songs that (will) save your life

Movement

2009-03-04T19:39:00.002-05:00

Sniffy has moved! You can find him here: sniffyvon.wordpress.com

New Order - "Dreams Never End" (YouTube)

It May Go Right, It Might Go Wrong

2009-03-01T17:53:00.010-05:00

Stone Roses - "This is the One"

(Phantasmagoria in Two)

I love taking baths for many reasons. Two of them are: 1.) I imagine this is the birthplace of all good songs where people like Thom Yorke sit and write the lyrics to his masterpieces, where he accidentally hits the shower button with his foot and suddenly the words "rain down on me" secures the inspiration for the weird dream bit in "Paranoid Android" and/or the many lyrics for the Hail to the Thief album where there are at least 6 dozen references to precipitation 2.) Or it's the grave site for many indie rockers who didn't quite make it, and since their career never quite took off, the final solution is to play out a bloody, deathly suicide akin to the one in The Rules of Attraction movie and/or this is where Morrissey and Marr wrote the bulk of their songs together, but after Marr decided to abstain from taking baths with Moz ever again, this is where their partnership with The Smiths ended.

Obviously the ways in which I talk about love and the things that I love are not your typical run o' the mill way of explaining things. Therefore, I am weird.

For about almost a week I've been dealing with something. It feels alien, it hurts and it's made me a wreck... I've fallen for someone (OK, here's Sniffy crushing out on one of his thousands of crushes), but it's not like that. Last week I met someone who doesn't suck (although that's not always a bad thing, hmpf) and yeah, I think my hard-ass, arsehole nature has taken a beating and I don't think I quite know how to deal. For anyone who knows me well enough, I look at dating as I do brussels sprouts (I hate them), but every once in a while I have to eat them just to remind me why I hate them. Over the course of a year, I've had maybe a half dozen servings of them (dates, not brussels sprouts... I had an analogy in there somewhere including Richard Simmons, but most of my analogies these days either contain 'tigers' or 'Siegfried and Roy' or both, lots of gay stuff usually). Now these dates haven't been huge failures or anything like that, but since I acquire the Billy Brown (Buffalo '66) philosophy to women - there are no girls that *I* like - then it makes it difficult to sustain anything past 2 or 3 consumptions of well, tasteless, green vegetables. To think of it, I can't really remember some of their names. There was that one who I never returned her 2 voice mails because she told me that she didn't understand Suede. Quite an asshol-ish thing to do, but anyone who hasn't felt the ache and ecstasy of Brett Anderson's voice throughout the duration of an epic like "The Power" needn't subscribe to my services. Yes, I am an elitist asshole that loves a semi-gay glam band. Then there's the other one whom I went out with on the last day of a 9-day cleanse. I was quite delirious and sweaty and spent a good amount of time talking about Beverly Hills 90210, in other words she probably thought I was gay (90210 + 9 day cleanse = Colossal FAG).

So when I met ___ last week, it was the romantic comedy that isn't the new u2 album (stolen from G.E.). The date itself had to be a cruel joke, it was at some oyster place in my hood that I had been to once before and for some reason they were playing the best music ever. It started off when I heard my 4th-favourite Echo & the Bunnymen song, "Bring on the Dancing Horses" then Sparklehorse, then Velvet Underground, then Pavement - the whole while I kept looking over my shoulder expecting to see my friend Gaz DJing, giving me a wink and a thumbs up... to no avail. Wtf, it was so Idioteque: "this is really happening." OK, so the music that is played in a restaurant shouldn't be the basis on why you like someone... actually it should, in the future if you're out on a date somewhere and you happen to hear "Poker Face" I give you permission to hate this person. Thankfully she comes well equipped with enough good things - Factory records obsessed, Smiths-loving, Irvine Welsh dedicated, Guinness enthusiast, hatred for squirrels and get this: she doesn't listen to or know any 'new' music. Admirable indeed. I know it's early in the game to be professing any sort of secure feelings for someone, but I know the week leading up to Date II (Now It's Personal) I felt like The Grinch in the latter part of the movie, I was John Cusack sans ghetto-blaster, I was that shithead in The Notebook (if only I didn't fail wood-shop class I might've built a house), I was nice to humans for a change (save for that asian lady clipping her nails on the bus), I was a big sack of cheesy Coldplay lyrics. Urgh, everything and anything you don't want in your Sniffy.

And since we're on the theme of all things in 2's... 1.) the only song she's ever sang at karaoke was "Ask" by the Smiths, this in itself is really cool for obvious reasons, but mostly because a theme-song about shyness contains the phrase 'the bomb'... 14 times 2.) in Grade 8 she sang "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from the Evita soundtrack, the embarrassing tidbit of information I had to disclose in a little game of 'quid pro quo' was about my worst guilty pleasure song (aka: she now has the upper hand).

Oh, and one of the songs they played the night of our first date happens to be my 2nd favourite Stone Roses song, "This is the One." (not "The Two of Us" by Suede unfortunately). Unless you've been to Old Trafford in Manchester (where the Man United football team plays) then you'll likely never hear this song played in public. DJs at brit-pop nights side with "Elephant Stone" because it's like their fastest song, or "She Bangs the Drums" because well, it's their second fastest song. Any time I hear those ringing notes coming from Jon Squire's guitar in the intro to "This is the One", I get these immense goosebumps, I am happy. I once spent an entire afternoon trying to play the intricate sweep-picking part of the song on guitar, but I failed miserably. Somehow I can play Queensryche's "Silent Lucidity" without error, but give me something cool and I'm worse and about as useless as David Rocco behind a kitchen counter. Speaking of culinary geniuses, although the song contains the lyrics, "it may go right, it might go wrong," if it does go wrong, then I might just take up a cooking class. The first thing I'll learn how to prepare properly? .... Brussels Sprouts.

Stone Roses - "This is the One" (YouTube audio)

Right. Off to the bath, shall we?

Dress Up In You

2009-02-09T20:47:00.010-05:00

Depeche Mode - "Blue Dress"

(The World In My Eyes)

Unless you're a female of the species, you cannot profess your love for a band like Depeche Mode. Yeah, there's those dudes in fishnet chainmail who'll slam-dance incessantly to anything in their catalog including softer ballads like, "Question of Lust" and "Enjoy the Silence," but they don't count. Excuses for human beings never do. Then there's me who had an ex that was so obsessed she had to procure every "Never Let Me Down Again" remix that tallies way into the totals of US soldiers who perished in the Viet Nam war. I had to endure more Dee-Mode than I'd like to admit and I'd much rather have caught clap from a Coffee Time in China Town than to be subjected to constant repeats of "Blasphemous Rumours." Urgh. Let's face it, DM possess the correct amount of gayness that deters men from hanging on to every trilled note that Martin L. Gore sings or will position them in the front row of their shows so they can witness David Gahan peel off his mesh frock for the 9th time. But through all of the homoeroticism (Gahan and MLG are practically the real life versions of Frodo and Sam), there's the odd tune I hear that I don't mind, or let me rephrase that: really fucking love. Take "Blue Dress," an unassuming track with the perfect balance between ominous and romantic, perverse and sinister, it's one of those songs that for some reason I can't deny it's brilliance... even though I probably should. Anytime I think of a DJ set to play (if I *was* a DJ), this song is a no-brainer for a Rob Gordon set-up at track 3. If you know Gordon's formula for making a good mix, it starts with a bang, something big, loud and booming, Wilco's "Outtasite (Outta Mind)" will do, followed by another track equally bombastic like Pixies' "Debaser," then you throw something from left-field, possibly a ballad or a weird one like "Blue Dress." It's what "Subterranean Homesick Alien" is to OK Computer as is "The Rolling People" is to Urban Hymns, something that makes you go: hmmmmm? Mistakenly, "Blue Dress" is sandwiched to the back of Violator at number 8, stupid hobbits.

If you believe that iTunes is gospel, tracking and documenting each of your listening experiences like God would a good deed, or more importantly a sin, then you will be shocked to know that a life-saving tune of "Blue Dress's" magnitude would only reach a measly 5 plays in my arsenal. Why is this? Well, the *instrumental* portion of this song contains MLG sighing and working himself into masturbatory rapture while what sounds like a thousand earwigs are lemming-sing their way in and out of a bathtub drain. Sometimes I want to hear that, other times I don't. OK, 5 times I wanted to hear that, 20 to 25 other times I didn't.

Depeche Mode - "Blue Dress" (YouTube)

Try To See It My Way - We Can Work It Out

2009-02-06T18:49:00.006-05:00

Magistrates - "Make This Work"

Am I the only one who thinks these guys will be huge? Maybe.

Magistrates - "Make This Work" (YouTube)

Pissed In their Champagne and Did a Real Thing, Didn't We?

2008-12-29T20:49:00.008-05:00

Top 8 of 2008 Part IV

Gazza Strip's Pick:

TV on the Radio - "Halfway Home"

(Enjoy The Science)

If TV on the Radio came out about 15 years ago, chances are we'd be looking at them now the same way we did with a band like the Pixies in the late 80s/early 90s. How'd we miss them the first go round? We'd say. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it), being a head of your time doesn't really exist anymore in today's ever expansive and accessible musical society. The rates and frequencies at which music changes hands/hard drives is astronomical and because there's so much of it, when a band sticks out above the rest of the pack - it's ever the more noticeable.

When 5 dudes from Brooklyn, NY released their debut album in 2001 called, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (of all things) I bet they didn't think their blend of avant-garde/experimental rock would light the torch for college rockers to indie brats which they would carry ever so high throughout nearly an entire decade... and the flame burns higher, brighter. Of course there are those on the sidelines who don't get it yet, and I don't entirely blame them. For a band who self-describes their music as "a'ccapella" and "surf barber shop rap" its not exactly something you'd associate with pleasant music listening experiences (unless you were dealing in game show land and Carmen SanDiego herself, was standing at the helm). Then again, I tried to dislike them, I really did, but the last time I tried to do that with a Brooklyn-based band, I am now 3 concerts, 3 albums, 2 band interviews and 1 NYC stalking experience away from buying a black Armani suit with a white tie and naming my future never-born daughter, Stella. But for all that was talked about our good friend, Girl Talk this year - who has become the recent equivalent to Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers - if that's the case, then TVotR's Dear Science is 2008's Purple Rain. But in place of Prince's pink and purple fusion is a smattering of dark bloody, maroon with 1,000 shades of gray. TVotR's music - and Dear Science in particular - runs the gamut of epic and majestic, bringing the sounds of the gutters to street surface, spraying all its brutal ugly in throaty hyper-drama, so we can survey the worms and guts and pray that beyond all hope, a tiny flower might sprout from beneath it all. And so it does...

"Halfway Home" as chosen by our dear friend Gaz was/is how he described it on first listen - "a punch to the face." A good way to summarize the current crop of annual critics picks where there's little separation from the mainstream and the underground (Check Pitchfork vs. Billboard this year and you'll find little difference in choices). We as music listeners should be perturbed that our parent's music is making it to number 1 and I'm talking about Fleet Foxes (who I admire quite much), but are nothing more than Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young disguised in beards and flannel. "Is it not me? Am I not folded by your touch? The words you spoke/I know too much/It's over now/And not enough" the words of TVotR's Tunde Adebimpe provide a more profound outlook on the goings-on of this curtain reveal, and as much as we should wait for another greasy blonde-haired brat from Aberdeen or a few lager louts from Manchester to save the day, we don't have to because history is already being rewritten as we speak...

...And you're the one who holds the pen now... or um, mouse button.

This person also liked: Walter Meego, Human Highway and Ray LaMontagne

TV on the Radio - "Halfway Home" (YouTube stream)

TV on the Radio - "Family Tree" (YouTube)

TV on the Radio - "Dancing Choose" (Letterman show)

Bourne To Gaze Into Night Skies

2008-12-24T23:13:00.010-05:00

Top 8 of 2008 Part III

LaQQuanza's Pick:

Cut Copy - "So Haunted"

(At My Ghost Beautiful)

The last time I was in Australia, I battled a serious bout of alcoholism. It wasn't my fault, I blame the beer for tasting so good... that and I fell in love with Melbourne, (my 2nd choice of places I'd move to in a heartbeat, I'm already living in my first choice in case you were wondering... and Sydney is just a hole). The state capital of Victoria, AU is the least likely place where you'd find the second coming of Air or Daft Punk, but for graphic designer, turned DJ, turned electro-pop prince, Dan Whitford is making sure he puts Australia on the map for something other than Marmite and Men @ Work. Whitford and trio have transcended all those corny moments of 80s new wave acts like Human League and moulded them into a listenable blend of dance-punk that their tropical climate control usually suggests against. "So Haunted" booms to life with an all-out Doves-like assault, warbles the koalas from the trees and summons Bez from slumber... and then its Whitford at the helm who spits out his lyrics like they were a frantic yesterday, "there's all these satellites, satellites, satellites, orbiting you and me," only to be smoothed out in chorus with one of the most misheard lyrics since, "Scuse me while I kiss this guy" - "get so HORNY/haunted, I fall in your dreams tonight." Darn those accents are so cute. Then there's the 2:53 mark where I say to myself, 'why did I ever feel ashamed for liking the Pet Shop Boys?' sheesh.

This person also liked: Wolf Parade, The Black Keys and Kings of Leon

Cut Copy - "So Haunted" (YouTube)

Cut Copy - "So Haunted" (Free download via Stereogum)

Scatterbrain's Pick:

Luluc - "Little Suitcase"

(Excuses For Travelers)

Luluc (pronounced: Lou-Luke), Not the prettiest bunch are they? But, hey here's something that will pierce right through your heart, (and I'm not talking about a man-sized Steve Irwin stingray bite... c'mon, dude had it coming to him, fooling around with the wild kingdom). If Leonard Cohen was part of the XX chromosome ilk, chances are he'd sound a lot like this bird from Melbourne. Every once in a while a duo from Australia sings in a coffee house and its crowds are like, 'wow, you could be the next Savage Garden, the next Frente, the next Luluc!' and so we have it, Zoe Rendell and her David Usher look-alike brother (we'll call him Fleur, ya know cause don't he look and smell like one?) are yet again able to create music that is unlike their temperature gauge. "Little Suitcase" sounds like the sort of music you might've heard coming from Stuart Murdoch and Isobel Campbell's squat back in the day, after a night on the piss, walking home in wet slush in -15 and slipping further into a row, only to save the night by warming their bones beside the fire... and falling further in love... and hate. 'pack me suitcase ye right twat!'

This person also liked: Lykke Li, She & Him and Passion Pit

Luluc - "Little Suitcase" (YouTube)

I Held On As Tightly As You Held On To Me

2008-12-21T13:02:00.003-05:00

sad song for a windy morning...

Cinematic Orchestra w/Patrick Watson - "To Build a Home"

As the snow continues to fall outside my window and as much as I often feel I'm on the set of The Shining/and or The Thing lately, I'm content as can be. Of course finding my new favourite song of the moment might be the reason, and as a result there'll be no cabin fever even though as cold and miserable as it looks outside right now, it's almost inviting. "Wendy... give me the bat!"

So last year around this time I managed to fall in love with The Veils' "Leavers Dance" song and wanted to hear nothing else but that song. After seeing the new TV ad for Chivas Regal I had to locate the song that would replace it - thank God for google.... I suggest you don't read the lyrics unless you've got your tissues ready... especially during the piano build.

Cinematic Orchestra/Patrick Watson - "To Build a Home" (Official Video)

Cinematic Orchestra/Patrick Watson - "To Build a Home" (Live in London)

And The Wind Is Blowing Like It's The End Of The World (You Said)

2008-12-15T18:48:00.010-05:00

Top 8 of 2008 Part II

A-Rach-Naphobia's Pick:

The Last Shadow Puppets - "My Mistakes Were Made For You"

(You'll Never Make a Monkey Out Of Me)

For the amount of time and effort it took bands like Blur and Pulp to summarize what it meant to be a scoozin' Brit - living in not so glorious sociopolitical and creative times, Alex Turners' Arctic Monkeys were able to footnote their period quickly with 9 simple words: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Turner and company's most anticipated album of the new millennium had a lot to live up to against such British staples as "Park Life" and "A Different Class," (which are almost commonplace with such things as crisps and cricket as far as the Limes are concerned), but at the measly age of 19, the Monkeys captured the new era of Britain and it's throwback to 1980s counterculture with ease it seemed. Whether such comparisons to lyric-legends like Morrissey are ever warranted and whether you even enjoy their music, one thing is certain: Alex Turner can do whatever he wants. And so he has. With the aid of Miles Kane (of The Rascals), Turner has formed yet again a duo that encapsulates everything English - from the snotty swagger of Ashcroft to the lager and lads bravado of Oasis et al to the mod espionage of Paul Weller - "My Mistakes Were Made For You" is the sort of tune you'd listen to while tracing a bullet casing of a suspicious caper, one that leads you straight to the scene of the crime: Spector's afro.

This person also liked: The Verve, Noah and the Whale and Elbow

The Last Shadow Puppets - "My Mistakes Were Made For You" (YouTube)

The Last Shadow Puppets - "The Age Of The Understatement" (YouTube)

I Am Going To Make It Through This Year If It Kills Me

2008-12-11T19:25:00.014-05:00

Top 8 of 2008 Part I

Rather than stew endlessly about the prospects of what to do with the pile of discs sitting upon my desk, I've decided to go for the jugular and finally slay this beast known as 2008. See, last Friday it was the annual geek-a-thon, where participants dissected the year that was, and came up with their top picks for this year. Rules were simple: No Coldplay... just kidding, although no one went that route (and I'm glad they didn't) as I would look like a bigger asshole than I already am having to escort them out of the sniffy mansion. It was a peculiar assembly of tunes I must say. In a year that was one of the best since 05 or 06, there were no selections from some of the big releases like Portishead or Bloc Party (a real stinker) or *cough* Coldplay, but one thing is for sure, Fleet Foxes were the shit, but still not good enough for number 1. Of course there were a few surprises and I even shocked myself by not selecting anything from Mogwai, The Dears or Glasvegas (a band whose demo tape shot up to as high as #3 on my list last year). Just goes to show how strong a year it was. Now that all those teasers are behind us (3 weeks... 7 days... 3 days... boom!), like thank god, I'm quite sorry that there isn't much more of surprise to give you - like a clip of me humping a steel pole in NYC... not that it ever happened. I swear.

On to it?

Rookie Reck's Pick:

The Secret Machines - "Now You're Gone"

(Ace Of Space)

Secret Machines have always been ridiculed for taking themselves too seriously. In a city like NYC (from which they hail) unless you're the son of the owner of a high-class modeling agency, dating Drew Barrymore or your surname starts with the letter "O" and ends in, well, "O" too, then New York isn't paying attention to you. Yes, it is the place where the colour girls go "do-do-do" but not where bands explore colours of sound by implementing an explosion of warm atmospherics in a little thang critics like to call 'space-rock.' Ask Jason Pierce of Spiritualized about the tag and he'll probably tell you its often synonymous with the word 'boring' and not selling a disgusting amount of records. However, for the patient listener, there is something to be said about bands like Secret Machines who are able to reward people (like me) who fall for this stuff every time. And despite its forlorn theme and constant heart-string meddling, singer/bassist Brandon Curtis assures that "Now You're Gone" was written about his ability to lose things like his keys rather than some bimbo down in SoHo. This track easily has been my favourite of the whole session and I must say that I'm a little ashamed for being oblivious to the fact that they even released something this year. It reminds me of all those lost great bands like Remy Zero and is just a shade under being a Stabbing Westward ballad, but thank god, it's only just a shade... Great pick by the rookie!

This person also liked: The Arkells, The Stills and The Raveonettes

Secret Machines - "Now You're Gone" (stream via Odeo)

Secret Machines - "Sad and Lonely" (YouTube)

Maestro Fresh Reck's Pick:

Girl Talk - "Play Your Part (Part I)"

(Mashes of American Flags)

He's a Biomedical Engineer by day and DJ extraordinaire by night. Either way he's armed with a laptop 24/7 and as much time as he spent knocking the socks off listeners/dancers in 2008, he probably spent looking for an attorney. Nicknamed "a lawsuit waiting to happen" by the New York Times, Gregg Gillis is just your average dude/nerd who stumbled upon the mash-up phenomenon, but found a way to home it out to everyone. How did he achieve this? By becoming your favourite wedding DJ on A.D.D. as his repertoire spans everything from Journey to Sinead to Twisted Sister all within the same track. His set plays out like a Simpsons episode where as many references that you actually *get* the next person might not (and so on). Whether his craft is to be called genius is yet to be determined, but for a fast-paced, loosey-goosey world in which we live in right now, Girl Talk is comfort food for you, the impatient listener who wants an injection of serotonin NOW. Question is, will you be reaching for this album in 5 year's time or Sufjan's Come on Feel The Illinoise? Hmmm...

