Friday, November 19th, 2010
Memoryhouse finally done seeing the world, schedule dates at home
MyspaceFor the better part of the year, I’ve been hearing about this Guelph duo Memoryhouse – another entrant in the increasingly fashionable he-she duo band configuration sweepstakes – and while I liked what I heard in passing of their hazy, languorous dream-pop, I figured I’d pay more attention around the next time they scheduled a local show. After all, they’re from Guelph. That’s like right over there.
And yet any time I saw tour dates posted throughout the year, they’d be touring and gathering accolades in far-flung places in Europe or around the US, never close to home. The closest they seemed to get was the Wolfe Island Music Festival in Kingston in August, and that wasn’t in the cards so I’ve waited. And waited. Not impatiently, mind you – I’m still in the curious stage more than anything else – but I’m still pleased to see that they’ve finally set a couple of live dates in and around Toronto before the year is out. There’s a December 2 engagement at E-Bar in Guelph, and more importantly a December 16 show at the Twist Gallery in Toronto.
Of course, that’s the same night that The Rural Alberta Advantage make their own long-awaited live homecoming at Lee’s Palace, so there’s no guarantee I’ll be availing myself of Memoryhouse’s show anyways. But their announcement did give me the incentive to go download their The Years EP – it’s free – and do up a little post. That’s really all anyone can ask for.
MP3: Memoryhouse – “Lately (Deuxieme)”
MP3: Memoryhouse – “Lately (Troisieme)”
MP3: Memoryhouse – “Gian Lorenzo Bernini”
Video: Memoryhouse – “Bonfire”
Video: Memoryhouse – “Lately (Deuxieme)”
ZIP: Memoryhouse / The Years
Also originally hailing from Guelph are disco-pop ensemble The Magic, who will be playing a free show along with Maylee Todd at the North York Central Library tomorrow night, November 20, at 8PM. Get details on this and other goings-on at the Toronto Public Library’s Make Some Noise blog.
Director Spike Jonze has the director’s credit on Arcade Fire’s new video/short film for the title track from The Suburbs. Win Butler talks to Exclaim about potential retirement plans.
Video: Arcade Fire – “The Suburbs”
Soundproof talks to The Thermals.
Rhett Miller of Old 97’s talks to Spinner about getting permission from Bob Dylan to crib the melody from “Desolation Row” for one of his own songs.
Even though Retribution Gospel Choir’s latest 2 came out way back in January, SubPop has opted to release a second MP3 from it for giving away. Why ask why? The Minnesota Daily chats with bandleader Alan Sparhawk.
MP3: Retribution Gospel Choir – “Workin’ Hard”
The Georgia Straight, Vancouver Sun and Oregon Music News talk to Blonde Redhead about their current tour and forays into electronica.
Spin declares Two Door Cinema Club to be breaking out. They’re at the Kool Haus on January 15 alongside Tokyo Police Club.
NPR is streaming a radio session performance from Elvis Costello while AOL Music has a video session with ol’ Declan.
Spin has got the video for the new collaborative single between Hot Chip and Bernard Sumner.
Video: Hot Chip & Bernard Sumner – “I Didn’t Know What Love Was”
A second MP3 from Blood Red Shoes’ second album Fire Like This is now up for grabs. The Prague Post has an interview.
MP3: Blood Red Shoes – “Heartsink”
White Lies have released a video for the first single from their second album Ritual, which is out January 18. They’ll be at The Mod Club on January 29.
Video: White Lies – “Bigger Than Us”
Sloucher interviews The Twilight Sad.
Creative Loafing checks in with Warren Ellis and The Wall Street Journal with Nick Cave of Grinderman.
