Thursday, June 5th, 2008
It’d been almost exactly a month since I’d last attended a proper club show – astonishing, I know – so it’s not surprising that rolling into the El Mocambo on Tuesday night felt a bit unfamiliar. Thankfully, there were some familiar faces on the bill to ease the transition back into the world of live music just a bit.
Brooklyn’s Jealous Girlfriends have become favourites of mine over the last few months, from their Toronto debut last October through their SxSW Hot Freaks appearance and the recent release of their self-titled album, so though I missed their visit in March opening for Nada Surf, I was pleased for the opportunity to see them play again.
The other times I’d seen them play, they’d come across as scorching but on this night, whether deliberately or not, they came across as more of a smoulder. Rather than fill the set with their more immediate, rocking material they kept it rather mid-tempo with a surprising amount of new material and establishing themselves as probably the only band on the planet to cover Think Tank-era Blur. As an established fan, it was nice to hear the new material and “Monkey Brains”, which is on their MySpace in demo form and which was a highlight last year at the Drake, continues to sound better each time out. But as far as winning new fans over – and I’ve seen people slackjawed after their shows – I don’t think this was necessarily them putting their best foot forward.
Conversely, I came to Sea Wolf with considerably lower expectations – I’m partial to their sound but their debut full-length Leaves In The River and past live shows have failed to fully engage me. But sometime between last June and now, they’ve figured out a key ingredient to rectifying that – an ass-kicking drummer. They’ve changed stickmen since last time and the extra volume and energy the new guy brought to the kit made a world of difference, giving Alex James Church’s compositions – finely crafted and orchestrated but rather stiff folk rock – some much-needed swing. The looser and louder Sea Wolf weren’t a revelation but a definite improvement and enough to move them up a good number of rungs in my estimation.
The Jealous Girlfriends are keeping a tour blog for Exclaim! while Vue and Pasta Primavera has an interview with the band.
Photos: Sea Wolf, The Jealous Girlfriends @ The El Mocambo – June 3, 2008
MP3: Sea Wolf – “You’re A Wolf”
MP3: Sea Wolf – “The Garden That You Planted”
MP3: The Jealous Girlfriends – “Roboxulla”
Video: Sea Wolf – “You’re A Wolf”
Video: The Jealous Girlfriends – “How Now”
MySpace: Sea Wolf
Calexico will release their new album Carried To Dust on September 9 – expect them to preview a lot of the new material when they play the Mod Club on July 6. Woodpigeon will support.
Popmatters and The Daily Yomiuri talk Third with Portishead.
VBS visits Lightspeed Champion and Handsome Furs in their rehearsal spaces, video camera in hand. Lightspeed Champion are at Lee’s Palace next Wednesday night – June 11 – and Handsome Furs are there on August 22.
Video: Practice Space – Lightspeed Champion
Video: Practice Space – Handsome Furs
The Line Of Best Fit interviews Bon Iver. He is at Lee’s Palace on July 22.
MSNBC and CNN discuss @#%&! Smilers with Aimee Mann. Thanks to Being There for pointing out yesterday that her August 28 show at the Kool Haus is not a headlining gig, but as support for Squeeze.
eye talks to Death Cab For Cutie and previews their show at Olympic Island this Saturday, while Minnesota Public Radio has the band in their studios for a session which is available to stream or download. The Ottawa Citizen, Hour.ca, The Monreal Gazette, Kansas City Star and Seattle Weekly also talk to various band members about various topics.
Also playing the island Saturday is Rogue Wave, and I Am Fuel You Are Friends directs us to this director’s cut of their new video by Bob Odenkirk.
Video: Rogue Wave – “Chicago x 12”
And also coming out of Minnesota with a radio session are Shearwater, who stopped in at the University of Minnesota’s Radio K to record some tracks from their just-released and Pitchfork 8.0-ed new album Rook. They’ll be at the Horseshoe on June 23.
Beatroute has a sit-down with Okkervil River’s Will Sheff. They release The Stand Ins on September 9 and play the Phoenix on October 12.
My Morning Jacket are streaming the whole of Evil Urges on their MySpace right now, in advance of the record’s release next Tuesday. They play the Kool Haus on June 16.
