And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'

2009-07-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Wilco (The Album)

Review by Matt McKechnie

One thing that Wilco has done consistently, throughout the span

of their colourful musical career, is be inconsistent. The six man

Jeff Tweedy-led sometimes-rock/sometimes-country/sometimes-

blues/sometimes-pop band has managed to create a bit of a

mysticism about themselves in the sense that they truly cannot

be pinned down to one musical genre. My friend Jeff was always

into Wilco and truthfully, they were always a little too weird for

me. Over the years, though, I've realized that it's the quote un-

quote 'weird' music that is actually saying something noteworthy.

Their last offering (Sky Blue Sky) was met with mixed reviews

as it was far more stripped down than the usual noisy and sonically

experimental sounds of the troupe. 'Wilco (The Album)' takes the

band in a new musical direction and plays upon the un-peggable

nature of their essence. Tweedy's voice still leads the charge of

the sometimes uncertain musical terrain. Leading off the album

is the track 'Wilco (The Song)' which hinges on the repeating

refrain:

'Wilco/

Wilco/

Wilco will love you baby'/

It's almost as if Wilco hints at their own musical super-powers

in a jocular but semi-heartfelt manner. It works as a song and

knowing the spotlight-dodging likes of Tweedy, the band

probably had a great time making and recording this song.

Wilco's slick mysticism even bleeds into the realm of other

popular musicians. Cited as influences for legions of current

pop acts, there's truly no stone they have left unturned.

Even the lovely Lady Feist lends her soothing French voice to

the jangly/romantic pop stylings of 'You And I'.

But so what? So what if they joke about themselves and their

underground popularity? So what if they genre-jump? So what

if Feist and other huge artists love them? What is it that

keeps their listeners coming back for more? I think the main

driver to all of their songs is the voice of Jeff Tweedy. He is

the lone gunman on the vocal tracks and the voice of reason

amidst a smorgasbord of sounds. I think one reason why the

media has given this album such mixed reviews is because

they tried to 'get' something - when in reality, there is

nothing to get. That's the power of Wilco. Even when they

say nothing, they say something.

But don't you fret - Wilco will love you, baby.

2009-05-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

When My Train Comes In

(A Review Of Joel Plaskett's Latest Album 'Three')

by Matt McKechnie

There used to be an old song by De La Soul that I loved

in which the chorus repeated 'Three...it's a magic numba...'

amidst other silly De La Soul-esque flowery beats and

ramblings.

In Joel Plaskett's 'Three', there are no flowery beats or

hippie-centric rap songs. There are only 27 individual pieces

of art in a musical exhibit that draw a passer-by in to stare

deeply. In a recent interview I conducted with Plaskett, his

words gave me some insight into some of the borderline-OCD

art-work within the album. Plaskett said "I felt that people

would only really get into this album if I could actually

somehow 'bring em to it'...". Using only the warm sounds of

analog recording equipment (as opposed to the default

digital of the modern world), the acoustic-driven (yet

often full-banded ending) songs have a tone of soothing

listenability that run through the entirety of the disc.

With three different albums towing nine songs apiece, there

is plenty to sink your teeth into and almost every aspect

of each album is divisible by three, in some way shape or

form. From the re-curring usage of the three word song

titles ('Heartless, Heartless, Heartless', 'Run, Run, Run',

'Gone, Gone, Gone', etc.), the listeners gets a strong sense

that Plaskett is trying to stick tightly to a concept with

little variance or movement outside of that frame. The

honey-drip accompanying vocals of Rose Cousins and New

York folker Anna Egge lend themselves to almost every song

in a brilliantly guiding light.

But so what? Tons of other artists put this kind of tedious

and exasperating prep into a full length - what is it about

Joel's work that pushes his cream to the top of the milk jar?

It might be due to Joel's ultra-personal songwriting style

that brings the listener right into his living room. JP pulls

no punches when it comes to exploring his own demons

(which are actually shown in the 2nd disc song 'Demons')

and darkness.

But what is it that keeps Plaskett 'Rollin, Rollin, Rollin'?

From his early days with 'The Hermit' (Thrush Hermit)

to his first solo work 'In Need of Medical Attention', Joel

has proven his ability to stay centrally focused (majorly

within rock, country and folk) but to dip very deeply into

varied musical pools when he needs to; He's not afraid to

pick up a mandolin and strum a heartfelt ballad or to

rip full-throttle into his beat-up fender duck and rock the

crowd without abandon. This is no more evident in the

song that rocks hardest on the album - 'Run, Run, Run'.

In this final song on disc 1, after a Zeppelin-esque whap-

drum and sonic rock riff ends, an acoustic coda begins

that ends the song with a brilliant refrain that just may

sum up Joel's experience as a musician so far - and as a

human being:

'All you beautiful creatures

You are featured presentations

Show me a little patience

Won't you meet me at the station

When my train comes in...'

In that same interview, Joel defined success as a sort of

'restlessness' in the sense that he is never truly happy with

what he's made - and he is always on to the next thing.

I didn't really get into this album at first - but it's like any

book worth reading; it takes some time to ingest and once

it sticks, it is all over your consciousness. Let's hope that

Joel still has a ways to go before that ever-running

train comes in.

2009-04-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

Book Review (by Matt McKechnie)
AUTHOR: Susan Isaacs
BOOK: 'Angry Conversations With God -
A Snarky But Authentic Spiritual Memoir'

In this life, our personal stories are supernaturally significant.
In Susan Issacs' intensely personal book 'Angry Conversations
With God – A Snarky But Authentic Spiritual Memoir', the
reader is led down the fragrant road of a very colourful story
about a woman trying to get to the centre of her spirit. Thinking
that the end of her rope was going to be reached in New York
at age 40 (after a series of massive life- letdowns and broken
relationships), Susan re-counts the detailed process of finding
an ex-pastor hippie therapist to deal with the re-construction
of her soul.

Speaking of stories, another wrinkle that makes this book all
the more interesting for me is the prong of another story that
entails how I came to cross paths with Susan. In my younger
years, I spent a lot of time watching movies (especially within
the realm of John Hughes comedies). A movie that was very
pivotal for me was 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' starring
John Candy and Steve Martin. Martin plays Neil Page – a
conservative, tightly wound businessman from Chicago. Candy
plays Del Griffith – a jovial salesman who loves people and
the scent of the open road. In the story, though, I was always
confused about the sad plot of Griffith's wife as she is
somewhat of a present character in the film but is only ever
seen in a bedside photo that Del keeps close. There was
something that drew me in about that picture…but I couldn’t
put my finger on what it was. Regardless of the mystery,
though – I went on. I lived life. I grew up. From time to
time, I would see the film on TBS or another channel and
wonder about the mysterious, friendly-looking woman in
the picture. Some years later, after continuing down the path
of writing and journalism, I worked as a writer and editor for
the Burnside Writer’s Collective based out of Portland,
Oregon (for which Susan was also writing). Googling every
name I found within the collective, I googled Susan’s only to
find out she was a professional actor among many other
things. I clicked on to IMDB to see what films she’d been in
and that’s when I saw that she had acted in ‘Planes, Trains
and Automobiles’. I got kind of excited because I loved that
movie and knew every face in the film like the back of my
hand. I started thinking about which character I thought she
might be – and then I saw her picture online. It was her –
the mysterious lady I’d wondered about for years – Del
Griffith’s wife. I contacted her immediately and we’ve become
acquaintances/e-friends ever since.

Going deeper from my initial meeting with Susan (and due
to the personal nature of this book), I found myself gaining
a wealthier understanding of her while reading it. In
re-counting the woes and hardships of her professional acting
career (in a lot of films I owned on VHS), she bluntly talks
about the harsh downside of the limelight - and how all of her
scenes were cut from the final version of Planes, Trains and
Automobiles. My jaw dropped in revelatory spasm when I read
that line. Susan’s writing style is raw, as she holds back nothing
from her personal experiences. Her narrative includes
everything from guilt-flagged sexuality to running through
the streets of her Californian suburb in a state of lunacy after
hearing about John Lennon’s death. It’s political – it’s powerful
– it’s personal. She curses at God and He curses back at her. But
for all of her ornately-detailed accounts of coffee/rock
church-shopping and odd-duck Christian finding, she finds out
that there is an upshot.

I’m glad to call myself an acquaintance of Susan and to have
gained a greater grasp of her life from reading this book. There
was always a calm, re-assuring notion about her picture in that
film that was endearing to me as a kid. Little did I know that I
would one day meet that very, same lady in the photo. In the
book, Susan stumbles toward re-connecting with God in
couples’ therapy by remembering the good things He’s done
and the presence of His work in her life. Maybe all of that time,
while she struggled through acting and many other woes, her
picture was a way of God telling me (a little boy in Canada) to
never forget faces and to always invest into relationships.

Having been an English major for four and a half years of my
life, I’m still not at a place where I want to read on a casual
basis. ‘Angry Conversations With God’ made me want to start
reading for pleasure again.

2009-03-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

Movie Review

Synecdoche, New York

In the mind of Charlie Kaufman and within the screenplays that

originate from that ultra-bizarre and yet strangely familiar world,

the watcher is never really sure what is going on. Even the ending

of a Kaufman film (which usually brings some form of closure or

relief) doesn't ever actually mean it's 'the end'. Long on trickery

and short on conformity, Kaufman's latest work 'Synecdoche,

New York' was released on a relatively small scale last year but

has thumped the cinematic world for ages to come.

The making of this film must have been similar to the journey

of Philip Seymour Hoffman's character Caden Cotard. Overtly

distraught by a strange and de-habilitating medical condition

that affects his ability to salivate, Cotard is a man of fatal

disappointment. Stuck within a disparate marriage to a

famous painter but pedestalizing his young daughter

Olive, Cotard aims to break out of his rut as an unoriginal

playwright and to create something so brave, artistic, daunting

and unfounded that it begins to take over the whole of his

being. Within this journey, though, Kaufman keeps the viewer

disoriented by allowing Cotard's character to lose track of

normal daily devices such as time. Within the work of this

film, time is a factor that never really makes sense but

is still pivotal to the duration of the story.

Synecdoche plays out like a dream that seems so vivid and

real the moment you wake up, but that is so fragmented and

near impossible to recall within seconds of being awake.

It is a cinematic work like none other to date. Hoffman is

obviously brilliant along with a stellar cast but the real

creative genius is in the writing. This is not to say that

Hoffman doesn't act well or isn't a good actor - he's crucial

to this role and a massively gifted actor. This film is just

so well written that the cast is almost a non-factor

(including a definite nod and branching out for Michelle

Williams). It's actually hard to write about what

unfolds within the film without giving away too much.

Just know that if you don't see any other film this year,

you must see this one.

2009-02-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

MOVIE REVIEW
THE BROTHERS SOLOMON

My brother and a few other friends told me about this
movie, and upon initially hearing about it, I wrote it
off as a lame feature. The rumblings in my mind said
'There's no WAY Will Arnett and SNL regular Will
Forte can be THAT funny for 1 hour and 20 some
minutes'. I also heard it was laced with a lot of sexual
innuendo humour which I find to be pretty unoriginal,
over-used and lacking in comedic depth.

Boy, was I wrong.

The film basically follows the lives of John and Dean
Solomon - two socially inept brothers who are
trying to complete their dying father's last wish to be
a grandfather (who is actually Lee Majors from tv's
long running series 'The Fall Guy'). Yes - the premise
seems ridiculous but in the end, after all of the
awkward antics are done with, it is a film that has
heart. In their quest to impregnate a female and
have a child, the two brothers begin to see what
really matters in life. As an added bonus, you also
get to see Will Arnett wear very short shorts for
the entire feature.

