The New Decay

Year in the Rear-view

2008-12-17T21:58:00.000-08:00

September 25th - the last time I posted on here. Who knew grad studies would take away so much blogging time.

Nevertheless, on Friday my good friend Julia and myself will be celebrating the glory that was music in 2008. We will be playing some of our favorite tracks of the year (except for the fact that Julia will probably play some M.J. as well as the Dirty Projectors, neither of whom released anything in 2008). I've decided to put together a top 12 for the year. Why 12? Two reasons: it's Biblical, and I'm just too lazy to keep it to 10.

Without further ado, the top 12 (in descending order)

12. Jay Reatard - Matador Singles 08 (Matador)

He may be short-tempered, but this man can sure write one hell of a pop hook. From the first notes of "See-Saw" through to the closing moments of "I'm Watching You" Jay Retard has proven that he is indeed one of the more prolific power-pop writers of our time.

11. Zomby - Where Were You in 92? (Werk)

Where was I in 92? I was in grade 5 trying to decide if I preferred "End of the Road" or "Under the Bridge". Where should I have been in 92? In England dancing to 808 State and watching the final scene of Bladerunner over and over again. I only first heard this album a month ago. Had I heard it sooner, with its catchy melodies pushed forward by spastic and at times unpredictable beats, it would have ended up much higher than it did.

10. Invincible - Shapeshifters (Emergence)

This is what an overtly political album ought to look like. Clearly Invincible is concerned with the current state of affairs in Detroit (almost every song on the album surrounds issues of urban decay). However, at no point does this album move into that Ani Difranco-like realm of propaganda. Here the art itself is the message (yeah, overused I know), as Invincible invites you to contemplate the issues she sings about, obscuring them with fascinating metaphors and clever rhyme schemes. This album is so good in fact, it almost (emphasize almost) got me listening to Peter Gabriel.

9. Eric Chenaux - Sloppy Ground (Constellation)

A stunning song-cycle about that 'in-between' stage in romance, Sloppy Ground is as precarious an album as there is. Chenaux has a wonderful ability to allow a melody to maintain its beauty in midst of or at times in spite of all the messiness surrounding it.

8. Chad VanGaalen - Softairplane (Sub Pop)

VanGaalen's first album that was actually meant to be an album, and the results are more than satisfactory. Even though the guy stood me up 3 times for an interview, if he keeps writing songs like "TMNT Mask" and "Molten Light" I won't be able to hold any grudges against him.

7. Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers (Kill Rock Stars)

Surprise! Another Xiu Xiu album on my top 10. I've said so much about this guy already that I've run out of witty metaphors. Just go and listen to "No Friend Oh" and enjoy.

6. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Lie Down in the Light (Drag City)

An album that many overlooked simply because of the fact that it seems Oldham is releasing something new every week. Those who took the time to take this one in were treated to a beautiful album, that almost lulls you to sleep only to wake you up with a resounding chorus full of captivating harmonies. My personal favorite disc of his since I See A Darkness.

5. Azeda Booth - In Flesh Tones (Absolutely Kosher)

It kills me to have two Calgary acts on this list, but In Flesh Tones is just too damn good to ignore. Falsettos, disruptive drum beats, soothing keyboard sounds, reverb-drenched guitars all make for a truly remarkable debut album.

4. Cadence Weapon - Afterparty Babies (Epitaph)

[SEE NUMEROUS OTHER POSTS WHERE I EXPRESS MY LOVE FOR ROLLIE PEMBERTON]

3. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair (DFA)

This album single handily convinced me that I have always been wrong about disco. I've often enjoyed watching old Ashford and Simpson videos, but until hearing HaLA and their full-out love affair with disco, I always considered that joy to be more ironic than anything else. Not anymore!! In fact, with the release of this album I had envisioned legions of skinny white indie rock fans joining together to burn their Judas Priest shirts while dancing to Donna Summer's Love to Love You Baby.

And now a word on "Blind". Pitchfork recently chose this song as its number one track of the year. Really, I can't think of a song that deserves that recognition more. "Blind" is 6 minutes of pure bliss, built around solid bass octaves, a steady syncopated drum beat, and a vocal performance by Antony that is next to none. I've listened to this song more than any other this year, and I still get shivers hearing Antony shout "BECAUSE I FEEL BLIND!"

2. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Wierd Era Cont (Kranky).

In spite of my new love affair with disco, it's still the guitar that was my first love, and

Deerhunter have most definitely given us an album worthy of praise from any guitar nerd.

Microcastle is one mess of an album, taking the loose nature of Cryptograms and cramming it together with the pop sensibilities expressed in Fluorescent Grey to make their most fully-realized disc yet.

1. Veda Hille - This Riot Life (Ape House)

This one is a no brainer really. There is not an album that came out this year that surprised me more than This Riot Life. It is a near-perfect song cycle blending issues around religion, human nature, pop culture and psychology with ease. It truly is my favorite record of the year and I can't recommend it enough.

Readings

2008-09-25T07:24:00.001-07:00

Some quick links to check out.

First of, before you continue reading please go first to zoilus, and then to Radio Free Canuckistan, where Carl Wilson and Michael Barclay show some love for Veda Hille's This Riot Life which is one of, if not the finest albums of the year. Wilson's piece is particularly well written (as per usual) focusing completely on the opening track "Lucklucky". Seriously if you haven't listened to this album do so ASAP.

The rest of the stuff on RFC is also worth reading as Barclay continues his analysis both of those artists nominated, and those whom he thought should have been. Take particular notice of his comments on the lack of Jazz-oriented music writers in Canada.

T.V. On The Radio's Dear Science has officially landed, and has been getting consistently good reviews. While I haven't spent enough time to hear if the claim that it's there best effort yet is true, I can say that on first listen, the band officially is now 3 for 3 with their albums.

The wonderful and talented Michael Elves is now blogging. Go check out his site Ear to the Sounds, where you will find everything from a fabulous Bart Davenport video to a insightful article of Calgary's Azeda Booth.

Ah Sweet Lou.

That's all for now.

Getting Back to Things

2008-08-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost over, and I'm starting to get back into a more predictable routine. This of course means more time for music musings!!

So to catch up - What am I listening to right now?

1.) Deerhunter - Microcastle

A near-perfect continuation from the Cryptograms - Fluorescent Grey - Atlas Sound - Jay Reatard releases, Microcastle is the first great guitar-based album of the year. To quote a friend of mine from Calgary on Bradford Cox - 'I've never seen someone so interested in the sounds his guitar makes". On Cryptograms this interest came out through extended jams that would at times try the interest of the listener. On Mircrocastle, this infatuation is relocated to the cracks and undercurrents of more clearly structured pop songs. The result is an album that is catchy, yet without undermining the exploratory nature of the band, and thus lives up to all the hype surrounding it. I can't recommend this one enough, so if you haven't downloaded it from iTunes yet (before you also buy a hard copy in November) do so NOW!

2.) Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane

Don't have much to say about this one yet, as I've only listened to it a few times. However, the first listens have been a success, as those songs on previous VanGaalen releases that seemed out of place are gone on this one. Soft Airplane could turn out to be my favorite record of his yet (although I reserve the right to retract this statement at a later time).

3.) Joe Henderson - Power to the People/In Pursuit of Blackness/Joe Henderson in Japan

I owe Michael Elves a big thank you on this, as he tipped me off on these releases. Part of Henderson's Milestone period (1969-1976), this trilogy is yet another reminder that those people who think good Jazz ended with Bitches Brew (1969) clearly don't like Jazz.

4.) David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything that Happens will Happen Today

Easily the biggest disappointment of the year so far. I mean really! Is this what has happened to one of the greatest musical collaborations of the last 35 years? I understand that the Byrne and Eno of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts are long gone, but when you decide to collaborate with someone you haven't done so for 27 years, knowing full well that people (ie. ME!) have been waiting eagerly for you to do so, at least try to make some references to your previous efforts together. Probably for the first time in his career, Byrne has made an album that I just can't get behind. The fact that he's done so with his best producer/collaborator makes this even harder to take. All is not well in the land of The New Decay!

That's all for now ...

At the Half-Point

2008-07-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

For today's program I'm going to be doing my annual halfway eval of the year for music. If I were to put my opinion of the year thus far in rockist terms, I would say that 2008 deserves a good hearty fist pump. It hasn't been quite "rock-lock" yet, though it is most definitely been better than a wag of the finger. Basically 2008 has seen the solid return of the usual suspects (ie. excellent releases from the likes of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Destroyer, Xiu Xiu, Eric Chenaux, Beach House, Lil' Wayne, and Matmos), the emergence of some exciting new voices (ie. High Places, Fleet Foxes, Crystal Castles and to a certain extent Vampire Weekend), and the rediscovery of late 60s early 70s Afro-Beat with the awesome Nigeria Special and Africa Scream Contest releases. The only area that has been a complete disappointment thus far has been Jazz. Nothing really new of note, (besides the new Vijay Iyer, which is just as awesome as it should be) and the tragic demise of E.S.T. has given the genre a fairly rough start to the year. Here's hoping for some new Rat-Drifting stuff shortly!

Anyways if I were to choose five albums that have impacted me more than any others thus far this year they would be as follows:

5.) Vijay Iyer - Tragicomic
Seriously, if Iyer keeps this up we are going to have to come up with a new definition for the music he plays. Far removed from the likes of Diana Krall, The Mareslis', and George Benson, Iyer's style of Jazz penetrates your entire being, even if it's not necessarily that welcome.

4.) Souljazz Presents: An England Story
Kind of lame to put a compilation on this list, but I've probably listened to this more than anything else this year. Tracing the culture of the MC in UK since 1984 this comp helps put into context recent popular forms coming out of England (such as Grime, Dubstep, Bassline etc ...). Even though it does have its low points, when An England Story hits it, it doesn't get any better than that.

3.) Cadence Weapon - Afterparty Babies
Incorporating more house beats, and better use of irony, the sophomore disc from E-ville's Cadence Weapon makes me proud to call Edmonton my hometown. I've probably said enough about this disc in the past, so I'll leave it at that. Easily my favorite Canadian MC.

2.) Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
Believe the hype people. This album is amazing from start to finish. It's probably the one album from this year that has changed how I listen to music, giving me a new found appreciation for all things Disco, (I caught myself listening to Ashford and Simpson earlier this year on MuchMore Retro and actually enoyed myself). "Blind" is hands down my pick for track of the year thus far.

1.) Veda Hille - This Riot Life
Some might say that choosing this as my favorite disc of the year so far, makes my love of Carl Wilson's writing a bit too obvious, but I just can't help myself. A slightly meaner Christine Fellows, Hille's latest consists of witty and poignant songwriting, astonishing arrangements, and the appropriate amount of Metal references (ie. "I am made of Iron, Iron Maiden bleeder" or "I never cared for metal hair, until the boy you were SLAYER!"etc...). Seriously, if you love music and you haven't heard this disc, you need to rectify that immediately.

So tune in to UMFM 101.5 in Winnipeg today at 2 pm and take a listen.

Until next time ...

Podcasts, Mehldau, Worship and Oh So Much More!!!

2008-06-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

BRAD FRICKIN' MEHLDAU!!!

Yup his concert on Tuesday was THAT good. I'll probably have more to say about his performance on my radio show tomorrow. But I will say that I've never seen someone play with such simple motifs in such fascinating ways in a live setting before. To quote Jeremy from 52nd Street Jazz - "I wasn't a fan before this show, but I most certainly am now. That was absolutely brilliant".

Speaking of my show, tomorrow I will be interviewing Andrew Penner from Sun Parlour Players in anticipation of their show in the peg on the 1st. I was supposed to also be interviewing Rock Plaza Central, but they are stuck somewhere in the middle of the Rockies and don't have access to their cell phone (SUCK). Yes that 'Penner' is a Mennonite 'Penner' and yes I will be making reference to that tomorrow.

The Apostle of Hustle podcast is currently up on the Winnipeg Folk Fest website and can be downloaded here. Definitely not the best interview in the world, but still an enjoyable listen. Their sets at the Folk Fest are going to be off the hook!

Most people who read this blog know my good friend Julia Thiessen really well, and most people know she's fairly brilliant, loves music, and enjoys dancing at somewhat random moments. Below is a copy of a response she wrote to Carl Wilson's recent book on Celine Dion, where she asks the question 'where have the places of worship gone in pop music?' A really good read, from a great writer. Enjoy!!

The New Decay is On Air!!!

2008-06-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back. After months of no writing at all (you could thank my new house, baseball, and a dose of laziness for that) I've decided it's probably time to start this whole thing up again. And why not? These next few weeks are going to be full of shows that will knock your socks off.

Some things to look out for:

1. The Winnipeg Jazz Festival kicks it into high gear tonight with The New Pornographers playing Pantages. Uber-political hip-hop outfit The Coup is playing the Pyramid along with Pip Skid and Hot Dog and Sue Foley of Twilight Hotel plays a solo set at the Windsor Hotel.

My pick of the night (and possibly of the Festival) has to be pianist extraordinare Brad Mehldau who's playing with his trio at the MTC. Seriously, if you're going to see one show at this years festival better make this one it. With his relentless approach to the keys, and his stunning ability to take pop songs (like "Wonderwall", "Exit Music for a Film", "Paranoid Android" or "Pink Moon"), and turn them into dissonant Jazz epics, this concert will not disappoint.

If you are going to make it to two shows at this years fest, make the second one Alice Russell, who is bringing her UK-Based Funk/Electronic outfit to the Pyramid tomorrow night along with DJ Hunnicutt and CO-OP. This women has got some serious pipes, and can apparently bust a move on stage as well. If you enjoyed Sharon Jones at the fest in years past, you will love Alice Russell as well.

Other Jazz Fest-related shows worth checking out would be John Scofield, (playing at the MTC on Thursday minus E.S.T. due the tragic death of Esbjorn Svesson), and Shout Out Out Out at the Pyramid (a show that is being MC'd by yours truly).

2. Tune into my show this Friday as I will be interviewing the fine folks from both Rock Plaza Central, and Sun Parlour Players in anticipation of their Canada show at the Lo Pub.

3. Last , but certainly not least, I am currently working on some podcasts for the Winnipeg Folk Fest profiling some of the artists who will be playing at this years fest. So far I've completed one consisting of a conversation with Andrew Whiteman of Apostle of Hustle and Broken Social Scene, and will have one up soon with an interview with Rolf Klausener of The Acorn. I'll provide some links once the podcasts get posted.

So as you can see, it's been a busy month for the Decay, but I'm determined to start writing again more frequently.

Until next time ...

Chicago Tunes

2008-02-15T22:16:00.000-08:00

I've finally done it, and made a playlist to go with the last two posts. I've saved it as a zip file which you can download here. Enjoy!

Tracks are as follows:

1. The Mountain Goats - Cubs in Five (from Nine Dead Poppies)

2. Uncle Tupelo - Moonshiner(from March 1992)

3. The Handsome Family - Down in the Valley of Hallow Log (from Through the Tress)

4. The Jesus Lizard - Mouth Breather (from Goat)

5. Shellac - Ideas of the North (from At Action Park)

6. The Sea and Cake - Parasol (from Nassau)

7. Tortoise - Corpone Brunch Watt Remix (from A Lazarus Taxon)

8. The Sea and Cake - The Transaction (from The Biz)

9. Isotope 217 - La Jetee (from The Unstable Molecule)

10. Tortoise - TNT (from TNT)

11. Jim O'Rourke - Ghost Ship in a Storm (from Eureka)

12. Sam Prekop - Showrooms (from Sam Prekop)

Via Chicago Pt. 2

2008-02-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

Let's talk about Post-Rock;

Coined by music critic Simon Reynolds in 1994, the term post-rock was initially used as a means to describe music which used typical rock instruments to make very non-rock music. It's a meaningfully ambiguous term that can be used to describe everything from Mogwai, to Slint, to Godspeed You Black Emperor. At it's best post-rock is used to describe those groups who had a penchant for deconstructing typical rock forms, while still keeping one foot in the genre (see The For Carnation, Him, or Do Make Say Think). At it's worst, post-rock was just a cooler way for saying Prog (see that band I tend to criticize too much, even though I really like Tyondai and "Atlas").

While there were many great post-rock scenes, none were more vibrant and exciting than Chicago's. It was here where a sizable, but closely-knit group of musicians came together to form numerous musical groups that all attempted to fuse the cities strong rock-past (see Chicago blues, and groups mentioned yesterday), with it's long-time fascination with Jazz experimentation from the likes of Anthony Braxton and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. The result was the creation of one of the most influential and exploratory music scenes in North America of the time. Bellow are some of my personal highlights from this scene.

Tortoise - Gamera/Cliff Dweller Society Ep (1995, Duophonic)

If you were to choose one band to be the centre-piece of the Chicago post-rock scene, Tortoise would certainly be the unanimous choice. The band captured the very essence of what post-rock meant in Chicago, creating a near-perfect blend of jazz experimentation, Steve Reich's minimalist compositions, and rock's showy and emotionally manipulative tendencies. For many "Gamera" is THE Tortoise song. Recorded by the band in it's original form (guitarist Bundy K. Brown, left soon after the recording was finished), the song begins with a simple acoustic-guitar line, that then gets manipulated for over 12 minutes, as the band adds numerous layers and textures. The result was the creation of a sound that would soon creatively get dubbed "The Tortoise sound" influencing countless acts to follow (such as Do Make Say Think and, to a lesser extent Explosions in the Sky).

The Sea and Cake - Nassau (1995, Thrill Jockey)

To this day, one of my favorite concert moments came on one cold December evening in 1999, when post-rock royalty Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt from Chicago's The Sea and Cake came to perform solo sets at the old Liquid Lounge in Edmonton. There was only about 150 people there, most of whom all seemed to know each other. Throughout the evening one topic kept coming up; would the two come together to play the song "Parasol" from their 1995 classic album Nassau. The song was (and still is) one of my personal favorites, as it was for a majority of the crowd. The concert was amazing, as both performers seemed to be right on their game, enjoying the intimacy of the moment. However, it wasn't until the final encore that those first few appreciated notes of "Parasol" rang. The entire crowd gave a sigh of relief, as what we were all hoping for was now happening. Thinking about now still gives me goosebumps.

Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996, Thrill Jockey)
When you think of iconic post-rock albums some names you think of would Spiderland or Young Team. Millions Now Living would most definitely fit in with those other records. In fact, it might even take the cake. With it's minimal approach to both songwriting and production, and the introduction of Dave Pajo as a the new guitarist, Millions Now Living Will Never Die is the album Tortoise will be most remembered for, for years to come.

Jim O'rourke - Bad Timing (1997, Drag City)
A good companion to Millions Now Living, as this is pre-pop focused O'Rourke, when he was obsessed with generating fascinating sounds. Not my favorite record of his, but still a good listen.

The Sea and Cake - The Biz (1996, Thrill Jockey)
John McIntyre often gets overlooked for his drumming skills, as he has made more of a name for himself through his excellent production on albums for groups like Stereolab, Pullman, and The Chicago Underground Duo (as well as his own group Tortoise). However, on The Biz he takes center stage, playing some of the better drumbeats in his career. This was the first Sea and Cake record I bought (on Vinyl in Calgary) and thus will always be the most enjoyable for me to listen to.

Isotope 217 - The Unstable Molecule (1997, Thrill Jockey)
One of the many Jazz-based projects of trumpeter Rob Mazurek (Chicago Underground Duo, Sao Paulo Underground Duo, Exploding Star Orchestra etc ...) Isotope 217 sees him work with Tortoise rhythm section members Dan Bitney, John Herndon and Jeff Parker (who had just recently began playing with Tortoise). It's a great Tortoise off-shoot, with it's more stripped-down, jazz focused approach.

Tortoise - TNT (1998, Thrill Jockey)
For most people, Millions Now Living is the definitive Tortoise record. For myself, it's always been 1998's TNT. Jeff Parker joins the band after the departure of Dave Pajo, resulting in a more jazz-based sound (Parker is a jazz-trained guitarist). The sound is more diverse, the songs are more intricate, as the band is clearly hitting its stride. TNT is a stunning listen from start to finish, as it is easily my favorite record on this list.

Sam Prekop - Sam Prekop (1999, Thrill Jockey)

At this point in their career, The Sea and Cake had started doing away with guitar-based music, choosing to focus more on synthetic beats and sounds. So it was fitting in 1999 when the bands front man Sam Prekop put out his bossa-infused solo debut. With its stripped down instrumentation, and its heavy reliance on latin rhythms, the album served as a wonderful reminder of Prekops gift at both experimentation, and writing simple yet still catchy pop melodies.

Jim O'Rourke - Eureka (1999, Drag City)

Miles Davis once stated that he never wanted to be that musician who steps up to the microphone and plays something they've played before. I think Jim O'Rourke would agree with Miles (actually, disagreeing with Miles Davis about anything relating to music is akin to an Apple employee disagreeing with Steve Jobs on marketing strategies). After creating numerous albums that sought to assault you sonically, O'Rourke puts together a captivating collection of lush orchestral pop-tunes. I believe it was the last record he put out before declaring Chicago 'finished', and moving to New York (which he subsequently declared 'finished' a few years later and relocated to Tokyo, which is where he currently resides). Well he wasn't completely off. Soon after 1999, the Chicago Post-Rock sound would become over-saturated with Tortoise and Sea and Cake clones, which ultimately made it more difficult for both bands to continue doing what they were doing (Tortoise has only put out 2 full-lengths in the last 8 years, while disbanding into various side-projects, and The Sea and Cake reinvented themselves somewhat as they started experimenting with more electronic base sounds). Nevertheless, if Eureka was to signify the end of 'The Chicago Sound' in someways, at least it went out in style.

Anyways, I could of focused on many more groups (Pullman, Archer Prewitt, Cul De Sac, Directions in Music, Rob Mazurek's numerous groups etc ...), but these are the highlights for me. Tomorrow I'll have some mp3's ready for you. They were supposed to be up last week, but I've been having some computer issues. Also, next up is Louisville Kentucky, where we'll be looking at all the different incarnations of Will Oldham and more!

Until next time ...

Via Chicago: 1990's Indie Pt. 1

2008-02-04T14:30:00.000-08:00

Looking back at past posts, I realized a few weeks back that most of the content on my blog is heavily influenced by music that from the late 70s and early 80s. This isn't surprising in the least, considering my love of post-punk and synth-based pop. However, it is weird that I don't spend more time that decade where I first fell in love with music, namely the 1990s. That was the decade where I realized just how much I was indebted to those artists I was constantly listening to on my tape decks, walkmen or discmen.

So to pay tribute to that wonderful decade, I'm going to do a series of features on 1990s guitar-based underground music by location. Why limit it so much? Because, that's predominantly what I've listened to in my life (hip-hop and electronic stuff wasn't okay in my books until about 4 or 5 years ago). I'm currently working on putting features together on places like Seattle/the Northwest (duh!), Boston (again duh!), Louisville KT, The Carolinas, maybe New York (that could prove too large), East-Coast Canada, Ontario/Montreal, the Prairies and the West Coast. Each feature will also have select tracks from some of the groups profiled, for your listening pleasure.

For my first feature, I'm going big and starting with Chicago. I chose this for my first feature, for a few reasons. First of all, Chicago was HUGE in the 90s. Whether it was through pumpkin smashing, deconstructing both country and rock music, creating amazing record labels (Drag City, Touch and Go, Thrill Jockey etc ...) or recording one of the decades most important releases (Nirvana's In Utero), the Chicago music scene was most definitely 'in' during the 90s. I even remember seeing gig posters in Edmonton, for small unknown acts with "From Chicago" put underneath the band name just to entice people to come. "From Chicago" meant something back then, and this is what I want to celebrate.

Secondly (and possibly more selfishly), this is the scene I'm most familiar with. I spent a lot of time listening to Chicago bands, and am more comfortable about writing about this scene than I am with other areas.

