Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
CONTEST – Love Is All @ The Horseshoe – December 11, 2008
2:30 PublicityI was reading a piece in the latest issue of Exclaim wherein Nicholaus Sparding of Love Is All commented on the band’s inability to get arrested in their native Sweden, perhaps on account of their refusal/inability to adhere to what’s typically thought of when you talk about Swedish indie – that is, elegant pop of the orchestrally twee persuasion.
And perhaps that’s why I ultimately ignored their debut, 2006’s Nine Times That Same Song – I really like that elegant, orchestrally twee pop, particularly delivered in a Swedish accent, and that’s most definitely not what Love Is All are about, except maybe the accent part. From Josephine Olausson’s gleeful caterwaul to James Ausfahrt’s skronking saxophone, Love Is All are resolutely scrappy, abrasive and frantic. The Cardigans, they are not.
But score one for personal growth, as I’ve given the follow-up A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night more of a chance and am pleased to find myself coming around to its charms. Within Hundred‘s ten tracks there reside a handful of lustrous pop jewels that no amount of sonic dirt can dull – manic lead single “Wishing Well” and the Spector-iiffic “When Giants Fall” chief amongst them – and the numbers that don’t reach the same level of inspiration do their best to compensate with loads of anarchic energy. I can’t say that Love Is All are an outfit that I necessarily see myself forming a long and lasting relationship with, but for a good night out, you could do far worse.
And on that note, Love Is All are about to kick off a North American tour which will bring them to the Horseshoe next Thursday night, December 11. Courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “Love Is All I need” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, December 8.
Exclaim has posted up the complete transcript of the interview that seeded the feature mentioned above, and The San Francisco Bay Guardian also has an interview with Josephine Olausson.
MP3: Love Is All – “Wishing Well”
Video: Love Is All – “Wishing Well”
MySpace: Love Is All
One of the nicest things to show up in my inbox lately is from New Yorkers The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, whose ’80s-vintage jangly/fuzzy brand of pop is as twee-friendly as their name. Pretty much what you might expect from a band on the venerable Slumberland marque, and totally scratching an itch I’d forgotten I had. Their self-titled debut will arrive on February 3 and a short Winter tour brings them to Toronto on February 12 for a show at Neutral.
MP3: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – “Everything With You”
MP3: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – “Come Saturday”
Video: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – “Everything With You”
MySpace: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
The Wedding Present, for whom POBPAH are currently opening a string of dates in the UK, have released a download-only, throwaway (my subjective opinion) Christmas single, complete with video. The Gedge is really into this Californian lifestyle thing, from the looks of it.
Video: The Wedding Present – “Holly Jolly Hollywood”
The title track from Los Campesinos’ new record We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed is now available to download.
MP3: Los Campesinos! – “We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed”
Contact Music interviews Asobi Seksu. Their new album Hush is out February 17.
BBC talks to Noah & The Whale, who are set to release a mini-album under the guise of their A-Sides punk band persona, just in time for Christmas though just barely – it’s out December 22. They also give some hints about the direction album number two – currently in production and the reason for their cancelled North American tour – is taking.
And also cancelled is CSS’s December 15 date at the Opera House. I guess the Brazilians finally discovered that December is COLD in the northern hemisphere (actually they say it’s due to visa issues).
And those of you who didn’t get tickets to Franz Ferdinand’s show at Lee’s tomorrow night – which is most of you – may be heartened to know that they’re doing another tiny show at the Masonic Temple (aka MTV Canada studios) on Friday but the only way to get tickets is to listen to CFNY (aka “The Edge”, to those of you under 30). Whether you’re willing to make that great a sacrifice to try and get tickets is up to you.
March will prove to be a good month for those whose tastes run towards the rootsier end of things. First, March 3 brings the Middle Cyclone (artwork!), the new album from Neko Case (she talks to Paste about making the album and buying a farm – A farm, not THE farm), and on March 31 Great Lake Swimmers will release their latest, Lost Channels.
