Saturday, April 28th, 2007
Just saw this and since it’s a limited-time thing, figured it’d be best to get it out there ASAP. Free Long Winters show next week! If you saw them at the ElMo last month you know it’ll be a great show. Full details below, taken from the band’s MySpace blog:
Hello Toronto – FREE SHOW Thursday, May 3rd
**This Monster Truck-style post brought to you by Beautiful Noise**
COME SEE THE LONG WINTERS IN A CHURCH IN TORONTO!
THAT’S RIGHT!!!!
Like ‘Sessions on West 54th’, Beautiful Noise aims to be the music series people will be collecting years from now. The Long Winters will be taping an episode on May 3rd.
Produced for RAVE HD in the US, this is a Canadian production shot at Toronto’s Berkeley Church in front of a live studio audience featuring some of today’s leading musical acts.
The show’s producers have about 200 free tickets to this performance.
The Berkeley Church, 315 Queen Street East
(One block west of Parliament at the corner of Berkeley and Queen.)
Doors open at 7:30 pm and seats are first-come, first-served. Beer and water will be for sale at the bar.
For tickets, send an email with your name to audience100@gmail.com. The subject line of the email must say “THE LONG WINTERS”
Here are the rules for the taping:
— No small children (too many dangerous obstacles)
— No cameras or recording devices of any type
— No obvious brand names or logos on hats or shirts
— Agreement by entering venue to appear in broadcast / please stay home if you don’t want to appear on TV!
And while you’re at it, check out these interviews with John Roderick at The Statesman-Journal and The Yakima Herald.
MP3: The Long Winters – “Pushover”
Video: The Long Winters – “Fire Island, AK” (YouTube)
MySpace: The Long Winters
Saturday, April 28th, 2007
It’s tax weekend! And since I’ve just given the government a huge chunk of money, I’m going to stay in the giving mood and offer up a copy of the Great Lake Swimmers wonderful new CD Ongiara
courtesy of, well, me. I’ve got an extra copy.
I went on about the album just a couple weeks ago so I’ll just direct you there if you need to be sold on the band or the record. To enter, leave me a comment stating which is your favourite Great Lake and why. And if you say “Superior because it’s superior”, you are instantly disqualified. The contest will run until midnight, May 4 and is open to anyone and everyone. Just be sure to leave you correct email address – disguise it to distact spambots if you must but make sure I can figure it out.
They’re currently gallivanting around Europe and will be touring the US in June, so if you live in either of those locales, do check them out.
MP3: Great Lake Swimmers – “Your Rocky Spine”
MP3: Great Lake Swimmers – “I Am A Part Of A Large Family”
Video: Great Lake Swimmers – “Back Stage With The Modern Dancers” (YouTube)
eCard: Great Lake Swimmers / Ongiara
MySpace: Great Lake Swimmers
Friday, April 27th, 2007
So on the night of September 12, 2006, at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia, there occurred a tribute concert to the city’s most famous sons, R.E.M.. The entire story of the evening can be read here, but the upshot was that eight Athens bands spent the evening covering R.E.M. songs and the band themselves – including original drummer Bill Berry – played a two-song set and sat in with many of the other performers. The bulk of that evening’s performances, except for R.E.M.’s songs and a few others, has been collected on Finest Worksongs: Athens Bands Play The Music Of R.E.M which will be released May 15 and proceeds from which will go to benefit a couple of Athens charities.
I can only imagine how exciting it must have been to be in attendance that night, let alone being one of the artists performing – especially with the band you were going to be covering actually watching. It wouldn’t surprise me if everyone was extremely drunk and/or extremely nervous because to be totally honest because that’s the only excuse I can think of for why the performances on this record are so, well, I don’t want to say bad but there’s nothing especially noteworthy here either. While I’m sure that everyone who participated is a perfectly good musician in their own right, here they mostly sound like cover bands in a college bar, offering interpretations that are workmanlike at best, uninspired at worst. Patterson Hood is the biggest non-R.E.M. name in the lineup and the only one I know and to be honest, he sounds pretty bad for the first song or so before managing to find and stay in key. He does get it together by “Second Guessing”, however, and throws in an excellent R.E.M. gig anecdote for good measure. Also on the plus side, the song selection from most acts is unconventional and everyone seems to be having a genuinely good time of it. Maybe I need to knock back a few (dozen) Jack and Cokes and try to experience it thusly.