So anyways, here is part one of my Chicago piece, with part two (focusing completely on post-rock) coming tomorrow, along with a podcast. By the way, sorry about the formatting, the pictures stopped working halfway through the post. Enjoy!

Uncle Tupelo and the inbreaking of Alt-Country

The term "Alt-Country" carries with it some heavy names; Wilco, Neko Case, Giant Sand, Blue Rodeo, and the list could go on. However, in many ways, the genre wouldn't be where it is today if it weren't for a trio of young punks from Belleville Il (a suburb of Chicago), who, under the name Uncle Tupelo, released a trio of classic albums in No Depression (1990, Rockville), March 16-20, 1992 (1992, Rockville), and Anodyne (1993, Sire). Led by lead singer Jay Farrar, and Jeff Tweedy, the group was able to fuse their love of country twan, and the all-out fury of punk. This fusion jumpstarted a new musical genre that quickly began reverberating throughout the American underground (these albums paved the way for the emergence of groups like The Jayhawks, Calexico, Palace Music/Brothers and Old Reliable, and led to the creation of one of North America's finest music Mags titled after Uncle Tupelo's debut No Depression).

Of these three particular albums March 16-20, 1992 is the album which, in many ways captures the very essence of what made the band so great. While the album lacks more of the punk tendencies of the bands previous works (with the exception of a few of Tweedy's sudden and sporatic use of feedback pointing future experimentations with Wilco), the recording captures the band at its rawest. With standout tracks like "Moonshiner" and "Grindstone" the album further solidified the place of roots music in the American underground.

The Handsome Famlily - Through the Trees (1998, Carrot Top)

Speaking of solidifying the place of country in North American underground scene's, few groups were able to do so with such precision as the husband and wife duo of Brett and Rennie Sparks (a.k.a. The Handsome Family). Often considered the breakthrough album for the band Through the Trees is a wonderful collection of dark and and moody pieces that are constantly blurring the lines between the material and spiritual.

Wilco - Being There (1996, Sire) Summerteeth (1999, Warner)

I'm not going to say too much about these as there has easily been enough said about them. However, it's not fair to talk about Alt-Country and Chicago without at least mentioning them. Summerteeth is particularly enjoyable, and rivaled only by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in the Wilco catalogue.

Noise, Grunge and Lo-Fi

The Jesus Lizard - Goat (1991, Touch and Go)

One of many great releases by the Chicago-based Touch and Go label, Goat is a great combination of the spastic grunge guitar that was coming out of Seattle at the time and the paranoid preacher stylings akin to the likes of The Birthday Party, and The Pixies.

Smashing Pumpkins - Gish (1991, Virgin)

As awful as some of the Pumkins more recent works have been, 1991's Gish (and 93's Siamese Dream, but that can wait for later), is a thing of beauty. The sound of the guitars and Billy Corgan's voice, are stunning, as the band takes the slacker-grunge aesthetic of Nirvana's Nevermind (which actually came out a few months later), and relocates in the arena. Truly an enjoyable listen.

Shellac - At Action Park (1994, Touch and Go)

Even though Steve Albini is known primarily as for production skills (recording the likes of the Pixies, The Wedding Present, Songs Ohia, and Bush. Oh yeah, he also did the original recordings of this little gem.), his work with his own group Shellac shouldn't get overlooked. At Action Park, is a great noise-based record that, musically isn't anything extremely special, but sonically most definitely is. How this record sounds is equally as important as the actually material on the record.

Royal Trux - Accelerator (1998, Drag City)

Rising out of the ashes of long-time act (and not-sexually suggestive at all) Pussy Galore, Royal Trux unleashes a tension-riddled song cycle in which the bands 70's influenced sound is forced into conversation with 80's style compression and synthesizers. The result is an absolute bloody mess, but one that you still want to be involved with.

The Mountain Goats - Nine Black Poppies (1995, Emperor Jones)

It's hard to call The Mountain Goats a "Chicago act" as John Darnielle has lived all over the United States. However, for a time he called Chicago home, and during that period put out his first full-length album Nine Black Poppies. Recorded primarily straight on to tape, the album points towards the pop beauty of recent discs We Shall All Be Healed and Sunset Tree (as well as this years Heretic Pride which is a great record by the way), while still carrying with it troubling lo-fi tendancies. It's one of my favorite records, from one of the most consistent songwriters of our time (and that's not an over-statement).

Tomorrow - Part II

On the Decay, Friday February 1st

2008-02-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

So Jeff, what are you going to be playing on your show today?

Ummm...

1.) Xiu Xiu's - Women as Lovers

Surprise surprise, Jamie Stewart creates another song cycle that's a bloody mess, and Jeff Friesen absolutely loves it. Everything on this album is experiencing some form of affliction. From the instrumentation to the lyrics, to the bands performance on the record, all is broken, and the results are absolutely beautiful. "No Friend Oh!" is the early frontrunner for track of the year as two forbidden lovers (two men of varying ages) are forced to struggle with learning how to be with each other. The end result being an acceptance of total unknowing...

'You don't know what you're doing'

'So what, for nor do you.'

2.) Now that Africa is cool again ...

I've been struggling with the Vampire Record. On the one hand I think it's great, full of catchy pop-hooks that will keep you coming back for more. On the other hand, anytime an album receives THIS much praise, it's imperative that the album be able to withstand the scrutiny. Frankly, I don't think this record does.

The intertwining on African rhythms with popular musical forms of the west is by no means a new thing. One significant example occurring at the beginning of the 20th century when Dixie was created after a melding of African rhythms (often referred to as polyrhythms, although they are in fact more complicated than that term allows for) with marching band forms of the south. Similarly, the earliest blues music emerged out of the cotton fields of the south as slave workers combined songs from their home countries in Africa, with country and folk tunes they were now hearing in their new homes. The result of both of these occurrences being the creation of a new form of rhythmic playing that eventually become known "swing". This new rhythmic style then went on to significantly impact everything from Jazz, to polka, to rock n' roll, to pop and electronic music.

More recently, in underground circles you can see the influence of African rhythms all over the place. For example, David Byrne, due to his obsession with creating a "white-funk" sound, began experimenting with what he called "Fourth-World Music" intertwining African trance rhythms with his own art-punk tendencies. The most exciting results of these experiments being "I Zimbra" the lead-off track from 1979's Fear of Music, where Byrne sings meaningless syllables as the band is doing it's best to mimic the polyrhythmic stylings of numerous "world-music" groups who were emerging at the time, tricking people into thinking "wow, David Byrne's singing African". There's also My Life in the Bush of Ghosts where Byrne teams up with Brian Eno, using same trance-like rhythms against the background of numerous manipulated recordings of radio-evangelists, in order to create an brilliant and passion-filled ambient music that Eno would later refer to as "psychedelic wash." These are only two of many examples (I could also add more recent groups like Konono No. 1, Extra Golden, or Tounami Diabate, which I'll be playing on my show today).

All of this is to say that listening to the Vampire Weekend record is kind of like a theologian coming into a graduate studies theology class and saying "the task of the church is to be the church." It's really important to hear once and a while, but doesn't really add anything new to the conversation.

3) Via Chicago

I'm working on a longer piece focusing on '1990s,guitar-based underground music from Chicago' (which will include a podcast) and will give a glimpse of what to expect on the show. Think anything between The Handsome Family and Sam Prekop.

Until next time...

[EDIT] Take out polka from that list of music. I can't think of a type of music less influenced by swing.

Links, Links, Links,

2008-01-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

Things have been a little slow on here lately. Bloggery always seems to fall on the back-burner during the winter months. With Blue Monday being yesterday and the fact that it's so frickin' cold that nobody in their right mind would plan a show in Winnipeg, can you really blame me?

Anyways, to catch up ...

Sadly, Woebot, the excellent music blog that is responsible for introducing me to ridiculous amounts of great British and electronic artists decided to close up shop earlier this month. However, he went out in style with an impressive feature on Jazz. Not swing, not bop, not free-jazz or even fushion. No, instead he decided to take on the entire genre, and did so really well. My only beef is that I think he ends a bit early, not tackling anything much later than 1973, thus leaving out most of the ECM catalogue, Anthony Braxton (who was recently featured on Destination-Out, with a long discussion about his son Tyondai Braxton), Vijay Iyer and many other great artists who just happen to come out after that. It's a solid introduction into North America's most significant musical creation.

Also, last week Idolator put out it's 2nd annual pop critics poll. Collecting ballots from 452 music critics, the poll is an excellent guide to pop circa 2007. Not surprisingly, Sounds of Silver got top spot on the album poll, while "Umbrella" took #1 on the singles poll. The reissues poll is a different story. Young Marble Giants' Colossal Youth beats out Miles Davis' The Complete On the Corner Sessions, Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation both Joy Division discs and Betty Davis' self-titled album. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the album, and bought it the day it came out, but as far as reissues go, it's only good, not great. There is hardly anything new added and the packaging is annoying as hell. There's no way it should be ahead on the Miles Davis record on this one, nor is it even in the same league as Unknown Pleasures. It's kind of makes me wonder if this was the result of critics choosing something different just for the sake of it.

Geez, I never thought I would speak ill of YMG in my lifetime. Anyways, the next two weeks sees a bunch of good new releases. So far I can vouch for ...

Hello, Blue Roses: The Album title is changing all the time (Out Today!!)

My wife Jess and I were talking about this one the other day and decided it's a bit unfortunate that Sydney Vermont situated herself next to her man Dan Bejar for her first disc. She's a really great artist in her own right, and risks getting lost in the fame of her partner by doing so. The collaboration is still great to listen to though.

Vampire Weekend: S/T (out next Tuesday)

I want to have a more in depth review of this one next week. It's the first great record of the year from a new artist in my opinion and is a wonderful companion to Talking Heads' 77 album.

Xiu Xiu: Women as Lover (out next Tuesday)

Jamie Stewart continues his one full length every year and a half pace and puts together another awesome collection of songs in Women as Lovers. Few artists are able to make such uncomfortable music so enjoyable to listen to. As with the Vampire Weekend record, expect more from me on this one later.

Until next time...

The New Decay Listens

2008-01-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

It's officially been one month since my last post, so I thought I'd update you on a few things you can expect to hear on some upcoming shows of mine. 2008 isn't very old, yet it's already brought us some fine listens!

Beach House - Devotion (Carpark)

I've been on a bit of a Baltimore thing of late thanks to a number of things (The Wire, Panda Bear, the fact that the Orioles might actually send Roberts to the Cubs etc...). Dream Pop duo Beach House is only solidifying this with their upcoming album Devotion due out February 29th. I'll have more on the album closer to the release date, but until then, go check out the first single "Gila" as it is a thing of beauty.

Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy - Cornell 1964 (Blue Note)

Released last year, this album catches one of the finest Jazz ensembles on the cusp of their ground breaking tour. While, they are still getting comfortable with each other here, it's still fascinating to listen to a group so full of potential.

Deerhunter - Fluorescent Grey EP (Kranky)

I picked up the Cryptograms album on vinyl while I was in Edmonton a few weeks ago and was glad to see that the vinyl edition included this ep at the end. Recorded almost a year after the full length, the Ep illustrates how well Deerhunter is progressing as a band. Expect big things from them in years to come.

Hello, Blue Roses - Long title I don't feel like writing

Kate Bush meets Destroyer. Of course I'll eat this up.

The Magnetic Fields - Distortion (Nonesuch)

Pitchfork has a review for this one up right now, which is a good read. The album is somewhere in the 'almost-great' area between the confused and uninspired i and the classics Holiday and 69 Love Songs.

Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters (Southern Lord)

Is this post-rock or doom-metal, or black-metal? Who really cares? One listen to "I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots" will have you hooked.

Until next time ...

Good year-end stuff

2007-12-17T15:30:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Christmas, Paper Thin Walls recently posted their Tiny Mixtapes available on their site for download. It's a great mix of songs, and features some fine music writing as well. So, if you're anything like me, and love to discover new bands on other peoples year-end lists, this is a good place to start.

Also, Sean at Said the Gramophone posted his top 50 tracks today. On first listen, nothing's really jumped out at me yet (unlike previous years ... hello Fionn Regan), although it's good to see him show some love for Ola Podrida, and The Luyas. I'm still not getting what the big deal about Basia Bulat is yet (Please persuade me Michael!)

Elsewhere, XLR8R does their year-end rundown, with a great top ten, chalk-full of some of the danciest beats of the year. Mark K-Punk, does a year-end piece for Fact Magazine, and Idolator has a Worst Album Covers of the Year tournament going on. I'm hoping for a big showdown between Ted Nugent's Love Grenade and his Love Grenade (Special Edition). Easily the two worst album covers of the year in my opinion.

Finally, UMFM is about to post the top 20s from their DJ's. It's a great insight into what music lovers in Winnipeg are listening to. For the record, my list for the station went like this;

1.) Burial - Untrue

2.) Frog Eyes - Tears of the Valedictorian

3.) Sandro Perri - Tiny Mirrors

4.) Christine Fellows - Nevertheless

5.) Panda Bear - Person Pitch

6.) Himalayan Bear - ... Attacks the Brilliant Air

7.) Ghostface Killah - Big Doe Rehab

8.) The Good, The Bad and the Queen - S/T

9.) Deerhunter - Cryptograms

10.) Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum

11.) Justice - t

12.) Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala

13.) Beirut - Flying Club Cup

14.) Julie Doiron - Woke Myself Up

15.) Ola Podrida - S/T

16.) M.I.A. - Kala

17.) Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover

18.) The Luyas - Faker Death

19.) Ghislain Poirier - No Ground Under

20.) Picastro - Whore Luck

Really, everything after the top 6 could be reorganized on a daily basis. Those top 6 though are a step above everything else.

By the way, I just finished listening to Wolves in the Throne Room's Two Hunters for the first time, and it's FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. Sooooo much metal goodness.

Anyways, that's enough for now.

Announcements!http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

2007-12-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple of things worth checking out.

First of all, Saturday December 15th at the Mondragon sees Evening Hymns hitting our fair city for the first time ever. He's playing alongside Winnipeg's very own Old Folks Home, (whose new album We are the Fitting Lines is quite enjoyable), and a new band by the name Country.

Also, those wonderful folks have put my article on Himalayan Bear up on their website. My year end picks for them are on the website as well. I wrote that year-end thing almost a month ago, and it would probably look significantly different if I did it today (ie. Christine Fellows' Nevertheless would probably be my favorite local record). Anyways, enjoy the links!

Until next time...

The New Decay Does Hit-Free Top 25 2007

2007-11-30T15:06:00.000-08:00

I had some extra time booked in the studio at umfm today and used it to put together a mix of some of my favorite songs of the year. My rules were that it had to be something I would be comfortable playing on my show (do we need to be reminded any more about how awesome Rihanna or Timbaland are?). So anyways, I've compiled 25 songs, split them up into two sets for you to download off of yousendit and enjoy. Looking at this list it's a bit concerning about how limited it is stylistically. Last years list would have included some hip-hop, metal and jazz all in the top 15, whereas this year it's predominantly folk/rock/pop/electronica. There wasn't much happening in the way of jazz for me this year, and Hip-Hop seemed to have a very off year (even though Ghostface is set to release an album on Tuesday), and I just haven't gotten around to completely absorbing the Pig Destroyer album yet. Anyways links to files are below as is a set list (which basically goes as a top 5 followed by 20 songs tied for 6th). Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Part 1
Part 2

1) Frog Eyes - "Bushels" (From the album Tears for the Valedictorian)
2.) Sandro Perri - "The Mime" (From the album Tiny Mirrors)
3.) M.I.A. - "Paper Planes" (From the album Kala)
4.) Christine Fellows - "Not Wanted on the Voyage" (From the album Nevertheless)
5.) Burial - "Archangel" (From the album Untrue)
6.) Justice - "D.A.N.C.E." (From the album t)
7.) Robyn - "Konichiwa Bitches" (From the Ep Konichiwa Bitches)
8.) Jens Lekman - "The Opposite of Hallelujah" (From the album Night Falls on Kortedala)
9.) Beirut - "Guyanas Sonora" (From the album The Flying Club Cup)
10.) The Luyas - "Play Dead" (From the album Faker Death)
11.) Himalayan Bear - "The Captain" (From the album ...Attacks the Brilliant Air)
12.) Sunset Rubdown - "The Taming of the Hands that Came Back to Life" (From the album Random Spirit Lover)
13.) Panda Bear - "Bros." (From the album Person Pitch)
14.) Black Moth Super Rainbow - "When the Tongue Shines on Your Tongue" (From the album Dandelion Gum)
15.) Bill Callahan - "Sycamore" (From the album Woke Up on a Whale Heart)
16.) Sandro Perri - "Everybody's Talkin'" (From the album Tiny Mirrors)
17.) San Serac - "Fairlight" (From the album Professional)
18.) LCD Soundsystem - "Someone Great" (From the album Sound of Silver)
19.) Julie Doiron - "No More" (From the album Woke Myself Up)
20.)Low - "Belarus" (From the album Drums and Guns)
21.) Deerhoof - "+81" (From the album Friend Opportunity)
22.) Ghislain Poirier - "Ciara" (From the album Bounce Le Remix)
23.) The Bad Plus - "Life on Mars" (From the album Prog)
24.) Animal Collective - "Cuckoo Cuckoo" (From the album Strawberry Jam)
25.) The Good, The Bad and the Queen - "80's Life" (From the album The Good, The Bad and the Queen)

On Laughter, Pain and Dread ... Himalayan Bear Interview

2007-11-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

The December issue of !Earshot will include my recent piece on Victoria's Himalayan Bear (who, in case you haven't heard yet, released one of my fav's of the year in ...Attacks the Brilliant Air). I had the chance to interview Ryan Beattie a few weeks back for the article and have posted it below unedited. He's writing to me from Italy, where he is currently touring with Frog Eyes. It's always exciting when an artist you appreciate so much also appears to conduct himself well in interviews. Enjoy!

JF: You're currently on tour with Frog Eyes. How has the tour gone thus far? Is this the first time you're touring overseas?

RB: This is the first time I've toured overseas. I'm enjoying it much more than touring in North America. The food is better. People that come to a show listen more. There is very little pretense to what happens at a show. We just got to Italy after a show in Moscow. It was one of the best shows I've ever played. People were just so appreciative and receptive. Obsessed Russian Frog Eyes dudes. We got quite drunk on Vodka with members of the Latvia National Opera that night and almost missed our flight out of the country the next day. That is, if it weren't for an angry German booking agent yelling "come on Ryan, we don't have time for this dilly dallying. Get on the bus!" A hangover caused me to laugh uncontrollably while my head was splitting with pain and crushing dread. It was all pretty funny and Christian, our booking agent whom I spoke of, is top drawer. Also, I mean, there are some pretty beautiful places here. We are currently driving through the Italian Alps. It beats the Midwest any day.

JF: With both Himalayan Bear and Chet you have a significant role in the songwriting process. This doesn't seem to be the case when playing with Frog Eyes. How has it been working with a band that's not being directed by yourself?

RB: It's helping me tremendously. Playing in someone else's boat has cleared the sense of stagnation that I tend to slump into. It's making me a better guitar player, at thrashing that is.

JF: Has there been a different response to your sets in Europe as there has been in North America?

RB: It seems totally random. On the one hand you have some shows where there is an attentive adoring audience who truly is there for music. Then on other nights it is more of a feeling that people are just going out to see what's happening at the club they go to and "what's this? It's a band from North America? They're ok. Can I have a beer?"

JF: Looking at the lyrical aspects of your work, it's fairly clear that your surroundings have a significant impact on the direction your lyrics take. How has touring across Europe impacted your music?

RB: I'm not doing much writing. There is not time…we ran through Florence the other day. Mike and I had a lovely street lunch in some beautiful alley then walked out upon Piazza del Doumo. In all honesty I write more about things that relate to things at home when I'm away on tour. I've never really considered myself to be a crack lyricist. There are so many of my friends that are really beautiful writers. Coming from Vancouver Island does tend to seep heavily into a lot of people's music.

JF: Coming back to '... Attacks the Brilliant Air' (which I find absolutely stunning by the way), given the fact that the album was released at a similar time as Chet's 'Fight Against the Darkness.' How have you found the two to play off each other? What has been some of the differences between working as a solo project and working in a full band setting?

RB: The last time Frog Eyes toured North America, I was able to open the Canadian shows which worked really good. I'd never really given thought to the idea of a Himalayan bear tour. Himalayan bear has been something that I do in between Chet albums. That tour gave it a sense of seriousness to me. There were people that knew of the record and came to see me play. I've anticipated recording another record ever since. Still, having a band is way better. Guy with a guitar gets old pretty fast.

JF: I've found the songs on '... Attacks the Brilliant Air' are longer and much more open-ended than those on 'Lo Lonesome Island'. Was there a deliberate attempt on your part to be more exploratory on your new album, or did it just kind of happen that way?

RB: The main reason for the way the songs are structured was the location we were recording. My friends Kate and Ben use to run a bookstore in Victoria that had 25 foot ceilings. They let me record there at night and I had a long time to do it. It sounded so beautiful in there, especially the organ that I ended up adding these long droning passages simply because I enjoyed listening to the room. The space conducted the performance and ultimately arranged the songs.

JF: Victoria seems to be pumping out awesome album after awesome album lately. Whether it's the 'madman in the basement' aesthetic of Frog Eyes, the country charm of Carolyn Mark, or the almost-straight-up pop frenzy of Run Chico Run, Victoria seems to be a great place to be a songwriter right now. How has being part of such a vibrant and supportive musical community in Victoria impacted your songwritting?

RB: I'm really more antisocial these days and tend not to see people that much. But a few years ago it was great to have all these buds around that played music and made records. It is always easy to find someone to play on a record or find big groups to sing gang chorus'. I think 75 percent of the albums recorded in Victoria last year had some kind of gang chorus on it. It's time to move on.

JF: What plans to you have coming up (recording or touring-wise)?

RB: When I get home from tour, I'll be starting a Himalayan bear record with my bud Tolan who has a studio in a cabin in his back yard. He's recorded most of the Frog Eyes, Chet and Carolyn Mark albums. Chet is going to release an album on the San Fransisco label Absolutely Kosher. Frog Eyes tours in the spring as well as Chet.

On The Decay

2007-11-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've done something like this so ...

Listening to ...

I've already professed my love for the new Burial record on here so need to rehash it, but there has yet to be a day since its release that I haven't heard at least part of that record.

The Luyas - Faker Death (Pome Records)
Former S.S. Cardiacs front women Jess Stein puts together a new band consisting of guitar, drums and Euphonium. As much as I loved the last S.S. Cardiacs album (and prefer the band name) there is a maturity apparent in Faker Death that was laking at times with the Cardiacs. It's more focused and more interesting that Stein's previous effortts as we get the pop sensibilities of the Cardiacs coupled with occasional walls of sound that interrupt the otherwise straight up pop songs. The end result is that Faker Death is a wonderful debut album from a band that appears to have a lot of promise.

Betty Davis - Betty Davis (Light in the Attic, 1973 Reissue)
Betty Davis is many things. She's my aunt. She's an Academy Award winning actress. She's the subject of a cheesy song about her eyes. Most importantly (well except for maybe being my Aunt) she is one of the meanest and funky sounding vocalists from the past 40 years. "Stepping in Her I Miller Shoes" will make even the most stubborn indie-rocker get up and dance.

808 State - Ninety (ZZT, 1989)
Influencing the likes of Prefuse 73, Aphex Twin, Venetian Snares, and Burial, 808 State's Rave/IDM classic Ninety is a beautiful listen that serves as a reminder that the late 80s were not a complete musical wasteland. Anybody who has an appreciation for modern day electronic artists needs to hear this album.

