Search Results - "Howe Gelb "
Wednesday, April 6th, 2005
Whither Velocity Girl? Yes, smartasses, I know they broke up back in 1996, but that wasn’t the end of the story. Three of them, including the “Girl” in VG Sarah Shannon, regrouped as Starry Eyes for about three minutes (but long enough for me to get a copy of their self-titled EP), then split again. Shannon went on to release the very low profile Estheraho EP in 2001 and then a full self-titled album in 2002. That record’s adult-contemporary Bacharachian-influenced sophistication was a far cry from VG’s fuzzed out and scrappy power pop, but still quite decent and a fine showcase for Shannon’s vocals. As for the rest of the band, guitarist Archie Moore went on to play bass in The Saturday People and the rest of them… well I dunno.
But that still doesn’t explain why I’m asking “where are they?” almost nine years after their initial split. Well some may remember going through Excellent Online’s Flirt compilation a couple years ago and doing a double take at seeing Velocity Girl in the tracklisting. After seven years, the band had quietly reunited and recorded a track for the compilation and was reportedly working on material for a new album. Much rejoicing ensued from those of us who are, whether we want to admit it or not, stuck in the 90s. And then… nothing. The only thing resembling a VG info site hasn’t been updated in some nine years and their old label SubPop still has their minisite for Gilded Stars And Zealous Hearts up. I know Archie is a member of the Indiepop mailing list, but there’s been nary a peep there, either. Perhaps someone in the Beltway chapter of my extensive network of international spies has some info? Um, Kyle, I’m talking about you… But if someone has heard bad news about this reunion, um, don’t tell me. Okay, tell me.
I’m probably one of the few who liked their later albums more than the earlier ones – the wall of guitars on Copacetic have their charm, but I like the tighter songcraft of Gilded Stars. Plus you get to hear Sarah’s voice more… For the record, Sarah Shannon was my #1 college rock crush for most of the 90s. She was like a more wholesome Liz Phair (and who could actually sing). I still have their cover issue of Alternative Press circa 1994, which had the most swoon-worthy pics. Ahem. But in the absence of news, I’ll just point you at this Spike Jonze-directed video for “I Can’t Stop Smiling” off of Simpatico and the ‘comeback’ single from the aforementioned Excellent compilation.
MP3: Velocity Girl – “It’s All Alright By Me”
And while not necessarily “missing in action”, Billboard reports on what former Belle & Sebastian cellist/singer Isobel Campbell is up to. And speaking of B&S, Gorilla Vs Bear points us at You Ain’t No Picasso, who are hosting a complete Peel session Christmas party by the band.
Zoilus says that Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb will play a solo show at the Horseshoe on April 21.
Sensitive piano-plinking Brits Keane will be at Massey Hall on May 28 with Motown popsters Brendan Benson in tow. Tickets $29.50 – $39.50.
Prefix has part one of a two-part interview with The Decemberists. Part two should be up before the week is out. New City Chicago also has an interview (via LHB). My copy of Picaresque is in the mail. Or will be shortly.
np – The Wrens / The Meadowlands
Friday, August 29th, 2008
Photo by Carolyn Desislets
For alt.country-inclined female artists, the shadow of Lucinda Williams looms large, and justifiably so – an artist could do far worse than to forge a career like hers, channeling toughness and tenderness through a world-worn rasp and masterfully evocative songwriting. No, being compared to Lucinda is no faint praise, assuming it’s justified. So it’s interesting that not one but two such artists would emerge from Canada in the last few years. The first would be Ottawa’s Kathleen Edwards, who has gone on to some considerable success evoking the rockier side of Lucinda, and the other is Montreal-based Angela Desveaux, who takes a more pop-oriented approach to things.
Like her 2006 debut Wandering Eyes, Desveaux’s new record The Mighty Ship is a well-considered balance of jangling, upbeat melodicism and pensive, downcast weepers, perhaps heavier on the atmospherics and with some welcome orchestral embellishments but hardly light years away. Though the recipe at work is a well-used one, it’s made exceptional by the six-string accentuation Snailhouse and Wooden Stars guitarist Mike Feuerstack (another parallel with Edwards is the savvy move of building her band around a shit-hot guitarist) and Desveaux’s own voice – a heartbreaking combination of sugar, twang and sigh – and her pen. Her songs manage to simultaneously emphasize her wide-eyed and optimistic youthful side as well as the experience of one who’s endured her own share of wear, weariness and heartbreak.
