Okkervil River with Titus Andronicus at the Phoenix; Friday June 10, 2011

Titus Andronicus lived up to their last terrific performance I saw of theirs in California. This band has a gritty rock sound that I'm amazed can do so well in the independent scene. It's probably just because their tunes are fun and upbeat, allowing anyone to enjoy.



They make fun with their repetitive, catchy lines:




After seeing them the first time, I ran out and grabbed their album. In truth, in the two months of owning it, I haven't gotten around to actually listen to it. I'm not sure if I'd listen to Titus outside of the live concert setting. Their music is fun and careless, but I just don't think I could connect with it outside of a live gig.


Okkervil River are a self-assured band with all the poise and confidence in the world. I was absolutely floored by the bands warmth this tour, seeing them is a must. If you ever get the opportunity, please don't pass it up.

They fused together a good mix of old and new, a surprise that made the show exciting and invigorating. The only album they really neglected (beyond the older couple) was The Stand-Ins and I'm perfectly fine with that. The only tune I'd have liked to have heard was "All The Latest Toughs," as they played it before.

I think the main reason I really like Okkervil River is for their sophistication and smooth quality, in terms of sound and lyrics. Will Scheff is an absolutely dapper guy, while his supporting band is comprised of a really talented female guitarist that has a remarkable resemblance to Miranda July. Furthermore, he's got an eclectic support behind him of men around his age of all sorts of looks. So suffice to say, Okkervil is most certainly not a band you go out to gawk at, but rather bask in their musical brilliance.

This band has definitely earned the title of literary rockers which I accredited to Scheff's articulate lyrics.

Half way through the show the band walked off the stage leaving Scheff on his lonesome. He played a very stripped version of "A Stone," as he did the last show. I can't say I wasn't expecting it, but with every performance, I find myself surprised that this song would be played. Don't get me wrong, it is a household favourite, but it's slow and intimate. I guess that's maybe Will Scheff's aim when playing it. At the Toronto show, I felt he shied away from the microphone for the first verse and then really attacked it come the next verse, really working the dynamics. The beauty of "A Stone" is in the eloquent and smooth transition between words that commit to the memory almost effortlessly.

You can actually hear people having musical orgasms in this video taken a month or so prior to the show I just saw. This performance easily leaves people weak in the knees:



And I think that I know the bitter dismay of a lover who brought
fresh bouquets every day
when she turned him away
to remember some knave
who once gave
just one rose, one day, years ago.

This show also had a fabulous momentum to it, they sewed together the old with the new so seamlessly. The last bit of the set you could tell was a giver for the crowd, they played a string of songs that immediately pleased everyone:

"For Real"
"Our Life Is Not A Movie, Or is It?"
"Lost Coastlines"
"Westfall"
"Unless It Kicks"

For the last week or so I have tried very hard to encourage people to make it to this show. For every mix of songs I would write, the closing bit of their set made it. I couldn't think of a better booming ending.

There's really nothing like hearing "Westfall" live with the mesmerising chant of "Evil Don't Look Like Anything." It's pretty outstanding to think that such a stage closer like "Westfall" was off of Okkervil's first full-length.

Evil don't look like anything
 

Saves the Day with the Get Up Kids at Headliners, Toledo, Ohio; Saturday June 4, 2011

It's been about four years since I last saw my favourite band Saves the Day play and add a couple of years onto that for the Get Up Kids. I have to say, it was pretty lovely being reunited with some cherished old friends.

Even better, I got to enjoy old company with new company too. I went to this show with my very lovely Michigan native pal. The trip to Toledo from Ann Arbor, MI was only about an hour, completely worth the trek. My new friend actually knew two of the members of Saves the Day scoring us some backstage wristbands. So beyond just seeing one of my favourite bands, I could see them way close, closer than I ever did lining up hours before the show in the rain.

Headliners is an extremely small venue. Packed to the brim, it is somewhere between the Kool Haus and the Sound Academy. However because of the way it is set up, the actual concert viewing area is about half the size of the Kool Haus. I couldn't imagine it ever reaching full-capacity.

The two bands played pretty early sets with no openers. Saves the Day hopped on stage at nine, stumbling in just past the hour, I knew we were missing something. The punk bass drum sounds, I knew we were missing Saves the Day. Apparently, we only missed "Shoulder to the Wheel" of the classic tunes I'd have like to have heard. Pity.

Look how young they are here!!!!



I was very blown away by the group, song selection and sound, for the first time in a while, Saves the Day really looked as if they were really, truly having fun on stage. Lead singer Chris Conley, sounded better than ever - his vocals were top shelf. I was really surprised by the band - a total off-beat group of guys that look like they'd do more harm to the band than good. I'm basing this impression mostly on the fact that they resemble nothing of their old set up. I was really fortunate to have seen Dave Soloway and Eben D'Aimco play the first go around in Toronto back in 2003 (first go around for me). I don't think any band arrangement will live up to that, but this one really nears close. They're just a really tight band and although Saves has become the Chris Conley show, I think these boys stand a chance in hell.

Members

Chris Conley
Arun Bali
Rodrigo Palma
Claudio Rivera

Past members
Spencer Peterson
Chris Zampella
Eben D'Amico
Ted Alexander
Dave Soloway
Manuel Carrero
Durijah Lang
Bryan Newman
Reed Black[3]
Anthony Anastasio
Sean McGrath
Justin Gaylord
Pete Parada


Their song choices were spread beautifully across the seven albums the band has released in the last twelve years. Conley even made a comment about how people should approach him if a song was missed, he'd make a note to play it again the next time they rolled through. He went on to say it gets hard when you have over one hundred songs to chose from. When he said that, I started to think about how new band members would go about learning old tunes, new to them.

