tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3156426065097370982024-03-12T20:41:46.542-06:00Narrow CraftsChelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-68695124953109615942010-06-03T10:22:00.002-06:002010-06-03T10:27:26.309-06:00Looking for Awesome Shows in E-town this week? Here, let me help.I hate the feeling I get in my gut when I discover some amazing new artist/album/whatever and then find out that they played in Edmonton the week before. I wish someone could just tell me: "Hey. This band is coming to play. You've never heard them, but you will soon fall in love with them".<br />
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Also, I am often told that blogs should cater to a niche subject or service, so why not this? So I'm going to add this as a regular feature. That being said, if you know of hot upcoming shows, please e-mail me and give me a heads up!!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/TAfXeVXFfbI/AAAAAAAAAIk/FMVVxVBG6PU/s1600/volcanoless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/TAfXeVXFfbI/AAAAAAAAAIk/FMVVxVBG6PU/s400/volcanoless.jpg" width="266" /></a>Here is a show hitting Edmonton this weekend that (granted, you like the rest of the tunes on this blog) you will probably kick yourself for missing in two weeks:<br />
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<b><u>Volcanoless in Canada</u></b><br />
These guys are making their FIRST ever stop in Edmonton while on tour supporting their new album "<a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/volcanoless2">The Way Forward</a>". If you want rock-tastic music and DANCING, this is the show for you. It's a rare occasion I leave one of their shows without bruised up shins and hair so damp from sweat it sticks to my neck. They're a big crowd-favourite in Saskatoon and are skilled at packing the house and melting faces. This show is a must-see. They're playing at <a href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Haven+Social+Club+The,+Edmonton,+Alberta&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=30.167649,73.652344&ie=UTF8&hq=Haven+Social+Club+The,&hnear=Edmonton,+AB&ll=53.553975,-113.582497&spn=0.1083,0.287704&z=12&iwloc=A">Haven Social Club</a> with Florida-based group <a href="http://www.myspace.com/lookmexico">Look Mexico</a> on Saturday, June 5th. Come check it out!<br />
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Volcanoless in Canada -<a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//08%20Drown%20With%20the%20Rest%20of%20Them%20(Pop).m4a"> Drown with the Rest of Them</a>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-56396948093451245742010-05-26T12:00:00.005-06:002010-05-26T12:23:28.374-06:00Edmonton Folk Fest Line-up<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S_1hwSlGvwI/AAAAAAAAAIc/Th64OcPTumw/s1600/up-EdmontonFolkMusicFestival_bLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S_1hwSlGvwI/AAAAAAAAAIc/Th64OcPTumw/s320/up-EdmontonFolkMusicFestival_bLG.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Aggggh, I've been under vow of secrecy punishable by death for the last week regarding the line-up announcements for this summer's Edmonton Folk festival. But now, it is Wednesday. So I get to tell you. Ready?</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Jakob Dylan (with Neko F*cking Case on Sunday night!)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Sarah Harmer</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Gord Downie </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">and Patrick Watson.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Whew. Feels so good to get that off my chest! They will be joining Ben Harper, Calexico and Dan Wilson, among others. I hope to see you there, Folk festers! This is looking like it's going to be a great year! Check out the main stage schedule <a href="http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/pluggedin/archive/2010/05/26/folk-fest-evening-mainstage.aspx">HERE</a>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-43534739546165859622010-05-19T09:30:00.001-06:002010-05-26T12:09:21.399-06:00Broken Social Scene concert announcement<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S_QEBREeVdI/AAAAAAAAAIU/_-tYbhbnGEo/s1600/forgiveness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S_QEBREeVdI/AAAAAAAAAIU/_-tYbhbnGEo/s320/forgiveness.jpg" wt="true" /></a>For all of you BSS fans out there, the ensemble is passing through Edmonton October 9th in support of their new album: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Record-Broken-Social-Scene/dp/B003BZXI2I?ie=UTF8&tag=narrow04-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Forgiveness Rock Record</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=narrow04-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003BZXI2I" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1" />. Now, I've never had the opportunity to catch these guys live before, but I've been told by some trustworthy sources that it is a must-see show. <a href="http://www.brokensocialscene.ca/tourdates.php">Tickets</a> are not on sale yet, but I will be keeping a sharp eye out (they've gone on sale in other cities, but alas, E-town has a different promoter).</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Check in here next Wednesday afternoon for a Folk Fest line up announcement. It's burning a hole. You won't be disappointed.Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-88689648434040597412010-05-17T22:56:00.003-06:002010-05-17T23:23:13.187-06:00Quick fix: Blue Scholars take me back to school<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S_IeFmpbSDI/AAAAAAAAAIM/l_9mkh-oj-E/s1600/blue+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S_IeFmpbSDI/AAAAAAAAAIM/l_9mkh-oj-E/s320/blue+school.jpg" /></a></div>I've been loving this Seattle-based Hip hop pair for a few years now (ever since they were name-dropped on one of my <a href="http://questionablecontent.net/">favourite webcomics</a>. Commence making fun of the uber-nerd). They're political, energetic, emotional, melodic, and totally fucking amazing.<br />
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So I figured I'd bring out some samples for everyone to snack on. Betcha can't eat just one*.<br />
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Blue Scholars - <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//04%20-%20north%20by%20northwest.mp3">North by Northwest</a><br />
Blue Scholars - <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//09-blue_scholars-evening_chai.mp3">Evening Chai</a><br />
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Check out their albums <a href="http://bluescholars.com/store/">Here</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Bayani-Redux-Blue-Scholars/dp/B002IRDDDO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1274158505&sr=8-1-spell"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bayani-Redux-Blue-Scholars/dp/B002IRDDDO?ie=UTF8&tag=narrow04-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Here</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=narrow04-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002IRDDDO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Can't wait till you guys hit Canada!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*And this is where I get sued.</span>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-38446057759117944452010-05-12T11:02:00.001-06:002010-05-12T18:25:09.861-06:00It's About Fucking Time.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S-rc60eyOZI/AAAAAAAAAIE/jUIFJj-QY6k/s1600/muise+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S-rc60eyOZI/AAAAAAAAAIE/jUIFJj-QY6k/s320/muise+3.jpg" width="320" wt="true" /></a></div><a href="http://muse.mu/news/">Muse</a>.<br />
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After eight years of pent up (musical) frustration - much like the wait I endured for Radiohead and Coldplay - Muse finally gave me the release I waitied so long for: a live show where we made sweet, sweet music together.<br />
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The night was not for the faint of hear (nor those prone to epilepsy), with laser shows that drew parallels to acid trips and <a href="https://twitter.com/Sperounes">being trapped in a Frankie Goes to Hollywood music video</a>... plus face melting guitar work. Of course. They peppered the show with homage after homage to those that came before them: AC/DC's back in black and Rage Against the Machine's Bulls on Parade both made sneaky little appearances during the performance, along with a hat tip to to Mr. Freddie Mercury himself. It was everything [this] little girl could have hoped for. The only thing I worried about was that they wouldn't play much old material. Muse wasn't exactly selling out Rexall before Absolution dropped. But no... there were renditions of <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//03.%20Time%20is%20Running%20Out.mp3">Time Is Running out</a>, Stockholm Syndrome, Butterflies and Hurricanes, Rule by Secrecy and <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//08.%20Hysteria.mp3">Hysteria</a> to sate the geezer fans like myself. And yet, enough of the Twilight-soundtracking, Guitar Hero jazz to keep the new guard happy. Frankly, I'm jealous of that latter group: if my first rock show at 11 could have been a Legend like Muse (rather than Christian Rock group <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokus_Pick">Hocus Pick</a>), I might have ditched N'sync and their puppet-dancing ways years sooner.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S-rcr5ckh2I/AAAAAAAAAH8/wWF4mVirbpE/s1600/muse+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S-rcr5ckh2I/AAAAAAAAAH8/wWF4mVirbpE/s320/muse+2.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div>The stage set-up was a million kinds of cool. Raised and sectioned platforms made to look like high-rise buildings were used to different effect over and over and over throughout the show. Whoever they paid for set design, well... I hope they were paid a buttload of money: it was totally creative and totally fabulous.<br />
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I'll only briefly mention openers Silversun Pickups: they were low-energy and a little boring. I wouldn't have missed out on much if I had shown up late. But I'll admit to my sampling bias: I never really liked them much anyway, and they did nothing to sway me at this show.<br />
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If these guys ever come through town, or even near a town I'm kind of close by, it will be like going to see Radiohead: I will sell a limb to the gypsies if I have to. These guys put on a live show worth the money you pay. It's high-energy, fairly lengthly, and a has a perfect mix of older material and the new stuff. I would do it all over again tomorrow if I could.<br />
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Check out their latest album, The Resitance, <a href="http://muse.mu/discography/albums/47/the-resistance/">Here</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Resistance-Muse/dp/B002GZQYMK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1273683466&sr=8-2">Here</a>. But being the geez that I am, I would recommend <a href="http://muse.mu/discography/albums/2/absolution/">Absolution</a> first: quite possibly their finest piece of work to date.Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-13976298094227659082010-05-11T18:50:00.001-06:002010-05-11T18:54:20.698-06:00Concert Review: Vampire Weekend and The Blow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S-n36Af-ZTI/AAAAAAAAAH0/LOgdDfnFDjE/s1600/the+blow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S-n36Af-ZTI/AAAAAAAAAH0/LOgdDfnFDjE/s320/the+blow.jpg" /></a></div>First, let's talk about <a href="http://www.myspace.com/theblowus">The Blow</a>. The Blow is the moniker of a one-woman act hailing out of New York. Her initial stage presence was timid, if not a little self-depreciating. Totally hip cred? Check. I wasn't blown away at first (hur hur hur. I know). I was more captivated by the Ian Curtis-esque dance moves than what she was singing. There was a lot of intentional off-key moments that just didn't resonate. I've seen off-key get used in magical ways that really jar the audience and make a point... but this was like... well, imagine an under-prepared band of 16-17 year olds playing their first gig. It's awkward and lacking in some confidence. You know it could be really enjoyable, but it's just not quiet there yet.<br />
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"Chels, you snot!" You may be thinking at this point. "Don't be such a dick!"<br />
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But here's where her performance just upped its game. After going on a diatribe about a certain (redheaded, bi, train-wreck) celebrity of certain renown who could not be named, for whom she wrote some tracks, it was like a different person. A different show. Suddenly, I was enraptured! Her minimalist electro-pop grew a spine and spun me onto the dance floor! I was tickled pink by the cutsey lyrics in <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//02%20Parentheses.mp3">Parentheses</a>. That was enough to hold my attention: a groove-inducing beat overlayed with casio-rock licks. Absolutely delicious! Following that (and possibly one of my favourites) was this bare-bones track with a foundation of snares driving the beat forward and forward and forward. God love me, I didn't catch the name of it. Dear readers, if you know, please share. Finally, there was <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//10%20True%20Affection.mp3">True Affection</a>. I thought this track was just made to rock socks. It sounded like it could have been air-lifted from the repetoire of<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Knife"> Karin Dreijer Andersson</a> herself. Only love. And applesauce... sorry. Just got back into the groove of non-sequiter awesomeness that was the Blow's performance. Check her out under her <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blow">other </a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0000ee;"><u>pseudonyms</u></span> too!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S-n18us8iZI/AAAAAAAAAHs/H___idX__9A/s1600/photo+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S-n18us8iZI/AAAAAAAAAHs/H___idX__9A/s320/photo+(1).jpg" width="240" /></a></div>And onto the main act: Vampire Weekend. By now, everyone who hasn't been living underneath a rock has heard <i>something</i> by these guys. Which is great, because I've been a pretty big fan since I first heard <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//05%20m79.m4a">M79</a> in the spring of 2008. So, there's probably little need to tell you about their funky afro-pop meets New York Indie sound. It's insanely catchy, melodic, dancable, and extremely fun. How does this translate to a live audience you may ask? Well, to put it succinctly: perfectly. I mean, how can you go wrong with a set covered in glittery chandeliers? Rainbows? Creepy faces with glowing eyes? Answer: You cannot.<br />
