THE TEENAGERS - HOMECOMING

RANDOM THINGS

R.E.M. (one of my favs from high school) have announced a North American tour in support of their forthcoming album Accelerate. The tour kicks off May 23rd in Vancouver and includes a Toronto stop at the Molson Amphitheatre on June 8th. The National and Modest Mouse support on all dates. Ticket details to follow.

Chromeo have confirmed a gig at the Opera House in Toronto on March 22nd. Doors at 10pm, show at 12:30am. Tickets on sale now here.

Hayden's new album In Field & Town was number 5 on last week's Socan music chart. The Globe and Mail's Robert Everett-Green spoke to Hayden about the new album, read the article here. Hayden plays The Music Hall February 19th, Basia Bulat supports. The show is sold-out.

I'm obsessed with The Teenagers. Check out their myspace here. They were in town this past Sunday night at the Social. Why is it when Brits say C**t, it doesn't sound dirty. Their full-length is available digitally now, CD version is out in March.

Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys and Lightspeed Champion cover The Strokes at White Heat in London. It's pretty rad. via Stereogum.


I'm also very fond of Hercules and Love Affair. Their new single Blind features Antony of Antony of the Johnsons. Check the video below.

FEIST - I FEEL IT ALL




Feist plays The Sony Centre (aka. Hummingbird Centre) on May 13, 2008. If anyone has two tickets they are willing to part with, please let me know.

In other Arts & Crafts related news, both Feist and Stars are both finalists (of only 10 other bands) for the Shortlist Music Prize. Read about it here.

ARCADE FIRE - BLACK MIRRIOR

Watch the new video here.

Let's hope for another Fire tour this spring.

IT'S LINK TIME!

Stereogum has a couple great live videos featuring Vampire Weekend, who are in town for a show at the Horseshoe on February 11th.

Also check out The Moldy Peaches performing "Anyone Else But You" on the View today.

Crystal Castles have announced their joint tour with Health. CC will play a "secret" not so secret show on February 21st at Wrongbar (tickets now on sale here) and will hit Circa on March 28.

The Breeders Toronto show during Canadian Music Week is on sale now here.

Hot Chip are playing the Phoenix April 16th, tickets on sale here.

Coachella's 2008 line-up announced today at a press conference. Looking really amazing, DCFC, Portishead, Roger Waters performing Dark Side of the Moon, the re-united Verve, Spritualized, M.I.A., Justice, Vampire Weekend. See entire list here.

Justice are back March 19th at Sound Academy aka. The Docks. Tickets here.

TOP 13 ALBUMS OF 2008

It's been a long break, I've taken some time off from shows and stuff. But I couldn't end 2007 without listing Blacking Out The Friction's 13 favourite albums of 2007. Here they are.

13. Feist - The Reminder - Let the Feist backlash begin for people who care how popular their cherished indie artists get. All they should remember is how fucking amazing a songwriter she is. The Reminder is a more mature album than Let It Die, and it shows how talented she is as a musician and songwriter. She deserves all the attention she's getting including the Grammy nods and TV appearances on US daytime news programs. It's her time to shine. So forget about how many times you've seen the iPod advert and keep in mind that she's not one to forget where she came from (evidence can be seen in the fact that she's brought members of tons of great bands such as Grizzly Bear, BSS, The National to appear with her on television). The only drawback...not being able to procure decent tickets to her show. Congratulations to Feist for an amazing year and well wishes for what's to come.

12. Fritz Helder and the Phantoms - Greatest Hits - It's great to finally hear this band recorded, they have been kicking it around Toronto for at least the last three years, gigging and converting hoards of hipsters into fans. The album does not disappoint, the songs are great and make me want to dance. It doesn't capture their live set, but that's typical of a band like this that has such an amazing live show. Stand out tracks: Making A Scene, Fritzmania, and Sex Robot. You must check them out live if you have the chance.

11. Radiohead - In Rainbows - Everyone knows the story of this album, released via the internet to their fans on a pay-what-you-want basis. Was a huge hit. Is being released domestically this week in CD format. I've been a huge fan of this band since The Bends, and this album is somewhat a return to form for them. I didn't like their last album (Hail to the Thief), but this one has legs to stand on. I'm still not totally familiar with the entire album, but I love the bulk of it and can't wait to see them perform it live this spring.

10. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City - Another album that ends up low on my list only because it was released early in the year. I didn't like this album at first, I found it hard to connect to, it wasn't as obvious as their debut. But after a few listens, it pulled me in. Kele is a great front man, it's nice to see someone who clearly loves and enjoys what they do. He's a great role model for the young ones. There are tons of songs on this album I love: England, Hunting For Witches, Waiting for the 7:18 and I Still Remember. Caught them at Kool Haus back in the winter and even though the venue has terrible acoustics, the show was incredible.

