Awesome Until Proven Guilty

A Weekend in the City

2008-07-09T14:09:00.005-03:00

Speaking of local festivals, I think everyone was at least a little bit surprised to see Bloc Party show up in the roster for this year's Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in Fredericton. I'm not exactly sure how that deal went down, but kudos to the organizers for making it happen and venturing outside the normally genre boundaries of the festival. Other names turning heads this year include Buddy Guy and Derek Trucks Band. Tickets go on sale Saturday, July 19th.

For even more excitement, it seems Bloc Party also has a new single out called "Mercury." It's a bit rougher and more jittery than the blatantly electro-pop "Flux" before it, but it still feels like it's playing up a similar side of the band.

[mp3] Bloc Party - Mercury
[mp3] Bloc Party - Like Eating Glass (from Silent Alarm)
[mp3] Bloc Party - Flux (The Knife Machine Remix)

* Buy A Weekend in the City
* Buy Silent Alarm

Don't Get Sappy on Me Now

2008-07-02T12:30:00.000-03:00

First of all, happy late Canada Day! And what better way to mark it than a post about a young, Canadian-born festival focused on all things indie? Even better, it's right here on the East Coast. The third annual SappyFest (hosted by Sappy Records) takes place August 1-3 in Sackville, New Brunswick and they've assembled a huge roster this year (I counted 61, plus some documentaries). Some of the names are definitely new to me, but I suppose that's bound to happen when you have this many bands lined up. Still, there are many highlights, including performances by Eric's Trip, as well as several of the members' solo projects:

Attack in Black
Chad Van Gaalen
Christine Fellows
Dog Day
Eric's Trip
Ghost Bees
Julie Doiron
Koak
Mardeen
Memories Attack
Miracle Fortress
Old Man Luedecke
Play Guitar
Rick White
Share
Shotgun Jimmie
Snailhouse
The Stance
The Superfantastics
Wax Mannequin

Check out the full list here.

[mp3] Julie Doiron - I Woke Myself Up
[mp3] Share - The Yard
[mp3] Koak - Won't Be Long

[Official Site] Sappy Fest

[MySpace] Julie Doiron
[MySpace] Share
[MySpace] Koak

With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly

2008-06-27T10:11:00.000-03:00

On their new album "Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust", Sigur Rós finally released a song in English. I really thought it would never happen. I mean, I know the band can speak English, I heard them do some pretty horrible interviews a few years ago. They seemed to be much more fluent in Heima, I just thought that since they are so proud of there heritage they would never want to do a song in English. Jónsi must have had something pretty important to say. He sings with quite a strong accent so it is kind of tricky to figure out the exact lyrics. The rumor mill tells me that Jónsi wrote this as an apology to his American boyfriend Alex Somers. He apparently did something quite bad and is confessing to the world as an apology. A nice gesture and a nice song. Listen for yourselves and tell me what you think.

[mp3] Sigur Rós - All Alright

Here is another track off the album that I am enjoying. "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" translates to "Within me a lunatic sings".

[mp3] Sigur Rós - Inní mér syngur vitleysingur

[facebook] Sigur Rós
[myspace] Sigur Rós

* Buy Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

2008-06-26T11:43:00.009-03:00

You will most definitely recognize the voice of Simon Lord (Simian) who is one half of The Black Ghosts along with former Wiseguy Theo Keating. Like an old fashioned romance these two met on the internet and collaborated significantly online before meeting in person. The sound that was produced could not be more fitting for the bands name. The album is dark and eerie with a clear horror/suspense influence. Apparently Lord's grandfather was a director of horror films (Alan Gibson). Keating as a child lived with an graveyard as his back yard and grandmother was considered a psychic.

They released a mixtape back in March and their new self titled album releases on July 8th. Their single "Repetition" features Damon Albarn on vocals as well.

[mp3] The Black Ghosts - Any Way You Choose To Give It
[mp3] The Black Ghosts - Repetition

[myspace] The Black Ghosts

* Buy The Black Ghosts - The Black Ghosts

A Remixed Monday

2008-06-23T12:01:00.004-03:00

Let's keep it simple as we kick off the week. Here's a trio of remixes featuring Four Tet (and Caribou, aka Manitoba). I don't have much comment about these, except that I've consistently enjoyed the remixes these two have worked on over the years. Even in cases where the remix barely resembles the original song (see "This Room"), I'm typically still able to get something out of it as a standalone track. Let's hope this week treats us as well.

[mp3] Radiohead - Skttrbrain (Four Tet Remix)
[mp3] The Notwist - This Room (Four Tet & Manitoba Remix)
[mp3] Caribou - Melody Day (Four Tet Remix)
[MySpace] Four Tet
[MySpace] Caribou

The Weeks Ahead

2008-06-19T13:23:00.004-03:00

I had a completely different post planned for today, but then this band sort of blindsided me. The Weeks are a young band from Jackson, Mississipi and do that sort of southern indie rock we've heard from types like Kings of Leon (the most obvious comparison, given that unmistakable drawl in the vocals). The sonic palette is different though, with these particular songs showing off a more structured pop sensibility and a bit more chaotic energy in the way they attack their instruments. Like an unhinged pop version of what we might expect from Kings.

It may not be a new sound, but they do it well and it's refreshing to my ears today. The band's album, Comeback Cadillac, is scheduled for July 8. You can also hear more on the band's MySpace.

[mp3] The Weeks - Altar Girl
[mp3] The Weeks - Buttons
[MySpace] The Weeks

Fashion + Music

2008-06-18T11:12:00.006-03:00

Most fashion lovers will probably tell you that the history of the fashion show is not well documented because the only important thing is what is on the runway right now. This is a hilariously astute way of brushing off the lack of history but I can guarantee that one thing that has always been a strong ally of the fashion show is music.

I am not a huge fashion expert or anything but I probably have significantly more interest than the average guy is willing to admit. Of course the fashion world is always about trying to be one who leaves the strongest impression. In 2006 Cat Power became a celebrity spokesperson for Chanel and she played their amazingly successful Spring/Summer 07 Haute Couture show. A year later Louis Vuitton topped that by having his fellow Parisians Daft Punk, spin a custom set for his Spring/Summer 08 show. Now this season Mark Jacobs had Sonic Youth play his show and in my opinion that was an EPIC FAIL. It almost seemed as though their performance was extra bad and screechy on purpose. I don't think I could have handled that performance live while trying enjoy the show. For me the winner this season is back to Chanel. They chose to open and close their Fall/Winter 08-09 show with a track I am currently loving. The track is "Blind" by Hercules and Love Affair -- check out the video.

[mp3] Hercules and Love Affair - Blind

* Buy Hercules and Love Affair - S/T

Early Sounds from Earlimart

2008-06-18T11:01:00.005-03:00

California's Earlimart was a pleasant surprise when I stumbled upon their Avenues EP back in 2003, so it's great to hear that they have new music on the way. At the time, I thought they were a bit Grandaddy-esque, though a little more introverted and without the loopy sci-fi atmosphere. The full-length Hymn and Her comes out July 1 and it seems they haven't strayed too far from the sound I came to know them by.

"Song For" chugs along contently; touches of piano, acoustic guitar and bowed strings mingle with spacey echoes and although it never really blows up, it's a pretty satisfying bit of understated pop. This might be worth checking out.

[mp3] Earlimart - Song For (Hymn and Her)
[mp3] Earlimart - Color Bars (Avenues EP)
[MySpace] Earlimart
[official site] Earlimart

The Baroness of Canadian Pop

2008-06-17T14:47:00.006-03:00

I'm still feeling the aftertaste of that Bridges album and I think I need to clear my palate. It's also been a while since we touched on some cancon (Canadian Content, yo!), so this satisfies both of those needs.

Sarah Slean has played in our town several times and I've managed to miss her every single time for one reason or another. I always regret it later, because I've always enjoyed her albums. I realized today that I've yet to hear her latest, The Baroness, in its entirety. Day One came out when I was still working for one of those chain music stores and it got me through a lot of rough mornings, when it was the only tolerable album -- a shining gem -- in our playpile. I can happily say I still think of it fondly, long after my obligation to play it has passed.