This person also liked: Goldfrapp, Cat Power and Shearwater

Girl Talk - "Play Your Part (Part I)" (YouTube)

Your Humble Narrator's Pick:

Brian Borcherdt - "Coyotes"

(Full Of Woe And Further To Go)

Selecting a number 1 this year was hard. That's a good thing. That means there was a lot out there to choose from and although Deerhunter came *this* close to taking the cake this year, a little fellow by the name of Brian Borcherdt came out on top and it came down to the last day. Don't get me wrong, Deerhunter's Microcastle is a modern-day OK Computer or Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but as far as song-wise, Borcherdt's title track from his latest 7-song sampler of haunting beauties got me (The Grinch) right in the spot where my little aorta lies. My first encounter with this dude happened back in 2004 where he played his first show ever as a solo artist and began his set with one of my favourite songs in existence, a number called, "Motel." Then a few years later he played at my friend's 30th birthday bash and covered Madonna's "Girl's Just Want To Have Fun" and made it sound like the most endearing tune ever... (Not that it already isn't?). What sets Borcherdt a part from all those solo-humdrum basement dwellers (ala Hayden, Smog, Elliott Smith et al) is the fact that his wintry expanse of sadness is just an outlet he uses from time-to-time as he's also a member of the highly successful and happy Holy Fuck and doesn't have to escape to a log cabin for 3 months to achieve the same effect as his counterparts. He's the reason I still play guitar and write songs in my bedroom that no one will ever get to hear.

This person also liked: Deerhunter, M83 and Bon Iver

Brian Borcherdt - "Coyotes" (stream via myspace)

Brian Borcherdt - "Coyotes" (YouTube live @ Halifax Pop Explosion)

Brian Borcherdt - "Motel" (YouTube stream)

We're Half Awake In A Fake Empire

2008-12-06T13:41:00.002-05:00

It's Here

Top 8 of 2008.... stay tuned

Put A Little Something In Our Lemonade and Take It With Us

2008-12-03T21:30:00.003-05:00

What I'm searching for

to tell it straight, I'm trying to build a wall

Walking by myself down avenues that reek of time to kill

If you see me keep going be a pass a waiver

Build me up, bring me down just leave me out you name dropper

Stop trying to catch my eye

I see you good you forced faker

Just make it easy

You're my enemy you fast talker

I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up

If I could stand up mean for the things that I believe

What am I here for

I left my home to disappear is all

I'm here for myself

Not to know you

I don't need no one else

Fit in so good the hope is that you cannot see me later

You don't know me

I am an introvert an excavator

I'm ducking out for now a face in dodgy elevators

Creep up and suddenly I found myself an innovator

I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up

If I could stand up mean for the things that I believe

Change, change, change, change, change, change

I want to get up out of my skin

tell you what if I can shake it I'm 'a make this

Something worth dreaming of...

...3 Days...

Picking Apples, Making Pies...

2008-11-29T10:47:00.004-05:00

When your sparkle evades your soul
I'll be at your side to console
When you're standing on the window ledge
I'll talk you back from the edge
I will turn your tide
Be your shepard and your guide
When your lost in the deep and darkest place around
May my words walk you home safe and sound

When you say that I'm no good and you feel like walking
I need to make sure you know that's just the prescription talking
When your feet decide to walk you on the wayward side
Up upon the stairs and down the downward slide
I will, I will turn your tide
Do all that I can to heal you inside
I'll be the angel on your shoulder
My name is Geraldine, I'm your social worker

I see you need me
I know you do

.......7 Days......

You Never Get So Close To Death, Makes You So Alive

2008-11-27T17:45:00.006-05:00

...Beneath The Heart of Darkness

Elbow - "Any Day Now"

(You're A Tragedy Waiting To Happen)

I apologize for getting quite personal lately, but rule #3 or #4 in maintaining a blog is to say sorry for something. Not sure why, but bloggers feel the need to self-deprecate themselves on a constant basis - "sorry for not writing in a while" or "man, I've been soOOOo busy I haven't had time to write to you sorry saps" or "geez, I almost like deleted this blog because I have like the lowest self-esteem in the world" they'll say... or I'll say, or I should say. Whatever the case, bloggers use this medium as a therapeutic outlet and maybe I've realized that it's better to be aired out here rather than kept buried somewhere with the dead-sea scrolls, 50,000 leagues under the sea somewhere in the South Pacific. So on to the task at hand - blog therapy...

So I count myself quite fortunate to be alive right now, at this moment, at the previous moment and forward and back and on and on. I only realized today that the story I told my friends last weekend was the Walt Disney version of what happened and the accounts of what took place were more serious than I had ever expected. Without gouging into all the gory details, I will say that I encountered a real Tyler Durden-esque freak-out session via a car-ride from an acquaintance of mine. One where I didn't quite see my life flash before my eyes because like the lowly fool that I often can be, I blamed myself for what happened. When you're a witness to someone literally losing their mind or already in the "daddy's flown across the ocean" territory, it's one of the most real things you will see in your life. So real that you're too much in shock to act accordingly to save yourself from dying. But yeah, no life flashing, all I could think about was... cigarettes? That and music. I wondered what song would be playing in this person's mind during this certain plight. I'm a music geek for all situations (in case you didn't already notice? even near-death ones). The immediate response came back with Elbow's "Any Day Now" = a tribal thumping, alone in the dark woods with the voice of reason/sanity asking questions like, "what's got into me?" "can't believe myself/must be someone else? Must be" until a chorus of more strangers in the night give you the mantra to escape reality for good, "any day now, how's about getting out of this place, anyway, got a lot of spare time/some of my youth and all of my senses are on overdrive."

Mental health is not really a hilarious issue and musicians/artists/comedians are probably the first to tell you that a good reason why they craft their art is for an escape... because all of 'em are a little nuts and are afraid of entering into the Phil Spector wonderland of insanity. Thom Yorke wrote a note-to-self in the form of a song (called "A Reminder"), that in case he went completely bonkers, he'd ask his wife to play him that exact song as a reminder of when he was once good. Hey man, it could happen to anyone. That's why I posted my mom's e-mail. That's the kind of insane I can look forward to (if any, I hope). And as far as dying, meh, I've got a good 6 or 7 lives left in this old cat.

meow.

Song in the Key of Evil - Elbow - "Any Day Now" (YouTube)

Song in the Key of Love - Elbow - "One Day Like This (YouTube)

**Congrats to Elbow for winning the 2008 Mercury Prize!! Only took the UK like 8 years to realize their brilliance, well done chaps**

We Share Our Mother's Health

2008-11-16T20:20:00.005-05:00

Does anybody else's mom send them weird-ass e-mails like this about their dog? Probably not.

Hi Sniffy,

I took leroy to see the vet. He is terribly itchy and Dan gave me 1/2 hr lecture on fleas. I told him that I was brought up with fleas and that leroy had allergy and not fleas. He said yes, but if one flea bites him he might be allergic and scratch himself (for the next 4 months)!!!. I told him that a flea would be dead in days, so we went on and on until I gave up. Anyway he tried to talk me into buying him the most expensive food on the market that he didn't know the price.

Then he gave me some itchy pills that I said I would not give him every 4 hrs. 4. Then he said he would give me 2 every 12 hrs. to give him. It's a steroid so might do liver, kidney and other damage.

I asked him how old was leroy and he said his first visit was in 97! that means he is 11? your painting is done in 99 but you said you did it from a picture.

Anyway I thought you might find it funny. I always thought leroy was 12+ yrs. Take care, Love Mom

Question#1:Brought up with Fleas?
Question#2: Who the eff is Dan?
Question#3: What the eff are 'itchy pills?'
Question#4: Apparently I used to be a painter?

Anyhow, all of this reminds me of The Beatles for some reason. My mom was never a big fan of The Beatles. She liked The Doors.

The Beatles - "Your Mother Should Know" (YouTube)
The Knife - "We Share Our Mother's Health (YouTube)

Stay Out Super Late Tonight...

2008-11-15T13:08:00.012-05:00

....Three Weeks....

And The Air Turns To Falling Snow

2008-11-11T18:17:00.007-05:00

The Ultimate Road Trip Song That Will Save Your Life

Hayden - "Dynamite Walls"

(Baby You Can Drive My Car)

If there's one thing I miss in this world, it's driving. From 17 all the way until a few years ago, I've always had a car at my disposal. There's something magical about driving in Canada esp. the winter and nobody has summed it up better than Toronto's own Hayden Dresser. This ultimate road trip song can be found on Skyscraper National Park (aka: the only Hayden album you should own with "Street Car" being one of the most shockingly beautiful ways to open an album ever) and was the reason I had the idea of doing a NYC road trip last year. Mr. Dresser has become a little bit of a joke/legend in Toronto and you can always guarantee a game of Where's Waldo with him because he's at every cool show, standing awkwardly outside the venue with a hot woman. At last year's National show at The Phoenix, he was not only there, but was called upon to help sing an encore... I suppose you can guess which song they played? "Dynamite Walls" is a call to arms for any Canadian band trying to drive to the next city and is perfectly depicted in the video. The distance between cities/provinces is a major reason why Canadian bands fail to stay together because in the UK you could drive 4 hours and be in another country, whereas here, you'd need about 15-20 hours, 4 tanks of gas, lots of petty band in-fighting just to get from Toronto to Winnipeg. My friends have sorta chickened out on another road trip this year, so I think I might buy a bag of pretzels, Tim Horton's vouchers, a few copies of Skyscraper National Park and rent-a-car and drive to the town where I'll name my next band. Details to follow...

Hayden - "Dynamite Walls" (YouTube)
Hayden - "Street Car" (YouTube Live @ Vancouver Feb 08)

With My Mind On My Money And My Money On My Mind

2008-10-29T17:52:00.012-04:00

The Financial Crisis Edition: Rock, Stocks and Two Smoking Barrels

The Dears - "The Money Babies"

(There Goes, There Goes, There Goes My Profit)

Next time you're out with friends somewhere, pay attention closely to the one who looks like they're bearing the weight of the world on their shoulders. He/she will look forward with a daisy-glaze as if plagued by something, all the while their "filing cabinet strapped to their back" look welcomes a conversation, initiated by a statement with something like: our dollar doesn't look so good these days, hey? You'll notice their eyes open wide like an electric shock charge, sorta like when you take a sip of Coke and it makes your eyes water the surge is so strong. Chances are this person has watched their stock portfolio turn worthless or has heard their parents say that their 70 per cent pension is wrapped up in equity and now lost/dead or maybe they're just worried that the current state of the world economy signals something to the equivalent to the end of days. Call me an eternal optimist, but I'm kind of looking forward to the romantic notion of something like a glass of alcohol only costing $1, but a loaf of bread costing $50. Both made from the same ingredients, however while one is used for sustenance, the other is used to pollute the senses into thinking that, 'hey life ain't so bad after all.' As hard as it is to avoid the financial crisis that has been taken the whole world by storm in a month that will be known as the Hunt for Red October - named for it's negative gains driving everything from the price of oil, stocks and liquidity into the 'red' - there is still a life to be had by all... While the ignorant continue to buy their $6 lattes, SUVs and expensive spa treatments, financial advisers and economists have been clutching their thesauruses, searching for alternatives to words like "volatile," "panic," "fear" and "recession." So the timing couldn't be better for Murray Lightburn and the miserablists in The Dears whose latest single, "The Money Babies" from their 4th LP, Missiles depicts a drastic outlook on what tomorrow might bring if Depression 2.0 decides to take severe turns for the worst. "Our money is elastic" sings Lightburn in the same comforting tone that led us through loser culture on the previously released, Gang of Losers disc. But instead of leading us astray all pied-piper like down the path to victory, Lightburn is confident to regain the holocaustic soup-line atmosphere created on the No Cities Left album with brief glimpses into the past and present with lines like, "Do you remember that time/We thought we were going die/Baby nothing much has changed/And we haven't been the same since - at all." Although The Dears are always the band who you'd vote least likely to keep it together (Lightburn changes the Dears roster as frequently as contestants on What Not To Wear change their wardrobes), but despite being an Anton Necombe in Canadian form, you can always count on Murray Lightburn and his Dears to provide comfort in trying times. And if not, you can always listen to your friend whine continuously about something we'll never be able to control.

The Dears - "The Money Babies" (YouTube)

Bonus B-side (supplied by the Dow Jones index) includes:

Rufus Wainwright - "The Money Song"

(In The Days When You Were Hopelessly Poor - I Just Liked You More)

A 20-something East-coaster Canadian singing like it's the 1930s all over again. Wainwright's selfish cabaret performance reads like a Things-To-Do checklist: 1.) become famous 2.) become a wealthy diva 3.) move to NYC.. but like most 3 wishes, everything comes with consequences and there's nothing quite like dealing with all of them with a crack-cocaine habit. Hauntingly beautiful, Wainwright is able to capture his future for all to hear and does it so with compassion and cleverness like the greedy line of: "If your heart was made of gold/Would I pluck it out and melt it down and be an American and wear a crown." It all comes together in the final verse where self-revelations are all summarized with, "don't underestimate money."

Rufus Wainwright - "The Money Song" (YouTube)

Even A Stopped Clock Gives The Right Time Twice A Day

2008-10-11T12:38:00.017-04:00

A Shoegazer's Guide To The Galaxy...

Grouper - "Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping"

(Sleeping With The Fishes)

"Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill in my ears feels like the relief of an unknown flickering series of burdens, drowning in marrowmoment a living freedom. lifted." These are the kind of comments you can expect to find on the one-girl band myspace page of Liz Harris (aka: Grouper) who has single-handedly reunited listeners with those early 90s' goosebumps with her blend of atmospheric/ambient music. Although it's a little early to start the selection process for Top Albums of 2008, but Grouper's Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill album this year is making it easy already. The Portland, OR native has the ability to create music that sounds like it was recorded at the bottom of the ocean and with Autumn already here, this music especially the song "Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping" is the perfect soundtrack for the changing colours of the leaves, oscillating a soothing comfort in uncertain economic and political times... The kind of music that makes a snowfall seem like a welcome friend, one that you'll have over for dinner and talk over frostbitten lips and red cheeks. Until then, until then.

Grouper - "Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping" (YouTube stream)
Grouper - "Heavy Water" (Myspace)

Ride - "Twisterella"

(Heathen Chemistry)

I sort of have to apologize for taking the mickey out of Mark Gardener's recnt slip into Grecian 5 territory in my last post, but I couldn't help laughing at how this man used to be a heart-throb during the shoegaze era, and now looks like an extra from a George A. Romero flick. Still, Ride *were* responsible for the whole shoegaze tag as people used to say wonderful things about them after catching them live. I suppose the whole term came from bands of that time playing wistful, slow-droning rock music and instead of flailing about the stage in rock n' roll ecstasy, they had to stare at the laces of their sneakers because the effects pedal-pushing required tons of concentration. If Going Blank Again hasn't already made it into the ranks of your CD collection, then I have little to no respect for you. This album ranks top 5 for sure in my Rob Gordon-esque list and marks the end of the band as they went on to release a few uninspiring albums before calling it a day. Still pissed at Andy Bell for joining Oasis, but at least that prevents any possibility of a reunion... somethings are better left burried, the legacy of Ride is left with great pop songs like "Twisterella" a song that always makes me smile... and Ride fans are tops!

Ride - "Twisterella" (YouTube)
Ride - "Taste" (YouTube w/interview)

The Mock Turtles - "Can You Dig It?"

(Oh, Manchester, So Much To Answer For)

Nirvana was really scared that they might get sued by Boston for having a similiar riff to "More Than A Feeling" as it had nearly the same progression. I bet they never had an ounce of fear from Manchester, UK's Mock Turtles because they had the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" intro knocked down pat before anyone could say the word, 'flannel.' Manchester had thousands of these kind of bands in the early 90s', ones where the lead singer had the long-sleeve, white sweater and danced like a spazz, but none did it better than The Mock Turtles. Martin Coogan (a hybrid look of Ian Curtis and Noel Gallagher) had been toiling in bands since 1985 and "Can You Dig It?" despite its 1960s' influenced sound and message, struck a chord with the Madchester mob, D'ya know what I mean? Last year during a Brit-Pop revival DJ night, I requested this song by e-mail the week before and made sure I drank enough Heinekens so I could dance equally as bad as Coogan... And hey, some girls.... 'dug' it? (they were drunk too).

The Mock Turtles - "Can You Dig It?" (YouTube)
The Mock Turtles - "Lay Me Down" (YouTube b-side to CYDI?)

SpireaX - "Speed Reaction"

(Slip Inside This House)

After Jesus and Mary Chain released their first album, Psycho Candy, their drummer (Bobby Gillespie) split and formed a new band called, Primal Scream. Well, another notable; albeit obscure band to form out of the Scream camp was a Scottish dude named Jim Beattie who started up the very psychedlic and dreamy outfit called, SpireaX. Never to be uttered in the same breath as other shoegaze or Creation bands, SpireaX shared a similiar sound to 4AD label mates, The Pale Saints, but still explored more straight ahead pop-clouds of bubblegum ala 60's bands like The Byrds and The Who. I was passed this band by suggestion by a friend who mocks me for liking this kind of music as he finds it to be like drinking your coffee with 5 spoonfuls of sugar and eating a slice of cherry-cheese cake with icing on top. Hey, as I always say, don't be afraid to love what you like!

SpireaX - "Speed Reaction" (YouTube)
SpireaX - "Chlorine Dream" (YouTube)

Blast of Thousands - Discecting the Sound of My Bloody Valentine

By Maths Equation: The Cocteau Twins + Sonic Youth + Public Enemy

Liz Frazer's vocals would become a huge influence on both Kevin Shields and Belinda Butcher. When MBV's singer Dave Conway parted ways with the band, it forced them to re-tool their sound especially the vocals and it was at the time they went for the girl/boy adrogynous leanings. You often didn't know who was singing or what they were saying as the shyness of both singers lead them to over-dub in the hundreds to create this almost alien-esque soundcsape. The way Liz Fraser accentuated certain 'oohs and ahhs' would also figured into Valentine's sound and become a sculptutred staple in recording the masterpiece, Loveless. Her voice obviously becomes operatic and sheering, but MBV tended to side with her mellow background singing instead. Here is just one example on how the Cocteau Twins played a significant role in shaping MBV's signiature blast, with a song called, "Carolyn's Fingers" from my favourite, Blue Bell Knoll album. You could even argue the danceability of the Twins also figured into the layered equation of the band. The Cocteau Twins - "Carolyn's Finger" (YouTube).

Sonic Youth have been around forever. Labelled as the neo-Velvet Underground in the early 1980s, SY made avant-garde post-punk music that was almost unlistenable at the time. Their experimentations with feedback and irregular guitar tuninigs provided to be a little too much for the ears of listeners at the time. But as they grew older and wiser, they discovered the odd melody out of a sea of discordant noise and wreckage. An important component to SY's guitar onslaught came from the ever-useless 'whammy-bar' that to most guitar players (including Hendrix) found to be a pain in the ass because it threw a whole guitar out of tune with one pull-down. Guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo experimented with so many different string-combinations and tunings that made pressing down the whammy-bar sound like a wave of bees coming to attack a honey comb. Here's a good example of its use, from a live performance of "Schizophrenia" from 1991. Pay particular attention to Ranaldo's guitar-sound.
Sonic Youth - "Schizophrenia" (YouTube live in 1991)

Public Enemy? What do they have to do with the sound of My Bloody Valentine? Well, it's no secret that MBV had a touch of rave and dance-influenced samples, throughout Loveless especially. (See also: "Soon" for more evidence) and made no qualms in mentioning that they had a deep respect for hip-hop and rap artists at the time who were utilizing samples and scratching with their DJs who would create these whacked-out sounds underneath bombastic beats. If you listen to this one Public Enemy song in particular, you would think MBV made a direct rip-off of it and pasted in somewhere on their first two-albums (um, like their only two). Their debut, Yo! Bum Rush The Show wouldn't prove to be a huge seller when it came to record sales (they would leave that to It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back), but the sounds and beats coming from a song like, "M.P.E." would definitely influence a few white, pasty kids from Ireland. Public Enemy - "M.P.E" - (YouTube)

And The Things You Loathe (Sing Your Life)

2008-10-07T23:49:00.011-04:00

...The Rodney Dangerfield Voices of Rock - 5 male vocalists who demand the utmost respect (but aren't getting any)...

Adam Franklin of Swervedriver - "The Hitcher"

(Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?)

Hair-lines haven't been kind to those in Oxford, UK lately. Just ask Mark Gardener of Ride (seen: here) or Adam Franklin who shed his infamous dreds around the time Swervedriver went on an indefinite hiatus in 1999. Although Swervies finally came to their senses and provided us with a knock-out reunion tour this past summer, Franklin's dreds are still missing, but he and the band sound better than ever. In 1988, SWD jumped aboard the Alan McGee train (thanks to a demo passed across by their Oxford mates, hmph in Ride) and led a fairly successful career from the early-to-mid 90s', but somehow still didn't fit in with everything else. One element critics immediately associated them with was this monstrous guitar sound that was a mushroom cloud of heavenly goodness - supplied with ample riffs and soundscapes that could transcend the mind into madness without a single reach for another puff on a spliff. However, what everyone fails to mention is the fact that Adam Franklin possesses a powerful voice that often/always gets overlooked. It's soothing and hypnotic, never reaching any Corgan caterwals or grandpa Vedder groans and to top it off, the man's a poet. Take for instance this b-side, "The Hitcher" a Franklin staple as a solo artist (aka Toshack Highway) contains some of the sweetest streamlined love-song lyrics, disguised in metaphors and similies, and shines bright like a light from the parting clouds on a May morning. Here's a sample: "You're always far out in the midrange/All around the state boundary spillage signs/Somebody burnt down all the pylons/And you're my passport through these mines/I get this feelin', I wanna hitch a ride on your smile."

