Friday, September 14th, 2007
Though my body’s in Texas for ACL, my mind is currently about two weeks from now in Montreal, at this year’s Pop Montreal festival, taking place October 3 through 7. I attended last year and had a terrific time and expect the same this year, but this time I’ve got an extra stake – I’m curating a showcase.
It’s part of a series of shows in conjunction with the good people at Said The Gramophone and I Heart Music we’re calling The Bleating Heart Shows and my installment is happening on October 4 at the Green Room le Gymnase and will feature The Brother Kite, up from Providence, Rhode Island, Toronto’s Airfields, My Dad Vs Yours from Ottawa and hailing from Montreal by way of Toronto, Danielle Duval.
I’m very excited about every band on the bill but have to admit that it’s The Brother Kite, whose Waiting For The Time To Be Right I fell in love with on first listen and have maintained a devoted if not wholly monogamous relationship with. I wrote it up earlier this year and had been patiently waiting/hoping for a local show so that I had an excuse to write them up some more, but since that didn’t seem to be happening anytime soon I decided to make it happen myself. “But wait,” you say, “a Pop Montreal showcase hardly counts as local!” You’re right, which is why I’m happy to report that The Brother Kite will make their Toronto debut on October 5 at the Tiger Bar with Fjord Rowboat. Of course, I won’t be there – still in Montreal – but I am confident that all of you Hogtown peeps will be in attendance to welcome them. Just give their Beach Boys-meets-Ride power-gazey-pop a listen and I’m certain you’ll be won over as well. Specifics on that show are still forthcoming, but rest assured – the next couple weeks will have me going on and on and on about these shows.
As for the other acts on the bill, my affection for The Airfields is very very well documented so there’s not much more that needs to be said there – but I will anyways, as the show draws near. I haven’t seen My Dad Vs Yours in a while but am eager to hear what they’ve been up to since last year’s After Winter Must Come Spring in establishing the genre that some of us (me and another guy, I think) call post-pop. And Danielle Duval is a new discovery for me but I heard stellar things about her set at Hillside earlier this year and she and her band will bring some much-welcome old school rock and soul to the bill. And Toronto show-mates Fjord Rowboat do a tremendous job of keeping the classic shoegazing flame alive without being trapped by the past.
As I said, I’ll be talking this show and these bands up more over the coming weeks but for now, keep the 4th open if you’re in Montreal and the 5th if you’re in Toronto. Regret it you shall not.
MP3: The Brother Kite – “Get On Me”
MP3: The Airfields – “Lonely Halls”
MP3: My Dad Vs Yours – “Bellicose”
MP3: Danielle Duval – “Bright Galactic”
MP3: Fjord Rowboat – “Carried Away”
Video: The Brother Kite – “I’m Not The Only One” (YouTube)
Video: The Airfields – “Red Fox” (YouTube)
Video: My Dad Vs Yours – “No Farm No Food No Future” (YouTube)
MySpace: The Brother Kite
MySpace: My Dad Vs Yours
MySpace: The Airfields
MySpace: Danielle Duval
MySpace: Fjord Rowboat
Pop Preview: The Brother Kite
Pop Preview: The Airfields
Pop Preview: My Dad Vs Yours
Pop Preview: Danielle Duval
Pop Montreal show poster by Cheryl Cheung
Brother Kite/Fjord Rowboat poster by Renée Nault
And of course, I was mostly kidding when I said my mind was in Montreal – I’m in Austin for pete’s sake, and it’s ACL time. The Austin Chronicle has been previewing the fest with interviews with some of the big names playing including Bjork (who headlines tonight, is staying in our hotel and who the Blogotheque guys apparently scared when they asked her to do a Takeaway Show at poolside), Steve Earle, Andrew Bird (who are thankfully not playing against one another anymore) and Bob Dylan, who closes the whole thing out on Sunday night. Things kick off today and the first act I’m for sure going to catch is Blonde Redhead, who brought it so completely at V Fest last weekend. Athens Exchange has an interview and they’re also featured in a special NYC-to-Austin edition of Spinner 3×3. Nicole Atkins discusses Neptune City with The Shreveport Times. It’s finally out October 30 but I’m hoping she’ll have some to sell when she’s at Lee’s on October 14. She’ll also kick things off for me on Sunday here at ACL. 11:45AM! Arcade Fire and Austin360 has words with Matt Berninger of The National, on stage Sunday afternoon.
