Spoon and Deerhunter at the Sound Academy; Monday March 29, 2010

The last time I saw Deerhunter, it was at Lee's Palace just after their release of their finest album to date - Microcastles. The show was perfect, minus the noisy, messy openers Times New Viking.

This time 'round I walked in on their opening set a couple of songs in and it was half past nine. I walked into the venue to the song "The High Road" by Broken Bells, an amazing song that sounds like a grown up version of the Shins. Really, it's James Mercer of the Shins and the producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse. I like this project, it seems like it's marking the death of the Shins, which I might almost be OK with. I really enjoyed their last release Wincing the Night Away but I think it's time for Mercer to "wow" me with something different.

I entered the venue and I was convinced that it wasn't actually Deerhunter, because it was noise and I couldn't see their lanky frontman - Bradford Cox. But they began to play "Never Stops" and I knew it was them. I hate this venue for so many obvious reasons, firstly I couldn't see a damn thing, I didn't even know Deerhunter was playing. How could I possibly miss the impressivly distinct Cox. Cox almost seemed cool wearing sunnies inside. I completely understood why because there was an unnecessary light show going on. I thought their set was a pretty good length and in good time too. I was really concerned I had missed "Cover Me (Slowly)" and "Agoraphobia", two of my favourite bits off of Microcastle. If you're smart and listening to the link of "Cover Me..." and "Agora..." you can understand what a knob Bradford Cox is. Some people find him funny, I just find him crude and over the top. I however adore that song and that intro musically. At the show in Toronto he let out that ridiculous scream and it completely threw me off. I didn't know what he was going to play, but after the first chord I was back on track again. I also knew that I would hear "Agoraphobia" immediately after which put me at great ease. I was a little worried that I missed it because it's such a stellar opener, as you can see from the Copenhagen gig I linked you to. If there are two songs off of Microcastles that will convince you to like Deerhunter, it's those two.

Spoon were everything I thought they'd be - flawless and charming. The show itself felt sold out. That marks my second big reason why I hate the Docks. Any show I could possibly want to see there is likely to be sold out. The layout of the venue is long, similar to the Phoenix, except three times the size in length and a couple times the size in width. So seeing any show there is very difficult to enjoy. Spoon frontman even pointed out how "long" the venue was.

I didn't do much homework before seeing Spoon. They'd always been at the back of my mind as a very well put together and established band. I got my hands on Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga as it came out and fell in love. My very good friend Ted, who I went to the gig with also indirectly pushed me listen to Spoon more with his HUGE love for the band. Going to the show with him was a complete pleasure, I really admire that love for one band. I have given Transference a few listens but listening to it after a flawless studio perfected album like Ga Ga... was difficult. The album is significantly more raw that their previous release.

I was surprised they played "Don't Make Me A Target" in the middle of their set and "That's the Way We Get By" second in their set. I was really surpriseed to hear "The Ghost of You Lingers" live. They jumped back on stage for a four song closer - of them two were drawn off of Ga Ga Ga Ga - "Got Yer Cherry Bomb" and "The Underdog". It's absolutely amazing that Spoon is a four piece ensemble, Brit Daniel is incredible on the guitar and vocals - together.

I wonder about the Nada Surf show. Would've love to have seen them too!

It was really difficult to find a normal image of Bradford Cox, but I did!:



I wonder about the Nada Surf show. Would've love to have seen them too!

Okkervil River's "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe"

In reading an interview with Will Sheff he claimed that the song "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe" off of the masterpiece The Stage Names was originally written as a slower song.

I recently stumbled upon an acoustic version of it that sounds quite odd upon first listening to it, but its' quite lovely after a minute or so. It has such a different sound to it than the studio version.

Seasick Steve and the Phonogarde

Seasick Steve is a golden oldie, but I personally have never heard of him until today. He has a fantastic blues sound that apparently he would rather box himself as a "Song and a Dance Man".

He reminds me a bunch of the much younger individual - the Phonogarde a Toronto blues artists that sort of fell of my radar for the last two years. He needs to play more Toronto shows, or shows altogether because he has something really different that I think could be really well-received.