Mind you, I’m coming at this recording from the perspective of someone hoping for a decent and creative tribute record to one of his favourite bands, which it’s really not intended to be. Taken as a document and memento of one rare and special night in Georgia last Fall, it’s just fine – after all, this is how it sounded and the rough, bootleg-ish recording quality certainly adds to that vibe (I’m talking high quality, modern day bootleg, btw, not cassette tape in a jacket pocket-fidelity). I’m certain that anyone who was there that night and most people who wish that they were will want a copy nonetheless and proceeds do go to a good cause. As mentioned earlier, the R.E.M. set doesn’t appear on this recording but instead were already released on the 2006 fan club Christmas single along with a couple other songs from the show. But I’m a little astonished, now that I think about it, that there hasn’t been an R.E.M. tribute album yet, at least not one with a high-profile lineup. Or has there?
If you haven’t been before, you should visit Pop Songs, a newish blog from Matthew Fluxblog dedicated solely to the songs of R.E.M. And coincidentally, USA Today‘s PopCandy blog has been polling its readers as to their favourite R.E.M. songs (Q combines both these topics into one). Whitney limited it to five, so I’ll do the same – off the top of my head, “Fall On Me”, “Nightswimming”, “Perfect Circle”, “So. Central Rain” and “Find The River”. Oh man, that seriously doesn’t even begin to cover it. I guess I’m in a mellow-ish mood right now. But it’s funny how sometimes it takes hearing a song played… not well… to remind you of how much you loved it in the first place.
MP3: Patterson Hood – “Burning Hell”
MP3: The Observatory – “Feeling Gravity’s Pull”
And speaking of Hood, Nashville City Paper talks to him about the departure of Jason Isbell from the Drive-By Truckers and the addition of guitarist John Neff, who also played with Hood at the R.E.M. show.
And on the topic of covers – Pitchfork brings news of a new compilation coming out on August 7 called Guilt By Association which will feature artists like Superchunk, The Concretes and Luna (!) covering such generally unhip acts like Destiny’s Child, Take That and Paula Abdul, respectively. Luna covering Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up”. When on earth did this happen? Needless to say, I’m all over this like a fat kid on Smarties.
Examiner.com talks to The Decemberists. Did decent recordings of any of the R.E.M. covers they were playing as encores during last Fall’s tour ever surface? I think they were Life’s Rich Pageant-era tracks.
J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr comments on the season-to-season inconsistency of Dawson’s Creek to Exclaim. I think I started watching the show around season two and yeah, it was horrible. And yet.
Drowned In Sound talks to Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes. They’re at Massey Hall on May 22.
Some more show news – Chad Van Gaalen is at the Tranzac on May 29 while Calvin Johnson and Julie Doiron team up for a show at the Music Gallery on June 30, tickets for that are $15. Interesting experience Googling New York City guitar savant Marnie Stern – instead of being taken to her website, I got waylaid here, with Google dutifully warning me “visiting this web site may harm your computer”. With guitar shredding, maybe. Stern is at the Silver Dollar on July 6, tickets $10.50. And finally, The Hives have been added to the second day of V Fest Toronto.
Thursday, April 26th, 2007
With the amount of new music I’m inundated with daily, it’s rare that something jumps out and grabs me by the ears at first listen – even rarer is when it turns out to be more than a brief infatuation and instead turns my musical world around. The Great Unwanted, the debut record from London’s Lucky Soul, has done just that.
