Monday, October 27th, 2008
The Brother Kite at Lit, New York City – CMJ
Frank YangNormally I try to cover stuff chronologically, but in summing up my time in New York City this past weekend, I’m going to jump around a little bit for the sake of grouping things together. And so I’ll start off at the end of Thursday night in the basement of a little club called Lit in the East Village.
Providence’s The Brother Kite would be well within their rights to ask me to stop coming to their gigs. In each of the three times I’ve now seen them play, their set was… marred by circumstances beyond anyone’s control. The first, last year at my Pop Montreal showcase, was a bit of a mess on too many levels to get into. The second at this year’s SxSW was significantly better but with singer Patrick Boutwell dealing with a cold, they still weren’t in top form. And this past Thursday night, at their CMJ showcase, their supposed headlining slot at the showcase for their label Clairecords appeared at real risk of being cut down to nothing because of every preceding act running long. It’s not my fault, I swear.
They were eventually given a truncated but still decent-length set with which they showcased both new material from the can’t-come-soon-enough follow-up to Waiting For The Time To Be Right alongside highlights from that utter gem of a record (one-liner for those who haven’t heard it – Ride crossed with The Beach Boys, but better). The new stuff sounded good – similar enough to the old in the ways that matter but also exploring enough new ground to not be a retread – but I still loved hearing the Time songs the most. And considering they were playing once again in less than optimal conditions – they hardly got any soundcheck despite having a decidedly complex equipment setup – they once again delivered a superb performance. I can’t imagine how good they’d sound if they were playing under optimal conditions. Though this is a band that gives new meaning to the phrase “flying under the radar”, it’s certainly not for lack of ability – their songwriting and performance both live and on record are sublime.
The band have been documenting the recording of the new record over at their MySpace blog.
Photos: The Brother Kite @ Lit, New York City – October 23, 2008
MP3: The Brother Kite – “Get On, Me”
MP3: The Brother Kite – “I’m Not The Only One”
Video: The Brother Kite – “I’m Not The Only One”
MySpace: The Brother Kite
Yuki Chikudate of Asobi Seksu tells The Georgia Straight she doesn’t buy into the idea of an ongoing shoegaze revival. Their new album Hush will surely do nothing to propagate that idea when it’s released in February.
The Montreal Gazette, JAM and BlogTO converse with Murray Lightburn of The Dears. While over at This Is Fake DIY, the band’s other/better half Natalia Yanchak ponders the meaning(lessness) of labels.
R.E.M. have a new video.
Video: R.E.M. – “Until The Day Is Done”
Sweden’s Love Is All, on the cusp of releasing A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night on November 11, have padded out their tour dates and will now be hitting the Horseshoe on December 11, tickets $11.50.
MP3: Love Is All – “Wishing Well”
Video: Love Is All – “Wishing Well”
Sunday, October 26th, 2008
Frank YangSo how was your weekend? Good? Do anything interesting? Oh yeah, do tell. These are some of the things I did this weekend.
Walked a lot. Saw two of my favourite new acts from the UK twice each. Visited Matador Records HQ. Ate at Shake Shack. Got my money’s worth from my 7-day MTA pass though I was only there for three days. Was in New Jersey (briefly, twice). Walked even more. Learned by standing outside the NYSE that the collapse of the global economy isn’t a spectator sport. Went to Times Square, decided I don’t like Times Square. Stayed in a hilariously tiny but totally vibey (and cheap!) hotel. Went to both Adorama and B&H yet bought nothing. Hung out a lot in Greenwich Village, East Village and Lower East Side. Napped. Walked even more. Discovered that New York City clubs – at least most of the ones I went to – have the absolute worst lighting in existence. And I’ve been to some badly lit clubs. Caught up some old friends, met some new people. And basically had a great time just taking in New York City. Or at least a few new corners of it.
Anyways, I’m now back to real life – the bus from the airport to downtown has wifi! How modern! – and will be writing up the shows I saw over the next few days. But in the meantime, you can see my photos from the weekend over at my Flickr.
