sundays at 8PM after six years more than anything else. I’ve been watching the show religiously since its inception and I’ve already forgotten when it’s on. It’s a shame they chose to mess with it in what is likely its final season – the election campaign storyline that made last season so enjoyable to watch hasn’t flagged this year, and will certainly send the show off on a high note. If anyone’s watching, that is.

np – Okkervil River / Black Sheep Boy