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To their credit (and my great happiness), the band played a number of tracks from their freshman release, including M79, <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//07%20bryn.m4a">Bryn</a> and <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//08%20one%20blakes%20got%20a%20new%20face.m4a">One (Blake's Got A New Face)</a>. The latter turned into a crowd sing-a-long encouraged by Ezra himself. If you listen to the song, you can only imagine how that sounded amplified a few hundred times over!<br />
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The encore was a stronger finish than I could have imagined putting together - perhaps why I write about music rather than having a band of my own... The boys rocked out Horchata, Mansard Roof and <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//10%20walcott.m4a">Walcott</a> for the eager crowd. It was a perfect finish to a perfect night. And as per usual, not close to long enough. Always a good sign.<br />
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Vampire Weekend is<i> </i><a href="http://events.myspace.com/105993385/Events/1">still touring</a> if you want to check them out (good luck scoring tickets, though)... or grab a copy of their self-titled or Contra from <a href="http://www.xlrecordings.com/vampireweekend">these</a> <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/contra-bonus-track-version/id340465551?s=143441">fine</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Contra-Vampire-Weekend/dp/B002JN74WI/?tag=begrus-20">locations</a>.Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-52919577596326607042010-03-11T09:50:00.005-07:002010-05-11T15:18:06.721-06:00You Say Party! I Say: Get the Fuck on the Dancefloor<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S1YkVX7FevI/AAAAAAAAAHk/EKoalZgB6XY/s1600-h/you+say+party+we+say+die.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428566350459402994" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S1YkVX7FevI/AAAAAAAAAHk/EKoalZgB6XY/s400/you+say+party+we+say+die.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 357px;" /></a><br />
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</div>So I scored a couple of tickets to see Vancouver's <a href="http://yousaypartywesaydie.ca/">You Say Party! We Say Die!</a> do an acoustic set at a <a href="http://sonic1029.com/">local radio staion</a>. I was pretty pumped for this intimate set, and YSP!WSD! delivered. Not really surprised. This latest album has me rethinking their genre label of "dance punk". I mean, maybe it was the acoustic set, but it wasn't so dance-y as I remember the first one. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that's a <em>bad</em> thing. XXXX is just a totally grown up sound from their sophomore effort. That being said, hearing dance punk with only vocals, an accompanying acoustic guitar and a tambourine is almost an unsettling experience. Becky's haunting voice turned ethereal and you could see down to the bare soul of the tracks. Pretty Prose over, I Promise.<br />
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</div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//Laura%20Palmers%20Prom.mp3">Laura Palmer's Prom</a>, a song about the a character from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Peaks">Twin Peaks</a>, was absolutely chilling sans synths. I can't stop myself from singing the chorus at random intervals. It's a bit nonsensical ("My heart needs a love-dance"), but it's perfect. It's romantic and melancholy and above all, so yearny! I can't get enough.</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353//Dark%20Days.mp3">Dark Days</a> is highly emotional: Becky looked like she's going to cry during this song. I do the same thing, though, when I'm working hard to hit those lower notes. But you can't really dismiss the fact that a song called "Dark Days" didn't come from somewhere painful. Whatever the inspiration, you can hear it in every single lyric. Not the most danceable track on the album, but one of the most honest. I think it's a YSP! WSD! classic.</div><div><br />
</div><div>So like, my first "interview". Kinda. The below is paraphrased, since I didn't have the foresight to record the convo:</div><div><br />
</div><div>Me: "So last time I saw you guys perform was at Amigo's in Saskatoon a few years back. One of the most memorable things about the show was [Becky's] huge hair. It's pretty short now. Was it traumatic cutting it all off?"</div><div><br />
</div><div>Becky: "The first few days were really tough. I had to keep reminding myself I'd cut it off for a good reason. When it was long, I loved to dance with it, and it really was bad on my neck because it was so heavy. I think everyone needs to cut off all their hair every few years. I can see my features again. It's nice to see them again."</div><div><br />
</div><div>Me: "So what did you find was the biggest difference in writing/recording the material from "Lose All Time" and the new album (XXXX)?"</div><div><br />
</div><div>Derek: "We took a lot longer! Last album, everyone kind of did their own thing. It was all very compartmentalized, with the intention of everyone's individual sound coming through. This was much more of a group process."<br />
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Becky: "Definitely. Plus this time around I had vocal coach. She was with me all the time, even in the studio. It made a huge difference for me."<br />
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Thanks guys, for letting me be intrusive. :)<br />
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Pick up a copy of XXXX of Lose All Time <a href="http://paperbagrecords.com/artists/you-say-party-we-say-die">HERE</a> or on iTunes<br />
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</span></span></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-64380267657732983472010-01-12T14:31:00.008-07:002010-01-13T13:06:10.327-07:00In-Flight Safety; or, yet another reason why Halifax is slowly stealing my heart.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S04gYSbxWBI/AAAAAAAAAG8/xIJ3U0DxAYU/s1600-h/In-Flight+Safety.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/S04gYSbxWBI/AAAAAAAAAG8/xIJ3U0DxAYU/s400/In-Flight+Safety.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426310202665293842" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;">This four-piece out of Halifax took me by total surprise. I went to check out a show featuring some <a href="http://thelibraryvoices.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:blue;">out-of-town friends of mine</span></a>, and <a href="http://www.inflightsafety.ca/"><span style="color:blue;">In-Flight Safety</span></a> provided the crowd with some sweet, sweet opening magic. Despite my drunken inability to actually grab an album off the guys before the end of the night (and remember their name. Sorry), I got my hands on a copy of "We Are an Empire, my Dear". And boy, am I glad I did. These guys are def going to be one of those bands I will get really stuck up about having seen play an early show in a small venue after they (inevitably) get huge.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;">So, I guess, first I need to say thanks to Carlos for the introduction. Yeah, thanks!!!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;">Now, onto the album. Ahhh, guitar-driven Indie Rock... where have you been hiding for the last year? I feel like I've spent the last 12 months subsisting on electro-pop of varying degrees, neo-folk artists and experimental groups. Relatively speaking, In-Flight Safety is back to the basics. And it's so damn refreshing. This is a generation of old is new again, so it makes sense that musically it'd start to come full-circle.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;">We are an Empire, My Dear is an album that I want to start harmonizing along with, long before I know what the lyrics actually are (which is probably one part annoying, one part hilarious if you're lucky enough to catch me doing it). It's an album absolutely overflowing with potential singles, and yet enough slower and more introspective pieces to create a good balance. One of my absolute favourites (of the former category) is the track <a href="http://www.fileden.com/getfile.php?file_path=http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/05%20Torches.mp3"><span style="color:blue;">Torches</span></a>. This song draws you in with gentle tones and soft lyrics that slowly build into a driving guitar riff and poppy harmonies. It's just so damn pretty!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;">My absolute favourite, however, has to be <a href="http://www.fileden.com/getfile.php?file_path=http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/03%20Model%20Homes.mp3"><span style="color:blue;">Model Homes</span></a>. This piece is gut-wrenchingly emotional. It's such a solid track, that I think an acoustic version might just go and put a tear in this cynic's eye*. It's a little ditty on how the ideal can be just empty and useless symbols that do nobody no good (<i>If you've built a model home/just burn it to the ground.../It's no home/)</i>, backed with rich major melodies replete with guitars, piano, and an epic Editors-esque riff to finish off the track. I guess there's some power behind realizing what things in life are <i>actually</i> important. I've quite seriously had it on repeat for the last two days. If you're in the mood for shivers, this track is for you.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;">And of course, my introduction, <a href="http://www.fileden.com/getfile.php?file_path=http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/02%20Big%20White%20Elephant.mp3"><span style="color:blue;">Big White Elephant</span></a>. What else can I say, but 80's synth pop sounds, dancability and the kind of sound Coldplay could have had if they hadn't pussied out on us.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;">All in all, this album is grandiose, melodic, sweeping, emotional and kind of epic. Without the need for irony, self-abasement, or ostentatious bullshit. I can see these guys following in the footsteps of fellow Halifaxers, The Trews; catchy enough sound to generate a reasonable following (which I don't doubt they're lacking on the East Coast already), appealing enough to get radio play, and original enough that snobby music geeks *cough* will probably be cool with having their albums amongst their collection. Come back to Edmonton soon, guys!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;">Pick up a copy of their album <a href="http://www.maplemusic.com/product.asp?dept_id=1531&pf_id=1530-20&lang=EN"><span style="color:blue;">HERE</span></a>, or grab a copy off of iTunes! I assure you, I've barely scratched the surface of awesome on this album with these previews... you're going to want to hear the rest.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:EN-CAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;">*I cried during the remake of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". I'm not that much of a hard-ass.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-25703909931076375232009-09-17T13:38:00.020-06:002009-10-26T14:43:06.775-06:00There's a first time for everything: Edmonton's Sonic Boom<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SuCD1Jo3v9I/AAAAAAAAAGI/AtuNbPCUz30/s1600-h/Sonic+Boom+003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395457302733504466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SuCD1Jo3v9I/AAAAAAAAAGI/AtuNbPCUz30/s400/Sonic+Boom+003.JPG" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A<span style="font-family:times new roman;"> hot Saturday in September was the inaugural Sonic Boom festival in Edmonton. And I have to tell you, it was totally worth having to put up with the usual "first timer" kinks to go check it out. After figuring out where the hell the VIP entrance was, I hunkered down on a spot of wet grass with a piece of shitty pizza and waited for the face-melting rock to start. But it just didn't have the sweet, sweet view I assumed there was going to be, so as </span><a href="http://www.wetsecrets.ca/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The Wet Secrets</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> took the stage, I ventured out to brave the harsh concrete jungle.</span></span></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">The Wet Secrets are some seriously lovely Edmontonian talent, that I saw for the first time when they played at this year's Pride festival. I was instantly in love with their straight-forward story telling, and awesome costumes. The self-proclaimed homo-centric fuzz rockers are 2 parts hilarious and a whole-lot-of parts wicked. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">There's something to be said about introducing songs. The "This is a song I wrote after my SO broke my heart and I was depressed for a while" trope is so tired... but when lead singer Lyle Bell leads into a track, people wanna hear it:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">"This is song about having a roommate who hides cheeseburgers under their mattress. It's called '</span></span><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/01%20get%20your%20own%20apartment.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">Get Your Own Apartment</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">'"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">These guys are totes one of Edmonton's many gems, and I can't say loud enough, go check them out!!