Thursday, November 27th, 2008
Review of The Uglysuit's self-titled debut
Selena SalfenSometimes stuff sits on my shelf for ages before I get around to listening to it, and all I can do is slap myself upside the head for having wasted time that could have been spent with that record. Such is the case with the self-titled debut from Oklahomans The Uglysuit – it was released back in mid-August, which implies that I probably got the promo sometime in early August, and since I only gave it an airing in the last few weeks, that’s like two and a half months lost.
Two and a half months I could have spent basking in its sun-kissed, pastel-coloured, prog-adelic pop made up of sounds and styles all dear and familiar, yet combined so seamlessly and perfectly that you’d believe that they were invented for the sole purpose of crafting this record. Built on cascading guitars, majestic piano and keening vocals, The Uglysuit is epic in scale yet intimate in sentiment – an ornate and remarkably cohesive and unified record. It’s a suite of songs stretching and sprawling into one another, each one made up of even more miniature pop jewels, strung together like a necklace sparkling in the sun. And even when storm clouds gather – and there are points where things get loud and intense – the beauty remains, like watching thunderheads rumble over great plains.
Am I being overly effusive? Maybe. Probably. But The Uglysuit – a misnomer if ever there was one – is so welcoming and enveloping that it’s hard not to get swept up in it. This would be an astonishing record from anyone – the fact that it comes from a band this young makes it even more of an achievement. If you haven’t made its acquaintance yet, you now have no excuse. Beyond the first single and video, available to grab/watch below, Daytrotter posted up a session with the band last week. They were supposed to come through town last month opening for The New Year but that didn’t happen for whatever reason – here’s hoping that 2009 keeps them on the road and with a Toronto stop on the agenda. Rolling Stone also has a short profile.
MP3: The Uglysuit – “Chicago”
Video: The Uglysuit – “Chicago”
Matt Pond PA are celebrating (American) Thanksgiving by giving away a free EP lovingly entitled Freep. Sample the lead track or just grab the whole thing.
MP3: Matt Pond PA – “Hearts & Minds”
ZIP: Matt Pond PA / Freep
eye looks at the sudden and well-deserved boost given to the Rural Alberta Advantage by being selected by eMusic as their Featured Artists for the month of November. They’re playing tonight at Lee’s Palace with The Acorn and Ohbijou and are on at 9. If you’re going, go early! And note that in that eMusic link is an extensive interview where it’s clarified once and for all that only singer/songwriter Nils Edenloff has Albertan roots – the other 2/3 of the band do not. Mystery solved! Of course, I could have just asked them but where’s the fun in that?
Muzzle Of Bees reports that Jason Isbell will return with his second solo album on February 19 of next year, though it’s not technically a solo album anymore since it’ll be named for he and his band – Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit. Catchy.
Muzzle Of Bees also has an interview with Calexico’s Joey Burns, while Minnesota Public Radio is offering up a studio session with the band.
A man with a lot of names and a lot of positive press is making his Toronto debut early next year – Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson will be at the El Mocambo on January 14 in support of his self-titled debut, tickets $8.
MP3: Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – “Buriedfed”
Video: Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – “Buriedfed”
Pitchfork talks to AC Newman (Carl to his friends) about his forthcoming album Get Guilty!, out January 20. Did I link the first MP3? Can’t remember, too lazy to check. So here you go.
MP3: AC Newman – “There Are Maybe Ten Or Twelve”
The Hold Steady have finally released the first video from Stay Positive, for the title track. The Los Angeles Times has an interview with Craig Finn.
Video: The Hold Steady – “Stay Positive”
The first single from A Camp’s Colonia is currently available to stream. The album is out February 2.
Stream: A Camp – “Stronger Than Jesus”
Clash quizzes My Morning Jacket’s Patrick Hallahan about some of his favourite things.
NPR is currently streaming the whole of Neil Young’s forthcoming Sugar Mountain – Live At Canterbury House 1968 live set, which is going to be released next Tuesday. The first set of Archives is set for a January 27 release and Neil is at the Air Canada Centre on December 4 and 5.
Stream: Neil Young / Sugar Mountain – Live At Canterbury House 1968
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008
Aigin LarkiTransmission is an event held in Vancouver every year whose mandate is, in wonderfully business-y speak, to showcase “export-ready artists and business-ready professionals”. I don’t actually know what that means, but from a fan’s POV, it’s also an opportunity to catch a passel of acts from both Canada and abroad who are on the verge… of being exported, apparently.
This year’s edition takes place on two stages over two nights at the Storyeum in Vancouver’s Gastown next week on December 4 and 5. The lineup for the first night features Woodhands, Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, Final Flash, The Pet Conspiracy, Pacifika, Wendy McNeill, Radio Radio and Winter Gloves. Those attending the second night will be treated to performances from The Hong Kong Blood Opera, Bison B.C., Beast, Elliott Brood, Courtney Wing, Alex Cuba and Wildbirds & Peacedrums.