[mp3] Sarah Slean - Mary (Day One)
[mp3] Sarah Slean - Goodnight Trouble (The Baroness)
[official site] Sarah Slean
[Amazon] Sarah Slean - The Baroness

Review: The Bridges

2008-06-17T11:47:00.006-03:00

Call me an optimist, but I'm typically willing to write about almost anything people send my way. But what can you write when the album in question doesn't inspire anything beyond a "meh." I might not even have bothered with The Bridges' debut, Limits of the Sky, except that I happened to notice they were produced by Matthew Sweet, who I at least recognize, even if I can't remember any of his songs off the top of my head.

As it turns out, maybe I should have left it at that. Limits of the Sky is unmemorable at best and offensively bland at worst. The Bridges do folk-pop, which is fine by me, but their take on the genre seems to be completely without personality or playfulness. My God, even the album cover is boring. The second half of the album seems less intent on producing radio hits and if the album shines anywhere, I suppose it's here. But that's a very thin silver lining.

At least I can report that the album's competently performed. These girls can sing and the whole affair sounds nicely polished, but that can't make up for its complete lack of colour. Talent can only take you as far as your material allows, and these songs aren't doing them any favours.

Verdict: Guilty on 12 counts of being totally average
Sentence: Community service

[mp3] The Bridges - All The Words
[Amazon] The Bridges - Limits of the Sky

Dead Bells and Dub

2008-06-11T13:56:00.004-03:00

It's been, like, months since I've written something about ...And You Will Knows Us By The Trail of Dead. WTF! I must be sick, or dead, or something. What's that? No, you're right. It's unlikely that I'm dead.

As it turns out, there's actually stuff going on now that's worth talking about. The band is without a major label for the first time in years and a new album is scheduled for sometime in the Fall. They've signed with newish label Superball Music for Germany, who claim on their MySpace that the album will be out in September.

New songs have shown up in bits and pieces and things are looking good. A song called "Bells" has shown up in recent setlists and sounds pretty great to me. Here's a live version from Dublin in May:

When the band started recording, they were also posting regular video diaries documenting the process, but those kind of died off after a while. Nevertheless, we got to hear at least a little of what they've been working on. I have no idea what this song is called:

And finally, there's also a bunch of interesting stuff up on their MySpace, including some old live tracks and one really bizarre outtake from the Source Tags & Codes sessions. Check it out.

[MySpace] ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dub
[official site] ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead

Re: The Crazy and the Young/even worse.

2008-06-09T13:08:00.008-03:00

Yeah, I really agree with The Trick and even MOKB (that's a first!). The "Young Folks" cover is drab and boring. Try not to judge The Kooks based on this, though. Their last album was gold and their new album, although not terribly innovative in any way, is full of fun pop tunes.

Here they are redeeming themselves with a tune from Konk.

[mp3] ~~The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be~~

If you want to talk about a "shoulda known better" cover, listen to this abomination that The Constantines and Feist put out recently. Their cover of Kenny and Dolly's "Islands in the Stream" is unbearable! Blech.

So listen to it here... if you dare.

[mp3] ~~Constantines and Feist - Islands in the Stream~~

The Crazy and the Young

2008-06-09T11:14:00.007-03:00

Like many other music bloggers, we were contacted this week with the offer of a recording of The Kooks covering "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn & John. I hit Hype Machine and, as I expected, numerous other blogs already had the song up. What can I say, bloggers are fascinated by hearing new versions of songs we know and -- at some point -- have enjoyed. I'm just as guilty of that as anyone.

But as it turns out, the comments that accompanied the song were more interesting than the tune itself. My Old Kentucky Blog accurately pointed out that the cover is a little on the late side:

"You remember that song that everybody liked last year? ... If I could stand to actually listen to this song anymore, this wouldn't be too bad really. Still not very timely boys."

Commenter Rich added: "[This song] and 'Crazy' should be put in mothballs for a few years."

Nobody else, it seems, could really be bothered to say much about it. Overexposure is an ugly beast and even I have to admit that the song isn't the smile-inducing gem it used to be; it's acquired some scuffs and scratches since it came out in 2006. But a good song is a good song, right? Certainly. And a fresh coat of paint given by another artist might be just what it needs. Unfortunately, you won't find it here.

Simply put, I think if The Kooks had done something really worthwhile or unique with the song, we could more easily overlook the tiresome familiarity of that whistled melody and I'd be prepared to love the song all over again. This cover, however, feels like unfortunate opportunism that would have fared much better a year ago, when people were still excited about the original song. If anything, it makes me long to listen to the original again. As an independent piece of work, it has nothing to stand on.

[mp3] ~~The Kooks - Young Folks~~
[mp3] ~~Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks~~

[official site] Peter Bjorn And John
[official site] The Kooks

Not That Tron, Silly

2008-05-30T15:01:00.009-03:00

How have I gone all this time without mentioning the new Ladytron? Oh right, I haven't really been posting.

Anyway, it's out next week, it seems to be awesome, and you should probably own it before it owns you. For the uninitiated, Ladytron's music has an icy cold goth tinge, but there's also plenty of pop appeal to make you want to dance and hum. Actually, "goth" makes it sound like it might be all mopey and weepy, but that's not really what Ladytron is about. It's dark, but it's all rather badass. It's everything I love, basically.

Generally, the songs from the new album (Velocifero) seem to continue on the course set by the last album. Lead single "Ghosts" sits quite comfortably next to Witching Hour's "Destroy Everything You Touch." I'll embed the video for that song as well, because it seriously spooked me out the first time I saw it.

[mp3] ~~Ladytron - Ghosts~~ (from Velocifero)
[mp3] ~~Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch~~ (from Witching Hour)
[official site] Ladytron
[MySpace] Ladytron

Terminating the Garbage

2008-05-29T15:39:00.005-03:00

Today, this Hollywood Reporter article reunited two things I haven't thought about in a while: Garbage and The Terminator. Apparently Shirley Manson has decided to pursue an acting career and landed a role in the Sarah Connor Chronicles tv show. I was fond of Garbage in high school and have good memories of seeing them live on the 2.0 tour, but like many people, I found that my interest waned on the two following albums.

As for the Sarah Connor Chronicles, I'll admit that I haven't really given the show a fair shot, but as for the episode or two that I did see? Well, I didn't love them. Something about the two leads, Lena Headey and Thomas Dekker, sort of bugs me. Dekker should go back to Heroes, so Hunter can pick up his music career in The Office. Anyway, this casting news might actually convince me to try the show again. I dig Manson's personality and I hope they give her something decent to work with. Apparently she's playing the "CEO of a cutting-edge high-tech company." Ooh la la!

[mp3] ~~Garbage - Queer~~ (Self-titled)
[mp3] ~~Garbage - You Look So Fine~~ (Version 2.0)

Summer Madness Time

2008-05-28T12:05:00.006-03:00

Damn, it's been nice out this week. Today's a bit cooler than yesterday, but still... I think it's officially starting to feel summer-y here. I felt I need to post something to mark the occasion. Hmm... I remember this song being better when I was 12, but I'll leave it for nostalgia's sake anyway. Or how about the song sampled in this, Kool and the Gang's "Summer Madness":

[mp3] ~~DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Summertime~~
[official site] DJ Jazzy Jeff
[MySpace] Will Smith
[imdb] Will Smith

Rat-at-at

2008-05-27T11:01:00.006-03:00

There are several albums I've been looking forward to this year and one of them is the new Ratatat, which is out in early July. As expected though, tracks have already been showing up around the web. "Shiller" came out of the gates first as probably one of the stranger things I've heard from the duo, but undeniably interesting.

The vibe I'm getting from most of these songs is that they're more developed than most of Classics and certainly a bit more experimental. I think that's a good thing, although a lot of people are likely to miss some of the danceable elements from the earlier albums. That said, I think what I miss most is the grandeur of arrangements that we haven't really heard since the self-titled debut. The early "Cherry" had a certain sublime beauty about it and the near-classic "Seventeen Years" stomps its way towards a tension-filled bridge that finally gives way to a surprisingly understated finale.