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Because all performances were from the main stage, I hunkered back to the grassy, shaded area while band </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.myspace.com/ubiquitoussynergyseeker"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">USS</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> got their gear in order. I ended up staying back for this set, but it was easily enjoyable from where I was. USS, to be totally blunt, kind of confused me. I mean, their sound was this intense mish-mash of Glitchy retro hip-hop and Indie rock + break beats and nu-metal vocals. Near the end of their set, up bubbled east coast influences. It was totally all over the map, yet still pretty cool.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">I definitely appreciated the Street Fighter lift of "Sonic Boom" (one of Guile's power moves, for those who don't remember), even though it got a little overused. All in all, not my favourite band of the day, but for sure they were fun and energetic.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395479817172040514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SuCYTqdUO0I/AAAAAAAAAGo/_ZVRTZcxu7U/s320/Sonic+Boom+010.JPG" border="0" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The next crew to hit the stage was Mississauga's</span><a href="http://www.illscarlett.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> Ill Scarlett</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. These guys did a great job of getting</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">the crowd going: I hadn't seen people headbanging in earnest in years, and this is the crew that started the crowd surfing. I've never been much of a fan of Reggae-Pop - I mean, I love Sublime as much as the next girl - but that's pretty much where my love begins and ends, so I can't really say how good or bad they were, since I wasn't paying that much attention. All I know is that the hardcore fans said they phoned this performance in. An unfortunate first introduction.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395469264213519218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SuCOtZn8K3I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/XdZQzgQBU34/s320/Sonic+Boom+026.JPG" border="0" /> </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">After locating burgers, corndogs and more beer, I hit the concrete to check out </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.myspace.com/girltalk"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">DJ Girl Talk</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. This was absolutely the most ill-fitting act of the whole day. And I am so glad for it. This mash-up artist brought a sullen crowd to life with and seamless blends of club-worthy dance tracks, oldies, hard rock, and million other genres. The dance pit that ensued brought out the clubbers,</span></span></span></div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395472030434106594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SuCROamUnOI/AAAAAAAAAGY/inwi8CxAG3s/s200/Sonic+Boom+013.JPG" border="0" /> </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">the illicit drugs, and the disapproving looks of mothers </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">who accompanied their younger teens. I absolutely loved the gimmicky crowd pleasers (rolls of toilet paper attached to leaf blowers? Giant inflated pillows?) and the high-energy. Such a good call. I'd love to see him play again.</span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy-ZOpH9rflq-xMkSDJ0tZUOnB9tbqHhRBgoR0beOnNDmiiXOYGUMyYO_P9SNWjtTGmwdYWDK4vkm8lom0WZA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395474095417613490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SuCTGnQwXLI/AAAAAAAAAGg/nnvrmC4OeKU/s320/Sonic+Boom+034.JPG" border="0" /> </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Finally, it was time for the band I was really there to see: </span><a href="http://www.ilovemetric.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Metric</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. Their set was awesome, as</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">per usual. Emily wore yet another sweet, sweet</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">dress and encouraged us all to "rock [our] faces off", a request I was more than happy to oblige. Keeping in mind that </span><a href="http://sonic1029.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Sonic</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> (being an E-town radio station) is a little more mainstream than I'm used to, Emily and crew understandably stuck to the newer material. Tracks like "Gimme Sympathy" and "Help, I'm Alive". Was it a little bit of a bummer to not hear "Dead Disco"? Yes. But Metric is like my crack, and I'm generally happy with even a little hit.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">Side-note: super duper thanks to Sonic's production Manager, who got my Metric vinyl signed by the band. Legitimately a fan-girl now. Yikes.<br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Either I was wiped from all the booze and heat and rocking my face off to the prior bands, or Franz Ferdinand was way more boring than I'd have guessed they were. You could see the stream of hispters and cool kids leaving shortly after this performance. Yeah. I'm phoning this one in.<br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dylfJWPeoCeEuFPUKL-fZJxhOz_cesD3VtcTtRMfTOtDKiUoBk8jgEjQlDf1Uxz2-xovwj4WYyZ5rwIe8VQZw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />After this, I took off. I missed Alexis on Fire and Billy Talent. You're welcome.<br /><br /></span></span><div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">Some small not-band-related, but festival-related notes:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">Jason Mewes was the "host" and a serious waste of money. Thanks for the "Stay hydrated" PSAs, Mewes. So disappointing.<br />The VIP section ended up being a waste of money, as by 4pm, they were letting anyone with a wristband in. Boo-urns.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">The festival drew a bigger crowd that Warped Tour did in Calgary this summer (11,000 vs 9,000). That was a little unexpected. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">Taking Back Sunday didn't make it. Tear.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/04%20secret%20march.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">The Wet Secrets - Secret March</span></span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/02-girl_talk-shut_the_club_down.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">Girl Talk - Shut The Club Down</span></span></a></div><div><div></div></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-63491289245041157582009-08-21T00:44:00.023-06:002009-10-22T10:07:21.664-06:00Edmonton Folk Fest: Friday Shows<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SrpwXEN-V9I/AAAAAAAAAF4/WJsRpY3Uf9g/s1600-h/loudon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384739846046504914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SrpwXEN-V9I/AAAAAAAAAF4/WJsRpY3Uf9g/s320/loudon.jpg" border="0" /></a> Friday ended up being a short day for me, as I missed some of the acts that played earlier in the evening. Two beers in, however, I found myself couched in front of the iconic <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Loudon</span> Wainwright III. Yeah, Rufus, Lucy and Martha's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Faja</span>. 63 and still rocking hard. While he didn't play my favourites ("<a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/14-rufus%20is%20a%20tit%20man%20%28live%29.mp3">Rufus is a Tit Man</a>", "I wish I Was a Lesbian"), his set was replete with his standard humorist-styled songs. He's one of those artists you didn't know you knew: to be expected, as his 21 albums have spanned nearly 40 years and countless movies and TV shows. Perhaps the humorist-folk answer to Nico <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Muhly</span>. Wainwright had his audience chuckling and singing along for the whole set. It was interesting watching the looks of sudden recognition on people's faces as they made the connection between one of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Loudon's</span> songs and something they'd heard before. It was a short performance, but a wonderful warm-up for the rest of my evening. <em><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo Borrowed from CBC. My camera was dead this weekend.<br /></span></em><br />After another hour in the beer gardens, I got myself situated at the main stage for perhaps the most exciting (and anticipated, for me) show of the entire weekend. Lovely, lovely Miss <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Neko</span> Case. I think I expected a certain kind of exuberance from Case, as every release I'd ever heard from her had been passionate and full of energy. Don't take this the wrong way, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Neko</span> sings with passion in her live show. But she doesn't talk much. Her back-up singer did all the crowd-pleasing speaking stuff for her... Case just focused on blowing us away musically. It was a really interesting dynamic between the two, and, I suppose, not entirely surprising. In addition to<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SrpwdgEo4eI/AAAAAAAAAGA/weCxmw7dlRU/s1600-h/neko"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384739956602757602" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SrpwdgEo4eI/AAAAAAAAAGA/weCxmw7dlRU/s400/neko" border="0" /></a> <em>Middle Cyclone</em> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">jems</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Neko</span> regaled her crowd with samples from <em>Blacklisted </em>- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">mon</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">favouri</span> - and <em>Fox Confessor Brings the Flood</em>. The live renditions of "<a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/07%20the%20tigers%20have%20spoken.mp3">The Tigers Have Spoken</a>" and "Deep Red Bells" were most certainly the highlights in an absolutely amazing set. My only complaint is that it was entirely too short. Count me in the line up next time she comes even remotely close to Edmonton (be it with The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Sadies</span>, The New Pornographers, or on her own. I will be there).<br /><br /><br />Friday was short, but intense. And the rest of the weekend would continue at the same pace.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SrpvPpVB8hI/AAAAAAAAAFw/AukN13KL8Ek/s1600-h/loudon.jpg"></a></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-76834614528199469912009-08-21T00:43:00.026-06:002009-10-22T10:05:16.096-06:00Edmonton Folk Festival: Wednesday<span style="font-family:times new roman;">My very first Edmonton Folk Fest was a fabulous experience. Glad I had a seasoned folk-fester take me by the hand for the duration, or I would have been ill-prepared for the bring-your-own-seating, dance barefoot in the grass celebration that the weekend is.<br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The festival didn't officially get underway until Thursday (august 6th), but there was a kick-off show on Wednesday with the cool premise of creating an endowment fund with the ticket sales from the extra evening. That way, next time Edmonton hits a cycle of economic crap, there would always been money put aside to make sure Folk Fests continue to happen unhindered. Absolutely wonderful approach to festival sustainability.<br /></span></div><br /><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">But how to convince FFsters to shell out even more cash for one more night? </span></div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Simple. Give them a line-up of performers that they'd be stupid to pass up. </span></div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SpwnDj6S4uI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/TP8_V5yeOOc/s1600-h/meaghan-smith.jpg"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376214997306368738" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 270px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SpwnDj6S4uI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/TP8_V5yeOOc/s320/meaghan-smith.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">First on the main stage was East Coast darling </span><a href="http://www.meaghansmith.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Meaghan Smith</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. I'd never heard the chanteuse, but my roommate assured me it would be love at first sight. And damnit, she was right. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Meaghan managed to earworm my brain right off the hop with the track "Five More Minutes"" a flashback to a childhood where one begged for the privilege to stay up later when the summer nights began to get unreasonably long, and children were tucked away long before sunlight left the skies. It certainly contains more adult connotations for me, as well. It leaves me in the haze of recall of weekday mornings: longing for five more minutes in bed with the person I love. It's a real testament to her versatility that such obvious lyrics can stir up such contrasting memories. </span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">After Meaghan had the crowd pumped up on her sassy neo-50's bluesy crooning, Clevelander </span><a href="http://www.tracychapman.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Tracy Chapman </span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">took the stage. Chapman's liberal-politiking music found fabulous footing in front of Edmonton's folksters (I had to do it...). She delighted crowds with tracks old and new. "Fast Cars" and "Gimme one Reason" were clearly fan favourites, while renditions of songs (which I admittedly had not heard prior) like "<a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/04%20tracy%20chapman%20-%20material%20world.mp3">Material World</a>" and "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" tended to tug on the heartstrings. I wasn't sure exactly what I had been expecting from Tracy's performance, but I did end up thoroughly enjoying it. She was emotive and sincere... one of the best live solo performances I had seen in some time (<strong>Minor spoiler alert</strong>: this was just a taste of what was to come for me over the weekend). There's something sexy about a woman in a leather jacket, alone with her guitar.