T O P 2 5 ALBUMS OF 2 0 0 5 (PART ONE)


25. LCD Soundsystem - S/T - 2005 saw the overdue release of James Murphy's bands debut album. Murphy had been teasing the dance-punk hipsters with a bunch of ass-shaking, body rocking singles (see Yeah and Give It Up) and when the album finally dropped, it seemed to be a little over-looked. Regardless of the way it was received, it's still quite good. Murphy didn't stray much from deface quintessential sound, but really, why fix something that isn't broken. Think The Rapture (Murphy's proteges) but much more based in 80s electro. Stand-out tracks include Daft Punk Is Playing At My House, Too Much Love and Tribulations.
Pitchfork Review
LCD Soundsystem - Too Much Love


24. Sigur Ros - Takk - Takk isn't Sigur Ros' best record, but compared to the majority of music released in the last year, this album shines. It opens with the gorgeous first single (and video where children fly like Peter Pan) Glosoli, an epic piece that builds into a wall of My Bloody Valentine-like noise. The rest of the album is standard Sigur Ros material, frail and beautiful post rock greatness. This album also gets my vote for best CD packaging of the year (the only flaw is that it doesn't quite fit properly on my CD rack.
Pitchfork Review
Sigur Ros - Glosoli.mp3


23. M.I.A. - Arular - About a month ago on my way out of the office while strapping on my headphones (to drown out the sound of "GO" friends talking about inane things) a co-worker asked me what I was listening to. I asked "M.I.A.", and proceeded to explain to said co-worker who she was (wicked cool Sri-Lankin born, British raised female dancehall rapper). The co-worker made a confused face and kind of chuckled, thinking
I was joking. This is what makes M.I.A. so important. The existence of an artist that represents such a diverse mash-up of cultures, ideologies and sounds makes Arular one of the most relevant, important albums of 2005. The co-worker seemed to be satisfied when I explained to her that the previous week's episode of The O.C. featured on of M.I.A's tracks, not to mention also being featured in a Toyota car commercial.
Pitchfork Review
M.I.A - Bucky Done Gun


22. The Fiery Furnaces - E.P. - Like shitloads of band before them (Suede, Radiohead, Belle And Sebastian), The Fiery Furnaces seem to release their best songs as b-sides. E.P. features ten of the Furnaces most listenable, poppy songs in their entire catalogue. From the bass-heavy "Single Again, to the sing-a-long friendly "Tropical-Iceland", this E.P. gleams with sugar pop sounds. It's too bad that their latest album, Rehearsing The Choir (a terrible collaboration with their grandmother, which I consider to be one of the most disappointing releases of the year) didn't sound more like this.
Pitchfork Review
The Fiery Furnaces - Here Comes The Summer


21. Tom Vek - We Have Sound
Dubbing his music "raw garage rock energy", Tom Vek released his debut album earlier this year, when most people in the blogsphere were officially caling the movement dead. But We Have Sound's lead single "I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes" quickly became hipster dancefloor filler, due to its catchy 4x4 dance beat, and lo-fi messy guitars. Some even have called it the best underground single since Bloc Party's Banquet. Regardless, Vek's debut reveals someone who was equally obsessed with Gang Of Four and mainstream pop.
Pitchfork Review
Tom Vek - C-C (You Set The Fire In Me)


20. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Sufjan is the new anti-folk posterboy, a manchild that makes the indie girls and sexually confused boys swoon with his good looks and sweet, sentimental songs. Call him the new Connor Oberest. Illinois is the second album in Steven's ridiculiously grandose 50 state project and on first listen can be seen as a difficult one. But with multiple plays, Steven's songwriting pulls you in. Listening the Stevens is like reading Kerouac's beautiful benzedrine-fueled road memoirs, you get a sense of what the writer's viewpoint of the country he is writing about. Illinois is near perfect in every way.
Pitchfork Review
Sufjan Stevens - John Wayne Macy Jr.