Of course, I shouldn't complain. The new songs bear the unmistakable stamp of Ratatat and that's still a pretty good thing, as far as I'm concerned, with "Mirando" being an early favorite.

[mp3] ~~Ratatat - Mirando~~ (LP3)
[mp3] ~~Ratatat - Cherry~~ (Self-titled)
[mp3] ~~Björk - Wanderlust~~ (Ratatat Remix)

[official site] Ratatat
[official site] Björk
[MySpace] Ratatat

Notes from the inbox

2008-04-23T14:07:00.006-03:00

We've only been semi-active this year, but if our e-mail inbox is any indication, publicists never sleep. Multiple tips and requests for reviews come in on a daily basis. I wouldn't want all these people to think they're wasting their time, since we usually just write about things we enjoy anyway, so I'll make an exception today. You want to get reviewed? You got it! Are these artists "Awesome" or are they just "Guilty"?

Mindi Abair - Soft rock with occasional touches of new country and r&b thrown in; also, lots of saxophone. I keep hearing people say that the saxophone is making a comeback in pop music. I didn't believe them, thinking they just based that opinion on the fact that Springsteen got his E-Street Band back together. Abair has proven me wrong, although I'm still far from convinced that more saxophone is a good thing. I don't think my mom would like it either, so it fails that part of the soft rock test as well. (Guilty)

Scarlett Johansson - As an actor, I've loved Scarlett Johansson ever since I saw her in Ghost World, and that feeling was cemented with her performance in Lost in Translation. Her track record has had ups and downs since then, but I've generally managed to maintain a level of respect for her. I had concerns about hearing what Johansson would do as a singer, lest it sully my image of her. Anywhere I Lay My Head is a collection of Tom Waits covers, plus one original song. "Falling Down" (which includes backing vocals by David Bowie) is available on her MySpace page, and I'm very pleasantly surprised by what I'm hearing. Her delivery is not soft or over-produced as I might have feared; it's confident and natural, and makes me want to hear more. (Awesome)

Soundside - Totally not my thing. Don't get me wrong, it's competently performed and recorded, but the hackneyed Three Doors Down/Creed/Nickelback bar-rock vibe I'm getting is almost puke-inducing. How does this sound keep finding new fans? (Guilty)

Beast From Sea - This e-mail included a link to the band's MySpace. Unfortunately the first track available there is just a sampler, with snippets of every song on the album, each of which is just a few second long (about 15 seconds). I feel kind of stupid for listening to it, actually, since I can barely get a sense of what's going on in any of these songs. I mean, one line of vocals from a song is supposed to convince me to buy this? Really? I'm hearing some interesting riffs, vocals that land somewhere between new-emo and Keane-like UK pop, but nothing terribly groundbreaking either. The band says that even if I don't like the music, I should help plug Faceless International, an awareness group they support. I did, there ya go! (Guilty? Awesome? No idea)

Barenaked Ladies - I liked the Barenaked Ladies a lot when I was 12 years old, but then they got written off as a novelty act and disappeared for a few years. Somewhere in the last decade they scored several hits again. Their popularity certainly rose, especially in the US, but I still wasn't won over. Now they've put out a children's album called Snack Time, and you know what? It actually sort of suits them. I'm not sure how much kids would actually like it, but they could certainly do much, much worse than this. It's cute, it's silly, it's the Barenaked Ladies. And really, if Bubbles is on board, so am I. (Awesome)

Red Light Company - It's peppy, but also a little generic -- a lot of the songs sound really similar. There are some catchy chords, big power pop guitars, group-sung choruses, tinkly pianos, forceful drums, and other things people like in their pop rock, but it doesn't amount to anything particularly unique or substantial; kind of like very pretty wallpaper. I might enjoy this in a bar, although I would probably end up talking to an old friend in the bathroom and forget there's a band playing once in a while. (Guilty)

Between the Trees - Falls somewhere between Lifehouse and Something Corporate, but with more piano. I'm three songs into this and I'm getting pretty bored. Lots of piano, lots of angst, lots of falsetto, I get it... (Guilty)

Fear of Music - Their bio invokes a plethora of names from the rock canon: Smashing Pumpkins, Placebo, Muse, Manic Street Preachers, Jeff Buckley, and Pixies. Frankly, I like all of those bands better than this (except maybe Muse, who I could give or take) and I barely even see the connection in some cases. The vocals are a bit overwrought and the riffs aren't all that exciting, but the band does have a tiny bit of undeniable charisma. "Better Living Through Chemistry" isn't a bad song, even if its title has already been used by a Fatboy Slim album, a Queens of the Stone Age song, and an Adema song title. All in all, you're probably better off buying a Vines album or maybe The Subways. (Guilty, but with a reduced sentence)

The Kiss Off - I was digging this until the dude started singing and kind of tore me out of the moment; his voice seems to be an acquired taste. His singing style is a bit melodramatic and alternates between David Byrne yelps and Ian Curtis lows. But hey, I was able to get into The Cure, The Rapture, Placebo and numerous other bands where people can't stand the vocals, so I wouldn't outright condemn it just based on that. I have to admit, a lot of the music is quite infectious, carrying an 80s-influenced new wave energy. The song "Amplify" shows a nice bit of restraint, while "Laying Dead" bursts in with a heavy stomp and "Mother Murderer" brings a bit of goth-pop atmosphere along the lines of Joy Division or Seventeen Seconds-era Cure. (Awesome)

Okay, so I'm getting tired now. Up is down, dogs are cats, and the line between Guilty and Awesome is getting a little blurry. Maybe I should put the whiskey away. It's been fun though, so I'll probably do this again some time. The Kiss Off were kind enough to provide some mp3s, so I'll leave you with one of those. Keep sending those e-mails!

[mp3] ~~The Kiss Off - Mother Murderer~~

A Mux For All Seasons

2008-04-18T14:45:00.004-03:00

I suppose if we're only going to post once every two or three months, mixes are a good way to go. A friend recently introduced me to Muxtape, which is a pretty neat concept, I think, even if it is a little lacking in features right now. I put together a quick mix of some stuff I've been enjoying recently. I'm pretty excited to have some new Ladytron and Portishead (pictured above) this year, not to mention new stuff by The Notwist. The rest is a collection of tunes old and new that have been keeping me company.

All Muxed Up (click to listen)

Tracks:
Ladytron - Black Cat
Mogwai - Glasgow Mega-snake
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Days of Being Wild
LCD Soundsystem - No Love Lost
Joy Division - Heart & Soul
Portishead - Machine Gun
Dan Deacon - Pink Batman
The Octopus Project - I Saw the Bright Shinies
The Notwist - Good Lies
Ker - A Chorus

Mixtape a la travisthered

2008-04-16T13:38:00.004-03:00

It sure has been a while for me... Here is a mixtape that represents what I have been up to lately.

[mp3] Side A
[mp3] Side B

Side A:
Stars - The Night Starts Here (remix)
Kaiser Chiefs - Love Is Not A Competition But I'm Winning (remix)
Röyksopp - What Else Is There? (remix)
Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger (remix)
Tiga - You Gonna Want Me
Bloc Party - Flux

Side B:
Koop - Summer Sun (feat Yukimi Nagano)
MGMT - Electric Feel
Windom Earle - Kittens Vs. Pegasus
Matt And Kim - Someday
Fujiya & Miyagi - Ankle Injuries
Hot Chip - Hold On

I had more success mixing Side A, but the song selection on Side B is more eclectic.

Enjoy!

Winter Lulz -- er -- Lulls

2008-02-29T14:54:00.002-04:00

Dear Blog Land,

I've missed you. I'd love to write something about all the new music I've been falling in love with, but times have been tough for me in that regard. Fact of the matter is, the best music I've been listening to lately is stuff that I never had a chance to hear in 2007; either that, or it's more than 50 years old. Sure, I like the new Hot Chip, but I think everybody else has that covered nicely and I don't feel compelled to add to the din right now. Patrick Wolf's last album finally entered my collection a few weeks ago... Is a year too late to get blogger cred for that discovery? I guess so. Hey, that Britt Daniels remix of Feist is okay. Sorta.