You may recall my mentioning it a couple weeks ago and having been smitten by a couple of their singles via YouTube video. Well immediately thereafter I grabbed their four singles from eMusic and when those proved only to whet my appetite rather than satiate, I snagged the album at a rather dear price via eBay (CDWow didn’t have it yet) and you know what? Worth every penny, even though six of the album’s thirteen (fourteen if you count the hidden track) songs were on the aforementioned singles (making for three proper b-sides).
The six-piece outfit create, or more rather re-create, a retro yet timeless style of pop that draws on doo-wop, Motown, classic soul, Spector, Bacharach… basically everything good in the world. The band ably weaves the necessary musical tapestry, lush with horns and strings atop the requisite guitar, bass, drums and keys but it falls on singer Ali Howard to sell it and that she does. Oh does she ever. Besides the fact that she looks like you’d expect/hope she would, her voice is sweet, girlish and ebullient, yet capable of conveying sadness, regret and experience with heartbreak in the manner of the best soul singers. It looks, sounds and tastes like pure musical sugar but there’s a tinge of bitter to the sweet that makes it that much more addictive – believe me when I say that there’s far more than empty calories here. I’ve been living off it for days. And it doesn’t matter how many times you hear it, when Ali commands you to “shake, shake, shimmy”, by god you shake and shimmy.
But look at me, trying to convince you that there’s more to this record than just pop perfection. Fact is, even if it wasn’t a great album, even if their best stuff all went into the singles, Lucky Soul would still be getting my highest endorsement because the singles are just that good. So so so so good. And that they’re able to fill out a full-length album with material that’s just doesn’t let those stratospheric peaks down – on their debut no less – is unbelievable. This record is my happy place. It’s self-released on the band’s own Ruffa Lane label so who knows if it or the band will ever make it over to this continent? In the case of the record, CDWow is probably by far the best price you’re going to find so just go and buy it. In the case of the band… someone fly them over here. I’ll pay for some of it. I’m serious. Unless it’s really expensive, in which case you have my unwavering moral support.
Skatterbrain has a short interview with Ali while The Guardian also talked to guitarist Andrew Laidlaw in a piece about how the sound of new UK music sounds so much like old UK music. How Does It Feel? met with both Howard and Laidlaw for a drink at the pub and transcribed the whole thing. The band kept a blog during the three months of recording the album late last year and there’s also a couple of acoustic tracks available to download off their website.
Go buy this record.
MP3: Lucky Soul – “The Great Unwanted”
Video: Lucky Soul – “Lips Are Unhappy” (YouTube)
Video: Lucky Soul – “My Brittle Heart” (YouTube)
Video: Lucky Soul – “Add Your Light To Mine, Baby” (YouTube)
MySpace: Lucky Soul
The Pipettes, who may share some influences and style with Lucky Soul but from what little of their stuff I’ve heard can’t hold a finger to them, are returning to Toronto on June 1 for a show at Lee’s Palace. A considerably larger venue than the one that couldn’t hold their debacle of a CMW showcase back in March, but probably still won’t be big enough. Pitchfork has full North American tour dates and a couple of domestic record release dates – the Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me EP is out June 5 and the We Are Pipettes full-length is available August 28. This Is Nottingham talks to Rose of the Pipettes. I’m not sure which one she is – the one in the short dress?
And from polka dots to stripes, NME has Summer tour dates for The White Stripes. Following a jaunt across the Canadian tundra (check out dates in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut) they’ll be in Toronto on July 5 at the Molson Amphitheatre.
Feist talks to Exclaim! about the long, slow death of Let It Die and The Reminder, in stores Tuesday.
Filter, Stylus and Drowned In Sound score interview time with Bjork. Volta hits May 8 and she’s at V Fest in Toronto September 8.
Also on that first day of V Fest are Interpol, who have finally confirmed details of their third album. Pitchfork reports that Our Love To Admire will be in stores on July 10.