Courtesy of Atomique Productions, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away for each night. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to go to Transmission (night one or two)” and your full name and mailing address in the body and have these off to me by midnight, November 30. Vancouverites, don’t say I never do anything for you left coasters.
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008
An Introduction To Florence & The Machine
Tom BeardThe first time I heard of London’s Florence & The Machine was this past March at SxSW, when Rob from Donewaiting.com wandered over just before Emmy the Great’s showcase and said something to the effect of, “I just saw the greatest show ever. Florence & The Machine jumped into a fountain in the middle of her set, pulled someone in after her, climbed back out, got back onstage and kept playing”. I’m paraphrasing and thought he was exaggerating, but after seeing the video footage, I saw not.
And it’s fitting that I first heard of Florence (surname Welch) while seeing Emmy, because both are artists who’ve made an impression this year without benefit of a proper album. But while Emmy recordings, live and studio, have been relatively plentiful, the Florence & The Hype Machine pickings have been slimmer – basically just a handful of live tracks and covers to go along with her two officially-released singles thus far, “Kiss With A Fist” back in June and “Dog Days Are Over”, out next Tuesday.
But even based on just that limited sample, a couple things are obvious – one, she’s got some serious talent and two, she’s seriously batshit crazy. To the former point, her voice has both weight and power, equal parts aggressive and plaintive and capable of handling styles ranging from folk to theatre, blues to rock, whatever. To the latter point, most everything about her comes across as eccentric at least, and not just for her spontaneous fountain-jumping ways. Her songwriting showcases a girl who could generously (but affectionately) be described as “loopy”, a trait backed up by her videos. “Kiss” is a raw kitchen-sink stomp with gleefully violent lyrics that sound like they’ve come from the diary of a girl you should be afraid to meet (and yet still do) while “Dog Days” is a strummy, Summer-y bit of folk that builds into a technicolour soul-pop explosion. With those as reference points, there’s really no way to judge what her debut album will bring when its released in May 2009 of next year, but you can be damn sure it’ll be interesting.
The Guardian has an extensive profile on Florence.
MP3: Florence & The Machine – “Kiss With A Fist”
MP3: Florence & The Machine – “Postcards From Italy” (Beirut cover)
MP3: Florence & The Machine – “Girl With 1 Eye” (Live at London Calling)
MP3: Florence & The Machine – “Hospital Beds” (Cold War Kids Cover, live)
Video: Florence & The Machine – “Kiss With A Fist”
Video: Florence & The Machine – “Dog Days Are Over”
NME reports that Blur – including Graham – will be getting together in the new year to rehearse and, as Damon Albarn puts it, “see if we’re into it”. Can you say “Coachella”? No? How about, “bagloads of money”? I knew you could.
The Quietus talks to Bloc Party’s Gordon Moakes about the joys of new fatherhood.
Frightened Rabbit are keeping a tour diary for Drowned In Sound. They’ve also gone to the trouble of making a video for their contribution to the second Guilt By Association covers compilation due out on February 17, a cover of ’90s UK dance outfit N-Trance.
Video: Frightened Rabbit – “Set You Free”
Spin has posted a portion of their interview with Elvis Costello from this month’s issue. His new talk show Spectacle begins airing on December 3.
Chart interviews Nick Cave.
Yeah they were just here, and they were just here before that, but M83 are coming back again – this time on January 23 at the Air Canada Centre, opening for The Killers. Yeah. The sound you hear are hordes of M83 fans not rushing to get tickets. There’s also a new remix of M83’s “We Own The Sky” by Maps available to download.
MP3: M83 – “We Own The Sky” (Maps mix)
Portishead have made a new video from Third.
Video: Portishead – “Magic Doors”
The Scotsman salutes Rough Trade Records on the occasion of their 30th anniversary.
Tuesday, November 25th, 2008
Parts & Labor, Ten Kens, Peter Project and Radius & Helena at Sneaky Dee's in Toronto
Frank YangI’m not even kidding when I say that a typical Friday night for me usually wraps up sound asleep before midnight. Rock’n’roll lifestyle indeed. But I had been quite looking forward to seeing Brooklyn’s Parts & Labor, what with their latest album Receivers growing on me more with each listen, so instead of being properly crashed out from the week that was last Friday, I was at Sneaky Dee’s taking in a full lineup of local acts before the headliner.
Kicking things off were Radius & Helena, who just released their debut Precious Metals. Their angular, art-rock was in the vein of Sonic Youth or late-era Radiohead, though without the genius of either act. I don’t mean this as a slight – you can be plenty smart without being a genius – but R&H could stand to hone the pop side of their equation. After all, their stylistic forebears are as highly regarded as they are because they were able to take their inventiveness and restlessness and still make it (mostly) wholly listenable. Radius & Helena mostly were, as well, but there were a few points where something especially interesting caught my ear and hinted that there were better things yet to come.
Gears couldn’t have shifted more than they did when Peter Project took the stage next. The one-man act set up behind a bank of television monitors displaying the performance and old TV shows, and armed with a turntable and sampling pad, proceeded to craft a set of jazzy, ’60s-retro hip-hop grooves. Mostly instrumental save for a couple of guest raps (pre-recorded), it was unexpected and really enjoyable, like a nice respite of lounging in a sea of loud rock.
