Blacking Out The Friction

2009-01-29T09:17:00.002-06:00

MOVING!MOVING!MOVING!MOVING!MOVING! MOVING!MOVING! MOVING!MOVING! MOVING!MOVING! MOVING!MOVING! MOVING!MOVING! MOVING!MOVING! MOVING!MOVING! MOVING!MOVING! MOVING!MOVING! MOVING!MOVING! MOVING!

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2009-01-23T06:44:00.003-06:00

CONCERT ANNOUNCMENTS:

This weekend at 6 Nassau there is a benefit show for the studio opening in this space. The benefit is being headlined by Toronto's $100 (my new obsession, how did they fly under my radar for soooo long!) and will also feature Jennifer Castle, The Pauls and Tamsen & Elliott (of Brides. Tickets are $7 at the door, more info here.

Peter Bjorn & John play the Phoenix on April 24th in support of their not-yet-released album Living Thing. No ticket details as of yet.

Newly signed to Arts & Crafts Bell Orchestre are at the Courthouse on Aprl 24th. Tickets on sale here.

New York's High Places play the Horseshoe on February 9th. Tickets on sale here.

Bloc Party have added a second show at Kool Haus on March 13th. Tickets, $36.50 also include CMW wristband and are on sale here or at Rotate This.

If you do check out Bloc Party and have a CMW wristband, you may want to check out Chart Magazine's stellar CMW line-up at the Horseshoe. If I do end up with a bracelet, this is where I'll be all weekend:

Thurs. March 12
8:30 p.m. Lovely Feathers
9:20 p.m. $100
10:10 p.m Women
11:10 p.m. Gentleman Reg
12:10 a.m. Chad VanGaalen
1:10 a.m. Quest For Fire
2:10 a.m. Delinquints

Fri. March 13
8:30 p.m. Dinosaur Bones
9:20 p.m. Daniel Wesley
10:10 p.m. The Bicycles
11:10 p.m. Human Highway
12:10 a.m. Handsome Furs
1:10 a.m. Hot Panda
2:10 a.m. The Schomberg Fair

Sat. March 14
8:30 p.m. The Hundreds And Thousands
9:20 p.m. Rebekah Higgs
10:10 p.m. Young Galaxy
11:10 p.m. Two Hours Traffic
12:10 a.m. The Golden Dogs
1:10 a.m. Hexes & Ohs
2:10 a.m. Vancougar

Born Ruffians headline a show at Sneaky Dee's on March 24th with Akron/Family supporting. Tickets available now at Rotate This.

Sebastien Tellier brings his Sexuality tour back to Toronto on April 8th at the Mod Club. Tickets here.

Animal Collective have announced a show in Toronto on May 16, 2008 at Sound Academy. Tickets on sale this morning at 10am here.

2009-01-22T22:08:00.000-06:00

THE SOUND OF ARROWS

MAGIC

The Sound of Arrows - M.A.G.I.C. (Mini-video) from The Sound of Arrows on Vimeo.

2009-01-02T07:24:00.007-06:00

CONCERT UPDATE

Just a reminder that Hexes & Ohs have a show in Toronto this weekend, Saturday January 3rd at the Silver Dollar. Tickets are available at Rotate This and Soundscapes for $7. Set times are as follows:

10pm: Our History of Cowboys

10:45pm: Still Life Still

11:40pm: Hexes & Ohs

12:30am: Hut

Wavelength 450's 9th anniversary festival has been fully confirmed. Shows are happening at Sneaky Dee's, Wrong Bar, Music Gallery, Cameron House and the Polish Combatants Hall.

Thursday February 12th: Timber Timbre CD release show featuring Ghost Bees and Dorit Chrysler - The Music Gallery at St. George the Martyr Church - Doors 7pm

After party at the Cameron House featuring sets by The Diableros and Loitering Heroes. Doors at 11pm

Friday February 13th: Slim Twig with Bonjay, Child Bite, The Magic and DJ Benjamin Boles - Wrong Bar - Doors at 9pm

Saturday February 14th: $100 with Brides, Hooded Fang, The Luyas, Element Choir and Djs Greg Ipp & Ian Worang - The Polish Combatants Hall - Doors at 8pm

Sunday February 15th: Foxfire with I Am Robot and Proud, Thank You, Mi Ami and Dj Babylon Telecom - Sneaky Dee's - Doors at 9pm

All shows are $10 or PWYC at the door ONLY.