No, the truth is, I've been making more music lately than I've been listening to, and it's working out quite nicely for me at this time. But I still miss you anyway; I haven't forgotten, and I will return.

Love,
The Trick

We Stand Like Statues

2007-11-08T14:14:00.000-04:00

A quick heads-up: if you're local, my (mostly) electronic project will be playing at The Capital Bar in Fredericton this Saturday with Sudbury, Ontario's Statues. I've had the pleasure of sharing a stage with these guys before and let me tell you -- they are one fun band. It's worth checking out if you're a fan of pure, unadulterated power pop. All you Weezer, Clash, and Replacements fans would probably dig it. Some downloadable mp3s are available on the band's MySpace page.

Oh, Larry

2007-10-22T13:57:00.001-03:00

I swear a few weeks ago I was watching a new episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm with friends and we talked about how Larry David recently went through a divorce with his real life wife Laurie Lennard. We wondered how this would be translated into the show and we considered that Cheryl might leave him this season. Well, it turns out it was the damn TiVo guy's fault. This was one of the best episodes I have seen and it definitely looks like this season has been leading up to the big split.

Don't worry about Larry though. He doesn't seem too fazed by it and before the end of the episode, he's already on a date with another woman (a post-Battlestar Galactica Lucy Lawless). Of course... well, just watch it.

[mp3] Luciano Michelini - Frolic (Theme from Curb Your Enthusiasm)

* Buy Curb DVDs

The Octopus Project: Hello, Avalanche

2007-10-20T12:37:00.001-03:00

I've written about The Octopus Project before. The band kinda stole my heart when I saw them touring with ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead several years ago. As unassuming as a band can be while wearing silly masks, they hit the stage and just rocked out a rolling set of electronic instrumentals that take a completely fresh approach to pop music.

Their latest, Hello, Avalanche, just arrived on the scene and from the sounds of it, the band is in better shape than ever. I've been particularly taken by the boopy Gameboy rock of "Truck," a song that urges you to do whatever it is you're doing better, faster, and with a smile on your face. As a whole, the new songs suggest the band is expanding their sonic palette somewhat, which is highlighted by the fact that this is probably also the best-sounding thing the band has done in terms of production. I have a feeling this will be in heavy rotation in my kitchen this winter.

[mp3] The Octopus Project - Truck
[mp3] The Octopus Project - Malaria Codes
[YouTube] The Octopus Project - Malaria Codes

Jose Gonzalez: In Our Nature

2007-10-19T19:54:00.001-03:00

If you don't immediately recognize Jose Gonzalez, you might remember his collaborations with Zero 7: "Futures," "Left Behind," "Today," and "Crosses." The latter of those is actually a cover of his own song. He also recorded a great stripped down cover of The Knife's "Heartbeats" that appeared on the television program One Tree Hill as well as a notoriously colorful Sony commercial. A few of his own songs also appeared on the now-gone The OC.

As for Gonzalez's latest album, In Our Nature, I basically love this album so much I want to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant. This elegant album is without a doubt Gonzalez's best work. The songs still feature his signature simplicity, but generally this album's sound is more confident than that of Veneer. In Our Nature is stripped down to mostly vocal melodies with classical guitar and the occasional touch of djembe, handclaps or soft synth.

For me, "Down the Line" is the song that gets me swaying the most, although his cover of Massive Attack's "Teardrop" also deserves mention because it's just really good. No surprise there. This is an album I would happily buy for my best friend or my mother alike.

[mp3] Jose Gonzalez - Down the Line or [youtube]
[mp3] Jose Gonzalez - Teardrop or [youtube]

* Buy In Our Nature

Radiohead: In Rainbows

2007-10-15T13:29:00.000-03:00

The newest release by Radiohead has already been picked apart all over the web, so there's probably not much I can add in terms of reviewing the album. Instead, I'll keep this short and simply add some of my intial reactions and observations. Enough is to say that I'm enjoying the album immensely.

In Rainbows is easily the most organic sounding Radiohead album since The Bends, but that doesn't mean it's the return of the "old" Radiohead that many still seem to be waiting for. If anything, the band confirms that there is no such thing as the old Radiohead anymore, as they approach these songs with a confident maturity that's never been as starkly demonstrated as it is here. It's fairly obvious that the band has little concern for trends or expectations and are simply making music that interests them. Apparently, these days that includes lush strings, understated arrangements, jazzy guitars, a mild touch of r&b, and yes, still the occasional skittering drum machine.

"Nude," a fan favourite that's been in the band's live repertoire for a decade finally makes an appearance on an album: it's beautiful. "Reckoner" also finally makes it onto an album; however, it isn't even the same song as what the band played live. I have no idea how the title became attached to a different song, but this one's good, too. Meanwhile, many people seem to be complaining about the album version of "Videotape," but I think it's gorgeous. Now... let's get to work on recording "Big Boots," shall we?

[YouTube] Reckoner (old version)
[YouTube] Nude (live, 1998)
[YouTube] Big Boots (choppy version from Meeting People is Easy)

[Official Site] In Rainbows

Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight

2007-09-28T08:00:00.000-03:00

Under the Blacklight finds Rilo Kiley sounding laid back and feeling sorta groovy. In the past, the band dabbled in country, electronics, indie pop, r&b, etc. The band still has a lot of those things going on, but somehow all those influences sound a lot more homogenized this time around. Maybe that's just the sound of a band becoming more focused and finding their element, but I can't help feeling there's something missing from the songs themselves. They just don't have the emotional immediacy I normally love about Rilo Kiley tunes.

Everyone from Pitchfork to Rolling Stone has drawn comparisons to Fleetwood Mac for parts of the album, particularly on the Blake Sennett-sung "Dreamworld." They point this out as a, "Hey, isn't that interesting" sort of comparison, but honestly Fleetwood Mac is one of those bands that make my face scrunch up in a way I normally reserve for sour candy. I actually think "Dreamworld" is one of the better songs on the album, but overall I still feel the band is taking a direction that I can't get behind.

Before this starts to sound really negative, I should add that the album has its share of good moments, but they'll need repeat listening to uncover and appreciate. I'm not a huge fan of this funkier Rilo Kiley, but at least they still have a few good hooks, a couple of standout tracks (the opening "Silver Lining" deserves a spot on a future greatest hits album), and the big voice of Jenny Lewis on their side. I can always get behind that.

Youtube: The Moneymaker
MP3: The Execution of All Things (via Saddle Creek)
MySpace: Rilo Kiley (includes samples of new tracks)
Official Site: Rilo Kiley

Curtis vs. Graduation

2007-09-27T17:19:00.000-03:00

No "Ghost of Genova Heights" for Trick, that is settled. I feel the need to say Campbell's vocals do not falter at all on this track and I found it quite interesting to see him take on this new subgenre on IOBATW. To me it feels like there is almost a divide between the first and second half of the album. The first being more radio friendly pop and the latter being more actually "good" songs. "Window Bird" is a fantastic song and, contrasting Trick, I feel the title track has an appropriate build up and conclusion.

I feel the need to comment on the quite prevalent album sales battle that seems to be going on between Kanye West and 50 Cent. Kanye changed the release date of Graduation from September 18 to the same release date as Curtis, September 11. This is clearly a challenge as we all know Kanye craves talent recognition.

The simple truth is I am not a fan of 50 Cent. I find his style of hip-hop too aggressive for my liking and with tracks like "My Gun Go Off", "Man Down", "I'll Still Kill" and "Fully Loaded Clip" it doesn't really seem like I have much chance enjoying this album. I have not heard Curtis and frankly unless I hear something good about it I won't even bother.

Graduation I have listened to straight through quite a bit. With perhaps the exception of "Drunk and Hot Girls" and "Stronger", his first single, I thoroughly enjoy it. On the topic of "Stronger" I quite liked the original sample track taken from Daft Punk and I found his production made the song boring. Stand out tracks for me are "Champion", "I Wonder", "Homecoming" and "Flashing Lights". For hip-hop Kanye is always very musical and takes this part of his production seriously. I appreciate that.