Bloc Party

I haven't touched Bloc Party really since high school, I however still can fondly dip into their album Silent Alarm.

This is a really pleasant video of the tune "This Modern Love". It's a little scrappy at times - but I love the ending reaction of the crowd. So honest and just happy. "Encore!"

And who could ignore Owen Pallett's cover of the tune.

SXSW series - The Walkmen

Thank you NPR, once again you have made my evening. I am currently listening to the song "Canadian Girl" appropriately while working on a paper to do with Canadian waste transfer from Toronto to Michigan.

The Walkmen at South by South West 2010

Live music doesn't get much more perfect than a Walkmen gig.

Jenny Lewis time warp

Take yourself back four years to Jenny Lewis' first solo record titled Rabbit Fur Coat. It easily made one of my albums of the decade.

I had the lovely opportunity to see her with Johnathan Rice at the Opera House in the Spring of 2006.

Hearing this NPR recording made October of 2006 is making me a tad nostalgic.

The never again set list:

Long Black Dress

The Big Guns

You are What You Love

Melt Your Heart

The Charging Sky

Happy

Fernando

Rise Up With Fists!!

Carpet Baggers

Rabbit Fur Coat

Sunday

Jack

Born Secular

Acid Tongue

Handle Me With Care

RJD2 at the Mod Club; Thursday March 11, 2010

I'm so happy RJD2 knows that his best album is Deadringer and is not too sick and tired to play it. The last song before the encore was "Ghostwriter" and it was epic. He played it with a band, which sounded much better than just spinning.

Seeing with a full band is pretty incredible. Much more exciting.

Jason Collett with Zeus and Bahamas at Lee's; Wednesday March 10, 2010

Toronto has two major music festivals, Canadian Music Festival (formerly Canadian Music Week) and North by North East. Neither of them are particuarly amazing, but I feel as though NXNE has always been significantly more together than CMF. This year however, CMF has a great lineup, especially in comparison to former years.

Last year I snagged two wristbands for free, giving one away and using one to see the amazing Six Shooter Showcase at the Reverb. This will more than likely be my last time ever going to the legendary Big Bop building. I had the pleasure of seeing Canadian gems - Jenn Grant and Amelia Curran.

This year, buying a ticket I saw Jason Collett, Zeus and Bahamas in what they titled the "Bonfire Ball". This was their first gig of the tour. I stumbled by at aroudn 9:30pm expecting to have missed a couple of songs of Bahamas' opening set. Much to my chagrin I caught the tail end of "Hangover Days". That indicated that Collett was holding a revue gig. One giant set, all bands mixed with Zeus as the house band, keeping the audience on their toes.

I was blown away by all the bands I came across tonight. Collett, no surprise really - his presence and sound comes so effortlessly. He's always had the charm, I'm just so happy he finally has the support in both fans and musical family to finally call the shots. Over the past five or six years i've watched Collett nurture Zeus, from Paso Mino to just his backup band to the all mighty Zeus. He refers to them as musical renaissance men, shared instrument and vocal duty. The lead singer is only twenty three, isn't that something. Collett referred to his voice as one of the most "rock and roll" voices he's heard recently. The standout song of their set was the "Greater Times on the Wayside" and "River by the Garden" mash up. Much less a mashup but one short song fused together with a much longer one, kind of like Abbey Road. The first tune, "Greater Times on the Wayside" is a John Lennon sounding tune that bleeds into "River by the Garden" which comes off sounding like a Ringo tune. Yikes. Surprising live came off significantly charming, unfortunately I can't say the same for the recorded version.

Zeus' new album dropped a couple of weeks ago. They've recieved an overwhelming amount of press, publicity and hype. Deserving every last drop of it, I'm really excited to see where they go next.

Bahamas is yet another google proof band. Bahamas is Afie Jurvanen. Holding nothing in his album cover shows his birthdate, full name, height and weight. I was really amazed by this man he really carries himself as a rock star should. His tunes are sincere and thoughtful. The only one I can carry by name is "Hockey Teeth" which found its way on to Collett's CBC made podcast. I really loved his one tune he played about him waiting for a girl that may love someone else. It's goofy, but not Barenaked Ladies goofy. I've been meaning to get his album, but i've held back from buying it. He's one of those artists that are not big enough to find online, but it would be pretty easy to find his album at a used place.