Friday April 3rd - Andrew Bird - Queen Elizabeth Theatre - Tickets on sale now

2009-01-01T09:17:00.001-06:00

TOP TEN SONGS OF 2008

10.Passion Pit - Sleepyhead

9. Santogold - Creator

8. Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

7. M83 - Couleurs

6. Crystal Castles - Courtship Dating

5. Lil' Wayne - A Milli

4. Hercules & Love Affair - Blind

3. Bon Iver - Skinny Love

2. Cut Copy - Out There On The Ice

1. MGMT - Kids

2008-12-31T09:15:00.003-06:00

BEST CONCERTS OF 2008

This year was a relatively slow year concert-wise for me. Tons of bands came through the city, and somehow I managed to miss a bunch of amazing shows. I missed Hercules & Love Affair at Opera House, Bon Iver at the El Mocambo and My Bloody Valentine at Kool Haus. Regardless, I still caught some good ones. Here is the list of my favourite shows.

5. Girl Talk - Kool Haus

"Another review that slipped through the cracks. This show was a last minute deal, a friend had an extra ticket so I decided to go. Greg Gillis knows how to throw a house party, even if said party is taking place in a 3000+ capacity venue. Feed The Animals is a mash-up masterpiece, and live it's even better. Everything about this night was perfect, the tunes, venue and the crowd."

4. M83/School of Seven Bells - Opera House - Review Here

"One thing that must be noted is the use of pre-recorded vocals in a couple songs. Some think this is uber cheesy, me I think its endearing, he can get away with it because he's french and maybe he doesn't know better. Highlights of the show: Teen Angst, Asterick, Moonchild, Graveyard Girl and set closer Couleurs. To be completely honest, the sole reason of seeing them a second time on this tour was to witness the brilliance of Couleurs live3.

3. Radiohead/Grizzly Bear - Molson Ampitheatre - Review Here

"I have to admit, I'm not the hugest fan of their last two albums (Hail To The Thief and In Rainbows), I like about 3 or 4 tracks off each album. I miss their more electronic stuff (circa Kid A). They opened with 15 Step, one of the songs off IR that I love. Thom did his little jig, it was endearing. Their setlist heavily pulled from the last two albums but they sprinkled in a couple old tracks into the mix such as Climbing Up The Walls, Paranoid Android, Planet Telex (shocking!) and my favourite Talk Show Host."

2. Crystal Castles/Thunderheist - Harbourfront Centre - Chromewaves Review

"Didn't review this show at the time, but in retrospect, I should have. Thunderheist were far better live than I anticipated, I've had their promo EP on my iPod for over a year, love it, but never chose to see them live. Isis is an amazing MC, she totally engaged the crowd (who seemed unfamiliar with the band) and brought an amazing energy to the stage. And she rapped over Lil' Wayne's A Milli, one of my favourite songs of 2008. Crystal Castles created a Jonas Brothers-style mob scene. I was about three rows from the stage and by the time Alice and Ethan began their set, every inch of standing room around the stage was full, there were people standing on the seats, on the floor in between the seats and in the aisles. Being so close it was hard not to get wrapped up in their set, Alice is an insane front woman, she danced and threw herself around the stage like a maniac. Ethan's beats sounded as good as they do on the album, and the addition of a live drummer was a great touch. It felt like seeing something really special and being part of something. They played all the hits including Alice Practice, Courtship Dating and Crimewave. That being said, talking to friends that showed up late (and that were positioned at the back of the ampitheatre) they really didn't like the show. Apparently from the back Alice's vocals were inaudible and the music was all distorted. Thunderheist play a free show at Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday January 31st. Their debut Diplo-produced album is still TBO. Crystal Castles are playing two shows in Brooklyn tonight then off to Australia for a string of dates."

1. Cut Copy/The Presets - Sound Academy - Review here

"Overall I have to say that I'm thrilled that live dance music has progressed to the point where the artists actually "play" live and aren't just stuck behind a bank of electronics. Cut Copy are one of the best live dance bands I've seen in a long time, their set is a perfect balance of guitar friendly dance and full on Daft-Punk style electronic."

2008-12-28T08:02:00.003-06:00

SOMEONE GREAT

Spin Online features Montreal's Winter Gloves and also has their cover of LCD Soundsystem's Someone Great for download. Winter Gloves are playing Singing Lamb's launch party at the Tranzac on January 10th in Toronto. Hexes & Ohs are also on the bill and the show to be an early afternoon show.

I also missed Spin's cover story featuring M.I.A. Read the article here.

Dan Whitford of Cut Copy talks to Exclaim. They also talk to Alex Angelakos of Passion Pit.

Toronto's $100 are playing Wavelength's 200th anniversary show on February 14th at Sneaky Dee's.

Now Magazine lists their favourite Toronto shows of 2008. My list should be up in the next day or so.

Not related to music, The Globe and Mail's Jessica Leeder examines the current economic crisis and how we got to where we are in 2008. Read it here.

The New Yorker profiles Naomi Klien, author of No Logo and The Shock Doctrine.