Adam Franklin - "The Hitcher" (YouTube live @ Jackpot Records Portland)
Swervedriver - "The Hitcher" (Stream @ last.fm )
Swervedriver - "Duel" (YouTube)

Rob Dickinson of Catherine Wheel - "Heal"

(His Name Is Love)

The hardest thing a friend of mine had to do recently was to say 'no' to Rob Dickinson's request to join his band as drummer for his solo stint, promoting his third-time-released debut, Fresh Wine For The Horses album. It'd be like me telling Radiohead I don't want to be their 4th guitarist, oh but what a 4th guitarist I'd make. Unfortunate circumstances aside (my friend is managing a ton of bands, plus his own label and playing drums for 2 others including his own), there are few out there besides the 'jock-jam' audience who truly appreciate the girth and beauty that comes from Dickinson's vocal chords. Like Swervedriver, Catherine Wheel didn't really blend in with the brit-pop and rave-scene at the time as their music was mostly guitar-driven, drowsy rock with Rob's echoed yelps steering the ship into certain unchartered territories. They were just another band who missed out on the Creation Records sweepstakes (blame My Bloody Valentine's over-spending on Loveless for that), as McGee decided to put all funds and faith in two brothers named "Gallagher" and instead of hearing "Phantom of the American Mother" or "Black Metallic" on radio-laced syndicate, we're ever-blessed with "Live Forever" and "Wonderwall" ad nauseam.

Rob Dickinson - "Heal" (YouTube live @ FM 94.9 San Francisco)
Catherine Wheel - "Black Metallic" (YouTube)

Danny McNamara of Embrace - "The Good Will Out"

(This Is Music)

Take a look at this pose... yeah that one, right there. Bands like The Verve, Oasis, and The Charlatans UK have all dawned this look before.... so why does Embrace looked so scared? It could be the fact that for most of their career North America and the rest of the World has looked at them as some kinda poseur act, a Verve-lite if you will or that behind that fake, 'tough' exterior (the one they're trying to cop in this photo) this West Yorkshire, UK 5-some are just a bunch of softies who spend Sunday mornings watching The Corries with Gran and helping mum peel potatoes for tea. If you've been one of the lucky ones who's purchased their debut, The Good Will Out on a whim, ya know because they do those Stone Roses rock poses on the album cover with all the pomp and swagger you could hope for in an outfit from the British Isles, then you know that McNamara and brother Richard are no flukes when it comes to making you wince because there ain't nearly enough lighter fluid in this world to keep your flame alight when these boys perform one of their million ballads. Sure, if you took all of em' and placed them beside something like "Sonnet" or "The Drugs Don't Work" their gold paint would flake apart during just one rainfall, but hey, I've been caught singing, "Come Back To What You Know" in the bath once or twice and "Fireworks" has been on epic-repeat since I was 19. But yeah, it's all in McNamara's voice who could guide you through the roughest of times if you'd just give him a chance. And if you get all the way through their debut disc, then you'll be fortunate enough to find the closer, "The Good Will Out" where the McNamara bros. are like the Appletons ('cept in male form of course) and if you see the crowd, they go ape-shit for these guys... You'll never understand what Danny is going on about, but you'll wait patiently with baited ear just like you would watching that bloated Keane singer reach for another plate of perogies.

Embrace - "The Good Will Out" (YouTube live @ Leeds)
Embrace - "Looking As You Are" (YouTube)

Grant Lee Phillips of Grant Lee Buffalo - "Mocking Birds"

(Mighty Joe Swoon)

If you claim to know a single thing about me, one of my most sacred 'things' is the fact that I adore Grant Lee Buffalo... well, the first 2 albums. Ever since I heard "Fuzzy" blaring from the stereo of a faraway pick-up truck while I was waiting for my dad to return from the bank, I just remember being transfixed to the sound, it was bewilderment and beauty all wrapped into one. Bewildered for the fact that I'd never know who sang this song as it chimed from one of CFNY Radio's ultra-independent hour-long specials and beautiful because this voice was so mysterious and haunting, but comforting like a pillow all the while. Jump forward to a few years later when I was waiting for my dad again and from a different pick-up truck altogether (I lived on a farm for 20 years of my life, hence my run-ins with Fords), I heard this same voice and felt that same feeling once again, "one day this ground will break and open up for me I hope it will, I hope it will" sang this unknown figure and again, this dark and enchanting feeling came across me once more. Because we were still living in the age of Aquarius rather than the Internet, it's not like I could just google the lyrics and figure out who it was, I had to run outside to hear the radio announcement name that artist and this time I had it pegged. Still it took me a while to finally get my hands on a GBL album (I would later borrow my older brother friend's cassette tape and it never left my car), but Mighty Joe Moon (to this day) gets a spot on my top 10 albums of all time. Singer, Grant Lee Phillips and band spent most of their early career on the road touring in 1993 and during that span they saw all of America for the first time. Out of these travels came tales about Texas - "Lone Star Song" (written about David Koreshs' cult) or forlorn twisted tales of love ("Happiness" and "Honey Don't Think") and other worldy history ("Last Days of Tecumseh" about the chief who died Chatham, ON Canada), the uncloaked Coventry girl "Lady Godiva and Me" and a brief history of time with the time-span of man's inventions and all its evils in "Sing Along." While all these great songs were written on the road and ready for recording, the major earthquake that rattled LA in early 1994 also claimed the house of Grant Lee and his wife, thus inspiring him to write the song "Mockingbirds" and hence the affermentioned lyric about the ground 'breaking.' Though the band has remained in relative obscurity despite sponsorship from bands like Smashing Pumpkins and R.E.M., Grant Lee Buffalo only really had a minor hit in "Truly, Truly" before calling it quits in 1998. Definitely one of the most underrated bands who definied the college alt-rock era and one of my favourite vocalists of all time. He's like Neil Young, except sligthly less annoying.

Grant Lee Buffalo - "Mockingbirds" (YouTube)
Grant Lee Buffalo - "Lone Star Song" (YouTube)
Grant Lee Buffalo - "Truly Truly" (YouTube live @ David Letterman Show)

Finn Andrews of The Veils - "Vicious Traditions"

(The Seldom Seen Kid)

The worst part about Finn Andrews (singer of The Veils) is that he was only 17 when he wrote most of the songs that appear on the band's debut, The Runaway Found. Kind of sickening when such talent and maturity could come from someone such an age, but what was even scarier was the prospect that he could only get better, and he did. Nux Vomica came out a few years later in 2006 and eclipsed its predecessor yet nobody was listening. I have a feeling the buzz of this band is slowly going to take shape and they're going to blow up big for all to hear. And if that never happens, I won't mind either. At Lee's Palace last Saturday, The Veils were openers for Liam Finn and never have I seen Lee's that packed, and let alone *that packed* for an opening act. Yet here they were in all modesty (hanging out with the crowd by the merch table before the show) and bringing up Rough Trade label mate, Basia Bulat to help sing a new number called, "Scarecrow." If that song along with others (something about 'sitting by the fire' and another one about a 'letter') are any indications of what the new album (to be released in March) will sound like, then I finally have a new album to circle on my calendar... and boy it's been years since I've been able to say that. A song that I've had plauging my mind for over a week non-stop is one from The Runaway Found called, "Vicious Traditions." At first I didn't think any thing of it because it was ever-brooding and seemed to plod nowhere, but after a few listens, I can't put it down now. Rumours have it to be written about Joseph Stalin, Jesus Christ or umm George Bush (isn't every song written about him, really), but hearing the lines, "he danced with devils in beautiful buildings" just sends a million shivers down my funny places. Those obsessed with all things Ashcroft and Bunnymen will appreciate the voice of Finn Andrews. I said to my friend during the show that it was hard to believe that this voice was coming from this frail, 50-pound New Zealander, and yet at the same time I thought, 'I can also thank this little shit for keeping this blog from instinction, and keeping me up on a weeknight writing to god knows who and about god know what.' Here

...and I wouldn't have it any other way

The Veils - "Vicious Traditions" (YouTube)
The Veils - "Wild Son" (YouTube)
The Veils - "Calliope!" (YouTube)

Still Cries At A Good Film

2008-10-01T23:50:00.004-04:00

...No Longer Empty and Frantic

The post that took over a month to write. Sheesh. Inpsired by a friend's idea for a CD-mix club night that never happened, I took on the task of choosing my favourite songs in film. Oh boy, why did I bother? This post was written and deleted at least a half dozen times and held up production for anything in September. Mojo is a funny thing, ain't it? And I'm not talking about that sad rag in England or the thing Jim Morrison's Doors sang about... more along the lines of Austin Powers. I'll shut up now. Without further adieu, I give you this post... My only rules were: No Fight Club, and No Trainspotting.. Again, I'll shut up now before I delete this post again.

Two Hands
Powderfinger "These Days"

(Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys)

This first time I went to Australia in 1999, those mick-drunk bastards were ranting and raving about this Aussie flick called Two Hands. Knowing that Heath Ledger was in it, I got like, not excited at all man, after all, it's not like he was out to redeem himself after playing a gay cowboy and re-do the Joker role or something, this was Heath in his early years. I had a change of heart after watching it and seeing one of my top ten crushes (here) star as his love interest. And the movie itself? Pretty effing good... for Australia that is. I mean, some of the humour goes way over your head, but in all, it was no Knight's Tale or anything. So that brings us to Powderfiner whose song, "These Days" appears at the pinnacle point of the film with Heath getting revenge on the bad guys and escaping with his/my love interest... oh joy... or does he? You'll have to watch to find out. Brisbane's Powderfinger are Australia's equivalent to Pearl Jam (in popularity except better music in my opinion), but this song was massive when I was there and they almost got their big break in US/Canada after getting an opening slot for Coldplay's Parachutes tour, until Chris Martin got sick and canceled every concert, thus Powderfinger remains in relative obscurity as does this underground, classic film.

Powderfinger - "These Days" (Live Across The Great Divide Your 2007)
Two Hands - (Part 7)
Two Hands - (Part 8)

All The Real Girls

Mogwai "Mogwai Fear Satan (Remix)"

(We Could Go To The Pictures And See Something Funny)

"if someone said that Mogwai are (the) stars, I would not object. If the stars had a sound, it would sound like this."
I'm surprised that Mogawi's music hasn't been utilized more in movies. Besides the scoring for football phenom, Zidane in 2007, the 'Gwai has kept quiet when it comes to motion pictures. Sure, they've whored themselves out to TV's Sex and the City and Levi's Jeans (of all things), but rarely have I heard their blend of ambient post-rock shifting in the background during a Fincher or Von Trier film, and at the same time, I'm glad I haven't. And just like Norwegian girl who's responsible for the above quote from the opening of Yes I Am A Long From Home, fans of Mogwai say the darndest things about them... for good reasons.
Us 'indie' folk are/were supposed to fall in love with All The Real Girls, but I found it to be What's Eating Gilbert Grape? without a fat lady and retard to laugh at... (although Zoey Deschanel's character comes close to at least one of those). Despite it's lame attempt at being a tortured, *cooler* version of Say Anything, it did have one of those moments where Mogwai's music appears at the perfect time and saves the film from being an utter piece of crap. For anyone who knows the band, "Mogwai Fear Satan" is their anthem... It's what "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was to Nirvana and "Creep" is to Radiohead (except Mogwai still don't mind playing it live).

Mogwai - "Mogwai Fear Satan" (Live Fuji Rock 2003)
Mogwai - "Mogwai Fear Satan" (Kicking a Dead Pig remixes)

Buffalo '66

Yes "Sweetness"

(The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get)

We here in Canada have our own version of those wank-rockers called, Yes. They're dudes from Toronto who have maps of pentatonic guitar scales on their ceilings and sing like they have their nuts in a vice, we like to call them Rush. No one ever claims to like a song by either band (although "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" is fun in that Rosanne Barr singing the US National Anthem kinda way and "Tom Sawyer" was like, 'cooool is this the theme from Tron?'), but when Vincent Gallo decided to close off one of my top 10, (if not top 5) films with a song by Yes, it was heart-melting. Sure, a lot of people think he's a self-masturbator just as are those prog-rock douches with their feathered hair and pukka-shelled jean jackets (with ample zippers man), but the film and song is genius. I spent one summer watching nothing but Buffalo '66 and actual developed a strong attraction to Christina Ricci. Then I grew out of that... Like, thank god.

Yes - "Sweetness" (YouTube)

Welcome To Sarajevo

Stone Roses "I Wanna Be Adored"

(Too Vain To Seem So Capable)

Nobody talks about the Bosnian War, or did they ever? You know, it was that thing that lasted, you know, like 5 years, with lots of genocide, 100,000 people murdered and caused the major break-up of Yugoslavia? Meh, it's no War on Terror or 9/11, so not really worth mentioning. However, a few months after the dust settled in 1997, Hollywood decided it was worthy enough of a depiction and filmed on location in both Serbia and Croatia in the exact places where everything unfolded. Both Woody Harrelson and Marissa Tomei did their best to raise awareness to this devastating war by starring in the film, but all efforts were in vain as the film did nothing more than go straight to video. It's a shame because hearing Stone Roses' "I Wanna Be Adored" in a theatre with tanks charging by and bullets whizzing round' with 'dobra dobra bog!' uttered in frantic Yugo would've been ace. Apparently the director wanted to emulate the feeling of Viet Nam films where they'd have the popular tunes of the day (Hendrix, Doors etc) blarring from helicopters as the U.S. got their asses diced by the VC. Here in Welcome To Sarajevo, bands like House of Love, Teenage Fanclub and the Roses all get looks and suprisingly goes well with the film.

Stone Roses - "I Wanna Be Adored" (YouTube)

Rushmore

Cat Stevens "The Wind"

(He Was A Sweet And Tender Hooligan)

When my friends and I saw Rushmore in theatres we were speechless. Not for the reason that it was a materpiece concerning the geek-chic crowd, but because our friend Adrian *WAS* Max Fischer. I mean it was crazy-scary how similiar the two were down to the haircut, glasses, braces and bizarre schemes to score chicks. One of them included me starring in one of his films and my love interest (she had an exotic name like Mackenzie Bear or something) was Adrian's crush of all crushes. So his grand scheme was to win her over by being around her constantly while he shot us both and of course shot extra-long footage of her for his own personal use. I wouldn't be surprised if he submitted an auto-biography or a script to Wes Anderson because the details concerning Rushmore and my friend Adrian were too unreal... (he even had a Viet Nam scene like ending of Rushmore with explosions and all sorts). Anyhow, down to the tunes. Wes Anderson's second film would set up a career in choosing the right songs for the right scenes. Later on in The Royal Tannebaums, we all know how shocking and brilliant the attempted suicide scene of Luke Wilson's character with Elliott Smith's "Needle and the Hay" ushering the viewer to the hospital because well, it happened in real life too, didn't it? (However, Wilson luckily survived). Although Rushmore contains a very impressive soundtrack, I have to side with Cat Stevens' "The Wind" only because when I hear it in the film, I freeze to my seat every time and Mr. Yousef just shouldn't have that affect on me, ok?

Rushmore Scence (YouTube)
Cat Stevens - "The Wind" (YouTube)

The King

Sparklehorse "Sad & Beautiful World"

(My Father, My King)

I bet 5 out of 5 people who read this post (and there are only about that number of you), have never seen this film. I don't really recommend it unless you're into one of those - man hits rock bottom, man makes mistakes, man finds God, man starts family, man becomes pastor of church, man lives a happily ever after... until, one of man's mistakes comes back to haunt him in the form of Gael Garcia. You'll never see Garcia in that cute/adorable light again ladies as he comes back for revenge and slowly wreaks havoc on his 'supposed' father and illegitimate brother and sister. The sister played by my sweetheart (Pell James) and the brother played by Paul Dano sings a song in church one day to prove a simple point about life to which his Pastor father (William Hurt) overly objects. The song in question? Sparklehorses' "Sad & Beautiful World." If you ever listen to it, you'll see why. It's probably one of literally, the saddest and most beautiful songs you'll ever hear and listening to Dano's character playing it in the movie, just brought it to new heights because it's a song you probably don't want to listen to when you're on you're last rope, or maybe you do? A hymn that should be played in churches more often.

Sparklehorse - "Sad & Beautiful World" (YouTube)
Paul Dano - "Sad & Beautiful World" (YouTube)

Romeo + Juliet

Radiohead "Exit Music (For A Film)"

(The Dice Was Loaded From The Start)

If Grade 9 wasn't awkard enough for teenagers, what with the pubscent elements all taking flight with hair growing in places that it never grew before, hormones at their peak, hundreds of people older than you pushing you around and those social peer pressures of drugs, sexualites and 'fitting in' somewhere, then introducing them to Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet play doesn't seem like a good idea, does it? Here you have the enevitable suicide-pact ending and the *doomed* lovers syndrome, where if you don't get your own way, then at least you have an easy exit... hmmm what a great tool to implement into young impressionable minds. Oh, that and the fact that reciting Shakespeare, sucked. Baz Luhrman did all he could to make Bill Shakes cool amongst the cool by adding Leonard DiCaprio and Claire Danes as his leading R & J... and ya, it freaking worked. So when he approached Radiohead about contributing a song to the film, the band was like, 'a rose by any other name man!' (Apparently Romeo and Juliet made Thom Yorke weep like a baby koala when he figured the two had snuffed it out.) The band was so blown away by their own piece of work that they told old Baz, like you can't have this one for the soundtrack, but we'll give you another one instead? As compensation they donated, "Talk Show Host" and used "Exit Music (For a Film)" for the outro... it's like telling someone, 'no you can't have a Rolls Royce, but will this Mercedes Benz suffice instead?' Dare I go out on a limb and say that Exit Music defined OK Computer.. Sure you had Airbag, Android and Alien before it, but this song with its sadly strummed B-minor pattern and the words, "Wake. From Your Sleep." did more than just put you right there in Romeo and Juliet's final moments, it saved and changed lives... as it continues to do so, 10 years on and on and on.

Radiohead - "Exit Music (For a Film)" (live on YouTube)

Good Will Hunting

Elliott Smith "Miss Misery"

(The Girl Will School You)

Another movie I wanted to hate because of those two pant-loads (Damon and Affleck), but when I was on my near death-bed in 1998, I had the opportunity of watching the Oscars and see these two bumbbling twats smiling with their best crest smiles and collecting all these trophies under their arms, it was irritating to say the least. While huffed up on Codeine, I saw this frail, greasy-haired man in a white suite take the stage and sing this wonderful song that made me, like not want to die brothers and sisters. His name was Elliott Smith. Of course the only award I wanted the movie to win, lost to Celine Dion for that Titanic waste of time, called... well, Titanic. After hearing Smith play this song it gave me a boost of life because at the time, I was dying in pain from shingles as an 18-year old and really didn't think I was going to make it. I attribute the song "Miss Misery" for putting my health back on track and within 2 weeks, I was better again and ending up renting, Good Will Hunting just so I could hear that song again. To my surprise there was more than just one Smith song as it was littered with his whisper-breath vocals as Will Hunting and gang would ride around in the rain and Elliott would be guiding them around. The film was more than just good, it was amazing and I was totally taken back by Damon and Affleck's performances... of course if Elliott Smith's music was absent, my thoughts might be different. But since seeing the Oscar performance and Good Will Hunting, Elliott Smith had/has become a huge part of my music listening life and even though he's gone to the grave, his music, his words and his modest grace will continue to resonate with me just like that night I first heard him perform "Miss Misery." Thanks again man.

Elliott Smith - "Miss Misery" (YouTube)
Elliott Smith - "Miss Misery" (Live @ the Oscars 1998 YouTube)

Kids

Sebadoh"Spoiled"

(Suffer Little Children)

Although I believe that Harmony Korine is a giant waste of time, when I finally mustered up the strength to watch Kids, I was left with a Keeanu Reeves, "whoa." Korine's depiction of teenage suburbanites from Brooklynn was a jaded look at 'what could happen' more than 'this IS happening' because after all, these kids were my age at the time and I knew no one who was taking part in such activities... But to my naivity, this film had me believe that people in my age group were actually this ridiculous and careless. When the film comes to it's last scene - to a drunken house party - turns into very dark and harrowing moments as the main character and his friend are now both infected with HIV and despite all their stupidity, you still feel sorry for them. Part of that has to do with the song that is played when the credits arrive. I once filled out one of those surverys that had to do with 'Desert Island Song' and one of them was, "if you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?" Can you guess which one I chose? I have no idea why Sebadoh's "Spoiled" brings such a massive rush and range of emotion each time I listen to it, as it sounds like Lou Barlow recorded it in the bathroom at one of these kids' house parties and here he is bringing them the bad news, but to this day and 10 years later, it still manages to gut me. I think it's a perfect choice for a never-ending (and only) song forever because as the years pass and as I grow older, this song always brings back nostalgia in waves with innocence; its underlying message being, I don't have an answer for everything and I am built to make mistakes.