This movie shocked me in the sense that...I haven't
laughed so hard while watching a film in quite some
time. One scene in particular made me laugh to
the point of silly, shaky giggles that even woke up my
sleeping wife. As funny as Will Arnett is (and believe
me - he has some side-ripping scenes), Will Forte
actually steals the show with his amazing dialogue
delivery and stunningly awkward smile. SNL regular
Kristen Wiig also does a bang-up job as the mother-
to-be.

If you are unsure about what flick to pick up the
next time you are browsing the comedy shelves, give
The Brothers Solomon a chance to warm your
heart and your funny-bone.

2009-02-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

Matt McKechnie interviews 'Restaurant
Makeover's Design Diva' Meredith Heron

Trying to be a little bit more about culture than just
music, I was able to conduct an interview last week
with Designer Meredith Heron (from HGTV and
the Food Network's 'Restaurant Makeover' and
'Love By Design') and ask her some q's about the
worlds of design, music and culture.

On a snowy Thursday morning with a serious lack of
caffeine, Meredith and I were able to connect after
she screened my calls and refused to answer the phone
a few times.

MM: How did you know you wanted to get into the
world of décor and design?

MH: I guess I’ve always been a naturally creative and really
hands-on person. And ya know, I’ve made mistakes
along the way. I became an elementary schoolteacher
when I was 23 but it really wasn’t my thing. I mean,
I had some outlets as a teacher and helped develop
some new curriculum but it wasn’t enough - and I
could have kept going but I was sort of dying inside.
I always had a great and innate sense of colour growing
up. At one point, I was working at Home Depot making
paints and I thought ‘I love colour and I need to do this’.
So I went back to school, took some con-ed design
courses (and I was really encouraged to do so by
everyone in my life from old teachers and colleagues
to friends and family). And from there, I started
building a client base and I went pro.

MM: How did that lead to becoming a Television
/Media figure?

MH: I actually hosted a charity event for Starlight TV and
I had a friend who was a casting agent - and everyone
seemed to like my on-screen abilities and I loved
doing it. So I was contacted from that event, did a
screen test and went on to host ‘Love By Design’ and
from that show, I met a camera man who referred me
to ‘Restaurant Makeover’.

MM: When you are chillin’, what is your
favourite music to listen to?

MH: Ya know, it depends on what I’m doing and what mood
I’m in but I went to see Duran Duran live a few months
back and it was an amazing experience. I mean – I’m 9
weeks pregnant so I can’t really party that hard but it
was still so cool. And music has a power that way. I can
be in a really bad mood and then ‘Hungry Like The
Wolf’ can come on the radio and everything is okay! I
totally love Simon Lebon so that probably helps.

MM: I’ve read that you specialize in colours and
faux finish – for those of us who aren’t design-
inclined, how would you describe faux finish?
MH: Well, faux finish is just a painting technique that lets
you make something that’s fake - like the appearance of
stone or marble or to make something look aged. I don’t
do it as much anymore unless it’s with antiquing
furniture or glazing something. I try to stay away from
sponge painting now as it sort of makes me cringe. But
that’s basically what it’s about.

MM: Does music have any effect on the way you
create a design?

MH: Actually, we are pretty big about music in the office.
(Asks her partner/husband about a band they listen to).
There is an artist named ‘Kosheen’ who we listen to a
lot of – I also love The Weepies and I love a lot of
melon-collie music; certain Coldplay songs, St Germain.
Friday afternoons at 5 pm, we have this tradition in
our office of cranking up some music. And ya know
what, I may be boxing myself here but I love Bon
Jovi . I saw them live a while back and what a show
that man puts on. We were even in nosebleed seats
and it was still amazing. So yeah – I love music.

MM: There were some internet videos where
someone imitated you a while back on
Facebook – is there a backstory there?

MH: Oh my gosh! (laughs) The story there is that the guy
making the videos was a mutual friend of my
cousin-in-law. A bunch of us went all out at the hair
of the dog pub here in Toronto (which is a pub in
the gay district in Toronto) and there was this guy
named Daniel who is a very gregarious guy who
sort of matches me in many ways AND he is a gay
Anglican priest. You can’t script that! You just can’t.
Anyways, we met the one time, exchanged things
back and forth and made some jokes about me
saying to servers and people in public ‘do you know
who I am?’ So in the videos, he was spoofing me
as we both have the same high maintenance
Starbucks drink order. Pretty hilarious.

MM: What do you think made Restaurant
Makeover so successful (especially when
you teamed up with Chef David Adjey)?

MH: In the first season, the shows were only half an hour.
But in the second season, they were bumped up to
an hour because half an hour just wasn’t enough to
show even a sliver of everything that was going on
(let alone allowing the audience to see the food) so
that helped with the success I think. And as far
David and I, I think people connected David with
us because we are…pretty much ourselves, ya know?
We are both pretty honest people and tend to tell
it like it is so I think people connected to that and
found it a little refreshing. David and I also have
stronger personalities than most and would have
stronger on-screen interactions with Igor (the head
builder) which was always fun (though sometimes
that was scripted).

MM: What would you say to future 'up and
comer' designers?

MH: Oh man. With design, I would say that you can’t
use tv as a guide for what to do or what to design. There
are a lot of hard-working people who have great design
ability but you really need to pick one area and
specialize. But you still have to be able to do multi-task
and work hard. For designers, you have to pay your
dues. If you think you’ve learned everything in a year
or two, you haven’t. There are a lot of people in this
industry who are young and impatient and sort of
encompass that millennial ‘I want it now’ generation.
Design is a business. Figure out where your strengths
are and if you’re a team player, find a firm, use an
approach that compliments your own. Don’t try to
copy something on tv (which is what happens a lot,
unfortunately). I really don’t try to emulate others -
I do my own thing and that helps a lot.

MM: Thanks so much for your time today,
Meredith.

MH: No problem.

2009-01-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

Album Review by guest writer Dave Ullrich

Artist: Andrew Vincent

Album: Rotten Pear

My high school experience was probably pretty normal.

I wasn't the nerdiest kid in the whole school, but I was also

definitely not the coolest. I ran with a quiet, law-abiding

group of friends with a slightly intellectual outsider view

of the world. Andrew Vincent seems like he could have

been part of my crew.

Rotten Pear has plenty of quiet electric guitar numbers,

Genesis-era keyboards and slightly intellectual outsider

lyrics. I get the feeling that Andrew Vincent is a thoughtful

guy that doesn't always get the good breaks. However, the

quality of this album shows he really should get some this

time around. This is my favourite new album of the year.

My basic recommendation is that you first buy this album

on Zunior, call up a few of your outsider friends, get

pizza/beer and then give it a play. It goes well on

rainy/snowy nights with people you really like. Listen to

the lyrics and roll with the mood.

- Dave Ullrich

Dave is the drummer for The Inbreds, the main musical force

of Egger, commander in chief of Zunior.com (Canada's largest

independent music download platform) and the head honcho

of the indie zine ThickSpecs.com.

2009-01-19T06:55:00.000-08:00

Interview With Dave Marsh
Published on Thickspecs.com on January 15, 2009

Finding it difficult to co-ordinate our non-meshable
schedules, Dave gracefully accepted a phone call from
me at 9:30 pm Atlantic time on a Thursday night to
talk about music, life, drum-thunder and his newest
full-length solo album 'The True Love Rules'. Dave
let me know he was just playin' a little guitar as he
had just woken up not too long ago from a late night
packed show at the Sea Horse tavern the night before).

MM: First off, thanks for making time to do this
tonight, Dave.

DM: Oh, no worries. Actually, hang on a sec, Matt –
(background talking: 'Al – you okay, there? Come on
in, man). Sorry, Matt – I'm actually just playin a little
guitar tonight and having some pizza that is being hand
delivered to me by Mr. Al Tuck.

MM: Cool! Well, in an interview I did with Jay
Ferguson, he referred to Al as a hero of the Halifax
music scene.

DM: (yells to Al) Jay Ferguson says 'Al Tuck is a hero
of the Halifax music scene'. (mumbling)

MM: Alright. What was it that first set you off down
the road of music?

DM: What – you mean like some sort of traumatic
childhood experience? (chuckles) Let's see – what
was it? I guess it was a lot of listening to the radio
and hearing these crazy big band songs. Growing up,
my parents were always having dinner parties where
music was playing and I was always into hearing what
it was. The radio was always on in my house. And it
probably helped to have a brother who would bring
home 4 or 5 awesome classic albums at a time. Those
things are probably what drew me in.

MM: Right from the beginning of 'Backstreets Thread',
the listener is taken to a pretty vivid place. Are these
real people and real places all throughout this song
and this album?

DM: Yeah man, it's all full of real stories and real
characters. In fact, 'Backstreets Thread' is a straight-up
nostalgic story about workin at the arcade with
childhood friends. It's pretty cool that some of those
same friends were at the show we played at the Sea
Horse last night.

MM: I'm sure this is a question that many of your
drum-wizardry students want to know: How do you
get that gloriously thunderous snare sound in 'The Way
We Live Today' and in some of your other songs?

DM: When the snare works well, it's all about timing,
a little rimshot and the perfect blend of wood and
metal. The rimshot is what gives it that sort of
metallic sound. Joel gave me a 1963, 25 dollar Kent
snare drum that we affectionately call 'Bluey' and it
gives us a lot of that solid sound. The dryer stuff was
recorded with a bigger Ludwig snare that I have
(which we hooked a few mics up to and covered with
a dishtowel to dampen it).

MM: I really first heard about your upfront
musicality on the Super Friendz album 'Love Energy'
(especially on 'Good To Feel Like'). Had you written
and recorded your own original material before?

DM: Yeah, actually. Even before The Super Friendz,
I had my own band named 'No Damn Fears' which
was basically...well...it was 'my' band. I wrote the
songs. It was a pretty killer line-up too. We had
Sloan's Andrew Scott on drums, Matt Murphy on
guitar and Jennifer Pierce who went on to do stuff
with Jale and sign with Sub-Pop. Anyways, that band
featured mostly my songwriting but after that, I
kinda went full-time into exploding and rocking the
skins for The Friendz and Joel in '99.

MM: So is this going to be a common occurrence for
you to write and record your own stuff? And does
Joel 'boss man' Plaskett mind if you take time off?

DM: Ha ha, no – Joel actually encourages me to do
that stuff so he can take time to do his own solo stuff
as well. In fact, right now, he's working on sort of a
three-parter production with his dad. So no – there's
no tension there at all. We'll see how things go with
this album. I'm going to be coming to Toronto in
March to promote it and play some shows.

MM: Have you ever had a nickname in music and if
not, how do you like the sound of 'The Wizard of
Whack'?

DM: (laughs raspily) That's awesome, man! I dig it.
I used to think Sultan of Swat was cool but I'll gladly
take 'Wizard Of Whack'.

MM: On a personal note, with over 20 years
experience as a pro musician, how do you feel about
the modern pop-music marketplace as opposed to
the pop music of the 70's and 80's?