Leading up to the release of the record on September 9, Desveaux and band are playing a series of release shows in Ontario and Quebec and courtesy of Sonic Unyon I’ve got some stuff and passes to give away – three copies of the new record on CD and two pairs of passes to give away to either of the September 4 show at the Boat in Toronto or the September 5 show at the Black Sheep Inn in Ottawa. We’re talking three winners – one CD only, two CD and passes. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with either “I want the Angela Desveaux CD” or “I want to see Angela Desveaux in (name of city)” in the subject line and your full mailing address in the body. Contest is open to anyone in Canada, though obviously for the shows you should be in the greater Toronto/Ottawa regions. Or really hardcore. Whichever. Contest closes at midnight, September 2.
Desveaux will also be opening up for The New Year on their Montreal and Toronto dates on October 14 and 15 respectively. Exclaim has an interview with her about her band and eating healthy.
MP3: Angela Desveaux – “Sure Enough”
MySpace: Angela Desveaux
Both eye and NOW get psyched for Tuesday night’s Silver Jews show at Lee’s Palace with interviews with David Berman. The Montreal Mirror also has a piece.
Paste catches up with Calexico’s John Convertino. Their new one Carried To Dust is out September 9.
An Aquarium Drunkard talks to Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb. proVisions is out on Tuesdsay.
Great Lake Swimmers will play a free show at Yonge-Dundas Square at 6PM on September 11 as part of the Toronto International Film Festival. They have a non-free show at Lee’s Palace on October 25.
There’s more installments in Okkervil River’s covers project for The Stand-Ins, these ones featuring Jack Ladder, Bon Iver and Bird Of Youth. That’s more than half of them! The record is out September 9, they play the Phoenix on October 12.
Video: Bird Of Youth – “Pop Lie”
Video: Bon Iver – “Blue Tulip”
Video: Jack Ladder – “Starry Stairs”
Jolie Holland has a date at the Horseshoe on October 29. Her new record The Living and The Dead is out October 7.
Blurt talkst to guitarist Phil Wandscher and waxes nostalgic for Whiskeytown’s Strangers Almanac. In the present, Ryan Adams is releasing a novel as well as getting into blog-wars with Drowned In Sound.
The Miami New Times declares My Morning Jacket the best live band ever. Maybe.
Blurt goes record shopping with Jason Isbell.
Monday, November 26th, 2007
A quiet (read: inactive) weekend on the blog by no means implies a quiet weekend for me – quite the opposite, actually. Familial duties, houseguests and brewing cold kept me largely offline but I still ducked out of everything on Saturday night to catch Ottawans The Acorn’s sorta-CD release show for Glory Hope Mountain at the Horseshoe.
I’d like to say that I’m mentioning the fact that I used to be in a band with Laura Barrett in the interests of full journalistic disclosure but in truth, I’m just trying to catch a little bit of cool by associating myself with her. Since picking up the kalimba a few years ago (full story at Exclaim!), Laura has become something of a local hero and not for the more novel reasons one might initially expect but because no matter what her choice of instrument, she’s a terrifically clever and idiosyncratic songwriter and artist along the lines of Nellie McKay or St Vincent, if less precocious than the former and less dramatic than the latter. Occasionally augmented by glockenspiel or synth bass pedals, she and her kalimbas played a short set of material from her 2005 Earth Sciences EP which she mentioned was being dressed up for re-release. This was the first time I’d seen her perform and, like probably everyone who’s seen her play, was totally charmed. Bring on a proper record.
Bruce Peninsula’s set wasn’t too different from the one they put on a few weeks back at Lee’s Palace. But with this purported to be their last gig for a few months while they go a-recording, I detected a little more cutting loose from the eleven Bruce Peninsulans onstage. They may have bellowed a little louder, clapped a little harder, testified a little more vociferously. Whatever it was, had it been in a barn it would have been a barn-burner. Bring on a proper record.