Thursday, November 18th, 2010
Review of Gregory & The Hawk’s Leche
Annie RaczI liked Gregory & The Hawk’s last record, 2008’s Moenie & Kitchi. Really, I did. The combination of New Yorker Meredith Godreau’s sweet, girlish voice and her gentle, mostly-acoustic, semi-orchestral folk-pop is like kryptonite to me and maybe that’s why I was able to resist it – it’s the sort of record I’ve bought a dozen times before and while it’s not a style that I’m necessarily tired of, it is one that requires some above and beyond to really impress me. Which is why, I guess, I hung onto the record but didn’t write it up or make the 10-minute walk – or 5-minute bike ride – to see them at the El Mocambo last May.
The just-released follow-up Leche won’t be so easily ignored, though. While Goudreau hasn’t changed appreciably changed her approach, the new record is an impressive step forward in pretty much all departments. The arrangements are broader this time out, adding more percussion and both electric and electronic textures in just the right amounts to enhance but not obscure the songs’ simple charms. Not that the songs are as simple this time out; they still have the child-like sense of whimsy and fantastical edge to them, but have more dynamic and emotional range and even offer a whiff of darkness or anger that wasn’t present on Moenie. Add to this more immediate and memorable melodies and an unexpected crib of Cutting Crew’s ’80s hit “(I Just) Died In Your Arms”, and you’ve got a record that demands your attention for its own merits, and not just because it sounds like stuff you already like.
Sloucher has an interview with Goudreau.
MP3: Gregory & The Hawk – “Landscapes”
Video: Gregory & The Hawk – “Soulgazing”
Video: Gregory & The Hawk – “For The Best”
Myspace: Gregory & The Hawk
Spinner talks to Nicole Atkins about her new album Mondo Amore, out January 25, and offers a first look at the album art. Stereogum, meanwhile, has the b-side of her recent “Vultures” single – a Can cover – available to download.
Under The Radar has an interview with Sharon Van Etten.
Pitchfork brings word of a Joanna Newsom tribute album with the terrific title of Versions Of Joanna and featuring contributions fromM Ward, Owen Pallett and Billy Bragg, though the first two are previously released recordings and Bragg’s contribution presumably comes from his contribution to the Voice Project. It will be released digitally in December.
BBC Radio 6 and Pitchfork talk to Lykke Li about her new album, due out on March 1 of next year, which will carry the title Wounded Rhymes. She’s at The Phoenix on May 22.
Prefix talks to The Concretes. They’re at The Horseshoe on January 18.
Love Is All have released a new video from their latest, Two Thousand And Ten Injuries.
Video: Love Is All – “Bigger Bolder”
NPR is streaming the whole of Josni’s recent show at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC.
Daytrotter has got a session up with Suuns; they play the Silver Dollar on November 26.
Exclaim talks to Fucked Up drummer Jonah Falco about how progress is coming on their new record.
The Globe & Mail talks to the director of the Feist documentary Look At What The Light Did Now, screening at the ROM this Sunday night and coming out on DVD/CD on December 7.
Good news: in advance of their show at the Sound Academy that night opening up for Broken Social Scene, Superchunk will be playing an in-store at Sonic Boom on the afternoon of December 9. Bad news: it will be happening at 3PM, making it difficult or impossible to attend if you have a 9-5 job… unless you cut out early like some kind of slack motherfucker.
MP3: Superchunk – “Digging For Something”
Baths, Braids and Star Slinger are teaming up for a show at the El Mocambo on February 19, tickets $12. Baths’ debut Cerulean was released this past Summer, Braids’ debut Native Speaker is out January 18.
MP3: Baths – “Maximalist”
MP3: Braids – “Lemonade”
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
British Sea Power set date for Dancehall
Dan DennisonBritish Sea Power have yet to top the UK charts – their last record, 2008’s Do You Like Rock Music? came closest at #10 – but their next album Valhalla Dancehall certainly had #1 on its mind. It was announced yesterday that it’d have a release date of January 1, 2011 – 1/1/11 for the numerologically-inclined – and as such has the distinction of being the first major new release of next year, at least in my cosmos.