"Could it be way over my head? Helpless to describe it"

Sebadoh - "Spoiled" (YouTube)

Lost In Translation

My Bloody Valentine"Sometimes"

(Your Lips Move, But I Can't Hear What You're Saying)

When I heard My Bloody Valentine's "Sometimes" at age 14, I nearly wept. Not because I was floored at the dreamy headspace it put me in, nor that it felt like my first proper kiss with a girl I actually liked, but because I had this notion that I had been listening to the wrong music all along. Quite the burden to put on yourself when you're that young, but you must realize, I was listening to R.E.M.'s Life's Rich Pagaent and Document at age 9, so I was way ahead of my counterparts...and my time, I always put pressure on myself musically that way. So when I heard that Sofia Coppola was going to use my favourite MBV song in her upcoming movie, I was distraught, how dare she? Especially when my one-and-only heart-throb (I swear there's only one), Scarlett Johansson was to star in it. Well, as usual, my original instincts proved wrong because from the opening scene I was on board with Scarlett's character (Charolette) - newly married, in a huge unfamiliar city and came to the realization that she's made a huge mistake... hmmm, how could I not look on with interest? Then she meets Bill Murray's character and that's someone I'd definitely identify with nearly 2 years after seeing Lost In Translation, the paralells were uncanny. A lot of people who believe that they understand My Bloody Valentine's music, actually don't. Those who don't care, think it's a wall of noise, burried vocals with nearly no substance or listenability. My belief is that the band happened upon a happy accident and that big accident turned out to be an album called, Loveless. They spent the rest of their careers trying to figure out how they built this thing and when they couldn't replicate it, they still tried to make sense of it and spent too much time analyzing and investigating what they had accomplished. In the mean time, they changed the way people listened to rock music and became a reference point for nearly two decades worth of bands. And here were are 17 years later and the band has finally figured it out, "oh, we're supposed to enjoy this?" That's probably the exact thing Bill Murray whispers in the ear of Scarlett Johansson at the end of the film. Or not, who cares. All I know is that she married a 29-year old Canadian boy recently (no, not me :( and MBV take their name from an underground Canadian film. What does this have to do with anything? Nothing, it's all lost in translation anyway... And how did I feel when I finally heard the song in the film? "______________________________"

it's a secret and I can't tell anyone....

My Bloody Valentine - "Sometimes" (Lost in Translation @ YouTube)

Sur La Denier Page Du Chapitre

2008-08-30T13:19:00.015-04:00

August and Everything After...

The Walkmen - "Another One Goes By"

(In a Dream We Are Connected)

I fell in love in my dreams two nights in a row now. It was weird to have that feeling unconscious and without wanting it. And despite all that happened in the 30 seconds of lucid-state wonderland, I'm glad to only have it for those fleeting moments. Both different girls, both younger and both excited about me, and the connection between each was the similar soundtrack, that being The Walkmen's "Another One Goes By" which played out in Vanilla Sky-esque ecstasy. I know, I know, I know, you probably shouldn't like The Walkmen if you despise Bob Dylan, but what that mushroom-haired, jewish sun-tot doesn't give me is rain-soaked reverb and 5-and-dime-type strolls through memory lane... and thank god "Maggie's Farm" wasn't on the jukebox during my dreams. Instead all-too-fitting lines like, "I don't know what to offer you, I'm only broke and lonely" seeped through in a Dylan-esque delivery courtesy of Walkmen crooner, Hamilton Leithauser. Perhaps the reason this song was on repeat recently was to remind me that The Walkmen have just released their latest album last week (August 19, 2008) entitled, You & Me. As much as I love this song and a handful of others, the band just doesn't do it for me on a long-player format. Not to be confused with that awful Canadian band from Winnipeg called, The Watchmen.
**editors note: This is a cover song by a band named Marazin (listen here)**

The Walkmen - "Another One Goes By" (Live @ Schubas Chicago, IL 3/11/07)
The Walkmen - "Another One Goes By" (Last.Fm Stream)
Hilarious Cover Attempt - Amazing... Just amazing in every way

Nada Surf - "Blonde on Blonde"

(Platinum Blonde)

Of course the most logical step in the mix, or as my Egyptian co-worker would say, 'mix-it de grill' is this tune about one of Dylan's albums that's supposedly playing on his portable picnic player... Better his than mine, I say. And listening to what Matthew Caws sing about his favourite album almost makes me what to give Dylan another chance, he's that convincing. NOT. Despite all that, Caws has an amazing voice and it's too bad most people sold the band off after their one-hit wonder, "Popular" because 2003's Let Go disc is one of the most, if not thee most under-rated albums in indie-rock history.

Nada Surf - "Blonde on Blonde" (Live @ Dour Festival Denmark 2006)
Matthew Caws of Nada Surf - "Blonde on Blonde" (Live @ FM 949 San Diego)
Nada Surf - "Blonde on Blonde" (Last.Fm Stream)

Holy Fuck - "Lovely Allen"

(You'll Go To Hell For What Your Dirty Mind Is Thinking)

Here's one from the most feared band name to be said out loud. Yes, Canada has no shame especially when it comes to naming our bands... after all, we have The Barenaked Ladies right? Remember how controversial that shit was? Right down to our mayor suggesting vehemently that they change their name because it was oh-so discriminatory, not to mention misogynistic. I'm sure the boys in Holy Fuck (from Toronto, ON by way of Yearmouth, NS) were only aiming to make people uncomfortable for future google searches and hey, not a bad way to gain attention. Although I'm more a Brian Borcherdt fan than HF, this song will most likely have you repeating it's moniker a few times by the song's end. It's by no fluke that HF's self-titled LP made the shortlist for the Polaris prize as it contains quite an explosive take on the whole electronica thing, but whereas most of those acts tend to sound more synthetic and sterile, HF possess an organic and heavenly approach to their music. They also kill re-mixes as they de-constructed Radiohead's "Nude" and made it something differently and totally mind-bogglingly great.

Holy Fuck - "Lovely Allen" (Unofficial video YouTube)
Holy Fuck - "Lovely Allen" (Live @ Somehwere?)
Holy Fuck - "Nude (Radiohead ReMix)" (Free D/L @ Pitchfork media)

Guided By Voices - "The Best of Jill Hives"

(How's My Drinking?)

How's everyone's summer going so far? It's over? Noooooooo! Over here in Can-a-duh, some fool started a rumour that the closing weekend of the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) signals the end, the bittersweet end of the summer. The funny part about it is that EVERYONE believes it. If people only listened to more Guided By Voices, say something like, "Hold on Hope" they'd be more optimistic concerning the changing of seasons. I'd have to say that this summer was a blast especially August where a number of great things happened and I'll be sad to see this month go. And as the airshow flies over my hung-over head, today I feel in a Robert Pollard mood and therefore need to hear some GBV. There's some ambition dude out there in the blog world who is dissecting every song... For those who have no clue about this band, their catalog ranges in the thousands including a slew of box-sets, alternate versions and lots of amazing Pollard lyrics to sift through. Good luck. If I were to choose only a top 10 list, "The Best of Jill Hives" from their swan song, 2004's Earthquake Glue would make it to number 1 with a bullet. It's tough because I only own a third of their material and it's already impossible to dislike any of their songs, so I'm sure the difficulty of that process would only thicken if I had more at my disposal. Heck, I'd still be content if I only had Pollard's drunkenly slurred chorus, "I don't know where you find your nerve/I don't know how you choose your words" and nothing else. Of course the best line of this song (and there's many of em') is, "do we really need to see/all her punchdrunk history/and which of it might hold the key/to the exit of her destiny." Kind of makes you want to start drinking Budweiser, don't it?

Guided By Voices - "The Best of Jill Hives" (Unofficial video YouTube)
Guided By Voices - "The Best of Jill Hives" (To The Images of Final Fantasy?)
Guided By Voices - "Glad Girls" (Live @ Fillmore San Francisco 2001)

Last Flowers Till The Hospital

2008-08-16T12:30:00.034-04:00

Believe, Relief, Believe
Believe, Relief, Believe

Chad VanGaalen - "Clinically Dead"

(I Don't Want To Be Crippled and Cracked)

Instead of writing to youz guys, I really should be packing. For what you ask? Surgery. Tis correct. If you're looking at the musical scale by age, then Travis hit it on the nose correctly with, "Why Does It Always Rain On Me" (the pinnacle song for age 17 because everyone lies at that age and you feel cursed for life), then we have mid '20s represented with Snow Patrol's "Chocolate" (your first fuck-up at 25 presents many revelations and relief, but doesn't eliminate the mistake), so then, what is the epic song for 29? Perhaps it's Glass Tiger's "I'm Still Searching For Someone" ... nah, Canadiana at it's best with matching denim tops and bottoms meets poodle cuts helps no one. Maybe something about growing old, getting surgery and loving life. Well, here is my choice and it belongs to this dude from the most profitable province in Canada (Calgary,AB).

Chad VanGaalen - "Clinically Dead" (YouTube)

Women - "Black Rice"

(Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon)

I'm like The Wedge, except better. As much as I'd like to wait all week, to stay-in on a Friday to watch the only hour that matters on TV (as far as the MuchMusic camp is concerned), I'd like to throw out a few thematic mixes myself. Women are the perfect follow up to VanGaalen's track because they also hail from Calgary,AB and Chad VanGaalen produces their self-titled disc. Minimalistic and sparse arrangements done in that Grizzly Bear sort of way, a melodic ride with a path unknown, but the pay off is great.

Women - "Black Rice" (live @ Broken City YouTube)

Aloha - "The End"

(You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello... err Aloha)

See this picture here? This is the typcial indie-rock pose; the white-boy equivalent to Martin Luther's 'been to the mountain top y'all' speech and the 'dream' they have is to deliver you the best 2 minutes and 44 seconds music has to offer. "I was hoping for an easy time, an ever-burning light in your eyes..." is all it'll take to hook you into this one.

Aloha - "The End" (stream/download @ indiemuse)

Human Highway - "Moody Motorcycle"

(Daddy's Speeding)

Nick Thorburn/'Neil Diamonds' of Islands and Unicorns fame never seems to take a break. Despite the dramatic collapse of both of those bands, Thornburn is someone who is always doing something. The Campbell, BC native is just one of those prolific dudes who gets bored easily therefore ends up destroying these masterpieces just as their receiving there final palette of colour. Here he teams up with Guelph,ON native Jim Guthrie (the guy responsible for the "hands in my pocket hands in my pocket.." mastercard commercial song and ALS campaign AND ex-Islands member) for a Simon & Garfunkel-esque retrospective. Human Highway comes highly recommended from an extremely reliable source and I'm glad I gave them a listen, and you should too.

I have fond memories of getting shit-faced on a Thursday night before one The Islands shows in Toronto with Nick, my friend Bill and The Islands. He insisted on calling me 'Sniffy...' weirdo. Bill was The Unicorns unofficial/official roadie and was one reason for keeping them together (and tearing them a part at the same time), if that makes any sense?

Human Highway - "Moody Motorcycle" (stream @ myspace)
Human Highway - "The Sound" (stream @ myspace)

**Hope that tides you over for now. Wish me luck and see you next week!**

Cause Your Friends Are Fucked Up Anyway

2008-08-13T21:12:00.006-04:00

Sun Kil Moon - "Gentle Moon"

(Just Like The Ocean, Always In Love With The Moon)

I'm always rooting for a guy like Mark Kozelek. With a thick coating of woe stuck on his vocal cords, the native of Massillon, OH always seemed the type that would never make it, never get by. But with his voice, as pained as it often feels and sounds comes the revelation of a person who is not only succeeding through the struggles, but is comforting his listeners in the process. You owe a lot to him. You've put up a lot, listening to outrageous twats like Doherty and Winehouse about their stints in rehab, pathetic stories that have little to do with music, but more with raising some imaginary 'celebrity clown' status, so it's time you gave something real a chance, no? Or if you're into that tripe, you could put a tracer on Mark's past and it'd come back with results of drug rehab assignments dating back to age 10. If that isn't enough, the 12-year career of his upstart band, the College-Alternative heroes, Red House Painters was full with petty band in-fighting to escalated band fighting (one member slept with another one's girl), to admitted drug abuse, to their eventual demise in 2001. What they left behind was a legacy and back catalog of 6 albums you should own.

In the aftermath of RHP (Red House Painters not the Chilli Peppers), Kozelek focused on his solo work and released a slew of cover songs (he is actual Cat Power in male form as he releases shit-loads of them), one you might have already heard on a GAP commercial, The Cars' "All Mixed Up." Elsewhere, Kozelek refined his bittersweet and ghostly balladry in a new project called, Sun Kil Moon. Herein lies "Gentle Moon" a song for all seasons found on Ghosts of the Great Highway. One that I sometimes listen to only on the way to work. It takes roughly 45 minutes to get there, so that's approximately 9 times. Usually when I hear it, I want nothing else, I call it my crack-pipe. And it's not one of those boo-hoo tunes either, although lyrics like, "all calendars pass, days die off and hope cannot last, but if love was like stone, then yours was mine through to my bones, but how can we get back to those?" would make you think otherwise.

Another interesting tidbit: Mark Kozelek starred (well, small role) in the Cameron Crowe film, Almost Famous and played the bass player in the imaginary band "Sweet Water"... he kinda owes him as he's been on some of Crowe's soundtracks.

Sun Kil Moon - "Gentle Moon" (YouTube)

As We Lie Half In Traction, And In Stereo Start To Dream

2008-08-11T22:25:00.008-04:00

Song for the Great Storm: (or How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb)

Deerhunter - "Strange Lights"

(And Neon Blurs My Sight)

August 9th, 2008 was a fucked-up day/night for more reasons that I can get into. What started in the morning with a crack-head running across my landlord's front lawn - her plumber's smile grinning its toothless grin for all to see - came complete with 5 cop cruisers to a story of a woman on the second floor throwing a bucket of water in that same crack-head's face. Hearing her bellowing and moaning account of it all to the police about how "I'm being attacked by this house" or "the woman who drives that car threw me against a wall" pointing to an imaginary car in the parking lot... because there was none. Then being exposed to 5 seconds of truth at a streetlight. That's all it takes sometimes and everything you thought before was true all along, was just that, and now you can move on. Then the culmination of it all comes in the form of a big bang. Me, drunk and stoned, thought nothing of it, instead I drifted off to sleep with the largest Donnie Darko grin hoping the fuselage landed into the house of someone important. Instead, I woke up to this.

Then we have Deerhunter who may come from the birthplace of R.E.M., but are nothing like them. Instead they put together a musical landscape that is a far cry from the maudlin mandolin ditties like, "Losing My Religion" or "Everybody Hurts" and basically make the soundtrack for those buzzing sounds that shift within your mind - the static and dust, out of sync voices and memories that fade like shards of fluorescent lights into kaleidoscopic neon. Oh, you don't have those do you? Never mind, you will. They write songs for storms and explosions, shifting washed-out hazes of guitar-flare (enter MBV comparative example here) with Bee Thousand-era Guided By Voices Bob Pollard-esque stream of con poetic declarations such as: "so glad to have a guide, less lonely for a ride, and should this car ascend, at least I'm with a friend."

In their 7-year career, Deerhunter have encountered their fair share of drama from band members dying from (skateboard) "head trauma" to band members' friends dying, to their pets dying, to everyone dying, to the line-up changes from year-to-year all documented for all to see on their blog maintained by singer, Brandon Cox here.

At the moment they're opening up for NIN's tour, but make their way to Lee's Palace in November to showcase material from their latest album, Microcastle - to be released October 28, 2008. In the meantime, you can check out Cox's very strange and beautiful solo-project, Atlas Sound. The song Cold and Golden will break your heart (x10).

Deerhunter - "Strange Lights" (YouTube)

Random Tandem - 4 Songs 4 the Rain

2008-08-09T19:53:00.009-04:00

The Magnetic Fields - "Too Drunk To Dream"

(Everyone I Know Is Listening To Drunk)

Me, the self-proclaimed loner counts 'people-watching' as one of his favourite activities. Even better is 'drunk' people-watching. There's nothing more entertaining than surveying half-pissed hipsters trying to make their way to the bathroom. The only thing better than an unconscious drunk is a conscious drunk, one that is aware of every step they take, every move they make. It's the equivalent of a Woody-Wood Pecker pigeon strut where head movements are supposed to be kept at a minimum, but are nothing near still, and each foot placement looks like a carnival worker on stilts. Is this you? Is so, Stephin Merritt and his Magentic Fields has a new anthem for you. When you turn 40, Merritt will still be writing songs dedicated to your clumsiness, except he will be like 65 and still cooler than you. The Magnetic Fields latest album, Distortion is just that - a smattering of feedback squalls upon some of Merritt's finest lyrical work. You should thank the band for re-stringing their guitars with The Reid brother's pubic hair because the only thing worse than sounding like The Jesus & Mary Chain is copping the Beach Boys... which they execute wonderfully in this tune.

The Magnetic Fields - "Too Drunk To Dream" (free Mp3 @ RCRDLBL)
The Magnetic Fields - "Too Drunk To Dream" (YouTube streaming)

Silje Nes - "Ames Room"

(She Showed Me Her Room, Isn't It Good?)

Norway comes a close second to Sweden as far as the 'coolness' factor is concerned in that Scandinavia/Nordic area. And they get a shit-load of rain, which is what us Torontonians are experiencing lately. August should be the month for dry-heat, bad weddings and camping, not for sequestering one's self inside in Seattle-like hibernation, reading John Sellers' memoirs, Perfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life and drinking bad dollar coffee from the local Ukranian bakery across the street from Chapter's. Oh geez, I just let you in on my afternoon... So be it, it was complete with Silje Nes, a Norwegian broad who wields all that Mum-like instrumental playfulness with vocals in the Stina Nordenstam range, all suited perfectly for rainy afternoons. Break out the deck of cards and scrabble board.

Silje Nes - "Ames Room" (stream courtesy of The Hype Machine - press play at the bottom left)
Silje Nes - "Ames Room" (weird YouTube video with John Cusack)

Primal Scream - "Can't Go Back"

(The Baby Screams)

Congratulations to Bobby Gillespie and Primal Scream for winning the, "It's 1994 Again And We're Still Alive & Kicking" award and god they sound good. Seems like Gillespie has smartened up a bit and took some cues from all those bands taking the mickey out of him (Kasabian, the Predator triangle sights are directly aimed at you), but through it all, they've stashed away all the nonsense and brought on board some familiar faces for Beautiful Future - Josh Homme of QOFTSA for one, LoveFoxx of CSS another. For their latest single, "Can't Go Back" The Scream are full blaze ahead, going straight for the jugular instead of beating around the bush (and other such cliches), but if you're in a club and your DJ friend is playing this song, don't be surprised if 5 or 6 people come up to him asking, 'what the blimey is this, yeah?'

Primal Scream - "Can't Go Back" (YouTube)
Primal Scream - "Can't Go Back" (Free Mp3 courtesy of Media Fire)

The Verve - "Mover"

(Don't Sound Like No Sonnet)

When (The) Verve announced last year that all 4 original members were re-forming, I was promised the swagger and pompousity that had been ailing from Richard Ashcroft's so-called solo career and something that kept the battered Verve ship from continuously sinking. Speaking of nautical disasters, their first single, "Love Is Noise" (a song I like to call "Friggin' in the Wigan) I heard nothing of the sort of any snarl or one-finger salutes... you know, the sorta shit you see on the back of Stone Roses albums. So when a free Mp3 opportunity arrived in my inbox for a b-side called, "Mover" I half-heartedly gave it shot. Good thing I did cause THIS is the Verve I remember - Pete Salisbury's beat setting the stage for Simon Jones's groove-laden bass lines and Nick McCabe's searing guitar fills. OK, so maybe it's the Owen Morris-produced Verve, but when you hear Sad Richard sing, "I'm a Mooover, I can't sleep at night" suddenly he turns into Mad Dick again and you can almost sense an expensive piece of equipment being smashed to bits at any second. Bah, too bad this tune won't make the cut for their late August release of Forth, but if there's at least a few that are on par with this one, then the reunion will be a success... until they break up again, which will require an album title change of "Fourth" as the number of times they've called it a day. Or is it three times? Meh, who can keep track?

The Verve - "Mover" (YouTube streaming)
The Verve - "Mover" (Free Download, Join Mailing List)
The Verve - "Mover" (YouTube live old version @ Frankfurt)

We Sold Our Clothes To The State - I Don't Mind

2008-08-08T20:24:00.019-04:00

Lollapalooza 2008: We danced, We laughed, We drank, We slept at O'Hare

(Does It Offend You, Yeah?)