Don’t know if anyone caught my plug for this show on CBC Radio 3 last week but if so, and if on the off chance you opted to catch the show on my recommendation, I want to apologize for two misleading points. One, though Ohbijou’s Casey Mecija was indeed in the house as a member of the Bruce, she didn’t take the stage to sing “Lullabye” with the Acorn as I’d assumed she would. Secondly, front-Acorn Rolf Klausener has indeed shaved the mighty beard he was sporting over the Summer so anyone hoping to marvel at his hirsuteness… sorry.
But if you were in attendance, I refuse to accept either of those as reasons for not enjoying the show – it was just too good. Taking the stage to the dual-drummer pounding of “The Flood, Pt 1”, The Acorn (currently operating as a six-piece) opened up by calling up all the members of the support acts – that’s a dozen strong – to supply the tribal backing vocals and start things off with a glorious bang. I’d heard that they were going to play the entirety of Glory Hope Mountain in order and while that’d have been cool – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a whole album performed live in sequence – they opted to include material from both their Blankets! and Tin Fist EPs and keep the set mostly uptempo. The textures of Glory Hope weren’t recreated verbatim but the spirit was definitely captured with the extra percussion, various stringed instruments and Central American rhythms , not to mention the rich imagery of the songs themselves. Klausener mentioned at one point that this was the best Toronto show they’d played and though I hadn’t seen all of them, based on the handful of times I’d seen the band perform, I’d be inclined to agree. Glory Hope Mountain has been deservedly accruing praise from all corners and as a result, the band has a much brighter spotlight shining on them than they’ve ever had before – it’s good to see that they’ve risen to the occasion.
The Globe & Mail talked to both Klausener and his mother about Glory Hope Mountain this past weekend.
Photos: The Acorn, Bruce Peninsula, Laura Barrett @ The Horseshoe – November 24, 2007
MP3: The Acorn – “The Flood, Pt 1”
MP3: The Acorn – “Crooked Legs”
MP3: Laura Barrett – “Robot Ponies”
MySpace: The Acorn
MySpace: Bruce Peninsula
The venerable (and legendary) Horseshoe Tavern is turning 60 next month and is hosting a slew of great shows to mark the occasion. I’ve already noted a number of them – Richard Hawley on the 5th, six nights of Joel Plaskett from the 10th through the 16th, Rhett Miller on the 19th – but there’s still some special announcements promised. A couple of these were revealed at the end of last week and both are pretty sweet – first, there’s the kick-off celebration on the 4th with a free show from The Lowest Of The Low. If you responded to that with, “who?” rather than “alright!”, then you’re probably under the age of 30 and live in Southern Ontario in the early ’90s. Read this for some background. And secondly, Justin Rutledge’s ‘Shoe show on the 8th now also features the inimitable Howe Gelb on the bill. More surprises are planned for the 17th and 18th and if this is where they’ve set the bar, they’re sure to be great. If you have an inkling of who it might be, let me know! I won’t tell. Promise.
Bradley’s Almanac has posted MP3s from a Kevin Drew/Broken Social Scene show in Boston from this past August. Pitchfork has an interview.
Sloan’s Jay Ferguson talks to JAM! about taking part in this past weekend’s Grey Cup festivities and plans for their next album.
Neil Young tonight! ‘Nuff said.
Monday, November 20th, 2006
For a period back around 2001 or so, it seemed I couldn’t get away from The Dears. Okay, that’s probably overstating it but seeing them three times in seven months, and never deliberately (they were either on a larger bill or opening for someone or whatever), it certainly seemed like they were following me and they didn’t manage to particularly impress me at any of the shows. I think at that point they were were still promoting their 2000 debut End Of A Hollywood Bedtime Story and while I appreciated that they were doing something different and ambitious, their songs and melodramatic delivery simply didn’t connect and so I basically ignored them for the next five years or so.
Fast-forward to this past September at the V-Fest gig they either loved or hated and whatever their take was, I was certainly impressed. The new material from Gang Of Losers was tight, focused and considerably more pop and accessible. While I can appreciate this probably turned off some of their old fanbase who liked them to sprawl, it got me more interested enough to pick up the record as well as come out for this, the first of a three-night stand at Lee’s Palace.