I was most happy to hear "Nightingale" off of their heavy hitter Stay What You Are. It's sort of an odd choice selection because it's slow and a bit romantic, people nonetheless still seemed to dig it. It always baffles me to look around at an audience and see people cling on to the words of a tune that are so close to you. Some lazy guy in flop-flops standing next to me at the show shocked me the most. He closed his eyes real tight when he sung the chorus of "Nightingale," it's not my song after all.

Didn't want to spoil it with a poorly recorded live version. Claudio, the drummer played the beginning bit with the hi-hat and I knew it would be "Nightingale":



They also slapped together "This is Not an Exit," "Freakish," "Cars and Calories," "See You," "Certain Tragedy," and closed with "At Your Funeral." I have never let myself go at a show as much as I did for "At Your Funeral," it was so easy and careless, a beautifully mashed together sing-along. The first bit of the tune is just Chris and his guitar, it was absolutely lovely to just allow the wreckless, maccabre lyrics explode out of me. A brilliant release for everyone in the crowd.



I remember this video came out around the same time as the Weezer video for "Island in the Sun," consequently, getting a ton of flack for the use of puppets.





(On the song "At Your Funeral"): "We loved writing and directing this one. We had to bleep the word "high" for the broadcast version, and this is the original without the audio edit. We were obsessed with "Requiem for a Dream," which is where we (the directors) got the idea to use motion control. Plus, my mom Patricia is in it at the end...and she rules."



He also touched a great deal of In Reverie, an album that I personally adore. This album did poorly in sales, but I really feel as though it was heartfelt and a good change for a little punk rock band from New Jersey. A very mature shift in their sound. They played "Anywhere With You," "What Went Wrong" and "Monkey." I was very shocked to hear the last two in their live repetoire. "What Went Wrong" reads like a children's poem, completely off the wall.

I'm so sorry for the advertisment, you can actually skip it in just three pointless seconds. This video is fantastic, it just look so organic:




I really loved hearing "Third Engine," a tune I never really gave the time of day when I was getting into Through Being Cool. There's something so ridiculous about the lyrics and that's something that really hasn't changed throughout the history of the band. Conley's words have sort of just maintained a weird feel to them, never ordinary, always off-beat. 

Did you know, my sweet

Yeah, that I once took the liberty of watching you in your sleep?
I rolled over and over
Trying to touch your knees, yeah, underneath the sheets
Trying to touch your knees



It was really lovely to hear one of my favourite bands play live. I really took comfort in being able to completely shut my wandering mind off and set my brain on auto-pilot, being over taken by the familiar.

Also, I should note that I have had the urge I need to get into their new trilogy, starting with Sound the Alarm. I have to admit, I really didn't give it the chance. As always, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the song "Eulogy."



Moving onto the Get Up Kids. Have you hear this band? Where were you in 2003 with the release of Guilt Show? I will forever and always remember the 2003 Guilt Show tour as my introduction to Leslieville, back when it was iffy. Leslieville has now become brunch capitol of Toronto and a lovely place for Toronto Life readers to raise their children. I remember being so wry about seeing the Get Up Kids at the Opera House that I got my friends father to drive us right to the door.

It was also the show that I was introduced to Rocky Votolato and Recover, two bands that I still kind of like (the former more than the latter).

I was a little heartbroken to only hear two tunes off of Guilt Show - "Never Be Alone" and "Holy Roman." They made a really beautiful instrumental transition into "Holy Roman" that copied the albums form to a tee.

Feast your ears on the sweet intro:



Pryor confirmed the song "Never Be Alone" was written by Rob Pope about his 2003 divorce from The Anniversary keyboardist Adrianne Verhoeven.



They really hashed through their lovely album Something to Write Home About, album that sold 140,000 copies after its release, single handedly saving the struggling label Vagrant. With "I'll Catch You" as one of the closers, very surprisingly. Apparently, Mark Hoppus proposed to his wife to this song in 2000, imagine that.



In their closing bit they did a cover of Blur's "Girls & Boys"



I love the energy this band puts into their songs. Lead singer Matt Pryor has an incredible live voice, everything he is recorded.

I learned that their bassist Rob Pope is also the bassist of Spoon as well.

Side bar:

Sondre Lerche at the Mod Club; Tuesday May 31, 2011

This is my fourth time seeing Norwegian Sondre Lerche. With each show he has a new album to promote, it's very tiring for me to be on top of all these albums, I can't even imagine what it's like for him. Lerche has been in this industry for ten years and he's only twenty eight! It's pretty remarkable to see what this guy has done.

His new self-titled album is dreamy and love-filled as most of his albums are. This album especially hints on anticipation, excitement through the sweet sounds of slower tunes. It's also his first release on his very own record label, Mona Records, after his actor/model wife Mona Fastvold.

I'm very excited to report that last night's show was a full-band set up. I got to the show missing the two opening acts who I later learned are also his back up band. I used to get to shows so early to catch every live minute, now I've just sort of flopped of the radar when it comes to live gigs, skipping any opening acts i'm not familiar with. I sometimes do my homework, I somtimes don't. These guys seemed to pack mega talent, so during the show I felt a little sad I didn't work a little harder to catch the acts before Lerche.

His band was a little different than past bands, they were definitely set up to play the slower tunes off of his new album. Furthermore, they were all American, also kind of interesting. Seems as though Sondre relocated to Brooklyn, New York... Who wouldn't?