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SrKLTKeCtQI/AAAAAAAAAFY/d0USRgibxcM/s1600-h/sarah.jpg"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382517666005300482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SrKLTKeCtQI/AAAAAAAAAFY/d0USRgibxcM/s400/sarah.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Headlining the evening was Canada's beloved </span><a href="http://www.sarahmclachlan.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Sarah McLachlan</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. Full disclaimer, I've been a fan of Sarah since her '93 release <em>Fumbling Towards Ecstasy</em> - which, much to the chagrin of my family, I played often and played loud. So you can imagine how much anticipation was bubbling inside of me; this would be the first time I'd ever seen what amounts to my musical hero live. She did not disappoint. Her stage banter was warm, friendly, and oft hilarious. She played everything from the iconic <em>Fumbling</em> album, to a brand new track she has yet to release (I can't for the life of me remember the name, though I do know it's an optimistic love song? What?) and everything in between. A consummate professional, she never faltered tickling those ivories, interspersing the set with jokes about breastfeeding her two kids, bringing back Lilith Fair next year (You heard it here first, people) and fond memories of the last Lilith show in Edmonton. There was the expected audience-participation for the live version of "<a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/12%20-%20Ice%20Cream%20%28Live%29.mp3">Ice Cream</a>", and slow dances to "World On Fire". Everything I was hoping for. A decade + of high expectations for an artist is a difficult pedestal to perform from - just ask Axel Rose... [too soon?] - but she did it with a poise I will remember for years to come. It was just as magical for me as it </span><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2009/08/06/mclachlan-edmonton-folk-fest-concert.html"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">was for her</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">So I come to close of this gushing and unabashed obsession disguised as a review to say this: my first night at Folk Fest was more than worth the extra 90 bucks. Let's get together and do this again next year.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Meaghan%20Smith%20-%20Here%20Comes%20Your%20Man.mp3">Meaghan Smith - Here Comes Your Man</a></span></div></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-45829044998165841822009-08-04T12:26:00.005-06:002009-08-04T14:58:00.633-06:00Saskatoon's Volcanoless in Canada gets some love on CBC's T.O.D.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/Snh_ZnM2eEI/AAAAAAAAAFI/r2nZxhOA2PU/s1600-h/volcanoless2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/Snh_ZnM2eEI/AAAAAAAAAFI/r2nZxhOA2PU/s200/volcanoless2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366179034008287298" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Check out the track </span></span><a href="http://radio3.cbc.ca/blogs/2009/08/New-Music-Canada-Track-of-the-Day-August-4-Volcanoless-in-Canada-Mexican-Circus"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mexican Circus (March to the Holly Dome)</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> off their new album "</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Way Forward</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">". (which you can grab </span></span><a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/volcanoless2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">here,</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> if you love it. And I think you will...)</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">They'll be at the Regina Folk Festival August 7-9, which I am sadly missing - lousy unemployment. If you have a chance to check it out, do: the <a href="http://www.reginafolkfestival.com/performers/">line-up</a> is enviable. Then you can tell me all about it, and I can live vicariously through you. It's a win-win, people.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-62109538687524189452009-07-23T09:11:00.001-06:002009-07-23T09:13:45.572-06:00Swap, swap, swap.<span style="font-family:times new roman;">We'll now interrupt the regular programming with a blog swap. Sorry dear readers, today you won't be getting goodies to caress your auditory senses from Chels, but something completely different from </span><a href="http://adorablybitter.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Adorably Bitter</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. Consider yourself warned...<br /><br />Because the thing is, in my daily life I am not really an active music-listener. I can pretty much put up with anything as long as it is there, in the background, not interrupting me. That is why I tend to gravitate towards jazz and blues - it creates an atmosphere without attacking your eardrums (makes me sound like a bitter 70-year old grandfather, doesn't it?) and playing it actually requires talent and effort. And I am all for supporting talent and effort. One of the few names I can come up with to suggest you is Torsten Goods, for example, </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwXYxIJmfhE" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwXYxIJmfhE</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /><br />Now, if you are a musician and expect me to actually pay attention to your beloved creation, you better come up with either very good lyrics or an interesting twist to your arrangement. And The Streets have both of that </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EntNNddAnw" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EntNNddAnw</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> and </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUi-ATRnMwI" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUi-ATRnMwI</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /><br />However, there is a field in my life where my views on music turn 180 degrees. No, I do not turn into a music-critic-superhero after the sunset roaming the streets of my city and unplugging the microphones of all the terrible musicians in our pubs. Although I might save that plan to fill my days after retirement. But right now I am an oriental dance student. And dance is all about visualizing music - for yourself and for those who watch you dance. I literally spend hours listening to pieces from Egyptian classics to Saudi folklore, trying to figure out instruments and practising the rhythm patterns on my zills. So, here I present you some of my favourites.<br /><br />A beautiful piece from the golden era of Egyptian cinema - Ya msafer Wahdak by Mohammed Abdel Wahab </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCZNCVtk0c4" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCZNCVtk0c4</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t57HIW2nyMs" target="_blank"></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">And a fun drum solo Serena's Step from Hossam Ramzy </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5v1XFhIQ9U" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5v1XFhIQ9U</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /><br />Love and light,<br /><br />Adorably Bitter</span>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-62156888031869387172009-06-10T21:40:00.019-06:002009-06-25T11:54:46.286-06:00The Great Saskatchewan Mix Tape.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SjCae7tiV7I/AAAAAAAAAFA/lm1UjeFMOtU/s1600-h/sask.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345942613904218034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SjCae7tiV7I/AAAAAAAAAFA/lm1UjeFMOtU/s320/sask.jpg" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I don't know a single person who hasn't been enjoying the indie music coming out of Canada for the last couple of years. Well... let me rephrase that. People have been enjoying the indie music coming out of Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal [myself included]. A real crime has been committed in overlooking the talent in the more sparsely-populated provinces that make up this great nation.<br /></span></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So, my Canadian Mix Tape project has begun: the plan is to pick a province, and dig through it's respective talent pool to showcase the other Canadiana sound that isn't rolling out of that musical clown-car we call Montreal.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">First up to plate is Saskatchewan. I may be an Alberta girl now, but that misunderstood prairie province is where I transitioned from a love of the Backstreet Boys to an obsession with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - insane, right? It's where all my magic happened. It only seems right to start this project there.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span></span><div><a href="http://www.myspace.com/thelibraryvoices"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Library Voices</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> is a Regina band I caught for the first time in February (on one of my frequent jaunts back to Saskatoon). Once I absorbed the fact that LV boasts a 10-member ensemble, I became enamored with their sound: something like the 306's answer to Broken Social Scene... or maybe The Most Serene Republic. And their live show pretty much kicks ass.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Library%20Voices%20-%20Drinking%20Games1-0001.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Library Voices - Drinking Games</span></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My 22nd birthday treat to myself was an </span></span><a href="http://www.amigoscantina.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Amigos</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> show featuring </span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/goldensmoke"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Golden Smoke</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, with openers </span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/theviciouscrystals"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Vicious Crystals</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. They both do a kind of psychedelic rock that reminds me of the more experimental phases of the Stones. That was a gooood birthday.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Golden%20Smoke%20-%20The%20King%20of%20Blindness1.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Golden Smoke - The King of Blindness</span></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/The%20Vicious%20Crystals%20-%20Tidal%20Wave1.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Vicious Crystals - Tidal Wave</span></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><a href="http://www.myspace.com/carbondatingservice"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Carbon Dating Service</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> will forever remind me of University. The first tracks I ever heard of theirs all revolved around the</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.lightsource.ca/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Synchrotron</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(which I saw everyday on my hikes to and from campus). Their Shoegaze-pop was part of the soundtrack to my textbook toting years.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Carbon%20Dating%20Service%20-%20Terraform%20Mars1.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Carbon Dating Service - Terraform Mars</span></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Recently reformed, </span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/juniorpantherz"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Junior Pantherz</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> are a well-known staple in the SK music scene, and we're so happy they're putting out tunes again. I really dig the vaguely BRMC sound of this track:</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Junior%20Pantherz%20-%20Ballistics1.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Junior Panthers - Ballistics</span></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Fronted by past Canadian Idol contestant Josh Palmer, comes Saskatoon's </span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/joshpalmerband"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Rebellion</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. These guys can write a catchy fucking pop hook and between the three of them, have a pretty freaking bad-ass backstory.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/The%20Rebellion%20-%20One%20Night%20Hero1.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Rebellion - One Night Hero</span></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">For the times I need some chilled out alt-country with a touch of indie-rock, I'll throw on some </span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/slowdownmolasses"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Slow Down, Molasses</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. These guys are pretty much a pillar of the Saskatoon scene. Now you're in the know.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Slow%20Down%20Molasses%20-%20I"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Slow Down, Molasses - I'm an Old Believer</span></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Be ready to switch gears in a hurry, because next is prog-metal band </span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/adolyne"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Adolyne</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. These guys were my very first show at Amigos after moving to S'toon, and subsequently taught me that earplugs at live shows are a great, great investment. Read: play them loud.