On Milwaukee has an interview with Okkervil River’s Will Sheff, in town next Friday night at Lee’s Palace and doing a DJ after party at Tiger Bar after the show. Logistical issues have meant that I won’t be trekking to Hamilton to see them Saturday night at the Pepper Jack Cafe, but that means I can see Basia Bulat’s CD release shows at the Music Gallery instead (contest for passes still open). Chart talks to Basia about the unexpected (but wholly deserved) success of Oh My Darling, out Tuesday.
Hey, Rachael Yamagata is coming back to town! Hey… she’s opening for Mandy Moore. See, this is what happens when your musical tastes drift too close to the mainstream. You get caught in the undertow. That’s happening September 22 at the Danforth Music Hall. Still no word on her new record, I imagine she’s along on this trek because she worked on Moore’s latest record.
The Meligrove Band play a super-intimate show at Sneaky Dee’s on October 4. The Cure play a not-so-intimate show at the Air Canada Centre on May 15, a make up for their cancelled Fall tour.
Dane101 talks to Peter Hayes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, in town at the Kool Haus on October 1.
Thursday, September 13th, 2007
My, aren’t we up early? Yes we are, because our flight for Austin leaves at 6:20AM. And we are bound for Austin to attend the wonderful (if now White Stripes-free) Austin City Limits Festival as well as play host to the equally wonderful Hot Freaks! 2 after parties at the Mohawk and Club DeVille.
For ACL, expect coverage a bit different from my usual festival format, with band-by-band breakdowns. For starters, I’m without a photo pass this time as the organizers have made those mighty scarce and (most) blogs simply don’t rate. As a result, I’ll probably be both drifting around the festival more than I normally would as well as perhaps sticking around for more than three or four songs before hoofing it to the next stage. It should actually be a much more relaxing pace which is good, since I’m not nearly recovered from V Fest this past weekend.
And for Hot Freaks!, well with Art Brut, Grizzly Bear, St Vincent and The Rosebuds headlining over the two nights, I’m not likely to be getting much rest those nights either. I don’t know how many readers here were going to be in Austin and/or tried to get wristbands for entry, but if you did and ran into problems, I apologize and hope that it got worked out.
But fear not, my Toronto peeps, I’ve forgotten you not. After rocking Austin, Grizzly Bear are going to be up in our neck of the woods for a show at the Mod Club on September 20 and courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away. They’re touring in support of their new 10-song EP Friend, out November 5, which will feature new songs, alternate versions of old faves and covers by friends (like the title, get it?) such as Band Of Horses and CSS. The band talks to CMJ about their slightly unconventional take on the remix album and Sterogum is streaming one of the remix/redo songs from the new record as well as the original version.
But back to the contest. To enter, send me an email at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Grizzly Bear” in the subject line and your full name in the email body. The contest will close when I’m scheduled to return to Toronto – 2PM on Monday, September 17 – and I’ll draw the winners when I get home.
MP3: Grizzly Bear – “On A Neck, On A Spit”
MP3: Grizzly Bear – “Lullabye”
MP3: Grizzly Bear – “Knife”
MP3: Grizzly Bear – “Sure Thing”
Video: Grizzly Bear – “Knife” (YouTube)
Video: Grizzly Bear – “Central & Remote” (YouTube)
MySpace: Grizzly Bear
Great Lake Swimmers, playing on September 29 at the Phoenix, have offered up a 5-song EP culled from their last Toronto show back in April at the Church Of The Redeemer and it’s free! Free free free. And yes, this is the same show that Matthew was sharing last week. Go get.
ZIP: Great Lakes Swimmers Live From the Church of the Redeemer
NOW gets Rilo Kiley to discuss the polarizing response that their latest Under The Blacklight has gotten. Congrats to Kim, who won yesterday’s contest, and for the record, five votes were yea and eight for nay.
Wednesday, September 12th, 2007
Some of you may have noticed that anytime I’ve referenced Rilo Kiley’s new record Under The Blacklight in the last little while, it’s been in the context of “is not a very good record”. Always in passing, never with specifics. I’ve been a Rilo Kiley fan for some time now, so I suppose an explanation is in order.
When I say it’s not a good record, it’s not a casual remark but the most succinct way to state a considered opinion. While things start out promisingly with “Silver Lining”, a sleek country-soul gem that could have been a holdover from Jenny Lewis’ Rabbit Fur Coat solo outing, that turns out to be the high point and from there, there’s only one way to go. The record has been called an homage of sorts to their Los Angeles homebase and while that may be true, it’s unfortunate that they’ve chosen to celebrate the plasticness and vacuousness of the worst LA stereotypes. They veer from style to style, never offering more than a reasonably lifelike facsimile of whatever they’re sampling. From the seedy “Moneymaker” with the BeeGees rip of a chorus through the faux-Latin (by way of Madonna) stylings of “Dejalo” to the album’s lowest point with the lyrically abyssmal statutory rape hoe-down of “15”, this is the sound of a band capable of great things utterly disinterested in even reaching for passable.