There's more I could include today (Cecil Taylor, Chris and Cosey, Prefuse 73 etc...) but I should probably stop here. I've submitted my year-end picks to !Earshot, which has got me started on the whole "Year End Lists" thing earlier than usual. My goal is to have a top 10 and bottom 10 list focusing on album artwork this year in addition to the usual top 10 albums and songs lists. Any suggestions on that front would be greatly appreciated (right now Sunset Rubdown is winning for worst cover for an album that's actually really good).

Until next time...

Happy Burial Day!!!!

2007-11-13T13:07:00.001-08:00

Pitchfork's review of the new Burial album.

I've forced myself not to say anything about the new Burial album Untrue for a week now just to give myself some time to soak it in and see if I really like the album this much. Well after a week I think I can safely say I do. Of all the artists who have emerged over the past couple of years few have excited me as Burial. He has released two amazing albums thus far (Untrue and 2006's self-titled album), has a very strong understanding of what he is trying to do and accomplishes it exceptionally well (as the quotes in the pitchfork article and this one at K-Punk can attest to), and has become the first DJ that I've heard that has actually made me want to become a DJ myself (wouldn't that be a funny site).

Anyways, enough of my gushing. Onto the album. Unlike a number of recent underground albums to have come out in recent years, be it hip-hop, metal, jazz or whatever falls under the 'indie' guise, Untrue has a strong sense of location. Burial is an artist that understands the importance of his roots, his influences, and wants this to come out in his music. It's an album that pays homage to Burial's home ground of South London both musically, alluding to such musical forms as grime, dubstep, bassline, and even some old-school rave stuff (ala 808 State), and architecturally, trying to paint a picture of a decaying setting that is haunted by it's former, more glorious pass (the closest thing I can think of in Winnipeg would be the exchange district). It's an album that makes me an outsider, as it is constantly referencing that which I (as a Winnipegger and not a Londonite) have had little to nothing to do with. But given how much I still enjoy the album, I'm okay with this.

However, while in many ways I can't really fully understand the significance of this album, since I have little knowledge of its context, there is still lots to chew on here. In fact, one key result of this strong dedication to location is that Untrue is one of those albums that makes you see things differently. Not in some "it's changed my life" kind of ways. I mean that this album literally makes you see things differently, as once you put it on, how you look at your surrounding completely changes as you are taken into this other setting being created by Burial. The textures created throughout the album are done so with such care and precision that they completely impact how you see and understand your everything around you. Walking down the street feels, doing your dishes or riding your bike all become different, once you put on this record.

Musically, the album is quite something. This time around, Burial has decided to focus on sampling R n' B vocalists. There is a passion in these vocalists that is inspiring to hear. The problem is that you only ever really get a small glimpse of them as Burial refuses to allow them to become somewhat intelligible to hear. He has been quoted in the past saying he wants to capture with his music, that moment once you've left a club and the music is still ringing in your ears. He wants to create music that is unfinished, and only partially ever really heard. He does this by blurring the vocals, placing them in the background of the music, or loading them up with so many effects that they hardly sound like voices anymore. He maintains the passion inherent in these voices, but strips them of everything else. The vocals are always present, however only in a fragmented and distant kind of way.

As such, the vocals help give a general unsettled feeling to the album, that makes it refreshing to hear. There is a sense in which the album remains intentionally unfinished allowing the listener the chance to fill in the holes. It's a participatory album that invites the listeners to further explore what it is Burial is trying to accomplish.

Anyways, I could go on forever on how great this album is so I should probably stop. All of this is to say that you should check this album out ASAP.

Until next time...

I (heart) music ... well only one certain kind of music from a very small portion of Canada!

2007-11-05T12:53:00.001-08:00

The 2007 'best-of' season is officially open with I (heart) Music publishing this years edition of Hottest Bands in Canada. In this article, the good people at I (heart) Music poll a fairly large group of well known Canadian bloggers (such as the peeps from Said The Gramophone and Chromewaves). As such it tends to be a just as good, if not even better, expose into the state of the Canadian Blogosphere as it is about Canadian music. Looking at this years list I have to say that it leaves me deeply frustrated for numerous reasons.

First the positives. I think the article did a good job of including artists that often get looked over in the wider Canadian music scene (ie. The Luyas, Woodhands, Plants and Animals, Handsom Furs) while still giving the big whigs proper recognition (ie. The Weakerthans, Julie Doiron, The Acorn, Sunset Rubdown). I have few quibbles with the entire top 10 for that matter.

But now the negatives. Generally when I look at lists like this I try not to pick on particular artists who made it at the expense of others, but I just can not get past the fact that Wolf Parade made the list while the Frog Eyes didn't. How can a band who has publicly declared to be on 'hiatus' make the top 15 on a list that is counting down the hottest bands of the year? Are they really that hot that they don't even have to currently exist? If that's the case The Guess Who should be on this list as I rarely can turn on Power 97 without hearing them? More importantly, how can a band that has made it on the list in previous years get cut after making what is widely regarded their best album to date?

Then there is the who eastern-bias thing. Now I recognize that I was born and raised in Alberta which makes me a bit over-sensitive to issues like this, but I can't help but see this as a failure of the article. Of the 33 bands that made the list, 3 call a province west of Ontario home. 3!!!! And of those three one (The New Pornographers) hails from Canada's third largest city Vancouver, while Calgary's Chad VanGaalen is spending significant chunks of the year in Sackville NB (Julie Doiron recently referred to him as a Sackville artist at a recent show at the WECC). Seriously, if bands like The Great Bloomers and Plants and Animals who have yet to release full-length albums surely artists like Chet, or Boats! deserve some consideration. I really shouldn't let this bug me so much, but articles like this only contribute to the false idea that you need to be from Ontario or Quebec to really become an important artist in this country.

On top of this, looking at the article it's clear that the Canadian blogosphere has a very narrow idea of what constitutes 'good' music. Of the 33 bands on the list, the only group that challenges the whole guy/girl with a guitar thing is the Junior Boys (and maybe Caribou as well). There is hardly any electronic stuff, no experimental stuff, and certainly no hip hop. Now I recognize that the Canadian music scene does consist of way more guitar-based bands than anything else, but that doesn't mean there aren't artists that do well while not falling into this mold. Where is Ghislain Poirier, Cadence Weapon, Grand Analog, Drumheller or Secret Mommy?

If this list is supposed to represent the tastes and opinions of a good chunk of Canadian music writers I can't help but be deeply concerned. Is the Canadian blogosphere becoming this narrow minded? I certainly hope not.

By the way, if I were to submit an entry into this list it would probably look something like this;

1.) Frog Eyes
2.) Ryan Beattie (of Chet and Himalayan Bear)
3.) Sandro Perri
4.) Ghislain Poirier
5.) Sunset Rubdown
6.) Cadence Weapon
7.) Julie Doiron
8.) Nelly Furtado (who is NOTICEABLY absent on the I Heart Music piece)
9.) The Weakerthans
10.) Nick Frasier of Drumheller

On The Decay

2007-10-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

It's almost Halloween which means that tomorrow's show will be wholly dedicated to that glorious day before All Saints Day. Halloween is such a great time for a radio dj, as it gives you yet another opportunity to pull out all those artists who have attempted to add their voice to the whole Hauntology conversation currently going on (ie. Burial, Kode 9 and Space Ape, The Good the Bad and the Queen, etc...), as well as all those great artists obsessed with ghosts (ie. Ghostface Killah, The Unicorns + a bazillion other Montreal bands).

For myself, I'm going to focus primarily on Sunset Rubdown, for a few reasons. First of all, listening to their debut ep as well as Random Spirit Lover it's hard to think of a musician who conjures up more Halloween related images than Spencer Krug.

Secondly (and somewhat fittingly), Sunset Rubdown are playing the Albert on Halloween, which should prove to be a great show.

Thirdly, and most importantly, I'm focusing on the album because it's FREAKIN' AWESOME! I think Carl Wilson is dead on proclaiming Random Spirit Lover along with Sandro Perri's Tiny Mirror to be two of the most beautiful sounding Canadian albums released this year (I would also add Frog Eye's Tears of the Valedictorian to that list). Really, the album hasn't left my cd player since I first put it in.

Random Spirit Lover is easily a step above much of the other work Spencer Krug has been involved in (Swan Lake, Frog Eyes and maybe the first SR Ep notwithstanding). It's chalk-full of those 'I'll Believe in Anything' moments where you catch yourself singing along with all your heart. Particularly the tracks 'Up on Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days' and 'The Taming of the Hands that Came Back'. However the strength of the album lies in the middle with 'Colt Stands Up, Grows Horns' and 'Stallion' which are absolutely stunning. They're utterly disturbing tracks based around complex song structures written in such a way they haunt you long after hearing them. They're like a sonic version of Cronenberg's awesome flick Dead Ringers. It's these tracks that mark a significant departure from the cock-rock tendencies of Wolf Parade, and the 'look we're almost like Frog Eyes' aspects of previous Sunset Rubdown efforts (not to say Shut Up I'm Dreaming wasn't a good album, it just suffered from a bit of an identity crisis). Spencer Krug has never written anything remotely this complex or fascinating, and it's an true joy to hear.

So tune in tomorrow at 2pm on 101.5 (you can also listen online at www.umfm.com by the way)

Until next time.

More Perri, The Death of Indie Rock, Burial, and Van Halen Sucking

2007-10-18T07:22:00.001-07:00

Links! Links! Links!

Zoilus chimes in on the beauty that is Sandro Perri's Tiny Mirrors today (and gives some love to the new Sunset Rubdown as well, which is a bit of a turnaround for him). It really is a great record. I don't know if I should say more on that though.

Sasha Frere Jones is stirring things up with a recent article for the New Yorker. It's well written, and I think his critique of so-called 'indie-rock' artists like The Arcade Fire (you could also add tons more; Battles, The National, CYHSY, Modest Mouse, The Shins, Spoon etc...) is dead on. However, I'd be interested to hear his thoughts on the infusion of noise and dub elements of other acts that fall under the indie banner as well (Burial, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Xiu Xiu, Wolf Eyes, Sun O))), etc...), and how that has reinserted artistic integrity back into indie culture. Backlash here and here.

K-Punk, is eagerly anticipating the release of the new Burial album. With quotes like this from the artist himself, I have to say I am quite excited about this as well;

'The sound that I’m focused on is more, you know, when you come out of a club and there’s that echo in your head of the music you just heard…I love that music, but I can’t make that club sort of stuff…but I can try and make the afterglow of that music.'

And finally Kevin Scott (of the Electric Muse, and Electric Tongue) posted this earlier, and it's so awesome I have to share. It's Van Halen playing 'Jump' recently with the keyboard accidentally tuned 1.5 semitones sharp. It would convert any Anthony Braxton fan instantly.

Until next time ...

Sandro Perri Plays Tiny Mirrors

2007-10-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been pretty good ones when in comes to new releases, with the new Jens Lekman coming out tomorrow, and the new Beirut which came out last Tuesday. The Beirut is particularly good. Zach Condon has matured quite well with this release, as he allows his band to be more involved in the creative process while also adding Owen Palette's gift of string arrangements to the mix. It's a good step in the right direction and I am very interesting to see where they go next.

However, as good as both the Lekman ('Opposite of Hallelujah' has to be one of the hits of the year), and the Beirut album are, the album that has hit me the hardest recently is Sandro Perri's first full length Tiny Mirrors which came out last Tuesday on Constellation records. The album is absolutely stunning. It features a Perri whose has long been dedicated to exploring interesting sounds and textures in music (see Polmo Polpo, Double Suicide or Glissandro 70 for example), now translating that into a more roots-based setting. He uses traditional folk/roots instruments (acoustic and slide guitars, lap steel, etc...) but in very 'un-rootsy' kinds of ways. Each song is constructed in such a way that it often appears to be going wrong. There are frequent mistakes, sounds that you think really shouldn't be there, and missed notes. Yet you still get the sense that this is the way it's intended to be. Constantly screwing up, yet still absolutely beautiful.

In order to accomplish this Perri has surrounded himself with an awesome backing band as the album features Drumheller (Eric Chenaux on guitars, Doug Tielli on trombone, John Jowett on euphonium, and Nick Fraser on drums) on most of the tracks. They add spectacular textures to an already well conceived project and it's truly fun to witness how it all plays out.

Then there's the lyrics. Sandro Perri has only recently begun having lyrics inserted into his music. Looking at the lyrics on Tiny Mirrors you wouldn't be able to tell. Rather than attempting to use words as a means to give a song further meaning ('this songs about ...'), Perri sees them as yet another tool to explore sound. His lyrics are about adding yet another texture to the music and comes up with lines that, while not making much sense on there own, completely fit in with the rest of the music. For example;

'And now it bursts into birthing song
You don't need a bird to give chirp to your song
And when your touch is a little too much
Energy doesn't need your lunch!'

All of this is to say that whatever you're doing tomorrow, make sure you have time to head over to Music Trader and check out this fascinating release. Or just buy it here It should definitely make your day.

Until next time...

The New Decay Attempts a Podcast

2007-10-05T14:19:00.001-07:00

Well folks I've finally gone and created a podcast to coincide with both this blog as well as my radio show. I hope you will enjoy it!

This first podcast is going to be focusing around The Magnetic Fields classic 1999 release 69 Love Songs. The album is one that will stay on decent rotation in my household for years to come as it has a bit of everything. Some classic jazz, synth-pop, punk rock, show tunes and the list can go on, which I try to reflect in my choice of tunes for the podcast.

While at first glance the album seems to be focused around one key topic, love, in many ways it can be seen equally as an attack on that genre commonly known as rock (or Rawk as it is also sometimes referred to as). Stephen Merritt seems bent on reminding us of the beauty that can be found in other forms of music, and that rock is far too restrictive for its own good. Thus 69 Love Songs sits well among other great records such as Are We Not Men? We Are DEVO!, B 52's, Metal Box or even The Human League's Dare.

Whether or not you agree with him, it's hard not to enjoy this massive project of his. So without further hesitation the podcast...

Download here
Tracklisting
1.) Louie and Ella: You Can't Take That Away From Me
2.) Odetta: Another Man Done Gone
3.) Harry Nilsson: Love Story (You and Me)
4.) Roberto Delgado and His Orchestra: Sugar Sugar
5.) Talking Heads: The Girls Want to Be With the Girls
6.) Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Enola Gay
7.) The Smiths: This Charming Man
8.) The Discettes: 1 2 3 4 5
9.) P:ANO: I Felt His Presents/Round E'vry Corner

On The Decay

2007-09-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

For tomorrows show...

1.) I'll be commenting a bit on last nights Built to Spill show, and playing some stuff of theirs. Probably "Velvet Waltz" which is my personal favorite track of the bands, and a definite highlight from yesterday. The show was great. They played a good mix of their new stuff and classics, although a little more selection from Perfect From Now On would have been nice. It was really interesting to see a band that I would have given anything to see back in 1999 (I almost quite my job so I could drive down to see them play in Vancouver) but have cooled on more recently. The evening had an 'oh yeah I love this band' feeling to it. Openers Attack in Black sucked however.

2.) I'm working on a love-in mixtape to celebrate the glory that is The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs. I'm currently reading the 33 1/3 book on the album and keep getting these songs stuck in my head that seem to be good foils for the album. I'll have something up here early next week. My hope is to start a "Tiny Mixtapes" section for my show which will treat other albums in similar fashion. I'm already putting together one for Final Fantasy's He Poos Clouds (which features the likes of Bartok, Destroyer, and Barbara Streisand), and Nirvana's In Utero (which so far features Young Marble Giants and ABBA). The goal is not to say 'this is what these albums are inspired by' but more 'listening to this, makes me think of this.'

Until next time ...

On Beards and Baseball

2007-09-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

Three things...
1.) Umfm has put out their latest addition of "Air Times" which features my article on legendary indie-rockers Built to Spill, reviews of both the new Caribou and Grand Analog albums (the latter being especially sweet to the ears), and so much more. You can find "Air Times" at numerous locations around the city, such as Music Trader, Movie Village, or Into the Music. It's a great new paper and hits where Uptown tends to miss (ie. solid local content).

2.) Speaking of Indie big-wigs, Modest Mouse is about to announce a show at the Burton Cummings theater along with Man Man and Love as Laughter. While I'm not the biggest fan of Modest Mouse's new material, I absolutely loved their show at the U of M back in 2003, and look forward to what they bring this time around. It helps that they have one of the more exciting live acts currently performing in Man Man opening up for them. I had the joy of seeing them last year outside on a hot summers day in Chicago and quite enjoyed myself. Their Tom Waits meets Chinese Opera pop tunes is always a joy to experience. Keep your eyes open for that one.

3.) Someone recently left the always classy and informative comment 'f@#k off goof' on an old post of mine. As I was going through other older posts to see if there were more, I stumbled across my 2007 MLB predictions and have to brag a little bit about how right I currently am (which rarely if ever happens). While I seemed to have forgotten that the Baltimore Orioles existed my predictions went like this...
AL East
1.) NY Yankees
2.) Toronto Blue Jays
3.) Boston Red Sox
4.) Baltimore Orioles
5.) TB Devil Rays

AL Central
1.) Cleveland Indians
2.) Detroit Tigers (wins the wild card)
3.) Minnesota Twins
4.) Chicago White Sox
5.) KC Royals

AL West
1.) LA Angeles
2.) Oakland Atheletics
3.) Seattle Mariners
4.) Texas Rangers

AL MVP: Vladi Guerrero

NL East
1.) NY Mets
2.) Philadelphia Phillies
3.) Atlanta Braves
4.) Florida Marlins
5.) Washington Nationals

NL Central
1.) Chicago Cubs
2.) St. Louis Cardinals (wins wild card)
3.) Milwaukee Brewers
4.) Houston Astros
5.) Cincinnati Reds

NL West
1.) Arizona Diamondbacks
2.) Los Angeles Dodgers
3.) San Diego Padres
4.) Colorado Rockies
5.) SF Giants

NL MVP: Ryan Howard
Cy Young: Carlos Zambrano

With 7 games left I have the AL Central and NL East dead on. Of my six first place picks 5 are currently in 1st (with the Yankees only 1.5 games behind The Bo-Sox). Detroit is 5 games back of the wildcard (doable, but unlikely), although the Cards are already eliminated. Carlos Zambrano is a dark horse to win the CY Young but is apparently on the ballots and has 17 wins which ain't too shabby. Both my MVP picks are unlike, Howard was injured for a good chunk of the season, and Vladi is currently hitting .323 with 26 home runs which is good, but not Ordonez or A-Rod good. Considering I hardly watched baseball last year and did minimal if any reading during the off season I have to say this is pretty sweet. Now it's just a matter of the Cubbies getting into the post-season which looks pretty likely!

On The Decay

2007-09-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

Look at me. It's only Thursday and I'm already setting up my show for tomorrow!! Usually this doesn't happen until 12pm on Friday, which is a little last minute if you ask me. Anyways, for tomorrows show expect more from the likes of Picastro, Young Marble Giants, the new Aesop Rock, some Konono No. 1 and maybe a bit of the Weakerthans. I'll also be previewing the Built to Spill show by celebrating artists who tend to sport a good solid beard (any recommendations will ge greatly appreciated). Unfortunately I have yet to set up my interview with Himalayan Bear so that will have to wait until next week. In the meantime ...

Listening To ...

Picastro - Whore Luck (Polyvinyl)
I put this album in the same category as Black Moth Super Rainbow's Dandelion's Gum in that part of the beauty of the album has to do with the fact that you feel as though this is unfinished business. Rather than hammering you over the head say 'this is the kind of band we are' Picastro invites you to join with them on their journey to discover what type of band they in fact are. The songs range from the beautifully pleasant to the uncomfortably weird, and as such make the album a very exciting and intriguing listen. The Rocky Erickson and Fall covers are particularly good, as are the guest spots from ex-member Owen Pallett and Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart.

Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth (Domino)
This reissue of YMG's classic 1979 album is definitely worth the purchase. Not only do you get the bands entire recorded collection (including the wonderful Final Day Ep as well as some John Peel recordings), you also get liner notes from post-punk's greatest champion Simon Reynolds (whose book Rip it Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984 introduced me to so many great bands like YMG). If you're a fan of DIY this is a must have.

Nirvana - In Utero (DGC)
Speaking of books, I recently finished the 33:1/3's book on Nirvana's awesome 1993 album In Utero. I was a bit skeptical going into the book as I thought that I had heard the story behind the album enough times. However there were a few thins I did learn that really helped me regain interest in this aggressive and exploratory release from one of rock's more important groups.
1.) 'Rape Me' was not written as a response to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. The song is clearly about the frustrations of having to deal with media types (ie. quick jabs regarding 'inside sources'). Couple that with the fact that I always thought the band was quoting their biggest hit at the beginning of the song and I thought it was safe to assume that 'Rape Me' had to be listened to against the background of 'Teen Spirit'. Not so! The song was actually written in the spring of 91 two months prior to the release of Nevermind and the insanity that ensued.
2.) The Albini mix and the final mix aren't really that different. I've always wanted to find a version of the Albini mix to see why it was deemed 'unlistenable' by both the band and their record company. However, apart from the guitar solo on 'Heart Shape Box', and the cello and cymbol sounds on 'All Apologies' the difference between the two mixes are hardly noticeable to the untrained ear.
3.) (And most importantly) I CAN NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LISTEN TO 'MILK IT' WHILE DRIVING!!!! 'Milk It' is easily my favorite Nirvana song. The aggressive and experimental aspects of the song are unmatched in the Nirvana catalogue. That said, I can't listen to the song while driving for two reasons. First of all, using your steering wheel and your stick shift as floor toms at the same time is never a good idea. Secondly screaming 'Doll Steak, Test Meat' at the top of your lungs while another car pulls up beside you can end up being embarrassing.

Not Listening to ... (warning, only sports-related stuff follows)
1.) The awful and plain stupid headlines regarding Edmonton Oiler defencemen Sheldon Souray's current knee injury
- eg #1 - 'Hip, Hip Souray!' from The Edmonton Journal
- eg #2 - 'Better Safe than Souray' by Dan Tencer on Hockey Buzz
Come on guys, those are just lame.

Until next time...

What on Earth is Going On?

2007-09-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

I just finished talking to someone at the West End Cultural Center on the phone about the Final Fantasy show happening next month and she informed that the show was in fact sold out. I can't believe this! It's a well known fact that shows tend not to sell in advance in the peg. Case in point: Art Brut, a British band who has easily out sold Final Fantasy, and will likely never make it back to our city, played two Fridays ago at the Albert, which is a much smaller venue than the WECC. I arrived at the show around 11:20 and was able to buy a ticket right then and there. Built to Spill, one of the biggest bands in indie-rock over the past 20 years, is playing the Garrick next Wednesday and has yet to sell out either. But for some reason Owen Pallett sells out his show over a month and a half in advance!! I don't get it.

Now don't get me wrong, I've been a huge fan of Pallett's work ever since I first heard Les Mouches You're Worth More to Me that 1000 Christians back in 2004 (see my article on him for www.stylusmagazine.com here.), and find his stuff on the Arcade Fire album and the Jim Guthrie albums enjoyable. I even find his rendition of Grizzly Bear's 'Don't Ask' to be a more captivating version than the original. Not to mention that He Poos Clouds is one of my favorite albums of the last few years. How can I not love an artist that names Morrissey, Xiu Xiu and Destroyer as three of his main influences? Yet I find it hard to figure out how it got to this point. When did artists who constantly sing about such controversial themes as Pallett does (ie. always referring to his Les Mouche album as a 'hand job' or the ever so easily accepted line 'I picture myself giving head' from "Carloads of Whatever') become so widely accepted. Personally, I blame the loop pedal.

Anyways, enough of my complaining. It couldn't be happening to a better artist really, and I hope the show goes well.

