Thursday, February 14th, 2008
Photo by Pavlina Honcova-Summers
The Helio Sequence are a Portland-based duo who seek to answer the age-old question, “what happens if you try to cross laptop-based electro-pop with Dylan-esque folkestry and big, Anglo-arena rock moves?” Based on their new record
Keep Your Eyes Ahead, the answer is “Tim Booth fronting Kitchens Of Distinction“.
Eyes couples soaring, anthemic vocals in the vein of the shaggy James frontman with the swirling, sonic grandeur of the underappreciated London dreampop band and wraps it in a sonic sheen that recalls 1980s-era notions of what the future might sound like. In its quieter moments, it steps out of that glistening metropolis and camps out in the woods around a bonfire, acoustic guitar in hand but Magnetic Fields in the heart. On paper, the folk songs shouldn’t hang with the electro-rockers as well as they do but while the shift in aesthetics do seem a bit odd, they never seem wrong – Eyes is a remarkably cohesive record.
The band is kicking off a Western tour later this month taking them through SxSW and will then head over to Europe. Perhaps the eastern half of the continent will be tended to in the Summer. Aversion, Glide, MP3.com and Oregon Live all have interviews with the band.
MP3: The Helio Sequence – “Keep Your Eyes Ahead”
MySpace: The Helio Sequence
Another outfit that endeavour to make their laptops rock (or pop, as the case may be) is Mobius Band, who are celebrating Valentine’s Day by giving all of you a free downloadable EP of cover songs entitled Love Will Reign Supreme wherein they tackle the likes of Neil Young, The National and Daft Punk. I don’t know if The National was ever meant to sound that… happy… but still better than a box of bon-bons, n’est-ce pas? Grab it here.
MP3: Mobius Band – “Baby, We’ll Be Fine” (National cover)
Wireless Bollinger and The Boston Herald talk to The Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt.
The Long Blondes talk to This Is Fake DIY and Gigwise about Couples, due April 8. They’re at Lee’s Palace on May 22.
The Northern Light interviews Peter Hughes of The Mountain Goats while The Anchorage Daily News and Village Voice chat with John Darnielle. Heretic Pride is out next Tuesday.
Pitchfork talks to Mark Linkous about his current projects and life as a card-carrying indie rocker now that Sparklehorse has been released from their deal with Astralwerks.
Good news from defunct bands – the emergence of LightFromADeadStar.org, a fansite for Lush replete with photos, press clippings and other modes of tribute, means I no longer have to link to their Wikipedia page whenever I namecheck them in a post. Via Largehearted Boy.
And also tidying up their corner of the internet – Final Fantasy has redone his site, though that doesn’t necessarily mean the release of Heartland is any closer. Just that it was time for a fresh coat of paint (via Torontoist). Drowned In Sound caught up with Owen Pallett to inquire about topics such as his European festival, Arctic Monkeying and dancehall alter-ego.
The Cure will release their as yet-untitled next album – have they said this will be their last yet? Or is that game old? – on May 6, giving you ample time before their May 15 show at the Air Canada Centre to decide that no, it’s not as good as Disintegration. Or even Wish. But better than Wild Mood Swings.
I just bought a ticket to see Richard Hawley at the Royal Albert Hall in London. I guess that’s one night’s activities taken care of.
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008
It’s still unclear to me if all three members of The Rural Alberta Advantage are ex-pats from the Princess Province (that’s the nickname, really) or just songwriter Nils Edenloff but whichever it is, they’ve all embraced his upbringing and experiences which inform every nook and cranny of their debut full-length, Hometowns.
Edenloff’s lyrics are rich with tales of Alberta both from the personal perspective of his upbringing in the northern region of the province and his wistful reminiscences of such from his new home in Toronto and from a more historical one with tales of its history such as the rockslide that buried the town in “Frank, AB” and frequently intertwining the two. The personalized historical travelogue is a concept that’s been used to great effect by Sufjan Stevens but the similarities end on paper – where Stevens’ projects are lushly orchestrated and more than a little precious, The RAA favours an aesthetic that’s spare, dry and a little brash. If you were to remix the record and pull every track besides Edenloff’s plaintive, Jeff Mangum-esque vocals and crashing acoustic guitar, it wouldn’t sound miles away from the finished product.