DM: Oh man. I don't know. I mean, my experience
with success kinda only runs from point A to point B.
How some of these bands get to where they are – I
have no fuckin' clue. I guess it's still kinda the same,
ya know? You go out, you see shows and as a musician,
you gotta play shows to get out there. As per
mainstream stuff, I really don't have much time for
the same old Bob Seger songs and the over-digitalized
bullshit of today. Here in Halifax, I mostly just listen
to Suicide FM – it's sorta this radical old-folks station
that plays tunes for Gramps like Bing Crosby and
Ella Fitzgerald but every song is a box of chocolates.

MM: And finally, how do you generally kick so much
drumming arse?

DM: (sighs) Oh, Matt – Why is the sky blue? If dogs
run free, why can't I? (laughs) All of it came pretty
naturally. I mean, I did (at one point in my life) have
to spend an entire summer inside working on the skins
to really get a feel for them. In fact, my brother made
me my first set of drumsticks and they were really thick
and heavy sticks, man. So I figured 'If I can play with
these, everything else will feel like feathers!' I've had
a lot of luck, though, and playing with amazing
musicians like Matt Murphy and Joel Plaskett has
definitely helped. Having good material to play is
always key.

2009-01-12T08:08:00.001-08:00

(Just In Case You Missed It...)

Top 10 Albums of 2008

10. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

They're Death Cab For Friggin' Cutie, okay? They had to
sneak in there. Honestly, I think I fell in love with the
bright, melodic riffs and hooks of this well-produced album
in the first few months after it was released. Since then,
though, I've found myself becoming more un-stunned by
its plain nature. If I wrote this list back in May, though,
this album would have made number one. There's something
that becomes a little 'ho-hum' about this work the more
it rotates in my stereo. But still - come on - they made
the cut. They're Death Cab For FREAKING Cutie.
Who releases an 8 minute song as their first single?
I'll tell you who - Death Cab For FU*KING CUTIE!

9. Mark Knopfler & Emmy Lou Harris - All The Roadrunning

I've had a bit of a 'thing' for Mark Knopfler for some time, now.
I have always had a deep respect for his style of guitar-ism
when he was with Dire Straits and although this was a choice
of my wife's when she was cruising through some new releases,
this album deserves a little street cred. Emmy Lou sings
her blessed little heart out and Mark rasps along beside
her and plucks away at his tempered, steely guitar sound.
This album is a little short on depth but long on listening
pleasure. It is served best on a highway (preferrably an
interstate) with long stretches of flat, prairie land.

8. Sigur Ros - Meo Suo I Eyrum Vio Spilum Endalaust

Despite some hilarious personal references to album art
on the cover and the fact that this album came out in the
summer (ahem), Sigur Ros (though they intimidate the heck
out of me with their weird, non-existent Icelandic
dialogue) continues to do what they do best. They build
soundscapes and life theme-songs that are unparallel
with any other artist of today (save for maybe Radiohead).
My wife bought this album and although I have only
heard its full spool-through a few times, it is a conceptually
beautiful collection of music. I just wish I could understand
whatever it is that they're talking about...but maybe I
don't need to? Therein lies the beauty and the mystery of
Sigur Ros.

7. Stars - Sad Robots (EP)

This was a bit of a difficult album to put in my top 10,
seeing as:

a. It's not really an album - it's an EP

b. I don't even know if anybody heard about it
because it was released super-silently.

Regardless, though, seeing Torq Cambell and Miss Millan
live a few months back at the Bronson Centre made my
decision as clear as day. I hadn't heard any songs on this
EP before seeing the show...and that's what made them
as bold and intense as they are. 'A Thread Cut With A
Carving Knife' is, in my opinion, on the best Stars' songs
of all time as it builds, changes and thrusts into an
oblivion of textured instrumentation and passionate
vocals about living for today. As soap-boxy as he can
be at times, Torq Campbell is a prime performer who wants
his listeners to notice their surroundings, as opposed to
the 'sad robots' whom we all know and come into contact
with from time to time.

6. Sloan - Parallel Play

The boys are back in town - or were back in town with the
release of this new Andrew-heavy disc. After interviewing
Jay Ferguson back in the spring about Sloan, where they've
come from and where they are going, I couldn't help but
appreciate this well layered work that basically sums up
the band's existence to date. Chris Murphy drives the
balls-out rock train, Andrew labours and crafts away
intensely at his weird yet wizardly songs, Patrick blasts
his arena-rock fuzz for all to love and wave their arms
to and Jay Ferguson carefully plucks flowers in the field
of his mind where he smokes out cinammon puffs from
the candy cigarettes that are his songs. All in all, for a band
I've admired for over a decade now, this is a 'piece de
resistance' from Sloan to date and it worth a
serious listen.

5. Weezer - The Red Album

True to their form, Weezer continues to be a curveball or
slider pitch of the music world. You just never know what
you'll get with these guys. Stepping back from being a
creative control freak, Cuomo actually let some of the
other bandmates write some songs of this album...and
they're actually decent! Honestly, though, the song that
sold me on this disc was 'Pork And Beans' as it pretty
much sums up Rivers Cuomo's entire philosophy about
the music industry:
'I'm gonna do the things that I want do/
I ain't got a thing to prove to you/...'
I just love how millions of music-snobs look at the way
these guys do their thing and say 'What the...?' and yet
they still remain successful. Go get 'em, Weez. Whenever
you finish your tour of primary colours for album names,
I'll still be listening.

4. Brendan Canning - Something For All Of Us

I know - Broken Social Scene brain-washed me and pays
me to write good reviews of their music. Ha ha. Funny.
The reality is that seldom few can create such an anamoly
of and array of sound like these folks can. Brendan
Canning, too, stepped up as more of a background bassist
and released a front-man batch of very well-crafted songs.
Sometimes, the feel of this album rests a little too heavy
on the shoulders of older Girls Against Boys tunes but
that's just fine with me. Most of the songs are driven
by terse, driving bass-lines (sometimes distorted,
sometimes not) but they all usually explode into some
epiphany of sound. Canning's disparate and patchy lyrics
are all about community as he truly doles out 'Something
For All Of Us'.

3. Coldplay - Viva La Vida/Prospekt's March

Coldplay! I KNOW! I'm such a massive sell-out. It's disgusting.
Despite being pegged by Pitchfork as 'yet another band who
sold out to sound engineer Brian Eno to change their creative
direction', say what you will - but we all know that Coldplay
has it where it counts. I was expecting to be VERY
hum-drummed by this release but I've found that it gets
more play in my iPod than many other artists. The intricately
digitalized songs of this album have an unparallel sound that
I crave a lot of the time. Chris Martin and crew are incredibly
good at what they do and they have done very well to evade
any sort of traps of the music industry. Ask anyone who has
attended a recent liveshow and they'll all say the same thing -
'The quality of sound made it seem like a live playing of the
album except way louder and WAY better.' There may
not be much room for live improv...but to have millions of
people say the same thing about their live performances
is pretty friggin' incredible.

2. Silver Speakers - Streetlights And Stars

Conflict of interest? Reviewing an artist who is on my record
label? I don't give a DAMN. Yeah, that's right. Suck it.
Tyrone Warner is a great song-writer and deserves some
just desserts. In a tiny Toronto beer-garden-like pub, back
in September, I got the chance to hear the live cd release
of this album and it has vacuumed my sub-conscious ever
since. Each word drips with meaning and the songs are
rife with faith-searching 'meaning of life' type stuff. 'Are You
Only In My Head' is one of most hauntingly beautiful songs
I have ever heard as the guitars and keys cascade the listener
through a valley of sound and light. The only reasons why
I couldn't give SS the #1 nod are...well...obviously, he's a
friend of mine and that's a little bias...and because he was
forced (due to resource restraints) to use a drum machine
which draws away from the magnificence of the songs, at
times. Better luck next year, T-money.

1. Matt Mays & El Torpedo - Terminal Romance

I know what you're thinking and the answer is 'No! - I don't
only review East-Coast artists or musicians I've interviewed'
okay? Back off. There just really wasn't a massive number
of albums released this year...but THIS one by THIS dude
takes the cake of rock and eats it, wholesale - candles and
all. Pulling a reverse of what 'Narrow Stairs' did to me,
I didn't really care much for this album when I first heard
it. The fabric of Great Canadian ballad-rock, though, weaves
this album together into a finely tangled mesh of sweaty shirts
and plaid-jacket, pine-tree highway visions. Matt Mays
has shown, once again, that he is a superbly talented
songwriter and speaks of the traps that are romances
which have become disastrous diseases. What I love most
about this album and MM&ET, though, is that Matt is never
trying to be something he is not.
He is a rocker - through and through. In an interview I
conducted with him (that he later invited me to the show
afterwards), he said 'I just love guitar riffs, man. Is that
wrong?' This album blasts out of the gate with the throat-
ramming riff that brings 'Building A Boat' to life and
trucks full throttle right into the Springsteen-esque
ballad mid-point of 'Terminal Romance' and keeps a-rollin.
This album is not for the folky hyper-instrumentalized
Sufjan lovers or for the indie-whistling 'everyone-wants-
to-be-the-flaming-lips' listeners either. It is heavy like
lead - and it will change you.

2008-11-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

Broken Social Scene live at the Bronson Centre

Since the Island festival concert of 2006 in Toronto, I hadn't seen
BSS play a live show. Up until that point, in fact, my life had been
completely BSS-less. (Many people think I have been possessed or
drugged by the members of the band to write gold about them.)
On October 25th, I had the chance to see Broken Social Scene for
a second time in a live setting. For all of their grandeur and
media-projected hype, one thing is certain; any band who can
keep an audience entranced for nearly three hours can project
any kind of hype they want.

The night started with a long line as my wife and I met a few
of our concert-going amigos (Dan and Emily) who had already been
standing for a few hours in the cold October night. With two other
random people appearances (one I won't mention and the other was
Marc-Andre and his wacky caffeine-guzzling school friends) while the
four of us tried to stay warm, Brendan Canning walked by us and
high-fived a few cheering line-standers. A few minutes after,
Kevin Drew, Andrew Whiteman and a few others walked by going
the other direction as Canning. After a few false alarms, the line
started to seep in. We found some sweet seats and were pleased to
see that the Bronson centre was an all-sitting venue.

Land Of Talk opened. Chick rock mediocrity. And then it happened.
BSS took over the stage in full throttle. Ripping into '7/4 Shoreline'
only 3 songs in seemed to be somewhat of an early trap door that left
me wondering 'Where are they gonna go from here?' What was
ultra-cool about the communal aspect of Broken Social that night,
though, was that each member with a solo record got to showcase a
bit of their own material with the band backing them.

Andrew 'Apostle Of Hustle' Whiteman seemed a little surprised
when Kevin Drew motioned for Andrew, Brendan and the drummer
(Justin) to stay on stage and everyone else to leave. The song, however,
came to life with only three musicians playing ('National Anthem Of
Nowhere') and helped re-ignite my love for The Apostle's straight-ahead,
guitar-driven, drum-thumping style (and of course swelled when the horn
section re-appeared for the climactic ending along with Kevin adding
in another layer of guitar).

Brendan Canning (the unsung leader of the band and bassist) also
stepped up to bat for a few of his solo album tracks such as 'Hit The
Wall' and 'Churches Under The Stairs'. Though he didn't seem as
confident as the others, his songs carried and filled up sonic space
with their builds and bass-driven tempos. Canning was one of the most
interesting players to watch for the duration of the evening.

Another ingredient to the batch was Sammy Goldberg who performed
one of his songs (which Drew called 'a real bump-and-grinder') titled
'A Hundred Thousand Miles'. It was apparently the extra guitarist
and bassist's first time playing the song for his wife (who was in the
audience that night). This was one of the most awkwardly un-fitting
moments of the night...but somehow, it still worked.