THE M O S T SERENE R E P U B L I C

T H E MOST S E R E N E REPUBLIC
w IN F L I G H T SAFTEY
LEE'S PALACE
11/26/2005

IN F L I G H T SAFETY

THE M O S T SERENE R E P U B L I C
LEE'S PALACE


Last night, TMSR played a sold-out homecoming (...of sorts, their from Milton, Ontario) show at Lee'e Palace. The show was presented by A&C and The Varsity, University of Toronto student paper. The bill also featured Debaser and In Flight Saftey (who travelled all the way from Halifax for the gig). I only caught Debaser's final song, they were a three piece that actually sounded really good considering the small size of the band. In terms of who they sounded like, I really cannot say, because I'm not able to intelligently form an opinion on the basis of one song. In Flight Saftey played a solid set of what the describe as " melodic rock anthems and mellow balladry", think Pilate but less Travis sounding. They seem very mature and professional, I wouldn't be surprised if they begin to see some mainstream coverage once their next album titled The Coast Is Clear is released on Dead Daisy Records in January.
The Most Serene Republic closed the show with an irratic set that seemed a little disjointed at times. Maybe it was the fact that I was standing right next to a speaker stack, but I felt that the sound mix was way off. Their vocals were lost in the mix, half the time I couldn't make out what song they were playing. Granted the audience up front didn't seem to notice, they were loving every aspect of their performance. The sound problems seemed to clear up towards the end of theit set. They did a great semi-acoustic version of Proposition 61 and had an full on stage invasion during their encore. I felt a little indifferent when the show finished, it wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, but I think maybe I was expecting more considering the strength of their debut.

Pictures to follow later on today.

Stars have added yet another show in Toronto, kiddies pick up your tickets for their just announced Sunday afternoon, all-ages, dry show at Lee's. Tickets available here. That makes six shows in four days. That's dedication, not to mention an amazing thank-you to their fans.

Now has a preview article concerning the upcoming Rogue Wave show. Frank at Chromewaves has news of their return to Toronto in March with Nada Surf.

Back to work. Let's hope my iPod comes tonight. I miss him dearly.

Ohhhh snap!! DFA1979 gets bitch-slapped by pitchfork. I have never seen such a hate-filled rating. It's not like they didn't like their debut. The DFA-boys must have done something horribly wrong at the Intonation festival. Maybe they peed in the writer's beer or stole his girlfriend.

Check the Star's review of The Hidden Cameras' show/dance In The Boneyard.

Polls are closed and the votes have been tabulated. Here are the 33 hottest Canadian bands of today according to a pleather of Canadian music bloggers. I have to say that I agree with most of the list. I probably would have put BSS at the top of the list, only because I feel that if it wasn't for them, bands like the Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade and and the rest of the Arts & Crafts roster probably wouldn't have been covered by the international press. I think BSS opened a lot of doors for Canadian indie rock artists in a sense that they were the first ones to really hit it big on the International scene. This is not to say that I don't love and cherish the above mentioned bands. I heart them all.

Quick Post.Not alot of time.I'm at work.

Metric have announced a new Toronto date, these kids seem to love to play their hometown. Their back on Febuary 24 at Kool Haus. Tickets, $22.50 are on-sale saturday at 10am, but there seems to be a pre-sale through the Edge that starts Weds. It's funny that the Edge still wants to sponsor their shows, considering Ms. Haines dissed the station hardcore from the stage of the Mod Club.

Edit:
Here are the rest of the dates the band has confirmed in Southern Ontario and Quebec:

02/26 - Centennial Hall, London, Ontario
02/27 - Elements Nightclub - Kitchener, Ontario
02/28 - Grant Hall - Kingston, Ontario
03/01 - Metropolis - Montreal, Quebec
03/02 - Club Vibe - Peterborough, Ontario
03/03 - Surface - Ottawa, Ontario (19+)
03/04 - Surface - Ottawa, Ontario (all-ages, doors 6:30pm)

Check the link to stream The Most Serene Republic covering Stars' Ageless Beauty (courtesy of Said The Gramophone via Brooklyn Vegan).

Coldplay's Toronto date of their upcoming North American tour goes on sale to the general public on Saturday November 19, 2005. If you have an AMEX, there is a special pre-sale that begins wedensday at 10am. Tickets will be available for the low price of $49.50 to $89.50 (who do they think they are, U2???). Richard Ashcroft is slated to open for the entire tour.