He played a ton of new songs but a good balance between the two. This guy probably has such a hard time picking out sets because he has a slew of albums to choose from. He played "Two Way Monologue" in the first bit of his set with a very lazy introduction of "I'm gonna get this one out of the way." I suspect he's grown a little tired of playing this number. It sounded fantastic though, it wasn't lazy, but full of energy. It was also the first of the old songs he dipped into.

I was happy to hear a little off of each one of his albums...

His shows have grown a little predictable but no less exciting. I find myself completely lost in his presence and pretty looks.



As always there was that first funny turned annoying dip that talks far too loud at Sondre's Toronto gigs...

John Vanderslice at the Drake Underground; Tuesday May 10, 2011

I've wanted to see John Vanderslice for a couple of years now. I just had a good feeling about this Gainesville, Florida native, now residing in San Francisco. Vanderslice is no spring chicken, he's four years past forty now and has released an album for pretty much every year since 2000. Absolutely impressive.

Those were my initial impressions of Vanderslice before a week prior to today.

Vanderslice is a music enthusiast to say the very least. From the get go, before downloading, YouTube and Facebook, he had the whole internet sharing thing down. He was one of the first music bloggers, MP3 bloggers. Pushing boundaries, releasing material of other artists that hadn't even reached record store shelves yet.

I got to show about half an hour into Vanderslice's set. I was absolutely surprised by how few people there were at the show. You'd think with how frequently he tours and hits up Toronto, his fan base would be a bit bigger. Nope, that was not the case. Vanderslice said in an interview that his growing fan base has increased because of his extensive touring and whisperings in the blogosphere. Nod.

 It was only Vanderslice and a drummer on stage, nothing absolutely outstanding, but they made good with the very minimal hands they had on board. I was very impressed by how the drummer was able to keep an entire percussion sound going, bass lines included with some kind of keyboard to his right. The sound was a little lacking up they managed to recreate shaky versions of the album recordings.

About five songs in he announced this was the last song he'd play on stage and with the point of a finger to the crowd he announced he'd play the rest on the floor. Showcases a few notable tunes off of Emerald City, both he and the drummer played "Time To Go" and "White Dove" with some serious earnest energy. They played two or three more with a boom box (with mega bass) to accompany. Apparently, the recordings were of The Magik*Magik Orchestra, also the band t-shirt that Vanderslice was wearing.





He played a great plugged-in stage version of "Kookaburra." He very sweetly introduced the tune by claiming that he and the drummer had practiced the tune for like ten hours to get it to sound good with just two players. It sounded perfect.

recorded:



Vanderslice's passion and love for music really oozes out in his sincerity towards both music and the industry. He doesn't seem to be one to get caught in all the mess of record labels and mega tours. I really urge you to check out interviews with Vanderslice, they're really insightful bits.

Here are a few quotes I dwindled out of various interviews:


"post plastic disc phase" 

Vanderslice on the controversy and happenings of the blog age:

"the thing that matters about mp3 blogs is that not only are you reading are you reading a recommendation from a credible, and completely passionate person, but the music is right there, the link is right there. when you read something in old media, how many reviews are they running of bands you've never heard of. YEah Maybe it's robert cristau, maybe tjat means something to you. It's not like these these magazines are just packed to brim with writers that are even on your radar. If you go to big hearted boy or brookyln vegan, it's only identifiable aesthetic and you over time, a lot of these blogs are very well written. You read gorilla vs bear, these guys are very interesting people and you start to figure out what they're into, what they're not into, you adjust. For me, it's just MP3 blogs, we're gonna send the record out to magazines, but I don't think that's very important."


"Print ads are for the industry to talk to itself, it's for the ego of the artist"

Coachella 2011: aftermath eighteen; Jimmy Eat World

I love Jimmy Eat World. I don't care about the horrible pop-rock, emo reputation they adopted in the early '00s. Forever and ever I will really adore this band for everything they put out.

For one thing, Jimmy Eat World are incredibly consistent. Their music is absolutely flawless, whether your listening to something as early as Clarity or as recent as Invented.

This was my second time seeing them live within the last year. I have to say, I am still pretty impressed by this band. Their sound is as clean as it is recorded in the studio.

My biggest let down was the fact that they didn't play "Clarity" - a song that's been my favourite since high school. They definitely play it live, I just haven't been so lucky as to have seen them play it.

They did their usual closer bit with "The Middle" and "Sweetness." People really rose up to the occasion, excited. I stuck back but it was nice just to take it all in. I met a really cool festival-goer Dad that went with his son. He was Australian and one of the most interesting people I met the whole trip. He really made my day.

Good people are hard to find.

For good measure and hope they'll play it next time I see them:

Tame Impala at the Phoenix; Monday May 2, 2011

I have made friends with a few Australians in the last year or so and it's so funny to hear what these two people have to say about music. They both have great music taste.

My friend Natalie is from Perth and she's completely tired of Tame Impala. She's seen them buckets of times in Perth, where both she and the band are from. To Natalie, Tame Impala are yesterday's news.

To North America, I'd say they're pretty fresh. I can't really think of a band that sounds like Tame Impala. They're just so slick. They're live show was no different, except maybe up a notch. They managed to stitch songs together seamlessly, very smooth transitions.

I appreciate the John Lennon-like vocals that lead singer Kevin Parker sports. Sounded effortlessly perfect live.