Just so you know, while I'm not complaining about the Final Fantasy show, I've been arranging an interview with Himalayan Bear for !Earshot, that should be on my show sometime in the next two weeks.

Until next time ...

Today on the Decay

2007-09-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up about what's coming up on todays show.

First of all, I'm going to be previewing new releases by Jens Lekman (which pitchfork was appropriately geeking over earlier this week), the Animal Collective and new Ecstatic Peace! artists Turbo Fruits (which was a wonderful summer surprise). I'll have more on those albums early next week.

Secondly, I will be previewing the artists who appear on this years Echo Prize short list. The Echo is an award put out by SOCAN (maybe that's where all those stupid SOCAN fees go), where listeners can vote on their favorite song by a Canadian artist. The short list consists of "Scarecrow" by Nathan, "Graveyard" by Chad VanGaalen, "Dopplespeil" by Feuermusik, "Pedal Pusher" by Abdominal, and "Devastation" by The Besnard Lakes. You can vote here.

Basically I like all these artists with maybe the exception of The Besnard Lakes. I found their album (which was deemed by many to be a critical success) to be meandering yet still predictable and kind of boring. It's the second year a Winnipeg artist has made it onto the short list as Propagandhi took home the winnings last year, and this year it's Nathan's turn. I've always enjoyed Kari Latimer and find her to be one of the better songwriters to be working write now. The same could be said for VanGaalen. However, after listening to all the tracks I have to say "Dopplespeil" is TOTALLY FRICKIN' AWESOME!!! It's equally parts Ornette Coleman, Cannonball Adderley (if that's even possible) and Animal Collective. How great does that sound?

Anyways, tune in at 2pm today on umfm and you'll hear all the artists.

Until next time ...

Can't Wait For September

2007-08-31T10:27:00.000-07:00

September is easily my favorite month of the year. Not only does it consist of my birthday, it also signifies the beginning of the record industries busiest season. With September comes crap-loads of new releases that seek to hit everyones wish-list come Christmas time. Some of these new releases that I've particularly enjoyed as of late are;

M.I.A. - Kala
Everyones favorite accused terrorist follows up one of best pop records in years (2005's Arular) with another inspired collection of songs. Kala is much darker, subtle and tribal than her previous (which has resulted in some calling this a bit of a disappointment). Unlike Arular, which consisted of one awesome upbeat pop song after the next, the best moments on Kala come at its most softest. She has really slowed things down on this one and the results are quite satisfying.

Okkervil River - The Stage Names
More of a rock record than Black Sheep Boy but still a good companion to the bands last release. The last track which uses the traditional folk tune 'Sloop John B' is particularly enjoyable.

The Lonely Hunters - The Chaste are Chased
This Calgary-via-Winnipeg group has put out a charming and captivating debut record. It reeks of the bands interest in history (ie. 'Napoleon in Moscow'), English folk-tunes, and straight up pop. Keep an eye out for this band in the future.

Some unreleased stuff that I've heard already and can vouch for are;
Beirut - The Flying Club Cup (surprisingly better than last years Gulag record. I've been listening to this one on repeat for days, and still can't get enough of it)
The Weakerthans - The Reunion Tour (I can't the last time I got excited about the Weakerthans, but this new record sounds great)
Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala

I'll be playing all of these on my show today so make sure you tune in.

Summer Holidays

2007-08-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

So I haven't had much access to a computer and as a result have not been able to do much writing lately so here's a quick catch up about what I've been up to lately.

I have three music articles on the go right now. I have a larger piece on Built to Spill coming up for UMFM's Airtimes magazine (which is one of the better music papers being published in the peg, so you should check it out if you haven't already). It's going to be on the same model as the time lines that are done in the Exclaim! magazines. I also have two smaller reviews on the go for Earshot. I'm reviewing the new Girl Authority cd (which stinks. Why did I agree to review such crap?), and a new ep from a new band called Oh the Pretty Things, which is pretty decent. So keep your eyes open for those.

On sports news, thumbs up for Araimus Ramirez, the Big 'Z', Ryan Theriot and the rest of the cubbies who continue to knock on the Brewers doorstep. Thumbs WAY up for Klowe who has been the most active and most aggressive manager in all of hockey. Notice how the hockey media still wants to talk about how nobody wants to play in E-ville yet Dick Tarnstrom, Matthieu Garon, Thomas Vanek, Sheldon Sourey, and Dustin Penner have all willingly signed contracts with the team? Thumbs WAY WAY down for Brian Burke who yet again proved himself to be nothing more than the most childish manager in all of professional sports. Why should Klowe have to wait for the BC Hockey Hall of Fame before making a move? Why should he have to call Burke before signing Penner? And why is 4 mil for Penner (who scored 29 goals last season) an overpayment while 4.5 mil for two years of Bertuzzi (who scored 11 points last season) completely reasonable?

Anyways, that's my monthly sports rant. I'm going camping for a while and won't have anything up here until September (when I want to do something on the new Animal Collective, which is great, not amazing by the way). So until next time.

At the Mid-Point

2007-07-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Before I get started, I have to ask, what in the world is going on in our fair city? Two weeks ago it was the Albert that announced it was closing its doors (after 20 years), and now today I wake up and read that the Collective has been sold and is turning into a frickin' AMERICAN APPAREL!!!! How dumb is that? I understand that venues don't last forever (although I was beginning to think the Albert would), but to lose two of our best venues in the city in two weeks is ridiculous. Not to mention one is turning into a big-name chain store that masks itself as having some form of indie-cred. Anyways, sad to see both venues go, but am still excited to see what replaces them (so long as it's not the Zoo).

Anyways, it's July which is as good a time as any to do a mid-point review of the year in music thus far. All I can say is that it has been a decent year so far for music. Nothing earth-shattering has happened yet. No new movements have emerged (with the exception of maybe in metal), but this hasn't stopped familiar faces from returning with excellent releases. It's definitely looking to be a mirror image of 2005 and 2006, but here's hoping for something better to come in the second half of the year.

That said, three albums have really stuck out for me thus far. They are three albums by artists that I have enjoyed in the past, that have now created works that focus on such things as textures, repetition and seek to haunt you as you go about your daily business. In no particular order they are;

Panda Bear - Person Pitch

The best thing to come from the Paw-Tracks collective since Sung Tongs (and at times it even surpasses its predecessor). Noah Lennox is at his finest with his latest solo album, allowing for more percussion and repetition than his previous effort. From the album cover all the way down this is a very enjoyable record to experience.

Frog Eyes - Tears for the Valedictorian

If you've read my blog once you probably know just how much I love this band, so I don't think I need to say much about this one. 'Bushels' in particular is a masterpiece and possible edges out Panda Bear's 'Bros' as best song of the year so far.

The Good the Bad and the Queen - The Good the Bad and the Queen

I remember someone saying once 'with the whole Blur verses Oasis thing I always sided with Pulp.' Well with Damon Albarn's new project The Good The Bad and the Queen he kind of blows that comparison apart, creating one of the more encaptivating albums of the year. This totally caught me off guard as I've never been the hugest Blur fan. They've always been that band that I'll listen to once every few years and that should be enough. This is a much darker, more complex and more interesting Albarn than we have had in the past, as he has created a song cycle that will gently lure you in rather than pound you over the head (ala 'Song 2'). In fact, I would go so far as to say that this album is so different from Blur that the comparisons should stop at 'A new project from Blur's Damon Albarn.' Altogether a enjoyable listen that I will most definitely keep coming back to in the future.

Other albums I've enjoyed this year so far;
Himalayan Bear - Himalayan Bear Attacks the Brilliant Air
The Sea and Cake - Everybody
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum
Julie Doiron - Woke Myself Up
Sun O))) - Oracle
The Bad Plus - Prog
Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
The Focus Group - We are All Pans People
Fujiya and Miyagi - Transpent Things
Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara
Von Sudenfed - Tromatic Reflextions
San Serac - Professional

Looking forward to:
John Vanderslice - Emerald City
Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Animal Collective
Cadence Weapon

Favorite Shows:
1.) Vijay Iyer - The Exchange Arts Center

2.) Final Fantasy - Folkfest

3.) Toumani Diabate and Bela Fleck - Folkfest

4.) Dinosaur Jr. - Garrick Theater

5.) Himalayan Bear and Frog Eyes - The Collective (R.I.P.)

Calvin Johnson is a genius?

2007-06-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Well, at least that was the question I was asking myself after last nights superb yet totally ridiculous performance by the legendary indie-rocker Calvin Johnson. The guy took lo-fi to new heights as he went onstage completely unmicked, playing a classical guitar, starred at the crowd and dared them not to laugh as he began playing his 'I'm so lo-fi I make Ariel Pink look like Peter Frampton' tunes. Fortunately he became triumphant as after the first song, the crowd couldn't take it anymore and was in utter hysterics.

I've never seen anything like it. I had no expectations going into the show except for to expect the unexpected and that's exactly what Johnson did. The unexpected. In fact, it's one of those shows where someone does something so different, so obscure that you leave wondering, is the guy an idiot, or is he a genius? Really, such a question actually didn't matter as the evening was completely enjoyable.

There's a charm to Johnson that is hard to pinpoint. You start to make assumptions when you here about someone influencing Nirvana (and the whole Northwest music seen for that matter), someone who got Beck started off on his career (by releasing some of his earliest recordings), but none of those assumptions seemed fitting. This is not some burnt-out grunge guy trying to re-live 91-94. This is just a simple songwriter wanting to provide pop culture lovers something to laugh about.

Julie Doiron, who played after Johnson's set was as enjoyable as ever. She's really had to take her 'broken girl' mystique to heart as she's been forced to deal with a failed marriage, loss of custody of her children and having to find a new home in Sackville. Fortunately this has all translated into some of her best work yet. Last night's show (which also featured Shotgun and Jaybird's Dick Morello) exemplified this wonderfully.

The New Decay Does the Jazz Winnipeg Festival Part 1

2007-06-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

So the 2007 edition of the Jazz Winnipeg Festival starts this Friday and it looks to be yet again chalk-full of must see events. It could be just me, but every year the Jazz Fest becomes that much better, creeping up (and even sometimes surpassing) in quality to the other big music fest in the Peg - The Folk Fest. In fact, I would so far as to say, based on artists alone, the Jazz Fest looks to be the music event of the summer (I don't know if I've ever been able to say that before). With so much to see, so much to do, how can a music-lover not get excited about this next week and a bit?

Anyways, here's the first part of my day-by-day breakdown of the fest (with part 2 coming on Monday).

Friday:
It's kind of funny, but the first day of the fest looks to be the weakest as the Performance Series features latino phenoms Pink Martini and vocal wizards Madrigaia at the Pantages Playhouse (not my cup of tea, but many absolutely eat this stuff up). John Lee Hooker Jr. opens up the blues series at the Windsor Hotel and The Glen Buhr Band takes on the Exchange Events Centre. My pick of the day though, has to be at the New Groove Series which sees James Hunter make his was back to the peg alongside Folk Fest favorite Jackie Greene. I don't know much about Hunter, but from what I hear, this show has a lot of promise.

Saturday:
On Saturday the fest really starts to heat up as long time Winnipeg Jazzer Ron Paley plays the the late nite series alongside the likes of Sophie Milman, Jodie Borle and Cold Front. For the New Groove Series, Champion makes his return to the peg after his successful show at the West End a couple months back (not to mention his hit single 'No Heaven'). But the day belongs to the Performance Series as two of the most excited Jazz groups playing today, the Joshua Redman Trio and The Bad Plus, take on the Burton Cummings Theatre. Redman is possibly the most important Saxophonist to break out in the last ten years. He's played with indie superstars Pat Metheny and Chick Corea, and he's successfully re-imagined what Bop can really sound like. The Bad Plus, on the other hand, are coming back to the Jazz Fest riding on the wave of the hype generated from their last performance at the festival as well as the praise for their latest album 'Prog' (which just so happens to be one of my current favorite albums). If the $35 ticket price seems a bit too steep (and even if it doesn't), then you should head on over to the U of M at 3:00pm for the Bad Plus' jazz lab series where they will lead a discussion on what exactly Jazz music is, how it has failed to live up to that standard, and what place it could have within the larger narrative of pop music.

Sunday:
I'm taking a sabbatical on this day, just to ensure my sanity later on in the week. But not because there isn't anything good to see. Sunday sees what is generally considered to be the headliners of the festival come to the Burton Cummings Theatre as Herbie Hancock performs alongside the Kenny Garret quartet. What can I say about Hancock that hasn't already been said. When your resume includes being a long time pianist for Miles Davis (recording on my two favorite albums of Davis' no less, Seven Steps to Heaven, and Bitches Brew), writing one of the most beautiful jazz standards ever with 'Maiden Voyage' as well as being a pioneer in electronic music with Headhunters, I think the title 'Jazz Legend' is more than worthy.

Monday:
Monday's key performance is at the New Groove Series yet again as Edmonton hip-hop extraordinaire Cadence Weapon plays the Pyramid along with Grand Analog and DJ Weezil. I've talked alot about CW on this blog, but have yet to get a chance to see him perform live. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about this one.

Tuesday:
This is one of those days where you wished you could be at two places at once. The Hylozoists perform at the Pyramid along with Winnipeg's All of Your Friends. The Hylos have a strong reputation for being an amazing live band, and if their live show is anything like their debut album, La Fin Du Monde, I wouldn't be surprised. Unfortunately I'll have to wait to find out, as I'm spending the evening at the Exchange Events Centre as the Village Voice hyped Vijay Iyer performs with his quartet. When the Village Voice declares you as 'The most commanding pianist and composer to emerge in recent years" you can't take that lightly.

Studs and Duds

2007-06-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hey all, here's my latest edition of the article-formerly-known-as "Buy and Don't Buy" now currently known as the less blatantly market-oriented "Studs and Duds." Although, it would be more accurate to name it "I spend my lunch hour alone and bored in my office". Complete with cover art this time!

STUDS...

San Serac - Professional (Frog Man Jake)

A Massachusetts based synth-pop artist obsessed with Bowie, Talking Heads, The Human League and Nihilism. What's not to like? Professional is the first collaboration between San Serac and former Junior Boy Johnny Dark, and the results are incredibly pleasing. I've always found Dark to be one of the best producers working right now (my only complaint about the last Jr. Boys album was that it lacked the awesome beats Dark contributed to Last Exit). But he's also the type of artist that needs to be working with someone with more pop sensibilities than himself. He had this with Jeremy Greenspan when he was part of Junior Boys, and he has it again with San Serac. "Fairlight" in particular should be the summer hit of the year. But of course that won't happen, what with "Lip Gloss" tearing up the charts.

Von Sudenfed - Tromatic Reflexxions (Domino)

The First collaboration between the Fall's Mark E. Smith and Mouse on Mars, and it's quite the success. While it doesn't come near the brilliance of previous Fall albums (such as Grotesque, Hex Enduction Hour or This Nation's Saving Grace), it is most definitely an improvement on their latest album. It seems too natural that Mark E. Smith would put out an electronic album. The similarities between groups like Devo, The Fall, the Slits and electronic groups like Mouse on Mars, Burial, Kode 9, and Junior Boys are far to great to ignore anymore. This album does just that, bringing together an iconic post-punk figure with electronic elite. The results are truly satisfying.

Delta 5 -Singles & Sessions 1979-81 (Kill Rock Stars)

This came out two years ago, but I haven't had an opportunity to really look into it until recently. It's the first full-length release by the legendary Leeds-based band (can you be legendary when people remember you only after you re-release your old 7 inch's). This is for fans of Gang of Four and Mekons as it is a great celebration of what was one of the better music scenes of the last few decades (namely the Leeds University Art School). It's the birth of Art-Rock and it's pleasing to go back to time and time again.

DUDS...

Battles - Mirrored

Just one dud this week (although I could lump the new Fantastic Four Movie in hereas well), and it's one I've already talked about before. I've given this album all I've got and I just can't get behind it. Considering it's being marketed as a "Post-Rock" album, a genre that has given us far too much great stuff to be thrown around so lightly (a.k.a. Tortoise, Slint, Chicago Underground Duo etc ...), I can't see this as anything but a failure. To quote the music writer Woebot 'Post-Rock was about deconstructing rock music, not playing prog'. From the Album cover all the way down, it appears Battles have unfortunately missed this point altogether.

Thurston Moore for Prez!

2007-06-14T11:08:00.001-07:00

After I finished jumping around for joy over the signing of Mike Keenan by the Flames (as an Oiler fan how can I not be excited about the Flames hiring a coach who hasn't won a playoff series in 11 years, is generally considered the worst coach to play under, and will surely mean the demise of Hueselius and Lombardi?), I sat down and read this article by Nitsuh Abede for Pitchfork on Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. While I've always been more of a fan on SY's albums Evol and Goo, it did cause me to ask the question, has there been a more important band in the last 25 years than Sonic Youth? Looking at their past I'm hard pressed to think of a more significant foursome than Thurston, Lee, Steve and Kim.
Here's why;

1.) They began in the early 80s as central figures of the No Wave movement in New York, a movement that is to this day still having a significant impact on much of the American underground (ie. Wolf Eyes, Black Dice, Animal Collective etc...). When the No Wave movement started to lose some of its steam they inserted a good dose of Psychedelia that enabled more artists to once again get on board with the original No Wave ethos (such as Swans).

2.) 1986-1990 - With post-punk and new pop coming to a startling halt with the emergence of Madonna and the rise of commercial pop, Sonic Youth respond by creating four albums (EVoL, Sister, Daydream Nation, Goo), that completely transform what guitar-based rock music might sound like. Later, this 'new sound' starts getting referred to as 'Grunge' and ends up influencing pretty much EVERY guitar-based group for the next 20 years (possible a bit of an overstatement, but not much of one). Two of those albums (Daydream Nation and Goo) are to this day considered indie-rock gems.

3.) In 1989 they played a huge part in the re-emergence of Neil Young (especially for younger people who didn't grow up with Young's 70s repertoire), by touring with him and dubbing him 'the Godfather of Grunge'.

4.) Then in 1991 along with Dinosaur Jr. and an unknown young band called Nirvana, Sonic Youth creates the movie 1991: The Year Punk Broke which instituted 90s alternative rock (the film also features the only filmed live performance of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'). A few months later, riding on the wave of success of the film, Nirvana releases Nevermind and the rest is history.

5.) 1991-2006 - Sonic Youth become the poster-band for what a group can look like going into the mainstream completely on their own terms, as the band signs a long-term contract with Geffen that allows them full creative control as well as the freedom to record on their own labels (which resulted in the creation of Ecstatic Peace! as well as the SYR series). This was also the period which saw them receive the most success in their career with the releases Dirty, Experimental Jet Set Trash and No Star, and Washing Machine. It was also during this period that they were able to reclaim their place as indie-royalty with their AWESOME releases NYC Ghosts and Flowers, Murray Street, Sonic Nurse and last years Rather Ripped.

6.) 2001 - While recording Murray Street on September 11th, an engine from one of the planes of that crashed into the World Trade Towers crashes into the wall of their recording studio. This of course leads to numerous attempts by the media to paint Sonic Youth as a story of triumph over tyranny. Sonic Youth has none of it, writing the song 'Peace Attack' criticising the War on Terror, and become one of the more vocal opponents of George Bush's administration, again leading to another resurgence of their popularity.

7.) Present - While closing in on their 50s, Sonic Youth still have the energy to pump out at least one album a year, touring constantly (and well enough to still be considered one of the best live acts to see) while still having time to be parents, husbands and wives.

And maybe to a lesser degree...

8.) August 1995 - Little Jeff Friesen sees a cool video by some group called Sonic Youth (the song was called 'Bull in the Heather'), which shows a women (Kim Gordon) riding a skateboard. Jeff gets excited because he also rides a skateboard, goes out and buys the album, gets super excited about it and shows it to his mom. His mom cries, but Jeff is introduced to a whole new era of music.

Empty Tigers or the Roaring Sea, What are We?

2007-06-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to do this on Mondays, but it's been a busy week thus far and this is the first chance I've had to write something for the New Decay. So anyways here's this weeks 'Into, and Not So Into,' which is predominantly focused on Victoria's Himalayan Bear, who I just can't get enough of lately.

INTO ...

Himalayan Bear - La Lonesome Island (2006) and ... Attacks the brilliant air (2007
After the Frog Eyes and Himalayan Bear show last week, my wife Jess turned to me in response to my excitement over how much I enjoyed Himalayan Bear and said 'see Jeff! This is why you shouldn't read so much about music. So you can be surprised by someone!' Although she probably wouldn't have used so many exclamation marks, what she said does have some validity. There's something about being caught off guard by an artist that makes music that much more enjoyable.

La Lonesome Island came out last summer, and is exactly that. A summer record. Not in the 'it's full of summer hits' kind of way. More because of the feel of the album. The songs are generally short (for Himalayan Bear's standard), and consist primarily of acoustic guitar, some slide, a ukulele here and there, and the occasional splash of drums and keyboards. Lyrically it is a fairly dark album, but sonically it's so sunny. You get the sense that the album was written as Himalayan Bear was relaxing at the beach in Oak Bay. While it does have its weak moments, it also has its breathtaking ones as well ('I'm On Sorrow' in particular). Overall, La Lonesome Island is an extremely good first record

Himalayan Bear ... Attacks the Brilliant Air extends HB's songs and allows them to percolate a bit more, resulting in a much more sophisticated and mature sound than that found on La Lonesome Island. A good conversation partner of HB would be San Fran's Devendra Banhart. Both have a fascination with creating imagery through lyrics (rather than merely telling stories), both focus on the guitar in their songwriting, and both are influenced by British Folk music (arising out of Devendra's obsession with Vashti Bunyan, and HB's growing up in Victoria, a city alive with British overtones). However, Attacks the Brilliant Air illustrates some significant differences between the two. Basically, Banhart lacks the subtlety so prevalent in HB's new album, and thus at times comes across as trying a bit too hard. Banhart wants to pound his faux-hippy mystique over your head. HB would rather just allow yourself to make that decision. Banharts songs often extend into jam-out sessions that lately haven't been working. HB also extends his songs, but allows them to sit for a while and develop on their own. It's a captivating way of songwriting that keeps me wanting more (even after a song moves beyond the 9 min mark). In short, Himalayan Bear is probably my favorite discovery of the year thus far.

The Bad Plus - Prog (2007)
This jazz trio is opening up for Joshua Redman at Winnipeg's upcoming jazz fest. If their live show resembles anything close to this album, the $35 ticket price will be well worth it. Their jazz version of Bowies 'Life on Mars' gives me goosebumps every time (in fact, I had to pause that last sentence because I couldn't handle listening to the track and writing about it at the same time). Same with Rush's 'Tom Sawyer.'

Adem - Love and Other Planets (2006)
I didn't get too into this album until recently. It's a wonderful mix of Brit/Pysch-folk, and pop-folk, with the appropriate amount of electronics thrown in. 'Launched Away' is particularly sweet.

Not So Into
It's been a good couple of weeks. Probably the only musical disappointment was Awesome Colors set last Monday. Other than that the only other things I can harp on are the Sens, Chris Pronger and the huge number of worms stuck on my front door.

Himalayan Bear Attacks the Air ... Frog Eyes Goes After the Valedictorian

2007-05-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

After watching the Sens suffer another frustrating loss against the dreaded Ducks (how can anyone cheer for a team named after a kids movie, and that promises to bring the cup down to Disneyland?), I headed over to the Collective to witness the onslaught of yet another Frog Eyes show.

In case you didn't already know this, I LOVE Frog Eyes. There's something about Carey Mercer that's so intriguing, but I can never really figure out what that exactly is. I had also heard good things about opening act Himalayan Bear, so needless to say I was somewhat pumped for the show.