Thursday, October 23rd, 2008
The Spinto Band and Frightened Rabbit in Toronto
Frank YangSo hands up whoever had “50%” in the “How many people are going to take off after Frightened Rabbit’s set?” pool. Congratulation, you win some taffy (note: you do not actually win taffy). I had guessed that about that percentage of the couple hundred who showed up at Lee’s Palace on Tuesday night were there to see the highly-regarded Scottish outfit make their Toronto debut, and I was about right. This is not to take away from the other two acts on the bill – both headliners The Spinto Band and locals Spiral Beach put on good shows and were certainly well-matched stylistically, but if someone was there for the angsty anthems of the middle act, then the other two might not have been up their alley.
Now most local bands added to a touring bill would likely just show up, do their thing and leave, but full points to Spiral Beach for making the most of the opportunity, dressing up the stage in an elaborate setup of lights, signs and pylons to accompany their half hour set. They also brought their own fans, who turned the dance floor of Lee’s Palace into, well, a dance floor. I hadn’t seen Spiral Beach for at least a couple years, since they were a very green outfit, and it was immediately obvious that what unrealized potential I’d seen in them back then as they tried to meld New Wave and surf rock was now very much being realized. Like an un-kitschy but still tremendously fun B-52s, they were unceasingly energetic onstage in the way that young people are. I’m now exponentially more interested in this band than I was before.
I’d caught an approximately 15-minute set from Frightened Rabbit at SxSW back in March but even in such a short time, they – and their album The Midnight Organ Fight – made an immense impression. Similarly, though they were the ones most were there to see, they had only an opener’s set length in which to satiate the fans who’d been waiting a long time for them to visit. To this end, the barreled through their set – comprised mainly of Organ Fight but with a few nods back to Sing The Greys by request. Frontman Scott Hutchison’s cheerful demenaour was a decided contrast to the downcast nature of his lyrics, particularly as delivered in his thick Scottish burr, and though the band’s songs seem like fairly straightforward rocked-up folk, seeing the range of instruments and arrangements needed to recreate them faithfully – how many four-pieces do you see with three of them wielding Telecasters? – you come to appreciate how sophisticated they are underneath. To say nothing of simply being great songs. Next time back, Frightened Rabbit had best be headlining their own show. If not for the fans’ sake, then for the sake of the band who’d be unfortunate enough to have to play after them.
And this time out, said band was The Spinto Band, on tour in support of their new record Moonwink. But if the Delaware six-piece were at all perturbed at all the extra elbow room for those who stuck around, they didn’t let it show. Or they loved it. It’s hard to tell, they were simply so gleeful on stage. And that’s good because their technicolour pop songs demand glee and the Spinto Band played and danced like deliverymen of sonic candy floss overdosed on their own product. Their most impressive moment was when singer/guitarist Nick Krill broke a string on his guitar and proceeded to unwrap the mic from the stand, carry it over to the spare guitar, swap guitars and re-mount the mic all without missing a note. That was slick. And while I was definitely there to see Frightened Rabbit, I wasn’t sorry I stuck around.
Laundromatinee has a session with the Spinto Band.
Photos: Spinto Band, Frightened Rabbit, Spiral Beach @ Lee’s Palace – October 21, 2008
MP3: Spinto Band – “Summer Grof”
MP3: Frightened Rabbit – “Head Rolls Off”
MP3: Frightened Rabbit – “The Modern Leper”
MP3: Spiral Beach – “Made Of Stone”
Video: Frightened Rabbit – “Heads Roll Off”
Video: Spiral Beach – “Made Of Stone”
Video: Spiral Beach – “Kind Of Beast”
MySpace: The Spinto Band
MySpace: Spiral Beach
Crawdaddy and Cord Weekly talk to Sloan.
Wired and Buzzbands talk to the principals of Magnetic Morning. They’re at the Horseshoe tonight.