Stream: My Morning Jacket / Evil Urges
The Globe & Mail, The Province and The Los Angeles Times talk to a Billy Bragg, who’ll be performing at Harbourfront Centre on June 17.
Exclaim! talks to Matt Berninger of The National. They’re at the Molson Amphitheatre this Sunday opening for R.E.M..
Elbow respond to Drowned In Sound readers’ questions.
Reveille discover just how prickly an interviewee Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon can be.
Erase Errata will be at Sneaky Dee’s on July 7.
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008
So I wasn’t in at all last night so no proper post today. Just this, which I whipped together the night before. Be prepared, I always says.
So there’s lots going on this coming weekend – it’s Wednesday, we can talk about the weekend – but if on the off-chance you’ve got no plans as of yet, then I’m here to help. Courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got enough passes to shows to ensure you’ll have something to tell them about at the office come Monday morning. First, this Friday night, there’s the Grand Archives show at the El Mocambo – I wrote up their rather fine self-titled debut on Sunday. Then on Saturday, former Moldy Peach and Juno soundtrack contributor Adam Green brings his new solo record Sixes & Sevens to the Horseshoe and finally, on Sunday night, Belgian electronic artist Styrofoam plays selections from his new record A Thousand Words – out already digitally and out on CD next week – to the El Mocambo.
If some or all of these tickle your fancy – I have two pairs of passes for each show – fire me off an email at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see (insert name of relevant artist)” in the subject line and your full name in the body. And if you actually send me an email with the above subject line verbatim, you will be eliminated from this and all future contests until the sun burns out. The rest of you, get your entries in to me by midnight tonight for Grand Archives, midnight tomorrow for the other two.
The Seattle Times considers Grand Archives in the context of the city’s new, super-soft and rootsy signature sound
MP3: Grand Archives – “Torn Foam Blue Couch”
MP3: Grand Archives – “Miniature Birds”
MP3: Adam Green – “Getting Led”
MP3: Adam Green – “Morning After Midnight”
Video: Adam Green – “Morning After Midnight”
MySpace: Grand Archives
MySpace: Adam Green
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
The resurgence in vinyl sales in the digital age is a popular talking point these days, so when an artist the stature of Elvis Costello announced that he’d be releasing his new album Momofuku on vinyl and vinyl only, tongues were a-wagging. After all, it was one thing to ensure your work was available to those who preferred the analog realm, but entirely another to cater to them exclusively. Eventually it was revealed that the LPs would come with a coupon for a digital download version and that a CD version would then follow – almost certainly the game plan from the beginning – but the analog uber alles-ness of the release would be the main story surrounding the record.
Which is rather unfortunate, because relative to his last few albums which were pushed as “returns to form”, Momofuku comes across a lot more naturally than EC has sounded in a long time. Both When I Was Cruel and The Delivery Man had much to recommend them, but both felt like they were trying a bit too hard – the former to prove that Costello could still rock and the latter with its concept album narrative. Like those two, Momofuku was recorded with The Imposters, who are essentially The Attractions less curmudgeonly bass god Bruce Thomas and plus more amiable bass slinger Davey Farraghar.
Momofuku feels much like a blend of those two records – the sonics recall The Delivery Man‘s rootsiness while the songwriting aspires to the ranginess of Cruel – and yet it’s decidedly more likable than either. There’s no sense that Costello had any agenda beyond making a rock record – nothing to prove, nothing to reclaim – and he puts that freedom to good use. There’s no immediate standouts, but Costello’s days as a singles artist are long behind him. Instead, it maintains a high standard throughout and is welcome both as an excellent record and as proof that Costello can still make excellent records.
But back to the initial debate – analog v digital. Courtesy of Filter, I’ve got three copies of Momofuku on vinyl (double LP!) and three on CD (single digipack!) to give away. If you’d like to win either, leave me a comment with your email spamproofed as necessary explaining why analog is superior to digital or vice-versa. The side you choose is the prize you’re seeking, though I fully expect there’ll be far more analog-heads than digi-freaks and after the vinyls are all given away, I may have to consolation prize out the CDs. Sorry. Anyway, the contest will run a week and close at midnight, June 9 and is open to any resident of North America. For my part, I love much about vinyl – the tangibility, the size, the interactivity, but there’re so many variables in playback – the turntable, the cartridge, the stylus, the setup, the preamp, the weight of the vinyl – that for someone as techie obsessive compulsive as I am, I’d spend more time tweaking than listening. That and the fact that any time I try to play vinyl, my cat attacks my turntable. So I, in fact, prefer a good digital setup (good player, good amp, good speakers). Your turn.