It started with Winnipeg's All of Your Friends, who played an underwhelming set. They're a band full of promise, but they just aren't quite there yet (not to harp on a local at, but that's just my opinion). However, Himalayan Bear followed, and absolutely destroyed the place, with his quiet, swooning songs. He was absolutely awesome. His guitar, his vocals, his lyrics were all stunning. A wonderfull mix of fragile sounds that rest gently on the strength of the songwriters words. I can't remember the last time I was this shocked by a new act. I picked up the album, and have only listened to it once, so I can't really say much yet, but on first listen I am EXTREMELY impressed. It's kind of likeDevendra Banhart but more interesting and less 'look at me I'm a hippy! You should be impressed.'

Then came Frog Eyes, with Himalayan Bear adding some guitar to fill in for the absent Spencer Krug. The songs on Valedictorian are the most intricate songs they've put together thus far in their career, which translated well into the live setting. As much as I enjoy their records, there's something about seeing this band live that just adds to their music. Carey Mercer sings as though these lyrics have been living stagnant in his body for 26 years just waiting for this one opportunity to burst out in a fury. It's really something to witness. He's one of Canada's most exciting artists, and last nights show illustrated this yet again.

Basically, it was all that I had wanted and more. Himalayan Bear lulled us to a pleasant sleep, and then Frog Eyes rudely woke us up. They really worked well together, and I hope they come back again.

Facebook, camping, work, and All Star Baseball 99 are taking over my blogging life!

2007-05-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

So it seems like ages since I've gazed upon that orange-encapsulated 'B' and written something on here. For those of you who wait in eager anticipation of what I've got to say next (of which I'm sure there are many) I apologize. As the title suggests I've spent way too much time on Facebook, and playing N64's 'Allstar Baseball 99' lately to do much writing on music (plus work's been crazy and it's camping season!). Anyways here's what I've been listening to, and what I've been disappointed with lately.

Into...
Frog Eyes - Tears for the Valedictorian (Scratch/Absolutely Kosher)
Instead of saying much about this album, I'll point you to Carl Wilson's review for Pitchfork. Wilson has this knack of always saying what I'm wanting to say, but better. Like he says, this is the best Frog Eyes album yet (which is saying something), although I reserve the right to reclaim 'The Golden River" at a later date. 'Bushels' is possibly the best song I've heard in years!

Sunn O))) - Oracle (Southern Lord)
This tour-only Ep (which clocks in at 1 hour 21 mins), is an excellent companion to 2005's disturbing "Black One". Oracle is a captivating listen as it develops it's 'metalness' without resorting to typical metalisms, opting for the haunting aspects of found sounds (including birds, jack-hammers etc...) rather than distorted guitar. In fact, it's only after 20 mins that we get our first glimpse of anything that closely resembles metal guitar work. With Oracle, Sunn O))) yet again serve as a haunting reminder that something must be going wrong in our society for something so haunting to sound so contemporary.

David Bowie - Low (From 1977, RCA)
My show on Friday focused around the life and death of Ian Curtis from Joy Division. As I was putting the show together I was caught off guard at how indebted JD was to Bowie, and in particular the B-side to his wonderful introduction to the Berlin-trilogy Low. This is as dark, and disturbed as Bowie gets. It also happens to be the most complex sonically (thanks to Brian Eno's production), Bowie has yet to be. Many consider this to be his triumph, and I have to say that I'm starting to agree.

The National - The Boxer (Beggars Banquet)
Let the great triumph begin! Oh wait, aren't The National supposed to be all about moral victories correlating with failure? How can a band so focused on their own inadequacies sound so triumphant at the same time? This album has all the fixings to take The National into the mainstream with boatloads of success. The only thing that may be stopping them is themselves.

Not so into...
Battles - Mirrors
I really wanted to like this album, but so far have not been able to get behind it one bit. It's just too much for my liking. There's no subtlety, nothing left open ended. Everything just pounds you over the head, from the huge drums sounds all the way to the staccato guitar. In fact, I had to interrupt my first time through the album by listening to Sunn O))) just to allow my ears to take a breath for a while. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if, a few months down the road, I finally am able realise what it is I'm apparently missing with this album.

Spiderman 3
Okay, so this isn't really music at all, but I have to say that this movie is the biggest disappointment of the year so far. I truly enjoyed the first two Spiderman movies. I found them both to capture the essence of the comic books extremely well (Spiderman 2 in particular). They were funny at the right moments, they were ridiculously cheesy at the right moments, and they were romantic at the right moments.

I can't say the same with Spiderman 3 primarily because it feels at once WAY too full and yet extremely empty. Spiderman has to deal with so much throughout the movie (the four villains - himself, the young Green Goblin, the Sandman, and two incarnations of Venom, plus his dwindleing carreer, fame and a iffy relationship with Mary Jane), that the movie isn't provided with the space necessary to truly unpack all that Spiderman is going through. The end result is that you just don't care ... well at least I didn't.

Interestingly enough, whereas in the previous two movies the weakpoints were located primarily in the acting, with Spiderman 3, the acting is its greatest selling point. Kirsten Dunst does a good job capturing the life of a superheroes girlfriend, Tobey Maguire is awesome as an Emo-kid, and Topher Grace makes Venom as enjoyable as he can be. Unfortunately, Raimi's writing and directing are so poor they overshadow all of this excellent work.

That said, the movie is still entertaining and at times, it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Sadly, its shortcomings are so great that entertaining just isn't quite enough this time.

Reviews, Hockey Picks and More!

2007-04-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while since I've talked music. Well have no fear! I'm currently working on three reviews (Frog Eyes, The Dirty Pennies and Wendy Atkinson) that should be coming up here soon (The Dirty Pennies and Wendy Atkinson ones will also go up on Earshot!'s website).

But until then, here are my round 2 predicitons;

Buffalo Sabers vs NYR = Rangers in 7. This will be the real shocker of the playoffs. The Rangers just looked too good last round not to think they can pull this one off.

Ottawa Sens vs. NJ Devils = Ottawa in 5. I'm still not convinced the Devils have the scoring necessary to go deep into the playoffs. Emery's playing better than ever and that means a quick series for the Sens.

Detroit Red Wings vs. SJ Sharks = Sharks in 6. The Sharks seem to finally be playing up to their potential while the Red Wings walked all over the Flames. The difference in this one will be goal score of which the Sharks have the edge.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Vancouver Canucks = Ducks in 4. Not great for my pool, but unlike the Stars, the Ducks actually have offence. This is going to look awfully similar to the Red Wings/Flames series but even more lopsided in the Ducks favor. You have to score to win hockey games and other than the Sedin twins (who will likely crumble at the sight of the Ducks team by the end of the series), who else can for the Canucks?

Glen Healy is a Turd!

2007-04-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

Few people get me up in arms more than TSN hockey 'expert' Glen Healy. The guy was a lousy goalie and he's an even more awful commentator. He's also a complete idiot. How someone that has such little knowledge of hockey outside Toronto, someone who clearly still holds resentment towards the Flames and Oilers for lighting him up constantly when he was a goalie, gets so much national air time is beyond me. Even his coworkers Dreger and Mackenzie seem to think he's got no credibility (it's so much fun to watch the NHL on TSN just to see those two clearly taking pot-shots at Healy, without him even catching on).

Anyways all of this is to say you should check this out. TSN, realising how trivial sports predictions are, have brought back Maggie the Monkey. Yes folks, instead of having another 'expert' come out and make there 'bold' predictions (usually going with the favorites, and then choosing one upset in a vain attempt to look unpredictable), TSN brings back their loveable monkey who chooses teams based on a simple spin of the wheel. Last year she beat all of her peers by predicting the Oilers to make it to the finals. I love it when organizations are able to make fun of themselves and this seems to be the case here.

What is most enjoyable about this is that if you look at their 'expert panel' it includes Maggie alongside the rest of the TSN hockey 'experts' with the exception of Healy! Yes, Healy has been replaced by a FRICKIN' MONKEY!

Playoff Pool 2007 Edition

2007-04-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

Ah springtime! For most it's the season of finally being able to be outdoors, playing frisbee going for walks, biking, you know, all that boring stuff. Well for myself, springtime means spending hour after hour indoors watching playoff hockey. While the Oilers are not in it this year (nor are the Leafs who I get almost as much pleasure cheering against), I'm still catching the playoff fever.

Looking at the first round matchups I'd expect them to go something like this
Buffalo Sabers vs NY Islanders - Buffalo in 5. Ryan Miller gets a game misconduct after he goes all Hextal on Ryan Smyth
NJ Devils vs TB Lightning - Tampa Bay in 7. Firing your coach one week before the playoffs can't work twice can it?
Atlanta Thrashers vs NY Rangers - Atlanta in 6. The Thrashers have to be one of the most underated teams in the league, and the Rangers have a history of choking in the playoffs.
Ottawa Sens vs Pitts Penguins - Ottawa in 7. Why the two best teams in the second half of the season have to play each other in the first round is beyond me. That said, at this point in their careers Heatley, Spezza, Alfredsson, Redden, Volchencov (Sp?) together trump Crosby, Malkin, Recchi, Gonchar, Whitney and Fleury
Detroit Redwings vs Calgary Flames - Detroit in 5. Sure the Red Wings have choked in the first round recently, but the additions of Hasek and Calder (and Bertuzzi?), coupled with a healthy Zetterberg, and a motivated Datsyuk will be too much for the Flames to handle.
Anaheim Ducks vs Minnesota Wild - Anaheim in 6. This one comes down to who can win the battle between Pronger and Gaborik. Looking back to what Pronger did last year for the Oil I have to give the edge to him.
Vancouver Canucks vs Dallas Stars - Vancouver in 5. I'm sorry but Marty Turco has yet to prove himself as anything short of awful in the playoffs. The Stars will win one in overtime but simply because Matt Cooke takes a stupid diving penalty which results in the only goal in a 1-0 win.
Nashville Preds vs SJ Sharks - Whoever scores in overtime in game 7. This is probably the closest series this round. A hot Sharks team verses a rediculously deep Nashville team. San Jose one it last year, but the Preds adding Forsberg and Arnott, two proven playoff players, means that this series goes the distance.

To celebrate the playoffs 10 of us got together and made teams for a playoff pool. I was unfortunate to be in the worst position, drafting right in the middle of the pack. Buffalo was basically out of the picture, by the time I was picking which is too bad (go Isles!) and Steve beat me to Lecavalier and St. Louis. Anyways, if Nashville, Atlanta, Anaheim or Ottawa do well, I could do well. So here's my team;

1.Chris Pronger - Ana - Defence
2. Jason Spezza - Ott - Center
3. Scott Niedermeyer - Ana - Defence
4. Ilya Kovalchuck - Atl - LW
5. Chris Kunitz - Ana -LW
6. Mike Fisher - Ott - Center
7. Martin Erat - Nsh - LW
8. Kimmo Timmonen - Nsh - Defence
9. Alexie Zhitnik - Atl - Defence
10. Shea Webber - Nsh - Defence

So lots of defence. That kind of just happened by accident, but I'm not too worried about that. Pronger is who won it all for me last year. Plus I have his linemate in Niedermeyer, and linemates Webber and Timmonen, which will hopefully result in multiple points on goals. Kunitz will get some points off of Selanne, Spezza's one of the best centers in the game, Kovalchuk and Fisher get to beat up on the Rangers and the Pens questionable defence and Erat is coming off a career season, playing alongside Arnott. Again, I wish I had some Sabers but I'm still happy with my team.

Buy Buy Buy! ... and Don't Buy!

2007-04-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I feel like I should come up with a new title for this (when does something stop becoming ironic?). But anyways, here's the second edition of Buy Buy Buy! ... and Don't Buy!

New(ish) Buys!
Bill Callahan - Woke up on a Whaleheart (Drag City, out April 17th)
Surprise! Ex-(Smog)er Callahan comes up with another awesome album. Whaleheart comes loaded with soul thant most songwriters only dream of developing. Callahan has always had a skill at making the most mundane seem the most fascinating. Who else could write a song as captivating as 'Sycamore'? Although this album does hold up that well to previous albums like Knock Knock or 2005's A River Ain't Too Much to Love, it's still really solid start to finish.

Joanna Newsom - Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band (Drag City)
How can I not follow up Callahan with his partner in crime Newsom? Anyways, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Ys was a BIT of a dissapointment for me. I emphasis 'bit' because I still love the album, but miss the intimacy that made The Milk Eyed Member one of my favorite albums of the last ten years. Once I got over the 'holy crap it's Van Dyck Parks!' phase, I found the orchestration on the album (as beautiful as it was) to actually separate Newsom from the listener a bit. Listening to 'Emily' made me long for 'Sprout and the Bean.' This is what makes this Ep of stripped down versions of old songs (including a great version of 'Cosmia') so refreshing. Here is a more exposed, more vulnerable Newsom than we're ever allowed to get on Ys.

Kode 9 and the Spaceape - Memories of the Future (Hyperdub)
This album actually came out last year, but I didn't get a chance to really listen to it until recently. I can't get enough of this dubstep stuff, and Kode 9, along with Burial, seem to be the cream of the crop. This is the type of album that continues to haunt you as you go about your day. It paints such a clear and disturbing picture of south London as a ghost town that you can't help but go out and see Winnipeg in a similar light.

Old Buys
Fairport Convention - Unhalfbrick (Carthage, 1969)
This is the epitome of what a transitional album should look like. You get glimpses of the British-folk music the band was going to develop more fully on their next album Leige & Lief in midst of the American folk-rock the band was known for up to this point. Highlights include the awesome opener 'Genesis Hall', 'A Sailor's Life' and the French version of Dylan's 'If You've Gotta Go, Go Now' (here entitled 'Si Tu Dois Partir). Plus the album sports one the best from covers out there (see above). Unfortunately this new sound was short-lived as part of the band was killed in a car crash soon after the album was released.

Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth (Rough Trade, 1979)
Released during a time where it seemed everyone wanted to add as much to their music as possible, Young Marble Giants go the opposite route putting together an amazing collection of songs focusing on the vocals of Alison Statton and the minimal instrumentation of the Moxham Brothers. While the original album is perfect on its own, the re-release with the edition of the the Final Day ep ('Final Day' is one of the most beautiful songs you'll ever hear), only enhances the albums greatness.

Sonic Youth - Experiemental Jet Set Trash and No Star (Geffin, 1994)
Often considered to be one of their biggest dissapointments, this album with always sit well with me as it was the first Sonic Youth album I ever bought. I picked up when I was in grade 8, played it for my mom thinking she would be excited that I found something I thought was so interesting. Instead she started crying thinking 'what's gone wrong with my son?' Considering how long this album has sat with me, whenever I pull it out for a listen (which really is only once every couple of years), I can't help but get all nostalgic.

Don't Buy
The Fall - Reformation - Post TLC (Narnack, 2007)
This happens every few albums by the Fall. When an artist insists on having a new band for every album, sometimes it just doesn't gel properly. The album is lazy, unfocused and meandering. Sometimes those qualities actually work out (and it has in the past for the Fall), but here it is a dissapointment.

A Few Notes

2007-04-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

Last night I finally went to a show at the new venue above Ragpickers. The place was great! It's very 'house-concertesque' in that the whole place could fit in your living room, and comes equipped with foam pads to sit on so the hardwood floor doesn't kill your ass, that double as leggo pieces. It probably helped that Ottawa's The Acorn were performing who were stunning. You could tell by the way they were playing that the venue was working for them. Besides getting kicked in the face by some french dude from All Your Friends (he later apologized saying 'I'm sorry man, I was in the moment you know?' to which I replied 'I'll give you a moment!' ... well, I didn't really say that but wouldn't it have been awesome?), I'd say the evening was quite splendid.

Tonight I'm heading over to the pyramid (yuck!) to check out the Ladyhawk/Jon-Rae/Constantines (awesome!) show. All three bands kick ass live so it should be a good time as well. If you're not already planning on going you should. Get over your disdain for the Pyramid and enjoy the show. I should have a write up on that tomorrow.

Thursday night after taking communion, I'll be heading over to umfm to join Kevin Scott on his show The Electric Tongue. I've always enjoyed both of Kevin's shows (The Electric Muse is one of the better English Folk music shows you'll ever hear), and am looking forward to doing a show with him. He said make it eclectic so I'm thinking have a metal/noise/dubstep set (Sun O))), Wolf Eyes, Kode 9 and Burial) followed by a female singer songwriter set (Juana Molina, Christine Fellows, Espers, Kate Bush) but don't know where to take it from there. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Until next time...

Ah the Boys of Summer

2007-04-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

So since my hockey predictions were so acurate, and because I'm making a serious effort to get into Baseball (especially the cubs), I thought I would make some MLB predictions for you all.

* indicates wild card winner
AL EAST
1.) Yankees (I hate the Yankees, but I have to admit their team looks unbeatble again this year)
2.) Blue Jays (are edged out by the Tigers for the wild card spot)
3.) Red Sox
4.) Devil Rays

AL CENTRAL (Will be the toughest division)
1.) Indians
2.) Tigers*
3.) Twins
4.) White Sox
5.) Royals

AL WEST
1.)Angels
2.)Athletics
3.)Mariners
4.) Rangers

AL MVP - Vladi Guerrero

NL EAST
1.) Mets
2.) Phillies
3.) Braves
4.) Marlins
5.) Nationals

NL CENTRAL
1.) Cubs
2.) Cardinals* (loses top spot in the divsion in the final week of play butstill gets wild card)
3.) Brewers
4.) Astros
5.) Reds
6.) Pirates

NL EAST
1.) Diamondbacks (Stuns everyone and beats out the Dodgers)
2.) Dodgers
3.) Padres
4.) Rockies
5.) Giants

MVP - Ryan Howard
CY Young - Carlos Zambrano (I can dream can't I?)

Praise and Worship Music Done Right

2007-03-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday see one of my favorite live acts, Jon Rae and the River, coming into town with two other great live bands, The Constantines and Kelowna's Ladyhawk.

Jon Rae's music is a wonderful mix of praise and worship music and Nirvana, and is the kind of music that is meant to be seen in a live setting. I saw him in the fall at Times Change and it was awesome. He could have had the entrie audience in hysterics for all I cared, I was just simply fixated on the bands presence. They all get into the music in such a way that makes you think they're as surprised by how great it is as you are. And he's a former E-Town by like myself (well, kind of. He's actually from Sherwood Park, which touches Edmonton, but has terrible air pollution problems.). Again, that's this Tuesday at the Pyramid. Also, I will be playing a bunch of tracks from his last two albums on my show tomorrow (@ 2pm, umfm 101.5), so you can check that out if you want.

More readings here and here

Buy Buy Buy! ... and Don't Buy!

2007-03-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

To do my part in the corporatization of music (and because I always have Mondays off and am looking for things to do), I am going to start a segment entitle "Buy Buy Buy! ... and Don'tBuy!", where I write about a few of the albums that I've been listening to lately and give my recomendations. I know it's a bit on the 'blog-as-personal-journal' side of things, but frankly I don't really care. Anyways;

New Buys!
Panda Bear - Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
I already wrote a brief thing on this already, but this album is quickly becoming my
favorite record of the year (possibly even my favorite Animal Collective related album,
although Sung Tongs still reigns in this regard).

Low - Drums and Guns (Sub Pop)
I have been less than impressed with recent Sub Pop releases as of late (ie. the Shins),
but have been pleasantly surprised with this new album from everyones favorite
Mormons. Drums and Guns is the perfect mix of what made Secret Name and Things
We've Lost in the Fire so great, but adds a lyrical and exploratory quality to their sound
that is very haunting.

Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara (Nettwerk)
Check them out tomorrow at the West End

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (DFA)
Fujiya and Miyagi - Transparent Things (Tirk)

Old Buys!
Dave Holland - Conference of the Birds (ECM, from 1971)
One of Jazz's finest bass players at his best working alongside the great Anthony
Braxton, pretending to be a bunch of birds. What's not to love?

Alice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidanda (Impulse!, from 1970)
Thanks Jared!

The Raincoats - The Raincoats (DGC, from 1980)
One of my favorite female post-punk bands. Anybody that is cited as a major influence
on Sleater-Kinney, Sonic Youth, Bikini Kill, and toured with Nirvana on a reunion tour
is worth multiple listens. Plus their rendition of the Kink's 'Lola' is priceless.

The Smiths - S/T (Rough Trade, from 1984)
The Fall - Grotesque (Essential, from 1980)
Sunn O))) - Black One (Southern Lord, from 2005)

Don't Buys!
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (Sony)
Okay, I haven't even heard the whole album yet, but given the fact that I've not even
paid attention to the latest release of what used to be my favorite band (even with the
awesome addition of Johnny Marr) says something. When did Modest Mouse get so
boring?

Panda Panda Panda Panda Panda Panda Panda Panda Panda

2007-03-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

Don't you love repetition? Panda Bear surely does as is evident on his AWESOME new album Person Pitch. The Animal Collective percussionist works with/screw around with repetition in such a way on the album that it seems as though 12 mins passes by like two. Seriously though, this album is a huge pleasant surprise as I have been less than impressed with Panda Bears previous solo endeavors. The album sits with you days on end as you notice yourself singing tunes from it time and time again. In short Person Pitch = really really reallyre eallyr eallyrea llyreal lyreally good.

All of this is to say $10 says he gets added to Pitchfork fests line up as they recently gave him a 9.4. Considering the Arcade Fire got a 9.6 for Funeral (and look what happened to them after that), if I was Panda Bear I would be worried.

Also, if your free tonight come check out my band at the Cavern in Osbourne. It should be a gay ol' time

Live! Live! Live!

2007-03-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

Pitchfork announced yesterday that, as part of their upcoming festival they are adding a third day which will feature 'important bands playing there most important albums.' Even though an announcement such as this can only really dissapoint, it does pose an interesting question to think about. What albums would you give deem worthy of live treatment 25+ later? Out of boredom I've compiled my own list. For the most part it's somewhat predictable, but still enjoyable to think about. Some albums that I totally adore wouldn't necessarily translate well into the live setting (ie. The Queen is Dead, Entertainment!*, Loveless, Bowie's Low, etc ...), while other albums would maybe even sound better live. Anyways, enjoy, and feel free to add your own! (for what it's worth, I've put a * by the albums I bet are going to be performed at Pitchfork)

Velvet Underground - White Light, White Heat
Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
Talking Heads - Fear of Music
- Remain in Light
The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour
B 52's - S/T
Devo - Are We Not Men? We are Devo!
Pere Ubu - Dub Housing
- The Modern Dance
PiL - Metal Box
Wire - Chairs Missing
The Raincoats - S/T
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Dave Holland Quartet - Conference of Birds
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come
-The Complete Science Fiction Sessions
Miles Davis - Seven Steps to Heaven
John Coltrane - Ascension
Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians
Neil Young - Tonights the Night
Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan
- Highway 61 Revisited
Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Sings Newman
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On?
Serge Gainsbourg - Comic Strip
Brownie McGhee - Traditional Blues Sung By Brownie McGhee
Sonic Youth - Evol
- Daydream Nation *
- Goo
Dinosaur Jr - You're Living All Over Me*
Pixies - Doolittle* (Doesn't everyone in their right mind want to see this one live?)

If I were to have to limit this list to three I would have to go with The B 52's, Dave Holland, and Sonic Youth's Evol. For some reason, the idea of going to an album based concert where everyone dresses up like their favorite song on that album and has a wild dance party, sounds so appealling. This only intesifies if it's the B 52's self-titled album. Who wouldn't want to dress up like some alien named after the planet she came from (Planet Claire), a Lobster (Rock Lobster), some volcanoe (Lava) or a screwed up telephone number (6060-842)?

I saw Dave Holland live five years ago and it's still one of my best live music experiences. The guy can play the crap out of his bass. His album Conference of Birds, from the early 70s, is easily his best, and would be absolutely stunning to see performed live. The whole thing sounds like one long trip to a bird sanctuary!