Wolf Parade confirms new European and US dates:

11-15 Cologne, Germany - Gebaude 9
11-16 Hamburg, Germany - Molotov
11-17 Berlin, Germany - Maschinehaus
11-19 Oslo, Norway - Garage
11-20 Stockholm, Sweden - Kagalbanen
11-22 Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
11-23 London, England - Scala *
11-24 Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms *
11-25 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC2 *
11-26 Manchester, England - Roadhouse *
11-27 Dublin, Ireland - Whelans
11-29 Bristol, England - Louisiana
11-30 Birmingham, England - Jug of Ale
12-01 London, England - Barfly
12-02 Barcelona, Spain - Sala Apolo #
12-03 Milan, Italy - Rainbow #
12-04 Rome, Italy - Circolo #
12-31 Chicago, IL - Viaduct Theater (Pitchfork Presents 10.0: 10th Anniversary Bash) %
01-02 San Diego, CA - The Casbah ^
01-03 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey ^
01-04 San Francisco, CA - The Independent ^
01-05 San Francisco, CA - The Independent ^

* with Black Mountain, Dead Meadow
# with We Are Scientists
% with Blood on the Wall, Jason Forrest
^ with Chad VanGaalen

Ninja High School gets props from Spin.

Islands confirm title of debut and tracklisting. Check an older interview with the band here. Diamonds and company have confirmed another Toronto appearance at The Drake Hotel on December 1st. Tickets details to follow.

Coming soon: The year-end countdown of the Top 25 albums, Top 10 singles and Top 10 films of 2005.

Follow the link to download a video clip of Owen (aka Final Fantasy) covering Bloc Party' s This Modern Love while on tour in the UK. It's fucking genius.

UPDATE: Final Fantasy will be playing the Over The Top Festival launch party on January 11, 2006 accompanied by a String Quartet. The show will take place at The Great Hall (1087 Queen Street at Dovercourt) and will also feature performaces by the Akron/Family and Great Lake Swimmers. Tickets are $12 and are currently available at Rotate and Soundscapes. Don't miss this show, it will probably be one of the last times Owen plays a smallish venue in the city. He seems to be getting shitloads of press as of late. He was just featured in the latest issue of Under The Radar magazine (based out of LA) in their all Canadian issue. Check the amazing piece on Broken Social Scene.

BSS have as confirmed a second date at Kool Haus on January 20, 2006. Tickets are on sale Monday Nov. 14th via ticketmaster and the regular indie record stores.

Toronto indie darlings Broken Social Scene have finally confirmed a hometown show on January 21, 2005 at Kool Haus. Tix went on sale this morning at the usual outlets and here. Let's hope for all full turn out of the entire band (Feist and Emily BE THERE!). I'm not overly disappointed with the Haus venue choice, the DCFC show was great in the same venue. The band has also announced two shows in NYC at Webster Hall.

In Arts & Crafts related news, Stars have added a fourth show at Lee's on Dec. 15th. Tickets are available today here. The first three shows sold-out super fast, don't delay if you plan on attending.

Contoller.Controller have confirmed a show at the Spin Gallery on Nov. 25th. Tix on sale at Rotate. Get your dancing (punk) shoes on bitches.

The NYC blogsphere are currently chattering about Brooklyn's Grizzly Bear, who released one of my favourite albums of 2004 (Horn Of Plenty). They have recently opened for the Mountain Goats in NYC (see Brooklyn Vegan), booked a N.A. tour and are set to re-release their debut with a bonus remix album (featuring remixes by Final Fantasy, DNTEL, and Saftey Scissors).

Check out this old interview with the band by crashinin.
Pick up the re-release at a great price here.

Brendan Benson has confirmed yet another Toronto appearance at the Horseshoe on December 3, 2005. Tickets on sale now.

Final Fantasy (aka Owen Pallett) is hosting a video release party at The Boat featuring performances by Henri Faberge and the Adorables, Laura Barrett and Ninja High School on November 8th. Tickets are $8. Anyone know anything about the wereabouts of this show, and where tickets are available??

Tonight, going to see Jarhead, then apps and drinks. Tomorrow Jay's b-day. Sunday...sleep in, and start dumping the contents of my iPod onto my harddrive (then to DVD). I need to get this faulty battery fixed, maybe they'll send me a new one.