Rilo Kiley has gotten where they are largely on the back of Lewis so it’s to her that much of the blame falls. While her vocals still sound technically terrific, they lack any of the emotional investment that would convince any but the most casual listener that she actually meant a word she was saying. Which might actually be for the best since a lot of the lyrics here are beyond vapid. Blacklight still succeeds as lightly hooky background music but for anyone who cares to actually listen beyond the surface will find disappointingly little of substance. If it were released as a collection of b-sides or outtakes – which I’d say it sounded like if I were feeling charitable – then it might escape this sort of scrutiny but as an album three years in the making, it’s impossible to call it anything but a huge disappointment.
Metacritic shows critical response to be pretty well divided and Harp talks to Lewis and Blake Sennett about the LA themes of their new record and their child star pasts (still on that, are we?).
Rilo Kiley are in town next Tuesday night, September 18, and while I’m not going to be in attendance – less because I’m unimpressed with the new record than the fact that I’ll be wiped from Austin City Limits – that’s no reason you can’t be. Courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got one pair of passes to their show at the Phoenix to give away. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Rilo Kiley” in the subject line, your full name in the body and your opinion on Under The Blacklight in simple “yea” or “nay” form – though feel free to be loquacious if you so desire. I want to have this taken care of before I leave for Austin so this contest will close at 9PM, EDT, tonight.
Video: Rilo Kiley – “The Moneymaker” (YouTube)
Video: Rilo Kiley – “Silver Lining” (YouTube)
MySpace: Rilo Kiley
Filter asks New Pornographer AC Newman about his idea of a perfect Summer. The Pornos play the Phoenix on October 21 with Emma Pollock, with whom Aversion has an interview.
CBC Radio 3 talks to Ottawa’s Jim Bryson who, in addition to being a fine singer-songwriter in his own right, is now also the newest Weakerthan. He’ll join them on the road in support of Reunion Tour, out September 25, including their November 8 show at the Phoenix.
Drowned In Sound does a phoner with Kevin Drew about his new album Spirit If…, which is out next week but which you can stream in its entirety right now at MuchMusic. Drew plays Lee’s Palace on September 27.
Stream: Kevin Drew / Spirit If…
The biggest concert news of the last few days was the announcement of Neil Young’s Fall tour in support of Chrome Dreams II, out October 20. Billboard has the tracklisting of the album as well as the tour itinerary and naturally, the two dates that stand out the most are November 26 and 27 at Massey Hall in Toronto. If and when anyone hears about ticket on-sale info, please let me know. And Stylus has taken on the task of cataloging every Neil Young cover they can find. Apparently counting every grain of sand on the beach wasn’t challenging enough for them.
Also just announced though of less OMG-ness, and all happening at Lee’s Palace, Los Angeles’ Great Northern, last here during NxNE, return on October 17, Josh Rouse and Maria Taylor stop in on October 30 and on November 23 and 24, it’ll host a two-night stand from The Stills, newly signed to Arts & Crafts.
Looking way ahead, Feist has a show on February 18 at the Sony Centre (formerly known as the Hummingbird Centre, formerly known as the O’Keefe Centre) with Great Lake Swimmers as support. The Philadelphia Inquirer has a chat with the headliner, JAM with the openers.
And because the cosmos demands balance, a couple of show cancellations to report – The Noisettes have bailed on their September 19 show at Lee’s and Kaiser Chiefs are no longer playing the Carlu on September 26.
Some final V Fest wrap ups from AOL Music Canada and Torontoist, both featuring amazing photography… and also boasting some stunning pic, this New Pollution feature on Miracle Fortress.
The Boston Herald talks to Interpol.
Take-Away Shows offers up a couple of performances from Beirut, who will release The Flying Club Cup on October 2 and be in town at the Danforth Music Hall that evening. Check out a song from the new record below:
MP3: Beirut – “A Sunday Smile”
And there’s a video premiere from another Take-Away favourite, The National. This one’s the first second vid from Boxer and plays off the wedding band theme of the album’s cover art. They’re at the Phoenix on October 8.
Video: The National – “Apartment Story” (Spinner)
Paste reports on forthcoming releases from Ryan Adams, first a seven-track EP due out on October 23 and a five-disc retrospective box set in 2008. Adams is at Massey Hall on September 21.