I don't think I need to say much about Evol. It's one of the U.S' finest bands at their most impressive moment. From start to finish Evol is Sonic Youth's most interesting release, as they leave tons of room for improvisation to occur. Room that is noticeably missing in albums like Dirty, Experiemental Jet Set Trash and No Star, or even last years Rather Ripped (which I still really enjoyed). And room that would allow for even more experiementation in a live setting

Anyways, that's enough for now. I'll be back tomorrow with a review of Low's new album Drums and Guns, which is surprisingly good.

Let the Insanity Begin!

2007-03-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

Looks like this is going to be another big year for Canadian music. The Arcade Fire released Neon Bible earlier this week, The Great Lake Swimmers are coming out with a new one that is something else, Cadence Weapon has an album coming out for Epitaph, and Final Fantasy is currently working with Beirut.

Of these the Frog Eyes Tears for the Valedictorian looks to be the creme of the crop. It's set to hit the stores early in May and should push the band into new realms of noteriety. In fact, bloggers are starting to get excited about the thing already, as the track 'Bushels' has already be previewed on Said the Gramophone and is being played now on Paper Thin Walls.

Having heard the album already I feel I can say that the album is really great, and of the new tracks 'Bushels' is the one that stands out. I'll be writing more about this as the release date gets closer, but in the meantime head over to Paper thin Walls and check it out for yourself.

Jazz on the Decay

2007-03-01T11:26:00.000-08:00

Wadada Leo Smith and Anthony Braxton

A friend of mine who really displays terrible smells (I can bash him all I want because he's given up using his laptop for lent. Hows that going for you Brent?), told me that I was a bit off on my critique of the new Bloc Party album in that I really shouldn't be critical of groups for not living up to the genre they're trying to fit in. While I don't necessarily agree (bands who want to call themselves post-punk need to take into consideration Throbbing Gristle, Lydia Lunch etc...), I feel I should make it clear first of all that this wasn't a sweeping critique of Bloc Party(Silent Alarm had some great stuff on it). Nor is it a claim that nothing happening today is on par with early post-punk (much of the early post-punk stuff fails in the same way Bloc Party does. Take Depeche Mode or even moreso U2 for example). It's more of a 'I heard this which made me miss this' kind of thing.

One such example of music that is carrying with it the revolutionary potentialities of bands like Pere Ubu, Gang of Four and Scritti Politti, is Jazz. A genre that has suffered as much as any (smooth jazz and vocal jazz are arguably two of the worst sounding creations I can think of), seems to be relishing in such suffering, as numerous jazz musicians are currently doing some amazing stuff. As such, my show this week is going to be all jazz (I may even try to start sounding like Ross Porter, but that might be asking too much). Hopefully I'll have a longer write up to follow on the weekend.

Gang of Four's Entertainment!

2007-02-09T08:06:00.000-08:00

This week saw the release of the much anticipated second album from indie darlings Bloc Party, A Weekend in the City. Bloc Party has always been difficult to peg for myself. I remember hearing their first album and thinking it was pretty awesome. I had 'This Modern Love' stuck in my head for days on end. However, I also found it to be lacking something rather significant. Much of todays 'post-punk' has done an excellent job of copying the sounds the movements original masters (Talking Heads, Joy Division, PiL, the Fall, and Gang of Four in particular). Lyrically though, bands like Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, and to a lesser extent LCD Soundsytem (whose upcoming album Sounds of Silver is quite good) and Arctic Monkeys, could do better.

Part of what made earlier post-punk so vibrant and entertaining was the militant manner in which they were able to unsettle what was going on around them at the time. Whether it was, to use Simon Reynolds phrases, the industrial grotespuerie of Pere Ubu and Devo, the industrial devolution of Throbbing Gristle and Death Factory, the art attack of Talking Heads, Wire and Mission of Burma or the messethics of the London Vanguard, there was a revolutionary zeal to many of these bands that appears to be lacking in todays post-punk (instead this is being reflected better by current movements in dubstep, noise, metal, and the bad bands revolution in Toronto). With the Regan and Thatcher governments as the background, these groups made it their goal to uncouple themselves from mainstream society refusing to be complicit or ignorant of the horrors going on around them. Inspite of a similar context with the current Bush administration todays post-punk is, by in large, sadly lacking this.

This is why Gang of Four's album Entertainment! is so important. Released in 1980 Entertainment! is a post-punk masterpiece, capturing much of the movements key elements all in one song cycle. Everything about this album, the lyrics, the music, the artwork (the cover picture of an Aboriginal shaking hands with a Cowboy waiting in anticipation to use his new 'friend' in exploitive ways) is extremely well thought out. As such, Entertainment! is what todays post-punk needs desparately to go back to.

The first aspect of this album that is noticed is the sense of isolation that the entire work is struggling with. Influenced heavily by the poet Brecht, Gang of Four wrote their music for the album trying as hard as possible to capture an effect of alientation. This is a very cold sounding record as the band attempted to record the album solely as a studio work. Unlike many rock records, there was no attempt to capture the sound of the band live, no attempt to make the music sound as if it were being played in an acoustic space. As a result, Entertainment! carries with it a sense of paranoia that Thom Yorke could only dream of recreating.

What's most stunning about the record, though are the lyrics. Gang of Four are often seen as a political activists first, and artists second (this why they were such a perfect fit for Rock Against Racism). However, looking at Entertainment! it is clear that the band refused to see the two as mutually exclusive. It was part of their art project that they spoke out against the injustices of their society, just as much as it was because of their politics that they started creating art.

Entertainment!'s lyrics are obviously drenched in marxist-inspired lyrics. However, whereas most so-called political groups ultimately fall into the us-them trap claiming the problem to somehow be just over there, Gang of Four refuse to do so. These are lyrics that implicate the listen and the band just as much as anyone else. Take 'Contract' for example. The song is constantly shifting between the depravity of business contracts, to the malfuctioning of a marital relationship. "These social dreams/Put in practice in the bedroom/Is this so private?/ Our struggle in the bedroom?" Gang of Four refuse to fall victim to the us/them dichotomy, and instead want to make us all part of the problem.

As I said before, none of this is to say that todays music in general is laking social significance, and that we need to go back to an earlier, more ideal era with the original post-punk movement. There is lots going on now to be excited about. However, I do believe that if todays so-called post-punkers really want to call themselves that, it is of the utmost importance that they realise that post-punk was more than just a sound. It was a social movement in the best of ways, calling into question many of their societies assumptions. Something that we can always use more of.

This Music Makes Me Feel ...

2007-02-06T14:19:00.001-08:00

Last night I was at cousins discussing how art interpretation too often looks first to the emotions as a tool for critique. We like certain musical groups, painters, poets, writers, movies etc... because of the way they make us feel. For some reason, this is even more the case with pop music, which is often seen as good only insofar as it is fun, or makes us feel good.

Such an approach to the arts is a frightening thing as it makes critical commentary virtually impossible, as everyone becomes their own critic in their own right and anyone who disagrees with anyone else is pushed to periphery and seen as a menace. By basing our opinions on art solely on feelings and emotion, and by claiming each persons feelings to be equally valid as the next, we cut dialogue on the arts off at the knees as nobody is really able to say anything to anyone else and expect to be heard (for example 'That new Bloc Party album makes a mockery of the radical elements of post-punk!' to which someone responds 'Well you're entitled to your opinion, but I like the album because it gives me goose bumps.')

Instead, we need to be more creative with how we listen to and interpret the arts, and look beyond our emotions. We need to understand why it is that certain ablums seem so significant, while others appear to be total crap.

Anyways, sorry for the quick rant. All of this is to say you should check this out, as it explains, in better words, what it is I'm trying to get at here.

While you're at it, check out the awesome feature on Juana Molina (whose, last two albums, Son, and Tres Cosas, are two of the finest records you'll ever hear), over at woebot.

Until next time,

Keep fit and have fun.

Julie Doiron Wakes Up!

2007-01-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

Below is a copy of a review for Julie Doiron's upcoming awesome album Woke Myself Up which, if I don't say so myself, is the biz-natch (that means really good). The review will appear in the next issue of umfm's monthly publication.

Enjoy!

Julie Doiron – Woke Myself Up
Endearing Records
2007

And it all starts to make sense. Ever since Julie Doiron began writing songs apart from Eric’s Trip she has gently lulled us to sleep with numerous albums of soft-spoken confessional songwriting. Whether it was through her 1996 Broken Girl album, her 2000 album with the Wooden Stars, the French Desmorais, 2002’s Heart and Crime or 2004’s Goodnight Nobody (featuring Herman Dune), Doiron has spent the better part of a decade perfecting the craft of writing fragile and subtle music that never hinted at anything ‘rock.’

Woke Myself Up points to new potentials for the singer-songwriter. With the help of her fellow Eric’s Trippers Rick White, Mark Gaudet and Chris Thompson, Doiron unleashes a wonderful song cycle that clearly wants to rock. The album consists of numerous moments where the quiet guitar that is typical of Doiron’s solo material is losing a fight with a brittle distorted guitar. As a result, the album is much more a response to Eric’s Trip’s Purple Blue than Doiron’s recent material.

However, Woke Myself Up isn’t wholly different from Doiron’s solo albums. The confessional lyricism that has made her albums so inviting is still around. This time it is taken to a new level as Doiron shares with us the frustration and pain of being involved in a failing marriage (she and her husband split up soon after she finished writing the album). This is music that is inextricably tied to the writer’s current experiences, while never retreating into tacky sentimentality or ‘love gone wrong’ clichés. It is music that only Doiron can make, and only Doiron should make.

Woke Myself Up could very well be the defining record of Doiron’s 16-year career. It’s a wonderful mix of the harshness that made Eric’s Trip memorable, and the sincerity that blessed her solo work. It points Doiron in a new direction, giving her songwriting new life and vigor when she appears to need it the most.

When Will it Ever End!!!

2007-01-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

So aparrently January doesn't mark the end of the 'best of' season as this week saw a few of the best lists pop up.

I already mentioned idoloters jackin' pop but feel I need to again. This is possibly the most well orchestrated list as it contains hundreds of the best music writers in North America submitting their analysis' of the year (including Robert Christgau, Chuck Eddy and Carl Wilson). Also, how can you not like the fact that it was born out of protest.

Woebot tv puts out one of the best lists I've seen, and most entertaining, which includes the likes of Joanna Newsom, Burial (I'll get to that in a moment), Juana Molina (who should have really been on mine as well), Matmos, and Scritti Politti. Plus he dances to all his selections.

In non-list news earshot magazine has put up my article on Guided by Voices frontman Robert Pollard. Check it out.
So, in honor of all this list business, and the fact that I refuse to talk about last year anymore (well maybe not as much as I have been lately), and because the beauty of list-making is how it introduces you to music that managed to slip by you in the past year, I'll be doing a top 5 albums from last year that I hadn't heard until the year was finished, on my show this Friday @ 2pm Central Time. And here they are;

1.)Burial - Burial
Yeah it's dubstep and supposedly only the British can truly appreciate this stuff, but in a year where the 80s hit me the hardest (see My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and Rip it Up and Start it Again: Postpunk 1978-1984) I can't get enough of this stuff. When we are constantly being bombarded with bands such as Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, LCD Soundsystem, and The Rapture, who seem to focus on vintage postpunks more sunnier sides, its refreshing to hear an album that wants to remind us of the more haunting and disturbing aspects of the genre. This is able for those who love Eno, Arthur Russell, Cabaret Voltaire, and Throbbing Gristle, not just the brits. note - make sure to check out woebots awesom analysis of Burials use of the mutant trumpet
2.) Ornette Coleman - Sound Grammar
How I missed this album is simply a testament to the fact that until October I really wasn't paying much attention to jazz (side note - check out Zoilus' article on the demise of Jazz). This is my favorite Jazz musician playing some of his best jazz yet. The two double basses (one bowed) add amazing texture, and the drumming is sweet. Recalling various aspects of previous eras of Colemans work (the straight-up bop of Tomorrow is the Question, the breaking through of free jazz in The Shape of Jazz and the resurgance of this in The Sounds of Science) Sound Grammar is one of, if not the best Jazz album of the year.

3.) Fionn Regan - The End of History
Singer songwriter from Ireland, Fionn Regan, offers up a wonderful collection of folk songs and one of the years best in 'Put a Penny in the Slot'.
4.) Johnny Dark - Can't Wait
I havn't spent too much time with this one yet. However, I felt that the only thing missing from the new Junior Boys album was the awesome drum beats provided by Johnny Dark on their first album. So far his solo stuff seems to be providing the missing link.

5.) Xiu Xiu - The Air Force
Ok, so I didn't really miss this one. Yet by the time December came around, I had completely forgotten about it. More out of frustration over his canceled show in the fall, than quality of the album. The Air Force provides a stunning progression from 2004's Fabulous Muscles, that in a wierd sense, points to a more hopeful future for Xiu Xiu than 2005 La Foret

And to take us into 2007:
Julie Doiron - Woke Myself Up (a healthy dose of some much needed Rock n' Roll)
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (this time not sponsored by Nike)
Low - Drums and Guns (looks to be a significant improvement on 2005's boring The Great Destroyer)

Until Next time!

Back from the Holidays....

2007-01-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

Well I'm back from E-ville (that's hip-hop lingo for Edmonton), and ready for some serious blogging ... kind of.

I will be doing a focus on Ornette Coleman's awesome 2006 release Sound Grammer on my radio show today and will be having a longer write up on that up on the site soon. Other than that here are some quick links to check out;

2006 is only a few days old and it's already reached its pinnacle. It's all downhill from here folks.

Zoilus posts his top 20 for 2006. The biggest surprised being that Destroyer's Rubies didn't make the top of the list. It wasn't even second!

Umfm has posted its top 101 records of the year, and a bunch of dj's top 10's as well.

Idoloter as its jackin' pop poll up and it's oh so good with demographic options and everything.

The Year in the Rear-View (a.k.a. my chance to pretend people actually care about my musical taste)

2006-12-15T10:17:00.000-08:00

I'm doing the second half of my year in the rear view on my show today and thought that I should have some write up to coincide with the show. So below is my all-time top 20 of 2006 that I had to submit to umfm a couple weeks ago. Typically a year-end list has to consist of some form of preamble where the writer declares 'how I don't like lists but I'll do it anyway ... for my fans.' I'm just going to forego that whole thing. I know the problems with confining music in the form of list. The fact of the matter though, is I like lists. They help with groceries, they remind you of things you need to do. If done well, musical lists provide the space necessary for larger critical commentary on music (something that doesn't happen enough in my opinion). It's the only moment where musical criticism is taken out of the hands of individual 'professional critics' and relocated with the larger community of music lovers. This I believe to be a good thing. So here's my list;
(note - My pictures didn't upload properly. I promise to do better next time)

1.) Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies (merge)
What can I say? Everything Dan Bejar touches turns to gold. Destroyer's Rubies is no exception. It's the best critique of 'indie-culture' while remaining wholly within that culture that I've heard in ages. Highlights: 'Rubies', 'European Oils' and 'Looters Follies'.

2.) Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds (blocks)
If J.S. Bach was a fan of Destroyer this is what his compositions would have sounded like. He Poos Clouds is a stunning combination of Destroyer, renaissance and video games. Highlights: 'He Poos Clouds', 'The Lamb Sells His Condos', 'The Arctic Circle'

3.) Junior Boys - So this is Goodbye (domino)
With So this is Goodbye, Junior Boys attempt to relocate 'Canadiana' from the confines of typical rockisms, to the more peripheral icy-white sounds of 80s synth-pop, and end up being ridiculously successfull. Highlights: 'In The Morning', 'Like a Child', 'FM'

4.) Tortoise - A Lazarus Taxon (thrill jockey)
The best bands typically are the best explorers. They are on a continual search hoping to point music in a whole new direction. Tortoise's box set A Lazarus Taxon exemplifies such a search in magnificant ways. A 3 cd (plus one dvd) collection of rarities and b-sides, A Lazarus Taxon is a must for anyone interested in the experiemental shape music can take. Highlights: 'Gamera', 'TNT Remix', 'Cornpone Brunch Watt Mix'

5.) The Knife - Silent Shout (mute)
Sweedish brother and sister duo release an album consisting of pop-hook, after pop-hook. Not only that, they have the done so in a disturbingly beautiful way, tempting you to come back wanting more after each listen. Highlights: 'Like a Pen', 'Forrest Families' and 'We Share our Mothers Health

6.) Grizzly Bear - Yellow House (warp)
Ed Drostse comes back at us with a larger ensemble and a larger sound. However, this is not at the expense of the intuitive and beautiful songwriting that made 2004's Horn of Plenty so wonderful. Highlights: 'Knife', 'Lullabye', 'On a Neck, On a Spit'

7.)Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (anti)
One of, if not the, darkest albums of the year. With Fox Confessor, Neko Case brings her songwriting skills to a new level. Hearing a voice as beautiful's as Case's singing about failed friendships, the fragility of faith, and harshness of love, is most definitely something worth coming back to time and time again. Highlights: 'Hold On, Hold On', 'The Needle has Landed', 'That Teenage Feeling'.

8.) Drumheller - Wives (rat-drifting)
Choosing to focus on the importance of sound over technical mastery over their instruments, Toronto's Jazz ensemble Drumheller remind us of the potential that exists within Jazz music. With Wives they give us an album that is both playful and harsh, lighthearted and whimsical. Highlights: The whole damn thing

9.) Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe (upper class)
With Breaking Kayfabe, Edmonton's Cadence Weapon offers up a collection of hip-hop songs that are able to stand on their own. Unlike much Canukian hip-hop, Cadence Weapon has successfully created a sound not reliant on typical American hip-hopisms, or even UK grime. This is hip-hop you've never really heard before. Highlights: 'Oliver Square', 'Sharks', 'Black Hand'.

10.) Joanna Newsom - Ys (drag city)
Everyone and their dog seems to be writing about this one so I'll leave it up to them. This album is absolutely stunning though. Highlights: 'Only Skin', and everything else.

And the rest...
11.)TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (interscope)
12.)Beirut - Gulag Orkestar (ba da bing)
13.)Mission of Burma - The Obliterati (matador)
14.)Eric Chenaux - Dull Lights (constellation)
15.)Swan Lake - Beast Moans (jagjaguwar)
16.)Matmos - The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of the Beast (matador)
17.)Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers (astralwerks)
18.)The Creeping Nobodies - Sound of Joy (blocks)
19.)Glissandro 70 - s/t (constellation)
20.)Birdapres - Get it Done (peanuts and corn)

Interview with Robert Pollard

2006-12-13T12:08:00.000-08:00

I had an email interview with former Guided by Voices frontman Robert Pollard last week for an upcoming piece for earshot magazine. I'll be working on a full article based on the interview this week for earshot's website. But in the meantime here's there interview;

1.) Can you describe to me some of the thought process that has gone on with your post - Guided By Voices work?
The decision to enter a solo career was a conscious attempt on my part to become more "active" in the studio as an instrumentalist. It was a little more democratic before. I also wanted to work closely and directly with Todd Tobias. We have become a complete team.

2.) It seems as though there has been a shift towards a more internal focus with your recent solo material. Could this be seen as a reaction to the persona you developed throughout your time with Guided by Voices?
Maybe subconciously. I think it's only natural that when you become an
"individual" entity as opposed to a collective energy, the material takes on a more personal nature or internal focus, as you put it. Other than that I don't really think there's a great difference.

3.) Have you attempted to make a conscious split with your Guided by Voices material?
No, not the material. I don't see much of a difference. The conscious split is manifested in the actual physical performance of the material, something that I missed and I think followers missed a bit.

4.) There also seems to be an increased interest in extending your song structures lately. Is this indicative of a change in the way you approach song-writing?
My method of songwriting is now more spontaneous, natural, unforced. Wherever a song goes I allow it to go in that direction or take a turn if it is so inclined. I add parts until it feels finished. The entire process must not take more than 5 or 10 minutes. I then take much more
time on polishing it up, especially the lyrical part. It could take a month or two...or not.

5.) How has the transition to Merge records gone?
Swimmingly. A good bunch of people that I have known for a long time. They are less concerned with charts and trends than some other labels I have been with. That is to say that they are probably more tolerant of the laziness on my part in the marketing and promotion aspect.

6.) I heard recently that you are considering no longer playing live shows. Coming from someone who is known for being a stunning and charismatic performer I found this to be really surprising. What led you to this decision? I've been doing it for 25 years. I'm 49 now. It's getting harder to re-energize myself physically and psychologically for each successive show on a tour. I love it when I hit the stage. It's the rest of the day that's a drag. I may still play a show here or there from time to time.

7.) Has it been difficult performing shows for your solo material to people who might be expecting a Guided by Voices show?
No, the crowd reaction has been good. I assembled a very fine fucking band for them. It's been a step up professionally, and the energy is still there. There is no reason for anyone to complain because I've shedded the name Guided By Voices, although not quite as many people show up because of that. You would refer to these types who don't show up as "scenesters".

8.) Your upcoming release 'Silverfish Trivia' is rumoured to be bookend by two string-instrumentals. Is this the first time you've worked with such large instrumentation? If so, how do you see this as shaping your upcoming material?
I've worked with Chris George before. He did strings on "Universal Truths" and "Pipe Dreams". It was just a spur of the moment decision. I wanted to give the album the presence of a film, like an opening and ending credit roll kind of thing...like you're entering and exiting a
theater.

9.) Strings seem to be developing some serious 'indie-cred' lately (from Joanna Newsom to Sufjan Stevens or even Canada's Final Fantasy). What do you think is so appealing about the use of strings in songs?
They appeal to the emotions on an intrinsic level, not in a literary
sense. It takes less effort as a listener. Also, I guess one gets tired of being beaten over the head with power chords after a while.

10.) Other than 'Silverfish Trivia', what else are you working on presently?
In the can: Circus Devils - Sgt. Disco (double album), Meet the King -Asshole 2 (LP only), Acid Ranch - The Great Houdini Wasn't So Great (LP only), Eat 3 - Keep Your Christmas Lights Up Forever. Those are all on Record Company Records. Then I'm working on: The Takeovers - Bad Football (album), Crickets - The Best of the Fading Captain Series 1999-2007 (double CD w/ bonus tracks and book to wrap up the series).

Drumheller plays with 'Wives'

2006-12-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

Last week I did a feature on guitar wiz Eric Chenaux. Below is an article on his Jazz group Drumheller and their latest album Wives. I will be doing the first half of my year-in-the-rear-view on tomorrows show and will have something up here soon. In the meantime ... Drumheller;

With their latest release Wives, Drumheller reminds us how the greatest triumph of Jazz is not one of technical proficiency but rather the creative shape that experimentation and improvisation can take in music. Drumheller is a Jazz ensemble that consists of Eric Chenaux (guitar), Rob Clutton (bass), Nick Frasier (drums), Brodie West (sax) and Doug Tielli (trombone). With their strong focus on experimenting with sound, song structure and melody, Drumheller create an eclectic style of Jazz that is flirting with disaster.

Wives can be seen as equal parts Duke Ellington and Pere Ubu. Each piece on the album contains a melody that harkens back to 1940s swing era Jazz. These are melodies you can see your grandparents singing along with. However, with this focus on creating good melodies for each piece coupled with the ‘deep pocket’ of the Clutton-Frasier rhythm section, the horns and guitar are allowed the space to take many liberties with their solos. Reminiscent of Dub-Housing era Pere Ubu, where their rhythm section allowed for more freedom for the other members to experiment, the horns and guitar on Wives constantly play with and irritate each other. As a result the album exudes a lighthearted experimentalism that is still well rooted in the Jazz tradition.

Take the song ‘Porch’ as example. It begins with a melody that is so stereotypical of Jazz that you are convinced you’ve heard it before. This is made stronger as the horns and guitar are all playing it together in unison. Yet this predictability is short-lived as the melody quickly breaks down into various unpredictable solo sections. All of a sudden the instruments that were playing in playful unison are now working against each other. Just before the song collapses completely, in comes that familiar melody again, this time to bring the song to an end. The result is that, to quote Carl Wilson of the Globe and Mail, Drumheller constantly “sound like ‘Ain’t Misbehaving’ except they’re clearly misbehaving all the way.’