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
Antony & The Johnsons bring The Crying Light to Toronto
Jason RothernbergAlmost four years has passed since Antony & The Johnsons released their breakthrough album I Am A Bird Now, which would garner rave reviews from most quarters and ultimately go on to win the prestigious Mercury Prize. It’s a record that I’ve run hot and cold on over those years – sometimes Antony Hegarty’s quavering vibrato is the most heartbreaking thing I could imagine hearing, other times it just feels excessive and unnecessary. It probably depends on my own emotional state.
Though the Johnsons took an extended layoff, Hegarty himself was far from idle contributing to the Hercules & Love Affair record, appearing on Bjork’s last album and doing a fair bit of film and soundtrack work. His own project was brought back to the fore earlier this Fall, however, with the release of the Another World EP which offers an idea of what the next full-length, The Crying Light, will bring when it’s released on January 20. Though only a sampler, it sounds as if the broader, theatrical elements of Bird have been toned down somewhat for a leaner, more forceful effect. And for me, it works. The title track, featuring just Hegarty and a piano, is in my estimation the most poignant thing he’s ever put to tape.
Full tour dates in support of The Crying Light are still to be announced, but some are trickling out, one of which is a Toronto date at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for February 17th. It’s an all-ages show, tickets are $35 and wil go on sale on Thursday at 10AM.
MP3: Antony & The Johnsons – “Another World”
Video: Antony & The Johnsons – “Another World”
MySpace: Antony & The Johnsons
Clash lists off the top ten post-Richey moments in Manic Street Preacher history.
Low have marked the festive season with the release of a Christmas 7″, and they’ve made a video for the A-side. Creepy? Yes.
Video: Low – “Santa’s Coming Over”
Pitchfork has details on the forthcoming benefit compilation for the Red Hot Organization in support of AIDS research. Curated by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, Dark Was The Night will feature contributions from… well, pretty much everyone. Click through for a the full list of who’s doing what with whom and on February 17, pick the album up in double-CD or triple-LP format.
And though everyone else involved has already announced it, I’m pleased to be part of the newly-unveiled MBV Music music blog network group, alongside such grizzled veterans of the form as Catbirdseat, Fluxblog, Largehearted Boy and Said The Gramophone. The exact nature of this endeavour is still a little hazy, even to me, but it’s going to be a little bit aggregator, a little bit original content, a little bit country, a little bit rock’n’roll. So yeah, it’s there, I’m still here, also sorta there, and if anything noteworthy happens with it, it’ll possibly happen here as well. Got that? No? Me neither.
And hell, it’s already paying dividends – via FluxTumblr… Scott Pilgrim Vs The Universe, aka the fifth volume in the Scott Pilgrim epic, will be out February 4! Le woot.
Monday, December 1st, 2008
The Acorn, Ohbijou and The Rural Alberta Advantage at Lee's Palace in Toronto
Frank YangI try not to be too “rah rah home team” when it comes to music – if it’s good, it’s good wherever it’s from – but sometimes I can’t help but feel so proud of the stuff that’s coming out of my own backyard. Case in point, Thursday night’s lineup at Lee’s Palace which, for my money, represented some of the very best new artists that Toronto/Ontario/Canada has to offer. The Acorn and Ohbijou alone made it a must-see, but the addition of The Rural Alberta Advantage as opener simply put it over the top. And I wasn’t the only one who thought so – the show was completely and utterly sold out.
I’d seen the RAA a number of times but never on a stage this large, and the environs seemed to be as foreign and novel to the band and it was to me. Any worries that they wouldn’t be able to adapt to the setting were immediately put to rest, however – the charm and appeal of their simple folk-rock songs came across loud and clear. It never fails to amaze me how the trio are able to do so, so much with so little. Behind the kit Paul Banwatt (celebrating his birthday) continued to demonstrate why he’s one of the very best drummers in the city, Amy Cole was indispensable on percussion, keys and backing vocals and of course Nils Edenloff, who pens the songs and delivers them in that plaintive, Mangum-esque bleat. It’s heartening to see that the band is finally finding the attention and success they deserve – I’ve long said that people simply need to hear them to love them, and I think it’s finally happening. The RAA play next on December 9 at Sneaky Dee’s.