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Adolyne%20-%20Otaku1.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Adolyne - Otaku</span></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Quite and unassuming in person, and forces to be reckoned with on stage, is Saskatoon's best kept secret: </span></span><a href="http://www.thefjords.ca/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Fjords</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. They also happened to provide the background to a pretty awesome date I went on... I'll keep the music + experience = tied memories rambling to a minimum. Have a listen!</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-size:+0;"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/The%20Fjords%20-%2005%20-%20Cool%20My%20Desire.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Fjords - Cool my Desire</span></span></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">You may have heard him before, as the introductory track</span></span><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> to </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Live</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> on </span></span></span><a href="http://radio3.cbc.ca/"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">CBC Radio 3</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> with </span></span></span><a href="http://radio3.cbc.ca/nmcradio/hosts/GrantLawrence.aspx"><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Grant Lawrence</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. That's SK's </span></span><a href="http://www.sirhandsomerecords.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Maybe Smith</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">! And we really, really love him. Too bad he's always touring in Japan and stuff. I still haven't had a chance to see this guy live.</span></span><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Edit: turns out he's playing at the Brixx in Edmonton on July 8th. I love how I ask and then receive, as of late. ^^</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:+0;"></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:+0;"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/heartslikebears.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Maybe Smith - Hearts Like Bears</span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Full disclosure: this next band is composed of some friends of mine. Don't let that detract from their awesomeness. Ready to drop their second effort, is </span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Live%20on%20CBC%20Radio%203%20with%20Grant%20Lawrence."><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Volcanoless in Canada</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. If you have the chance to see them </span></span><a href="http://collect.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bandprofile.listAllShows&friendid=30795630&n=Volcanoless+In+Canada"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">live</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, do it: there ain't no party like a ViC party. For reals. I've had the bruises to prove it.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-size:+0;"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Volcanoless%20in%20Canada%20-%2007%20-%20We%20Win.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Volcanoless in Canada - We Win</span></span></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Even though I've talked about them before, they deserve another mention. </span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/deepdarkwoods"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Deep Dark Woods </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">is kicking ass and </span></span><a href="http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12879-winter-hours/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">taking names</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> lately. Blame it on the recession... their alt country twang is perfect for the dark days.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-size:+0;"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/7-by%20the%20light%20of%20the%20moon.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Deep Dark Woods - By The Light of The Moon</span></span></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-size:+0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This is just the sampler plate of Saskatchewan's offerings to Canada's amazing music scene... tapas, if you will. Hopefully it has whet your appetite.</span></span></span></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-54834944695727794842009-06-01T20:13:00.028-06:002009-06-09T22:52:35.355-06:00Two Brooklyn Bands come to Edmonton and leave with my heart: TVotR and Dirty Projectors<div><div><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Easily one of the </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">best</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> shows I've had the opportunity to catch this year has been </span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/dirtyprojectors"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">TV on the Radio</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, with their guests, Dirty projectors. I didn't know what to expect going in: it was at a venue I'd never been to that I'd heard horrible things about</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> (in the West Edmonton mall?), I had no idea who was opening, and I really hadn't listened to much of TVotR's material beforehand.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I'm starting to think that's the best way to walk into a show... because when I'm blown away, it's always been in an epic manner. This show was one of those.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/Si60uNEOcRI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/jdVfJ-cWhIw/s1600-h/TV+on+the+Radio+and+the+Elk+Lodge+Boys+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345408513609724178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/Si60uNEOcRI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/jdVfJ-cWhIw/s320/TV+on+the+Radio+and+the+Elk+Lodge+Boys+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.myspace.com/dirtyprojectors"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Dirty Projectors </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">started their set with just two band members. My natural assumption at that point was that they were going to be a mellow opener. Just a guy, a girl, and their guitars.Holy crap, was I horribly mistaken. After the blissfully pretty </span><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Dirty%20Projectors%20-%20Two%20Doves.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Two Doves</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, out tumbled the other 4 members of the 6 piece group, ready to melt faces. The rest of their set was mind-bending time signatures, inventive guitar riffs and amazing harmonies. The girls had the latter down so perfectly for the live show that at points I couldn't believe that sound was being created sans-laptop - mind you, there was a laptop... it just wasn't being put to use to tweak their vocal work. Those same three rocked out vocal acrobatics bouncing over ranges so fluidly that it would have made Mariah Carey blush (shut up... I loved her when I was 11). I think I stood for their entire set wide-eyed with my jaw on the floor, poking at my friend every time the group did something else that took my breath away. She may or may not have had horribly bruised arms by the end of the show. Looking out over the crowd, I could see my reaction mirrored in the faces of a handful of other people. Dirty Projectors: You blew my freaking mind. Pretty much an awesome reason to go visit Brooklyn again. After four full-length albums, this might be the one that makes everyone sit up and listen. Even though it's only June, </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Bitte Orca</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> is seriously contending for a spot on my inevitable "favourites of 2009" list (which you can pick up </span><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Bitte-Orca-Dirty-Projectors/dp/B0026T4RTI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1244575675&sr=1-1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">HERE</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> and </span><a href="http://www.dominorecordco.com/uk/albums/05-05-09/bitte-orca/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">HERE</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, btw).</span></span></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/Si7KuAUuJJI/AAAAAAAAAEw/PwUJWBgG9j0/s1600-h/TV+on+the+Radio+and+the+Elk+Lodge+Boys+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345432699445060754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/Si7KuAUuJJI/AAAAAAAAAEw/PwUJWBgG9j0/s200/TV+on+the+Radio+and+the+Elk+Lodge+Boys+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(See how entranced they are?)</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span> </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Dirty%20Projectors%20-%20Stillness%20Is%20the%20Move.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Dirty%20Projectors%20-%20No%20Intention.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Dirty Projectors - No Intention</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On to the main event: I would be more inclined to call this a religious experience than a rock show. Don't jump all </span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/Si603MJEVfI/AAAAAAAAAEY/wK78z07Lx_A/s1600-h/TV+on+the+Radio+and+the+Elk+Lodge+Boys+021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345408667980420594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/Si603MJEVfI/AAAAAAAAAEY/wK78z07Lx_A/s320/TV+on+the+Radio+and+the+Elk+Lodge+Boys+021.jpg" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">over me for the comparison: rather than "it changed my life, I'm a TVotR die-hard forever and ever now" kind of experience, it was the atmosphere of the whole production. Energetic, euphoric, and overwhelming at points... like something you'd experience in a Southern Baptist church; but with more alcohol and better dressed young people. I really felt like TVotR's live sound is miles away from what you hear on their albums (well, at least what I'd heard on </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Return to Cookie Mountain</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">). Rather than the mellow(er), trip-hopish sound that I'd grown accustomed to, the live sound was pure, instrument-driven rock. The focus was intense guitars, hammering drums, and my love of all loves: saxophone and clarinet. If they'd left the mix table at home, I wouldn't have even noticed. And dancing! Oh my god, every time </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Tunde Adebimpe starting hopping, swaying and bouncing all over the stage, I was seriously disinclined to keep my feet planted in one spot (considering the space I had to move in, this may have caused me some issues throughout the night). The last song of the encore, </span><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/TV%20On%20The%20Radio%20-%20Satellite.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Satellite</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, brought out members of Dirty Projectors for a climaxing cacophony of glorious sound. Oh, my ears were happy... until the following day, when they wouldn't stop ringing. The intensity of the night left the band with a broken floor tom - from a rendition of <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/TV%20on%20the%20Radio%20-%20Young%20Liars.mp3">Young Liars</a> - and the crowd exhausted and satiated, despite the questionable venue. I really wish my batteries had lasted long enough to get a good video clip, because the words just don't seem to measure up to the experience (apologies for the shaky camera work!)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxHgELkgaZrJSFnvBClOmJRogBlpQAbjQuzPdef0X4n66CAUpfbv9n12XmQr0nP6IPK_Y-OpTOsCigYSRKk5Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">They're on tour all over the place until the end of August, so for sure check them out if they stop anywhere </span></span><a href="http://collect.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bandprofile.listAllShows&friendid=28460683&n=TV+on+the+Radio"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">close</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> to you. You can grab a copy of their newest release </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Dear Science </span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(or any album, for that matter)</span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, </span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">from their label </span></span><a href="http://www.interscope.com/default.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Interscope Records</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, or any decent music store.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/TV%20on%20the%20Radio%20-%20Wolf%20Like%20Me.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">TVotR - Wolf Like Me</span></a></span></div><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-42775025668735816652009-05-20T19:08:00.002-06:002009-05-20T19:12:41.393-06:00Just a little reminder...... only 5 days until the new release from <a href="http://www.wearephoenix.com/">Phoenix</a> drops.<div><br /></div><div>Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/02%20-%201901.mp3">Phoenix - 1901</a></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-89290190916845558912009-05-20T18:51:00.022-06:002009-06-03T12:15:32.296-06:00Mother mother<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/ShXFnjl3YdI/AAAAAAAAAC8/VSdfo0DQmCI/s1600-h/mother+mother.