2008-12-27T17:34:00.001-06:00

BEST ALBUMS OF 2008

2008 has been an interesting and amazing year in music. Below are my favourite albums of the year. And when I say that they are my favourite, they really are. I hate the idea that there is this underlying idea of "hipster cool" in the blogsphere and that a lot of the albums that have received a lot of press only have because they are the cool bands to like. I really believe in the artists/bands below, they released fantastic albums this year. It's just as pretentious to dismiss these bands/artists because of the hype and ignore the fact that they have released great albums.

25. Santogold - S/T and Santogold & Diplo - Top Ranking - Santogold was really hyped in early 2008. She was called "the new M.I.A." more times than I can remember, but the comparison in my opinion is quite lazy. Unlike M.I.A., Santogold makes accessible pop music, music that could be really accessible pop a la Gwen Stefani but due to poor marketing, isn't. Santo's debut self-titled disc is a really consistent, varied record that covers multiple genres. Shove It has a pop-ska meets hip hop feel, Creator has M.I.A's refugee dancehall sound, I'm A Lady could be No Doubt/Gwen alternative rock. And though many styles bleeding into each other, all the tracks fit. Top Ranking, the mixtape created by Santo and Diplo is very similar to what Diplo did with M.I.A.'s Piracy Funds Terrorism Volume 1 mixtape. Instead of the mixtape being rooted in Brazilian favela dance music, Santo and Diplo splice amazing remixes of Santo's tunes with roots, dub and hip hop, a perfect contrast to her tunes. Check the mash up remix of Lights Out (Diplo's Panda Bear Mix) on Top Ranking probably one of my favourite tracks on both albums. Also check the bonus track on Santo's debut, it's a remix of You'll Find A Way by Switch (M.I.A's main producer on Kala).

24. Sigur Ros - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust - I had grown a bit tired of Sigur Ros. I had reached my threshold of their grandiose, epic post rock songs due to the fact that their entire creative output sounded relatively the same to me. Then this album literally came out of nowhere and renewed my love and faith in this band. Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust sounds like Sigur Ros having fun, gone is the doom and gloom, post-apocolyptic feeling to their music and in comes an Animal Collective-inspired hodge podge of uplifting, light and fun music. They still do their pretty ballad-like stuff too, and it's as gorgeous as ever. Favourite songs: lead single gobbledigook (which has an amazing video which I believe was directed by Ryan McGinley), við spilum endalaust and inní mér syngur vitleysingur .

23. Sam Sparro - S/T - Sam Sparro's debut, like Santogold's could have been massive in North American with the right marketing department behind him. Sparro looks (fashion-wise) and sounds like a smarter, more creative Lady Gaga (I know most would be surprised that I'm referencing her, but in terms of image/style, she really seems to know what she's doing, even though she's appropriating the modern day hipster club kid image and selling it to middle America). Sparro is a great songwriter and choose all the right producers to put his vision on disc. Check these tracks: Black and Gold, 21st Century Life and Sick. Black and Gold has been nominated in the category of Best Dance Song at the Grammys.

22. Little Wayne - The Carter III - Originally to be released in 2007, The Carter III was delayed multiple times due to many tracks being leaked onto the web prior to its release in the form of multiple mix tapes such as The Carter 3 Mixtape and Tha Drought Is Over Pt. 2. When it was finally released, The Carter III became one of 2008's biggest albums, selling over 1 millions copies in its first week, the first album to do so since 50 Cent's The Massacre (in 2005). I honestly don't know how one person can have such a huge creative output and still be able to release an album as solid and consistent as this. There are way too many great songs on this album to discuss. First single Lollipop, Wayne's auto-tuned ode to fellatio had people singling about dirtiness without even knowing it. A Milli was covered, rapped over and remixed billions of times, and for good reason, its freakin' genius. Other stand out tracks: Got Money (feat. T-Pain), Let The Beat Build, Comfortable (feat. Babyface), Playing with Fire (feat. Betty Wright), 3 Peat and Tie My Hands (feat. Robin Thicke). Lil' Wayne plays the ACC with T-Pain. Gym Class Heroes and others on January 15th. Tickets available here.

21. TV On The Radio - Dear Science - TVOR's most accomplished and commercial-sounding record to date. Dear Science reins in their experimentation to a level more viable for pop structure and in doing so, reveals the brilliance of their songwriting. Halfway Home contains some of the most epic sounding soaring guitars I have heard since the British shoegaze movement. Vocals on Crying are reminiscent of heartbreaking Motown downers (the horns help!) modernized for 2008. I love this band.
20. Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor - Another great album by Hot Chip. It seems like this came out so long ago, early 2008 seems ions ago. I like this album mainly because you can dance to it (Ready For The Floor, Hold On, Bendable Posable, Touch Too Much) but it also has some great slower, R&B-like jams to sing along to (Wrestlers, We're Looking for A Lot Of Love). Live, they are super good. Checked them out at the Phoenix back in the Spring and really enjoyed their show. Total house party feel. Tons of dancing and singing along.