The Weakerthans discuss their next album, at one time titled Civil Twilight (though that’s not being mentioned anymore) and due out in October, with The Winnipeg Sun. Can’t wait, been far too long.
Wednesday, April 25th, 2007
If there’s one word to describe Brooklyn’s Palomar, it’s “dry”. Dry, as in the sound – the brand of power pop has a very direct, off the floor quality to it that’s a bit unusual in this day and age but well-suited to the band. And dry, as in the wit. Singer/songwriter Rachel Warren has a wonderfully sardonic wit which is evident in their lyrics and, as I found at SxSW in March, their live show. The three girls and one guy who make up the band are pretty wickedly funny.
If I could choose a second word as a descriptor, it’d be “understated”, though it rather ties in with the aforementioned dryness. It’s not just their choice to eschew whiz-bang production on their records, including their just-released fourth album All Things, Forests, it’s also inherent in the songs. Lyrically, Warren is equally wry and wistful – maybe a bit disappointed in how things (whatever those things may be) have turned out but still able to smile about it. The vocal melodies and harmonies and the guitar lines are all kept compact and simple but effective. Not a note is wasted and while it may make for a slightly less immediate listen, it’s that much more satisfying when the songs reveal themselves. But a curious side-effect of this aesthetic, whether intentional or not, is when they go for the big sonic moment it still ends up sounding a bit small. Stepping on a distortion pedal sounds just like stepping on a distortion pedal and in the finale of album closer “Alone”, what’s probably meant to sound like a wall of voices still just sounds like four people overdubbed several times over and with reverb applied. It’s not intended as a complaint – the last thing the world needs is more bands who want to sound like the Arcade Fire – just an interesting observation.
And if I can have one more adjective, it’d be Fuzzy. Not as in tonality – the guitars are kept pretty clean and when that distortion pedal I mentioned is stomped, it’s more Rat than Big Muff (guitar geeks will know of what I speak) – but as in the Boston-based indie pop band of the late 90s. The first time I heard Palomar I was immediately reminded of their stuff – maybe less bubbly and definitely not derivative but certainly drawing from the same well. Palomar have cultivated their own distinct, dry and understated style and All Things, Forest is a fine representation of it.
MP3: Palomar – “Our Haunt”
MP3: Palomar – “Bury Me Closer”
MySpace: Palomar
And below, the only real evidence of Fuzzy’s existence than I could find online. Great song.
Video: Fuzzy – “Flashlight” (YouTube)
Harp goes to town with their cover story on lead Grinderman Nick Cave. In addition to the feature interview, they’ve got a timeline of Cave’s career and a discussion with the man about his foray into screenwriting work with 2005’s The Proposition.
Pitchfork talks to Shearwater’s Jonathan Meiburg about their redo and reissue of Palo Santo and ornithological taxidermy. The new edition of the album is interesting – normally you’d expect that when a band gets the chance to redo a song, they gussy it up with extra production, bells and whistles. In the case of Palo Santo, however, it’s almost the opposite approach. The re-recorded songs sound much more live off the floor in production, arrangement and performance. They sound very much like how they did live, which makes sense since they went back into the studio after a heavy regimen of touring in 2006 that had the band running as a well-oiled machine. Unlike Good Hodgkins, I’m reluctant to declare the new version of the record in all ways superior to the original edition since I loved that record so much, flaws and all (though I certainly didn’t and still don’t consider it flawed) but will say that the new release, especially with the remastering, sounds amazing in its own right.
Chart offers up an interview with Explosions In The Sky drummer Chris Hrasky.
Show updates – Added to the BrakesBrakesBrakes show at Lee’s Palace June 12 are Electric Soft Parade and Pela while Shiny Toy Guns, Stars Of Track & Field and The Hourly Radio are in town at the Mod Club on June 21. And Snow Patrol have a date at the Molson Amphitheatre on August 7.
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