But those miles – or the few inches travel for the faders on the mixing board – are a crucial distance for within them lies the real magic of the record. Most songs are built around Edenloff but the contributions of his bandmates – drummer Paul Banwatt and vocalist/keyboardist Amy Cole – can’t be understated. Banwatt’s drumming brings just the right amount of energy, forcing the songs out of the folky vein they might otherwise settle into without overpowering them (though letting the folk in where appropriate) and Cole’s sweet harmonies are the ideal counterpoint to Edenloff’s rough edges. Add in the extra instrumental touches – the bright flourish of a trumpet, the low swell of a cello, the sleepy whirr of a combo organ – perfectly placed like colourful landmarks out the window of a long road trip, the sort you only see for a few seconds in passing but leave an indelible impression in your memory, and you’ve got an album that’s simple and simply wonderful.
Hometowns is still seeking distribution so there’s no precise release date at the moment but the band are setting out on a east coast tour starting tomorrow in my own hometown of Waterloo, Ontario and bringing a little bit of the prairies to the Maritimes over the next week and a bit. Their next Toronto show isn’t until March 27 at the Drake as part of this year’s Pitter Patter Festival. I Heart Music also gushed about the record this week, and has a copy to give away.
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”
MySpace: The Rural Alberta Advantage
This week marks the tenth anniversary of one of the landmark records of indie rock, even to those who’d deny that there was such a thing as indie rock – Neutral Milk Hotel’s In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. Deaf Indie Elephants has compiled a list of ten ways to celebrate the even and Pitchfork has rounded up two period interviews with Jeff Mangum for your reading pleasure.
Wireless Bollinger has an interview with Beach House. The release Devotion on February 26 and play the El Mocambo on March 28. They’ve also got a new video.
Video: Beach House – “You Came To Me”
Tokyo Police Club’s Elephant Shell has been given an April 22 release date while the new, self-titled from The Jealous Girlfriends will arrive in stores May 6.
AllMusic and Chart talk to Nicole Atkins, in town on Sunday night at Lee’s Palace. Congratulations to Andrew, Matt, Stephen and Jason, who all won various prizes in my contest from earlier this week.
Coming to Lee’s Palace April 14 – Man Man and Yeasayer. Man Man’s new album Rabbit Habits is out April 8 and this is what it sounds like.
MP3: Man Man – “Top Drawer”
Peter Moren – of Peter Bjorn & John fame – brings his solo thing to the Mod Club on April 24.
Billboard comes bearing news of a new set of Replacements reissues covering the band’s Twin-Tone releases. Now I know that my copy of Let It Be was itself a remastered reissue circa 2002 but I guess these new ones will again be remastered and all come with bonus materials. Look for them on April 22 and for another set, covering the Sire years, later in 2008. Maybe the remaster of Don’t Tell A Soul can scrape some of that horrid ’80s sheen from an otherwise underrated record.
Behold the first video from R.E.M.’s Accelerate, out April 1. You know, I really rather like this song and am optimistic about the record. The last time that happened was… um… 1996? Egads. R.E.M. are at the Molson Amphitheatre on June 8.
Video: R.E.M. – “Supernatural Superserious”
Also with a shiny new video – The New Pornographers, now with 200% more psychedelic animated Bejar. They’re at the Phoenix on April 9.
Video: The New Pornographers – “Myriad Harbour”
That “Toronto: Rock City” story in Spin which I mentioned (and gave the wrong page reference to) a few days ago is now on their website in regular HTML form, not just their fancy-schmancy digital magazine.
The writers strike is over! Finally. Now get back to writing my stories. I’m getting bored.
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008
So today is the day that British Sea Power asks North Americans, Do You Like Rock Music?. I offered up my thoughts on the record last month when the record was released in the UK so I won’t rehash that, sufficed to say I still love the album. Instead, I’ll point out that they’ve marked the occasion by announcing the second string of North American tour dates, covering the midwest to the east coast and wrapping up in in our neighbourhood, the penultimate date coming May 16 at Lee’s Palace with support from The Rosebuds.
This, of course, does me no good since I’m landing in Dublin early that morning, but it should be a riotous show for those of you able to attend. I will have to make do with trying to see them at Noise Pop and/or SxSW and hope that they bring the tour machine back for a second go-around in the Fall, perhaps.
The creepy puppet footage from their performance on Later… With Jools Holland which I tried to link a few days ago is now back up but far more interesting are the actual performances from the show, linked below, and the interview portion of the programme. You think it’s too much to hope that they’ll tour with the Cumbrian wrestlers?
