Do Make Say Think at the Polish Combatants Hall; Wednesday August 19, 2009

Do Make Say Think at the Polish Combatants Hall; Wednesday August 19, 2009

This is my one hundredth post!

Do Make Say Think are one of the finest bands out of Toronto. Their music is diverse and complex, something that is disitinct from any other indie act out of the city. Every member contributes a dynamic sound. Charles is the bass - busy, while upholding the back bone. Guitar - Ohad Benetrit and Justin Small, one not outweighing the other. But Benetrit is much better than Small.

Do Make's new album is coming out at the end of October, as anticipated they played a bunch of new tunes. Including then opening song - more aggressive and straight up. I felt by their song choice this show that their stand out album is 'Winter Hymn, Country Hymn, Secret Hymn'. Most of the tunes that were played were from that album.

I wrote the above note a very long time ago... The night o fthe show! I feel like the venue was a really nice size for them. I was a little disappoitned with the osund of the venue because the beautiful swells of their tunes were highly dimished in that venue. The light show absolutely killed me because it was one of the hardest things to watch. I love this band, and I love what they do but I hope that their music varies from their major swelling bridges. THere's somethijng abolsutley charming about their campfire pretty tunes like - "A Tender History in Rust" and "Chinatown".

Cursive at the Horseshoe; Saturday August 1, 2009

Cursive at the Horseshoe; Saturday August 1, 2009

Tim Kasher is definitely one of my favourite artists of the last ten years. He will be thirty-six years old by the end of the month. I can tell that he's worn out, in the sense that he has past experiences that really amount to the finish product of his lyrics.

Last night I discovered I really, truly only love two full Cursive albums. 'The Ugly Organ' and one half of 'Happy Hollow' and bits of 'Domestica'. Perhaps I like a bit of 'Mama, I'm Swollen' as well. Collectively, two albums i'd say. I really took love for his solo project The Good Life, especially the album "Album of the Year".

'The Ugly Organ' was really important to me in the tenth or eleventh grade. I remember when I was in grade eleven I had my fake ID and I really wanted to see Tim Kasher play with the Good Life. I probably would have had I known they would only play three gigs in the next six years in Toronto. Two times over with Cursive and once as the Good Life.

They were playing serious catch up time for not ever touring here, so i expected to hear a great array of their catalogue. I wasn't let down. They opened with "Big Bang" from their 2006 album 'Happy Hollow'. A very intense, horn charged tune. When I saw them two years ago they played with a larger horn section, this go round they only had one, instead of three. The horn player jumped from trumpet, to bugle and to keyboard. It was very evident that this guy was a trumpet player at heart, and knew some piano but I really wasn't remotely impressed by his keyboard skills.... Especially his organ bit at the bridge of one of the songs. It was actually horrible, especially after seeing Rod Argent (of the Zombies).

I was very happy with the song choices. Cursive's sound an organised-chaos. With the exception of the soft, pretty tunes they have like "Bad Sects" and "The Recluse", two songs they played. "Bad Sects" was perfect, I wouldn't have changed a thing. "The Recluse" felt too slow - it needed more push to it, it almost felt lazy.

My favourite tune they played was "A Gentleman Caller". It's absolute chaos but for the second half of the song it was absolutely perfect.

They also played "Driftwood: A Fairy Tale", "Art is Hard" and "Sierra" off of 'The Ugly Organ'.

They closed with "The Martyr" off of 'Domestica' which shocked me.

Monsters of Folk

Monsters of Folk is a fitting name for - Conor Oberst, M. Ward, Mike Mogus and Jim James. I find this group of people to be so funny for a plethora of reasons. Firstly, it's been a while in the making. Apparently, they played a gig four years ago and are finally following it up now. I suppose in this interconnected web of the Nebraskan artists it really isn't too hard to find mend their way together.

I can confidently say that this is the Travelling Wilburys or the Highwaymen of the twenty first century. Bob Boilen, NPR indie-king said that this album wasn't that folk. I disagree from the first three teaser tracks i've had the pleasure of listening to. They sort of sound like what the love-child of M. Ward and Oberst would sound like.

I'm really excited to hear the Mogus bits of this album, because I know him more as a producer than a performer. But he's touched almost all of my favourite Saddle Creek Releases in some way, so he must be a beautiful musician.

I dropped a good mint on my ticket for this gig, but i'm prepared to be blown away. I hope my hopes aren't too, too high.