Hey So Am I Picks ... delayed?

2006-12-01T09:20:00.000-08:00

So my new feature is only two weeks old and I've already hit a bit of a snag. My pick this week was going to be Chad VanGaalen's Skelliconnection. I had set up an interview with him for Earshot! magazine but alas, he wasn't home when his manager told me he was. Arrrrrg! So instead I'm just going to through something together involving Eric Chenaux/Drumheller. Hopefully I'll still be able to post said interview soon.

Other things I'm hoping to have up here soon are a interview with Robert Pollard from Guided By Voices, and my year in the rear-view. I'm supposed to submit my picks to umfm sometime soon. So far I have on my list for albums; Destroyer, Final Fantasy, Junior Boys, TV on the Radio, Joanna Newsom, The Knife, Matmos, Mission of Burma, Cadence Weapon, Neko Case, Beirut, Drumheller, Eric Chenaux, Glissandro 70, David Byrne and Brian Eno, Espers. For songs I don't really know maybe something like; Rouch Gem (Islands), Sexy Back (JT), Maneater (Fertado), Kilo (Ghostface Killah), Nancy Reagon's Head (Mission of Burma), Like a Pen (The Knife), Wolf Like Me (TV on the Radio), Oliver Square (Cadence Weapon), In the Morning (Junior Boys), Postcards from Italy (Beirut), The Needle has Landed (Neko Case). I don't know though yet. Any guidance would be much appreciatied.

"You want to take a photograph, then take a photograph of me!"

2006-11-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

And So it begins ....

What follows is the first instalment of what is to be a weekly endeavor to focus my thoughts (and thus hopefully others) on specific albums, artists, jerkfaces or whatever, in the hopes of making this whole blogging thing that much more enjoyable. It will coincide with a weekly pick that I will be focusing on during my radio show 'The New Decay' which airs on 101.5 umfm in Winnipeg MB at 2:00pm Central time. This is a new thing, and I haven't really put much thought into as to why I want to be doing this (hence the already confusing introduction), but hopefully I have enough stamina/interest to keep this up. It all started on last weeks show where I focused on Joanna Newsom's new (and metaphysically awesome) album Y's. This week I will be focusing on Swan Lake's album Beast Moans which came out this Tuesday.

'DON'T ASK ME HOW I KNOW, I JUST DO ...'
Dan Bejar on 'Shooting Rockets'

I remember seeing Dan Bejar this past summer in Chicago performing with his group Destroyer. The highlight of this concert came as Bejar was about to break into his epic song 'Looters Follies' (easily one of the best songs of the year) when he turned to the crowd and said, with a certain amount of disdain in his voice, 'This song is about...' then he paused, looked back at the rest of his band, turned back to the crowd and finished by grunting and hitting his guitar and then just going straight into his song. It was if he caught himself doing something that was completely against his nature. Something he promised he would never do but now did. It was an acccident, but it still happened. It was at that moment, in a fragile and precarious way, that Bejar offered a short glimpse as to the truth behind much of what high art struggles to point towards.

Typically, when approaching an album (or any work of art), the tendency is to tear the album apart, in hopes of uncovering the true meaning or intent of what that album was created for. We go through the liner notes, focus on the artwork, pay attention to the instrumentation, read countless reviews, analysis', and interviews, all in the hopes of discovering what the artist was wanting to accomplish with this album. It's as if there is some profound lesson to be learned, that requires our ability to master the art of interpretation in order for it to be discovered. This, then, assumes that the artist, in some way, shape or form, has also mastered the art of creating music in an intentional, almost mechanistic way. They sit down and think 'what do I want to teach the world with this record?' and then discuss how best to accomplish this task, and then creat.

My question is, what if there is no intent? What if the artist doesn't want the song to have a single concise meaning that can be uncovered through interepretation? What if there music is more properly understood as a long series of accidents, rather than some coherent, intentional practice?

This is where Swan Lake and their recent release Beast Moans comes in. (Quick explaination;
Swan Lake= Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes/Blackout Beach, Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown and Dan Bejar of Destroyer, New Pornos, Bonaparte, Vancouver Nights, aka the sexiest collaboration since the Traveling Willberries). If someone were to choose one word that is able to describe Swan Lake, a good case could be made for 'accident'. Few artists are as open to or see the importance for allowing the space necessary for accidents in their art as Krug, Mercer and Bejar, and with Swan Lake this all culminates itself in a stunning collection of songs that both swoon and irritate all at the same moment. A collection of songs that at no point ask for some explanation. These songs don't need to be interpreted to say anything. They speak enough on their own right.

It would be a mistake to approach this as a side project playing on tendencies already illuminated through Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes and Destroyer. Swan Lake is its own thing, and it needs to be listened to in such a way. That said, it's significance is best understood by its differences from those groups. Take Spencer Krug's songs on the album as an example. Here his songs are stripped down in ways that don't appear on his previous experiements. 'All Fires' is an acoustic number almost devoid of the electronic leanings we've come to expect from the mad organist in the past. Stripped down Krug's songs are given the space needed to breathe a little and thus end up coming across in wholly different and fascintating ways than those of Wolf Parad and Sunset Rubdown.

Probably the manner in which the difference alluded to in Beast Moans is made most explicitly is through the vocal mix. Krug, Mercer and Bejar are word people. Much of the joy of listening to these awesome singer songwriters comes through their way in which they are able to use words in unthinkable (and often frustrating) ways. However, here the vocals are taken down a notch in the mix. They give way to the the rest of the instrumentation thus serving more as a contribution to the texture of the song than to the lyrical components of the songs. This isn't to say that the words have no significance, and aren't good. What has been appreciated in each artist's lyrics in the past break through in Beast Moans as well (Krug's faux renaisance, Mercer's run-on sentences, and Bejar's self-referencing). However, in Beast Moans they seem to serve a bit of a different purpose, adding to the already captivating textures present in the song.

Much of this is in a way beside the point as Beast Moans most triumphant moments arise pricesly at those times of the unexpected. It is Mercer, Krug, and Bejar's openess to the accidental that allows this record to work. It is that missed vocal note, those hollow drum beats, or the spastic guitar that grabs the listener most. As a result, Beast Moans is as precarious and fragile an album as you will ever hear, and it is this fragility that will keep you coming back for more.
Postcript: - good swan lake musings here.
- buy the record here

2006-10-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

GRIZZLY HUNTING IN FARGO

This past weekend my wife and I along with a couple of friends packed into a car and headed down to the wonderful metropolis that is Fargo ND. After spending time checking out the Sheels department store (which has a both a ferris wheel AND a shooting range), hearing some man talk about his latest Grizzly Bear hunting experience and eating at Grandma's Bar and Grill (which felt like one of those 'American' restaurants that you can go to in Asia or Europe), we took in the Grizzly Bear and TV on the Radio show.

If I could choose one word to describe this it would have to be surreal. I mean why the hell did two bands who have released two of the best records of the year end up in Fargo? We walked into the venue, which seemed way to swank for Fargo, just as Grizzly Bear began playing. Their first reaction upon seeing the crowd was probably something along the lines of 'what the? How come there's only 50 people here?' The crowd was quite small and about half of it was fellow Peggers. But really, should we have expected anything else? Not to slight Fargo, but does it really seem like a indie hot-spot?

Inspite of this Grizzly Bear managed to put on a mesmerizing show consisting of interesting renditions of stuff from 2004's Horn of Plenty along with a good selection of material from this years Yellow House. Their set suited the small crowd well as they were able to instantly create a intimate bond simply through their stunning harmonies and captivating and upredictable song structures. The highlight of which was their epic Lullabye which both lulls you to sleep and forces you up at the same time. Of all the Yellow House material this was the one song that translated best into a live setting, with nice vocal interplay between all members of the band, interesting guitar, and a clarinet played through a pitch shifter to give deep and dark base tones. Through this set Grizzly Bear confirmed that they are actually living up to the hype they are currently receiving.

If Grizzly Bear's set came across as intimate than TV on the Radio's came off as a brutal sonic punishment. I mean this in a positive sense. Their show completly knocked me off my feet as I was struck with pounding guitars, bass that was driven to destroy my inner ear, drums that forced me into a tribal dance, and vocals that gave new meaning to the word 'intense.' In short, this show was awesome in a very different way then the Grizzly Bear show, and yet still seemed consistent with the mood Grizzly Bear had established with their set.

One of my favorite aspects of the TV on the Radio show was their lead singers subversive relationship with the crowd. You got the sense right a way that he felt that it was a bit rediculous that they were currently playing in Fargo ND. He started off by talking about just how 'exquisite' the Arby's he had for supper was, and then continued to thank Fargo throughout the set in a very 'thank you Cleveland' kind of way. Again, I felt this only added to the show as it gave us a common bond as we all tried to figure out why the hell we were here.

So the show was a resounding success and only confirmed the brilliance of both of these bands.

2006-10-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

HOCKEY PICKS

So, for myself at least, the first thing I tend to think about when October rolls around is not 'crap it's almost winter' or 'how the hell am I going to pull off my costume for Halloween' but more about the upcoming Hockey season. For sports fans (which I have to say that I am most definately one) October has to be one of the best months of the year. Baseball is at its only point of interest, NFL and CFL are both well on their way and then to top it all off, Hockey starts.

Unfoprtunately, with the begining of Hockey so too comes that awfully self-indulgent tradition of Hockey predictions. This year especially, with almost every major media publication offering up some form of a Fantasy Hockey Pool, it seems that we are being bombarded with pundit after pundit displaying their self-proclaimed expertise by giving their predictions. Most of the time they are absolutely rediculous as all the so-called 'expert' does is basically look at the rosters see how many names they recognise and then order the teams based on that (this is even worse for Western Conference predictions as the East-biased hockey media has little to no knowledge of what is going on west of Toronto). Usually the predictions go something like this

EASTERN CONFERENCE
1.)Buffalo
2.)Philadelphia
3.)Carolina
4.)Ottawa
5.)New Jersey
6.)New York Rangers
7.)Boston
8.)Montreal

9.)Tampa Bay
10.)Toronto
11.)Washington
12.)Florida
13.)Pittsburgh
14.) Atlanta
15.)NY Islanders

WESTERN CONFERENEC
1.)Nashville
2.)Anaheim
3.)Calagary
4.)San Jose
5.)Detroit
6.)Minnesota
7.)Colorado
8.)Edmonton

9.) Phoenix
10.)Dallas
11.)Vancouver
12.) Chicago
13.)Columbus
14.) Los Angeles
15.) St. Louis

This is absolutely rediculous. Why is it that we have to be bombarded by these lame-ass pundits telling us the most predictable outcomes for the coming year. Can't we do that ourselves? How hard is it to look at Anaheim see the names Pronger, Neidemeyer, Selanne and say 'wow, I pick them!' Why can't any of these people go out on a limb ever?

Anyways, these are some frustrations I have. And for interest sake, if I were a so-called Hockey expert my picks would go something like this (keep in mind my biases as a ravid Oiler fans, especially when talking about the Flames and the Lafs, and the fact that I have little to no knowledge about the East).

EASRTERN CONFRENCE
1.) Buffalo
2.) New Jersey
3.) Carolina
4.) Boston
5.) Ottawa
6.) Philadelphia
7.) Pittsburgh
8.) Florida

9.) Montreal
10.) NY Rangers
11.) Tampa Bay
12.) Atlanta
13.)Washington
14.) Toronto
15.) NY Islanders

WESTERN CONF
1.) San Jose
2.) Nashville
3.) Minnesota
4.) Edmonton
5.) Detroit
6.) Chicago
7.) Dallas
8.) Columbus

9.) Anaheim (Anaheim adds another d-man to an already solid defence and lose one of their best scorers = No playoffs. Oh yeah and Prongers leaves town half-way through season for so-called 'personal' reasons. Afterwhich no team decides to pick him up and he spends the rest of his life wallowing in his own self-pity)
10.) Calgary (Kipper gets injured and the team realises how one dimensional they really are)
11.) Colorado
12.) Vancouver
13.) Phoenix
14.) Los Angeles
15.) St. Louis
* 6-13 are separated by less than 10 pts
Of course this won't probably happen, but these are my 'predictions'.

2006-08-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

ME AND PITCHFORK DOWN BY THE SCHOOLYARD

So I recently got back from a trip from Chicago where, when I wasn't busy over-heating and checking out a cubs game, I attended the first annual Pitchfork Music Festival. Overall, the festival was awesome. Many people have been critical of the lineup saying there were too many bands that they would be able to see regularly. Well, I'm from Winnipeg, and I doubt many (if any) of these bands will ever make it up here soon, so I was pumped about the lineup and couldn't wait for it to begin. So here's my wrap up.

Let's start on a downpoint and go from there.

Biggest Dissapointment: Tyondai Braxton playing at the same time as Mountain Goats and Destroyer. WHY PITCHFORK WHY?

And now the groups ... (I'm only commenting on the groups I tried to go see, if you want some more check out the Chicagoist, as it has stuff of some of the bands I didn't see.)

Man Man: Really, I couldn't have asked for more from these Philadelpians. They played an awesome circus-frenzied set that included short-shorts, feathers and face paint. Too bad it was sooooooo frickin' hot I couldn't convince myself to get any closer to get a better look

Band of Horses: BoH struggled through some sound problems and the fact that they were on zero hours of sleep didn't help their cause either. But still an enjoyable set from the poster-children of Pitchfork relate d success.

Art Brut: Again I wish I could have been closer for this one. But the heat was just too much to handle.

Matmos: I missed the first half of this show as I was getting supper, but what I did hear was very inspired. I was dissapointed though that they didn't pull out the cow uterus and start playing it.

Danielson: This was a show I didn't know what to expect coming into it. Was Daniel Smith going to appear in his fruits of the Spirit tree or was something else crazy going to happen? Well there was no tree, but the matching police uniforms, and the witty banter from Smith made up for the lack in treeness.

The National: This was a show I was worried about coming in to it. I really enjoyed last year's Alligator but was afraid that I was going to be turned off of the band when I saw them live. Fortunately I had nothing to worry about in the end as the show was (to quote Ferris Buhler) 'so choice.' I mean how can I complain about a band who is willing to include a violinist in the band who you were sure you saw last night in some dive-bar talking about the time he opened up for Jimi Hendrix?

Devendra Banhart: Probably the biggest dissapointment of the festival (set wise). I've always been a bit skeptical about Devendra Banhart's neo-hippy aesthetic, and this show just reinforced my skepticism. Maybe it was because he followed what was easily the loudest and most energetic set of the weekend (Mission of Burma's), or maybe he just wasn't used to the heat, but Banhart just plain sucked this weekend.

Spoon: I can't say too much about Spoon as I left to go check out Diplo a few songs in, but what I did see was basically Spoon playing their albums note for note. While the music was good and entertaining, it seemed (to me at least) to be lacking in any creative element.

HIGHLIGHTS:
The Mountain Goats: This was easily one of the most anticipated shows of the weekend for myself. I've always enjoyed the bootleg concerts I've heard of John Darnielle but have never had the chance to see him in action. The set consisted of a good selection of some of his earlier stuff as well as his more recent 4AD stuff, which seemed to please the large crowd he was playing to. The highlight of the set had to be when he had the entire crowd chanting along with him in the chorus of 'No Children' screaming "I hope we die. I hope we all die." Definately the first solid set of the weekend.

Destroyer: 'This song's about ... arrrrg!" And with that Dan Bejar set up one of the best shows of the weekend. Destroyer was his usual subversive self throughout the show. He opened with "Crystal City" from This Night, in such a way as to force people to question Pitchfork's reasoning for giving it such a poor review. He closed with 'Looters Follies' from his latest, which I was pretty pumped about. The song, like 'What Road' and 'The Sublimation Hour' before it, is such a wonderful display of the subversive and destructive influence lyric's are able to have. What's more disruptive than coming to a festival that is attempting to set up the triumph of indie rock and ending your set with lyrics like "Why can't you see that a life in art and life of mimicry -- It's the same thing!?!" It was almost as if Bejar had been walking around the festival, seeing all these typical indie-kids (myself included of course) walking around in their 70s gym shorts, and plastic neon sunglasses and decided that what these people really need is a good talking to. I'm sorry, but this culture of yours is purely an act. But that's okay, just remember that.

Silver Jews: Easily the show I was most looking forward to. In fact, it's probably the reason why I came to the festival in the first place. I've been a huge Silver Jews fan for a long time, and have been frustrated by their lak of any significant touring. So I jumped at the first chance I had to see them. The results were very satisfying. Not amazing, but still what I had hoped for. It was brutally apparent that the band was over tired, and not fully up to playing the show. However, that didn't stop the crowd of 36 000 strong from getting into it (and in some ways helping Silver Jews as well). They played a good mix of old 'classics' and new stuff, opening with 'Punks in the Beerlight' and following soon after with 'Smith and Jones Forever.' The highlight of the show had to be 'Random Rules.' That is one of the most perfect, one the most fragile songs I've ever heard. And to hear it in a live setting only reinforced that.

Jeff Parker/Nels Cline Quartet: Probably my favorite set on the Biz 3 stage (although, I may be a minority on that one, I actually didn't catch terribly much on the Biz 3 stage). Jeff Parker is just as excellent playing jazz guitar as he is when he's playing with Tortoise (well, those two may not be mutually exclusive), and it was inspiring to see him in a live setting. The set was basically the Quartet's tribute to Sun Ra's Turning Point and consisted of some fabulous interplay between the guitars of Parker and Cline as well as with the bass and drums. Truly a nice break from the overtly 'indie-rockness' of the rest of the weekend.

Jens Lekman: I really enjoy Lekman's recordings and find his songwriting to be something else. However, I wasn't sure how this would translate into a live setting. How was Lekman going to play all those tape samples live? Oh of course, by having six Sweedish babes backing him up. Also, I don't think anyone else looked more happy to be at the festival than Lekman. His perma smile made it that much more easy to sit back and enjoy his tongue and cheek lyricism.

Mission of Burma: By far the best suprise of the weekend. Never have I been in a crowd so enthused to be seeing a band than when I was watching Mission of Burma. It seemed as though everyone around me came to this show in hopes of proving to the band that they know their lyrics better than the band itself. The highlight had to be 'Flight Academy Songs.' This was when the crowd was at its most, screaming "I'm not judging you, I'm judging Me!" The band could only respond by saying 'Finally, after 26 years!.' Why these guys weren't headling is beyond me.

Yo La Tengo: Another more subversive set of the weekend. The show consisted solely of material from their upcoming album "I'm Not Afraid of You and I will Beat Your Ass." While some have considered this to be a bit of an asshole move on Yo La Tengo's part, I really enjoyed it. The set was extremely schizophrenic going back and forth between sonic attacks and quiet poppy numbers. Again, you could tell the band was really enjoying themselves. Why should the band have to cater to the crowd by playing all their hits? After all they aren't afraid of us and if we have a problem with that they will infact beat our ass.

So that's it. My festival wrap up. If anyone has anything they feel they should add, please comment.

2006-07-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

TO CELEBRATE MY RETURN: MY FAVS OF THE YEAR SO FAR

So, it's been a while since I've written. I spent the last two weeks in E-ville visiting with Family among other thangs, and didn't have much time for blogging. On my way over to Edmonton I stopped at Saskatoon to do some quick record shopping, and yet again was supprised at just how awesome Saskatoon is for used vinyl. There was so much I would have loved to pick up it wasn't even funny. However, I had to settle with only picking up one record. And what a record! I found an old Rough Trade complilation from 1981 that featured rare tracks from the likes of The Gist, Orange Juice, Essential Logic, The Fall, Cabaret Voltaire, the T.V. Personalities and Pere Ubu to name a few. Needless to say, I was pretty excited.

Also, !Earshot Magazine just published my piece on Victoria's Run Chico Run.

Anyways, to celebrate my return to the peg, here's my favs of the year so far. Some days I'm pro list other days I'm dead set against it. Maybe it's the frickin' hot weather, but today is a listy kind of day.

1.) Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies: "A life of art, and I life of mimicry. IT'S THE SAME
THING!" Need I say more?
2.)Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds: With it's subtle Dungeons and Dragons refrences, it's
rediculous lyrics, and Pallettes' screams, this is what all
classical albums should aspire to. (Plus check out this
video)
3.) David Byrne and Brian Eno - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts: Reissues should always
recreate interest in a past work of art, and this is exactly
what happens hear. A scathing critique of right wing
Christian America, this album is as timely now as it was in
81.
4.) Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped: Holy Crap! After all these years we finally find out that Kim
Gordon can actually sing.
5.) Beirut - Gulag Orkestra: Actually, I just picked this one up and only have listened to it a few
times, but I really like what I hear. Probably a tie right now with
Beth Orton.

Most looking forward to:
- Pere Ubu's Why I Hate Women, The Hidden Camera's, Frog Eyes' and The Mountain Goats'
new albums.
- Final Fantasy at the West End with Bob Wiseman
- The look on the faces of all the indie hipsters at the upcoming Wolf Parade show when they witness the onslaught of Frog Eyes.
- Rafalski and Gomez in an Oilers jersey.

2006-06-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

POP MUSIC AND PROTEST: EXPLORING THE MESSIANIC ELEMENTS OF MUSIC

Just a quick heads up about an event that's happening tomorrow at Canadian Mennonite Univeristy. As part of Mennonite Central Committee's annual relief sale, there is going to be a concert which is going to set out to explore the relationship between pop music and protest. The evening will feature my personal favorite Winnipeg artist, Chris Neufeld, plus long time Winnipeg musician Mike Koop, plus more and will be hosted by yours truley.

It looks like the concert will take the shape of a workshop (ala Winnipeg Folk Fest), and should be a blast. I'm going to give a short blurb about the messianic elements of music, focusing on David Byrne's attack on punk, purely through his squareness. Anywho, if your free from 7-9, this is definately worth checking out.

2006-06-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

GAG REFLEXOLOGY

Globe and Mail music critic Carl Wilson (more importantly of zoilus.com) is currently working on a book focusing on Celine Dion. His hope with the project is to find something redeemable in an otherwise repulsive artist. This has made me think a bit about who would be my 'Celine Dion.' Simon over at blissblog gives his bid for the Pogues, but I'm not so sure myself.

It seems to be that there is a difference between those bands whom you really detest, and those which cause an actual physical regurgitation. In fact, I would say its those band which almost convince you they're something worth listening to, when in actual fact they are not, that are more problematic, than those artists who cause you to force something back down. Take bands like BSS, Stars, or Death Cab For Cutie for example. I have serious issues with those groups, but would never say they almost make me spew.

Anyways, to make a long story short here are 10 artists or groups who I think might force a gag-reflex most. This is simply a list I've put together quickly so it's a bit predictable, and definately incomplete. So please feel free to add more if you'd like.

10.) Mike Love dominated Beach Boys - Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the Beach Boys. Endless Summer, Smile and Pet Sounds are three of the greatest records of the past 50 years. But Kokomo, and they're unfortunate dealings with Full House, are completely gag-worthy.

9.) John Williams (the composer, not the guitarist) - Star Wars is still one of my favorite movie soundtracks, but everything else this schmuck has done (most alongside the equally gagorific Spielberg) is just horrible.

8.) Ashley Simpson - Now, I actually don't mind Jessica Simpson that much ( I've even caught myself laughing once or twice at The Newlyweds), but Ashley simply makes me want to spew my guts out. She's so 'angry', so 'hard-done-by' she's quickly running out of cliche's to play on.

7.) Brian Adams - He should really be higher up on the list, but I'm still willing to admit that Robin Hood Prince of Thieves still gives me goose bumps, which does redeem him a bit (or at leaste Christian Slater).