They covered "Angel" by Massive Attack:



Original:



YouTube comment:

"This song makes me want the great sex I'm not having." Bebkins 1 month ago 207 


Absolutely brilliant show, i'd see them again in a heartbeat even if Natalie crapped on it a bit more.

Coachella 2011: aftermath seventeen; The Tallest Man on Earth and Foals

My second time seeing The Tallest Man on Earth was no different than my first, with the exception of him blowing up one hundred fold. Kristan Mattson is probably one of the most charming men in the world - even though he writes tunes about killing all the prospective men in the apple of his eye's life just to have her to himself. Mattson is absolutely gorgeous and captivates the entire crowd with just his guitar.

I unfortunately seem to be the one exception to this captivation.

He both sounds and looks fantastic but I find myself getting slightly bored at his gigs. Fortunately, he played my favourite tune "The Gardener" in the first half of his set, so I was able to catch that. I would've like to have caught  him play "Pistol Dreams" for that lovely intro he plays in his live show.

But I feel completely satisfied with this NPR Tiny Desk Session -



I moved on quickly to the opposite show the next stage over with Foals. I found myself satisfied by everything Kristian Matsson couldn't give me - energy and intensity.

I just recently found out about Foals from a friend who better guided my ears. I first listened to Antidotes without much love for it but he directed me to the album Total Life Forever justifying it's superiority with the claim that the lead singer learned how to sing for this record. A scary comment because it makes me think of all the studio work that could have been done to fix him up good, but much to my surprise he held his own in the live gig.

This band's presence on stage was absolutely stunning, everyone down to the drummer was full of energy. This band really seemed whole to me.

I just missed them play in Toronto because I was stuck and work (and tickets were sold out)!!







I just read a comment on this YouTube video, absolutely hilarious:

For all of you ignorant people out there who think they have tempo issues...DUH! it is called MATH ROCK!!

Math Rock: It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), angular melodies, and dissonant chords.

Thank you very much now we can all go back to our lives.

XallytheBeat 1 month ago 57 

MATH ROCK? Really? Why? Genre over Genre complicates everything!

Julie Doiron at the Horseshoe Tavern; Thursday May 5, 2011

What to say about Julie Doiron?

She's probably one of the sweetest people you will ever get to see live. Seeing one of her shows entails an incredible amount of honest stream of consciousness on her part. She just oozes sincerity, it's unfortunate but people seem to take it as airiness. Fair enough, much of what she says is not much at all, but if you take it for that  you can probably enjoy it much more.

Thankfully this show was a little different from her others. She for once did not start with "The Wrong Guy," but with a song I wasn't actually familiar with. She rather finished her set with "The Wrong Guy" and introduced it as the song she said she'd never play again.

She didn't play much off of any albums in particular although it seems I Woke Myself Up has taken precedence over her other albums in the last few shows. Again, I was let down for the third time to not hear "Dark Horse."

She played this gig with her brilliant accompaniment guitarist and drummer - William Kidman. They did their usual bit of "Reasons to Quit." But this time around she touched on her encounters with Phosphorescent at Coachella in the past. She apparently forgot that she had met him and embarrassed herself in front of him. She very shyly told the crowd. Phosphorescent introduced the song "Reasons to Quit" to Julie, I think it was originally done by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard before that.

I was really shocked by their cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me." Rich Terfry, the voice behind CBC Radio 2 Drive claimed that "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" is the most covered song. Well, I think "Bring It On Home" would give him a run for his money. Doiron's cover was not unlike any other one I had heard before, but it was nice to hear it with a different voice, I'm sad to say I'm growing a wee bit tired of my two favourite versions of the tune (She & Him, The Zombies).

The one I immediately had the need to listen to:



She's apparently done it before:



The Zombies (medley of "You Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Bring It On Home"):



She & Him:



Original:




Julie made a big deal about how she was playing it for her Mom and that if anyone was putting it on YouTube she shouted out to her Mom. Cute.

She also said her Mom made the dress she wore that evening when she was eighteen:

Godspeed You! Black Emperor at Lee's Palace; Sunday April 24, 2011

This concert was the first time I felt myself completely immersed in Godspeed You! Black Emperor. I know they're legends in the Canadian music scene, but I just hadn't got around to doing so. There was no motivation.

I'm surrounded by friends that adore this band and I just finally got my first gulp of their music. I'm totally behind.

I can see how Godspeed has served as a key influence of many bands that are making it big today. They have a clear, concise sound that I can tell few in the nineties really had.

The thing I can't really understand is how Godspeed got as big as they did. People flocked for this show and the band knew it. Thankfully, they had the decency to play four shows all at Lee's Palace. There's nothing worse then when you have tickets for a tight, intimate show and the band pulls it to a bigger venue.

Although there were some tickets for sale at the door, this show was ram packed. This was a man's show, post-rock is a male adored genre. I always get such a kick of shows where women are the minority. You could tell people were delighted to finally hear this band live.

I really loved the film reel bits they had going on while they played. The first few tunes had the word "hope" showing in the screen behind, the rest of the show had various other images, no words to follow. From where I was sitting I could hear the film moving in the projector, a sound I greatly enjoy hearing.

I think it'll take a bit more than a loyal fan base of enthusiastic concert goers for me to get in this band. Given they had a tremendous live sound, I still don't think this show alone is enough to hook me into their music. Music-wise, I think I better enjoyed the Mogwai show tonight.

I hope I haven't lost my cool completely as a music lover/journalist.

Mogwai at the Phoenix; Tuesday April 26, 2011

This was my post-rock week. I have to say, in just three days I feel like I've had a serious education on the post-rock genre.