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338390216677220818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 247px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/ShXFnjl3YdI/AAAAAAAAAC8/VSdfo0DQmCI/s320/mother+mother.jpg" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Rocking the fuck out of Vancouver, British Columbia - as are many bands after my own heart these days - comes </span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/mothermotherspace"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mother Mother</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. This five piece ensemble does some magical things to the auditory sensory area of my brain. Their second release, O My Heart, is a whirlwind tour of dark, layered pop that's at once creepy and accessible: not a bad combination to master on a sophomore attempt! So like, Kudos.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I just can't get enough of the falsetto-ish girl/boy harmonies and crisp annunciation (yeah, sounds like a weird thing to love... but it really makes some of the tracks).</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The title track - </span></span><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/01%20o%20my%20heart.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">O My Heart</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> - starts off with a bass line that gives the initial impression that this is going to be a pretty pop song. That lasts for about ten seconds before the ringing lead guitar picks up the melody in a minor. From this point forward, there's no mistaking the heart-wrenching (pun fully intended) intention of the track. Which I leave for you to discover, dear reader. Despite it all... I could really still dance to this. It's a perfectly-crafted pop song, after all. Just with some seriously dark undertones. And overtones. Mmmm.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The next masterpiece to stumble gracefully off the album is the track </span></span><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/08%20hayloft.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Hayloft</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. The sound is a hybrid of pure Canadian indie-rock and Japanese pop-punk. I absolutely love the aggressive sound and the innocently kinky lyrics, not to mention the drums that sound like tripping iambs. Talk about getting a wave of the horns. There's a really neat fan-made video on </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t0VvMyKcRE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">YouTube</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> if you've got a few minutes that need killing.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/10%20arms%20tonight.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Arms Tonight</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> has a pretty standard love-song construction from the instrumental side of things. Coupled with some mushy lyrics [</span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">that eventually turn literal], it gives me warm-fuzzies everytime it comes on. Shit... I haven't said warm-fuzzies since Kindergarten. Whatever, I still love this track and crank it often. </span></span></span></em></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">There's a ton of other gems on this album, so the best advice I can give at this point is to get your hands on a </span></span><a href="http://www.killthe8.com/merch/pages/6958/_MOTHER_MOTHER_O_My_Heart_CD_2008.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">copy</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. This is for sure the kind of album I had to listen to a few times over besides more than a song or two stood out, but it was worth the investment. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">If you're in the Ottawa area this summer, they'll be playing the Blues Festival on July 12th!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><s>Pretty, pretty please come do a show in Edmonton soon. :)</span><em> </s></em></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><em></em></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Update: Playing at Capital Ex in Edmonton on July 23rd!</span> <div><br /></div></span><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:13;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:13;"><br /></span></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-68528012716727210262009-05-05T18:06:00.014-06:002009-05-20T19:16:31.646-06:00An intimate evening with Emily Haines<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SgDXNRLSZAI/AAAAAAAAAC0/ghYDoCkUCds/s1600-h/Metric+Acoustic+Show+053.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332498581755683842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SgDXNRLSZAI/AAAAAAAAAC0/ghYDoCkUCds/s320/Metric+Acoustic+Show+053.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.ilovemetric.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Metric</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> frontwoman Emily Haines and her partner in [almost] crime[s] Jimmy Shaw, have taken it to the road. And it is so good to hear it. To promote the new Fantasies album, the pair gave a special acoustic performance for Edmontonians who had either pre-ordered the new album, or had been lucky enough to win tickets. My album wasn't pre-ordered, nor am I a lucky person: good thing a friend of mine </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">always</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> wins shit.<br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The venue was a little theatre on the north end with all the seating removed to accommodate the 300+ hardcores that had run all over the city trying to grab tickets being given away by a </span></span><a href="http://www.sonic1029.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">local radio station</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. I loved the anticipation: you knew these were, for the most part, the fans that would know every word to every song on the new album.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Listening to the pair do their hard-rockin' tracks from Fantasies as acoustic numbers was really interesting. It certainly added new dimensions to tracks like Gold Guns Girls and Gimmie Sympathy and the rendition of Front Row was like hearing it whispered from Emily's lips to my ears. It's amazing how personal it got in that space. </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx1YDd1Xz5I-reW38NgV10iMtrT7VVucanPdYwvk4i-5M_PnFDAtlpk2jHOHasHovhOHKQhh20kwsux8c_AGQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Gems of the night, for sure, included the impromptu break-out of Anthem for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl and the cover of Pink Floyd's Nobody's Home, with vocals by Shaw.<br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">On the same stroke, previous Metric shows had me geared up for some really high energy; not only from Emily, but from the crowd as well. It was a little disappointing to look around and see one or two people swaying along to the music. It was calm enough to hear camera flashes going off. I got shushed when I started singing along to the first song. What the Fuck? At least the crowd was singing along by the end of the 10-song set (with some serious urging from Ms. Haines), but still... did all the old Metric fans get married and buy a house and start having babies or something? What happened here?!</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Let's move on to the new album. It is Metric through and through: Rock! Guitars! Dancing! Beats! Electronica! Everything we've come to expect... but pared down a little. More simplistic. Live It Out (don't get me wrong, I love that album) got a little heavy at some points, like the band was focusing so hard on making a point that it starting dragging on the music. Fantasies simply doesn't make that mistake. It comes back to the listener playful and [light]-hearted. Not to say that the album ooozes cheery pop licks and pollyanna lyrics; but rather that they took a hard look at themselves and were satisfied with what they saw.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">This third (or fourth... depending on how die-hard you are) album really showcases a band comfortable with their trademark sound. Is this a good thing, though? Only the next album will tell. Let's hope this contentment doesn't lead to stagnation.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">You can buy the album </span></span><a href="http://www.ilovemetric.com/store/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">HERE</span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Metric%20-%2006%20-%20Gimme%20Sympathy.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Metric - Gimme Sympathy</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> (can I get a "Fuck-Yeah"? My rock-out track of the year so far!)</span></span></div></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-35812574921046671462009-05-01T16:43:00.009-06:002009-05-21T15:26:06.241-06:00Quick Fix Friday - Because Alliteration is Fun.<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">Okay, everyone is in love with </span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/passionpitjams"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">Passion Pit</span></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> right now and eagerly awaiting the drop of the new album, Manners (If you're not, here's your first head's up).</span></span> </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">Sleepyhead has been on my iPod for almost 6 months. It was love at first listen.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">However, my love for Sleepyhead has been surpassed by the track </span></span><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Passion%20Pit%20-%20Moths%20Wings.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">Moth's Wings</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:medium;">. Have a little listen for yourselves. And another one. And maybe one more.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></p></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Pick up your Manners, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Manners-Passion-Pit/dp/B001YV511W"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:85%;">Happy Friday!</span></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-66392944380753990792009-04-27T12:20:00.017-06:002009-04-28T21:50:50.133-06:00Bare Feet on Wet Griptape; or how I stopped worrying and learned to love my flavour of the week. (Over-used? Absolutely!)<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SfYCQ-xk90I/AAAAAAAAACk/ykUyfmC2gA4/s1600-h/chadbymarcrimmer_t_w360.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329449699791664962" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SfYCQ-xk90I/AAAAAAAAACk/ykUyfmC2gA4/s320/chadbymarcrimmer_t_w360.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">At the behest of a good friend, two weekend's ago I picked up Calgary artist </span></span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/chadvangaalen"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Chad VanGaalen's </span></span></span></a><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">third release, Soft Airplane. It hasn't left my CD player since. Sure, I feel bad that I will play this album until I can't stand it anymore, put it away for two months and then do it all over again, but it's well-deserving of such obsession.</span></span></span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">VanGaalen's amazingly creative DIY sound is a mix of indie [folk-]rock, glitchy electronica and abrasive distortion. The one-man band recorded the tracks in the basement of his Calgary home on an old tape machine and the conversation he starts with listeners covers topics from death and murder to griptape</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. Not since I listened to </span></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_Ballads"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Murder Ballads </span></span></span></a><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">have I heard songs about death that are so pleasing to the ears.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">While I usually pick a few tracks to highlight my favourite creations on an album, it's been difficult to refrain from just putting up the entire package: I am absolutely smitten from start to finish. So I'll do my best to keep it down to a couple without starting them all off "My favourite track..."</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span></span> </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The opening track, </span></span><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Chad%20Van%20Gaalen%20-%2001%20-%20Willow%20Tree%20.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Willow Tree</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">, is a mellow folky piece essentially about the disposal of a body post-mortem. Chad's vocal work on this track is definitely in the higher octaves of his range, which translates into a slightly trembling sound that really emphasizes the emotion a person would feel when taking stock of their mortality. I keep waiting for his voice to crack, but it never does: the difficult subject is approached with enough resolution to keep his vocals relatively stable. The interesting contrast here is the upbeat melody of the track: the cheerful sound mixed with the talk of freedom through death seems contradictory but meshes in an amazing way. Who ever thought a song about death could be so damn pretty? Lesson learned: death can be a beautiful thing.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span></span><br /></span></span><div><span><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Chad%20Van%20Gaalen%20-%2005%20-%20Bare%20Feet%20On%20wet%20Griptape.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Bare Feet on Wet Griptape</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> is rock to it's core and easily one of the more dancable tracks of the album. Compared to the rest of the songs, this one is traditionally constructed: rad (yes, rad) guitar riffs, tambourine, drums, et al. But you still have to keep in mind that's relative to the rest of the album; samplers, wavering guitar melodies and Chad's achingly emotive voice keep his indie-cred in check.