One of the highlights of the evening (and 'weird-lights' if I can coin a
phrase) was Charles Spearin's science project. He had taped his
neighbour (who had a seriously thick Jamaican accent) talking about
'happiness'. He played the tape once so the audience could hear the
interesting inflections in the lady's voice. On the second play-through,
Charles called the main sax player back to the stage who then replicated
the exact sounds of the lady's speech (note for note) alongside of the
lady's talking.

Stepping into some rather big shoes that night was Elizabeth Powell
from the opening band 'Land Of Talk'. Powell not only put on a decent
set with her two bandmates for the opener but then proceeded to sing
all of the female vocal parts for every BSS song that night (obviously,
with the fame of Millan, Haines and Lady Feist, they can't all make it
to every BSS show).

Overall, the band seemed a bit tired (as the usually disheveled looking
Kevin Drew belted out his vocals and pelvic-ized against the mic stand) but
they pulled it together when it counted. For big finishes on big songs (like
'It's All Gonna Break' which was the first of 2 options given to the crowd
for a choice of encore), they ramped it up, brought out the horns, Charles
Spearin switched from guitar to brass, Sammy Goldberg would point
his instrument into the crowd like a gun, Whiteman would jump around
and kick a lot, Peroff would beat the hell out of the skins, Canning would
just jump in place and flop his hair about and Drew would turn red from
wailing. I think the magic of this band is that they each bring something
to the table of the feast of a live performance and cause the crowd to
want to see what each member is doing at any given moment.

Almost three hours after starting, Drew claimed 'This is the last of these
shows we'll be doing, where we play our old stuff, for a while...so thank
you for coming. It means a lot'. Obviously, every band has to navigate
through new terrain but that statement left me thinking that move was
perhaps a little premature and pretentious on the band's part. I mean,
really - if Radiohead can still play live songs from 'The Bends' twelve
years after the fact, I think that BSS can manage a few 6 year old songs.
Time and time again, though, Broken Social has proven that despite
the hype, they can deliver when it comes to live performances.

Who knows what the future will hold for BSS - but October 25th was a
night I won't soon forget.

2008-11-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

(Broken Social Scene Presents) Brendan Canning
Something For All Of Us

It’s hard to look outside the umbrella of the Arts & Crafts
label these days as its spread seems to be rather all-encompassing.
With an army of able-bodied and hyper-creative musicians at
their disposal, it’s hard not to get sucked into the vortex-like
vibe that A&C projects as it draws on so many attractive features
of music; community, male and female artists, varied
instrumentation, artist cross-contribution on different
projects, twenty performer live shows, etc. It’s no wonder
why we can’t seem to find our way out from under the
umbrella – we like the look of things underneath it (and
it’s also just…a massive umbrella).

Brendan Canning released ‘Something For All Of Us’ (the
second solo offering in a series of ‘Broken Social Scene
Presents’ albums) in July. Upon an initial internet album
leak, Brendan left a note on the A & C website detailing
that he was none too pleased with the song-thief. Despite
the leak, the album shows a mitt full of swelling, sonically
layered songs that have needed to get out of Mister
Canning for some time now. As the bus-driving bassist
of BSS, many of the songs have the bass-line right up
front in the mix, pushing the song onward. ‘Hit The
Wall’ is one these bass-driven beauties that makes you
feel like hopping into your station wagon and finding an
expressway at nightfall. With sparse yet hypnotic
guitar-picking parts laced on top of the track, its
‘what-will-happen-next’ feel keeps the listener linked
into the song’s speeding inner-wheel. The ending
overture of ‘Hit The Wall’ seems to present the idea
of someone who has left a lot of people behind as the
refrain repeats:
'You used to have it all and it's all gone'

Though it can be difficult to understand the message
(and sometimes even make out the words behind the
vocal filters) of Brendan’s songs, one thing is certain;
Brendan invests himself into each song and sets a
community-centered scene. Whether it’s the
wintry-mellow acoustic setting of ‘Snowballs And Icicles’
or the melodic vocals of his buddies Kevin Drew
and Feist on ‘Churches Under The Stairs’, the tracks
not only feature Brendan’s talents but the talents of
his friends and his musical community.

Unfortunately for the reader, it seems that I’ve been
enjoying more and more of what I listen to these days.
Now, I know it’s always fun to point a finger, chuckle
and read about an album getting ripped to shreds by
predatory music reviewers - but take heed; a good
review (when done objectively) is a good thing. It might
even mean that there is still hope for good music. As
the title of the album would indicate, Brendan Canning
indeed lets us know that there just might be
‘Something For All Of Us’ within these songs.

2008-10-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Sloan
Parallel Play

When the boys in the band of Sloan asked their manager
‘Chip’ Sutherland if they should re-record their whole album
‘Twice Removed’ for the marketing purposes of Geffen
Records back in 1993, Chip told the boys to tell Geffen to
‘go and f**k themselves’. Chip passionately pleaded with
Sloan to follow the path of integrity and to not worry about
the specifics of what a label wanted them to be as the band
knew, full well, that they had recorded a dynamite record.
God bless the Chip Sutherlands of the world. (You can read
more about the whole story in the book ‘Have Not Been The
Same’).

Fifteen years later, Sloan has never had to tow the party line
or dip into diplomacy. They have done things the way they
wanted to from the word ‘go’ and have made a watermark
career of it. Released earlier in the summer, the album
‘Parallel Play’ insists a re-visitation from both Sloan
listeners and non-listeners alike. Throughout the album,
the band veers and careens through their usual
ultra-harmonied/power-pop/arena rock antics.
Boasting a four man songwriting front to an all-out electrical
rock storm, ‘Parallel Play’ is another bright service station
along the highway of their career. The song ‘All I Am Is All
You’re Not’ displays Chris Murphy’s witty wordplay and
disdain for the music industry along with a powerful refrain
that catches a melodic snag in the fabric of the listener’s head:
We opened up the lines to first time callers
When we should have been holding the lines
I want to shout it out to long time listeners
To private conversations of mine…
All I am is all you’re not
All I want is all you’ve got

As a diametrically opposed cohort to the rebel rousing
Murphy, Jay Ferguson lights up his usual cinnamon-cigarette
pop songs that sound sweet and leave you humming all day
(‘Witches Wand’ is a great example). Patrick Pentland also
kicks track one of the album through the uprights of glory
with waves of sonic rock guitar-work in the hit single
‘Believe In Me’. Most intriguing of the four fingers, though,
is (and always has been) Andrew Scott. For Sloan fans, it is
always a hot topic to see which of the four will have the most
songs on any given record. ‘Parallel Play’ lets Andrew win
the battle with four of his raw-hearted blues-based tunes
(such as ‘Down In The Basement’ that takes us back to the
humble beginnings of the band).

More important than the music of this album, though, is
the message behind the medium; staying power speaks
volumes. At a recent live performance by Canadian Rock
gurus The Tragically Hip that my brother attended (where
Dan Aykroyd actually got up on stage and played harmonica
with them), lead singer Gord Downie stated ‘You know – it’s
no secret that we’re not the best musicians in the world. If
you write music, stick with it, stick with it, and stick with it.
If you hang around and stick with it and keep working at
the craft long enough, you just might get some notice.’ Sloan
has stuck with it and ‘Parallel Play’ is a rocked-out and
popped-out treat to the ears and the passionate listener
who longs for more than what the industry is giving back.

2008-04-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Murderecords Re-Launch (Part 1 of 2)

Murderecords – the label, the myth, the legend. Starting
way back in 1992, it was a dream of Chris Murphy, Jay
Ferguson, Patrick Pentland and Andrew Scott to start up
a label that promoted good independent music and, more
specifically, musical talent within their immediate
community of Halifax. At different times, the label
featured such omni-talented acts as Eric’s Trip, The
Inbreds, Jale, Hardship Post, Thrush Hermit, The Super
Friendz and of course Sloan, themselves. Whilst running
their ‘utopian’ business, however, Sloan came to a few
dastardly realizations:

1. Money wasn’t really coming in…at all.
2. The market was limited to Canada.
3. By giving bands (friends included) the option to leave
your label, they always will.

Even when things were looking up for Sloan and the
Murderecords saga, and Murphy and his men were able to
partner with the American label The Enclave (which released
‘One Chord To Another’ in the U.S.), things went further
downhill as The Enclave was shut down a few short months
later when its parent company decided to sell itself. Post
1997, Sloan decided to keep Murderecords alive only as a
vehicle for Sloan alone. And so it seemed the Murderecords
saga had ended and the book was closed for good.

Over a decade later, Murderecords has decided to
re-launch within Sloan’s new and much larger home field –
Toronto. They have already signed a few friendly and
talented acts to the lonely roster; Will Currie and The
Country French, Pony Da Look and the possibility a
few more (who are apparently ‘in talks’). I write the
word ‘apparently’ because there is limited and somewhat
mysterious information as to why Sloan and friends are
re-attempting to run an active record label. In an
interview with the National Post that can be read here,
Chris Murphy stated "I just want it to be a safe place for
our friends so they don't get ripped off…I want to smash
the guy in his mouth who pats himself on the back in
print about how indie he is. I just think it's going to be
cool-that's all."

Hopefully, a safe place is what the new
Murderecords will be – oh yeah – that and a label that
actually does well at selling, promoting and releasing
its artists. From a skeptic perspective, it could be a dicey
move for Sloan and friends but kudos to them for taking
this new step into somewhat familiar territory with a fresh
perspective. This time around, hopefully they won’t be
burned.

I’ll be interviewing Jay Ferguson of Sloan later this
week for Thick Specs about the re-launch of Murderecords.
Hopefully, the interview (which I’m looking forward to)
will help to shed some light on the topic and dispel some
nasty rumours. Stay tuned.

2008-03-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Real Emotional Trash

If I could write music the way Stephen Malkmus does,
in his raw, original and multi-faceted form, I would.
The problem is I don’t have the musical abyss of a mind
that he does…and I wasn’t a History major in school.
For many, the first time they heard a Pavement or
Stephen Malkmus track was most likely a traumatic
experience. I can vividly recall the first time I heard
the song ‘Cut Your Hair’ by Pavement from the Crooked
Rain, Crooked Rain album. I wincingly thought the song
was weird and was annoyed by Stephen’s songwriting
style and chaotic, ad-lib vocalizing. Unfortunately for
me, ‘Cut Your Hair’ sounded nothing like the rest of
the album, or any other Pavement song and was, in
fact, their closest brush with the mainstream. Oddly
enough, something changed in my heart along the
way and today I celebrate Stephen Malkmus’ entire
catalogue, both with and without Pavement.

In the truest sense of the term, Stephen Malkmus is a
freestyle musician who transcends borders, categories,
boundaries and demographics in order to convey the
weirdness and simplicity of his art. His newest release
‘Real Emotional Trash’ is no exception to that rule. As
Stephen’s fourth major solo release since the demolition
of Pavement (with his band The Jicks), the album
conveys the tensions and oddities that Stephen holds
dear within his own strange and fragmented world.
‘Dragonfly Pie’ opens with an attitudinal guitar riff that
sounds like it could be the main lick of an early Mudhoney
song, coming out of a blown amp. The lyrical theme
overrides the musical burn as Malkmus echoes the
deep realization of the refrain over and over:
‘Can’t be what you want to be /
Gotta be what your oughtta be’.