Rock which returned with Ten Kens, whom I’ve been curious about since hearing they’d signed to Fat Cat and were thus labelmates with the likes of The Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit. And now, having seen and heard them, all I can say is that the label has much better talent scouts in Scotland than they do in Canada. Recalling ’90s post-grunge alt-rock when heavy guitars and angsty vocals were enough to build a career, they failed to deliver anything remotely engaging. They did apologize at the end of their set for some undetermined technical difficulties, so maybe their self-titled debut is more interesting, but I’ve no real interest in finding that out.
And finally, after long last and on the wrong side of 1AM, came Parts & Labor. And while they played one of the shortest sets of the night – maybe 35 minutes, tops – it was worth the wait. First, I’d like to go back to my review of Receivers and apologize to current drummer Joe Wong for suggesting that he wasn’t fully able to step into the shoes of departed drummer Christopher Weingarten. Wong’s live work was simply devastating. Pulverizing, precise and loud as fuck. It was great. And over top the din, his bandmates managed to recreate the dense sonics of Receivers and its predecessor Mapmaker, maintaining their frantic energy yet with most every detail and melody coming across loud and clear. Intense and awesome, and invigorating enough to get me back home, where I proceeded to sleep for the next nine and a half hours. Yessir.
The New Haven Register talks to Parts & Labor’s B.J. Warshaw about the bands shift towards the melodic over the last couple records.
Photos: Parts & Labor, Ten Kens, Peter Project, Radius & Helena @ Sneaky Dee’s – November 21, 2008
MP3: Parts & Labor – “Nowhere’s Nigh”
MP3: Parts & Labor – “Fractured Skies”
MP3: Parts & Labor – “A Great Divide”
MP3: Ten Kens – “Bearfight”
MP3: Peter Project – “Repetitive Stress Injury”
MP3: Radius & Helena – “What Gets In The Way Of Love”
MP3: Radius & Helena – “Commodore”
MP3: Radius & Helena – “The Thin Man”
Video: Parts & Labor – “The Gold We’re Digging”
Video: Ten Kens – “Bearfight”
Video: Ten Kens – “Y’all Come Back Now”
Video: Radius & Helena – “Commodore”
MySpace: Parts & Labor
MySpace: Ten Kens
MySpace: Radius & Helena
Billboard gets updates from Adam Schlesinger on the statuses of Fountains Of Wayne and Ivy, both of whom are in the midst of assembling new albums.
The Australian profiles Fleet Foxes.
Chart interviews Will Sheff of Okkervil River.
Jonathan Meiburg discusses leaving Okkervil for Shearwater with The Argus.
Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner rides a Black Cab, covers Dylan.
Clash Q&As Death Cab For Cutie.
I didn’t really count their gig opening up for Broken Social Scene this Thursday as a proper make-up for the cancelled show at the end of September, so I’m glad to see that Land Of Talk have scheduled a show at the Horseshoe for January 15, tickets $10. Also on the bill, Zeroes and Little Scream.
I missed The Submarines the last time they came to town in May on account of my being in Europe at the time. And while I can’t totally predict what I’ll be doing in three months time, being at the Drake Underground on February 15 to see their return engagement seems like a fairly safe bet. Tickets for that show are $10.50.
MP3: The Submarines – “You, Me And The Bourgeoisie”
Video: The Submarines – “You, Me And The Bourgeoisie”
Aquarium Drunkard has a release date for volume one of Neil Young’s Archives. If the information is accurate and doesn’t change (as it has countless times already), the ten-disc set (DVD or Blu-Ray) will be available on January 27 of next year and run you in the ballpark of $350 or $450, depending on which format you prefer. Yeah. Neil is at the Air Canada Centre next Thursday and Friday, December 4 and 5.
Monday, November 24th, 2008
FacebookI’ve given away a lot of tickets and passes and whatever over the years, but I think these may well be the most Wonka-riffic, sought-after ducats I’ve ever actually had to dispense.
Franz Ferdinand’s December 4 show at Lee’s Palace, one of a handful of club-scale, North American shows the band is playing in advance of the release of Tonight: Franz Ferdinand on January 27, sold out in half a heartbeat. So I imagine that the fact that, courtesy of Sony BMG Canada, I have a pair of tickets to said show to give away, will be of great interest to those who didn’t get lucky in that first 30 seconds or so after the tickets went on sale. So if you want to throw your hat in the ring for these, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want Franz Ferdinand to take me out” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body. Contest closes at midnight, November 27 (Thursday night).
And these are physical tickets… so if you win and even think for one single second about scalping them, I will call down a cosmic-scale karmic tornado to descend upon you and wreak untold miseries. I’ll do it. I swear.
“Ulysses”, the first single from Tonight is streaming at their MySpace. Alex Kapranos talks to ABC Australia, Reuters and Exclaim! about the direction of the new record.
MySpace: Franz Ferdinand
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