And if you’re still uncertain as to your position on rock music, you can stream the album in its entirety at Spinner, but I’ll save you some trouble. The answer is “yes”. Four out of five critics agree, though Pitchfork (aka the fifth dentist) thinks they’re being clever again.
Stream: British Sea Power / Do You Like Rock Music?
Video: British Sea Power – “Waving Flags” (live on Jools Holland)
Video: British Sea Power – “No Lucifer” (live on Jools Holland)
Video: British Sea Power – “Canvey Island” (live on Jools Holland)
Also doing the stream thing this week, The Raveonettes’ new one Lust Lust Lust and Heretic Pride from The Mountain Goats’. Both are out next Tuesday and the Raveonettes play the Opera House on March 21.
Stream: The Mountain Goats / Heretic Pride
Stream: The Raveonettes / Lust Lust Lust
Dev Hynes of Lightspeed Champion gives Neu! a track-by-track walkthrough of Falling Off The Lavender Bridge. He’s at the Horseshoe for a free show March 4.
Rabble talks to Destroyer man Dan Bejar about various sundry topics, including his aversion to making music videos and his neighbourhood in Vancouver. Trouble In Dreams is out March 18 and he stops in at Lee’s Palace a month later on April 19.
I Heart Music has ripped and MP3-ified Basia Bulat’s session for CBC Radio 3 recorded at an in-store at Criminal Records here in Toronto last December. She’s got a show at Lee’s Palace on March 29.
The Independent talked to Feist prior to her 1-2-3-0-for-4 night at the Grammies on Sunday. It’s okay Leslie, you have much better hair than Amy Winehouse.
Dean & Britta stop in for a session at Minnesota Public Radio.
Matador has been working on definitively reissuing the whole of Mission Of Burma’s back catalog and will release the results of said efforts on March 18 in the form of the three volume set Mission Of Burma: The Definitive Editions I, II and III (all available individually). They’re so pleased with the remastering that they’re offering a couple of samples in both a 256kbps MP3 and uncompressed WAV form. I’ve linked the MP3s below – for the WAVs and full details in what comes in each of the MoB releases, hit the Matablog.
MP3: Mission Of Burma – “Max Ernst”
MP3: Mission Of Burma – “Weatherbox” (live)
This Is Fake DIY interviews Asobi Seksu.
Monday, February 11th, 2008
The co-headline tour must be a tricky proposition. The “co-” implies that the acts are of an equal stature and that one should take no higher billing than the other, but pragmatically when it comes to showtime, someone opens and someone closes. When the Keren Ann/Dean and Britta tour was initially announced, it was Ms Zeidel who appeared to be getting the nod as far as getting to pick songs for an encore but as Saturday night’s date at the Mod Club drew near, listings appeared to flip the order and give Mr and Mrs Luna the top billing, possibly causing issues for people planning out their evening. For me, it was academic. Though I thought it a bit of an odd pairing, it worked for me and I was there well early enough to catch the whole show, whatever the order.
As it happened, Keren Ann took the stage first. I’d lost track of her since seeing her in 2006 2005 in support of her English-language debut (and third album overall) Not Going Anywhere, a beguilingly low-key blend of folk and jazz with some dashes of rock thrown in for flavour that I don’t listen to nearly as much as it deserves. In the interim, she’s released two more albums – 2004’s Nolita and last year’s self-title – and, based on Saturday’s set, discovered her inner rocker. Fear not – her inner rocker looks and awful lot like her inner folkie, just wielding a big, hollowbody electric guitar for a few numbers that rather suited her. Also very complimentary was her band, consisting of an electric guitarist/bassist and drummer that was a far cry from the two-piece acoustic/keyboard configuration I saw her with last time. That extra musical oomph, coupled with her beautifully breathy voice, turned what I had expected to be a pleasant performance into a rather stunning one. If this is the direction she’s taken her recordings in, then I have some catching up to do.
The last time Dean & Britta came to Toronto in March 2007 was also the first time and for myself and presumably other Toronto Luna fans, a real occasion. For part of the reason for Luna’s dissolution was Dean Wareham’s weariness of life on the road so I never really expected any proper touring to occur, let alone make it up here. There was also the question of how much of Wareham’s musical legacy would be acknowledged and if it was, how would it sound without Sean Eden and Lee Wall? The answer to these questions was “lots” and “just fine” and with that show, the spectre of Luna (and to a lesser extent Galaxie 500) was essentially exorcised (lovingly so) and Dean and Britta were free to be Dean & Britta.
