I was simultaneously really excited and not that excited about the Doves/Mercury Rev last night – excited because it was two bands on the same bill that I quite liked and probably would have gone to see individually, not so excited because I’d seen them both live before a few years ago and wasn’t especially blown away by either.

Never mind that.

I last saw Mercury Rev back in 2001 on tour for All Is Dream. They were touring with two keyboardist/organists at the time and the resultant show was quite massive in sound, but also somewhat soft at the same time, if that makes sense. This time they had jettisoned one of the keyboardists and it made all the difference. Taking the stage to a projection collage of album covers, book covers, movie posters and hockey cards (I think I saw a Ron Duguay card), the Rev proceeded to punch through songs from their latest, The Secret Migration, alongside selections from Deserters Songs and All Is Dream (and a Bob Dylan cover). Both Grasshopper and Jonathan Donahue’s guitars (when he played) were quite forward in the mix, giving the more orchestrated numbers a more visceral kick in live performance. This was fine with me, as I feel that their last couple albums have tended too close to the easy listening end of things – don’t forget that for their first three albums, Mercury Rev were sonic anarchists of the highest order (granted, that was many lineups ago, but whatever).

I got the impression that Donahue’s onstage antics – the dramatic gestures and faux conducting of the band – were a little much for some of the audience to bear (the guy beside me stood for pretty much the whole set, arms crossed, shaking his head), but dammit, when you make pop music as grandiose as Mercury Rev do, you’re allowed to indulge in a bit of cheese factor. I was totally into it and am now quite excited to pick up the new record, which is in stores today. I can only hope that the album arrangements aren’t a letdown after seeing the songs performed live.

Now if Mercury Rev impressed, then Doves, relative to my expectations, absolutely astonished. The two times I’d seen them were in support of their first album, Lost Souls, way back in 2001. My impressions were that they seemed somewhat stiff and uncomfortable onstage, relying on the film projections behind them for visual interest. Their songs were suitably epic in scope, but the band seemed to prefer to step back from the spotlight. I definitely felt something was lacking. Well it’s amazing what difference four years makes – from the word go, Doves (aided by quite the spiffy lightshow) proved they’ve completely grown into their sound. Singer/bassist Jimi Goodwin has become quite the able frontman, still laid back but possessing significantly more presence. Jez Williams on guitar was also considerably more impassioned and animated than I remembered. There was just a dynamic energy to the band that I’m certain wasn’t there two albums ago. Good on them.

Their repetoire has also followed suit – spread out across three albums it’s not as evident, but in a stacked setlist, it’s remarkable how many ass-kicking, fist-waving anthems Doves have written. From the opening stomp of “Pounding” through the main set closer “The Cedar Room” to the final encore of “There Goes The Fear”, it was almost a non-stop set of stadium rock-worthy tuneage. “Satellites” would have called out for waving lighters if people still did that and “The Last Broadcast” received an unexpected disco-fied backbeat that actually worked quite well. The sound in the Kool Haus, notorious for suckage, ranged from passable to quite good. Most of the time the vocals were reasonably clear and the mix balanced. Attempts to recreate the cathedral ambience of “Ambition”, however, proved utterly futile in the unforgiving concrete bunker. But points for trying.

Toronto has always been good to Doves, selling out their first shows here before they had broken in North America at all, and last night was no exception – if Jimi Goodwin was to be taken at his word, we were the best crowd they’d seen on the tour so far. Of course, we were also only the third show so far, but whatever. A rapturous response was the least we could have given them for such a fantastic show. I was quite happy to see that after five years of waiting, Doves have become the live act I had hoped they’d be when I first discovered them. I’m even willing to forgive their continued occasional use of pre-recorded basslines when Jimi straps on the acoustic, and anyone who’s heard me talk about Doves live before last night knows that’s a BIG thing for me to get past.