‘Cold Son’ is the first single off the album and nicely
displays Malkmus’ simple poppy side and penchant
for wordplay. The album title track ‘Real Emotional
Trash’ is an incredible 10 minute powerhouse of
augmented lyricism that focuses on Stephen’s salt
of the earth people adoration (‘Point me in the direction
of your real emotional trash’). The song features
everything from SM’s signature clean electric picking
to Piano to 70’s organ tones and changes tempo
three or four times.

Make no mistake – Stephen Malkmus is a
de-constructionist. This can be clearly viewed on
the well-crafted track ‘We Can’t Help You’ that
actually pokes fun at the ridiculousness of the
post-modern ideal:
‘There’s no common goal / There’s no moral action
There’s no modern age in which to run away
There’s no grace and love / without no projection
There’s no sky above for you to cry into
We can’t help you.’

It’s obvious that I’m a little biased here but being a
listener and a fan of SM for over 13 years, it’s
understandable to me that the common palate does
not jibe well with his musical and lyrical flavour. In
fact, his song-writing is often so slob-rocky and choppy
that it can sound amateur-ish when compared to the
sleek, shrink-wrapped musical markets of today.
Fortunately, SM has it where it counts and doesn’t
really care about his lack of radio play. He has an
adoring listener base that spans across many
generations and musical demographics. He has been
pegged (although Stephen himself denies it) as
possibly the pioneer of the ‘indie’ movement. He is
so well respected and known within the music industry,
in fact, that his voice can be currently heard as Cate
Blanchett’s singing voice in the new Todd Haynes film
about Bob Dylan entitled ‘I’m Not There’.

For an original musical ride and nice intro to the work
of Stephen Malkmus, I would suggest you pick up
‘Real Emotional Trash’ (and the ITunes version comes
with a bonus track) and then work your way backwards,
deep into the catacombs of his collection.

2008-03-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

Foo Fighters
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

It feels like I have been to this place before. The place
I speak of is one of distrust, malcontent and utter irritability
with the status of modern music review. I base this
hypothesis out of many modern reviews I’ve read but there
is one in particular I’d like to run up the flagpole. Before I
get to that, though, I will not (as a friend and colleague once
told me) let the review in question get any glory – I will
let them hang. I’m warning you now that this review will
be much longer than my usual writing but I feel that there
is much to be said on this subject.

In October of 2007, The Foo Fighters released their
newest offering entitled ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience and
Grace’. Before I get into the dough of that bread, however,
I feel it is necessary to briefly touch on the history and
saga of Dave Grohl. Being a fan of the Foos since their
pre-1995 humble beginnings (when Dave Grohl made
a demo tape to attract other musicians that ended up
being released as the Foos first self-titled album), I was
actually never a massive follower of Nirvana. I liked
them and I dug the raw feel of ‘In Utero’ but I was
never a huge believer. Since the haze of those Seattle
days, Dave has arguably been the most successful musician
that has moved from being a drummer to a front man
(with possibly the exception of Phil Collins. Okay, I’m
kidding).

Apparently, there are over a thousand people who
check out BWC on a daily basis. It’s awesome to think
that there is a readership out there that is devoted
to dissecting truth with a Jesus-based worldview.
Unfortunately, so many people who know no better
look to major magazines and releases to find the critical
truth – Rolling Stone, SPIN, Pitchfork, etc. If you are
a reader of the BWC or just a first time checker-outer,
I hope you get the sense that BWC folks write from the
heart within this publication. I hope that it’s understood
that when I write the phrase ‘ESPG is a solidly
constructed album and one of the Foos more diverse
works’, I write that from the heart and I am not getting
paid to type that. It just needed to be said.

On ESPG, Dave, Taylor, Chris and Nate take a varied
approach to songwriting. Though Dave is in the lead (as
per usual), you get the sense that the band is taking a
deeper philosophical breath as they rock hyper-ish at
times but kick back mellow-ish at others. ‘The Pretenders’
is nowhere near one of the best songs on this album and
honestly, I have no idea why Dave and the boys released
this as their first single. There are some amazing tracks
on this disc that gave me shivers the first time I heard
them and still do to this day. ‘Long Road To Ruin’ is a
great rock-pop anthem that speaks of the long road
ahead that we will all, most likely, make mistakes upon
while we drive on it (the video for this song is actually
pretty humourous and par for the course with Grohl’s
comedic persona). ‘Come Alive’ is one of the best songs
I’ve heard in years and though it gets a little edgy and
loud for modern trends (that mostly feature bands with
a token female singer and xylophone), there is hardly
a soul who can not relate to watching a friend or loved
one dwindle on the tip of his or her true potential.

‘Cheer Up Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)’ is probably
my favourite song out of the whole disc. It features
everything the Foos do well – the harder guitar and
drum edge but with a poppy, light tone that any listener
could bob their head along with. The idea behind the
song really speaks for itself – in an age where so many
musicians thrive on an image of being sad, gothic and
cosmetically downtrodden, Dave is speaking to the evils
of teenage influence that focus too much on the downside
of life:
‘Stop Using My Confusion
Wait…Wait…
There’s a world out there
Don’t you deny me’

The ill album review I referenced earlier is one that
surfaced directly after the release of ESPG in SPIN
Magazine. In this disgrace of a review (and really…I’m
being generous with that wording), the writer goes on
to sloppily compare a few new songs on the album with
older Foo hits from previous releases: “"The Pretenders"
is "Stacked Actors," even down to the lyrics decrying
phonies; and if you've heard "My Hero," you've got a
good idea what "Statues" sounds like.” Wow. The
comparison of those tracks is so far off kilter that’s it’s
almost as if this reviewer was listening to an entirely
different album. Though there are some lyrical
similarities between ‘Stacked Actors’ and ‘The Pretenders’,
the former is much more of a snapshot of the bleach-blonde
industry posers whereas ‘The Pretenders’ is about staying
power amidst one hit wonders. The songs, however, are
quite different from a sonic standpoint. As far as the
comparison of ‘My Hero’ and ‘Statues’…I’m somewhat
shoulder-shrugged. ‘My Hero’ is a song that begins with
a throbbing drum track and moves into a powerful blast
of bass and guitar-throttle. ‘Statues’ is a mellow ballad
that Dave croons upon while playing piano. I’m actually
being serious – I’m not making this up. Have a listen for
yourselves.

Finally, the reviewer actually makes a reference to Dave
Grohl’s career thus far as being ‘fantastically average’. I
might take that statement a little more seriously if I
believed the writer even had one decent listen-through
to the album in question.

The Foo Fighters don’t write the best songs ever made
and they would be the first ones to admit that. Amidst the
smoke and mirrors of the musical marketplace, though,
Dave Grohl has some depth and although it’s usually
only hinted at, it is still there. Unfortunately, since the
monster of Nirvana has been painted and pedestalized in
such an unfair and uneven light, Dave has had to live
with the burden of trying please old Nirvana fans and
critics from day one. As the Nirvana bassist Krist
Novoselic once said ‘Dave has had to find his way out
of the jungle of Nirvana with a machete…but I think he
has done pretty well.’

It would be ideal to find out more about the personal
lives of musicians and here on BWC, there is often a
moral undertone amidst all of the post-modern ramblings.
I don’t know if Dave Grohl knows God – maybe he does
in a way I’ll never understand or maybe he has chosen
another road. Though major magazines wouldn’t see
this as ‘good copy’ and usually don’t care, I care.

After years of listening to Dave’s music, what I can surmise
is that he is someone on a valid search - he tries to stay
out of the tabloids and believes in the value of people. In
fact, the one green marker that the SPIN review actually
got shallowly correct was the rating of ‘The Ballad of the
Beaconsfield Miners’ as a beautiful ‘bluegrass instrumental
that is an oasis’ of sorts. What the mediocre reviewer failed
to engage, however, is the story behind that song which
can be read about here. It basically speaks of Dave Grohl
helping two men who were stuck in the Beaconsfield Mine
Collapse, sending them mp3 players filled with Foo
Fighters music and other tunes, offering them free tickets
to a show and to meet up personally with them, and the
creation of that very song while Dave jammed later that
night and promised the one miner who came that ‘it would
be a song on their new record’. The new record would, in fact,
be one entitled ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace’. (But you
know – pretty boring, average story. No need to mention
that in a major magazine.)

2008-02-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

JIMMY EAT WORLD - Chase This Light

The newest offering from Jimmy Eat World, entitled 'Chase This Light',
contains as many questions as it does answers. For just over a decade
now, fearless alt-rock bandleader Jim Adkins (who apparently created
Emo?) has crafted a sound that is unique, crisp and ultimately over
produced as it boasts ultra-tight stops and starts, power pop guitar
riffs and songs that have staying power within both the indie and
mainstream music scenes. How does old Jimmy do it?

'Chase This Light' is more of the same from Jimmy Eat World but
is still, and almost impossibly, taken up another notch. The lead off
track and radio hit 'Big Casino' has already jammed so many major radio
frequencies with its convalescent pop sound that it’s almost become
a certainty that you’ll hear it on a 10 minute drive (if you do, in fact,
drive with the radio on). ‘Big Casino’ showcases driving electric guitar,
throttling drums and Adkins' trademark jittery, passionate vocal
chords. Though the words of the song have been debated through
several zines as a first person story about Adkins, it is more of an
informed opinion that the song is actually a fictitious story about an
average joe character from Jersey who dreams of striking it rich
(as Adkins, himself, was born in Mesa, Arizona):

I'll accept with poise with grace/
When they draw my name from the lottery/
And they'll say "all the salt in the world couldnt melt that ice"/
I'm the one who gets away/I'm a New Jersey success story/
And they'll say "Lord give me the chance to shake that hand"/
They'll say/

The song, though, seems to be more layered than what a first glimpse
would indicate. Oddly enough, 'Go Big Casino' has been the title of a
somewhat secretive musical side project of Adkins for years. Though
there are some other decent songs on the album (i.e Let It Happen,
Gotta Be Somebody's Blues, Carry You), the standouts and possibly
thematic emblems of the album lie in 'Big Casino' and the title track
'Chase This Light' which speaks of the inevitable clock of life over a
bed of soothing guitar-scapes: “Tonight, Chase This Light with me...
my life is yours, in your gifted hands”.

It could be clearly stated that Jim and the boys are no longer just
rock icons screaming about injustice – they are thinking about and
dwelling upon the uncertainty of life. ‘Big Casino’ seems to be less
of a song and more of a theme for the album and perhaps the song
title, itself, refers to the wavering faith our society places within the
power of money. Perhaps the theme of the song was Jim’s original
idea in the creation of his musical side project – perhaps it’s totally
off the mark.

But what stands out about 'Chase This Light' in a time
where creative music is at its distributional peak? What will make
both fans and non-fans of Jimmy Eat World buy this album? One
word comes to mind; Integrity. Jim Adkins has stayed true to his
form and style of song-writing, (though lessening a little on the
experimental side since early JEW tracks like the 9 minute epic
'Sky Harbour') sticking more to the straight ahead values of
displaying a message through a highly accessible medium. In a
sense, it could be argued that 'Chase This Light' is representative
of Adkins and the band - they have never stopped chasing the
light that started all of them down the road of music. On the
album back cover artwork, the light is displayed in the form of a
lit match which may indicate, on an even deeper level, that
Adkins and crew know just how powerful that light really is...and
just how quickly it can disappear.