The distance from Toronto, ON to Chicago, IL is approximately 700 kms, or 440 miles. If you're in the band British Sea Power, 380 'nautical' miles then. That's about a 7-hour drive or 1 and a half hour flight... or should be. Heading out to Lollapalooza 2008 with 3 of my best mates provided many travel choices, but we opted for the quickest and easiest solution - or so we thought (mind you, the most expensive as well). Hailing a $40 cab ride from work Thursday evening on July 31st, I was to meet 2 of the others at Pearson Int'l with the obligatory 2-hour grace period for an international flight. No problem. Checking-in and customs were both a breeze, so we proceeded to airport bar and began drinking. And we drank some more. 15 minutes prior to take off we decided to see what all the commotion was around our boarding gate B10. Aha, our flight was just canceled due to 'poor weather conditions' at O'Hare airport. Word on the street (or tarmac) is that O'Hare is a giant wimp when it comes to precipitation, so a droplet here or there will end in closing the entire airport. So why is the next flight leaving then? hmmm... We didn't get on that one either, so instead of being in Chicago the night before the festival, we were given an early 8:30 am flight for Friday morning, which means we were gonna miss out on paying for one night of our condo's rental and were to arrive only minutes before the gates opened at Lolla. No problem. Friday morning yields more problems.. After given clearance by our captain, a few minutes later things change and suddenly O'Hare is closed for good again. Captain says it doesn't look good. We wait 45 minutes on the plane before given clearance again for take-off. Crossing fingers. We take-off and arrive the proper allotted time and meet our other mate at the condo and have enough time to shower, dress and head out into the scorching sun. What was to follow, were some of the best times I've ever had at a concert, let alone a music festival. Truth is, I hate festivals. My 2nd concert ever was attending Lollapalooza 1995 to see the likes of Beck, Jesus Lizard, Pavement, Hole and Sonic Youth. Great line-up, but the location, the people, the queues for everything provided more than just a headache and wasn't worth it at all. This time round' I had no complaints whatsoever. The people, the concessions, the stages, schedule... just everything was handled very well. There was no gouging either as you could lubricate your liver for a mere $5 and wolf down a huge slice of Chicago-style deep-dish pizza for another $3. The health-conscious individual was accommodated too as a Whole Foods section featuring organic fruit and vegetables was available.

OK, despite festival success, there were massive problems getting home... With over 350 flights canceled and many more delayed at O'Hare due to tornado warnings in the area, we had no choice but to crash there and watch the lightning storm illuminate the whole airport making it feel like daylight at 10pm. Yes, my body was vacuumed around like a chalk outline as I slept on the floor, and yes, I felt like a member of the Amazing Race trying to book the next available flight to get the hell out of dodge, yes, I was sick of eating sandwiches and Starbuck's decaf, yes, I barely slept more than 2 hours and yes, I thought I was never gonna get home and have to miss more time off work and take more hits in the wallet. But would I do it all again knowing all this and more could happen? ... In a heartbeat. As Sufjan Stevens once said in all his discoveries of Illinois, "You came to take us - all things go/all things go, To recreate us - all things grow/all things grow, I made a lot of mistakes - all things go/all things go, I fell in love with the place."

Back to the music... I've counted down my top 5 musical moments of the festival. There were many more than that, but I figure I might as well give you a glimpse into what I saw/heard.

5.) Duffy - "Serious"

(My Sweetheart, the Drunk)

Making my way from Yeasayer's set on the other side of Grant Park, I arrived just in time to hear Duffy set up what is my favourite song from Rockferry. This little Welsh firecracker sure knows how to captivate a crowd and the first thing people say is, 'how the eff is that voice coming from this little twerp?' She's like Winehouse without the crack and waay cuter. I stood there stage right with my mate Alex feeling as if that was *my girl* performing and it provided all sorts of goose-bumps and blushes within my soul folks. In case you were wondering, I was only one wobbly to the wind at this point, but she made me feel like I was at least... well, 1 and a bit.

Duffy - "Serious" live @ Lollapalooza 2008

4.) Foals - "Heavy Water"

(Hot Fuss)

Oh you poor British, whining and complaining about the heat. You don't see any other bands from the Oxfordshire going all ranty rant about the scorching weather now do you bros? hmm? Despite Foals claim, "this will be the last time we play outside" they should really reconsider as their set (as blistering as it was at that point) had the Citi Stage in the palm of their hands. OK, so they were sweaty palms, but that don't matter as their blend of Bloc Party on math-rock really had people moving 'round especially during, "Heavy Water" where the bravado claim of, "this is the best song ever" by singer/guitarist, Yannis Philippakis was never an understatement. Oh and for next time fellas, use an SPF of at least 50 and discard those skinny black jeans... like, for realz.

Foals - "Heavy Water" live @ Lollapalooza 2008

3.) Bloc Party - "So Here We Are"

(Barack Party)

My renewed faith in festivals was large due in part to this set by Bloc Party. With scathing reviews circling by 'the media' for their performance at this year's Lolla could've stemmed from the fact that original bassist Gordon Moakes was at home tending to his new baby. But the material from A Weekend In the City which was lost to me on CD, really fucking blew my pants off in a live setting. With both "Hunting For Witches" and "Waiting for the 7.18" kicking off the set, the hits followed until it finally happened... I skipped out on The Raconteurs with the hopes of hearing my favourite song - possibly of all time. And it happened. Yes it did. It was the first and only time I was alone during the entire 3-days and I didn't mind one bit. Hearing your fave tune in the sun with tons of lovely ladies around really took it to new heights. The lines about, "if you fall sick, if you pass out" took on new meanings altogether for the weather was hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk and therefore fainting was inevitable.

Bloc Party - "So Here We Are" live @ Lollapalooza 2008

2.) Radiohead - "Fake Plastic Trees"

(Explosions in the Sky)

My 7th viewing of Radiohead... What to say, what to say. It definitely ranks up there as one of the best, but any time I've seen them live (save for a horrid SkyDome showing back in 2003), there has always been some magical presence in the air. Well this time it literally was as the half-way point of the set was marked with a explosion of fireworks from nearby Soldier Field. At first I was worried for them as one of their worst self-proclaimed 'disaster' shows happened at Glastonbury nearly 10 years prior, but also resulted in one of their greater songs - "How To Disappear Completely..." a song about the "fireworks" and "hurricanes" going off in the distance as they played. Somehow I'm worried that I'm becoming a softy in my old age as these old ballads from The Bends that I had forgotten due to redundancies... I mean, the college world certainly needs no more plays of "Fake Plastic Trees" or "High and Dry," but this time hearing the words, "it wears me out, it wears me out" was like hearing them for the first time. Thom Yorke has the uncanny ability to make you feel like he's introducing you to a new song even if it's all the way back from 1995, quite a feat for a band who's grown overtired of any material before Amnesiac. Of course, the whole shebang was highlighted during the climax of FPT, when the fireworks seemed to come in bigger and louder spurts. If ever there was a moment when you felt 75,000 standing still, this was it. Lest we forget Johnny's sparkly spacey bits on the guitar at the end... just too good to take sometimes. Too good. What a way to kick off August.

Radiohead - "Fake Plastic Trees" live @ Lollapalooza 2008

1.) DeVotchKa - "How It Ends"

(Ending is Better than Mending)

For most people it was a definite toss-up between seeing MGMT or this guy named DeVotchKa at the Playstation 3 stage, but not for me. I arrived there a few songs into the set, but right away he (Nick Urata) transported me to some side street in Mexico where no one goes or knows about it. He takes you to a place just for you, sounds cheesy, don't it? But for a dude who names himself after the Clockwork Orange word for "Young Woman" isn't your everyday Third Eye Blind kinda guy. Mixing a bevy of sounds from Eastern-Euro to Mariachi to Greek, Urata and band are in the 'melting-heart' department as the music lies somewhere between dour and devastating, but within it all, it's the most uplifting stuff you'll ever here. Chances are you've already heard this music as a lot of it was featured in the Academy Award nominated film, Little Miss Sunshine, and this tune in particular was included in Everything is Illuminated, but if you ever get a chance to see him/them live, do it! Seeing Urata sling a bottle of red with bouzouki guitar slung across his back seemed more punk-rock then seeing a green-haired zit-face pierce his nose with a safety pin. This performance set up what would probably equate to one of my favourite concert-going experiences ever - Explosions in the Sky followed, then Okkervil River, then Broken Social Scene, then Wilco... oh and Battles was missed somewhere in there too.

DeVotchKa - "How it Ends" live @ Lollapalooza 2008

Oh and O'Hare, you haven't scared me away. Sure, it was my first bit of flying in 7 years, but I'm already calculating prices for a major festival next year... Glastonbury? Roskilde? T in the Park? Connecting flights through your airport? bring it on... and then some.

Thank you, Perry.

I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You

2008-08-06T21:10:00.003-04:00

I'm Coming Home Via Chicago

Sorry for the lack of correspondence lately, I just got back from Chicago, IL for Lollapalooza 2008 and will report more later. Believe it or not, I'm still jet-lagged. How is that possible from a 1.5 hour flight? More on that later...

My Ugly Rock Star Lookalikes

2008-07-20T12:50:00.019-04:00

...And You Will Us By The Trail of Dead - "Rest Will Follow"

(Don't Mess With Texas)

I once worked with a guy who looked like Kid Rock. No really, like he *was* Kid Rock. It became so bad for him that he couldn't even go to restaurants without people coming up to him and asking for his autograph. To make matters worse for this chap, other people at work used to sing, "I'm a cowboy baby" every time he walked into work. He only lasted two weeks of that before he quit, or got fired, not sure which, but if he ever wanted to make some serious money, he should seriously consider a career in Kid Rock tribute band... he could call something like, "I Kid You Not." Anyhow, in my lifetime I've had a few encounters where people have mistaken me for "ugly" rock stars, so bare with me as I give you some insight of what I have to go through... thankfully no one as horrible as the Kid.

...And You Will Us By the Trail of Dead has some of the ugliest album covers out there, not to mention a hideous-looking front man named, Conrad Keely. Born of Thai and Irish descent (nearly matches my exotic mongrel mix of Serbian and British), Keely and band came on to the scene in 1995 from Austin, TX by way of Olympia, WA with a high-powered live set where the destroyed everything in their sights including their own instruments. Surely one of the few bands you will find who can 'break stuff' yet sound pretty at the same time, please give a listen to "Rest Will Follow" as it follows that mold to a tee. This is probably one of my favourite top 20 videos as it just looks "pretty" despite having and "ugly" dude singing the song. One of the last encounters where someone mistook me for Conrad was at a scummy bar near Landsdowne/Queen, the owner had a visit from him one time and thought he'd come back. I guess we both like Asahi beer.

YouTube: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - "Rest Will Follow" (YouTube)
Stream: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead- "Rest Will Follow" (Stream @ LastFm)

Redd Kross - "Mess Around"

(Hot Monogamy)

One of the most recent comeback reunion stories belongs to Redd Kross. Does anybody care? Sure they do - only those geeky, underground spazz-oids who took the time to sign up with the 'Redd Kross Army' (and yes, I was a member at one point). Probably one of the most underrated and unfamous bands you'll ever know and it's a shame because they're really fucking good. If John Lenno ever ditched Yoko and started collecting distortion pedals and Gibson SGs, this might be what his band would sound like. Speaking of collecting, I became so obsessed with this band that at one point I owned all their CD singles.. but yeah, I think I ended up selling them all for $5 or something ridiculous like that. So this brings us to Jeff MacDonald who makes up one of two brothers in the band (the other being bassist Steven), who I've been told by other fellow Kross-heads (there's about 3 or 4 in existence) that I have Jeff MacDonald damage - but he's way cuter. I met 2 other Redd Kross fans in college, in the Niagara region of all places and we had seriously joked about starting a Tribute band and I guess it never really 'krossed' our minds that the demand for that would be nil. Still, it would make a good back story when ever we became famous in our 'real' band.
In the video for "Mess Around" which comes direct from their last album (ever), Show World, the band does a spoof on a The Beatles clip, and for the life of me can't remember which one it is! You'll notice how no one is chasing after Jeff, but it's mostly Steven... hrmmm... that's because Jeff is married to one of the hottest cougars around (see here). Ah yes, the Go Go's, who have a song called, "Our Lips Are Sealed."

YouTube: Redd Kross - "Mess Around" (YouTube)

Radiohead - "High and Dry"

(Johnny B.Goode...or umm... Green-wood)

This one's not even funny anymore. In my last year in high school I was nominated for "Best Celebrity Look Alike" ... and I won. Well, I suppose it's a little more flattering to be compared to rock n' roll's most underachieving musicians. Kidding of course, there really isn't anything this guy *can't* do. If you ever see a live Radiohead show you will notice 'Johnny's Corner' which is full of all his toys ranging from all sorts of organs, guitars, glockenspiel, analog drum machine, radio transmitter and most recently, he's been playing the drums on a b-side track as well as, "There There." Oh yeah and remember all that creepy music for heavily Oscar-nominated film, There Will Be Blood? well yeah, that was him too. So I guess I can't complain too much, but for the amount of times I've heard people say it, I suppose the comparison is there... but I'm much better than him in everything. Ha right, but to make matters worse I injured my right wrist in a factory accident in 2000 and was fitted with a brace that I'm suppose to wear for things like playing sports and um...err .... guitar. I refuse to wear it because I don't want people think I'm copying him. I'm also partially colour-blind, how is that possible you say? Certain shades I can't tell if it's green or purple or blue, which explains my great fashion sense because if I could see normally, I'd probably choose the wrong thing, but somehow my ailment provides otherwise. To me, my blog looks dark green, but I'm told it's blue?
So here is the R-head back in the good ol' days where arguably they look their best. I used to dislike this song because it was a hit, but ever since I heard it was written about Evil Kneivel, the tone of the whole thing changed. How much of a twat is Jools Holland? He was just as annoying back in 1995 as he is now, but man, does he ever capture some of the best live performances still to this day. You'll notice during Johnny's first solo, drummer, Phil Selway (with a semi-full head of hair) grin from ear-to-ear with what his guitarist can do with just 3 notes. Also pay close attention the 'Gay Pride' sticker on Thom's acoustic, and the wedding ring? (oh right it's on his middle finger). For Johnny's better looking twin, go (here).

YouTube: Radiohead - "High and Dry" (YouTube live @ Jools Holland '95)
YouTube: Radiohead - "The Headmaster Ritual" (Youtube live Smiths cover @ webcast '07)

...and this is me... ugly as I want to be

First Breath After A Coma

2008-07-15T20:24:00.012-04:00

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

(Some day my pain will mark you...)

Deep breath... Sigh. I've waited a while to write about this guy. Not because I didn't want to, it's just that better men than me have already been able to articulate Justin Vernon's dramatic rise from a stint as an isolated cabin-dweller to a full-time job on stage, opening for legends like Wilco. But for all the "boy-loses-girl" "boy-loses-band" "boy-hides-in-the-woods" "boy-returns-a-man," stories; despite all that, there's 9 songs there, that will easily save your life. Bon Iver (pronounced: Bon Eve-Air) is French for "Good Winter" and as you've might have already heard, Vernon spent 3-4 months in hibernation one "winter" to write and record the songs that appear on For Emma, Forever Ago. As much as I'd like to sit and write about a story I've only heard/read about, I think there's been enough of that already. Instead, I'll do a track-by-track analysis which is what more people should be doing anyways...

1.) Flume - The first thing a man does when faced with turmoil or troubled times is to think of his mother. Ask David Bowie in "Five Years" ("And I thought of Ma and I wanted to get back there") or Zinedine Zidane who ended his career with a headbutt to his opponent. So when Vernon opens communication with: "I am my mother's only one, it's enough" you know he's been through some shit lately. "Flume" sounds as intimate and desolate as you get, the folk-strummed acoustic is something you've heard 1,000 times in coffee houses, but somehow never like this. Never this warm.
YouTube: "Flume" live @ Minnesota Radio Station

2.) Lump Sum - The hymnal-like beginning sets the pace for a precisely timed strum pattern and Vernon's falsetto seems like its used less for its beauty and more for the emphasis of certain phrases or words based around the song's title. "Doldrums" "Pump the plumb" "Sub-pump" are all used effectively, but the real standout is the loon-cry of a guitar in the background. Never has an e-bow been used so beautifully... a tool used to further resonate the soul as it does the strings of Vernon's guitar.
YouTube: "Lump Sum" live @ Minnesota Radio

3.) Skinny Love - This is the first song that took some time to sink in. It's still my least favourite on the album, and sounds like TV On The Radio if they ever decided to do an MTV: Unplugged session. Most likely to be partial to those hippies for its bluegrass and folk-like tendencies.
YouTube: "Skinny Love" live @ Jools Holland

4.) The Wolves (Act I And Act II) - The lazily strummed and de-tuned guitar sounds like its on its last legs and is an immediate weight placed on the heartstrings. Vernon keeps time by tapping his hand on the base of guitar, given the most intimate heartbeat as it drags along in a slug-like pace. The entire lyrical portion is as stunning as its delivery - "In the morning, I'll call you" is a brief glimpse of self-assuredness, but even that sentiment is replaced by more sighs and blues-out croons with an ultimate climax - "what might of been lost" is sung on repeat and is the most uplifting part of music you'll ever hear in all of 2008. The chaotic drums recalls that of George Harrison's "Long, Long, Long" and as it diminishes to a whisper, Vernon's multi-tracked vocals are of that 'alone-in-the-woods' type feeling... but the out-of-sync cries, sound like the wolves he was striving to describe in Act I.
YouTube: "The Wolves (Act I And II)" live @ San Francisco

5.) Blindsided - The second-half of the album is cast with a touch more sunlight than the previous 4 and "Blindsided" begins that journey with a Hayden-esque sounding track from the Skyscraper National Park days. Still, as calm and warm as this track sounds, it's still filled with strife and all that cabin-fever business. "I'm not really like this, I'm probably plightless" is the kind of revelation Sufjan Stevens might discover if he ever decided to take an examination inward instead of telling us the employment problems in Flint, Michigan. It's hard to pick a favourite, but if I had to, I'd lean to this one just for the 'welling-up' factor and the 'been-there/done-that too' relation.
YouTube: "Blindsided" live @ San Francisco

6.) Creature Fear - Is a lucid daydream and very unassuming, which sets up a perfectly bold chorus that comes out of nowhere ala "Nice Dream." Will be the most underrated track on the album only because it doesn't seem to connect as easily as the others, but for every M.Ward song out there, "Creature Fear" by Bon Iver eclipses them by half... and I like M.Ward.

7.) Team - Explodes from the ashes of "Creature Fear" and is the first time we actually hear nearly a full-band. But as sparingly as the drums were used previously, heard here they are used more for shock and to split up the lull and dreamscape of the second-half. Then suddenly out of nowhere, the march comes to a complete halt after some whistling and a intricate guitar passage is placed out-of-synch. This is the part of the story aka: Into The Wild where our lead character realizes that isolation is the shit!... or does he?

8.) For Emma - Whether alone or with a full-band accompanying him, Vernon just can't lose. The previously mentioned M.Ward takes another bow in this one and like Ward before him, Bon Iver excels in placing a listener in the state where a song was recorded. It's musicians like that who are able to take you to their studio, or um...err.. log cabin and give you an insight to the process with all its intimate glory, that will truly get somewhere with people. Although only few lyrics to be heard in this piece, it's still as moving as the rest, if not - more. "With all your lies, you're still very lovable" he sings about this Girl Wonder-Emma and though what seems like a problematic experience with our leading lady, he stills manages to end it on good terms: "I toured the light; so many foreign roads for Emma, foerver ago."

9.) Re: Stacks - I sent this song to a couple of music-buddies I trust and separately they wrote back with the same one-worded response: 'gorgeous'. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Vernon is able to cap off his collection of heart-wrenchers with this one, the best of all. Though the song might be a devotion to 'finding one's soul (good or bad) at a poker table,' all those hold em'/fold em' analogies were and are used for good reasons when it comes to songwriting. For every Elliott Smith there is a Justin Vernon who has the strength to not only pour out his soul through song, but to take ownership of his shit and whether that means to take a hermetic journey into seclusion for a few months, then so be it. Call your next album, From a Log-Cabin On The Hill instead. The best part about living through trauma is that feeling of being born again; of a new life granted. That next embrace, the next kiss, the next fall from grace; to stumble back to do it all over again, only for the next breath... the first breath after a coma.
YouTube: "Re: Stacks" live @ Canopy Club

Things We Lost In The Fire

2008-07-12T22:07:00.012-04:00

3 Bands Better Than The Arcade Fire...

Electrelane - "To The East"

(She's Electric)

"Why do you hate The Arcade Fire so much?" my friends ask me... It's not that I loath them, I just think there are better bands out there doing similar things musically - hence the 3 that I will mention in this post. The first of the gang are these 4 babes from Brighton, UK who wax all that Ani Difranco feminism, but aren't overly vocal about it, if that makes any sense? They were chosen because "To The East" has comparative foot-romping damage as Arcade Fire's "Rebellion (lies)" and goes into all those cathartic territories where ships at sea are battling and the raging waves pluck all its mates and crew like octopus tentacles asunder... or at least that's what I think of when I hear this type of song. After nearly 10 years as a band, the ladies have decided to call it a day last November, which is strange because their No Shouts, No Calls album (released 2007) was starting to get them some heavy praises.