19. The Middle East - The Recordings of the Middle East - Take the best parts of many of my favourite artists and you get this band. Sounding similar to Sigur Ros, Red House Painters, Arcade Fire and Low, their music is fragile and warm, something to curl up in on cold winter nights. The Middle East are from Townsville, Queensland, Australia and currently unsigned. I stumbled across them on a blog from South America. So their music is out there, it's just going to take someone listening to this beautiful album to get them noticed on a global scale.

18. The Presets - Apocalypso - Another great outing for Australia's The Presets. Follows the same format as their debut Beams, Daft Punk inspired electro with a bit of Pet Shop Boys added into the mix. Big sounding, chalk full of sing-a-long choruses, enough bass to keep your booty shaking. Favourite tracks: This Boys In Love, My People, If I Know You and Talk Like That. These guys seem to be finally gaining a larger audience here in Toronto, when they opened for Cut Copy back in September at Sound Academy, the bulk of the audience were seen singing along to their tunes. They are back in Toronto to headline their own show on April 6th at Mod Club.

17. The Teenagers - Reality Check - Here's another great album that flew under the radar this year. I realize that the type of music The Teenagers make (synth-heavy, tongue-in-cheek new wave inspired pop) is a bit passe with the tastemakers, but they do it so well it's impossible for me to ignore. Vocals are sung/spoken in a broken Parisian accent, and the music is super fun and danceable. The band are a pastiche of every hipster cliche, but again, like with M83, i find it irresistible. Favourite tracks: Feeling Better, Streets of Paris, French Kiss and Wheel of Fortune.

16. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular - Another album that has been kicking around in my collection since its late 2007 release date, but that I didn't fully discover until 2008. I still have a hard time believing how popular MGMT got this year and it boggles my mind the "alternative" radio stations (Edge 102.1) have picked up on them. Their the new generation of music listener's Flaming Lips. It's not totally undeserved. Oracular Spectacular contains a large number of great songs including lead single and Billboard hit Time To Pretend, as well as The Youth, Electric Feel and my favourite Kids. The songwriting is fun and clever but not at all consistent as of yet. Let's see what they'll do with their momentum.

15. Hexes & Ohs - Bedroom Madness - I'm a total sucker for boy/girl vocals. Montreal's Hexes & Ohs debut Bedroom Madness seems to have been largely overlooked by Canadian blogs and the music press in general which is a total surprise to me. In the same vein as Postal Service and Hot Chip, the album features great track after track of bedroom dancing fun. Check lead single H-H-High School with its sing-along vocals, group chants and drum machine beats is the perfect tune to get the indie dance party started. Other stand out tracks: Little Bird, Wildlife and Seems So Elementary. Hexes & Ohs have two upcoming Toronto shows, January 3rd at the Silver Dollar and January 10th at The Tranzac.

14. The Dodos - Visiter - It's a travesty that Pitchfork left this album off their Top 50 albums of the year. It's far better than many of the albums that made the cut (Beach House and Crystal Slits I'm looking at you). Visiter is the perfect companion to many of the albums I loved this year. It fits perfectly next to Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver and The Tallest Man on Earth, yet stands on its own two feet as a really consistent, solid album. The Dodos influences are similar to many of the bands mentioned above but I also love that their acoustic guitar driven folk-pop pulls soooo heavily from experimental indie rock such as Animal Collective. The song structures of many songs on Visiter are a bit off and awkward, they are a little more free form and abstract which I love. Highlights for me are Fools, Red and Purple and Walking.

13. Fleet Foxes - S/T - Self described as "baroque harmonic pop jams", these was the year of Fleet Foxes. Just named album of the year by Pitchfork, their self-titled disc is stunning. It sounds like the California sun at dusk and contains beautifully arranged vocal harmonies and 70s-esque guitars. They have often been compared to a modern day Beach Boys but I also hear a bit of Animal Collective in their music. I love pretty much every song on the album but I think my favourites would have to be White Winter Hymnal, Quiet Houses and Ragged Wood. I'm anxiously awaiting seeing Fleet Foxes live.

12. Air France - No Way Down - Another freakin' amazing release from the label Sincerely Yours, owned and operated by Sweden's Tough Alliance. Air France hail from Gothenburg, Sweden and their music has been described as beach foam pop, a term that I feel is 100% accurate. Air France's music sounds like music that you'd hear in a dream, a dream about frolicking on the shore of some secluded beach on a tiny island in the Pacific, drinking coconut milk and soaking up the sun. Pitchfork said that these guys reminded them of The Avalanches and I feel that this comparison is accurate, but I much prefer Air France. Collapsing at your Doorstep has to be one of the greatest songs of the last couple years. I can't wait to hear more from this band.

11. Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off The Lavender Bridge - What honestly attracted me to this album was the album cover. It looks old, but then you see Dev Hynes, in wig and Ronald McDonald-like clothing and you have to chuckle. But Falling Off The Lavender Bridge is nothing to laugh at. Reminiscent of Bright Eyes when they were great, Lightspeed Champion's debut is chalk full of swelling chamber pop tunes about all the emo cliches: romance, break-ups, and insecurity. The lyrical content is sometimes questionable (throwing up on others) but paired with Dev's songwriting it totally works. Stand out tracks: Midnight Surprise, Galaxy of the Lost, Tell Me What It's Worth and Devil Tricks for a Bitch.

10. Bloc Party - Intimacy - I find it really strange that this album got such mixed reviews from the mainstream press. Granted, I would probably call myself a massive Bloc Party fan, I really do feel that Intimacy is a great album. It's not immediate, I didn't love it at first. But over time, I grew to love it as much as their last effort (2007's A Weekend In The City). There are brilliant moments on the album, from the gorgeous Signs to heartbreaking Biko to the ferociousness of Trojan Horse, which could stand on its own two feet next to anything on Silent Alarm. The songwriting is as good as ever, the production can at times feel a little muddy due to the fact that it seems that they were trying to do everything and were not being critical enough to leave stuff out. And there are missteps. Mercury is not the greatest, and their choice for lead single is perplexing. Talons would have made much more sense. Bloc Party are back in Toronto March 14th at Kool Haus. Why the show is so expensive I don't understand and how the hell is Ticketmaster is getting away with over $18 is service charges. It's pretty retarded.

9. Passion Pit - Chunk Of Change - Cambridge, Massachusetts' Passion Pit is the brainchild of lead singer Michael Angelakos. Angelakos wrote and recorded Chunk of Change as a belated Valentine's Day gift for his girlfriend, who loved it and convinced him to release to to family and friends around Emerson College. He put together a band to perform live and Passion Pit was born. Things have happened pretty fast for these guys, they have recently signed to Columbia in the UK for a retarded amount of money. BBC named them one of 15 rising stars of 2009. In terms of their music, think a menage a trois between Postal Service, MGMT and Hot Chip. Upbeat, dancey and fun. They play the Horseshoe on January 24th.

8. Girl Talk - Feed The Animals - Top five reasons why Girl Talk is the mash up king of kings: 01. Jay-z's Roc Boys (And The Winner Is) vs. Radiohead's Paranoid Android 02. Yo Majesty's Club Action vs. Stardust's Music Sounds Better With You 03. M.I.A.'s Boyz vs. The Cranberries Dreams 04. Blackstreet feat. Dr. Dre's No Diggity vs. Kanye West feat. Dwele's Flashing Lights 05. Metalicca's One vs. Lil' Mama's Lip Gloss.

7. M83 - Saturdays = Youth - It's hard to believe that this is M83's 5th studio release. Anthony Gonzalez leans towards the early 90s dance scene with this album, but still manages incorporate elements of shoegaze in a way that still sounds fresh. There are things that I have to ignore here, overabundance of talking girl vocals (as in Graveyard Girl), the 80's female over-singing.....but I can ignore it due to the adorable "French-ness" of the album and the idea that maybe he doesn't see these a cheesy. Saturdays = Youth made me excited about this band again, I grew tired of hearing the same sound with each album, but here, Gonzalez found the perfect balance of dance and guitar music. Couleurs is nothing less than incredible. Same goes for Kim & Jessie and Skin of the Night. I love M83 again.

6. The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave - Another amazing voice. The Tallest Man on Earth is Kristian Matsson who hails from Dalarna, Sweden and comes as a fully formed Dylanesque singer/songwriter. He sounds like he's swallowed a hive full of bees and looks like he's sold all his worldly possessions for an acoustic guitar. I don't understand how someone like this can exist, a fully formed icon peddling a classic blues/folk album of songs that sound like they have been sung for centuries. Shallow Grave sounds like it could have been released 40 years ago but still manages to sound new and relevant. Stand out tracks: Where Do My Bluebirds Fly, Pistol Dreams, Into The Stream and Honey Won't You Let Me In.

5. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago - This is another album that has been floating around since 2007 but didn't gain steam until this year. How anyone can question the genius of Justin Vernon i don't know. This man has one of the strongest voices I have heard in a long time, it's a voice that is arresting and haunting, fragile yet incredibly strong. But it's not all about the voice, Justin's songwriting is brilliant. Striped down and simple, its the perfect compliment to his heartbreaking lyrics (and that voice!!!) Evidence of his genius, watch this video of Bon Iver on Jools Holland performing Skinny Love. I still get shivers. The band are just releasing a new EP titled Blood Bank, and will be touring Australia in the new year. Let's hope their road continues to Toronto again in the new future.
4. Vampire Weekend - S/T - Here's an example of a band that got steamrolled by pre-album hype. I first heard Vampire Weekend about a year ago when their demo leaked on the internet. From the get go, their clever mix of African rhythms, reinterpretation of Paul Simon's Graceland and love of all things Ivy League became an instant underground hit. By the time they released their debut on XL the backlash had already begun. This album is close to perfect in my opinion, each song could be a single and the band have created something that sounds familiar yet does not reference anything current in music. Songs such as Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa and Oxford Comma were perfect pop songs for summer 2008, light, fun and easy to singalong to. They gained a large audience quickly, played SNL and toured a good part of the world. Touring brought them to Toronto in late July on a soggy, rainy day to play Roger's Picnic. Their music would have been perfect for a sunny, summer day festival, but they were still able to engage the audience and play a great set. I'm really excited to see what they do next, their new song White Sky which has been played live is the bastard child of VW and Animal Collective. Really looking forward to new material from these guys.

3. Hercules & Love Affair - S/T - This album was bound to be a favourite of mine right from first listen. It's the involvment of Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons that sold me. His vocals on lead single Blind fit so perfectly with Hercules & Love Affair's music. The album was billed at DFA's first new disco release, and as much as old disco isn't really my bag, I really grew to love it. Although the album is electronic-based, it feels very organic and warm, and this is due to the use of real instruments (acoustic guitar appears in track Time Will). It's also really refreshing to hear non-distorted bass and dirty sounding beats (as heard on pretty much every electronic record this year). The album just sounds really clean and classic. Stand out tracks include Hercules Theme, You Belong, Raise Me Up and Blind. One of my biggest concert regrets this year is missing their debut Toronto show at Opera House. Hoping they'll be back in the near future.

2. Crystal Castles - S/T - I don't understand why Toronto hates Crystal Castles. Yes, singer Alice Glass and beat maker Ethan Kath come off as total douchebags in interviews (when they bother showing up). But their debut is so good that I can look past their somewhat childish behaviour. All the good tunes from their EPs are here, recorded (or maybe not, maybe its just nice to hear them in a decent MP3 bitrate quality) as well as a ton of new tracks that are even better than their earlier work (Vanished, Untrust Us, Magic Spells and Knights). Kath has a knack for creating such irresistable songs that pull influences from varied electronic sub-genres. Untrust Us reminds me of 90s freestyle (in a good way!), Alice Practice is reminiscent of the early 2000 electroclash and Good Time is the kid sister of The Knife. CC's live show is a different story, more a spectacle similar to a natural disaster than a concert. Maybe they are going for the "I don't give a shit" punk rock show feel, but the live show needs work. Alice's mic needs to be turned up and she needs to concentrate more on singing than throwing herself around the stage. When you have similar sounding artists like The Presets or Cut Copy touring and putting on amazing live shows, you'd think CC would put a bit more effort into their show. For now, definetely a band to appreciate recorded.

1. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours - This band came out of nowhere for me, I had heard their name prior to the release of this album, but didn't pay much attention. For some reason I always thought they were some terrible math rock band. Then I heard Feel The Love, lead track from the disc and I was instantly hooked. In my mind, In Ghost Colours encompasses everything about 2008, the 80's references showed up everywhere, in music (like here with their nods to New Order), fashion and film. Dan Whitford and the band were able to capture the best elements (lyrics, use of swelling synths) of the New Romantic movement and merry it with Daft Punk inspired electronic music. Songs on the album dabble in many different genres, Feel The Love is the perfect poppy summer song, Far Away and So Haunted are classic new wave, big beat floor fillers and Unforgettable Season is classic white noise shoegaze. Live, their show cannot be matched for its sheer energy and sexiness. The band will be back in Toronto in March at Circa.

2008-12-21T08:14:00.001-06:00

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

Introducing HEARTSREVOLUTION

I first heard HEARTSREVOLUTION's debut EP Switchblade back in the late summer but somehow it got lost on my iPod and I rediscovered it a few weeks ago. Their story is this: boyfriend/girlfriend buy a used UPS cube truck, convert it into a mobile store to sell ice cream and toys out of and start a band. You cannot talk about these guys without referencing Crystal Castles, both band share a love of scrappy/screaming female vocals and beats/electronics that sound like your Atari throwing up (but in a good way). The two bands have even appeared on a split 6" together (CYOA/XxxxcZx ME) on glow in the band vinyl. Unlike CC, they also bring a profound love of indie rock to the table. Vocalist Lo can sound sweet like sugar Amy Milan of Stars at times, and lyrically, they remind me of CSS.