It’s interesting to note that this album finds the lineup officially expanded to a six-piece, bringing their touring viola and keyboard players into the fold (and press photos). One might suppose that the extra personnel would make for a bigger, broader-sounding album, but BSP have never gone small or been blessed with an inordinate amount of focus, even when they numbered just four, so it’s hard to imagine them being even more out there with album number four than they’ve been in the past. Zeus, the taster EP for the new record, is certainly as eclectic over its seven tracks as anything they’ve done before.
Skiddle.com has an interview with the band and in addition to assembling a little teaser video for the new record, they’ve released a new MP3 from the album to get y’all excited.
MP3: British Sea Power – “Living Is So Easy”
MP3: British Sea Power – “Zeus”
Robyn has rescheduled her show from last Friday, which was cancelled at the 11th hour (or more like 3PM) the day of due to illness. It’ll now take place on January 26, still at the Sound Academy.
Video: Robyn – “Dancing On My Own”
Dum Dum Girls will be making up for their cancelled Fall tour with a Winter jaunt that includes a stop at the El Mocambo on February 26.
MP3: Dum Dum Girls – “D.A.L.”
MP3: Dum Dum Girls – “Jail La La”
Eric Elbogen, aka Say Hi – he stopped directing that at your mom a little while ago – has a new record coming out on January 25 entitled Um, Uh Oh and will be staging a huge tour to promote. Check out the first track courtesy of Spin and see him when he plays the El Mocambo on March 4.
MP3: Say Hi – “Devils”
NPR has got a World Cafe session with Ra Ra Riot, while Pique, The Calgary Sun and The Gauntlet have interviews. The band are at the Mod Club on December 1.
Drowned In Sound talks to Scott Devendorf of The National. The deluxe edition of High Violet comes out November 23.
Spin declares Warpaint to be “breaking out” while The Riverfront Times talks to drummer Stella Mozgawa.
Spoon have put out a new video from Transference.
Video: Spoon – “Nobody Gets Me But You”
Band Of Horses have opted to premiere their latest cinematically-styled video from Infinite Arms at IMBD.
Video: Band Of Horses – “Dilly”
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart talk to Spinner about “Heart In Your Heartbreak”, the lead single from their new record Belong, due out in March.
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
Johnny Flynn and Evening Hymns at Lee’s Palace in Toronto
Frank YangI’m sure it was only coincidence, but the fact that Mumford & Sons sold out the 3000+ capacity Sound Academy the night before Johnny Flynn was slated to play a solo date at Lee’s Palace made for some interesting parallel drawing. The two toured together – along with some girl named Laura Marling who’s gone on to do some stuff – a couple Autumns ago and Flynn headlined all of their Toronto debuts at the dinky Rivoli back in October 2008.
Not that playing Lee’s is any small potatoes – some great careers never got to rooms much bigger – but one can’t help but ask why the former have skyrocketed to fame while the latter hasn’t. It could be because Mumford and co may work with the musical implements of folk and bluegrass, but their songs are unabashedly emotive, arena-sized anthems and I’ve heard more than a few people express surprise that they’re British rather than American. Flynn, on the other hand, ploughs a more traditional folk furrow in his music, more given to character-driven narratives and steeped in Englishness in both form and content. Not that these distinctions likely mattered to the hundreds of predominately female fans gathered at Lee’s on Sunday night – I’ll wager that most were at Mumford the night before and just as excited to be here.
Support for the evening came from Toronto’s own Evening Hymns, operating as just a two-piece. Their debut Spirit Guides had fallen out of rotation somewhat since finding its way onto my year-end list for 2009, but this show did a tremendous job of reminding me why I was so won over by it in the first place. At past shows, I’d noted that expansive sounds captured on the record worked better live the more hands they had on deck. So it was quite the pleasant surprise that the stripped-down configuration of principal Jonas Bonetta on guitar and keys, Sylvie Smith on bass and divine backing vocals and some looping pedals were able to turn some choice selections from Spirit Guides, a promising new composition and a cover into maybe the most affecting Evening Hymns show I’ve seen yet. Particularly ingenious was the way Bonetta pulled off “Mountain Song” solo, building rhythms and guitar parts via looper and then turning to the keyboard – loaded with all manner of patches and samples – to pile on the sounds that it would have otherwise taken a small orchestra to pull off. Judging from the tremendously appreciative audience during their set and the number of people wandering around with Spirit Guides LPs afterwards, I’d say Evening Hymns made more than a few new fans that night in addition to reaffirming old ones.