YouTube: Electrelane - "To The East"

MP3: Electrelane - "To The East" (Free download @ CNet)

Port O'Brien - "I Woke Up Today"

(Sing Your Life)

Another nautical-themed band name... and for good reason too. Van Pierzalowski who makes up one-fifth of Oakland, CA's indie outfit spends his summers on his father's fishing boat in Alaska, all the while dreaming of coming back to shore so he can write more songs like, "Fisherman's Son" and "Stuck On a Boat" which are featured on the bands full-length release, All We Could Do Was Sing. "I Woke Up" sounds like a mish-mash/mash-up of all the singles from The Arcade Fire's Funeral album from the frenetic twinkling of "Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)" to the chug-chug train blast of Neighbourhood's twin sister, "(Power Out)" to the SOS call-to-arms chant-along of "Wake Up." OK, so maybe they've got a few years and albums to go before they can claim any sort of friendship with David Bowie, but even still, I'll probably be stocking my CD shelves with their albums rather than the Fire's in the not so distant future.

YouTube: Port O'Brien - "I Woke Up Today"
MP3: Port O'Brien - "I Woke Up Today" (Free download @ RCRD LBL)

The Diableros - "Sugar Laced Soul"

(And Mocking Voices Ring The Halls)

This is my friend Pete Carmichael's band from Toronto, ON who did a lot of damage back in 2006 after releasing their debut, You Can't Break The Strings In Our Olympic Hearts which was a cut straight to the jugular with anguished indie-pop rock that recalled the ranks of Brian Jonestown Massacre, Pavement and The Dears with the urgency/insecurity of Win Butler's yob. Since then it's been a bit of a struggle for Pete as half his band quit on him just before the were set to take off for SXSW in Austin, TX and his sophomore album, The Diableros: Aren't Ready For The Country was released with moderate fan fare. Still, he's re-stocked his army with some local indie-rock heroes (Keith Hamilton of the Postage Stamps, Mike Duffield of Proof of Ghosts and Craig Gloster of Fjord Rowboat) and is soldiering on despite any setbacks. One of my favourite moments of last summer was sitting on Pete's couch until 6 a.m. drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon, talking about BJM vs Dandy Warhols and current the state of music... including the future legacy of... well, The Arcade Fire.

YouTube: The Diableros - "Sugar Laced Soul"
MP3: The Diableros - "Nothing Down in Hogtown" (Stream @ imeem)

There Is A Number Of Small Things

2008-07-10T21:57:00.005-04:00

Seabear - "I Sing I Swim"

(The Ghost of You Lingers)

A few years ago it was year of the "wolf" where every band and its cousins had something to do with those fangy beasts. Then came the "knives"... remember those days? Everything was so stabby and jagged, man I'm glad that shiz is over. The current crop of bands are going "black" there's no doubt about that, but last year's craze for whatever reason pointed its leery, hyped-head towards the bears. And didn't matter what kind - Grizzly, Polar or Panda - we had em' all. So what species would you expect to come from Reykjavik, Iceland? Well, a cute l'il "Sea" kind dummy! And although cute might be a great adjective to describe anything from that elven land, (see also: Bjork, Sigur Ros, Mum etc.), this 7-piece band (though only 6 pictured above) goes above and beyond those frail, malnutrioned frames they call 'bodies' and create this wistful pop music that will send you to the dentist, it's so sweet. (Then again, if my only meal of the day consisted of whale blubber, I might be a size 3 too.. oh and paying lots of visits to the dentist, like lots). Think about it, you could be boring yourself to death listening to Beck's latest and lamest, or you could be grinning from ear-to-ear, listening to this ol' ditty - "when the birds are sleeping/that's when the trees sing/you left your clothes and your teeth marks in my skin" Who said Icelanders couldn't grasp our tough, mutty Engrish language? And the whole love thang, with lines like, "I miss you even when you're around," it'll make even me want to propose to my girlfriend (seen: here) If the last plays on your iTunes showed great things like Jens Lenkman and Sufjan Stevens then you're in for a kick in the.... err... teeth? Please, please, please, please... I don't do this very often, but please pick up their album from 2007 called, The Ghost That Carries Us Away, it's full of precious songs that you need in your life. now. Save your pennies for the new Sigur Ros for some other time?

YouTube: Seabear - "I Sing I Swim" (YouTube)
MP3: Seabear - "I Sing I Swim" (Free download @ Spinner)

You Are The Bluest Light

2008-07-08T21:06:00.003-04:00

The Album Leaf - "Always For You"

(Hail to the Leaf)

James Lavelle will never become a household name, but after many years of constructing billowy post-rock haunts in bands like Tristeza and Black Heart Procession, he should at least claim a place above your fridge, right next to the grocery list. For his current solo obsession called, "The Album Leaf," Lavelle generates his fair share of lazer-guided melodies and all those florid take-offs and landings with minimal ease it seems. And though these moments are few and far between wrapped around any sort of pop music formula - avec lyrics or vocals - here on his last album, 2006's Into The Blue Again, he takes a couple breaks from all that instrumental pish posh and explores that ever-dreaded "soul-mate" thang. "Always For You" is for someone who's recently found themselves outside of relationship or one who's just started anew. Lavelle explains in an almost deadpan deliverance: "And all the memories that were made/For years and years I've chased this day/They were always for you/Always for you," meaning that everything that happened in the past with other relationships/experiences was all meant for something, and although those memories never leave, they set you up for something bigger... and better. This song is a must-have for anyone looking to survive their mid-to-late '20s and the video depicts our typical Rob Gordon type who's probably made his way down the list on his top 5's to number 1 and is walking where she walks, listening to the same records and reading the same books and finally at the end, they meet! What happens after that? well, you'll have to watch to find out... it's spellbinding.... in that 12 Monkeys airport scene finale kinda way. Enjoy!

YouTube :The Album Leaf - "Always For You"
MP3: The Album Leaf - "Always For You" (Free Download @ Cnet)

I Love You, I'm Going To Blow Up Your School

2008-06-28T11:42:00.014-04:00

Patrick Watson - "The Great Escape"

(Nightmares By the Sea)

Today's subject title is brought to you by the fine folks at Mogwai. They're at it again with witty song titles for their latest disc, The Hawk Is Howling, which comes complete with other gems such as "Thank You Space Expert" and my personal fave - "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead." What does this have to do with today's post? Absolutely shit. all. If you thought we were done with Frog-Land, population: Poutine, then you were wrong. It seems we've just scratched the surface as the next 4 posts could be about Montreal and we'd probably only just cover everything the city has to offer on the musical front. Which brings us to the new poster boy for "indie" music, Monsieur Patrick Watson. If you were stuck under a rock the past two-point-five years and are from Canada, then you've probably never heard of this talent, but should. Watson (or Pee-Dub as I like to call him), rose out of relative obscurity to a life on the road where he brought his blend of maudlin, cabaret balladry ala Mr. Buckley/Wainwright etc. and fused it with these experimental landscapes that arguably often overshadow his real talent (his voice), but breathe life into what would be just another singer/songwriter, doin' his thang. That being said, Patrick Watson's greatest moment comes from just that, a stripped-down, 3-minute piano number; showcasing just one reason why he scooped up Canada's Polaris Prize and grabbed the attention of anyone who's hoped for life beyond Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk. I was a little more than disappointed at his show last November (2007) at the Mod Club, but then again, not entirely his fault as the show started a little after 7pm and was rammed with techno/gino-humpers who were there to take over and "dance" after the curfew. Despite hearing of his overly immense ego and that the Polaris money came in handy because his band trashed their $15,000 tour van just for "kicks," he managed to grab a disparate 600-person crowd and silence them with his closing song, "Man Under the Sea" and have the entire venue sing along. He climbed to the middle of the audience and without a microphone sang his heart out, with us following along. It marked one of the top 5 moments in concert-viewing history for me... the scary thing about this kid, is that he's only gonna get better.... baring any unforeseen late-night swimming trips in the St. Lawrence, of course.

Patrick Watson - "The Great Escape" (YouTube)
Patrick Watson - "Luscious Life" (YouTube)

Plants and Animals - "Lola, Who?"

(Here Comes The Sun (King) )

The band responsible for keeping people "entertained" before Patrick Watson would finally stagger to the stage was none other than the 3-piece called, Plants and Animals. They were brought to my attention by a music-trusting friend and at first, I wasn't too impressed. Their sound reeked of a more than jammed-out Wilco (without the payoff), and all those moments of a classic rock A-to-Z weekend that make you cringe with each abrupt change in tempo and unnecessary drum solo or breakdown. Then again, it was only 7pm on a Friday night when they took the stage and after a long day of troubleshooting at work for a bunch of inept government employees, the attention span wasn't quite there. So then why all the hype? Just take a listen to, "Lola, Who?" and you'll understand. I'm sad that they didn't include this song on their full-length release, Parc Avenue (released earlier this year), instead you can find it on a 4-song EP, called With/Avec. "Lola, Who?" is one of those beautiful, sunny strolls down your favourite street that only someone like Sufjan Stevens or Iron & Wine can lead you down. And when you're halfway there, you'll find yourself crossing the street at Abbey Road, leading yourself directly to the Sun King, Mean Mr. Mustard, Polythene Pam and all of her friends. Then you think to yourself, "meh, classic rock ain't so bad after all, eh?"

Plants and Animals - "Lola, Who?" (YouTube live @ SXSW)
Plants and Animals - "Faerie Dance" (Myspace)

Miracle Fortress - "Hold Your Secrets To Your Heart"

(The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret)

Graham Van Pelt (aka: Miracle Fortress) is one talented little bugger. This pale-skinned, redhead born in Stratford, ON and relocated to Montreal, might'nt win any poetry awards for his lyrical vocab, but what Van Pelt is able to do with a sun-draped tune like, "Keep Your Secrets To Your Heart" from the phenomenal, Five Roses disc, is stunning and deserves a listen... and many others after that. "Hold your secrets to your heart/Where the love can build its heat/It hurts when we're apart/I'm hiding in your blood," are the only words you'll hear throughout the duration of this heady number (right, I know, sounds like something that curly-haired bitch from Felicity once scribbled in her diary), but the textural trip between the vocals and surfboard-nurtured instrumentation will bring much blinding starlight to an often cold and snow-filled nuit dans any Montreal street, non? And ain't it decent that a dude who's probably Montreal's equivalent to Hayden (spent way too many a-year in parent's house), aims to construct music that sounds of unrequited love, but builds it for that of a optimistic romantic instead of a bummed-out basement dweller?... And phew, I got through this post without mentioning Brian Wilson, doh!

Miracle Fortress - "Hold Your Secrets To Your Heart" (YouTube)

Wolf Parade - "I'll Believe In Anything"

(And Out Come the Wolves...)

I've been told way too many times to follow the herd, or... um...err pack as it were and give these Montrealers-by-way-of Victoria, BC natives some love and attention. Not sure if it was the over-hype and close association with The Arcade Fire (toured endlessly with them it seemed), or that 2004/05 was the year of the "wolf" and I couldn't keep track of who's who, but mostly because singer/keyboardist, Spencer Krug sounds more like a mouse than a wolf and might've dipped into some of dat derrr poison, ya see? Speaking of vermin, the Parade are like a more refined early-adaptation of Modest Mouse who gave The Unicorns way too many nods or as a good, trusting friend has said - "chaotic; the vocals were like yelps fighting against instruments that sounded like they were being forced to their very limits, and yet it was that same chaos that two or three listens later made it so unforgettable." How could you not want to give them another chance after that description? Well, I have and it wasn't until my road trip to NYC last winter where someone played, Apologies To The Queen Mary in full (in a traffic jam no less) and it was the perfect compliment to too many hours on the highway. Made you want to keep driving. So after I digest it again (sans poison), I will move on to At Mount Zoomer (released June 2008), but for now I'm obsessed with "Grounds for Divorce," "Shine a Light" and of course, this very Barry Lyndon-inspired video for, "I'll Believe In Anything," which believe it or not, sounds like a love song... two mice, beat as one.

Wolf Parade - "I'll Believe In Anything" (YouTube)

The Arcade Fire - "Rebellion (Lies)"

(Des Plus Brilliants Exploits)

If Canada should ever consider changing their national anthem from the very bland and monotone, 'O, Canada!' then on the short-list of replacements would be this march to the heavens called, "Rebellion (lies)," by The Arcade Fire. Heck, we'd win anything - World Cup, Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics, Lawn Bowling Championships etc. and it would only take the opening Meg White-ian bass-drum thump to strike fear into our opponents. Sure, it clocks in over 5-minutes, but who cares! Isn't the one from Guatemala like 12 verses and easily 10 minutes long? Patriotic flares aside, as much as I'm proud that The Arcade Fire are considered true Canucks (even though Win Butler was born in Baby-Bush's state), for some reason I can't seem to put myself through a full dosage of the Fire anymore. Overkill is a good reason for that, but their second album, Neon Bible didn't impress me at all and I'll still stick by my Meatloaf comparisons on that one. Don't get me wrong, he was great in Fight Club, but did he do anything else? Oh yeah, that over-the-top Bat Out Of Hell tripe. Maybe it was because people looked at this band as the saviours of music and that they were going to be "our" Beatles or Stones. From my perspective, it doesn't appear that way, but I still remember hearing Funeral for the first time and of course each time "Rebellion" was played, it always gave me this sea-sick, goosebumpy feeling and that only happens when music matters. That exact moment is captured with this live performance on Jools Holland's show... They killed it - Here's hoping for more of that in the future.

The Arcade Fire - "Rebellion (Lies)" (YouTube live @ Jools Holland 2005)

Leonard Cohen - "Lady Midnight"

(Tonight The Streets Are Ours)

When Leonard Cohen turns 75 this year (September), he'll still be cooler than you. So then, on to the legend and great poet who can't sing for shite yet gets nominated and won for Singer of the Year at the 1993 Juno Awards to which he made a snide comment - "Only in Canada." Whether I liked it at the time or not, my dad would constantly play his "greatest hits" or I'm Your Man or The Future album incessantly and it was definitely much to my dismay. But like yourself, I didn't truly recognize his brilliance until I heard other people cover his music. I don't have to tell you too much about this, do I? *I* even covered, "Lady Midnight" at age 15 and have a recording of it somewhere.

Leonard Cohen - "Lady Midnight" (YouTube)

Celine Dion Sings Love Songs While Our Cities Burn...

2008-06-23T22:06:00.016-04:00

The Besnard Lakes - "For Agent 13"

(House of 'Nards)

Montreal - the city Canadians love to hate, and hate to love. With its cobble-stoned streets and wafting smell of smoked-meat and fresh bagels around every corner, the climax of Celine's "My Heart Will Go On" heard through every cafe speaker (and Nickel's diner), the cheersin' of giant pitchers of Labbat 'Bleue' during the final chorus of "Home For A Rest" at midnight and spilling half of it on your date's "Team-Building 1995" t-shirt from work - what's there not to like... or err hate? Well, one good reason Torontoians hate the city (yet at the same time love it) is because of all the incredible music coming out of there in the last 10 years (Ms. Dion included). See, Toronto is in a sad-state as far as bands either coming from 'here' or coming here to situate themselves and call the city their own. Montreal on the other hand is a breeding ground for indie musicians and hipsters who can pay their rent, work a part-time shift at Reno Depot and still pay for a rehearsal space all at the same expense a Torontonian would pay for well, half of their rent. Still, French-Canadian people for the most part - suck. It's true. Ask anyone... Something that doesn't 'suck' is this sextet who knocked me on my ass when I saw them a few weeks ago at Lee's Palace. An old friend of mine and I were taking in the Swervedriver reunion show during the North-By-North-East festival and were pleasantly surprised when the opening band wreaked so much fucking good havoc that by the time the Swervies took the stage, we didn't care anymore. The Besnard Lakes had won us over with their grandiose blend of melodramatic music spanning everywhere from Sigur Ros to Beach Boys to Low to Smashing Pumpkins to Aerosmith (yes, that's right, there's a song that sounds identical to "Sweet Emotion") and just the band dynamics were incredible - a tough feat to pull-off on the oft garbage-sounding Lee's Palace. The song I really wanted to post about is called, "Disaster" a sorrowful number that bangs itself to life with a traditional, "baby come on" hymn-like sing-along -- think J.Spaceman singing through the Pet Sounds filter -- but unfortunately ol' YouTube don't gots none of that... instead there's the lovely "For Agent 13" song with a complimentary video that will melt your soul. Heaven ought to sound like this... and what might that be? a duet between Allison Goldfrap and Jonsi Birgisson of Sigur Ros... that's what.

The Besnard Lakes - "For Agent 13" (YouTube)

Young Galaxy - "Come and See"

(Can Spark Neon From Candlelight)

OK, so maybe they didn't originate in Montreal, but former Vancouver duo of Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless ditched their British Columbian postal codes for Frog-Leg City and formed the very shiny and very eclectic, Young Galaxy. Ramsay, who at every corner tries to distance himself from the Stars camp (he filled in on guitar for a couple years), has a hard time doing so after signing to the same label (Arts & Crafts), selecting a band name with the same astrological wonderment and employing similar boy/girl vocal interplay. But where Stars are heavy on the high-drama and over-the-topedness, Young Galaxy are quite the contrary, as they let a song like, "Come and See" slow-burn for a while in that Luna/Galaxy 500-type a-way before exploding like the Apollo 11 with all the sparks in the sky making a kaleidescopic swirl of sound in your mind. If your facebook profile lists Religious Views as: "Spiritualized" then Young Galaxy should be making the rounds on your play list shortly.

Young Galaxy - "Come and See" (YouTube)

Land of Talk - "Speak To Me Bones"

(Talk On The Wild Side)

This band is relatively new to me and it was actually an after show chat with the Besnard Lakes who recommended them. Don't worry it's not more of the stuff that will put you to sleep, instead Land of Talk rely on the razor-sharp bouts of guitar shredding courtesy of Elizabeth Powell who sounds/sings like how Karen O would if she switched to beer instead of rye and cokes. Quite a nice racket for only a 3-piece and it's nearly impossible for me to come up with a accurate comparison and that's a good thing. Something to keep an ear/eye out for in the future. Cool video too!

Land of Talk - "Speak To Me Bones" (YouTube)

The Stills - "Love & Death"

(Logic Will Break Your Art)

Ah yes, this brings me back to my intern years back when I first made the big move to Toronto. One of my first so-called "high-profile" interviews came at the hands of one of the hottest, most talked about bands from Canada who had nary put a note to tape, called The Stills. With vouches and couches from Interpol (they literally slept on Interpol's couches while opening for them constantly in New York City), this Montreal quartet were destined for great things and boy, didn't they know it. My phone interview with drummer/chief songwriter Dave Hamelin was full of tongue and cheek, cocky, self-assured answers in an angered tone, all because the mag I was writing for happened to previously compare them to Echo & The Bunnymen who they had never heard of. I definitely had the last laugh as my story contained direct quotes from Hamelin citing their debut album, Logic Will Break Your Heart sounded like Bjork and Fleetwood Mac. I know he wanted to throw off everyone and use bands that they'd never sound like, but we had the last laugh as that same album got torched by just about every major magazine for its "wannabe attempt at mope-rock." If that wasn't enough, Hamelin thought that if he brought himself beyond the drumkit and became the front man that fortunes would change for The Stills... um no. It nearly spelled career-suicide for the group, but they've managed to hold things together despite some sub-par, mediocre albums (Oceans Will Rise released this year) with Logic being their best by far. The video for "Love & Death" contains a guest appearance by none other than Emily Haines. I could get into something about her here, but I'll leave this one to Moz, (insert lyric from, "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful").

The Stills - "Love & Death" (YouTube)

The Dears - "Lost In The Plot"

(A Movie Script Ending)

I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard this song... then again, if you gave me a dollar every time I said that and knew it, I'd be a millionaire by now. But for realz, I was in the midst of moving to Toronto at the time and remember them announcing the new single off the new Dears album, No Cities Left which wasn't to be released for another 4 months or so. It was a big deal because the tape player in my car was broken and for the latter part that my blue Vista was alive, it relied on urghh, the radio. I still remember hearing the searing, opening keyboard notes emanating from my crappy, blown speakers and being very excited. I was a fareweather Dears fan after hearing their "End of a Hollywood Bedtime Story" single, but it wasn't until I heard the whole album that I became a Murray Lightburn devotee. I was even more on board now that what sounded like a black version of Morrissey was playing on my car radio and the first lyric, "take me for a drive to the coastline/pull me to the depths of the sea" had all the snicker and glam of both Moz and Damon Albarn and if you weren't a fan of that, then you were surely singing along by the time, "our love/don't mess with our love" came around to end the song.