I first heard Mogwai about two years ago on the Matador at Fifteen compilation album. I bought this album on a limb at Sonic Boom because it was less than ten bucks for three solid discs. This album holds some tunes that have made their way deep in my mind and heart.

Most notably is the Matmos tune "For The Trees" which is pretty obvious how I took that one and ran with that.

But it also had the first Mogwai tune I got my ears on - "Hunted By A Freak." Mogwai played this song second last and it was also the second song of their encore. It was one of a small handful of songs I was familiar with, but definitely without a doubt my favourite tune of theirs. There's something incredibly eerie about it with the build ups and swells throughout. Furthermore the additional non-instrument sounds really add a lot to the tune.



Two other tunes that I really love but didn't get the chance to hear live are "Rage: Man" and "Take Me Somewhere Nice."





Surface listening to this band most of their music sounds the same. I absolutely adore how you can really feel the complexity of an instrumental tune when you are very familiar with it. Mogwai makes tunes that sound anthem-like without sounding overly glamourised, almost effortless.

My friend lost his mind when he heard the tune "Mogwai Fear Satan." A tune with a flute bit in the calm before the heavy build up. This was the final song they played sans flute.



I'd see this band again in a heartbeat. I can't wait to listen to their catalogue.

Coachella 2011: aftermath eight, Bright Eyes

So, rumour has it Bright Eyes is closing. With that in mind, this show was extremely special to me as this may be the last time I could hear his beloved tunes live.

Conor Oberst, frontman of Bright Eyes is somewhat of a musical genius. He started making albums in his early teens and hasn't looked back since. He's the brian power behind the Saddle Creek label and has participated in countless other projects and albums, my favourite being the Traveling Wilburys-esq Monsters of Folk. Very appropriately named.

This show was everything I wanted it to be at Coachella. A few years back I bought a Coachella DVD that was released around the time I'm Wide Awake It's Morning was. On the DVD he played at dusk, a really gorgeous time to have a set - not too hot, but not too cold. To top it all off, completely beautiful lighting to accentuate the mountains that surround the polo grounds that Coachella is set on. The DVD version he played "Lua," one of my favourite Bright Eyes songs, it sadly was not played this set.

This DVD served as my first impressions of Coachella - bathing suits, hot sun, beautiful sunsets and lots of people enjoying fab music. I'd say those impressions were pretty spot on to my first Coachella. This video really is Coachella.



Instead, I felt he had an eclectic mix of songs across the board drawing "Four Winds" from Cassadaga, "Old Soul Song (For The New World Order)" and "We Are Nowhere and It's Now" from I'm Wide Awake; "Bowl of Oranges" and "Lover I Don't Have to Love" from Lifted amongst other really fabulous tunes.





There's something really impressive about watching Conor Oberst and company live. You are certain to have a well put together set with an impeccable sound. I can't really articulate just how good these musicians are. Between Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis,  you really can't go wrong.

It's been a while since I have seen Bright Eyes. I have seen them three times to date and the last gig was in support of Cassadaga in 2007! This show served as one that I could hear some songs live that I hadn't before like - "Bowl of Oranges" and "Lover I Don't Have To Love." It was really great to hear the girl-guy contrast compliments of Laura Burhenn of the Mynabirds. Burhenn apparently did some vocal work on his new album  titled The People's Key. She did a fabulous job in "We Are Nowhere and It's Now" and "Lover I Don't Have To Love" and in some bits even taking over vocals completely, small parts albeit.

His most recent tour has had a great load of trumpet lines. It was really brilliant to hear the intricate and dominant trumpet parts replace the plain, overly country sounds of the violin. It really made "Four Winds" for me this go 'round.

After his performance I bought The People's Key used for nine bucks! Great set. Great buy.

Coachella 2011: aftermath seven, Best Coast, Fistful of Mercy and Death From Above 1979

The voice of Bethany Cosentino, aka Best Coast has served as my soundtrack for my trip to California. I cruised around Long Beach listening to tracks seven and eight on repeat, playing it loud enough so I wouldn't hear my own voice.

Cosentino's voice isn't great. That was the consent between my friend and I. But there's something edgy about her voice that works with her '60s girl group meets girl punk sound. She can be super delicate or a train wreck when she needs to be.

I ran as hard as I could to catch her set. This was the hardest decision I had to make the entire festival - I was caught in a three-way tie between Fistful of Mercy (Ben Harper, Dhani Harrison (George Harrison's son) and Joseph Arthur), Best Coast and Death From Above 1979. I managed to very lightly satisfy all three.

I started off at Fistful of Mercy because they had a set that started fifteen minutes prior to Best Coast's. I made my decision because I thought I'd have more fun at a Best Coast set than a Fistful set.

I was right.

I ran the six hundred metres to get to the Outdoor Stage to catch Best Coast at maximum speed. By the time I could stop and take a breath I was sweating bullets and for once, I didn't really care.

The first two songs I caught (about four songs into her set) were "I Want To" (Track 8) and "Our Deal" (Track 7) in that order. Around that time I looked up to the sky to see a plane flying by with a flag that read - "Dance Like No One's Watching." I took those wise words to heart by brushing off my sweat and busting some sweet moves.

"I want to go back to the first time, the first place"





She did a cover of Lesley Gore's "That's the Way Boys Are" and introduced it by saying she was going to do a Lesley Gore song and encouraged everyone to listen to her if they haven't already.



You'll notice her drummer is the former Vivan Girls drummer Ali Koehler.
Also, note she doesn't have a bass player, but a second guitar player that occasionally plays bass lines with his guitar. Gives it a incomplete sound. Jenny and I wrote it off as a bad thing initially, but I don't mind it at all.