2007-12-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

Matty's Top 10 Picks of 2007

10. Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist
Many critics called this album a moneygrab but by listening to
tracks like 'Thats The Way (My Love Is)', it is evident that the
heart of SP is in this production, even though James Iha and
D'arcy didn't make the reunion. Highly touted and advertised
through MySpace blogs, this album actually has some depth
and as the term 'Zeitgeist' defined tells us, the Pumpkins are
back and not so introspective; they are taking notice of the
cultural climate of the United States.

9. Feist - The Reminder
Leslie Feist follows up her first major release by topping her
sundae of success with a cherry of musical delights. Though I
wish some of the tracks were less effects-heavy (i.e. sounding
like Feist is singing under a tunnel through a cardboard tube),
The Reminder shows us that Leslie is out to remind us about
the meaning of love, sacrifice and truth.

8. The New Pornographers - Challengers
Though Vancouver natives TNP struggle to make true art in
the face of critics wanting so eagerly to define them as a
'supergroup', this album's climaxes seem a little premature
at times. Overall though, there are few on the market who
can construct such humm-able melodies as The New Porns.
This album also showcases the talent of Neko Case a little
more effectively than Twin Cinema.

7. Kevin Drew - Spirit If...
I can't even count the number of times I have read reviews
where critics (especially in Canada) complain about the
Arts and Crafts label having 'carte blanche' on Canadian radio.
My response is simply 'Show me another musical troupe that
rivals the passion and creativity of Drew and his band of
Toronto nomads'. Though Drew tends to drool on himself
with his stream of consciousness drivel, the end result of his
solo effort is satisfying and bright.

6. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace
Davey G and the crew are back for another multiple guitar
track laden effort...and it's really friggin good. Though SPIN
Magazine panned this newest offering and actually referred
to Grohl's career as 'fantastically average', I beg to differ
and suggest that SPIN needs to hire some new writers.
Dave bookends his passion on every corner of this album,
breaking away from the ultra-personal 'In Your Honour' to
more universal themes and never apologizing for rocking
the way he does.

5. The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour
It's really hard to hate a band from Winnipeg. It's even
harder to hate a hyper-talented band from Winnipeg who
can release albums almost four years apart and still command
such a massive listening audience. Reunion Tour is more
of the same from Stephen Carroll and the lads - vocal and
guitar-driven hooks framed around interesting character-based
lyrics - but still somehow oddly different. That's the magic
of The Weakerthans.

4. Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild Soundtrack
Though I'm not an Eddie fan, my wife asked me to download
this album and its bare-bones creative spool is incredibly hard
to resist. The simplicity of the songwriting makes you
understand the characters of a film without actually seeing
the end product (although I did see it). Songs like 'Rise Up'
pull you into the instrumentally eclectic and ever contemplative
feel of this hats-off creation from Vedder.

3. The Apostle Of Hustle - National Anthem Of Nowhere
I don't know if there is a band as original sounding as The
Apostle, these days, in ALL of music. I'm actually not kidding. I
just got a chance to see these guys live in the Nation's Capital
(that's Ottawa...not Vancouver or Toronto, folks) and they blew
the stage to bits with just three performers. Half Cuban and
Half Canadian, Andrew Whiteman writes songs that harness
latin rhythms and blend them into an indie soundscape. No
matter who you are, Whiteman will have you singing his national
anthem by the end of this disc.

2. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
My friend Jon Adams can attest to the fact that even my
placing Bright Eyes on a list of favourites is a testament to
Conner Oberst's genius. Determined to hate them from the
get-go, this LP won my soul over and displays the simple,
clairvoyant sounds of a man trying to change his way. The
arrangement is nothing short of epiphanal.

1. Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War
Of course I HAD to end on another album from Arts and
Crafts (that's 4 out of 10 if you're counting. And NO - I do
not work for Arts and Crafts. They are hypnotists. I want
my brain back.) Torq Campbell and the lovely Amy Millan
pull us through the fourth major offering from Stars. Based
on fictional caricatures of a war-torn city, the listener is
drawn into an ethereal world of riots, bomb threats and
people just trying to define their existences. Stars have
managed to take steps where other musicians don't dare
and for that, I salute them. This album does not disappoint
from beginning to end.

2007-12-03T18:31:00.000-08:00

Stars
In Our Bedroom After The War

Lately, it’s been somewhat bothersome to me that many
music reviewers are either washed-up, bitter ex-musicians
or elitist scene-kids. Let’s take a look at a recent review
from Pitchfork by one Ryan Dombal, shall we? This review
charts and graphs the newest offering by Stars (In Our
Bedroom After The War) at a meager 7.4/10. Without
getting too far into the semantics (and the idiocy) of rating
systems in and of themselves, I think it is urgent that we
delve into the currency of the actual review. Without
spoiling the cinematic ending, Dombal’s lengthy review
goes on to basically yawn over the newest Stars album,
criticizing it with containing ‘overt dramatic airs’ and
‘blubbering melodrama’. This is evident right out of the
gate as Dombal claims the title track ‘suffocates under
its own ticker-tape parade epic-ness’. Right. And…you
don’t see any hypocrisy within the very unglamourous
writing of your review, Ryan?

Before any further desecration of Dombal, the actual
album in question needs some simplistic framework with
which to level the critical playing field. Torq Campbell
and Amy Millan have led Stars through four major full
length albums in just under six years. What sets IOBATW
apart from their former works (including the 2004
overnight indie masterpiece ‘Set Yourself On Fire’),
however, is its devotion to theme, plot and character
through all thirteen tracks. The stage is a non-descript,
war torn city that reveals an array of inhabitants who
are all trying to survive and seek the true essence of
their beings. From Torq’s drugged-out prostitute, living
for the pulse of excitement, in ‘Take Me To The Riot’ to
Amy Millan’s optimistic gleam in ‘Today Will Be Better,
I Swear!’, IOBATW is an homage to an all-too familiar
scene that is universally relatable. The splendid and
varied instrumentation is really only the canvas for each
song, splaying everything from horns to driving beats
and airy synths. Although the eccentricity drips from
every piece of album artwork, Stars have released a
work that will rival many forms of art for ages to come.

Any integrity within Dombal’s anti-glitz, anti-Campbell
review is really laid to waste in its length: almost 900
words – all of which utterly contradict what I squeaked
out in half of that. Really? Is this the sum of modern
art and music reviews? Never amazed, luddite writers
who formulate inaccessible, lofty pages of jargon that
an English major will need a dictionary to sift through?
Dombal even goes on to pan Campbell’s acting
background (which he probably googled quickly and
found on IMDB), inserting a jab about a made for TV
movie involving a sea monster and a boy in his early
acting career. What happened to just letting the
listener know what the album is all about? Despite
endless critical fallacy, there really is no substitution
for the genuine article and Torq, though soap-boxy
and breathy at times, sells himself and his band in the
urgency of every lyric of every song on this album. And
so, ending with the words of Dombal himself: ‘as any
Hollywood-type will tell you, an actor is only as good
as his script.’ I guess I’ll shop around for some more
scripts!

2007-11-26T17:38:00.000-08:00

Kevin Drew
Spirit If...

Canadian Indie darling Kevin Drew, bandleader of Broken
Social Scene, offered the first taste of his solo fruits in ‘Spirit
If…’ in late September of 2007. For all of the chaos,
controversy and cacophony that ebbs and flows from the
very core of this ‘super-group’, and that which music critics
love to either salivate or whine over, I believe that despite
a few over-the-toppities, KD has something slickly original
to lend to the ears of his listeners here. The daunting, organic
opening track, Farewell to the Pressure Kids, starts as a
somber mellotron appetizer that breaks its belt into a
whimsical catastrophe of carousel-esque sounds, guitars,
reverb and percussion. It’s almost if KD, himself, is saying
farewell to the pressure of big band life, record executives
and the corporate music scene while delving into something
simpler:

‘Well the pressure kids…they own ashphalt, they won’t roll the die..’.

Despite driveling on himself from time to time, with his
constant stream of consciousness lyrical flow, Drew focuses
well on the two things he loves to write about most: sex and
society. ‘Lucky Ones’ is probably one of the most well
constructed songs that I have heard in years. The simple
opening of a distant, ringing guitar blends perfectly with a
Justin Peroff straight-gunning drum track. In true Kevin
Drew bleeding heart-artist style, lyrical sonnetry, he spills
his guts about the tension of loving someone he is close to:
‘All of your words came down like your spies/Trickled
through the morphine and tried to make a crime/I don’t
expect to suggest that we’re through/You know I can live
without you if you do…’

Aside from a few shiners, though, this album is not a
standout achievement by any stretch. Kevin Drew’s
constant clinging to a teenage era is accented by his constant
musical hero-worship of J Mascis who personally lends
his signature guitar tone to the album single ‘Backed Out
On The…’ The song itself actually lacks originality and almost
sounds like something Mascis himself would have released
in 1991 as a Dinosaur Jr. b-side. Overall, though, ‘Spirit If…’
still begs you to spin it more and more as you let it play
longer in your system. In the end, the good still outweighs
the mediocre and this album sounds different sonically
than most contemporary musical acts of today.

2007-11-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

THE WEAKERTHANS - REUNION TOUR

After a four years album release hiatus, the Weakerthans are back
with more of their splatter-crunch-pop-guitar driven creations to
keep the waiters satisified with their newest offering Reunion Tour.
Being an indie listener, scoundrel and semi music snob, I’ve always
tried to find bands and sounds that identify the dynamic of the
confused, the bereft and the penultimate confusion of this youthful
Canadian independent music generation. After a first listening to
the Weakerthans first major release (following their fist self-release
of Fallow), Left And Leaving in 2000, I was hooked into the
introspective appeal of John K. Samson’s writing style.

Everything from the oddly detailed, stream of consciousness
lyrics of "Everything Must Go" to the chunky, distorted guitar
picking on "Aside", to the hypnotic glow and soothing tones of
"My Favourite Chords" told me that the Weakerthans were
going to be a force to be reckoned with and they were going
to be making music the way they wanted to for quite some time.

Today, that notion proves to be true as 2007 marks their fifth
major and fourth full-length album release. In Reunion Tour,
we find the band hammering away at similar themes (that
usually feature their not-so-fond native city of Winnipeg and
its average-joe habitants), but in the framing of a different
structure. Boasting their most ambient sound to date, guitarist
Stephen Carroll told Uptown magazine this album features
"lots of ambient stuff, tape loops, and some more keyboard
than before". The experimentation bodes heavy from the
opening, swirling guitarish-keyboard loop of the first track
and single from the album, "Civil Twilight".

The Weakerthans, though, are not only about a certain guitar
sound or eclectic instrumentation (although they are known
for transforming odd household items into instruments later
recorded on to songs) as Samson’s ever-intelligent lyricism
shows an infinitesimal grasp of the English language. Samson
has been known to create characters who appear and
re-appear in and out his songs like faces in a recurring dream.
This can be seen in the track "Plea from a Cat Named
Virtue" on the 2003 album Reconstruction Site that relays
the mind ramblings of a shut-in housecat who seeks to find
ways to help her depressed human master. And wouldn’t
you know it, the curious cat actually reappears, in true
Samson style, in the Reunion Tour song
"Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure".