The Dears - "Lost in the Plot" (YouTube)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "Storm/Lift Yr. Skinny Fists, Like Antennas to Heaven/"

(Keep the Car Running)

For those unaware, Godspeed You! Black Emperor (GY!BE) owned the better part of the late '90s and early 2000's. With their compelling, sometimes beautiful, stark, avant-garde orchestrations, the band of 9 musicians single-handedly changed the way we looked at music and listened to it, for the better. It was merely unintentional, but by the time word had spread that the second-coming of Beethoven came in the form of 9, unkempt Montrealers who probably never watched TV because they couldn't afford it not because they wanted to revolt against everything corporate or didn't want to be photographed because they loved growing up listening to bands not knowing anything more about them than the liner notes not because they had a thickened distaste for the mainstream, but all that didn't matter... it was unnecessary because journalists were bored and wanted to create and heighten this great myth that this band, or these people were cast as ghostly and unfriendly figures that would shut themselves in their studio (Hotel 2 Tango) and create art in dedication to the apocalypse. The band that took their name from a Japanese documentary about a biker gang called, The Black Emperors, had the music-listening world in a tailspin by 1997 after their 500-handmade release f#a#oo became a hot-seller at performances before eventually being released properly a year later on Kranky! records. Not even 365 days later their popularity through the underground had slowly filtered upward into the mainstream and it wasn't too long after, the vultures starting circling and wanted answers. This wasn't something the group was even prepared for and it wasn't because they printed up some Koreshian manifesto that they had to abide by, it was because most of them were shy people who had failed art-projects just like everybody else. Guitarist Efrim Manuck was cast as the leader because he became the most "co-operative" when it came to interviews, but they didn't do much to help themselves when they made the cover of the NME in 1999. It wasn't your everyday Gallagher-brother poster pose that appeared on the cover either. Instead, with the band's refusal of a proper "photo-shoot" they used the opening spoken word piece from "The Dead Flag Blues" composition, with these words written on top a stormy background: "the car's on fire and there's no driver at the wheel and the streets are all muddied with a thousand lonely suicides and a dark wind blows..." Ooooh scary, scary... Still, we were all there hook-line and sinker just like the NME that this band was something beyond special. And they were. And still are. But for all those doomsday grey pictures that Godspeed painted with their music, were millions of people hanging on their every note, every spoken word passage, every quote from crazy people across North America that appeared in their songs, every violin and guitar screech that turned the little hairs on the back of your neck in strict salute. This marked a time when people were still patient and seemed to care about art and music. Not to say that they/we don't now, it just seemed a band like GY!BE were able to make people sit back and analyze each passage and every part of a movement like, "Storm" from the Lift Yr Skinny Fists album. We don't seem to have a band like that now. It was only a few weeks ago before that Swervedriver/Besnard Lakes show that iTunes (of all things - which I'm sure a band like Godspeed would be at war with) randomly selected the opening movement of "Storm" as our exit song before we headed to the show. Standing there half-stoned and drunk we were both in awe at hearing this song like it was brand new again. One of the worst thunderstorms with cracks of lightning was happening that night and we just stood there, silent, watching the room grow dark slowly, watching the trees swinging back and forth for their dear lives, all those things Alex DeLarge talked about in Clockwork Orange to describe his love for Beethoven was happening now, the world was turning in on itself and Godspeed You! Black Emperor was responsible for it all.
On the way to the show we got soaked, but the whole time we talked about how amazing that moment was and how powerful music can often be. I was laughing the whole time and so happy that a song like that still exists.

Efrim was misquoted in an interview this year saying that the band had disbanded in 2003 for good (can you see why they dislike interviews?), but it doesn't even matter if they return to the stage or to the form they had back in the late '90s... because if the world ends soon, we'll all be standing - hand in hand - listening to "Storm," watching the buildings tumble in on themselves, mothers clutching babies picked through the rubble and pulled out all their hair - the skyline beautiful on fire, all twisted metal stretching upwards, everything washed in a thin orange haze.... either that or Mats Sundin will sign with the Montreal Canadiens......

**which is the equivalent to the world ending :)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "Storm/Lift Yr. Skinny Fists, Like Antennas To Heaven" (YouTube)

Free To A Good Home

2008-06-18T21:58:00.005-04:00

Autolux - "Audience No. 2"

(The Future Is Friendly)

(For Fans of: Black Angels, Brian Jonestown Massacre, MBV)

Following in the footsteps of Radiohead, LA psych-rockers Autolux are putting their fans through the internal, ethical guilt trip by offering their new single, "Audience No.2" up for a PWYC price. Of course, the whole point of the Pay-What-You-Can structure is just that - if you have a few bucks on ya, toss it to a band - if not, you pretty much can enjoy the ride for free. And that's exactly what bands are exploring these days as new albums are released PIR (Post-In Rainbows). The problem is that whatever you end up doing, it's probably never good enough. If you pay $1 you're seen as a cheap-ass, and if you pay nothing, you're just proving that music is worthless and all that guilt-shitte. I'll admit, I got the last Rhead disc free and d-loaded Autolux's latest all at the expense of my bit-rate (which is shite I might add). Does this make me a bad person? Perhaps. Who cares, I will be at their next show. I will buy their album directly from them. Good.
So the music? The new single sounds carbon-copy to anything released on their debut, Future Perfect, which had me all Pied Piper-like, hanging on every note and following every word. For anyone unfamiliar with Autolux's bag, it's quite the droning, drugged-out car ride through the Everglades. Only problem is that if you're picky about an album stretching the boundaries musically, then pick up the latest MGMT record instead. The band relies on heavy doses of cymbal pounding from drummer, Carla Azar (think Meg White with talent) and lots of "we-recorded-these-vocals-from-planet-mars" kind of action g'wannin' ahn. The talent relies in the one-guitar/one-bass, de-tuned wreckage of duo Eugene Goresther and Greg Edwards as they assault any instrument with strings and set their amps to "K-I-L-L."

Autolux - "Audience No.2" (Free/PWYC download)
Autolux - "Turnstile Blues" (YouTube)

Tomorrow I Remember Yesterday

2008-06-03T21:11:00.015-04:00

The Chameleons UK - "Nostalgia"

(Red, Gold & Green)

(Influenced - Stone Roses, Interpol, Coldplay)

If you're a cool mofo (like me) than you often spend your time combing through the back pages of rock n' roll's yesteryear rather than trying to decipher every frame of Weezer's new "Pork & Beans" video. It's also true that I hate the word "yesteryear," but decided to use it on a whim (another word loathed). Anyhow, you may have heard of a band called Interpol. Most people liked them when they were called, Joy Division, well, not really, but ever since the ominous 4 released their debut, "Turn on the Bright Lights," everyone pointed fingers citing an Ian Curtis cop. But mimicry aside, Interpol actually had another influence that you may have never heard of. Hailing from Manchester, England, The Chameleons UK lasted 7 small years in the '80s and were vastly overlooked by bands like the Bunnymen and the Smiths mainly because their were just too ahead of their fucking time. Even listening to "Nostalgia" today sounds like it wouldn't be out of place alongside something from Paul Banks' repertoire or recent Ian Curtis wannabes, Editors. I can't seem to find anywhere you can stream this track, so you'll have to do your best to download from iTunes or some other program. Trust me, it's worth it. To hear singer, Mark Burgess bellow, "Tomorrow-I-Remember-Yesterday" will send a thousand shivers down your spine - kinda like Ian Curtis' ghost in sperm-form. The rave-down at the 3:37 is probably one of the better moments you'll ever hear in music and it's the kinda song you wish appeared at the end of The Breakfast Club instead of that, "Don't you forget about me" bull-jive.

Wire - "Outdoor Miner"

(Come on Baby Light My Wire)

(Influenced - Jarvis Cocker, Guided By Voices, Spoon, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and on and on )

Consider yourself a kind of a useless git if you haven't been privy to the brilliance of Wire. Don't worry, we're all about forgiveness, forgiveness, even if, even if, you don't love me anymore. All Don Henley ballads aside, Wire ran the gamut as far as styles and genres go and to this day lack any sort of categorization, which is due in large part to why their success was minimal at best. But listening to any given album, such as the much fractured, Chairs Missing LP you get the impression that singer, Colin Newman and band were more interested in trying to coax the sounds of mania swimming around their minds and put them to tape just as quickly, rather than sit around a studio and ponder options. The closest the band came to "stardom" was from this single, "Outdoor Miner." But because their record label were accused of tampering with the sales of the single (apparently label reps went around to stores and bought copies of it for themselves to propel the band in the charts), the company responsible for keeping track of chart success deemed them "hype" which means they'd never get their chance on Top of the Pops and become bigger than The Kinks. "Miner" showcases them in a poppier frame of mind with some of the most obscure lyrics you'll ever hear - "The lives of lambs, the shepherd cries/an afterlife for a silverfish/eternal dust less ticklish." A new comeback single and album are due for July and most likely sponsored by the likes of Elastica as their hit single, "Connected" was ripped off from Wire's "Three Girl Rhumba."

Wire - "Outdoor Miner" (YouTube)
Wire - "The 15th" (Live on German TV 1979)

Brian Eno - "On Some Faraway Beach"

(We Share Our Mother's Health)

(Influenced - Thom Yorke, Aphex Twin, Talking Heads, Everyone)

If you were to put a trace on several generations on one side of my family, it would ponit you towards a town called Ipswich in England. This is the place responsible for the upbringing of Brian Eno, one of the most enigmatic figures in music. Sure, you've heard of him, but rarely does anyone investigate beyond the "oh, that's the guy responsible for the Joshua Tree album" or "hey man, isn't he recording that new Chris Martin failure of an album? you know, that one with a Ricky Martin-like song title or something like, you know, isn't he doing that?" Yes, it's true, Eno the self-proclaimed "non-musician" is actually known more for his work as producer rather than his upstart band, Roxy Music or his work with King Crimson or his ambient albums that reach into the 30s or so. His first solo album entitled, Here Come The Warm Jets was inspired by a guitar sound he was striving for (which he called "warm jets"), the song heard here showcases Eno building a track with simple piano melody to which more layers are added upon layer, upon layer, creating a nice headbuzz for the individual on the receiving end. If you're a patient person, then Eno's music was made for you, especially a tune like, "On Some Faraway Beach" as the payoff doesn't occur until 3/4 of the song is over where a frail yet slightly confident voice comes into the picture and then it all makes sense: "Given the chance, I'll die like a baby/On some faraway beach when the season's over." Maybe it's because its in my bloodlines, but I relish in beautiful and weird shit like this. I'm curious to hear what you think - a song for funerals and weddings only.

Brian Eno - "On Some Faraway Beach" (YouTube)

Tom Tom Club - "Genius Of Love"

(Our Love To Admire)

(Influenced - Every mash-up that ever happened)

You know you recognize the name, you just can't understand from where. The Tom Tom Club weren't your everyday household name, heck neither were the Thompson Twins (except for that one song). Well, Tom Tom Club weren't all that different from your typical one-hit-wonder bands from the '80s, but the intention when formed, was just to experiment with weird melodies and disco music. Founded by ex-Talking Heads, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, it'll only take most people 3 seconds to recognize this song... And no, it wasn't written by Mariah Carey nor was it Grandmaster Flash (pictured with Weymouth above), but the importance a simple song like this would have on what modern-day people call "mash-ups" is extraordinary. I've never been a huge fan of them myself, but you can't deny the experimental "genius" of this tune, esp. on the extended version. I heard it recently at a very strange indie-bar and was drunk enough to like it. The most recent mash-up of this tune has Fergie's "London Bridge" taking on the original... it's so horrible, I actually like it too. (shhhh... don't tell anyone).

Tom Tom Club - "Genius of Love" (YouTube)
Fergie vs Tom Tom Club - "Genius of London (YouTube)

Life Is Very Long, When You're Lonely

2008-05-22T17:41:00.014-04:00

My Bloody Valentine - "You Made Me Realise"

(To Eire Knows When)

I most likely won't be around this weekend, so take this as an early gift before TGIF kicks in. Also see if you can already guess the theme of this week's 4-pack... I'm the last person that should be blogging about My Bloody Valentine (as they have been blogged to death), but let's face it, they fit the schematics of what I'm trying to go for in this post (well, sort of). Believe it or not, this band actually means more than the "oh man, Loveless is my fave record of all time man!" or even the very sludgy and sparse and very lovely, Isn't Anything LP. The first indication that this band would amount to "something" was one of Creation Records' first single releases called, "You Made Me Realise." Beforehand, they had featured a different singer before they decided to give Belinda Butcher and ol' Shield-sy a chance at the mic and sack the old guy. The result proved to be a wicked thing as the girl/boy sing-sigh effect seem to fit well over top a holocaust of guitars, effed-up samples and trigger-finger attack of drummer Colm O'Ciosoig. The opening assault of "You Made Me Realise" was as good of an introduction as "Cherub Rock's" opening drum roll was for the Smashing Pumpkins. It's too bad it took critics (and the rest of the world) like 10 years to discover their brilliance, but even Shields disliked Loveless after taking nearly 2 years and a shitload of Alan McGee's money to make it. Truth be known, there would be no Sloan or Eric's Trip if it weren't for MBV who were quick to follow their sound with albums released shortly after these Dubliners.
They're about as strong as you can get as far as acquired tastes go, and as stout/Guinness fans will attest, MBV are about as close as you can get to a Bloody Mary served on a cold winter's morning after a massive hangover. Here's hoping they play this tune during their reunion stint at the Ricoh Colliseum on Sept. 25... earplugs are a must!

My Bloody Valentine - "You Made Me Realise" (YouTube)

Ash - "Girl From Mars"

(Aren't Girls From Venus?)

Can you guess where I'm going with this post yet? Hmmmm... where is this band from? Anyhoot, some, I dunno, 15 years ago, there was this little brat named Tim Wheeler who's 3-piece band from Northern Ireland started hashing out 3-minute Brit-punk/pop tunes and became as popular as fellow Irishman, Van Morrison overnight it seemed. Though they couldn't quite match the creative output of said Van or Sinead or Dolores, they did, however, manage to achieve some sort of longevity. Well, we all remember the 1977 album, but can you name another? Most importantly, Ash are what the blue album and Pinkerton are to Weezer (a few good albums amongst a half dozen of shitty ones). They were still able to write hooky stuff like "Girl From Mars" and when you write a song with a word like, "mars" it's only logical to rhyme it with "bars", "cards", "stars... oooh... even "cigars" (or as Wheeler pronounces it, "Seee-Gars," and most of them are evident on this track). The one quip I have about this tune is the inability to name a chick from outer space... I mean sheesh, how hard can it be? (see also: Lady Stardust, Velouria, Andromeda, My Dark Star).

Ash - "Girl From Mars" (YouTube)
Ash - "Girl From Mars" (YouTube live @ Isle of White Festival 2007)

The Thrills - "Midnight Choir"

(It Ain't Deasy Being Green)

Oh, Conor Deasy, you were so brave on your 2nd album to call out something as crass as asking, "Whatever Happened to Corey Haim?" And people have since asked, "Whatever happened to the goddamn Thrills!?" This was a band that single-handedly re-wrote the soundtrack for Californian beach-blanket orgies, and they were from Ireland for christsakes! Yeah, the land of leprechauns and pale, red-haired, pasty-skinned barmaids, yeah - they friggen re-wrote the soundtrack man... and then disappeared? Nah, well, they tried to keep up in the party department with Kings of Leon, but even those Baptist brats could hold their Kilkenny while snorting a gram of coke before every show. Not so much for The Thrills... Well, they're not dead and are still releasing some fine tunery, such as the one I'm talking about here. It begins all McDuff and McFadden with some cleverly strummed madrigal mandolin shitte that signals a slight recreation of "Losing My Religion" (the sunny side up version of course) and then goes into Mr. Deasy's best Steve Malkmus impression (if his balls never dropped). Then we hear some great background "oh-ahs" to some midnight confessions in the second verse, "I found a job and I'm gonna hold this one down/I was a burden to everyone when I was young".. you know, cause confessin' sins is all the Irish do it seems.. Well, not really, but you know what I mean. It's too bad these guys don't get the recognition they deserve as they can still write a decent ditty... and produce a good video too.

The Thrills - "Midnight Choir" (YouTube)

U2- "Stay (Faraway, So Close)"

(Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of)

I know, I know, I know, U-fricken-2? Well, position #4 on the blog charts usually belongs to an old tune or a guilty pleasure, but since The Thrills feel like being good Catholic boys and doing their part for Ireland, I might as well join them too and tell you about my favourite U2 song. Now, before we begin, I will let you know that I'm not a fan. Maybe it's big old, Boner or whatever his name is, but something about them has made me detest most of their output. Don't get me wrong, Achtung Baby is a very important album for rock music and I love it. I actually don't mind Zooropa either (although it seems every one else did), and this song for some reason is able to stab me right there (pointing to midchest area/upper left side). I don't know what it is, but when Boner sets up the part before the first chorus of, "staaaaaaaaaaay" I melt inside each time I hear it... and then I listen to the song another 5 times until I realize the crime I'm committing and that happens to be assault and buggery of the eardrums. It actually reminds me of when I was younger and the only means I had to find out about new music was ChumFm's top 30 back on CityTv. It also served me well in my last relationship when I would come home late from somewhere, I'd stop in at a gas station near my apartment for a pack of smokes because I didn't want to go home. Ironically the song is about being in an abusive relationship, but shows it from both angles, be it the "vampire or the victim" it depends on who's listening. The whole title really sums it up, that even if you "stay" you can be so distant from someone, yet you're only inches away from them physically. It's a crazy situation.... if it ever happens to you.
Early versions of the song had it titled, "Sinatra," probably for it's crooning purposes, but eventually evolved into the song heard here. The clip was filmed in Berlin and inspired by the movie, City of Angels, where the band is dead and none of the people in the video can see them. (oh, if could only happen in real life). The best part about this post was choosing the photo for them... man, can they be any more unattractive? How cool does Larry Mullen look in this video? The rest of em' are douches tho.

U2 - "Stay (Far Away, So Close) (YouTube)

** this post was brought to you by the British spelling of "Realise"**

A Song To Keep Us Warm

2008-05-17T12:41:00.010-04:00

Minipop - "Precious"

(She Bangs The Drums)

I have an apology to make. I know the way I've set this blog up in the past year or so has catered to my lazy ways, but it's the only way I can keep up, without giving up. It means less words for you readers, but always means a difference of taking a half-hour to throw 4 songs together and post away; to taking a week analyzing and scrutinizing every word I write and nearly giving up in the process. Finding out about this song by San Fran's Minipop is no reason to even think about giving up. The voice of singer Tricia Kanne is like that of a thousand fireflies locked in a jar, finally released into the frosty night, painting each star as they take flight. They way she sings a single word like "cold" at the 2:12 mark of the tune absolutely chills the spine. The 4-piece follows in the footsteps of nu-gazers like Trespassers William and Eisley creating an even space between mournful, ambient space-pop and overdriven rockers like "Like I Do." They also have something else going for them... a girl drummer! hot.

Minipop - "Precious" (Music Remedy - stream/download)
Minipop - "Precious" (Myspace)
Minipop - "Like I Do" (YouTube)

Snowden - "Anti-Anti"

(Rave Of Mutilation)

Seems as though the further the spiral twists and turns for that ol' dark, indie-rock tunnel, the first comparison bands will get is Interpol. Take Snowden for instance, who have little or no resemblance to the sound or look of the band, yet they'll definitely get that label or two just because they employ those one-note fuzzed-out/delayed guitar passages and occasionally stray into those Joy Division corners where Ian Curtis sobs himself to sleep. Thankfully those moments are brief and the Athens, GA quartet is more interested in creating a fist-pumping sing-along rather than a shoe-staring sound of bewilderment. Wolf Parade would be a more comparable comparison, but where the Parade sounds like a drunk drive through a country side road, Snowden is a fast pedal-pump on highway 401. "Getting down in a town that makes no sound," will be the chant swimming inside your head for weeks as you stream their lite-brite influenced video clip for "Anti-Anti." And as you do, pay close attention to the lyrics as they're probably some of the best coming out this so-called "indie-rock" I hear the kids talking so much about these days. The band plays Lee's Palace with my friends, The Diableros this Tuesday (May 21st), so if you've got enough May Two-Four energy left in ya, give em' a look-see.

Snowden - "Anti-Anti" (YouTube)
Snowden - "Anti-Aniti" (Myspace)

Film School - "Two Kinds"

(Feed Me With Your Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me)

Man there certainly aren't enough bands from the U.S. who still think The Cure are the shit. Joking of course, as we take a look at another band from San Francisco that goes by the name of Film School. And yes another band to utilize the services of a female player within the band creating a synthed-out version of something that sounds like it could be right off of the Disintegration record. Thankfully, Film School has other influences as they tread the same sonically-rich infested waters as bands like My Blood Valentine and Ride and do it well, I might add. Most of the bands trying to cop that sound have trouble making a modern approach that is not only fresh, but listenable as well. "Two Kinds" is probably the most radio-friendly thing on 2007's Beggar's Banquet released album called, Hideout and it's a good thing they've been giving the vouch by my faves Swervedriver for their reunion tour that is already under way as we speak.