A few other notes:

I had no idea Death From Above 1979 were so big. I had just known them as a big hit in Toronto, as I had seen them with Alexisonfire a few times way back when. This was their second gig in five or six years and they had a slot at the main stage. Not bad for a couple of dudes from Toronto. Jesse F. Keeler slays the bass.

Death From Above 1979 with a back drop that says 2001-2006.

Fistful of Mercy:

Fistful of Mercy playing "As I Call You Down":

Dhani Harrison:

"Father's Son"

I wish I caught this song, he even sounds like George!

Coachella 2011: aftermath six, Mumford and Sons

I have these moments when I feel as though I live under a rock. The first time I heard of this band it was through facebook status' of friends who like this band. I believe they played a show at the Mod Club last fall some time. I thought very little of it.

Then I went to a local pub's open mic night and they played a cover of "Little Lion Man." It reminded me a lot of Spirit of the West's "I'm Not At My Best" for the celtic flare it boast so well!

Mumford and Sons were playing on the Coachella stage which is the festival's largest stage. I was amazed to see that they could draw a crowd of the amount of people they did. I knew it was trouble when a group of young things pushed me all the way to the core of the crowd about fifteen rows back. I had a few arm pits in my face, not a position I really wished to be in.

After about thirty minutes of pit to face action, they took the stage. Their band was very full - a few guitars, the occasional upright bass, keyboards, banjo and the occasional drum. I was surprised to find not all their songs required a drum kit.

Mumford and Sons makes great music - live and recorded. A very fine, polished band that have made good for themselves in a shockingly short time. They're super young and I really look forward to the crap they put out in the upcoming years.

The Darcys at The Harry Rosen Underground; Wednesday April 21, 2011

This show was open bar, Peroni's galore!

I have to say, I will very soon start disliking the Darcys if they don't put any new material out soon.

Word on the street says their new album is to be named Aja after the Steely Dan album.

Broken Social Scene at the Ventura Theatre; Tuesday April 20, 2011

Seeing Broken Social Scene has become somewhat boring for me. Since the release of their last album 'Forgiveness Rock Record,' they've really shaved down their list of artists. To me the band has downgraded from a labour of love to a force of habit. 

Their live shows have turned into the Kevin Drew show where he says ridiculous things. I'm not sure if I appreciate his banter, although it can be often entertaining. Shenanigans aside, Drew has an incredible voice to listen to. He can turn it up when he needs to or down when he's just helping out. I think although he is the band's least appealing member, he does hold the band together like super glue. 

Some kid got kicked out mid-show for smoking pot. Kevin Drew yelled out - "Aww yeah, sorry man. Happened to me at Rage Against the Machine"

I was surprised most by the venue - TEENY TINY. They even divided half of it off with a huge gym style curtain. Drew made a comment at the beginning of the show about how he felt like he was in high school, he stated that this gig was going to be high school themed. He stuck true to his world by playing "Lover's Spit" and insisting everyone slow dance. Some people even did. 

In chatting with them post gig, the band really felt that it was a young gig as the show was open to all ages. It didn't feel particularly young, everyone seemed to be of a good age. 

The second last song was "Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl" sung by Lisa Lobsinger. Kevin introduced the tune as "one for the girls." 

It's really unfortunate to see this band play such a sloppy set. I mean, I was excited and I did have fun, but it just seems so out of touch to ways I have seen them play before. 

It is however always a treat to see Andrew Whiteman live. I find his live presence absolutely intoxicating!

Coachella 2011: aftermath five, Gayngs

As much as I adore Bon Iver, I never really got into Gayngs.

Gayngs sites their musical inspiration as the song "I'm Not In Love" by 10cc. I only know 10cc because tehy used "I'm Not In Love" in the Virgin Suicides soundtrack, other that that they're completely lost to my ears. Soft rock tunes are not really my cup of tea, but I've gotta hand it to the guys, they really knew how to showcase these tunes live. 

Actually a great tune:

Gayngs is comprised over twenty five musicians, most notably - Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. I was completely floored to see the chubby, unattractive Har Mar Superstar enter the stage. Much to my surprise, he's actually one of the twenty five in the band. Despite his troubling exterior, Har Mar has an incredible vocal range and a special aptitude for the soft songs. He did a killer rendition of "One More Try" originally sung by George Michael. He completely melted all the girls around me, all the while, I told them the story about Har Mar plucking his pubic hairs and tossing them into the row in front of me at a past gig. He walked on stage with a large towel draped over his back as though he was little red riding hood. Really dressed to the nines, from his previous appearance.

There's a certain confidence to Gayngs, without a doubt they have a serious following. I was surprised as their album never resonated with me or anyone else I knew. I didn't even know there was a good market for this kind of music. 

The big following sported the Gayngs logo formed with two hands. A band member would do the sign every few minutes, evoking a large response of signs from the crowd.

I enjoyed it enough to buy the album.

Timber Timbre at Trinity St. Paul's Church; Friday April 10, 2011

FRIDAY APRIL 10, 2011. Can you believe it? Time flies so fast. If there's one thing that's consistent it's time, everything else - throw to the waste.

So, with that being said, I would just like to say that I saw Timber Timbre last night. Which you know, two years ago I could have said without anyone giving a hoot. And I did. Two years ago, I saw him play The Music Gallery, Trinity St. Paul's younger sibling church. It's pretty hard to believe just how well Taylor Kirk has done in the last year. This was his album release gig for his new one Creep on Creepin,' a very eerie title that fits his very eerie sound.