Under normal circumstances, having the bar set so high by the openers might have me worried that the following acts would be a let down, but with Ohbijou I wasn’t worried. They’d proven time and time again that they would turn in a sublime performance and again, they did. Their sweetly lulling orchestral pop was a fine fit for the season, the ideal soundtrack for either hiding under the covers or pulling on the parka and boots for a gentle romp in the snow. Amidst songs from Swift Feet For Troubling Times were scattered a few new compositions which frontwoman Casey Mecija revealed would appear on their sophomore effort, entitled Beacon and targeted for a March release. They also brought out Rolf Klausener from The Acorn to help with “Darcy”, which Ohbijou covered on the split-12″ the two bands released to mark their joint tour. Though they weren’t closing things out, it was impossible not to feel the intensity of the hometown love for the band, every bit of it deserved.
So obviously, The Acorn had to bring their A-game to keep the night from ending on a lower note and for the first while, I wasn’t sure they were going to be able to do it. Not because they played poorly, far from it, but by opting to stick largely with the gentler textures of their breakthrough Glory Hope Mountain, the Ottawans kept the show’s dynamic on the slow burn when some jump was what was called for (as well as proving they remain the kings of the awkwardly endearing stage banter). As things progressed, however, it became clear that the band was working on the slow and steady build, and by the time tracks like “Blankets!” from the EP of the same name and Tin Fist‘s “Brokered Heart” made their appearances, it was obvious the show was reaching its apex. That peak came in the encore when Ohbijou joined the band onstage for an absolutely rollicking “Low Gravity” and finally as the show’s denouement, the Acorn’s half of the tour single, their cover of Ohbijou’s “Steep”… though with more members of Ohbijou onstage than The Acorn, I’m not sure that it could still be called a cover. But that’s semantics. It was stellar, and capped off a night that was every bit as good as it was expected to be and then some. Oh, Canada.
BlogTO talks to The Rural Alberta Advantage about their recent eMusic-powered profile boost. Ohbijou’s Casey Mecija discusses their new record with The Silhouette and Rolf Klausener discusses what’s next for The Acorn with NOW. And no less than Mercury-prize winners Elbow tell The Guardian that Glory Hope Mountain is one of their favourite albums of the year. Now that is props. Furthermore, IndieRockReview got both The Acorn and Ojbijou to record an acoustic session for them while they were on tour last month. Also note that The Acorn have a brand-new animated/live-action video for “The Flood, Pt 1”, linked below.
Photos: The Acorn, Ohbijou, The Rural Alberta Advantage @ Lee’s Palace – November 27, 2008
MP3: The Acorn – “Steep”
MP3: The Acorn – “The Flood, Pt 1”
MP3: The Acorn – “Crooked Legs”
MP3: The Acorn – “Blankets”
MP3: The Acorn – “Plates & Saucers”
MP3: The Acorn – “Darcy”
MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Don’t Haunt This Place”
MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Luciana”
MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Frank, AB”
MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Sleep All Day”
MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage – “In The Summertime”
Video: The Acorn – “Crooked Legs”
Video: The Acorn – “The Flood, Pt 1”
Video: Ohbijou – “The Woods”
Stream: Ohbijou / Acorn split 12″
MySpace: The Acorn
MySpace: Ohbijou
MySpace: The Rural Alberta Advantage
CityNews has an interview with Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning. I was quite interested to see how this Toronto Sun review of the BSS show at the Sound Academy on Thursday night regarded it as a coming out party of sorts for Land Of Talk’s Elizabeth Powell. I’d like to hear how she sounds on the BSS stuff – are there any recordings from this last tour circulating? Chart reports that bassist Chris McCarron has officially left the band to be in The Dears, which means that when Land Of Talk play the Horseshoe on January 15, it’ll be with 2/3 of a different lineup from when I saw them last. Crazy.