They have just released a video for their latest single C.Y.O.A. (Choose Your Own Adventure), it's pretty great. Sundrak has a few remixes available here, I epecially love the LA Riots remix of Switchblade.

2008-12-14T12:29:00.000-06:00

BON IVER

Skinny Love

Live On Letterman

December 11, 2008

2008-12-13T11:28:00.003-06:00

BOO!!!!

2008-12-12T21:13:00.002-06:00

BLOC PARTY

One Month Off

Bloc Party are currently touring the west coast of the US. Let's hope they bring the Intimacy tour back to Toronto in the new year.

2008-12-09T18:53:00.003-06:00

BON IVER

Daytrotter Session

Download Bon Iver's live session for Daytrotter here for free. I think he's probably better live than recorded, this set of songs is heartbreakingly beautiful. I need to see him live. He currently has some US dates scheduled with Tallest Man On Earth, and then will head to Australia in the new year for a string of shows.

2008-12-08T20:02:00.001-06:00

LADY SOVEREIGN

I Got You Dancing

Download Sov's new single here.

It's pretty wicked.

2008-12-06T17:59:00.002-06:00

PASSION PIT

Sleepyhead

Passion Pit play The Horseshoe on Saturday January 24, 2009. Tickets, $10 on sale here. Paper Route and Cale Parks support.

2008-12-05T05:51:00.003-06:00

CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENTS

On sale today (December 5th) at 4pm, Lil' Wayne featuring T-Pain, Gym Class Heroes and Keyshia Cole at the Air Canada Centre on January 15, 2009. Let's see if Weezy can actually get across the border this time. Tickets here. On a side note, he's just been nominated for 8 Grammys for Tha Carter III.

The Presets return to Toronto to headline a show at The Mod Club on April 6, 2009. Tickets, $18, available right now.

NYC's The Virgins are headlining their first Toronto show at the El Mocambo. Tickets, $12.50 on sale this morning (December 5th) at 10am here.

2008-12-01T20:13:00.007-06:00

CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT

Antony and the Johnsons have confirmed a show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto on Tuesday February 17, 2009. Tickets, $35.00 (ouch!) are on sale Thursday December 4, 2008 here. I saw Antony last time he was in Toronto at St. Paul Trinity, the show was incredible, this one is not to be missed. Read my review of the show here.

Antony and The Johnsons

Another World

via stillepost

2008-11-30T11:57:00.002-06:00

THE BRIGHTON PORT AUTHORITY

Seattle Featuring Emmy The Great

2008-11-30T11:53:00.003-06:00

CUT COPY

Sands Of Time

New(ish) Cut Copy track which appears as a b-side on their single for Far Away. Listen to it HERE. Awesomeness.

2008-11-28T18:48:00.005-06:00

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

See This Movie

Not only is this film stunningly beautiful but it features a new track by M.I.A.

The film centers around two brothers, one bad, one good. The good one gains a spot as a contestant on India's version of How Wants To Be A Millionaire, in which he wins the grand prize and is then accused of cheating. Through defending himself and revealing how he new the answers to each question, a heart-breaking tale of the triumph of the human spirit, love and loss unfolds. Directed by Danny Boyle, this film captures a side of Mumbai that the majority of people in the west didn't know existed. Very reminiscent of the slums seen in City Of God.

I suggest seeing this in theatre as I don't think the small screen will do the film justice. Boyle adopts Bollywood for the North American masses and does so with his use of vibrant colour, Bollywood-esque storyline and even inserts a great dance scene into the closing credits. Highly recommended.

2008-11-27T19:05:00.001-06:00

TV On The Radio

Dancing Choose

TV On The Radio are about to embark on an Australian tour. Let's hope a North American tour in the works.

2008-11-27T18:22:00.006-06:00

M83/School of Seven Bells

The Opera House

November 20, 2008

Why is it that every time I go to the Opera House for a concert, I'm sick? It's becoming a bit of a hex. Arrived at the venue at 9pm just in time to catch School Of Seven Bells. There has been quite a lot of press about them as of late, their debut album Alpinisms was recently released and it's alright. I don't love it, I find it a bit repetitive in a sense that many of the tracks sound very similar. Plus, not really loving the vocals. But I can't discount how great the song Half Asleep is. Their live show was similar in my opinion to their album, each song bled into the other and kinda felt like one long song. Maybe it was because I was sick and my attention span was affected by the cold meds. Maybe I just hated the lead singer's bangs. Not sure which one.