6.) All 4 One - This spot could have gone to many of the 90's soul revival clan (ie. Boys to Men), but All 4 One are the worst of the worst. First of all, they have a number in their name. Secondly, "I Swear" is, to this day, one of the worst songs ever written. And finally, the band consists of one of the most missed-placed white guys I've seen in a long time.

5.) Weather Report - Sure Weather Report has some salvagable material from the 70s, but how can we forgive a band that gave us the most over-used High School vocal jazz song out there with 'Birdland'?

4.) Bette Midler - Do I really need to explain this one?

3.) Emo - So this isn't a band, but it sure is the worst kind of music to come out in the last 50 years. Whether it's the way too happy for their own good stylings of Fall Out Boy, or the 'what were they thinking?' lyrics of Simple Plan, Emo automatically creates that acidic feeling at the back of your throat you just can't get rid of.

2.) Anne Murray - I know this one's extra predictable, but after seeing a poster of her in bright red short shorts at umfm the other day I couldn't help myself. Anne Murray = retchorific.

1.) Great Big Sea - Ever since I saw Great Big Sea for the first time on Much Music, I've tried to rip them from my memory, but have been unsuccessful. Why? Why did such an aweful band have to come into existence? Their lead singer especially. Bad hair, annoyingly constant smile, and irritating lyrics, Great Big Sea is worse than fruit flavored alcohol.

2006-06-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

"ALL THAT'S SOLID MELTS INTO THIN AIR"

Interesting musings over at blissblog on the liquidization of culture and music in the so called digital age. It seems as though Apple has recently launched a new add campaign for the ipod in which they refer to the music gathered on the ipod as a 'city of music.' The add features various shots of album covers dissolving into a mass of digital information only to be gathered up and formed into an ipod. Simon goes on to illustrate (through his analysis of Words and Music and Das Kapital), how this in effect strips music of its subversive potentialities, placing it wholly within the endless cycle of capital. Basically, he illustrates how Marx's claim that, through societies reliance on the constant exchange of capital, 'all that's solid melts into thin air' is yet again being shown, this time through the decaying of records into digital information. Definately worth reading (although it makes you want to burn your ipod).

2006-05-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

LINKS, LINKS, AND MORE LINKS

So, I've missed my show the past couple of weeks due to sickness and funerals, but I will be there this week. Expect the unexpected... actually, I'm sure I'll be playing stuff from the Fiery Furnaces, the new Final Fantasy and set up the Pink Mountaintops show coming up on Monday at the Albert.

The Pink Mn'tops show should be a blast. I saw him last fall as Black Mountain, and two summers ago along with Destroyer and Frog Eyes. The former was a great Black Sabbathesque rock out session (so many 'I can't believe they're rockin' this hard' moments it wasn't even funny) while the latter was much more lo - fi. I've had mixed feelings about his latest Axis of Evol album. When it's on, it's really on. But is definetly has its weaker moments. Nonetheless he always seems to put on a pretty decent show.

The Winnipeg Jazz Festival is fast approaching. Looking at the schedule, it seems to be a bit of a lackluster festival with very few interesting acts coming through town. I will hope to see at least one of Elliott Brood free shows at the Old Market Square as well as maybe the Novillero show.

The show that has the most potential of the festival is Seu Jorge (although the write-up on him on the Festival website is awful). Jorge is that portugese dude from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou who sings the Portugese David Bowie throughout. He is also know as the actor who plays Knockout Ned in City of God one of my favorite movies from the last five years. His show should consist of some of his Bowie covers as well as material from his stellar album Cru and should be equall parts bossa nova and lo-fi, which is always a good thing. It all happens at the Pyramid on June 24th and is $20.

In celebration of losing their bassist Chris Cohen, Deerhoof has released this ep of covers and live recordings (no Daniel Smith stuff though) which is easily worth a listen.

Also Will Butler guest posts at Said the Gramophone on Czech music, while the Fiery Furnaces have this atmospheric video for 'Benton's Harbour Blues' which is quickly becoming one of my favorite songs of the year.

Other than that, all there is to do is keep cheering for the Oil. I have a comanding lead in my hockey pool (25 pnts to be exact).

2006-05-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

ON OILER'S, PiL'S AND FALLING

Lately I've been getting the feeling that I've been born about twenty-five years late. The postpunk movement from 77-84 (Simon's definition, not necessarily mine) seems to be overtaking my life. First of all, I spent friday afternoon ooogyling over these videos by Pere Ubu, Devo and the Fall over at the youtube, and reading over with keen interest this article at K-punk on the Fall's 'peak' period from 80-83. This resulted in me running over to Music Trader to pick up Hex Enduction Hour (why did it take me so long to buy this album). Then on Saturday I caught myself at Into the Music holding copies of Pere Ubu's Song of the Bailing Man and PiL's Second Edition. Ultimately I went only for Second Edition, as I have enough Pere Ubu for now. This music's taking over my life!

I can't help it either. I'm absolutely fascinated with its messianic elements, it's willingness to destroy all that it has acomplished, only to take it into new directions, a willingness that is suspiciously absent in most independently produced music (especially indie-rock). I can't help but appreciate what groups like Pere Ubu, Devo, Throbbing Gristle, Joy Division, and of course the Fall, have signified. Namely a recognition that any attempt to place music anywhere (be it punk, indie-rock, or even postpunk), ultimately undermines the significance music has on who we are. Music isn't about seeing some form of music that seems to float your boat, and then just slotting yourself seamlessly within it. Music is about destruction, about constantly pointing to new possibilities of which it is not yet. This is why I feel like burning my Broken Social Scene Records in favour of more Destroyer and Final Fantasy albums. Why those who went to see this Strokes this Friday instead of Frog Eyes and Sunset Rubdown made a HUGE mistake. This is why much of the music from 77-84 is dissapointingly underappreciated. Anyways, sorry for the rant, I just had to get this off my chest.

Hockey also has been taking over my life as the Oilers just wont give up. Naturally, this is resulted in me kicking ass in my hockey pool (I'm actually in first as Brent doesn't really exist). Watching yesterday's game, I was suprised that the San Jose fans booed the Candadian national anthem as a sign of their distaste for Edmonton. Little did they realise that that very act made them that much more Albertan (let's forget the rest of Canada and just rely on ourselves ... I say this as an Albertan displaced in Manitoba of course though). Silly rabbit, booing is for Albertans. Hopefully that wont happen in E-town, although I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

My show this Friday probably wont happen as I'm probably heading down to the lovely town of Winkler for a Funeral. I will be around for the Alberta Report though. Make sure you tune in.

2006-04-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

AHHHH BLOGGING MAKES ME SICK

Well not really actually. That's more of an excuse than anything else. I promise to actually start writing here more regularly from now on. Maybe I'll start some sort of weekly gig guide, or something music bloggers are supposed to do.

Anyways, my show. I havn't thought much about this weeks show, but I will be playing some more stuff from the 'postpunk' era from 1977-1984. Why you ask? Well I've been completely mesmerised by Simon Reynolds book Rip it Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1977-1984. He takes a very Messianic approach to music writting showing how bands like Pere Ubu, Devo, Gang of Four or the Slits took the punk tendancies of the late 70s, tore them apart and then took them in whole new (and usually more interesting) directions. You haven't checked out Reynolds blog out yet, it's a must. Especially his thoughts on Broken Social Scene and how they signify how 'indie rock' is transforming into another humanistic approach to stress relief (he talks about how BSS always have to have a message therapist on tour with them). He also points to how they illustrate how 'indie rock' is quickly becoming more interested in style than substance. Anyways, be sure to check it out.

Besides reading Simon's book, I've been spending copious amounts of time watching playoff hockey, especially the Oilers-Red Wings series. Growing up in Edmonton, I can hardly think of anything else when the Oilers are in the playoffs. I'm in a playoff pool with some friends of mine and are sucking it up big time. You can see our results here as my friend Brent (aka super crazy Linux guy) created a webpage keeping track of our results. I'm not concerned with my results thus far. I've always been a late charger. Frickin Joe Thorton is screwing me over!

Anyways, I'll have some thoughts on Sunset Rubdown's latest album soon, in anticipation of their upcoming show at the Collective with one of my favorite bands Frog Eyes. Until next time.

2006-03-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

CATCHING UP

So I've been gone for a while so here's what's been happening.

First of all, The Manitoban did a profile for my show on umfm today. It's okay. I'm certain that I never said a couple of those quotes, and they make it seem like I don't like doing the Alberta Report with Kristen Epp WHICH ISN'T THE CASE. All in all I appreciate the enthusiasm they had about the show, and their willingness to profile it.

A couple of weeks ago I went to see Akron/Family which I have been anticipating for months. The show was really good. The bassist had severe broncitus and couldn't scream like he apparently usually does (this resulted in a somewhat uninspired acoustic version of "Raise the Sparks"). The show started with the bass player explaining how the show was going to consist of 'loud parts and quiet parts.' Which it did. The whole evening was a counterplay between quiet four part harmonies and full out noise and was really enjoyable. They seemed to hit their peak during the first few songs and then just played on cruise control after that which was a bit dissapointing. It seems like the individuals in the band have really taken their project to heart as, just like their songs, they themselves seemed on the verge of utter collapse. All in all the show was good, not as good as I had anticipated, but still good.

The Gunshy play the Pyramid on Saturday for a whopping $4.99. Fans of Tom Waits and Nick Cave Rejoice!

Destroyer, Band of Horses and Devendra Banhart have been added to the already kickin' Pitchfork Music Festival lineup. Now the festival just needs a few artists not so 'indie' friendly to add to the bill (some Ariel Pink or Kate Bush would be nice, but doubtful). I got my ticket yesterday, and you should get yours.

Anywho, that's all for me know.

2006-03-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

YET AGAIN ANOTHER UNWORTHY WINNER!

Fortunately I was out yesterday evening so I didn't have the time to watch the Oscars, but from what I heard it was not worth the time (with the exception of John Stewert and 3-6 Mafia). FRICK, CRASH? Why on earth would that horrible movie win. Crash is nothing more than a over-produced pro-american movie trying to mask itself as some remarkable revolutionary 'alternative' film. Sure the movie is right to say 'I'm sorry Michael Jackson, it DOES matter if you're black and white.' But didn't we already know this? Also, how could a movie that is so blatantly laking of any subtlety win best picture? 'Crash' is far too obvious, far too predictable to every be considered worthy of the praise it has received. Where is the mystery? Where are the hidden layers? Unfortunately they have been placed by a series of cliched characters and moments. Racists cops ... who would have thought? Racism in Los Angeles ... No way? Racist cop ends up saving a black women from a scary fire ... I can't believe it. If 'Crash' would of carried with it an ounce of the creativity and subtlety of both 'Brokeback Mountain' and 'Captote' it would have been at least a decent movie. Maybe this shouldn't come as a surprised since Haggis' only other directing claim to fame is the equally annoying television show 'Due South'.

Movies are good only is so far as they are able to point to new possibilities of which we are not yet capable of grasping. Movies like 'Brokeback Mountain', 'Capote', 'Downfall' and especially 'A History of Violence' do just this for a variety of reasons. 'Crash', eventhough at first glance appears to, doesn't. Rather than asking the more difficult question 'has racism become a necessity in our society' or look at how tolerance in effect perpetuates racism (racism isn't stopped simply by ignoring our differences and pretending to get along) it says 'look, racism is still out there. Let's become more tolerant of each other and stop it.' This is why Haggis could say in is victory speech yesterday 'thank you for embracing our film about love, tolerance and truth.' As a result 'Crash' does nothing more than justify the American Psychi.

I know this sounds harsh, and if you happened to like 'Crash' all the power to you. I'm just getting worried about how the Oscars are slowly becoming less about awarding good cinema and more about awarding those directors who make it easier for us to live out the 'American Dream.'

2006-02-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

ON HEADS, HOOF'S AND FAMILIES

I was at into the music and found a copy of The Talking Heads The Name of This Band is the Talking Heads on vinyl which is a collection of a variety of live recordings from 77 to 82. As much as I love 'Naive Melody (This Must Be the Place)' I find their first four records to be their best recordings by far, and The Name of This Band is the Talking Heads details this wonderfully. The live setting gives the song new life as they are developed with more grittiness then the studio recordings allow for (not to slight them either, this is just something new and exciting). While I only had to drop $11 for the record it's worth the $30 or so the cd costs new in the stores. If nothing else just to here David Byrne in his prime.

Speaking of Byrne, check out his blog. He is one the best commentators on pop music writing right now. He includes wonderful reflections on music past and present, in his typical geeky fashion.

Also, while I was at Into the Music, I also noticed the Akron/Family show at the Royal Albert has been made official. It all goes down on March 9 at the Albert for a measly $7. This could very well be one of the best shows of the year. Akron/Family released not one, but two of my favorite records last year, and apparently translate their songs well into a live setting.

Just in case you didn't know Akron/Family are the latest discovering of ex-swan/present Angel of Light M Gira (who also owns and operates Young God Records, and has discovered artists such as Devandra Banhart as well as Mi and L'au). Their music is a disturbing mix of early Alman Brothers and Animal Collective, with more collective yelling thrown into the mix. A band like this has no right to come to our frozen city, and yet here they come.

Finally, Deerhoof released a video for 'Wrong Time Capsule' which is worth checking out. It's very Deerhoofy.

2006-01-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

MORE ON THE MAD MAN IN THE BASEMENT

I know I just wrote on Sunset Rubdown last week but popsheep has a post on a new ep by the Wolf Parader. So what's the appeal? I've always found Wolf Parade to be battling their influences a bit (either Modest Mouse or Frog Eyes), and only a few times shine on their own. With Sunset Rubdown on the other hand, Spencer Rubdown seems to be offering something unique with Sunset Rubdown, in that there's still this sense of experimentation and madness that has been smoothed out to an unfortunate extent with Wolf Parade. Not that Wolf Parade's work isn't any good, I just find Sunset Rubdown to be an interesting direction taken by one of their members.

Also check out;
New Built to Spill at myspace
Chromewaves takes on Wallmart
And Catholics always win at Cat and Girl

2006-01-22T21:58:00.000-08:00

Some Pre-Election Thoughts...

Don't throw in the towel yet, rabble has an interesting article on the Globe and Mail, Pollsters and their attempts to create an overwhelming Conservative majority. Maybe I wont have to move to Denmark after all.

Seriously though, why are we so obsessed with poll results. It's like I don't even have to vote b/c a sample of a 1000 Canadians have already done that for me. Here's hoping for a bright s Harperless future!

2006-01-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

Until This Phoney Beatlemania Has Bitten the Dust

Well maybe not Beatlemania but zoilus adds to the Destroyer freak out speaking about a possible colab with Frog Eye's Carey Mercer and Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown's Spencer Krug. Carey Mercer is no surprise but Spencer Krug is a bit more. I mean I liked Wolf Parade enough, and heard Sunset Rubdown's version of 'I'll Believe in Anything' on Brave New Waves last night and it was quite remarkable, but he's never made it to same level of genius as Carey Mercer and Dan Bejar. Should be interesting though.

That said, May 12 sees Frog Eyes and Sunset Rubdown coming to the collective. Destroyer isn't touring at that point, so could this mean a possible Destroyer show in the peg finally? Lets hope.

2006-01-18T13:19:00.000-08:00

Check out this video for Xiu Xiu's 'Pox'. Who would've expected such a disturbing video from Jamie Stewert. Oh wait, everyone.

Not to belittle him or anything. In fact it's because he's so disturbing that I like him. Pop music needs more uncertainty, more pain and suffering than it has. I mean if Ashley Simpson is the poster child of pain, what next?

2005-11-27T13:29:00.000-08:00

ANGELS OF LIGHT AND AKRON/FAMILY CONTINUE TO CONFOUND

Typically, when writing music, one is tempted to look at all the pre-desposed types of music and find one in which they mostly neatly fit in. Whereas the more profound approach is to call into question those very distinctions. With their split album, Angels of Light and Akron/Family do just this. Recorded and mixed in nine eight-hour days after an inspiring North American tour, the two groups give us an album that is Americana and yet not Americana, that is Southern Rock and yet not Southern Rock, that is free-form and yet not free-form. In short, an album that signifies a break with the constant cycle of neatly located music.

The album begins with seven songs from Brooklyn based band Akron/Family. Having recorded a disturbing, yet triumphant debut album earlier this year, Akron/Family take all the experimental textures of their debut in even more unpredictable directions. Listening to Akron/Family is like listening to your grandparents telling you a story from when they were young. You never really know where they are going next.

Akron/Family’s set opens with the gently textured “Awake.” Layers of vocal harmony swell overtop a gently arpeggiated guitar, reminiscent of the darker moments of later Beatles material. Just as you’re about to get the sense that you know what Akron/Family is trying to get at, in comes the second song “Moment” with its big wall of sound. This is no longer a calm and collected album, but instead a dialectic between the tranquil sounds of neatly placed harmonies with the utterly unsettling sounds of dissonant guitars, piercing electronics, and collective yelling. At no point can you say that one has won over the other, Akron/Family are far too clever to allow that to happen. Rather what is created with these songs is a constant conflict that is never resolved.

The paradigmatic instance of this would be with Akron/Family’s last song “Raise the Spark.” Chalked full of stylistic changes, this song can be seen as the culmination of all of Akron/Family’s prior work. The song starts off with a captivating southern rock jam session that would make Duane Allman and Dickey Betts jealous, but is quickly interrupted by a Animal Collective-esque yeah-yeah section, which is far more reminiscent of the avante-garde than anything southern rock. This doesn’t last long as the song then transforms into an all-out Gospel chant with the entire band screaming “Raise the Spark” with such enthusiasm that you are left with little choice but to respond with a big ‘AMEN’. The song then ends cycling back to the southern rock section, yet it is now much more unsure of itself having passed through the rest of the song, almost negating it entirely. Thus, Akron/Family’s section leaves us, in many ways, more confused about who Akron/Family actually is than we were when we first started the album.

This would be enough by itself, but we have five Angels of Light songs to go. If the Akron/Family section of the album displays a young band trying to establish itself, by not establishing itself, the Angels of Light section, although still coherent with the Akron/Family material, offers something different. Here, instead, we have an already established artist trying to explode much of what they have already accomplished. The result is very captivating.

With his five songs, Michael Gira (head Angel, long-time Swan) presents some of his most interesting material to date. He leaves behind the reserved songwriting of his other 2005 album The Angels of Light Sing Other People, and instead invites Akron/Family in, with exciting results. Whether it’s the quiet “Mother/Father” or the haunting “The Provider”, working alongside Akron/Family rejuvenates Gira, allowing him to explore elements of his songs in ways that he has not done in quite some time.

If there is a negative aspect of the album, however, it comes with the transition between the two groups. The Angels of Light section begins by covering the Dylan song “I Pity the Poor Immigrant”, in an attempt to relate back to Akron/Family’s “Dylan Pt. 2”. While being an excellent song on its own, in the context of the rest of the album, the song is far too predictable to be relied upon as a turning point in the album. Instead it sticks out like Paris Hilton at a peace rally. Fortunately Angels of Light are able to respond with four other exceptional tracks that are on par with Akron/Family’s set.

With this album, both groups refrain from merely giving us bonus material. Instead they offer an essential collection of songs that have a dramatic impact on both careers. It displays a young band establishing itself in a wonderfully negating kind of way, while at the same time portraying an already recognized artist who is still able to evolve.

2005-11-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

DUCKS, BANSHEE'S, BEES: THE ANIMAL COLLECTIVE FEELS

I know this album came out few weeks ago, so in many ways I've already missed the bus on this one. It's just that I needed to let this one escape the honeymoon period before I could allow myself to say anything about the album. The fact of the matter is that I don't really know what to make of Feels, not because of the album itself, but more because of people's reactions to it. It is one of the most beautiful albums I've heard in a while. But is it, as everyone is saying, signifying a change in the Animal Collective's work, going more (as it is most commonly refered to) 'accessible'? Every reviewer of this album seems to want to place the significance of Feels in the fact that the Animal Collective have decided to exist, to quote Pitchfork 'in relationship to music history, and not just any music history, but rock.' My question is then, is it really possible for any band, including the Animal Collective, to fully exist 'inside' or 'outside' of music history?

Such a reading of Feels tends to result from a misunderstanding of the significance of the Animal Collectives work prior to Feels. Many place the Animal Collective within the larger musical movement typically refered to as 'outsider music,' refering to musicians who have decided to place themselves outside the confines of any previously prescribed musical forms. They thus exist 'outside' of what is most commonly refered to as popular music. The Animal Collective tend to be placed within this group (along with the likes of Devendra Banhart, Wesley Willis and Black Dice, among others) because of their very unpredictable musical output thus far. Whether it's the mysterious electronics of Spirits They're Gone, Spirits They're Vanished, or the piercing sounds of Here Comes the Indian or the so-called freak folk of SungTongs and Prospect Hummor, it has been very difficult to place the Animal Collective within any previously understood type of music.

Feels differs from these albums in that it is more placeable. It contains more songs that can appeal to a wider audience and that can be named, usually as indie or pop. The band goes with a more 'traditional' band format (guitars, bass drumbs) and writes some all out pop songs in 'Did You See the Words,' 'Grass' and 'The Purple Bottle.' Thus all the Seth Cohens and Connor O'bersts of our world are all giddy over Feels because The Animal Collective have finally recorded something they can understand. They have made their first indie rock album and can now be played alongside all the likes of Guided By Voices, Death Cab's and Interpol's.

Such an understanding of Feels fails to take seriously enough what the Animal Collective have done and continue to do with Feels. What is important with the Animal Collective is not their movement from outside to within. What's important is how they were able to reform pop music by, in a sense, rupturing it. Music does not flow by any movements captured by the terms 'outer' and 'inner.' Such terms presume that there are realms of music that musicians generally seek to either fit inside or outside of, be it indie-rock, pop music or hi-hop. As music is in a state of constant revolution, in constant flux, these terms are at all times being torn apart. The Animal Collective do just this with their albums, including Feels.

For example Feels represents another disturbance in the music narrative as it disrupts the notion of a 'song.' Avey Tare, as he has done in much of his previous work as well, starts and then throws away more song ideas in one song than many artists are able to come up with in an entire album. As Betty Clarke from The Guardian states, what we have with Feels is not a collection of whole songs but rather 'a mosaic made up of pieces of a broken mirror.' Feels is another offerring from the Animal Collective of a series of fragmented and open ended songs.

Take 'The Purple Bottle' for example. The song starts with hyper-active guitars strumming over one chord with a sparadic drum beat underneath and Avey Tare's over-exuberant singing on top of it all. Just as the song is about to culminate in all that it has been working towards we are interrupted by a quiet section that sounds dangerously close to Stevie Wonder's 'I Just Called to Say I Love You'. Then the song ends back in all the hyper-activity with Avey Tare screaming and hollering over everything else.

Same goes for 'The Banshee Beat' (possibly the Animal Collective's most stunning piece of work). The song starts off very murky with drones and the quite whisper of Avey Tare's voice. Eventually the song begins to build and you start to get the feeling you know where everything is going. Then all of a sudden Avey Tare lands a beautiful and powerful 'Ah-oooooo' that you would never have been able to predict. He does this a few times and you begin to think he'll carry out the rest of the song doing this. Enter the Futureheadsesque oh-oh harmonies that once again throw you for a loop and the song eventually fades out leaving you disturbed but still very pleased.

Forget all this talk about the Animal Collective going all soft on us, going all accessible and sissy. Feels is yet another example of the Animal Collective's stunning ability to render and create songs that are constantly negating themselves. These are not placeable songs, whether 'inside' or 'outside' of indie rock. I'm sorry all you indie-kids, you may have thought you won one more over. The Animal Collective are not that easily fooled