Kanye has my vote(as well as cash), what about you?

Official Site - 50 Cent
Official Site - Kanye West

Also: Hi, i am back. I'll try to be good.

Stars: In Our Bedroom After the War

2007-09-27T12:56:00.000-03:00

Like many of you, I first heard bits and pieces of In Our Bedroom After the War as mp3 clips collected from scattered blogs around the web. Also, like many of you, I formed an opinion about the album based on the few songs I had heard. I determined that although the album seemed to have a few highlights, it wasn't going to reach me on the same level as Set Yourself on Fire. I was mostly right... although also kind of wrong.

The album opens with an unnecessary instrumental before launching into album opener, "The Night Starts Here." And all of a sudden, I am reminded why I fell in love with Stars the last time around. Torquil Campbell's vocal style is still kind of heavy-handed and melodramatic, and Amy Millan still sings the role of smoky seductress, and all of it is pleasurably familiar.

If there's any one thing that bugs me about the album it's that Campbell's theatrical vocal style seems even more bombastic this time around. The band is usually skilled enough to make it work; "Take Me To the Riot" takes off and lands with grace and charm thanks to an arrangement that soars as high as Campbell's vocal ambitions. Unfortunately I can't say the same for "Barricade." There are many places that would suit the song more than this album; such as, a sad moment in a Disney cartoon, on a Broadway stage, or during a mid-show intermission at a 1985 Depeche Mode show (I can't help thinking of "Somebody" when I hear it, ever since someone mentioned the resemblance in style). The album-closing title track suffers from a similar heaping of melodrama.

Now that I've actually heard all of In Our Bedroom After the War, it turns that the bits and pieces I had heard before actually fit together quite nicely. There are still songs that I'm not fond of ("Ghost of Genova Heights" sounds like r&b caricature to me), but overall those misses are outweighed by the album's highlights, including "Midnight Coward," "Window Bird," and the previously mentioned "Take Me to the Riot."

Myspace with album tracks: Stars
Official Site: Stars
Wikipedia: Stars

The Weakerthans: Reunion Tour

2007-09-26T11:59:00.000-03:00

My wife and I went on a roadtrip last weekend, so we decided to pick up some new music for the drive. I have fond memories of listening to The Weakerthans on the road, so when a copy of their latest, Reunion Tour, landed in my hands, it accompanied me to the cash register. I can't count how many drives we soundtracked with Left and Leaving, Fallow, or Reconstruction Site over the years.

For better or worse, Reunion Tour finds The Weakerthans sounding very er... Weakerthans-ish. In many ways, the album picks up right where Reconstruction Site left off, so you're bound to recognize many of the band's trademarks. Fortunately, that sound never wore out its welcome with me, so I'm totally game for another round of John K. Samson's plaintive, poetic lyrics, supported by a canvas of folk, punk, and minimalism as only The Weakerthans can paint. It's not more of the same, so much as it's a continued exploration of the matured sound the band struck up on their last effort.

The band sounds like they're very comfortable in their shoes and the result is an album that sounds confident and contagious. It's hard not to get tangled up in the shimmering chorus of "Sun in an Empty Room" or the heart-breaking story of Virtute the cat's departure. Fans of Reconstruction Site should be all over this.

MP3s: Epitaph site
Official Site: The Weakerthans
Wikipedia: The Weakerthans

Fall Cleaning

2007-09-26T08:55:00.000-03:00

Hello? Oh, come in. I didn't see you there. Um, it's a bit messy. I've kinda been neglecting the place. I hope that's cool. Yeah, watch out for those CD stacks. I'll probably get to them soon, but you know how life gets in the way. I guess it's time for some Fall cleaning.

Some landmarks

2007-02-14T11:55:00.000-04:00

We haven't posted much this year, so dear readers -- if any of you still exist -- I'm sorry. I've had other web projects on the go and Travis has been wrapped up in all kinds of adventures. Even so, we haven't entirely forgotten about this little baby of ours and I have a funny feeling that the summer weather just around the corner may inspire me to start posting again in one form or another.

That said, we managed to hit a few landmarks while we weren't paying attention. For one, this is our 199th post. Go on, Travis, make it 200! I dare ya. It's also been over a year since we started this thing, which means our anniversary happened some time in February. If anything, I want to put this post up just to say we made it this far. Content be damned!

Carry on.

From 22 to 24

2007-01-16T11:22:00.000-04:00

**Spoiler Warning Blah Blah**

Ok so this season 24 is back and it is on fire. Jack has already been tortured and escaped by biting off a guys jugular while being bound up. An interesting addition to this season are two new terrorist characters Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, Van Wilder) as Ahmed Amar and Shaun Majumder (Uh-Oh!, This Hour has 22 Minutes) as Hasan Numair.

Well to spoil it all, at the end of the last episode Jack is force to kill Curtis, his old friend and Director of field Ops. This along with the twenty months he just spent being tortured in a Chinese prison, causes Jack to breakdown. At the same time. the rest of CTU messes up and the terrorists set of a nuke in Los Angeles killing thousands. Jack sees this and they play that nice little melody from the film Crash.

So now all the CTU teams except for Jack's are dead and he just killed the head of field Ops. We can expect that this is just what jack will need to spring back into action and kick some terrorist butt. Also don't expect to see Penn or Madjumder again as they are also now dead.

24 is awesome.

[mp3] Mark Isham - Flames

* Buy 24 Box Sets

Near me too.

2007-01-13T12:31:00.001-04:00

The Fussy Part are touring the East Coast and Ontario quite heavily these next few months supporting their debut EP Ben. The packaging on the album is one of the best I have seen by fellow New Brunswickers since Eric's Trip. It features beautiful artwork by local artist Meg Lanteigne.

Anyone who has seen or heard the band live can attest to the freshness of the band's sound. To me the album plays out like a story, centering around the middle track Near You. It is the only track to have vocals and is obviously the stand out track of the album. Nick's vocals are precious on this track and his other side projects should take note on his abilities as a lead vocalist, just sayin'. Near You, along with Unmanaged, are the two songs that most exemplify the sound i feel the band is trying to put out. I feel the strength and individuality of the band is in their electronic atmospherics. If the band wants to take it a step higher i feel they will need to turn up the keyboards and focus more on songwriting around them. Everyone loves the sounds they are putting out, but if they are going to maintain their status as an "experimental" band I would like to hear more experimenting.

I recently had the opportunity to talk to the boys from the band:

Awesome Until Proven Guilty - Okay, well first off The Fussy Part is kind of a weird name, where did you come up with it?

The Fussy Part - The Fussy Part has been sort of like a theme for the band before we ever got around to assigning it a name. Stephen has a pretty rad hair part, the music it sometimes pretty odd and complex (or "fussy") and the phrase "the fussy part" is pretty common in things like cookbooks, puzzles, etc.

How do you feel the band name represents your band?

The name doesn't say anything about our music and the obvious negative connotation says even less. However, I couldn't really care less. There are people who hate us and there are people who love us based on the name alone. We've had a steady flow of press, both good and bad, due to the name.
There are a million bands out there and a million good and bad band-names, at least ours sticks out a little.

Why is the EP Ben? There is no one in the band named Ben?

We thought it would be a nice theme to name each album like a child. The names "Walter" and "Suzanne" just didn't fit as much as "Ben".

What sets you apart from other artists from New Brunswick?

I guess the fact that we are (mostly) instrumental sets us apart. There aren't a lot of groups doing the instrumental thing, especially not in the "experimental" genre.

What do you think The Fussy Part has that has allowed such success so far?

I don't know how you classify "success" but I'd say we still have a long way to go in the Maritimes, let alone outside of this region. We're just going to keep doing what we do and hope that people respond to it positively. Maybe we'll eventually get to a point where we can make albums and tour without going into debt. That is success to me.

Don't you find it cocky to have so few songs without lyrics?