Geek movie bits – Paste notes that the fourth Indiana Jones film has been given a name – Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull – and will be out on May 22 of next year. Also hitting theatres next May (May 2 to be precise) is Iron Man, for which there’s finally an official trailer.
Trailer: Iron Man
And out of left field, SciFi.com reports that Tobey Maguire is planning on bringing 80s animated series Robotech to the big screen, live action style and presumably with himself as Rick Hunter (though everyone knows that Max Sterling was the coolest, of course).
Tuesday, September 11th, 2007
One of the best Canadian albums released this year – Basia Bulat’s Oh My Darling – finally gets a Canadian release next week via Hardwood Records and there’s shows galore to celebrate the occasion. First, there’s a free lunch hour performance in Dundas Square tomorrow (Wednesday September 12) from 12:30 to 1:30 and for those who don’t work in the Eaton Centre, an in-store next Wednesday, September 19 at Soundscapes starting at 6PM. Also free. Unless you buy something. Like the record. That’s not free. But it’s worth it.
But the main event will be next Saturday night (September 22 – this is me helping out those without calendars) when Bulat and her band play a double-header album release show(s) at the Music Gallery with Wayne Petti as support. There’s an early show at 6PM and a late show at 9PM and courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away to each show. To enter, send me an email at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Basia!” in the subject line and your full name and preference for early show or late in the body. The contest will close at midnight, September 16. Chop chop!
MP3: Basia Bulat – “Snakes & Ladders”
MySpace: Basia Bulat
Tuesday, September 11th, 2007
Day two of V Fest took place under grey skies instead of the beautifully blue of the previous day, but thankfully the forecast rains got themselves over with earlier in the morning so by the time the day’s entertainment began, things had dried off for the most part. On my way down to the docks, I couldn’t help thinking about how differently this year’s fest had already gone compared to last – instead of trying to make up for the Flaming Lips debacle of the Saturday night, this year’s day two had to top a pretty terrific day of music and a stellar headlining set by Bjork. But considering that day two inarguably had the stronger lineup overall, I had high hopes.
Upon arrival, I was greeted by Wimbledonean Jamie T who was left to represent this year’s Mercury Prize finalists on his own after Amy Winehouse’s cancellation. His nominated record Panic Prevention blends rap, reggae, ska and rock influences with the “slice of contemporary English life” songwriting style that’s been all the rage of late but live he takes on much more of a Billy Bragg-ish folksinger feel, albeit backed by a rock band. The end result was a bouncy and eminently likable set. Chart had some words with T backstage at V.
Photos: Jamie T @ Virgin Mobile Stage – September 9, 2007
MP3: Jamie T – “Salvadore”
Video: Jamie T – “Sheila” (YouTube)
MySpace: Jamie T
The next stop was my first visit to the second stage, where I’d end up spending most of the day as it was hosting most of the really interesting artists of the day. I’d seen The Clientele once before opening for Spoon and hadn’t been especially impressed. But their latest God Save The Clientele is a real gem of classic, understated pop songwriting so I was more than willing to give them another chance. Good thing too, as they hardly seemed the same band as I saw a couple years ago. For starters, they’ve added a keyboardist/violinist in Mel Draisey who not only expands the band’s sound, but makes them a good deal prettier. The sounded terrific, providing the perfect soundtrack for the overcast skies that may well have followed them over from England. Some bad luck struck with a broken string that refused to be replaced, forcing the rest of the band to rejig a couple of their songs as elevator music-ish instrumentals before Alasdair MacLean gave it up and they turned out one final song, short an A-string.
Photos: The Clientele @ Future Shop Stage – September 9, 2007
MP3: The Clientele – “Bookshop Casanova”
Video: The Clientele – “Bookshop Casanova” (MySpace)
MySpace: The Clientele
Watching Blonde Redhead soundcheck gave me bad SxSW flashbacks (they soundchecked for half an hour and played for fifteen minutes) but once they started – on time – all was forgiven. Drawing mainly from 23, their swirling sonics were magical, and not that wishy-washy, touchy-feely Harry Potter-type magic. I’m talking dark, monkey’s paw leaves you in a bigger mess than you started, messing with forces you don’t understand magic. Kazu Makino was mesmerizing, particularly on “23”, and kept the sizable crowd completely riveted.