</span></span><p></p></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">So the first day I brought this album to work, one of the women in my department picked it up and was reading the track list on the back. </span></span><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Chad%20Van%20Gaalen%20-%2008%20-%20TMNT%20Mask.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">TMNT</span></span></a><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Chad%20Van%20Gaalen%20-%2008%20-%20TMNT%20Mask.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> Mask</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> jumped right out at her, because her kids do ever so much love the Ninja Turtles (a reference that had entirely blown over my head until that point. How embarrassing). This piece is ranked up there in my awesome register because it is so glitchy. The intro sounds like one of the standard beats that came with the early-nineties casio keyboards that my girlfriend's and I used to pretend to play. Combined with the TMNT reference, the track plays like a relic of my childhood. Except, a lot more introspective. And a lot darker too (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">and time, it aligned, is swirling and swimming/clouds rolling over themselves/twisting and boiling and growing out of nothing).</span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div> </div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Then a word about my absolute stand-out love: </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLw5b70OJH8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Molten Light (YouTube)</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. Just a heads up, this video might be considered NSFW, depending on the variying stodginess of your workplace. It's drawn entirely by our protagonist and is creepy as fuck. Therefore, I love it. I won't tell you any more. Just go listen to it!</span></span><p></p></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span></span> </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">I cannot wait to catch VanGaalen live at the Flemish Eye Ball in Calgary on May 16th - you can grab some tickets </span></span><a href="http://flemisheyeball.eventbrite.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. The show is a party celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Flemish Eye record label, and Chad will be performing alongside his label-mates. From what I've seen of the snippets of live shows on Youtube, it looks like it'll be an amazing night. After that, he's embarking on a Europen Tour, so if you happen to be in the </span></span><a href="http://www.flemisheye.com/on-tour"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">area</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">, go out and show some support! You can pick up Soft Airplanes from </span></span><a href="http://flemisheye.myshopify.com/products/017-soft-airplane"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Flemish Eye</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> (Canada Only) </span></span><a href="http://www.subpop.com/artists/chad_vangaalen"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">SubPop Records</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> and various other fine music establishments.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div></div></div></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-52420290645882642402009-04-23T14:17:00.003-06:002009-04-23T21:48:52.873-06:00Technical difficulties<span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><s>Not having any luck with the site I was hosting mp3s on, so that should be fixed by tonight</s> New host, seems to be working just fine, so listen to your heart's content! Well, not really. Don't eat all my bandwidth. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">New post up shortly!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Bet you can't wait.</span></span></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-83538677343912221532009-04-15T14:02:00.011-06:002009-04-23T20:44:51.943-06:00Caprice en Couleurs/Begone Dull Care<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SeZqGpLhv2I/AAAAAAAAACE/P14M5yPNJdU/s1600-h/Junior+Boys+028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SeZqGpLhv2I/AAAAAAAAACE/P14M5yPNJdU/s320/Junior+Boys+028.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325060271778152290" /></a><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Hailing from Hamilton Ontario, </span></span><a href="http://www.juniorboys.net/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Junior Boys</span></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> have been slowly gaining momentum since their 2003 release of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Last Exit</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. Considering the growing love for Canadian electro-pop (read: Crystal Castles, Caribou, and MSTRKRFT to name a few), they’ve found their sound at just the right time.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />No doubt, people have heard the ubiquitous </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/05%20in%20the%20morning.mp3">In the Morning</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> from their second album </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So This Is Goodbye</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, as it has made</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> appearances on </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAiCYljhR-s"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So You Think You Can Dance</span></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> and </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoHVo2Avzfc"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Picture This </span></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> from Mack Dawg Productions. The sound meshed oddly with the overall tone of the album, but hinted at the maturation of their sound. The release of third full-length </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Begone Dull Care</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> suggests that the boys are not content resting on their laurels: the sound of their new album takes the step that “In the Morning” hinted at three years prior. The result is raw, unadulterated, electro-pop fusion that stimulates every part of your body (source: my friend Reanne who texted me upon her first spin of the new disc). These rave reviews were echoed at the show I caught recently at the Starlite in Edmonton. Random repeat concert goers assured me that of all the shows they’ve seen, this most recent was the best. Their sound is more polished and put-together and their stage-presence has improved.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SeZocDEudcI/AAAAAAAAAB0/5a3kdwlr1kE/s320/Junior+Boys+023.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325058440482944450" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">While I have no prior shows to compare to, I’d have to agree. The show featured a hybrid of live instruments and talented spinning that had the crowd writhing. Accompanied by a bass-line that made my throat tingle and accidental brushes against sweaty, entranced dancers on all sides, the Boys made for a powerfully brag-worthy show and I will assuredly be at their next one to do it all over again.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Most stand-out track on the album for me so far has been <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Junior%20Boys%20-%2003%20-%20Bits%20and%20Pieces.mp3">Bit and Pieces</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, maybe because it takes me back to my nerdy, 16-bit video game days... Either way, the sexy lyrics crooned by lead singer Jeremy Greenspan, combined with a swoon-worthy saxophone bridge and pulsing rhythms means this song certainly lives up to the high expectations I had post-text from Reanne. Plus recollections of Jeremy purring out this track sets me all a-twitter.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SeZpuCHnn_I/AAAAAAAAAB8/rDW1TqSkaOQ/s320/Junior+Boys+012.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325059848975917042" /><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span> </span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">You should probably also check out </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Junior%20Boys%20-%2007%20-%20Animator.mp3">Animator</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, simply because it is an epic piece of music. Like any good mod 70's disco, Animator encourages you to try on bad suits and dance even worse. And if you ask anyone who was at the show last week, I did that last part with finesse!</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span> </span></p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Boys are on </span></span><a href="http://profile.myspace.com/Modules/Applications/Pages/Canvas.aspx?appId=125359&friendId=48342023&appParams=%7B%7D"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">tour</span></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> for the next couple of months in Canada, the US and Europe, so do what you can to catch a show. Also, wear something that you can dance in. You can pick up a copy of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Begone Dull Care</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> from their label, </span></span><a href="http://www.dominorecordco.com/uk/albums/31-03-09/begone-dull-care/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Domino,</span></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> or your local </span></span><a href="http://www.hmv.ca/hmvcaweb/en_CA/displayProductDetails.do?sku=1263434"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">HMV</span></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">.</span></span> </div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-23805914477581544122009-04-09T13:27:00.011-06:002009-04-23T20:53:29.461-06:00They Left Me All Wet<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/Sd5M5tsutfI/AAAAAAAAABs/HSmg5BzJVnw/s1600-h/great+lake+swimmers.bmp"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322776364001965554" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 320px; height: 213px;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/Sd5M5tsutfI/AAAAAAAAABs/HSmg5BzJVnw/s320/great+lake+swimmers.bmp" border="0" /></span></a><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> Hurray for inuendo. Also, OMG more Pedal Steel!!!<br /><br />I recently had the opportunity to watch a live show by Toronto based folk-rock group </span></span></span><a href="http://www.greatlakeswimmers.com/"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Great Lake Swimmers</span></span></span></a><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. I honestly had no idea what to expect from them, but the venue was across the street from my apartment and my Friday night was depressingly open. The show was great, but it was certainly one of those that would have been enhanced with the presence of an SO to cozy up to during the set. The dreamy and soothing harmonies, backed by lilting piano and rich guitar lines, left me with a half-baked grin on my face and a warm, fuzzy feeling on the inside. The diversity of the audience took me by surprise: from small children to elderly couples. It’s a sound that can span generations, apparently… as an aside, WHO ARE THESE AWESOME RETIREES!? Please let me be as awesome when I get to that age.<br /><br /><br /><br />The tour was to promote the release of their new album </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Lost Channels</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. I picked up a vinyl copy after the show to spin and was pleasantly surprised with the variety of offerings they’ve proffered on this latest release. My favourite track, <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Great%20Lake%20Swimmers%20-%2004%20-%20Concrete%20Heart.mp3">Concrete Heart</a>, was explained by lead singer Tony Dekker as one he was commissioned to write (first time evar!). The theme? Toronto architecture between 1960-1970. While it seems like a limiting topic of choice, it works… and ends up being one of the stronger tracks on the album. The string backing gives the overall feel of reminiscing, while the lyrics (</span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">this is the place where I felt/like the world’s tallest self-supporting tower/ at least for a little while anyway</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">) anchored in some pretty serious emotion, can still elicit a giggle or two - knowing where they stem from.<br /><br />For something a little more light-hearted, I skip a few tracks and turn up the volume on <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Great%20Lake%20Swimmers%20-%2006%20-%20The%20Chorus%20in%20the%20Underground.mp3">The Chorus in the Underground</a>. A tribute to a defunct venue and a band that no longer exists, this countrified and bouncy track is certain to get toes-a-tappin’. It’s your basic singalong smattered with some fiddle and a healthy dose of banjo. The latter is really what gives the track its character, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.<br /><br />They cap off the album with the gorgeous piece <a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Great%20Lake%20Swimmers%20-%2012%20-%20Unison%20Falling%20Into%20Harmony.mp3">Unison Falling into Harmony</a>. I don’t mean to paint this one with the cliché brush, but it’d be a fantastic wedding song for the alt-couple </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">looking for something off the beaten path <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">(</span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">the only thing between us is a breath of air, a river of fear, a ship we can’t steer/ A curtain of rain, a layer of skin, a determined stare, a dare</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">)</span></span></span>. It’s the perfect easing off from the ups and downs over the span of album, though the abrupt ending leaves something to be desired… which perhaps is the intention.