Film School - "Two Kinds" (YouTube)
Film School - "Two Kinds" (MySpace)

Klee - "2 Fragen"

(Deutsch Like Heaven)

To keep The Cure vibe going along, let's take a look at band that is *not* from San Francisco or the US, but has a song out there called, "Unser Film" that is direct replica of "Just Like Heaven." Unfortunately for me, I can't locate the song to show you just how much of a cop it is, but instead I will introduce to one of German's finest indie pop bands and a different song altogether. We already know how excited you got when you first heard Nena's "99 Luft Balloons," heck, you still go ape-shite when you hear that song playing at some cosmic bowling alley or at one of those ironic DJ nights where they slip in something retro... and you're always hoping it'll be Spandau Ballet, but Nena will have to do, just for now, just after that 4th Stella. OK, moving on... I don't usually like listening to bands who sing in other languages, I guess I'm a lyrical Jesse James, so I need to make correlations with words, but then again, a group like Sigur Ros was able re-invent the whole songwriting process, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. I will say that after streaming a few of Klee's tunes, I already feel like I could fly to Berlin tomorrow, and take over... First, I will have to conquer Manhattan... of course.

Klee - "2 Fragen" (YouTube)
Klee - "Gold" (MySpace)

C'Etait Pour La Passion

2008-05-08T21:10:00.029-04:00

M83 - "Graveyard Girl"

(Bringing Out The Dead)

Salut! This song gets off on the right side of the bed with it's Summer of 69' type intro. It's been far too long without new M83 material (a whole whopping 2.5 years) and Mr. Anthony Gonzales (the spearhead of the whole operation) is back with more songs to starlight your eyes and melt your heart. You could go out and buy fellow frenchies and much lauded Teenagers' album, but I suggest you stay with Gonzales' warped sense of science fiction were screams of "Tina! Tina!" were once heard, interspersed with talk about emerging out of "ze flames" with a "piece of brain in my hair." Of course Saturdays = Youth (released April 2008) is the follow-up to the gorgeousness and goroeousity of Before The Dawn Heals Us and the video clip follows in the same footsteps as before where it looks like some sci-fi, Degrassi drama staring Molly Ringwald.

M83 - "Graveyard Girl (YouTube)

Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle - "Don't Kiss Me Goodbye"

(A Clockwork L'Orange)

Chances are you already know who the foxy chanteuse in this French threesome. If you've seen La Scaphandre et le Papilion (Diving Bell and the Butterfly) then you'll recognize this tall drink of water who stayed at her husband's bedside while he winked away his life in a paralyzed state. Quite a pathetic piece of work if you ask me. Anyhow, Emanuelle Seigner is the coolest chick around, and her stock has risen even more now that her band called Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle have been getting some attention ever since their song, "Don't Kiss Me Goodbye" showed up in the film. Meh, shameless self-promotion never hurt anyone, especially since it's the most moving part of the whole movie (I actually like Diving Bell when it was called The English Patient). Part of being in a cool band is looking the part... I mean look at them? They could only play 3 chords and they'd still be one giant yellow emoticon with sunglasses. And yes, they only play around 3-chords ala Mazzy Star, Spaceman 3, Velvets etc. Check out this amateurish vid made by some goofs, it's actually not bad... if you like watching people get high and film themselves.

Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle - "Don't Kiss Me Goodbye" (YouTube unofficial video )
Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle - "Rosemary's Lullaby" (Myspace)

Phoenix- "Long Distance Call"

(I Would Walk One Hundred Dials)

You can thank Sofia Coppola for introducing most of the world (that isn't France) to this much underrated French band as their dance-floor stomp called, "Too Young" made the cut for Lost in Translation. At the time, nobody in North America knew anything about the band except that Scarlett Johanssen appeared to be more of a dame with their music as her soundtrack and thus, we wanted more. It would take a few years later before Alphabetical was released and then their debut (United) from 2000 would finally reach North American consumption. Everything happened so fast for Phoenix and before you knew it, they were trading in all Huey Lewis and Hall & Oates tinged funk-flavoured hits for a more ragged, Strokes-esque guitar-jangle pop sound. The immediacy of "Long Distance Call" is evident from the first guitar passage in the intro all the way to singer Thomas Mar's chaotic chortle of announcing: "It'sNeverBeenLikeThat It'sNeverBeenLikeThat It'sNeverBeenLikeThat" on repeat until the song finally fades as it begins (with a Mikey Jackson "Beat It" type drumbeat). The song reminds me of when I was finally single again, staying out all night dancing, attending after parties and waking up on my small mattress on the floor - living out my own private Trainspotting... (without the dope of course). $26.10 was the price to pay.

Phoenix - "It's Never Been Like That" (YouTube)

Francoise Hardy- "Au Fond Du Reve Dore"

(I Wish It Was the 60s, I Wish We Could Be Happy)

And now for the "old" portion of this post. Ah yes, Mademoiselle Hardy... Possibly the hottest/sexiest of any pop star to come out of the late 60s' (and you thought it was Janis Joplin - sheesh!). This woman has not been given the props deserved as she could croon in 5 different languages and make smoking cigarettes and drinkin' whiskey seem like the most tender activities since the carebear countdown. OK, so maybe she would've worked on her dance moves a bit, I mean what she does in this film clip (a simple turnaround move) is the equivalent to me getting sniffy-with-it and that's after consuming a trough-load of lubricated liquids. Apparently just before Nick Drake snuffed it out, Hardy begged and pleaded with Drake for her to record an album of his songs... and he almost gave in, until he died not too soon after. His bio claims that they had a 'possible' love affair, but then again, didn't everyone in the 60s'? Nada Surf does an amazing rendition of this tune, who knew an American band could sing and speak in French, non? n'est pas? If you want, I can pass you along that cover, it's fab.... but only if you can translate these lyrics for me. Here's to Francoise! Charlotte Gainsborough can kiss my ass, that untalented twat!

Francoise Hardy - "Au Fond Du Reve Dore"

**this post is for Pauline... some French bird that keeps my readership up to about 3 people and my comments up the bracket too**

Hanging On My Lover's Breath

2008-05-02T21:53:00.009-04:00

White Lies - "Unfinished Business"

(There Will Be Blood)

It's been cold and darker than it should be at this time of year, and has been a rather Edward Scissorhandian go of things lately. What better way to accentuate the current climate then them those musos who come along with the perfect song, at a perfect time. Take this UK 3-piece who come as the harbingers of all things black and white to make that nap on your cold couch all the more interesting. There's not much info on these blokes, only that they're quietly creeping around and poised to do big things in 2008 without seemingly putting up an effort... sometimes that's how Britain works, but then again, this debut single will have you re-kindling that friendship with Interpol's Paul Banks and Bunnymen's Ian McCullough. The funeral procession opening with scissors, thunder, windowsils and a sight for sore eyes are all abound in the opening stanza, but it's not all doom and gloom as this number takes some thumping moments amongst a Teardrop Explodes-esque chorus line. Check out the video clip that was *just* added yesterday... and please do not say the words Candyman more than 3 times in front of the mirror afterwards.

White Lies - "Unfinished Business" (YouTube)
White Lies - "Death" (Myspace)

The Twilight Sad - "Cold Days From The Birdhouse"

(Sad Songs Say So Much)

Recognize a theme yet? Totally unintentional I swear, but I really couldn't go on much longer without talking about this Glaswegian chamber-pop/folk band. That's right "chamber-pop" well, call them whatever you like, this tune "Cold Days From The Birdhouse" has been on repeat for me in the past month or so and is only gonna rack up more plays as the seasons overlap, molding and weaving its way onto the next. Fittingly titled, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters is the perfect hymnal for seasonal and personal change without getting too pretentious (but who's countin' eh?). In Birdhouse, singer, James Graham blasts garbled poetry in his broadest Scots' brogue upon a backdrop of feedback swells and one-note piano twinkles... lest we forget the incredible acoustic finger-picking and slide work -- heavenly hash fo' shore. OK, so Scotland ain't really considered to be *British*, but whatever, close enough... I still picture this is the tune that would be playing at the end of Trainspotting had Cameron Crowe directed it... and if you're like me, you'll be singing the line, "and this is where your arm can't go!" on repeat, which only further heightens the smack reference.

The Twilight Sad - "Cold Days From The Birdhouse" (YouTube)
The Twilight Sad - "Cold Days From The Birdhouse" (Myspace)

Forward Russia - "Spanish Triangles"

(Nyet Nyet Soviets)

I stood still my tracks when I first heard this tune by Leeds, UK quartet called, iForward Russia! from their latest and newly released disc, Life Processes. I must admit that this band has annoyed the hell out of me since they came kicking and whining their way on the scene a few years ago with an album filled with songs that were named as numbers. For some reason, they're showing they have a delicate side and especially in this slow-burning indie anthem that clocks in just under 9 minutes and has singer, Tom Woodhead's vocals showcased beautifully with lyrics like, "it came as no surprise, to see the air all right, but later I found I care... we all felt cold." Only to explode in the song's chewy centre and that's when guitars are bursting as octave bombs and creating an atmospheric sea-sick feeling, which sets up the, "turn your ships around" mantra. This song closes off the album brilliantly and if they're a smart band, they'll end their set with this song too. So heart-breaking.

Forward Russia - "Spanish Triangles" (Free Download!)
Forward Russia - "Spanish Triangles (Live in Manchester YouTube)

Placebo- "Ask For Answers"

(Come On Feel The Boys)

It's fairly common for this blog to have something old, something borrowed, something new and something blue in a post, so how bout we include at least 3 of the 4 in one son? Guess you could chalk Placebo up to a 'guilty pleasure' but in all honesty, I probably like about 5 songs from them and that's pretty low for band that's had at least 5 albums. Whenever Brian Molko decides to stray away from all that "other" stuff (ya know, like falling in love with himself) that doesn't have anything to do with music and actually writes a song, sometimes he'll outdo himself like this one. "Ask For Answers" might be that note-to-self that everyone wrote in a diary circa Grade 9, but Molko and friends were able to capture that feeling and make it seem ultra-important with suicide-letter drivel like, "get through this night, there are no second chances/This time I might/Ask the sea for answers." This is as shoegaze as Placebo ever went musically, but if they stayed on this path, I probably would've been along for the ride... The ending bit with the outro is one of the most treasured and beautiful moments in music for me. "These bonds are shackle free"

Placebo - "Ask For Answers" (Live @ Radio 21 YouTube)
Placebo - "Ask For Answers" (YouTube)

Older Woman and Ever So Slightly Younger Man

2008-04-20T08:45:00.009-04:00

The Courteeners - "Not Nineteen Forever"

(There Goes The Fear)

Things are already looking bleak in The Courteeners camp, I mean look at them in their new video for "Not Nineteen Forever" - there's no pint cheersin', no high fives and good times like they showed previously in "Acrylic," ya know with all those Madonna-type pre-prayer hugs before a concert. Well, they might be enjoying their cheap cup o' teas for now, but their new full-length, St. Jude should catapult them in the stratosphere. After all, it has the production fingerprints of Stephen Street all over it (Smiths, Blur, Kaiser Chiefs etc.) and lead man, Liam Fray has a PhD in beards as we see him transform himself into the Jimi Goodwin version of Julian Casablancas in their new clip seen here:

The Courteeners - "Not Nineteen Forever" (YouTube)

Portishead - "Machine Gun"

(Guns N' Roses)

Be scared... be very, very scared... After almost 11 years in hiatus, like a monster stowing itself in hibernation, the band that put Bristol on the map is back from hiding.... no, this time it's for real. Every year since their last self-titled disc in 1998, new speculation arose that *this* time they were working on new material and the band was set to release a new album. Though they haven't reached Chinese Democracy proportions, 11 years is a long time and a lot has happened... well, maybe not... Just 9/11, (that's all that's happened *ever* it seems), but they're bAaaCk with an album aptly named Third, which is to be released on April 28th (on the date of this blog's one-year anniversary). The stuff I've heard so far is exactly what you'd expect - mystical, eerie and beautiful - all thanks to Beth Gibbons' sorrowful croon over espionage soundtrack instrumentals.

Portishead - "Machine Gun" (Live on Jools Holland)

James - "Oh, My Heart"

(James Addiction)

Another band that's come out of the woodwork is good old James! Remember them? Most will argue that they've been redundant since their Laid album in 1993, I mean Frosh parties just wouldn't be the same without the hit of the same name, but as far as a full effort, that's been missing for a long time. Although Whiplash contained two of their better tunes ("She's a Star" and "Tomorrow"), the rest of the disc fell flatter than Gwen Stefani's bust. Then we had Tim Booth's solo albums, err *snore*, but now apparently the Mancunian's have got their shite together and have produced what is probably their best album in the last 15 years? Hey Ma is a back-to-basics album and is already out there/available, so you can, like, download it man! (or but it)... You can listen/stream every tune from their web site, so far, "Oh My Heart" is the standout, but for the most part it all sounds good. The yearn to see what they've been up to came about as me and my friend were discussing how great the song "Sit Down" is. It'd reach my top 20 songs of all time for sure.

P.S. They've always had thee worst album covers.

James - "Oh My Heart" (Live on YouTube)

The La's - "Timeless Melody"

(La La Love You)

Sure, it happens. A band becomes so popular after one song, one album that the media calls them the second coming of The Beatles and said band shits their pants and calls it quits. You'd have to look no further than The New Radicals to find out about such thing... OK, I'm kidding, but yeah, Liverpool's The La's were touted to be everything and anything the British media wanted them to be. That didn't happen. Instead, Lee Mavers decided that music wasn't quite for him anymore and on came the backlash. It isn't the first time it's happened as the UK loves to build you up just to break you down... they also eat their young after a while, so it's good Mavers got out while he could. With a short-lived reformation in 2005, the band set to prove once again that they were more than just that one-hit that Christian-folk bands like to cover. Here's sheer proof of their brilliance and another song that isn't "There She Goes," as they play an acoustic version of "Timeless Melody" on MuchMusic.You'll see where Noel and Liam stole their look and schtick... also note, John Power on second guitar who formed Cast after The La's folded probably shortly after this performance.

The La's - "Timeless Melody" (Live @ MuchMuisc YouTube)

Good Tunes For People Who Love Bad Tunes

2008-04-13T11:11:00.015-04:00

Air Traffic - "Come On"

(Permission to Land)

Hands up for the people who are excited for Coldplay's next album...? Don't worry, mines' pointed to my arse too, picking at an ingrown hair. If you're looking for an even faggier alternative, then you have this UK piano-led quartet who do a pretty good impression of Yorke and Martin, not to mention recreating the feel of Paris Hilton's first sex tape in the video clip... I say *first* sex tape because I'm sure there's one released every week on YouPorn. Seriously though, this song is so bad, it's good. D'ya know whadda I mean?

Air Traffic - "Come On" (You Tube)

Brother Kite - "I'm Not The Only One"

(For the Benefit of Mr. ____)

The city of Providence, Rhode Island was made ultra-hip and famous due to a voice mail message left by Mike Watt on Thurston Moore's phone, which ended up being used in a Sonic Youth song of the same name and really was the first creepy/beautiful song proceeding all those GYBE! and Mogwai masterpieces. Though Brother Kite sounds nothing like the Youth, GYBE! (or the Gwai'), they do hail from that city and make some fucking good music. It's like how Death Cab and The Shins would sound (if they were still actually good) and I'll be the first to stay away from the Beach Boys comparisons because, yes, they do harmonies and apparently Brian Wilson was the first person to like, ever do that man... like ever. And ever Amen.

The Brother Kite - "I'm Not The Only One" (YouTube)

Bombay Bicycle Club - "Open House"

(Turn On The Bike Lights)

Remember when I told you about The Courteneers? Sound piece of advice, non? Well, since they've made the cover of the new NME and just released their debut last week, (St. Jude) let's see if their momentum can spread all the way over to these parts.. And by these parts, I mean, like Can-uh-duh man! Here's another band you might want to keep on your radar just in case they happen to make it to a theatre near you, and I mean it's not like you'll for get them with a name like BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB. Yeah, they probably sat around trying to think of acronyms to fill the BBC, but this South East, UK band have some of the best-sounding guitar work I've heard in a long time. It's not overly complicated - think of a simpler approach than Built to Spill's and the vocals sound like put leadman Jack Steadman in a bathtub full of freezing water (drawn by Conor Oberst).

Bombay Bicycle Club - "Open House" (Myspace)

Lightspeed Champion- "Midnight Surprise"

(And if you have 9 minutes to spare...)

If there was anyone to do a modern day version of "Paranoid Android" then it'd have to be up to ex-Test Icicle Devonte Hynes whose latest adventure (he names himself Lightspeed Champion), has reached epic heights with this 9-minute opus. Sure, he doesn't go into the Oxford-5 territory of resurrecting the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and there's no mere mention of Guci-little piggies, but this tune really jumps all over the place from Queen-esque Rhapsody (without the opera bullshit) to Fleetwood Mac, to modern indie like Bloc Party and The Dears... I would have to mention bands with coloured folk eh? But in all seriousness, this Hynes dude is a complete weirdo and we love him all the more for it.

Lightspeed Champion - "Midnight Surprise" (YouTube)

Your Beauty Is So Close To Me

2008-03-14T20:52:00.009-04:00

Neon Neon - "I Lust You"

(Lust Never Sleeps)

Gruff Rhys is a busy man. Believe it or not, but Super Fury Animals are still in existence, why? I have no clue as they've been redundant since the release of Phantom Power. Then you have his solo career, where we have last year's more than half-decent album, Candylion... and if that wasn't enough, Gruffster has teamed up with DJ Boom Bip and formed what is being pegged as an electronica "super-group" called, Neon Neon. Members of Magic Numbers, Spank Rock and Har Mar Superstar contribute their services to round out the sound and in this latest single, Rhys shares vocal duties with fellow welsh folk-starlet, Cate Le Bon. The result is as cheesy as a Roxette record on repeat, but I've been waiting forever for this single/video to be released and alas, it was added to YouTube last week. Enjoy.

Neon Neon - "I Lust You" (YouTube)

The Little Ones - "Lovers Who Uncover"

(Lovers In A Dangerous Time)

Probably a band you've never heard of, but should and will. This Los Angeles formed 5-piece writes the catchiest shit and seem to do it with ease. Fusing their love for 'older' bands like The Zombies and Beach Boys, The Little Ones consisting of some of the finest Filipinos, (which I thought was a place for underage hookery and P's instead of F's), but no, apparently they've got an ear for melodies that Brian Wilson could only dream of. Indie rock is in a good place with these dudes around and I heard they overtook The Kaiser Chiefs as far as performance and support on their co-headlining tour. Be aware because every DJ act out there is looking to remix these tunes (see below), which means you'll be hearing them everywhere -- from dance clubs to farmer's markets... did I say 'farmer's markets?' Oops, I meant, 'Parmer's Markets.'

The Little Ones - "Lovers Who Uncover" (YouTube)

Crystal Castles - "Lover's Who Uncover" (Little Ones Remix)

(Hipsters Are Doin' It For Themselves)

Irony will get you famous. No, not holing yourself in a basement with a band, sweating away the days in a rehearsal space and going broke while doing it. Instead, casio keyboards, gimmicks and people who obsess about He-Man and She-Ra will be the ones cashing in the cheques. My friend who manages Metric and MSTRKRFT to name a few, says he was at a show in Europe where DJ Dimitri of Paris would basically choose tracks for his set, put them on, go down the street to a pool, have a swim for an hour, come back and re-set some more songs for people to dance to. How much was this DJ paid for his services? oh, only about $150,000 (for one night). Take it for what it is, but those blip-bloppity electronica acts and DJs stand a lot better chance than any band trying to "make it." The whole irony is that these people, like Toronto's Crystal Castles for instance is taking the piss out of rock n' roll and making a killing by doing it. Not saying it's wrong, but to call their music, "innovative" or "ground-breaking" is up for debate. Here, the take the above-mentioned Little Ones tune and turn it into a dance-hit. Yes, it sounds wicked, but I still prefer to hear the sweat, grime and gloss on the original indie-rock tune. Call me old fashioned, just don't call me old.

Crystal Castles vs. The Little Ones - "Lovers Who Uncover" (YouTube)

Here It Is, The Revenge To A Tune

2008-03-08T12:07:00.007-05:00

Jacob Golden - "On a Saturday"

I'm ashamed to find out that my favourite song at the moment was used in the series finale of The OC. Oh well, at least Pacey and Seth or whatever their names are, have packed it in for good and people will have to find out about decent music on their own. Maybe not, but this singer/songwriter "troubadour" (as they like to call em') recalls all those forlorn, painful moments that our good friend Elliott Smith used to conjure up in a whisper. All those unpleasant run-ins with Cupid are all over the map on Jacob Golden's second disc entitled, are you ready... Revenge Songs and especially on this top o' the Saturday morn' to ye with all that crying your name poppycock. It's a good tune, great lyrics, you know, singing about watching the girls in SoHo square and dating French birds is the norm these days anyway. Give it a whirl.

Jacob Golden - "On a Saturday" (YouTube)
Jacob Golden - "On a Saturday" (Myspace)