If by most standards Evening Hymns’ setup was minimalist, Johnny Flynn made their stage setup look like Pink Floyd’s. Appearing with just a resonator guitar and without his band The Sussex Wit, he proved himself to be one of the rare performers who can hold an audience’s attention for a full set with just their voice, guitar and songs. And banter. Between songs, Flynn was understated and charming, offering stories from tours past and present, and during the songs he was even better. Playing necessarily stripped-down versions of songs from his debut A Larum and the just-released follow-up Been Listening, he found enough range in what was at his disposal to do justice to the material and excusing the absence of the horns and drums which buoy the recordings. It didn’t come without cost, as singles “Kentucky Pill” and “Barnacled Warship” were conspicuously absent from the show – presumably too difficult to pull off alone – but “The Water” still sounded great even without Laura Marling’s harmonies and had he been playing with a band, you probably wouldn’t have had fun moments like when his voice cracked in the middle of “Shore To Shore”, necessitating a mid-song pause and apology before continuing. It was the sort of episode that underlined the intimacy of the show, but that said it’ll be nice if the next time Flynn returns, it’s with band in tow. And maybe at a room on the same scale as his peers, like the Sound Academy (kidding – no one wants to see anyone at The Sound Academy).
The AV Club talks to Johnny Flynn.
Photos: Johnny Flynn, Evening Hymns @ Lee’s Palace – November 14, 2010
MP3: Johnny Flynn – “Kentucky Pill”
MP3: Johnny Flynn – “Drum”
MP3: Evening Hymns – “Dead Deer”
MP3: Evening Hymns – “Broken Rifle”
MP3: Evening Hymns – “Cedars”
Video: Johnny Flynn with Laura Marling – “The Water”
Video: Johnny Flynn – “Barnacled Warship”
Video: Johnny Flynn – “Kentucky Pill”
Video: Johnny Flynn – “Tickle Me Pink”
Video: Johnny Flynn – “Leftovers”
Video: Johnny Flynn – “Brown Trout Blues”
Myspace: Johnny Flynn
Myspace: Evening Hymns
I think some kind of universal concert announcement embargo expired yesterday because show news was coming fast and furious, making 2011 something to look forward to. In chronological order:
It will be a very different Concretes at The Horseshoe on January 17 than the band that was there last in May 2006. The date is part of a North American tour in support of their disco-powered new record WYWH, which frontwoman Lisa Milberg talks to Spinner about. Tickets for the show are $15 in advance, Class Actress supports.
MP3: The Concretes – “All Day”
MP3: The Concretes – “Good Evening”
That previously mentioned Decemberists date has been confirmed as part of an extensive tour in support of their new record The King Is Dead, due January 18. And yes, come February 1, the faithful will have to trek down to the Sound Academy to see them. See kids, this is what happens when you like bands – they get big and popular. You’ve no one to blame but yourselves. But as an extra incentive, Wye Oak are opening, and they’re lovely.
MP3: The Decemberists – “Down By The Water”
MP3: Wye Oak – “Take It In”
Jim Bryson will be at Lee’s Palace on February 4 with The Weakerthans backing him up as they do on his new record The Falcon Lake Incident. Tickets for the show are $17.50 in advance.
MP3: Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans – “Wild Folk”
The reigning prom king and queen of California stoner garage pop – Wavves and Best Coast – have made good on their promise to tour together next Winter. Look for them at The Phoenix on February 6; Snacks the cat will DJ between sets.
MP3: Wavves – “Cool Jumper”
MP3: Best Coast – “Something In The Way”
Wire are back. Both on record, with their new record Red Barked Tree due out January 11, and live, with a North American tour that kicks off April 1 at Lee’s Palace. Tickets $22.50.