<br /><br />This is a great album when I’m in the mood for something that’s chill, but not moody: something to throw on on a weekend while you laze around the house (read: avoid housework. At least that’s what I’m up to). You can catch the band </span></span></span><a href="http://collect.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bandprofile.listAllShows&friendid=64414991&n=Great+Lake+Swimmers"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">on tour </span></span></span></a><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">for the next 3 months with </span></span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/katemaki"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Kate Maki </span></span></span></a><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">(who is also pretty awesome)… and a tip from me? This is a date idea WIN that won’t soon be forgotten. You can thank me when you get laid later.<br /><br />You can pick up their album on </span></span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RTP40Y?ie=UTF8&tag=nettwerk-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001RTP40Y"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Amazon</span></span></span></a><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">, </span></span></span><a href="http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/browserRedirect?url=itms%253A%252F%252Fax.itunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%253D303888632%2526id%253D303888607%2526s%253D143441%25252%2526partnerId%253D30%2526siteID%253Dk9_8q_rwbWM-SgwDsp1OcUYY95rg5RkXgA"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">iTunes</span></span></span></a><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> or at one of their many tour stops this spring. Check ‘em out!</span></span></span>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-29556781846434780212009-03-31T13:24:00.022-06:002009-04-23T21:17:28.893-06:00The Roots Music Movement<div><div><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">There’s been so much awesome music flooding my iPod these days, that I feel I have to tackle a couple in one post, just to get it all out there.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SdJuOy5Rm-I/AAAAAAAAABU/fEAOGhkv_6U/s1600-h/DDW.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319435310337203170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SdJuOy5Rm-I/AAAAAAAAABU/fEAOGhkv_6U/s320/DDW.jpg" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br />First, I want to give a shout-out to Saskatoon band </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.myspace.com/deepdarkwoods"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Deep Dark Woods</span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.myspace.com/deepdarkwoods"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. I caught their CD release party for </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Winter Hours</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> in Saskatoon at the beginning of March and I must say, I was very impressed. Like, my neck was sore from all the rocking out the next day, impressed. In accordance with my Neko obsession, DDW sits squarely in the alt country genre - which has been dominating my playlists of late. Dark, brooding pedal steel, intensely rural lyrics and wistful harmonies all culminate in this sound-like-longing that is both ominous and playful. Nice touch, boys. </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Winter Hours</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> is their sophomore album and picks up where 2007 effort </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Hang Me, Oh Hang Me</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> left off... two years has made a difference: their sound is stronger, more polished and the lyrical content more impressive. Plus, anyone that can take a pedal steel, mandolin, organ and acoustic guitar (among a plethora of other instruments), and still rock out a neck-achingly dancable show, is fine by me. As the momentum behind them builds, I would suggest one earmark these guys as a band to watch over the next little while. They embark on their cross-country CD release tour on April 2nd, and you’d be insane to miss catching a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://collect.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bandprofile.listAllShows&friendid=34558309&n=The+Deep+Dark+Woods"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">show</span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://collect.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bandprofile.listAllShows&friendid=34558309&n=The+Deep+Dark+Woods%E2%80%9D"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">.<br /><br />You can pick up their album </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Winter Hours</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> at any stop on their tour, or </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.blackhenmusic.com/album/winter-hours"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Online</span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.blackhenmusic.com/album/winter-hours"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">(for purchase or download)</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Next on the list are Regina rockers </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.myspace.com/thelazymks"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The Lazy MKs</span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9D"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. Apparently I’ve had a hard-on</span></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SdJzCCFn2tI/AAAAAAAAABk/LfEfnDwBAJ8/s1600-h/LazyMKS.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319440588635364050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/SdJzCCFn2tI/AAAAAAAAABk/LfEfnDwBAJ8/s320/LazyMKS.jpg" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> for pedal steel lately, and this band certainly fuels my fire. I fell for them after hearing the post-rock, upright bass, distorted steel sound of the track </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Pakowki. It’s a song to drink whiskey to. In tight pants. The driving rhythms keep you tottering on an edge that might not be so bad to fall off of, but they never let you quite get there. I honestly wish the track’s run time was a teeny bit longer, but I suppose that’s what the repeat button is for. Oh, did I mention this is a lyrics-free zone? It's purely instrumental shoegaze roots music to get you switched on. The live show in Saskatoon featured a guest vocalist that really rounded-off their instrumental EP sound and made the whole experience into a sexy-intimate one. This is the part where I stop writing before it turns to girl-crush gibberish.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br />You can grab the EP </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">A Field Guide to the Lazy MKs</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=185031"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Online </span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">… or if you happen to be in the Regina area during April and May, they will be playing a couple of shows at The Exchange and Bushwakkers where you can pick up this delightful little gem of prairie magic.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span><div> </div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">(Man... I really like hyphens today)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/3-redwood%20forest.mp3">Deep Dark Woods - Redwood Forest </a></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/The%20Lazy%20MKs%20-%2006%20-%20Pakowki.mp3"> The Lazy MKs - Pakowki </a></span></span></span></div><div></div></div></div>Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315642606509737098.post-89791572905930411222009-03-17T17:07:00.015-06:002009-04-23T21:22:48.217-06:00On Neko Case, and Natural Disasters<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/ScAxTvdPS1I/AAAAAAAAABM/_EBId4_uYJw/s1600-h/middle-cyclone.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314301775523564370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zIQX0jduYt0/ScAxTvdPS1I/AAAAAAAAABM/_EBId4_uYJw/s320/middle-cyclone.jpg" border="0" /></a><meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" equiv="Content-Type"><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CChelsa%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"><o:smarttagtype name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">New Pornographers’ and Sadies alumni </span></span><a href="http://www.nekocase.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Neko Case </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">has officially blown my mind… again. My first solo introduction to this brilliant artist was 2002’s </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Blacklisted</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> – which, fyi, is still a regular on my iPod playlist. Until that album, I was in fervent country-lovin’ denial. Fast-forward seven years, and we have the evolution that is </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Middle Cyclone</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Swaddled in the imagery of the forces of nature, Middle Cyclone takes you roughly by the wrist, only to stroke your face gently: Neko’s voice at once both forceful and beautiful. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span></span>While it’s certainly drawn a dozen of the same comparisons, I can’t help but think of her decision to write material that revolves around forces of nature as a metaphor for her versatile and striking voice (she references herself multiple times as a tornado – way to point out the obvious Chels).</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Aside from her amazing vocal capabilities, Neko took some liberties with recording that add to the atmosphere of the album. Recorded in a barn, careful listeners (with good headphones) can catch the occasional animal sound, which never really sounds out of place. Add to that the abandoned piano orchestra and 30 minute frog/pondscapes, and you have a wonderfully playful dyi sound that suits Ms. Case just fine.</span></span></p><p style=""></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The music box opening of “The Next Time You Say Forever” serves like a relic of girlhood days gone by; a reclamation of sorts that had me nodding my head in agreement. At just under two minutes, it’s easily one of the most solid tracks on the album… it’s not everyday that you see a soul laid bare so quickly.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The next stand out for me is easily </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Neko%20Case%20-%2009%20-%20Magpie%20To%20The%20Morning.mp3">“Magpie to the Morning”</a><a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5023547_tmhwl/09%20-%20magpie%20to%20the%20morning.mp3"> </a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. On the first listen, I couldn’t help but draw comparison of the sound to Canadian folk-chanteuse Sarah Harmer’s work, who I later discovered contributed backing vocals on the album. A tribute to the versatility of her work, this song seems just as at home on </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Middle Cyclone</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> as it would on Harmer’s </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I’m a Mountain</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. The heartbreakingly ethereal vocals are of the rare breed that I find have me tearing up while singing along, evocative of a point in our lives where we have all wished that we had appreciated the whimsicality of childhood just a little bit more. </span></span><i><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Don't let this fading summer pass you by/Don't let this fading summer pass you by</span></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span><i><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><i><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">With no hint of ever planning on looking back at her past and laughing, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/4/23/2415353/Neko%20Case%20-%2013%20-%20The%20Pharaohs.mp3">“The Pharaohs"</a><a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5023548_m8jds/13%20-%20the%20pharoahs.mp3"> </a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">is a harsh glare at a tumultuous relationship of heartbreak, infidelity and the path to becoming jaded about what a partner is supposed to be like. The idea of a “Fairytale love” and the desire for her “Prince” (or Pharaoh, if you will) is shattered by the reality that the only people that really exist in life are men: who cheat, deceive and leave you wanting. Not that I think this is Neko’s clarion call of man-hating; rather, it serves as her dismissal of the unreality of idealized love -</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span><i><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Like the wanting in the movies and the hymns</span></span></span></i><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> – while simultaneously underlining her desire for it; her struggle for balance. That fact that she turns down the vocals for this track really only serves to strengthen the message. I can’t get enough of it.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">All in all, Neko comes out, sword blazing and surprisingly cuts you with only a pound of pressure. An amazingly retrospective look at all the things that we've lost by making the choices we've made... I'm sure this will be on my iPod as long (if not longer) than Blacklisted.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">
<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color:black;"></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">You can grab a copy of this amazing album at most music stores (especially your local ones, as Case's website urges) or on Amazon.</span></span></span>
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<br />Chelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04096113162448865021noreply@blogger.com1