Also helping to sell the show was the fact that fellow Montrealers Land Of Talk were support for the first two nights. For a myriad of reasons, I hadn’t seen them live since that first time at The Boat back in June though my love for Applause Cheer Boo Hiss has only grown in the interim. So I was more than pleased to see them again and also to find that they were even better this time around. Fierce and tense yet oh-so-tuneful, they interspersed the material from the EP with some new, slower numbers which offered a nice dynamic balance in their set. These guys seriously have to make a full-length album and soon. So good.
The Dears may have been off my musical radar the past few years, but judging from the size and enthusiasm of the crowd on Thursday night, I was in the minority. Dears fans are rabid. The set list began and ended with Gang Of Losers material, but the heart of it was devoted to the more epic No Cities Left material it was at this point that it began to feel less like being in an audience and more like being in a congregation with Murray Lightburn as the impassioned, charismatic minister. Some criticize The Dears for being overly (melo)dramatic and while I can see that point of view, particularly on record, but when you’re in the middle of the live experience and surrounded by believers, it all feels very real and powerful. Anthemic, emotional and intense from start to finish.
Adding to the experience was the fact that band had clearly taken advantage of their multi-night engagement to make themselves at home, bringing an assortment of smoke machines and special lighting effects for the occasion and making Lee’s Palace a far more visually dramatic venue than it normally is and however long they had to soundcheck paid off as the sound was excellent. I definitely enjoyed the show and while I don’t know that I’m ready to be called a fan nearly on par with some of the others in attendance that night, I definitely have a greater appreciation for the band and the new record, which I was only moderately impressed with before. I may even investigate No Cities Left if the mood strikes.
Taxi! talked to Natalia Yanchak about making the new album and B(oot)log has the whole of The Dears’ set from the night before this in Kingston available to download.
Photos: The Dears, Land Of Talk @ Lee’s Palace – November 16, 2006
MP3: Land Of Talk – “Speak To Me Bones”
MP3: Land Of Talk – “Breaxxbaxx”
Video: The Dears – “Ticket To Immortality” (MOV)
Video: The Dears – “Whites Only Party” (MOV)
eCard: The Dears / Gang Of Losers
MySpace: The Dears
MySpace: Land Of Talk
Kevin Drew tells Chart what 2007 means for Broken Social Scene – solo records. For everyone.
AOL continues to try and prove they’re the indie-friendly multinational media conglomerate – TV On The Radio is the latest band to record a session for The Interface while The Mountain Goats stopped in at The DL, their newish web tv show thing, like Montel. The Cardigans were on a recent episode as well.
Drowned In Sound asks Shins frontman James Mercer how he feels about their new album, Wincing The Night Away, having already leaked to the internet well in advance of its January 23 release date. What’s that? You didn’t know it leaked? Well you didn’t hear it here. But hey – you can hear one of the new songs with conscience clear at their MySpace.
Christmas has come early for Mercury Rev fans as they’ve got not one but two new releases in stores now. There’s the Stillness Breathes: 1991 – 2006
retrospective as well as Hello Blackbird, the soundtrack for the 2005 film Bye Bye Blackbird.
Do you like to plan ahead? Then jot down that Clinic are at Lee’s Palace March 12 and Of Montreal will be at the Opera House on March 13, barring something unexpected happening between now and then. Like a meteor strike.
np – Howe Gelb / Sno Angel Like You
Thursday, November 16th, 2006
Matthew from I Heart Music has been riding me for a little while to check out Jetplanes Of Abraham – the band who topped his 20 Hottest Bands In Ottawa poll and whom he manages… pure coincidence, I’m assured. But they’ve got a clever name for those of us who took eighth grade Canadian history and were playing a free show at the Horseshoe this past Tuesday, so I bit.
There’s a Toronto band I’ve seen and written about a few times in the past called The Ghost Is Dancing, whom I liken to Arcade Fire overdosed on cane sugar and crack. Jetplanes remind me of The Ghost Is Dancing on ritalin (and therefore of an Arcade Fire on cane sugar and crack and ritalin, if you need a more universal frame of reference). The six-piece possess a similar giddy streak and joy in making music, but are less anarchic about it – more focused.