Pics – there’s a story here. I had been happily clicking away with the camera from the second row through Mercury Rev’s set, no one seemed to care, but after they finished up the security dude waved me over and told me I had to check the camera. I guess it was fine for the openers but not for the headliners. Grudgingly, I gave up my spot up front and headed for the coat check, but when I noticed he wasn’t following, I just went and checked out the merch for a few minutes and wandered back in. I wasn’t going to be able to go back up front, unfortunately, so all my Doves shots are from about halfway back in the concert hall. Thank goodness for over the top lightshows giving me enough to work with, even from back there. It was interesting to work on my perimeter game for a change. Check this, Mr Kool Haus security peon.

Oh yeah, Doves have finally updated their website. There’s Easter eggs. Go look.

Britt Daniel of Spoon talks in brief to Billboard about Gimme Fiction. I just got this this past weekend, and it’s good. That is all.

Chart reviews the Canadian Wet concerts that rocked Japan this past weekend.

Shows – The Hidden Cameras are doing a tour of Europe this Summer but are playing a show at the Phoenix on June 5 to send themselves off. Tickets should be available at Rotate, Soundscapes and CD Replay soon, if not already. First they were gone for a decade, now they’re back after just four months – Bettie Serveert are coming back to the Horseshoe June 22, tickets $10.50. Nicolai Dunger is also at the ‘Shoe July 14, tickets also $10.50.

Because of the lateness of the Doves show, I had to tape the penultimate episode of 24 – I will try to watch it tonight and play Statler AND Waldorf for you tomorrow.

np – Slowdive / Souvlaki

Losing Today, whom I can never tell if they’re actually still publishing a magazine or not, has an interview with Idlewild’s (relatively) new addition, bassist Gavin Fox. Covering the other members of the band, Left Lion has a chat with the other new kid in the band, second guitarist Allan Stewart, BBC spends some time with first guitarist Rod Jones and SoundsXP draw’s singer Roddy Woomble’s interview straw. Last but not least, Heathen Angel has an interview with drummer Colin Newton. Bet you thought no one wanted to talk to the drummer, eh?

Their new album Warnings/Promises, which has been getting middling reviews, will be released in North America on August 16, touring presumably to follow. You can preview some of the album here and check out some of the videos from the new record:

Video (WMV): Idlewild – “I Understand It”

Video (WMV): Idlewild – “Love Steals Us From Loneliness”

Billboard re-acquaints North America with Manic Street Preachers by talking to James Dean Bradfield about the parallels between their two latest releases – new album Lifeblood and the re-release of The Holy Bible.

Under The Radar talks to Petra Haden about her a capella cover album of The Who Sell Out and about joining The Decemberists. I have been mesmerized by her cover of Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights” which she has been performing at Decemberists shows – I do hope it’s a regular part of the set and I’ll get to hear it Saturday.

The Organ will be at Lee’s Palace June 9 as part of NXNE (via For The Records) and The Bravery are at the Opera House on July 12, tickets $16.50.

This is the start of crazy concert week for me. Doves and Mercury Rev tonight, British Sea Power tomorrow, Rilo Kiley/Nada Surf/The Brunettes on Thursday and then Decemberists on Saturday. Then, thankfully, things are a lot lighter through June.

Wetlabel talks to Jeph Jacques, creator of indie-informed webcomic Questionable Content.

np – Spoon / Gimme Fiction

The following comes from this week’s edition of Insound.com’s “Insound Clips” email newsletter. I can’t find any online version, so it’s copy and paste time:

8 analogies that are just so true and smart that if you use them at cocktail parties we almost guarantee you’ll score.

Cat Power’s Moon Pix (Matador) is the modern day equivalent of Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks (Warner Bros). The flutes. The slow, weird tempos. The delicate genius/damaged mental thing.

Built to Spill’s Perfect From Now On (Warner Bros.) is the modern day equivalent of Television’s Marquee Moon (Elektra). 8 songs. Guitar solos sent down from the future. Wonderful lyrics by guys who can’t sing.

Spoon’s Series of Sneaks (Elektra) is the modern day equivalent of Wire’s Chairs Missing (Restless). Tight. Angular. Sounds like art school in England.

Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot it in People (Arts & Crafts) is the modern day equivalent of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (Reprise). A feast. About love. And loss. Both sold 25 million copies.

Love As Laughter’s Sea to Shining Sea (Sub Pop) is the modern day equivalent of The Rolling Stones’ Goats Head Soup (Virgin). Awesome songs that are loose and easy and dirty and sad and romantic and rocking and underrated.

The Mars Volta’s Frances the Mute (Universal) is the modern day equivalent of King Crimson’s In the Court of King Crimson (EG). I’ve never heard either album. Maybe one song from each. At most.

Beck’s Sea Change (Geffen) is the modern day equivalent of Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks (Columbia). Life is so sad and hard and poetic and women will be the death of us all.

The Fiery Furnaces’ Blueberry Boat (Rough Trade) is the modern day equivalent of Patti Smith’s Horses (Arista). Channeling Jim Morrison and Lou Reed and both gals are pale white and dress great and forget about what I said in the previous one about women and the death of us all.

Nice new music tip from Mystery & Misery – Ottawa’s As The Poets Affirm produce some lovely strings-heavy instrumental post-rock not unlike a less apocalyptic Godspeed. I’ve only listened to a few tracks, but it certainly seems like the sort of thing that I’d like to hear more of. Fortuitously, they’re playing at the El Mocambo upstairs on May 27 as part of their cross-Canada CD release tour for their first two albums, now available from Zunior.com. I don’t currently have anything else going on that weekend, so I’m planning on going to check them out in person.

JS Online chats with Drive-By Trucker Patterson Hood about the inspiration for Decoration Day‘s “Deeper In” and life on the road. Via Largehearted Boy.

Also from Largeheart – Boston.com talks to Feist about the imprecision of genre labels and the making of Let It Die.

Glide profiles M Ward.

Further Down Films now has the trailer online for A Good Band Is Easy To Kill, the Beulah concert DVD out August 2.

Went out last night to properly celebrate my 30th birthday and am feeling properly wiped out this morning as a consequence. One way in which the 30s is already better than the 20s – I made it past midnight whilst staying conscious and not throwing up on anyone. This is progress. Thanks to everyone who came out, I had a great time. And I should really go back to sleep.

np – Engineers / Engineers

Some thoughts on Saved!, which I watched a couple nights ago – it’s not really as satirical or offensive to Christianity as the indignant would have led me to believe. It’s actually a pretty standard high school comedy, the whole born again plot device is pretty superficial. Mandy Moore’s character is really the only one really worthy of scorn, and that’s got more to do with being an uber-bitch than any religious persuasion. All in all it was mildly amusing but was really let down by the heavy-handed moralizing at the end. I don’t care about the pro- or anti-Christian message, but I do prefer things to be presented in a slightly more subtle manner…

Random observations – I found it really strange that the Christian rock band at the prom were playing The Replacements’ “We’ll Inherit The Earth” at the Christian high school prom, and Jena Malone and Mary-Louise Parker were the cutest/hottest mother-daughter combo, like, ever.

The two holes in Columbia’s otherwise excellent Bob Dylan remasters collection are finally being filled. The eponymous debut album Bob Dylan and the seminal The Times They Are A-Changin’ will be getting the fancy-pants redo come June 21. I’m glad I’ve been dragging my heels on getting Times, I do like the sound quality of the remasters. There’s also volume seven of The Bootleg Series slated to come out on August 16 and are rumoured to contain studio outtakes from ’61 to ’66, but no one’s really sure at this point. Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota will also be renaming the street he grew up on in his honour (symbolically, anyway – it willl officially remain 7th Ave).