Though the album has been dubbed thus far by many zines as
forgettable or more of the same, I think it would be unwise to
label it as such without dissecting the raw simplicity and
staying power of a band like the Weakerthans. Most indie
musicians and acts of today have a hard enough time getting
a gig on a Monday night. Amazingly enough though, after not
releasing anything for four years, lyricist Samson somehow
keeps the fan base of the Weakerthans satisfied. His songs
always poke at a brooding darkness of the human condition
but always with the faintest hint of hope, and his band does
an incredible job of crafting hooks and bridges around his
writings. Yes, the themes are similar and sometimes you
think you’ve heard the songs on a previous album. But
ultimately, the listeners and true fans of acts like the
Weakerthans are willing to wait because they know the
substance of the creation will be that much greater.

2007-06-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

Joel Plaskett Emergency - Ashtray Rock

The first time I heard Joel Plaskett's solo work, I was dumbfounded.
Being a Thrush Hermit fan, I was destroyed upon my purchase of
'Clayton Park' when I found out that they were on the verge of breaking
up. I couldn't believe that real rock heroics like that of the Thrush were
still being manifested in modern artists. After purchasing his breakout
solo work 'Down At The Kyhber' in a used record store in Kingston,
though, I took an afternoon nap while listening to the cd in my discman
in '01. The balladry and formations of each song gave me vivid dreams,
and finally, I was awakened to the grand finale of 'Light Of The Moon'
as a beautifully, stripped-down acoustic tune gives way to a an epic
blast of thunderous guitars and drums from the heavens.

Having four major solo works under his belt and having gained major
Canadian exposure (by being a CBC darling), Plaskett is moving into a
new musical conjecture. 'Ashtray Rock' is his newest and perhaps most
highly touted offering with the album immensely produced under the
guidance and work of Mister Big Sugar himself - Gordie Johnson.
ChartAttack and a few other Canadian review zines have
dubbed it as 'Plaskett's breakout album' boasting that it will boost his
status from 'indie' to 'international'. Though I think making claims of this
nature is an act in futility, I think some of the interpretation in the art of
the album, itself, gets lost in the hopes that Joel will finally 'make it'.

'Ashtray Rock' is essentially a concept album in the sense that the songs
deal with three major characters - two guys, who are in a band together,
and a girl they are both in love with. The songs, though, don't list the
details of specific character struggles and plot twists but are instead still
loosely relatable themes for any listener. Though Plaskett mentions
specific names and places (i.e.the hate of 'Clayton Park' - the upscale
suburbia neighbouring downtown Halifax and, oddly enough, the last
Thrush Hermit album title) in the lyrics, the listener can either readily
identify with or flashback to a time when they, too, were 'Drunk
Teenagers' and hangin' out somewhere like 'Ashtray Rock' where they
imagined 'if that lake was beer' or imagined if that huge, boulder-ish 'rock
was hash'. Plaskett pulls off the renaissance of innocence well enough with
his boy-ish voice, embodying a lot of youth with an amazing vocal range,
while delving out some passionate sentiment in the delivery of each
well-produced song.

Though his words are often a little airy and vague, Plaskett's smooth
tones and voice inflection often depict much more than what the actual
words are saying. I'll be honest - Upon my initial listening to this disc,
I wasn't too crazy about how it played out. I even felt more indifferent
to this release than I did to 'La De Da' - JP's 2005 release. At first
hearing, the tracks just seem to be more radio filler than any sort of
expansion or progression. After a few re-listens, though, I definitely
started to hear more craftmanship and artistry in the last few tracks
('"Face Of The Earth", "Nothing More To Say" , "Chinatown/For
The Record" and "The Instrumental") in the wrestling through the
breaking up of a relationship during the winter months and darker
themes. 'Nothing More To Say' is possibly one of the best tracks of
the album dealing with the finality of loss between one of the boys in
the band and the heroine of the story:
'All the leaves are gone, I don't give a f**k /
Let the winter come on, I think I'll try my luck'.
'The Instrumental', though, is more of a teaser, showing some climactic
soundbytes of songs, in rock-operatic form, ending with the words of
the nameless girl character from the story as if it were a voice-over on a
postcard sent as a form of closure to the boys in the band.

For all the symbolism that this album obscurely hints at, though (including
the mentioning of someone who wanted to build a pool beneath the floor
of the high school gym), for the most part, the usual stand-out lyricism
and musical maniacism of Plaskett is lost on this disc. Though there are
a few great songs near the end of this disc (and some really great album
artwork from Rebecca Kraatz - Plaskett's wife), the first half fails to
deliver, offering mainly poppy, radio-friendly sure-fire hits. Sadly,
'Fashionable People' sounds like it could have been a Big Sugar song
which is far from the vein of JP's usual stream-of-consciousness rock.
Anytime a song sounds like less like the musician and more like the
producer...co-inky dink? Hmmm. Unless you're really into
fastforwarding through half of the album you purchase, I would stay
away from 'Ashtray Rock'.

But since this album is all about 'setting the record straight', I feel
the need to speak a little insight and truth. I'm a Joel Plaskett fan and
probably always will be as such. One thing that really annoys me
within the Canadian music scene, though, is this idyllic notion that
if someone isn't breaking into the major markets of the
USA or Overseas, then they are a 'hack' or an indie failure. JP listeners
and fans will always be his fans, not because of his status within any
scene, but because of his commitment and devotion to his craft and
artistry. Having said that, it's even more disheartening when musicians
themselves get into the mindset of 'this has to be my breakout album
or else I'm throwing in the towel'. Unfortunately, with the music scene
in Canada as sparse and as crowded as it is, there is a definite hard
to swallow truth in the defunction of many bands who have worked
to keep things alive but who had to, at some point, get back in their
lifeboats and old dayjobs.

Kudos to Joel for staying in it for as long as he has.

'What do you do when the good's all gone? There's nothing more to say' - J. Plaskett

2007-05-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

Amy Millan Live at the Casbah

'Feels just like another rainy day.'

Though the above pictorial display is not actually from the
show Sarah and I were at last night, it sort of depicts the
view we had - front row centre. Amy Millan did not
disappoint as her soothing, silvery voice glazed the microphone
and left it dripping with some of her 'honey from the tombs'.

From the onset, Sarah and I knew we were in for a treat. After
the loud opener 'The Rest' had finished (and their wall of
sound had finished exploding into itself), Miss Millan took the
stage by herself, claiming her band was 'still busy in the back,
drinking'. She played 'Losin You' and a song off of the very
first Stars cd (from 2003 'Nightsongs') all by her lonesome -
very folksy and quiet. What a cool way to start a show. After
that little intro, her band (who apparently don't have a name
but are now commonly being referred to as 'the dirty strangers')
took the stage and a plethora of instruments were manned
and well-represented. The mandolin player (Dan Whiteley)
was exceptionally fast-fingered and enjoyed himself thoroughly
while playing. The best part about his performance, though,
was the fact that he was late getting to the stage and as Amy
was shouting through the bar, looking for him, a voice boomed
out 'I'm comin! I'm just refilling my prescription!'. Another
awesome instrument wielder was the tall dude beside Amy
who played EVERYTHING from the trombone to the tablesaw.
I would like to know his name...and I would like to recruit his
musical services.

One of the coolest things about this show was the setting - every
other show I had been to at The Casbah (all of which were
Joel Plaskett) was standing room only and very loud. It was
such a different but welcome feel to actually go to a show, sit
at a candlelit table, have a few pints, relax and hear all the
different levels of each individual instrument and voice blending
together sweetly.

Though it sounds like (from this review) everyone who was
there that night was hammered, such was not the case. Amy played
a great set - only about 10 songs or so- and sang each song with
confidence and late-summer comfort in her voice. Any chance
I would get to see her live again, I would take in a cat's meow.
Here's hoping some new material will be 'bringing out the whiskey'
in all of us VERY soon. For any of you who have not picked up
'Honey From The Tombs', I highly recommend you get off your
couch-fitted arse and make it happen.

2007-02-27T18:12:00.000-08:00

Stars - Set Yourself on Fire

"When there is nothing left to burn, you must set yourself on fire."

With the direction of new music, one has to wonder if music is truly
(and has been for a long time) spiralling downward into the realm of
entertainment. Translation: How many more artists can sell out to fit
a mould or model a certain sound so as to make money and hit a target
market?

Now, I'll admit that I know NOTHING about Arts & Crafts Records
and their origins (except that Brendan and Drew from Broken Social
Scene used to be in the band called Hhead and Leslie Feist was in a
By Divine Right video) but dangit all...someone over there in Montreal
has got something RIGHT!

Amy, Torquil, Evan and the rest of Stars have proven this truth with
a fiery album of passion-driven pop that will not lay down and go
quietly into the night. From the the first time audio introduction of my
ear to 'Ageless Beauty', I was a hardcore addict of whatever these folks
were making. Their power pop drive with incredibly ecclectic
instrumentation reminds one of The Rentals (the self-title LP) but with
much more depth and bounty within the content. Apparently,
'Nightsongs' and 'Heart' (their first two full length releases) were so
critically warranted and supported that the cry for this album has been
sounded throughout the country for some time. Having heard neither
album, I can honestly say that from having absorbed this one, I plan to
become a Stars archivist in a massive way.

It should not go without noting that I was somewhat opposed to this
album upon its initial spin, on a drive from St. Catharines to Ottawa, with
my wife and cousin Ben in tow. Ben pleaded that I would like it from the
get go but my experience upon that trip (horrible traffic, incredible
thanksgiving weekend 401 slow downs) largely affected my initial intake.
Sarah had played me a few of their tracks from ITunes but there were
only two on the album that she and I liked. I must admit that my
introductory diagnosis was far from the final destination.

This album was summed up in a recent review as 'robots, sex and death'.
I'm not really gospel on those terms but I see those words as being
thematic emblems of the sound of this album. Robots: The electronic
nature of every song, that though even backgrounded, plays a major role
and makes you feel like someone is playing an Atari 2600 or Coleco
system in the studio. Cool. Sex: Romance and intimacy are very
prevalent, lyrically (seen in songs like 'One More Night' discussing the
unspoken emptiness of fast love), not in a gushy or overbearing format
but with a truthful and resonant spirit. Death: I think what I love most
about this album is that it is not saying nothing like most major releases
these days (Jack White a prime example of someone who constantly
says nothing and gets paid to do so) - it is most definitively about
'something'. Whether that is the end of life as we know it or the problems
of medicine, (evident through their promotion of doctors without borders)
Stars don't annoy with their stances but only wish to have their ideas
staged upon a brilliant base of exploratory and warming sound beneath.

The title track 'Set Yourself On Fire' is a grand indication of this band's
talent - it starts slow and reels you in but then throttles you into a
full-speed ahead, bass-driven pop ballad. The crystally bright electric
guitar sound gained my trust all through the entirety of this disc and it
never let me down once. In a recent review on BWC, some critic made
some remarks about an ArcadeFire review and that the reviewer did not
'give the album enough time to ruminate and sink in' or something
horse-manurish like that. Even though that can't always happen as
reviewers must meet deadlines and put food on their tables, it is nice
to have the time to do so when you can. This album was something
that required rumination...and the end result won me over.

So many people told me that even after the 'Ottawa drive with cousin Ben'
incident that I still needed to give this album another chance...and so many
people were right. This is the best rock/pop album that I have had the
pleasure of being acquainted with...probably ever.