With a rotation of lead singers and heavy on the instrument swapping – often within a song – the Jetplanes were a whirlwind of activity onstage. Though they dress their songs up with sounds that have become de rigueur for Canadian indie rock – keys, violin, glockenspiel, melodica, extra snare drums, handclaps, shouted background vocals – underneath all that, the songwriting is fundamentally strong and they possess natural pop instincts that comes across quite strongly on their just-released debut self-titled full-length. Anchored by a very solid rhythm section (no matter who was playing bass at the time), their live show was quite good with some really excellent moments near the end of the set where they really began to coalesce into something joyous and special.
I’ve also had some time to spend with their album which has allowed me to offer a more considered assessment of the band. Clocking in at a compact 34 minutes (even more compact if you remove the three “interlude” instrumental bridging pieces), Jetplanes manage to cover a lot of stylistic ground from the pure pop of “Four Part Harmony” to the almost-disco groove of “Not Tonight” and the violin-lovely centrepiece “Complications, Fascination & Quitting Your Job”, yet sounding cohesive all the while. Rick Devereux, who takes the majority of lead vocals, has an interesting voice – sort of a cross between a holler and a croon – that I want to compare to a more powerful John Darnielle, despite the fact that I don’t think he really sounds anything like Darnielle. If I’ve a complaint, it’s what I stated earlier – the production and aesthetic they’re embracing is very much like what a lot of other young Canadian bands are going for these days and to my ears, at least, there’s not a whole lot of distance left to ride on that particular horse. Someday soon, someone is going to have to strike out and craft something new – I nominate Jetplanes Of Abraham.
Photos: Jetplanes Of Abraham @ The Horseshoe – November 14, 2006
MP3: Jetplanes Of Abraham – “Four Part Harmony”
MP3: Jetplanes Of Abraham – “Complications, Fascination & Quitting Your Job”
MySpace: Jetplanes Of Abraham
Thanks to For The Records for pointing out that another fine Ottawa band, The Acorn, will be opening up for Elliott Brood at Lee’s Palace on December 15. It will be a CD release party for their new EP Tin Fist, which is quite nice.
NOW and The Ottawa Sun talk to Murray Lightburn of The Dears, kicking off a three-night stand at Lee’s Palace tonight. They also tell The Toronto Sun, in no uncertain terms, how they felt about V-Fest. Update: Apparently the terms were more uncertain than reported – the band has printed a retraction of their harsh words towards V Fest on their website. I’m not sure how that quote can really be misconstrued, but okay.
Radio Free Canuckistan is the new blog of local music scribe Michael Barclay, whose work can be found in eye and Exclaim!, amongst other places, and on his site he’s offering up the full transcripts of his interviews before they’re edited down for final publication. I really enjoy this form of interview presentation as it generally gives a far better sense of the personality and headspace of the interviewee. In his latest posts, Barclay focuses on Mr Owen Pallett, aka Final Fantasy, presenting the interviews with Pallett and those that know him that would become the June 2006 Exclaim! cover story.
Though the 2006 concert calendar is pretty much run its course (thank God), it’s not done just yet – Howe Gelb will be at Lee’s Palace on December 17 – why he’s leaving warm and sunny Arizona in mid-December to come up to Canada is beyond me, but I’m glad for the news. I was kind of afraid that I’d have nothing to do next month. And looking to next year, a bit of a mish-mash bill in Snow Patrol, Silversun Pickups and OKGO are at the Ricoh Coliseum on March 31.
MSNBC is beguiled by Under Byen, who were wonderful opening for Gelb as Giant Sand last month at Pop Montreal.
Aversion reports that Neko Case’s 2003 set for Austin City Limits, already out on DVD, will be released on CD on January 9. You can watch one of the performances below, don’t know the name of the song unfortunately.
Video: Neko Case – “Behind The House” on Austin City Limits (YouTube) – thanks Cindy!
This BBC piece on Billy Bragg’s thoughts on the internet and digital music neglects to mention that though he did pull his music from MySpace in protest of their intellectual property policies, they did amend their legalese and you can once again befriend Billy at MySpace and listen to his tuneage there.
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