Photos: Blonde Redhead @ Future Shop Stage – September 9, 2007
MP3: Blonde Redhead – “23”
Video: Blonde Redhead – “23” (YouTube)
Video: Blonde Redhead – “My Impure Hair” (YouTube)
Video: Blonde Redhead – “The Dress” (YouTube)
MySpace: Blonde Redhead
It had been almost four years since I last saw Metric – at the Horseshoe no less – so finally seeing them again on such a huge stage was kind of different, to say the least. But they’re the sort of band that’s made for big stages so they seemed right at home even though this was one of their first gigs after a solo-project hiatus. Emily Haines seemed pretty pleased to be able to get back into disco-rock diva mode after playing the solo pianist for the past year, belting out old hits and new songs (from an album they tell Billboard is about 3/4 done) to the delight of the mainstage crowd. I’d kind of lost interest in Metric since being really into Old World Underground some four years ago but still found their set entertaining.
Photos: Metric @ Virgin Mobile Stage – September 9, 2007
MP3: Metric – “Monster Hospital”
Video: Metric – “Poster Of A Girl” (YouTube)
Video: Metric – “Empty” (YouTube)
MySpace: Metric
I was a bit surprised when I heard Explosions In The Sky were added to the festival, as I’d never thought of them as an outdoor stage sort of band but after seeing their set, I can’t imagine seeing them anywhere else. They were, if you’ll indulge me, utterly explosive under the dusky afternoon sky, their cascades and crescendos of notes rising up and out over the field and lake. This performance totally made up for the utterly frustrating show back in March, even though that disappointment was no fault of the band whatsoever.
Photos: Explosions In The Sky @ Future Shop Stage – September 9, 2007
MP3: Explosions In The Sky – “Welcome, Ghosts”
MySpace: Explosions In The Sky
The whole Editors vs Interpol debate is kind of a dead horse now but having seen both acts within 24 hours of each other, I can’t help but take one more kick at the corpse. If live performance is to be used as a criteria, then there’s no comparison – Editors simply destroy Interpol. Even if their lighting tech didn’t appear to be under explicit instructions to pretend there are no other members of the band, all eyes would have been on frontman Tom Smith anyways. He delivered an impassioned performance of songs from An End Has A Start with a physicality and charisma that Paul Banks can only dream of. Their rousing and anthemic performance brought me that much closer to being an unabashed fan of the band, something I never thought I’d be saying even a few months ago. Chart talked to bassist Russell Leetch who is apparently allowed to be heard, just not seen.
Photos: Editors @ Future Shop Stage – September 9, 2007
MP3: Editors – “Munich”
Video: Editors – “An End Has A Start” (YouTube)
Video: Editors – “Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors” (YouTube)
MySpace: Editors
I could have happily ended the festival on that note, but no, there was one more act that I had to see. I figured there were two types of people who were keen to see The Smashing Pumpkins close out the festival. The folks in my generation who grew up through the alt-rock ’90s and were stoked to relive the soundtrack of their dimming youth – we’ll call them the classic rockers who don’t know they’re classic rockers – and those who were fascinated to see what kind of train wreck Billy Corgan’s hubris and dementia had wrought – we’ll call them the rubberneckers. And by them, I mean me.
I should first say that I was a huge Pumpkins fan circa Siamese Dream. Huge. But they lost me with Mellon Collie when Corgan decided he wanted to be a rock god and the past fourteen years or so have been pretty happily Pumpkins-free but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be thrilled to hear “Cherub Rock” live, even if it was played by James and D’Arcy stand-ins. But while I was watching the proceedings with no small amount of cynicism, the mainstage area was teeming with Pumpkins fans who appeared to have kept the flame alive over the past seven years and were now being rewarded for their loyalty… with songs from Zeitgeist. As I expected, they opened with new material – really long, drawn out new material – but I’ll admit that hearing Corgan’s distinctive guitar tone and solos (and nasal vocals) did stir some long-dormant nostalgia. Whether they deserved to be called “The Smashing Pumpkins” is for people far more invested than I to debate – alls I know is that they were loud, tight and very festival rocking. And when they played “Hummer”, I remembered just how good a record Siamese Dream was and felt a little sad that I no longer had a copy of it. But after hearing only a couple of familiar tunes in an hour, nostalgia was overcome by tiredness and I headed home. They never played “Cherub Rock” anyways.
Photos: The Smashing Pumpkins @ Virgin Mobile Stage – September 9, 2007
Video: Smashing Pumpkins – “Tarantula” (YouTube)
Video: Smashing Pumpkins – “Cherub Rock” (YouTube)
MySpace: Smashing Pumpkins
Final thoughts and wrap up after the jump.
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