MP3: Wire – “Dot Dash” (live at CBGB)
MP3: Wire – “3 Girl Rumba” (live at the Roxy)
Lykke Li has released a video for the new single she’s been giving away, and has also slated a Spring tour that includes a May 22 date at The Phoenix, which is interestingly 1/3 the size of the room she played last time she visited.
Video: Lykke Li – “Get Some”
Brian Wilson will bring his as-advertised album Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin to Massey Hall next Summer, on June 18; tickets will range from $55 to $85.
Monday, November 15th, 2010
Grinderman at The Phoenix in Toronto
Frank YangJust in case anyone was uncertain, let it be known – Grinderman are not fucking around. The subset of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds made their North American debut at The Phoenix on Thursday night, the first date of an extensive North American tour, and it’s just as well their set dressing consisted of plastic sheeting draped everywhere like one of Dexter’s kill rooms because shit was flying.
Sound, spittle and fury, Cave and company unloaded it all on the completely sold out room and in the process, made the distinctions between Grinderman and their parent project much clearer than they are on record. As the Bad Seeds’ last visit in October 2008 proved, there’s still plenty of fire in the unit even after 25-plus years. But whereas The Bad Seeds operate with an air of elegance and romance, even at their darkest moments, Grinderman functions as that band’s id, trading in any stateliness for an extra dose of sleazy blues and offering it up with pretty much one setting – in your face.
Opener “Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man”, the lead track from this year’s delicious Grinderman 2, set the tone for the night with Cave demonstrating his newfound penchant for guitar abuse – clearly having learned a thing or two from mad scientist bandmate Warren Ellis – whilst rhythm section Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos punished their bass and drums for an apparent lifetime of unforgivable transgressions. That vibe of unchecked id permeated the room, given focus through Cave’s mad preacher figure as he climbed around on monitors, leered at the front row and generally reaffirmed his position as one of the most magnetic frontmen in music, no matter who he’s playing with.
Though unquestionably seedy in tone, the show wasn’t all raunch – midpoint “What I Know” had Cave trading in electric weaponry for acoustic and allowed both Cave, who had sounded occasionally hoarse throughout the show, and the audience, who had been on the receiving end of their unrelenting aural thrust from note one, to take a breather. But that tenderness was more foreplay than anything as it set up the exponentially amped-up triple-punch of “Honey Bee (Let’s Fly To Mars)”, “Kitchenette” and “No Pussy Blues” and then smouldering set-closer, “Bellringer Blues”. By the time they left the stage, the show hadn’t even run an hour but after that sort of primal one-two, did we really expect to be held afterwards? And yet they had more than a little gas left in the tank, coming back as they did for a five-song encore that included a guitar-led “Palaces Of Montezuma” and yearning “Man In The Moon”. Running half as long as the main set and feeling a good deal moodier, it was an extended coda that acted as a complex and unexpected punctuation mark on a fierce and memorable performance.
eye, The Phoenix and The Boston Globe have Grinderman features while Spin, Chart and The Globe & Mail were also on hand for the show. And Anti- are running a Grinderman photo contest wherein you can be chosen to shoot one of the shows on the tour.
Photos: Grinderman @ The Phoenix – November 11, 2010
MP3: Grinderman – “Heathen Child”
Video: Grinderman – “Worm Tamer”
Video: Grinderman – “Heathen Child”
Video: Grinderman – “No Pussy Blues”
MySpace: Grinderman
The Guardian is streaming a new instrumental track from Richard Hawley, inspired by a visit to the Glenfiddich whiskey distillery in Scotland. There’s a second such track available to stream at the Glenfiddich website; you just have to pretend you live in the UK to access it. Elsewhere, The Financial Times talks food with Hawley.
Amy Millan of Stars talks to The Dumbing Of America, See and The Gateway while Chris Seligman chats with OC Weekly.
Black Book has a brief chat with Warpaint.
Sharon Van Etten plays a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR.
The Other Paper talks to Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater.
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