9. The Chromatics - Night Drive - Where did this band come from because as far as I remember they use to be much more guitar-driven and difficult to listen to. No more. This album is an electro dream. Highly post-punk influenced, dark, robotic and cold. Evokes a picture of dancing in a minimally decorated, dank club in NYC in the 80s. The title track as well as their incredible cover of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill are brilliant. I now heart Italians Do It Better hardcore.

8. Miracle Fortress - Five Roses - Another fantastic band from Montreal (is it the water??). This year saw the return of The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds as an inspirational album to borrow from sonically and musically. Both Miracle Fortress, Panda Bear and Caribou used this influential album as a jumping off point in creating stunning albums this year. Five Roses reminds me of driving in the country with the windows down and the hot wind blowing in my face. It's the perfect summertime album. Oh, and Miracle Fortress were totally robbed at the Polaris Awards this year. They should have won hands down.

7. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - This album ends up low on my list only because of its early in the calendar year release date, it's not a reflection on how much I adore it, its just that it kind of gets forgotten. Neon Bible is nothing short of biblical, it is the perfect follow up to Funeral and anyone that cannot see this is purely daft. Every song is pretty great, from the monumental Intervention to slow burners like Ocean of Noise to full on rave-ups like the re-recorded version of No Cars Go, this album is nothing short of perfect. I've been saying it all along, this band is destined to fill stadiums very soon, their last set of Toronto shows sold out in three minutes and tickets were turning over on Ebay and Craigslist for a retarded amount of money. I'm really interest to see how Win and crew follow up this album.

6. Beirut - The Flying Cup Club - Zach Condon tops himself and blows every other 22 year old musician out of the water with the release of The Flying Cup Club. Drawing inspiration from 1920s France (instead of Gypsy music) Condon and his band of merry makers built an irresistible album that had constant play on my iPod for a solid couple months. I especially love The Penalty, Cliquot (which features Owen Pallett who also assisted with string arrangement on the album) and Nantes. Check them out live if you get the chance, simply amazing.

5. The Tough Alliance - A New Chance - I discovered this EP really late in the year via Pitchfork. I don't know how I survived the year without it. TTA write incredible electro-pop songs, think New Order and 80's retro electro-pop modernized. Something Special is such an amazing song, as are Miami and First Class Riot. I don't know much about the band other than their Swedish and have gotten a lot of press for their disheveled live shows. Can't wait to catch them live and see what they do next.

4. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position - The Magic Position is very different from Wolf's earlier work, but in a good way. With this album, he adopts pop sensibilities, top 40's flare and a flamboyant new look to bring fun back to music. This album is incredibly fun, poppy and a bit over the top. Finally got to see him live while he was in town supporting Amy Winehouse and it was one of the best shows I attended this year. He has transformed himself into a Bowie-like front man who can put on a show to rival any other act touring today. Check out Bluebells, Overture, and Accident and Emergency.

3. The National - Boxer - My first exposure to this band was a couple years ago with the release of Alligator (their last studio album). They ended up on a bunch of year end lists, I tried to get into it, but wasn't overly convinced. Boxer is a completely different story. After a couple listens, I knew this album was destined to be one of my favourites of the year, hell, it may even end up sticking around long term. It sounds familiar and new at the same time, the lyrics aren't extremely thought provoking or deep but work perfectly. Songs like Brainy, Slow Song and Mistaken for Strangers draw you in, I think its Matt Berninger's vocals that really attract me. Biggest show regret of 2007, missing The National at the Phoenix. I had tickets but came down with a wicked flu the day of and had to sell them. Here's to hoping they come through the city once more in support of Boxer.

2. Handsome Furs - Plague Park - How is it that an incredible band like Wolf Parade can spawn sooo many great side-projects (first Sunset Rubdown, now HF)? Dan Boeckner and his wife Alexei Perry built an album around Dan's rustic voice, guitar and a drum machine. The album sometimes reminds me of a younger, more aggressive Beck, which is a weird comparison. But I love it, especially What We Had, Dead+Rural and Handsome Furs Hate This City. An amazing tie-over until the new Wolf Parade album drops in 2008.


1. M.I.A. - Kala - As stated back in 2005 when I listed Arular as one of my favourite albums of the year, M.I.A. is one of the most relevant, important artists recording today. She represents those without voices and carries herself as a smart, strong, independent woman. Kala is more cohesive than her last effort, and there are more stand-out tracks, from the incredible opener Bamboo Banger to tracks buried at the end like World Town and the fuck you to the industry song Paper Planes. Kala will always make me remember the summer of 2007, and her bonkers set at Virgin Festival in September.