Haligonian singer-songwriter Jenn Grant will be at the Rivoli for a three-night stand from December 11 to 13 opening up for Danny Michel. CBC Radio 3 also reports that her new album Echoes will be available on January 27.
The Whig Standard profiles Angela Desveaux.
The Montreal Gazette contemplates the career of Neil Young. Shakey plays the Air Canada Centre this Thursday and Friday nights.
Saturday, November 29th, 2008
Frank YangMost company Christmas parties stink. This is a statement of fact. At best, you can hope that you get more than your fair share of drink tickets and that someone, preferably not yourself, gets wasted and makes an ass of themsleves so at least you have something to talk about the following Monday besides how much the Christmas party stank.
So when you get the opportunity to hit up a holiday-themed soiree that’s pretty much guaranteed NOT to stink, you should pay attention. Case in point, the “Jingle Bell Hop” presented by Audio Blood and Two-Way Monologues at Rancho Relaxo this coming Friday night, December 5. It will feature Oh No Forest Fires, well-documented in these pages, pleading acoustic-rock from Hamilton’s Bass Lions and Barrie-based pop-smith Brett Caswell & The Marquee Rose. Certainly a better time than kissing the boss’s ass or placing bets in the layoff pool.
So courtesy of Audio Blood I’ve got a holiday prize pack to give away consisting of a pair of passes to said show and a copy of Oh No Forest Fires’ The War On Geometry and Bass Lions’ More Than Islands on CD. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to Jingle Bell Hop” in the subject line and your full name in the body and get that in to me before midnight, December 3.
MP3: Oh No Forest Fires – “Swing And A Misdemeanor”
MP3: Oh No Forest Fires – “We Fit Our Charm”
MP3: Oh No Forest Fires – “It’s Not Fun And Games Until Someone Loses An Eye”
MP3: Bass Lions – “Ransom The Sunset”
MP3: Bass Lions – “Funeral Shed”
MP3: Bass Lions – “Like Ashes In My Mouth”
Friday, November 28th, 2008
Idlewild contemplates next album, first album
MySpaceJust a quick one today. When America goes on holiday, things slow waaaaay down and, apparently, I get stuck in Northern Britain.
Now free of record labels, Scotland’s Idlewild are taking the “cutting out the middleman” ethos to heart by going direct to their fans to finance their next record. As The Guardian reports, they’re soliciting pre-orders even before recording has commenced, and for the tidy sum of fifteen quid, fans can get a fancy edition of the CD when it’s released next Spring, a thank-you in the liner notes of said CD, access to 15 live downloads culled from their upcoming residency at King Tut’s in Glasgow where they’ll be playing all their albums in their entirety and a sense of immense self-satisfaction in the knowledge that they’ve supported the band in a more meaningful way than buying a t-shirt. Full details and the ability to partake are available at idlewildmusic.com. The album is still untitled – perhaps they’re coming up with a special “gold sponsor” package that allows the donor naming rights? Raffle off the cover art? I’m just having fun, I don’t think it’s a bad idea at all though fifteen pounds is a fair bit of cash.
In keeping in the “Don’t Look Back” theme of those King Tuts gigs, Drowned In Sound got frontman Roddy Woomble to ruminate track-by-track on their 1999 debut Hope Is Important, incidentally the only one of their records I don’t have.
Video: Idlewild – “When I Argue I See Shapes”
Video: Idlewild – “I’m A Message”
MySpace: Idlewild
This Is Fake DIY has a video session with Frightened Rabbit.
And keeping things Scottish a bit longer, Franz Ferdinand talk to The Guardian about one false start in seeking a producer for Tonight, which is out January 27 and will look like this. And congratulations to Stephanie, who won the tickets for next week’s show at Lee’s Palace. To the other billion people who entered, sorry!
Clash and The Indpendent talk to Glasvegas.
This Is Fake DIY reports that Maximo Park have completed recording their third album, but also that mixing and mastering still has to happen, so don’t look for it too soon.
And yeah, that’s it. Told ya.
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