He sounded fantastic with a band and with just his guitar and the drums. Playing with just drums, his guitar and voice filled up the music making it sound full and lively. Big things for this man.

He's incredible recorded too:

"Already Yours" - Bahamas

Collett as I mentioned before always dazzles me, from his rugged good looks to his effortless ease on stage. When I see him I feel like he's playing for myself alone. He makes things personal and intimate, no matter if he plays with a big group or alone with a guitar. He also played things from across his catalogue. He has four albums out, now with yesterday's release of Ratatat. I was most surprised to hear him play "Almost Summer" off of his best album to date Idols of Exile. I remember purchasing that album thinking: "Wow, the new Jason Collett album". I bought it at a record store near the summer school I went to. It was summer of 2005, five years ago! The tune "Almost Summer" is an autobiographical history of events in his life. I know this because he use to have this absolutely charming description of this in his biography portion of his website four or five years ago. The link I provided under "Almost Summer" has him explain what's it's more or less about.

Following "Almost Summer" he played "High Summer" which he described as the sequel to "Almost Summer". I love both, I have had the pleasure of hearing "High Summer" to know what it sounds like. It's apparently on his new album.

The first Jason Collett gig I saw I think was at Lee's with my good friend Nicole and our fake IDs. At that time KT Tunstall opened up for him, which is absolutely mind boggling because she had a big billboard for her new album on Spadina at Queen. Collett is luck to have a showcase at Sonic Boom. I think Collett was the artist I was able to sneak it to the most - seeing him play the Mod Club which is incredibly weird. The 6ixty8ights (I think that's how they spelt it!) opened for them with Paso Mino, basically Zeus now! All those times I snuck in, I desperately wanted to hear "Almost Summer". It wasn't until tonight that I heard him play it live, away from Youtube! Big night, well worth the twenty five bucks I dropped.

Jenny Owens Young

I'm not sure if the world has room for another girl singer song writer. There are too many Ingrid Michaelsons - fortunately few make it as big as they want to get.

Somewhere I read the name Jenny Owens Young, an incredibly clunky name to bring out with you to stardom. She is however cute as a button. I feel like she'd be a million times better if she wasn't so over produced - her posted tracks sound like they were processed four hundred times over to perfection. I would like to hear her practicing wtih a guitar solo (I hope that she plays sometihng herself).



My goodness! Watch out Jenny Lewis!

Age of Rockets' Note

Although the band that produced this is really lousy, I really like what this guy wrote.

I assume this is what Glee would sound like if we put them to real life, the band not the note they wrote.

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=2907300&blogId=423881365

Jane Said

I watched a ridiculous video online that lead me to this gem - the band called Jane Said http://www.myspace.com/paulawinger. They're different, but they still have a mainstream appeal to them.

They're from Nashville which is delightful to me because I am getting quite excited for Bonaroo. With the best luck i'll be going come June. I've never been to Tennessee, I can't wait to dip into the music scene there.

Joe Pug

For the first time, I intentionally listened to a concert without actually seeing it. I really didn't love Justin Townes Earle but I had the urge to see Joe Pug, just to hear his song "Hymn 101". I missed his set last year opening up for M. Ward at the Phoenix. Fortunately, he came back quite quickly.

I had a pint and anxiously waited to hear my song. I had a feeling he'd play it last, which he did. I sort of found his stuff to sound all the same. I guess that's the poison of only playing the guitar and a harmonica yourself.

Back on the saddle

Hello die hard fans,

My computer got a virus, but thankfully for the fourth time in the last three months or so it has recovered.

I served Andrew Whiteman of Apostle of Hustle and Broken Social Scene at my restaurant the other night and I've been on a serious Apostle of Hustle kick. Especially off their first full length titled Folkloric Feel. I really love the tune "Folkloric Feel" and "Sleepwalker's Ballad".