My thoughts previously about it being an odd pairing with Keren Ann proved completely off base as D&B’s languorous, Euro-flavoured retro pop exists very much in the same dimension as Keren Ann’s in a way that Luna’s guitar-centric rock never did. Welcome to the present, I guess. So while the show opened with a shot of G500’s “Snowstorm” and Luna’s “Moon Palace” made an appearance three songs in, the bulk of the set didn’t make the same efforts to straddle all of Wareham’s career and the delivery was pure Dean & Britta. Appropriately, there were far fewer guitar solos than last time and the songs and set were much more compact, though that may have been due more to the looming curfew than any aesthetic choice. Wareham also took more lead vocals than last time and handled the bulk of the banter, picking out familiar faces in the crowd, commenting on films (he didn’t like Juno). plugging his forthcoming book (Black Postcards: A Rock & Roll Romance – out March 13!) and generally seeming more at ease than I can recall ever seeing him. A fine show and if the vibe eleven months ago was that of the return of the long-lost prodigal son, this show felt more like an old friend stopping by for a visit. Can’t wait for next time.
The Westender talks to Wareham about his band, his book and film scores while The Weekly Dig features Keren Ann. And while Zoilus was a bit of a victim of the shifting lineup/set-times, he came for the Keren Ann but stayed for the D&B.
Photos: Dean & Britta, Keren Ann @ The Mod Club – February 9, 2008
MP3: Dean & Britta – “Words You Used To Say”
MP3: Dean & Britta – “Singer Sing”
MP3: Keren Ann – “Not Going Anywhere”
Video: Dean & Britta – “Words You Used To Say”
Video: Dean & Britta – “Night Nurse”
Video: Dean & Britta – “Knives From Bavaria”
Video: Keren Ann – “Lay Your Head Down”
Video: Keren Ann – “Chelsea Burns”
Video: Keren Ann – “Not Going Anywhere”
MySpace: Dean & Britta
MySpace: Keren Ann
Cutesiness abounds as Uberdrivel interviews Los Campesinos! (Hold On Now, Youngster… out April 1) and Music Snobbery chats with Tilly & The Wall (untitled third album due June 3).
Stephin Merritt talks to The Boston Globe about The Magnetic Fields’ Distortion.
The Age discusses White Chalk with PJ Harvey.
PopMatters asks Robyn Hitchcock 20 questions. Robyn Hitchcock gives PopMatters 20 answers.
Sunday, February 10th, 2008
Hey guys, I’ve got this new artist I want to tell you all about named Nicole Atkins. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned her before, but she’s really great. You should check her out.
Ahem.
So after a string of visits to Toronto last year in a support capacity, Nicole Atkins & The Sea return next Sunday night, February 17, for a headlining show at Lee’s Palace and courtesy of Sony/BMG Canada, I’ve got stuff to give away. First off, a pair of tickets to Sunday night’s show, second off, two copies of Neptune City on just-released vinyl and two copies of Neptune City on CD and I’m parceling things out as follows: a grand prize consisting of the tickets and a copy of Neptune City on CD, two prizes of the album on vinyl and one prize of the album on CD. The grand prize, naturally, is limited to Toronto-area folks, but if you want the album only, anyone in Canada can play.
To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with either “I like Nicole Atkins live”, “I like Nicole Atkins analog” or “I like Nicole Atkins digital” in the subject line (indicating a bid for the grand prize, LPs or CD respectively) and your full mailing address in the body. The contest will close at midnight, Tuesday night (February 12).
And if you’ve got an hour to kill, check out this video session/interview Nicole did with Google. The conference hall atmosphere is a little weird/sterile but the interview is fun as she recounts the number of jobs she was fired from while getting started as a musician and the performances are, of course, terrific.
MP3: Nicole Atkins & The Sea – “Party’s Over”
MP3: Nicole Atkins – “Bleeding Diamonds”
MP3: Nicole Atkins – “Carouselle”
Video: Nicole Atkins & The Sea – “The Way It Is”
Video: Nicole Atkins – “Neptune City”
MySpace: Nicole Atkins
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