I just stumbled upon this video of a gig he did at South by Southwest! REALLY? I can't help but feel giddy to see success flourish so nicely.



Studio:



Timber Timbre is truly a household name and I'm really proud to say that I was able to see him really unfold.

His band has expanded along with his repertoire. It's funny because I remember hearing his song "Demon Host" at his gig at The Music Gallery and he had the stage filled with people. He had people singing a very eerie "oooh, oooh, oooh, oh." Which just haunted me. In comparison to this show, his sound has really filled itself, which I think is a result of better consideration for instrumentation. For instance, that SXSW NPR video is incredibly full for just three people playing it.

People were definitely feeling Timber Timbre's lush sound. The lights went out with the exception of a few red coloured spotlights and a few hand held lights hung on some stands. It reminded me of the long hours I use to spend in the darkroom (serious), or that scene in the Woody Allen film Annie Hall where Alvy brings out a red lightbulb to set the mood (not so serious). I'm not sure if I was feeling the red mood lights, I guess it put more emphasis on the sound than the sight.

This was my first go at his new tunes. I didn't realise the gig would be so dominated by new tunes, he only sported two tunes off of the older album Timber Timbre (2009). The two tunes were "Demon Host" which he plopped in the first bit of his set, much to my surprise and "Magic Arrow" which he left near the end.



Of the few articles I've read of Timber Timbre in the last few weeks, I get this altered image of his perception as a successful performer. In the Exclaim article, he talks about not just writing for himself, but other people too, the audience. Judging from the live gig - I really like his work that he wrote alone, it's bare and minimal. It has a sound that sounds more old blues, less haunted house on halloween.

i.e.





The openers were a band called Tasseomancy, which was lead by two twin girls that I had actually seen before, under the moniker Ghost Bees. Funny enough, I actually saw them with Timber Timbre two years ago. I wasn't really having them then either, but they had a really developed, clean sound. The only regret I have for their performance is the use of a single steel drum. I stick to my guns in saying there are few words sounds than the sound of a steel drum.

My mate Chris, who was my hot date to the show, pointed out that he enjoyed Tasseomancy more than Timber Timbre. I personally didn't, but that's probably because of his amazing version of "Demon Host" and my particular affinity for the individual song. He mentioned how the minimal drum use of the band really droned out each tune making it sound the exact same. I couldn't agree more with what he said. There's something insanely repetitive about a continuous and constant booming sound of the bass drum.

I WISH I HEARD:

Elephant 6 gig Reprise

So, two weeks or so have passed since the Elephant 6 gig at Lee's palace.

I just want to say, I'm pretty sure this was what 95% of the audience was secretly hoping to see:



And, this is what we didn't get, but I wish we did:

Juno Fest with Meaghan Smith and Julie Doiron; Saturday March 26, 2011

Day two, a really great Saturday evening of good friends, food and concerts.

I am completely in love with Meaghan Smith (pronounced Me-gan). She has to be one of the loveliest personalities I've seen on stage in a while and The Drake served as the perfect environment for her folk-jazz sound.

I first dipped into Meaghan Smith after hearing her song "A Little Love" off of her latest release The Cricket's Orchestra (listen for Kid Koala's contributions). You may also recognise her from the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack with a cover of the Pixies' tune "Here Comes Your Man." Although I don't recall it actually being featured in the film.





Smith was absolutely charming live, she has a nice modest character that just radiates and on top of everything, she's got a pretty lovely voice. She played just with a second guitarist which also happened to be her husband, Jason Mingo. She very cutely called him Mingo in the live show. Big fan of her outfit too, go curvy girls!

Apparently, she beat out the Hannah Georgas for the Best New Artist Juno Award. Georgas was the show's headliner. Not bad Meaghan!

I later hoofed my way on over to the Garrison to see the instrumental band Fond of Tigers - endured two tunes and felt overwhelmed by their progressive rock sound. The first tune sounded really ornate, but tight, with no musical heart; The second was messy and unbearable. I left to eat the first burger to reach my mouth in four months at the BQM Burger Shoppe on Ossington. As predicted, it was one of the best burgers that I have ever had, hands down.

Made me way back to the Garrison in time to catch Julie Doiron. We made our way pretty close so I was able to hear the ridiculous, airy things Doiron had to say. Although not everyone is in agreement, Doiron's presence on stage is absolutely charming. She's a warm, flighty person in conversation, but absolutely full of energy in her performance. I have to say, Doiron is someone I really enjoy seeing live for her quirky personality. Furthermore, she plays a huge variety of songs from her large catalogue - you really never tire of one album at her live gigs.

She played a very similar set to the one I saw a month ago at the Horseshoe. She even commented about how she and her drummer - William Kidman. Kidman seems like the kind of person you'd want to be your friend for his musical ability and easy going nature. Doiron was switching and flipping this poor guy around this evening like it was nobody's business. She introduced "I Woke Myself Up" as a song they don't play very often and told everyone she hadn't told William what she was going to play. He played perfectly.

She very casually added they hadn't practiced a bunch of tunes they played. She sort of giggled afterwards for acknowledging that they had practiced, but kept her edge by stating they only practiced five tunes. It's pretty incredible to hear how well Kidman and Doiron make music. Their a pretty bare ensemble with Julie mostly on guitars, she's no guitar hero by any means, but she definitely makes do with what she knows. Seems like a great fit. Kidman is a very talented drummer (although playing the guitar below on that badass Neil Young cover!)