Defamer is reporting that hell has frozen over and that Fox has actually renewed Arrested Development for not one, but TWO full seasons. I want to believe, but…

Got a little giveaway I’m running – the first five people to shoot me an email (frank AT chromewaves DOT net) will get a pair of passes to The Good Life show next Tuesday (May 17) at The 360. It’s also worth noting that the head honcho of The Good Life’s label, a little outfit called Saddle Creek, may well be in town that night since his own band is playing the next night… What am I getting at? Hmm. Austin’s Zykos are opening things up – I saw them at SxSW this year, they were pretty good. So yeah, if you want to go to this show, mail me, yo. Update: Passes all gone. Thanks for playing.

Some shows – Toronto’s finest space cowboys, The Frontier Index, play show at the Horseshoe June 24 to celebrate the release of their debut album on Rainbow Quartz June 28. The UK’s Maximo Park are at Lee’s Palace June 14 to pimp debut album A Certian Trigger, which is coming out domestically on May 31. We’ve also got (Smog) on August 8 at Lee’s (the brackets are silent) in support of A River Ain’t Too Much to Love, out May 31, and Pretty Girls Make Graves are at the Mod Club August 25, well, just because. Tickets for that one are $12.50.

Blogpoly!

Check it out – I’m big in Holland! (scroll down). I am assuming this article says nice things and is not calling for some sort of boycott. Thanks to Herman for sending me the link.

np – John Vanderslice / Life And Death Of An American Four-Tracker

Rolling Stone gets a preview of Jenny Lewis’ solo record, tenatively titled Rabbit Fur Coat and due out in January of 2006. Thanks to Achtung Baby for the link. Lewis also tells The Kansas City Star (and repeats it to The Detroit News, via LHB) that Rilo Kiley has graduated from the distribution deal that they had with Warner Bros through their own label Beaute/Brute, and have officially signed with the major label. More Adventurous will be getting re-released in the near future, which seems an odd move considering that the album has not been hard to find at all in major retail stores – in fact, it’s already been discount priced. But the majors will do what the majors will do… Rilo Kiley are at the Opera House next Thursday.

Chart has a tenative list of all the artists scheduled to appear at NXNE next month. I’m looking at the list and… to be honest, save for the local bands who are usually playing around Toronto anyway, I don’t know hardly any of them. I’d certainly like to make it out to a couple of the shows this year, but am going to need some guidance on what’s worth seeing. Recommendations anyone? I like what I’ve heard of Catlow and Marah put on a good show, but otherwise nothing’s jumping out at me.

Billboard talks to Sleater-Kinney about the writing process of their new album, The Woods. Word is is that this is their heaviest album yet, and I believe it – the audio clip on their webpage nearly blew my speakers.

Drowned In Sound interviews British Sea Power siblings Yan and Hamilton. British Sea Power are at Lee’s next Tuesday.

Portastatic have completed a new album, Bright Ideas, slated for release in August. The last Portastatic album was practically a Superchunk record anyway, so it’s hard to be disappointed that Mac is concentrating on the side-project these days, but still – I hope this isn’t a sign that the ‘Chunk are going to be in mothballs for the long term.

Stream half the new Pernice Brothers album off their shiny new website. The stuff certainly sounds different from the solo acoustic renditions, that’s for sure. Discover A Lovelier You, out June 14, seems to continue to mark Joe’s progression further and further away from the orchestrated pop of his first few records and into more rock territory.

Someone please remind me when this comes out, please?

Daily Yomiuri previews the Canadian Wet tour hitting Japan this weekend. Via Pop (All Love).

Here are my photos from Wednesday night’s Mountain Goats show. And as a chaser, check out Zoilus’ piece on The Sunset Tree from last week’s Globe & Mail.

My stereo amplifier, an NAD 302, sounds great but is old school and has no remote. I, being lazy, don’t like having to get up and walk over to it everytime I want to switch a source or adjust the volume. Buying a new integrated amp just to address this seems unnecessary and buying a receiver is also not in the plans at this time, so I am going to build a remote. I figure a length of wooden dowel around 2 meters long will be sufficient to let me poke the channel buttons from my couch. I haven’t figured out how I’m going to handle the volume knob, though. Maybe magnets.

np – Swervedriver / Ejector Seat Reservation