The Verve have a new video.
Video: The Verve – “Rather Be”
Blurt interviews Lucinda Williams.
Paste and NOW feature Of Montreal. They’re at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre next Tuesday night.
So thanks to some serious pathos on my part and some serious excellence on the Apple Store’s part, my laptop got fixed yesterday (dead logic board) in under four hours turnaround. That is absolutely amazing. Which means that my laptop is alive and coming with me to New York. Which means pretty much nothing to you, but certainly makes things more enjoyable for me.
Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008
CONTEST – Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings @ The Guvernment
MySpaceSo it’s for reasons entirely unclear to me that the promo copy of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings’ 2007 record 100 Days, 100 Nights sat on my shelf for… well, it’s probably coming up on a year since it was released, so probably that long. I mean, I’d seen the glowing reviews and read more than a few magazine features about Jones and her long road to fame, so it’s not like I’d never heard of her. And though you may not be able to tell from a lot of my listening habits, I do like old-school soul – and Jones is soul of the oldest school.
But better late than never, right? I’m finally spinning it and am digging it, but don’t have a review to offer up right now – besides the fact that I’ve not been living with it that long, I don’t have the depth of knowledge about soul and rhythm & blues to offer anything of substance, besides, well, I like it. But what I do have to offer, courtesy of rootmeansquare, is a couple pairs of passes to their upcoming show at the Guvernment (moved from the Kool Haus) next Wednesday night, October 29. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Sharon Jones” in the subject line and your full name in the body and do so before midnight, October 26. And by all accounts they put on an amazing live show, so if you’re not already going… hit this up.
MP3: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – “100 Days 100 Nights”
Video: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – “100 Days 100 Nights”
Video: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – “Tell Me”
Hey Feist has a new video. It has marionettes. She visits Massey Hall on November 1 and the Air Canada Centre on November 3.
Video: Feist – “Honey, Honey”
Also with a new video is Neil Halstead – he’s got a show at the Drake Underground on November 8 and note that it’s an early show – doors at 8, performance at 9:30.
Video: Neil Halstead – “Paint A Face”
Laundromatinee – a new site featuring downloadable sessions along with videos, interviews and photos, has all of the above with Bon Iver and unfortunately, his just-announced December tour does not include a Toronto stop.
Event Guide talks to Aimee Mann.
Bloc Party drummer Matt Tong tells Billboard how the physical edition of Intimacy will differ from the one offered for download back in August.
Austin instrumental band The Octopus Project will be at the Drake Underground on October 28. Update: I’ve just been informed this show isn’t at The Drake. And no one knows where it is. So… yeah.
MP3: The Octopus Project – “I Saw The Bright Shinies”
My Macbook Pro screen has died. Everything else works, but the screen won’t turn on. I am on a plane tomorrow morning. This is very bad. Quite possibly no updating for the next few days… FUCK.
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008
Illustration by Jason MunnOnline retailer Insound is running a little campaign called Insound 20 wherein they’ve commissioned artist Jason Munn of The Small Stakes to create designs for 20 different bands for use on a range of super limited-edition merch including hoodies, t-shirts and posters.
To help mark the series I’ve got one of the 200 silkscreened prints available to give away – the lovely wheat-themed one for Okkervil River. If you’d like to win it – and really, who wouldn’t? – head over to Insound and do so. The contest will be open for one week starting from today, meaning that it closes as of next Monday, October 27. I’ll announce the winner here the next day.
And if you’re looking to score or even just check out the other posters in the series, head over these other fine sites:
Paste Magazine
You Ain’t No Picasso
Design Milk
Gorilla Vs Bear
Josh Spear
Pretty Much Amazing
I Guess I’m Floating
Stories In High Fidelity
Said The Gramophone
I Am Fuel, You Are Friends
The Music Slut
OMG! Posters
Le Blogotheque
The Yellow Stereo
Stickers And Donuts
Grain Edit
Music Is art
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted
…and Insound will have the last one.
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