The Arizona Republic makes their choices for the best songs of Elvis Costello’s oeuvre while Zoilus offers some thoughts on top of his review of the record in today’s Globe & Mail.
Stream: Elvis Costello & The Imposters / Momofuku
PopMatters poses 20 questions to Aimee Mann, is relieved to receive 20 answers. Her @#%&! Smilers is out today, you can stream it below, and she’s at the Kool Haus on August 28.
Stream: Aimee Mann / @#%&! Smilers
One to file under “oh man” – I already mentioned that Okkervil River were coming back for a show at the Phoenix on October 12… well I’ve just learned that support for the show (and presumably the tour) will be Crooked Fingers. This is doubly exciting because it implies that there will be a new Crooked Fingers release between now and then. I had been thinking about going out of town Thanksgiving weekend, but I’ll now happily put that off a week or two in order to be around for this show. Tickets will be $15.50 in advance.
Four-part harmony monsters Bodies Of Water have a date at the El Mocambo on August 9, tickets $10.50. Their new album is A Certain Feeling, due out on July 22.
MP3: Bodies Of Water – “Under The Pines”
Fleet Foxes release their self-titled debut album today and are streaming the whole thing on their MySpace. They’re in town on July 16 and judging from the “THE PHOENIX w/ MALKMUS !!!! !!!! !!!!” note on their tour calendar, they’re a wee bit chuffed to be playing with Stephen Malkmus.
Stream: Fleet Foxes / Fleet Foxes
God forbid the boys in Wolf Parade should actually devote their full energies to, well, Wolf Parade with the release of At Mount Zoomer on June 17. Immediately after wrapping up their tour in support of the new record (which hits the Kool Haus on August 9), Dan Boeckner will climb back in the van as the Handsome Furs for another tour and be at Lee’s Palace on August 22.
PopMatters interviews Death Cab For Cutie, who will be at Olympic Island this Saturday.
My Morning Jacket’s Jim James hops in a black cab and plays a song from Evil Urges, out next week.
Reveille talks to Nick Torburn of Islands. And congrats to Jon, Rodney, Steph, Dimitri and Matt who all won copies of their new album Arm’s Way.
Monday, June 2nd, 2008
After much patient waiting, I was more than a bit overjoyed to find this MySpace blog post from Emmy The Great declaring that her debut full-length album was now in the final mixing stages and would be ready for release in September with the deceptively sweet title of First Love – deceptive because love isn’t as popular a lyrical theme for Ms Moss as the pointy bits of the wreckage that tends to follow.
Comparing the tentative track list with my own Emmy compilation that I’ve assembled from singles, compilation tracks and live recordings, I’m quite pleased to see that there’s only going to be three songs on the record that I’ve already heard. I’ve no idea how produced the record is going to be, but I kind of like the idea that some of those great older songs like “Canopies & Grapes” and “Two Steps Forward” (which I’ve attached a live version of below) will only live on in their simpler, scratchier forms as signposts of where the artist was at the time rather than held onto and buffed to a sheen.
Obviously when the non-album track Emmy has promised to post is available for download I’ll be relaying that on to you all, but in the meantime I recommend satiating your Emmy adorable-ness need with subscriptions to her mobile blog and MySpace blog. Hilariousness dost ensue.
MP3: Emmy The Great – “Two Steps Forward” (live)
Kate Nash gives XFM a notion of what to expect from her second album, namely more punk and Motown influences.
Duffy will follow up her show at the Mod Club in March at a venue more in proportion to her current successes – she’s at The Phoenix on August 2, tickets $27.50.
Pitchfork has full details on Okkervil River’s forthcoming The Stand Ins, which rather than an EP-length appendix such as Black Sheep Boy received, will be an album-length companion to The Stage Names. And, of course, the band will be hitting the road to promote the record bringing them back to town for the fourth local show in just over a year when they play the Phoenix on October 12.