I saw M83 last time they came through the city at Mod Club. I was lazy and didn't write up a review. But it would have been similar to this one, both shows (well the first one really) were much better than I anticipated. I have been a passive fan of the band since their (or his...) debut was released but became obsessed after hearing Saturdays = Youth. Not only did I fall in love with the disgustingly fashionable cover of the record, but lead single Couleurs became one of may unofficial theme songs of the summer. It's the perfect blend of soaring guitars and early 90s dance. Anthony Gonzalez and his touring band played a great mix of material pulled from the new album as well as the fantastic Before The Dawn Heals Us.

One thing that must be noted is the use of pre-recorded vocals in a couple songs. Some think this is uber cheesy, me I think its endearing, he can get away with it because he's french and maybe he doesn't know better. Highlights of the show: Teen Angst, Asterick, Moonchild, Graveyard Girl and set closer Couleurs. To be completely honest, the sole reason of seeing them a second time on this tour was to witness the brilliance of Couleurs live. Watch the live clip from their show in May in San Fran below. It's pretty great and has a New Order feel to it. Overall, a great show, even if I was in a bit of a sinus infection haze.

Photo via Flickr by Pixagen.

2008-11-06T18:18:00.007-06:00

IT'S THE DARKEST SIDE OF MY HEART THAT DIES

Introducing The Middle East

I stumbled onto The Middle East about a month ago. Their album The Recordings Of The Middle East got lost in the shuffle and I only really started listening to it about a week ago. I'm deeply obsessed. You know how you need to discover some bands at a specific time of the year, this album is perfect for the fall, for mornings where the sun is fighting through the clouds, for late afternoons when the sun falls faster and earlier than before....you need this album for these times.

There is little to no information about this band on the internet. I know that they are from Townsville , Queensland, Australia. The band is comprised of two brothers, Joe and Jord Ireland, Bree Tranter, Javed Steritt, Rohin Jones, Mark Myers and Tim Barwise. The play shows in and around AUD, and may or may not have broken up and reformed recently.

The Middle East have been described as a post rock band by a couple blogs, but I find them to be much more epic than that. I hear so many different influences in their music, Pig Food is reminescent of a more ambient Sigur Ros, but I also hear traces of Galaxie 500, Low, The Arcade Fire and Red House Painters. Their music teeters in being frail and desolate to epic and grandiose.

Check their myspace (link above) to sample their tunes. Below you'll find a tour diary that the band made. The live footage looks incredible.

The Middle East tour part1

2008-11-03T17:02:00.003-06:00

WHAT I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THIS MONTH 1.0

Starting a new reoccurring post that I'd like to post every couple of weeks. Here is what I've been listening to obsessively for the last month or so:

Empire of the Sun - Walking On A Dream

Empire of the Sun is a side-project to the Australian band The Sleepy Jackson and features band member Luke Steele as well as Nick Littlemore of the band Pnau. They are a bit synth-poppy mixed with 80s dance-pop. Lead single Walking On A Dream is a gorgeous piece of bedroom dancing fun. Apparently the band is quite popular in Australia, the album debuted on the Aussie charts at number 8.

For fans of: Cut Copy, Scissor Sisters, Sam Sparro

Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains - S/T

Two years (or was it 3) since the demise of DFA1979, Sebastien Grainger has finally put out his debut album with The Mountains (via Saddle Creek). It was well worth the wait, the album is the marriage of 70s classic rock and modern garage. Good stuff. Stand out tracks: I Hate My Friends, Love Is Not A Contest

For Fans of: Black Mountain, early Bloc Party minus the dance undertones.

Hexes & Ohs - Bedroom Madness

I instantly fell in love with this album. Hexes & Ohs debut Bedroom Madness marries all my favourite artists together into a pop smorgasbord that makes me want to dance around my apartment in my underwear. So upbeat and fun. The album has a tongue in cheek 80s feel but brings in many elements of standard indie rock.

For Fans of: Postal Service, Mates of State

Vivian Girls - S/T

Everyone's favourite new girl group. Their getting a ton of ink right now, showed up on Pitchfork's Best New Music, played at least 5 CMJ showcases last month and just made their Toronto debut last week with Fucked Up and Final Fantasy (Update: Thanks to Chuck for pointing out that VG's set opening for Fucked Up wasn't their Toronto debut and that they have played Toronto a couple times this year). Vivian Girl's album reminds me of Eric'c Trip, if Rick wasn't in the band and Julie brought in a couple of her girlfriends. Raw, loud and melodic, tons of fuzzy distortion and perfect 60s girl group harmonizing. Love them so much. Favourite tracks: All The Time, I Believe In Nothing, Tell The World.

2008-10-29T20:20:00.000-05:00

BLOC PARTY

THIS MODERN LOVE

Bloc Party, 'This Modern Love' - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.