I never thought about instrumental music being "cocky" before. We all have outlets for lyrics in our other groups and this music doesn't really call for another layer. I hope that the songs stand out on their own as interesting. I've always been a fan of instrumental music and although it doesn't have wide-appeal i find it the most interesting and challenging type of music to play. Getting the everyday music fan to enjoy your creation, which may be different and a challenge to listen to is probably the greatest challenge in this band.
Maybe that is "cocky."

What do you feel the instrumental songs have that they can be carried without words?

I wish I could avoid the obvious cliché here, but i can't. The music is emotional and intense and that should speak something for itself.

What bands are you influenced by that are in your same experimental-rock type genre?

I just discovered Isis (who are on Mike Patton's label) and love them. They combine a perfect mix of building melodies and drones with (very tasteful) growling lyrics. Other bands (for me) would include: Mogwai, Godspeed, Tristeza, Jaga Jazzist, Explosions in the Sky, Battles, etc...

I know the band originally started with only Kyle and Bob, why did you find it necessary to add more members to the band?

When it was just Bob and I, we were layering all these different parts and found it very limiting to keep coming up with new ideas between the two of us. We also would have never been able to play live, which would have kept the Fussy Part strictly a basement operation and we'd probably never have released anything. Nick, Stephen and Dennis are what made the band what it is now.

How does your relationship with the other band members reflect in your performance?

We've all known one-another through the New Brunswick music scene for over 10 years and enjoy each other's company. We have a lot of fun together and we're all a little socially-awkward in our own way and have a similar sense of humour, which keeps things interesting.

Does everyone contribute in the song creation or are there "leaders" of the band?

Everyone contributes. While each member has their own songs in the band, some of the songs are collectively written and/or arranged and some are completely finished before they are even brought to the table.

I see you just got back from a show in Prince Edward Island, what does the band do to pass the time on such a long drive?

Long drives are always the most interesting because that's when cabin-fever sets in, van style. The past weekend's drive included lots of applause, a black eye, and group singalongs.

Having received such wide distribution, how do you feel the band will be received in the rest of the country?

The distribution is such a help to us. While we may not get a chance to play past Ontario at the moment, people might hear about us on campus radio or online. If they like what they hear and read, at least the option to order is there. We just had our first online purchase last week and it was from someone in BC, which is kind of strange, I didn't know we had fans out there. That's the power of the Intraweb.

What is coming up in the future for The Fussy Part?

Well, we are doing a Maritime release tour over the course of January and February and 4 dates through Ontario in March to pay off our album debt. I hope that by the end of March we'll have enough to start recording again. Being in the studio is where this project really shines and we're all really excited to begin recording a full-length. It would be really nice to play some new parts of the country at some point. For now, I just want to ship out the album to campus stations and music 'zines to see what happens.

The importance of this band in our local scene is to introduce artists with electronic sounds into the main college scene. In spite of New Brunswick's excellent electronica scene (A/V, The Trick, The Brad Perry Disaster, Paranerd), not enough people are aware or exposed to them. Since the members of The Fussy Part have obligations in eight other New Brunswick bands, they are sort of a "supergroup" amongst the university crowd. Hopefully this will allow more local exposure and interest in the genre. Kudos to the The Fussy Part.

[mp3] The Fussy Part - Near You

* Buy Ben EP on Amazon

We Were In Awe Before The Single Even Released

2007-01-06T12:20:00.000-04:00

Oh boy oh boy, It is unlike me to post two things in one day but frick this one really cannot wait.

As we have all know for a little while Johnny Marr of the Smiths is now an official member of Modest Mouse (w00t) and they started streaming their first single off their new LP We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank three days ago.

Most anyone can agree that Modest Mouse has had two distinct sounds over their career and a lot of "hardcore" fans didn't like their last release so much because it sounded too "popish". Well Mr. Brock says you don't know what you are talking about because this new single is even more dancy and popish than Float On, the first single off Good News for People Who Love Bad News.

The single is released to US radio on the 16th of January. This link is hosted by the Music Nazi

[mp3] Modest Mouse - Dashboard

* Visit the Modest Mouse Myspace
* Buy Modest Mouse Albums

What do you mean?

2007-01-06T11:07:00.000-04:00

Way way back almost a year ago now, the Trick made his first music post on this here web site. It featured one of the Tricks original songs as well as a song by the very creative British trio Union of Knives. In the past year They have released two more EPs an LP Violence & Birdsong, a single and a remix EP.

A couple of weeks ago the band performed live from their flat in Glasgow, a remix of the song we posted so long ago... Enjoy!

[mp3] Union of Knives - Evil has Never (remix)

* Buy Violence & Birdsong

Dining to the beat

2007-01-03T14:16:00.000-04:00

I came across an interesting article today about music in restaurants. Not only does it interest me for the obvious reason that I'm into music, but I also happen to have a big interest in food. When my girlfriend and I have guests for dinner, I try to take a a few minutes to put together a playlist to create some atmosphere.

With the right mix of music, I find that meals can be much more enjoyable. "Shuffle" just doesn't cut it for that purpose. For one, I prefer to be somewhat relaxed when I eat, so I'd rather avoid the more "challenging" music I have around. Second, I tend to change the playlists depending on the guests. For parents, for example, I try to include classic favourites, while contemporary friends are more likely to hear a mix of new and old.

What do you listen to when you eat?

And yes, I know we've used that photo before. So sue me.

Kull the Conqueror

2007-01-02T16:30:00.000-04:00

Okay, I have a feeling many of you (and the Trick) do not follow The OC, but Kevin Sorbo is big news.

So I am not too sure what has been happening with the writers on The OC, but this season has had the best episodes since Season One. The last episode The Earth Girls Are Easy, was especially fantastic with all the pregnancy test drama with Taylor and Summer in Vegas. The Chrismuk-huh? episode was also a big change for The OC what with Taylor and Ryan falling off a ladder and entering an alt-world while they were in comas.

The newest addition to the show has been Kevin Sorbo as Frank, who at the last scene of the last episode you find out is Ryan's father (oooh drama-llama). What craziness will this twist bring? Find out this Thursday night when The OC returns.

[mp3] Mates of State - California

The Capital Get Down: Aftermath

2007-01-02T14:30:00.000-04:00

Before I go any further, let me extend a big "Happy New Year" to you from Awesome Until Proven Guilty. Let's hope it rocks even more than 2006. February will mark our one year anniversary, so that's something to be proud of in this come-and-go blog world.

Saturday night proved to be one helluva dance party at The Capital. It took the crowd a little while to come out of their shells, but we managed to squeeze a surprising amount of life out of 'em. After a rocking cold open by Dan J, DJ Hawk delivered a set of funk gems, including several tracks by the late James Brown. I didn't take down the exact order of my set, but from memory, it looked something like this:

Ratatat - Seventeen Years
Hot Chip - Over And Over
Union of Knives - Evil Has Never (Album version)
LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
A/V - Ask Your Wife
The Stills - Still in Love Song (12" Extended Remix)
The Blood Brothers - Spit Shine Your Black Clouds
The Stranglers - Peaches
Tokyo Police Club - Be Good
The Faint - Desperate Guys
The Sounds - Tony The Beat
Bloc Party - Helicopter (Breakneck Mix)
The Cure - Close To Me
Ratatat - Wildcat (Evax Remix)
The Rapture - House of Jealous Lovers
Prince - Now
Munk - Kick Out The Chairs (Replayed by Who Made Who)
Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch
Metric - Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Billie Holiday - I'll Be Seeing You

We're hoping to do this again in a few months, so keep your eyes peeled!

[mp3] Ratatat - Seventeen Years

Happy Holidays@!!!!1one

2006-12-27T13:11:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone had a grand holiday! I spent it up on the north shore of New Brunswick and i had a wonderfully relaxing time. I also got some awesome gifts from my awesome girlfriend!

First i got a sweet Postal Service shirt with a Tambird on it! The Tambird artwork was created by Susie Ghahremani, the solo artist also known as snoozer!