I loved hearing "The Wrong Guy" as the opener again, also off of I Woke Myself Up. It is really exciting to hear the first yelp of this song, a very odd extended singing of the word "I". She really emphasises the personal pronouns in this song in the live show, often pulling away from the mic to sing them. It was really powerful to hear it right from the front. You'll get what I mean after you listen to the tune, just so much energy. If you listen to the recorded version on headphones, the very first "I" flip flops from ear to ear, it gives me the chills.

She played a bit off her latest album including "Tailor," "Heavy Snow" and "Consolation Prize." Not too many, but I've been feeling her older stuff lately for all her melancholy.

She played for well over an hour, the pleasures of playing the headline slot in a festival. Closing off with a four or five song encore, of which she plucked songs from audience requests. The last song I heard her play was the very odd request of "Snow Falls in November." She also fielded two requests for covers they'd played at their last gig in Toronto - "Love Hurts," first recorded by the Everly Brothers in 1960 and most popular by Nazareth.



They also played a really great cover of Merle Haggard's "Reasons to Quit" which carried some kind of significance as a shared tune between musicians. Doiron was introduced to the tune by Phosphorescent, she mentioned she felt the need to make a recording of the song to pass on.



Kidman played a cover of Neil Young's "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" with Doiron on the drums.





I left before her last few songs because it was already 1:30am and my poor feet were aching like a pregnant woman's would. She announced to the crowd she was going to play two more, "Dance Music" followed by "Sweeter." I was really killing to hear "Dark Horse," but maybe I was just spoiled to hear her play that in December of last year at the Dakota.

I got a new lens, you can probably tell. Awesome concert photos.

Juno Fest with the Darcys and Royal Wood; Friday March 25, 2010

I didn't intend on buying a wristband for this festival, but it just sort of worked out that way. Fortunately, wristbands for this festival are only $30, a great way to get your butt around the city.

My evening began with the Darcys at the Garrison, a venue that I have very few quality memories of. The first being a tremendously slopping New Years, with great friends. So, maybe it wasn't that bad, rather I was a useless sack of shit. But to the point - the Darcys as always pleased me. Great looking guys, tight jeans and clean cut button up shirts, what more could a girl ask for? I was pretty pleased with the people that showed up. I was getting a little nervous at the beginning because no one was around, but by a few songs in the venue was comfortably full. Festivals mean short sets, but it also means there's never a dull moment!

I'm a softball player, I love to play and learn the sport. Something I was taught to do was to watch someone that plays your position for the whole inning to see what they do. I sort of adapted that strategy to live shows. My knowledge of music is pretty slim, as much as I pride myself on coming from some sort of musical trained background. I spent sometime listening and watching the dialogue between the bass and drums. They really compliment each other in this band.

I started giving thought to the role of a bassist when I attended a York University class on rock and popular music with Professor (and Rock 'n Roller) Rob Bowman. He played a song by Cream called "NSU" that has a sweet bass/drum dialogue. I found it so exciting to hear a bass-drum melody (or somewhat), I never gave consideration to the dominance that a bass/drum combo could give. I definitely felt that quite a bit listening to the Darcys last night.

N.S.U. has a few funny connotations to it. First and probably most reasonable is that it is a German car company with lyrics like: "Driving my car/Smoking my cigar/The only time I'm happy's when I play my guitar." The second is the acronym for a venereal disease called "Non-Specific Urethritis." Who knows.

Live version (skip to 6:30 to hear what I mean):


Studio version:


I can't wait for the Darcys to put out something concrete. If given the chance, see this band.

After the Darcys finished, I tried to squeeze my way into the Dakota. There unfortunately was a massive line that stretched all the way to the bank. There was some loud mouth girl that kept yelling the 9:45pm act out loud "HARLAN PEPPER!" I was trying to see Del Barber at 11:00pm, no dice, I quickly moved to catch the second half of Royal Wood's set at the Great Hall.

The Great Hall is a marvelous, underrated venue for the arts of all sorts. I recently saw an odd play called 300 Tapes in the theatre back space, they call it the Theatre Centre. It was a nice flexible space that allowed a 360 set up. Last night, I saw Royal Wood play in the Hall, a large, church like space that is equipped with gorgeous pews around the upper lip of the concert hall.

The Great Hall was established in 1889 as the first west end YMCA. My bet is that the Hall served as the race track or the gorgeous pews I earlier commented on, and the Hall served as the basketball court.

And even more interesting:

In 1912 the property was sold to the Royal Templars of Temperance, who conducted business in the building until 1940's when there was a major shift in the buildings use. It was acquired by the Polish National Union, and soon, presses on the ground floor were rolling out copies of The Polish Voice newspaper. On the top floor, rooms were pressed into service as temporary shelter for Polish refugees fleeing the war in Europe.


 Pulled from their wesbite


To say a few words about the show -

I had no prior knowledge of Royal Wood, other than his well established name. There are a lot of 'Royal' named bands, can you blame a girl? (Royal Wood, Royal City, Royal Crowns) I figured he was a well-established artist of the nineties, until his last song where he mentioned that he was featured on Grey's Anatomy. He seemed a little reluctant to admit that that was his biggest claim to fame, but he played it without any regret. His crowd was significantly older, with more middle-aged people than anything else.

I learned today his name is actually Royal Wood. Funny, that it took a Wikipedia page for me to realise t hat. He got his feet off the ground in 2002 in Toronto and has been pushing through ever since.

Great sound, but nothing I'd flee to watch anytime soon. I could see him winning a Juno or two.