The Harbourfront Centre free concert sched is a little clearer now – main points of interest are that Ohbijou will play a matinee set on June 28 at 3:30PM, the Canada Day evening bill will feature on the mainstage Basia Bulat at 8PM and Martha Wainwright at 9:30PM while Plants & Animals are in the Brigantine Room at 6PM. And the following weekend for Beats, Breaks & Culture will have Ladytron and Poni Hoax on the main stage on Friday night and Crystal Castles and Thunderheist for the Saturday night. Woodhands and Tortured Soul will be on the Saturday afternoon bill. Full details at NOW.
Spinner Interfaces with Bob Mould.
The Boston Globe looks back at the ’80s with M83’s Anthony Gonzalez.
The Wall Street Journal discusses @#%&! Smilers, out tomorrow, with Aimee Mann.
Music Snobbery interviews Jaymay, who has been added to the list of performers for Hillside in Guelph the weekend of July 25 through 27, which I hope doesn’t preclude the possibility of a Toronto show.
Amanda Palmer, frontwoman for the Dresden Dolls, will be coming to town August 9 as a solo act for a show at the teeny-tiny Rivoli. The sound you hear are her fans camping out in front of the club right now. Tickets will be $20.
Jenny Lewis collaborators The Watson Twins will release their debut full-length Fire Songs on June 14 and be at Lee’s Palace on July 15th. Tickets are $10 and support will come from Tim Fite.
MP3: Tim Fite – “No Good Here”
MP3: Tim Fite – “Big Mistake”
Wired talks to Film School about being tapped to open up for Swervederiver’s reunion tour. They’re not on the bill next Friday night in Toronto but will be here on their own for a show at Sneaky Dee’s on July 22.
Chart talks to Death Cab For Cutie, headlining the Olympic Island fest this Saturday.
Exclaim! discuses Evil Urges with My Morning Jacket-eer Jim James. It’s out June 10, they’re at the Kool Haus June 16.
And if anyone’s interested, the last of my photos from London are now up on Flickr.
Sunday, June 1st, 2008
 |
Grand Archives / Grand Archives (SubPop)
No band better encapsulates the house sound for SubPop circa 2008 than Grand Archives. Fronted by Mat Brooke, formerly of Band Of Horses, the Seattle-ites start with a base built on the same recipe as band’s keening, reverb-soaked country rock and stirs in both the Fleet Foxes’ ’70s folk-rock affects and the Shins’ pop sense and leave it to simmer until good and tender. The finished goods may come off a bit more anonymously than than the individual reference points but that doesn’t make it any less satisfying for those with a taste for widescreen musical ambitions. Anyone who questioned Brooke’s decision to leave Band Of Horses on the cusp of their breakthrough to strike out on his own should be silenced after hearing this record.
Daytrotter posted a session with the band last week and they’re playing the El Mocambo on Friday, June 6.
MP3: Grand Archives – “Torn Foam Blue Couch”
MP3: Grand Archives – “Miniature Birds”
MySpace: Grand Archives |
 |
Sea Wolf / Leaves In The River (Dangerbird)
Alex Brown Church doesn’t sound like a happy guy. Across ten tracks of Sea Wolf’s debut full-length, his rich voice ranges from melancholic to stoic overtop tastefully orchestrated arrangements – overemoting is not a concern for him. The record is sonically beautiful, with an old-world, distant gathering storm at night feel that, at the risk of taking the band and album names too literally, comes with a definite nautical theme both lyrically and musically. There’s much to like about Sea Wolf but as I noted when I saw them live a year ago, there’s an emotional distance inherent in their craft that makes them difficult to love. Maybe they just need to smile a bit.
Chart talks literary influence with Church. Sea Wolf are at the El Mocambo on Tuesday, June 3.
MP3: Sea Wolf – “You’re A Wolf”
Video: Sea Wolf – “You’re A Wolf”
MySpace: Sea Wolf |
No Comments
facebook
![[Valid RSS]](http://www.chromewaves.net/images/interface/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed"){kind=small}