10/10

2007-01-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

Matt Mays
When The Angels Make Contact
(released Dec.14/2006)
Reviewer: MM

'The future fades, your minutes are few
When the angels make contact with you'

Thus rings the emblematic chorus of the title track of Matt Mays'
newest pet project/brainchild but before we get into the album in
question, it is important that we backpedal to gain a greater
perspective. After the release of Matt Mays & El Torpedo's self
titled debut, the struggle between indie rocker and national star status
was becoming quite evident for Mays. Even in a few songs on the
debut (namely 'On The Hood') it was clear that Matt was striving
to find the balance between a normal, fun-loving guy with a lot of
friends and a musician gaining national exposure and success. The
dilemma lingered and all of his fans, though optimistic about his
genuine spirit, knew full well that musicians don't always take the
path of genuity within the realm of music.

Well, it's just over a year and a bit later and a path has been chosen.

As if Matt Mays couldn't be cool enough - but NO, he had to go
and record an eighteen track monster of an album based on an
INDEPENDENT FILM he was making with his friends entitled
'When The Angels Make Contact' (you can read about it at
whentheangelsmakecontact.com) that never got made due to budget
restraints...wow! I guess it is clear that he has chosen a path.
Breaking new ground and moving away from his alt. rock/folk style,
Mays clearly shows that he is a pioneer of the Canadian music
scene and is not afraid to cut through new terrain. Though it is
being dubbed a solo project, most of his band (El Torpedo) makes
their way on to this record in one form or another. This long-time
side-project is also littered with guest appearances adding a
definite accent (even in the form of a guest rap appearance by
Buck 65, the Halifax native and long-time cronie of Mays' hometown)
and flair, taking this album far beyond the realm of ordinary.

It is almost as if the film for this soundtrack didn't even need to
be made as one gets an obvious sense of the tension and
character journeys involved in the storyline just from the music
and words. This can especially be seen in track 4 ('1 For The
Motor') which tells the tale of the main character of the film whose
journey begins when he finds a dead motorcyclist on the side
of the highway. The ex-police officer, seeing that the man has
obviously been deceased for some time, decides to take the
motorcycle for a bit of a joyride on a path of self-discovery
after having a long, hard life. The cryptic, naturalistic acoustic
guitar, accented with a heavily reverbed piano, paints the picture
for the crux of the main character in the chorus:'1 for the Motor /
2 for the cycle / 3 for the destination / 4 for the mornin' /
5 for the drive'.

The greatest thing about Mays' artistic genius is that even
though he is verging into new ambience and atmospheric
sounds on this disc, the core of his style remains true in his
songwriting. His inescapably distinct and raspy voice lets the
listener know they are still being led by the same guy from the
last album. The recording and production of this album alone
are a whole other issue which could be expounded upon in
encyclopedic fashion, I'm sure - suffice it to say that the overall
sound and feelof this album has an 'empty room/echoey' wash
that must have taken months to perfect. In all honesty, I wasn't
even sure I wanted to pick this album up when I saw it at the
record store. Don't get me wrong - I loved Matt's first two
works and made most of those songs permanent residents in my
head but I just had a bad feeling about his third major release.
The only downside to the album would be an excessive use of
audio clips between songs that put a little too much emphasis on
the non-existent film. There is also somewhat of a lag that happens
near the final tracks but honestly, it is nowhere near enough to
stop the listener from going back to track one to hear the story
all over again. Overall, though, I am definitely glad I nabbed this
one off the rack and one can only hope that the angels will continue
to make contact with Matt Mays and inspire him to release
monumental works of this nature. 9.5/10

2006-10-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sloan: NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT-
The Truth Is In The Title
Reviewer: MM

About 2 weeks ago, on my birthday actually, I purchased the newest
Sloan album 'Never Hear The End Of It' as I was alerted via a mutual
myspace friend that the album was, in fact, out after a long array of
speculation and rumour. For 12.99 at the capitalist monster Best Buy,
I picked up the new 30 song disc with much fear and anticipation of
great things. So with the miracle of a birthday candle-cake wish, I
was not disappointed. The title of this album has more truth to it
than you would think, in the sense that I bought it on the 23rd...
and I literally JUST heard the end of a it a few days ago.

I think what irked me most about Sloan's last few albums (Action Pact
and Pretty Together) was a sense of pride versus popularity; Though
their distinctive sound was still there in many noticeable forms, Sloan
were starting to break out from the middle ground of many mid-range
bands and their material seemed to be progressing, in terms of studio
production and mastering, but lackening in terms of intellectual depth,
lyrical topics and witty punchlines and choruses. Before I begin the
current review, however, I am feeling the need to become a little
tangential with some much needed background knowledge concerning
my connection with Sloan. For years, one of my best friends Jeff
listened to Sloan from their earliest beginnings (I believe even before
Sloan was Sloan and were called Kearney Lake Road) and raved not
only about the musical talent and depth of the band but the richly
diverse and unique singing and writing styles among the four members.
Jeff's long time allegiance to Sloan goes deeper than most, even before
their earliest slated release of the Peppermint EP and I really only have
him to thank for introducing me to the wonder, artistry and the
monstrosity of this band. But again, before we move forward to the
review, perhaps we should make a lateral move to give a little more
background of what's going on here.

Sloan is four members. You see, there's Chris, Patrick, Jay and Andrew.
Chris is the stage showman, funnyman and usually the most prevalent
songwriter on any given album (and NHTEOI is no exception). He has
a penchant for excellent rhythmic basswork, high range vocalizing,
losing his glasses on stage several times during a show and playing
'wild animal' drums for Andrew's songs. Chris's songs have been
described as 'potboilers' - whatever is happening, he throws a wrench
into either through his high-range breakout vocalization or his wild
drumming and stage antics. Though he does have a contemplative
side, Chris is best seen as a livewire rocker who propels the motion
of Sloan through his multi-pronged songs and ever-creative
harmonies. Patrick has the sound of a leather jacket motorcycle rocker
who loves his wa pedal and loudly distorted driving guitars but still
shows a mellow tamer side. Patrick's songs usually get more radioplay
than any other member's songs because they are short, rocky, catchy
and kick-ass. Now we shoot the gap from 'classic rock' to 'indie weird'
where Jay is the bridge. Jay is not only a different style of songwriter
than Chris and Patrick in his high 'Monkees' style pop-ballad vocal
inflection but representationally, he is the other side of Sloan. Jay has
written and recorded songs for Sloan that could be classified in an
array of different styles, from disco to crooning to retro rock to even
metal. His vocals are the easiest to identify and perhaps the most
soothing of the group. Jay, in a radio interview from CBC that my
friend Jeff had taped, was described by Chris Murphy as being the
one in the band whose idea of a romantic evening would be 'sitting
cross-legged, on a throw rug, listening to old 45 records and eating
jellybeans'. Finally, we shoot the gap and arrive at Andrew. Andrew's
songwriting is the most distinctly separate from the rest of the band
but perhaps the most prolifically grandiose. Aside from being an
excellent drummer, he also has a tendency towards certain lyrical
themes throughout a given set of songs, mainly in the genres of
Nautical, Aviation, Cinema and Track and Field. Andrew loves
wordplay, a good wailing distorted guitar solo through his vintage
hollowbody, and forcing Chris Murphy to play the drums in a zone
that is far beyond his trap-hitting abilities. The funny thing is that
Chris, being a secondary drummer, is still a better drummer than
most bands' lead drummers. Can we say 'Talent' boys and girls?

From Track 1 of the new album, my ears were alight with a retro rock
organ playing amidst a feel good tune called 'Flying High Again'. The
song is not only groovy in its feel and classic intermittent signature
harmonies, but one also would get the picture from the words that the
band is really united again and doing what they love in a refreshed and
vitalized form and they really don't care what anyone thinks; "We're
Flying High...and some people think we're crazy". Ironically, Chris, Andy,
Patrick and Jay all contribute a verse vocally giving a real sense of unity
within Sloan. Track 2 picks right up with the slam-bam, arena-rock
anthem 'Who Taught You To Live Like That' strangely sung by Jay
who usually sticks to the more sentimental poppy tunes. 'Listen To The
Radio' shows a softer, more sedate side of Patrick, waxing eloquent about
the weird world of the radio airwaves that is both exciting and lonely all
at the same time. 'Fading Into Obscurity' is a multi-faceted Chris Murphy
track that die hard Sloan fans have been waiting on for a long, long while.
It shows his lyrical prowess but also his musical mastery, as the visible
band leader, in all the separate pieces that form the whole of the song. I
will pick up more on that song in a moment, but for the most part, this
album is a fresh fish in a pond that was starting to lose my interest. The
only downfall would probably be the fact that this could have been an
album of about 20-23 amazingly crafted songs but there were a few in the
middle that began to lose me. Overall though, I cannot deny the newly
found joy of this disc. I would recommend to any of my friends, whether
Sloan fans or not, to pick it up and give it a spin. It's not a perfect
score, but pretty close. 9/10

ODDLY ENOUGH, I just saw Sloan live last night in St. Catharines, my
hometown. That's right. They played a show last night. Sloan. The
band I just reviewed. No one really seemed to know about it as there were
less than 100 people there, but with a drummer friend of mine (Robbie) who
is doing his own music stuff these days, and myself as somewhat of a
musician in the crowd, we stood and watched like students in a class of
our favourite teachers. Though they were a little more reserved than I have
seen them in the past, they still know how to rock hard. The show wasn't
amazing - it wasn't the best I've seen them play but it also wasn't the worst
- It was Sloan. Just a few lads from Halifax who vowed long ago not to
sell out to David Geffen's enterprise and become 'the Canadian Nirvana'
but to stay true to their sound, their style and their audience. Talking to
Chris Murphy after the show, who Robbie has become fast friends with
and whose name even got dropped during the last song ('my boy Robbie
from Tin Bangs'), we discussed some Halifax connections but also the
annoyance of playing shows in Southwestern Ontario. Chris said jokingly
'Like, what the hell is that about? An hour away from our home town
(Toronto) and less than a hundred people show up? I guess that's it.
I guess we're done.' Chris digressed, however, and did make mention of
the promise of at least a solid group of fans and good peeps staying to
talk after the show, and the notion that these are the kind of fans he
wants to buy their records have at their shows. To be sure, Us Sloaners
do not want to see our band fade into obscurity, as Chris's song
might suggest, but to Fly High Again.

They played mostly new material, which was nice, but I was still hoping
for some Andrew mammoths like 'Sensory Deprivation' and old live classics
like 'I Am The Cancer' but alas, it was not the night for such activities.
I also enjoyed the accent of the newest member, Greg MacDonald, who
added various keys, vocals and percussive strokes of brilliance to the
already sparkling sound. Sloan's fifth member seems to be fitting in
just fine.

Earlier yesterday, and by random chance, I saw Sloan's tour bus pull up to
the L3 liquid lounge on my lunch break. Their manager Mike stepped off the
bus and seemed aloof, trying to get into the obviously locked bar. I talked
to him for a few moments, inquiring how to get tickets and possibly giving
him one of my cd's at the show which interested him, but I did not have an
opportunity to do as such last night. The whole scene of events - the bus,
the actual show - seemed like it didn't really happen. This sleepy Niagara
town really has little or no scene, and last night was a confirmation of that
truth. As a straggler outside the bar said truthfully before the show "You
see, a good band like Sloan comes to this town and no one shows UP!" It
also makes me feel a little more human to see a band who has
been doing their thing nationally for 15 years make a miss once in a while.
They've been around, though, and I'm sure they've survived much worse
than a small fan showing at one little stop on a tour. Hopefully, though,
for the real Sloan fan in all of us, and for the prosperity
of a good band, we really will 'Never Hear The End Of It'.