I also got a fantastic Depeche Mode DVD/CD Live in Milan/Touring the Angel. What a great Christmas for me!

[mp3] The Postal Service - Nothing Better
[mp3] Snoozer - Winterclothes
[mp3] Depeche Mode - Precious (Live in Milan)

The Capital Get Down!

2006-12-22T23:11:00.000-04:00

Hear some Awesome Until Proven Guilty favourites!

Travis's Best of 2006

2006-12-21T10:01:00.000-04:00

Although there were no new Ryan Adams albums released this year (other than the 13 released only via stream on his site) there was still plenty of great music. Seriously though, has anyone listened to those albums... *sigh of disappointment* I mean, i know they were not serious albums but holy crap they are unlistenable.

This year was dominated mostly by new artists and their keyboards. With few exceptions my iTunes cranked out tons of Electronica this year. Here is my list:

10 - Joanna Newsom - Ys

I really really liked Milk-Eyed Mender so when the news came of a new album I was quite excited. Upon finding out that the album would be performed not only by Newsom and her harp but also by an entire orchestra, I was a little let down. I really enjoy the simplicity of her first full length and I was now expecting to be disappointed. Well folks, this album is breathtaking. All the arrangements are so beautiful you almost feel as though they could be accompanying some sort of old Disney movie.
[Buy It]

9 - Akron/Family - Meek Warrior

I know this is technically only an EP but it is so good it has to go on some list this year. Their self titled release was a very nice gentle album that remains one of my favorites, but for anyone who has ever seen this band live, they know that is simply not what they sound like. Meek Warrior is a much more accurate portrayal of the bands range and talent.
[Myspace] [Buy It]

8 - K'naan - The Dusty Foot Philosopher

The Dusty Foot Philosopher is the only hip-hop album that made my list this year (Sorry Ghostface Killah) and admittedly I was introduced to K'naan by The Trick. K'naan really goes deep into some interesting issues with this album but he also has the catchy beats that shake my booty.
[Myspace] [Buy It]

7 - The Rapture - Pieces Of The People We Love

I attained this album purely on a recommendation by a friend and the first time I put it on, I was half asleep, walking around aimlessly downtown. I knew I had set it to shuffle songs and I was like "WTF Mate". I yanked out my iPod from my man purse and I was amazed to see that it had directed me to the second song on this album Get Myself Into It. I like this whole album but this song remains my favorite.
[Myspace] [Buy It]

6 - MSTRKRFT - The Looks

The news that Death from Above 1979 broke up was only comforted in knowing that Jesse Keeler can now devote more time into MSTRKRFT. This album has everything I wanted it to, even a video with dancing robots.
[Myspace] [Buy It]

5 - The Knife - Silent Shout

I once read a review of this album saying it sounded like "retarded robots farting laser beams". Although I do find that image hilarious, I neither condone the use of the word "retarded" or agree with the statement. It is atmospheric and spacey, but I like that.
[Myspace] [Buy It]

4 - Thom Yorke - The Eraser

When I first purchased this I gave it a listen over once while moderately intoxicated. I remember liking it a lot. It made me want to do a crazy dance in which my feet stay planted but my arms and hips wiggle and sway to the beats. I couldn't do this however because i couldn't really move off the bed at the time.
[Myspace] [Buy It]

3 - Mates of State - Bring it Back

The thing that I really like about Mates of State is their ability to sing together. They harmonize perfectly. This album is fantastic the whole way through, my only complaint is the "up pa pa pa like u crazy" part of Like U Crazy. I have been argued with about this, but I am sticking to my guns. This song would be better without it.
[Myspace] [Buy It]

2 - The Sounds - Dying to Say this to You

I think that The Sounds have gotten quite a bit of recognition this year. I would say more than anyone else on this list with the exception of Thom Yorke. It is all very well deserved as this is a great follow up to Living in America. On Dying to Say this to You the band really finds their own sound and less like a re-dub of 80s pop. I still like Living in America though :)
[Myspace] [Buy It]

Aaaaaaaand...

1 - Shout out out out out - Not Saying/Just Saying

Wow, this album really blew me away, there was just no competition for the number one spot on this list. With their well thought out lyrics in crazy vocoder style, their double drums, multiple basses and lots of keyboards, this album had me dancing up a storm all year. Shout out out out out have the heart and soul of a great rock band and apparently they put on an amazing live show. Please come to the east coast. We love you here.
[Myspace] [Buy It]

Well there you go that was this years tops in music. As you can tell I didn't add any MP3s due to a "new feature" in EZArchive. If anyone has come up with a solution to this please email us. See Ya!

Thank you, Gary

2006-12-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

We do occasionally report on local music news on this blog and today I heard about something that was just too big to pass over. New Brunswick synthpop legend Gary Flanagan is officially retiring from the stage. Gary says he will continue to record, but that he is unable to continue performing live. Anyone who has ever seen Gary perform will surely tell you it was a one-of-a-kind experience. Someone's going to have to pick up some serious slack if we ever expect to make up for the enthusiasm and charisma Gary used to bring to his shows.

From Gary himself:

Yes, it's true, my days performing live are coming to an end. Many of you know that I have been dealing with numerous health issues over the past year, and it has gotten to a point where I am having more and more difficulty finding the energy or the focus to perform live. I will still continue to write and record new music, yet the live element will come to an end. Hopefully, someday when I am feeling better I will resume my live shows, but for the time being I'm really not in any state of mind or body to play live.

Many thanks to everyone who has come out to the shows in the past and given me your support. You rock!

Gary's final show will be this Friday (Dec. 22) at Elwoods in Saint John. He will be joined by The Wooden Wives, The Fedoras, Moses D. Cannibal, Moondawg Astrotripper, and DJ Hawk. Admission is free!

[mp3] Gary Flanagan - Nightclub (clip)

Listen to Gary on his Myspace

Piping hot load of awesome

2006-12-15T11:39:00.000-04:00

If you were to give the interweb a vigorous poke right now, there's a good chance that you'd end up with a big steaming pile of "best of 2006" lists all over your desktop. Seriously, I haven't been keeping up with the latest wave of music blogs, but it seems like just about every single one has decided to offer up their favourites of the year. Unfortunately, none of those blogs are Awesome Until Proven Guilty. We are.

The following list represents some of my favourite musical moments from 2006 arranged in a loosely ranked hierarchy. It is not a definitive "best of" list, because honestly, I'm way too lazy for that and most people won't bother reading all the way through anyway. No, this is simply a list of music from 2006 that made me want to RTFO (rock the fuck out). Now, let's quit with the yap yap and get on with it!

1. Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope

This album is at the top of my list because Spektor completely side-swiped me this year. I love to be surprised and that's exactly what happened the first time I heard the gently assertive string plucks at the beginning of "Fidelity." Every new song on the album reveals another gem and the whole thing is a bittersweet, eye-opening experience.

Listen

2. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

In addition to putting out a great album, The Decemberists were also one of the better live acts I saw this year. The band has been on my radar for several years, but it wasn't until this year that I finally took some time to delve deeper into their body of work. Their latest is a worthy addition to the band's impressive discography. How's that for a boring review?

Listen

3. ...Trail of Dead - So Divided

And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead are their own worst enemy, I think. Attempting to marry their punk roots with progressive song structures and epic melodies has yielded mixed results in most critics eyes. Personally, I find the band's identity crisis to be part of their appeal. They continually find avenues to explore that I never would have imagined them going down. So Divided is no exception, brimming with dilligently constructed songs that touch on pop, punk, classic rock, cabaret, blah blah blah. Let's break some shit...

Listen

4. The Sounds - Dying to Say This to You

Earlier this year, I spent several Thursday nights playing in local bars and semi-DJing the music between sets (i.e., hitting "play" on my iPod). Inevitably, every time a song by The Sounds came on, somebody would ask, "Who is this? It's really fun!" And fun is exactly what The Sounds are. The chords are kind of rehashed, the beats are simple, and Maja Ivarsson's lyrics don't make much sense, but these folks have enough spunk and style to defeat a thousand bloggers posting their favourite remixes in a vain attempt to make you dance.

Listen

5. Tokyo Police Club - A Lesson in Crime

The most likely comparison you'll want to make when you first hear Tokyo Police Club is to The Strokes. However, where The Strokes sound kinda boring and complacent, Tokyo Police Club are vibrant and cathartic. Also, any album that starts with the phrase "Operator? Get me the president of the world!" gets an A+ in my books. These kids really work hard for their rock 'n roll and they pass the results on to you.

Listen

6. Thom Yorke - The Eraser

Radiohead's Thom Yorke dropped this little oddity on us in 2006. Considering Radiohead's wacky career path, I honestly had no idea what to expect from a Yorke solo record. For all I knew, it could be a lovely opus of acoustic ballads or 90 minutes of distortion and beeps. Neither would have surprised me, really. Instead, what we got was an album that sounded similar to recent Radiohead material (think "Backdrifts," "Idioteque," "Punch Up at a Wedding," "Packt Like Sardines..."), but with a uniquely personal touch... A singer-songwriter album for the new millenium.

7. A/V - Hot Action

A/V is so punk as fuck that I couldn't even find a digital version of the album cover online anywhere. Hot Action sounds like the bionically-enhanced love child of Devo and Kraftwerk, returned from the dead to make you dance just one last time. You'd better comply.

Listen

8. Ratatat - Classics

Here's an interesting tidbit. I haven't even heard the entirety of number 8 on my best of 2006 list. You may ask, "But The Trick... What kind of dumbass puts an album on his best of list that he hasn't heard all the way through?" While I may be a dumbass, I also know a good tune when I hear it. The four songs from Classics that I've encountered have been brilliance through and through. If it didn't go on my list this year, it would probably be on next year's.

Listen

9. Hot Chip - The Warning

This album spent a helluva lot of time in my CD player this year. As you can tell by this list, I'm definitely a fan of electronic music. Hot Chip, however, bring something interesting to the table because they take that very coldest of genres and warm it with softly harmonized vocals, memorable melodies, and beats that crackle with gentle electricity.

Listen

10. The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love

There were many things about The Rapture's Echoes that I loved, but there were also many things about it that annoyed me. The band's latest album has plenty of the former, but less of the latter. Maybe it's just 'cause I'm a wuss, but I was glad to hear the band leaving behind some of their dissonance and aggression to focus on constructing all those amazing riffs into pop songs. The resulting album sounds effortless and comfortable as it doles out the dance fuel.

Listen

Honorable Mentions:
Placebo - Meds
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - Fear is on Our Side
The Knife - Silent Shout
Headlights - Kill Them With Kindness
The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones

NOTE: All those "Listen" links currently go to the artists' myspaces. I'll try to get some mp3s up later, but I can't guarantee anything. Happy holidays!

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Awesome

2006-11-28T10:01:00.000-04:00

Hm... I said something in that last post about promising a ...Trail of Dead review, didn't I? Alright then. I'm going to need you all to go on an adventure with me. We're going to travel back in time two weeks and this show is still totally fresh on my mind. I can taste it. Gross.

Considering how much I love this band, I hope none of you are expecting an open-minded or even critically objective review. That's just not my scene, baby.

No, instead I will gush. I will gush that the band is as fiery as ever, even in the face of nasty internet rumours about impending breakups and miserable touring experiences, etc. I will gush that Conrad Keely can command an audience's attention, in-key or not. I will gush that Jason Reece is a dynamo performer deserving of a very long career in music. I will gush that the band can make me feel at home anywhere they play, even if I did have to travel hundreds of kilometres to see them.

My only real complaint would have to be the extreme shortage of songs from their latest album, So Divided. * Admittedly, the album hadn't even been released yet at the time (due to the release date being pushed back), but since when has that stopped a band from previewing new material? Surely the band were aware that the album had already leaked all over the internet anyway. The album-opening "Stand in Silence" made an appearance early in the set, but almost everything else came from Source Tags & Codes and Madonna. Interestingly though, I thought two of the night's highlights came from the under-represented Worlds Apart.

Jason Reece first stepped out from behind the drums for "Caterwaul," which signalled the show's taking-off point. The crowd seemed to suddenly wake up and realize they were at a rock show. The show surged onward and upward from there, climaxing with the punk-stomp of "Will You Smile Again." While Keely and company blasted through the song, Reece again led the party, pulling people out of the audience (myself included) to rock out on the stage. I'm the one wearing blue in this last photo.

* I've read that more new material has made its way into recent setlists, including "Eight Days of Hell" and the stellar "Wasted State of Mind." Two new songs can be heard on the band's myspace. Go check it out!

** All photos by Thilo Reinartz. Thanks, dude!

I was a French club president

2006-11-10T12:40:00.000-04:00

First, a quick notice. Due to changes in our hosting, any old mp3 links are no longer active. They are not going to be fixed, because I just really don't have time for that. I apologize for the inconvenience, but things will be getting back to normal with all new posts.

Now, on to the new!

I'm still reeling from last weekend. I drove to Montreal last Sunday with good friends to take in some concerts. While we may have it very nice here on the east coast, we don't get many of the touring bands that hit larger cities to our west. We ended up going to see The Decemberists on Sunday night and then And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead with Blood Brothers on Monday. I'll get to the Monday show in a later post, since it will also include some photos.

I've enjoyed The Decemberists for a while now, but to be honest, I'd never felt compelled enough to pick up any of their full albums. That all changed this weekend. The six-piece band gracefully swept through a set that include all of my favourite songs and a handful of new ones that I wasn't familiar with yet.

My first observation was that Colin Meloy is a much more interesting frontman than I'd ever thought to give him credit for. He sings spectacularly live, he's incredibly charismatic, and he tells some really great stories. For example, about the time he became the president of his high school French club by "dubious means." He goes on to admit that his limited French vocabulary would restrict him to conversations about apples and potatoes.

My second observation was that the band also includes five other extremely talented people that we don't hear very much about. I understand that a personality like Meloy's is too compelling to ignore, but he also happens to surround himself with great company. These certifiable pros moved seamlessly through a set that required each of them to play numerous instruments in order to recreate the elegant arrangements of the albums.

In conclusion, if you're ever given an opportunity to see The Decemberists, take it! You'll be doing yourself a favour.

[mp3] The Decemberists - O Valencia
[mp3] The Decemberists - The Crane Wife 3

* Kingdom for a Voice has photos from this show. Check out the huge paper lantern stage props!

* Buy The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

cGRxZ.. 5.. CT... technical difficulties

2006-11-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

Something is afoot with our file hosting, so this post is here to warn you that things may be a little messed up for the next while. If you are finding that file downloads don't work for you, it's probably because things are messed up on our end. Hang in there! Hopefully we can get this straightened out soon.

The Christine Fellows experience

2006-10-21T19:42:00.000-03:00

Thursday night we saw The Weakerthans (who we've posted about before). They were great, as always, and even played a handful of new songs that sound like the band may be working on a somewhat different sounding album.

In a way, though, the night was stolen by opener Christine Fellows. Fellows's music was completely new to me, but oh what a welcome surprise. Her music is refreshingly whimsical and observational, but it's also very grounded and purposeful.

I can't say enough good things about her right now. "Face Down. Feet First." was a solid opener for her set, but it was "Vertebrae" that was etched in my brain for the rest of the night. Listen and get ready to fall in love.

[mp3] Christine Fellows - Vertebrae
[mp3] Christine Fellows - Face Down. Feet First.

* Buy Christine Fellows - Paper Anniversary

Moneen in pictures

2006-10-06T11:32:00.000-03:00

A local from nearby Saint John posted some great Moneen photos from a show there a few days ago. Check 'em out at:

http://www.danculberson.com/gallery/moneen/page_021.html

O RLY? YA SRSLY!

2006-10-03T12:44:00.000-03:00

Cover art? A tracklist? Does that mean the album actually exists? Has this world gone craaaazy? Surely it has.

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead
"So Divided"
Nov. 14, 2006
--
01. Intro: A Song of Fire and Wine
02. Stand in Silence
03. Wasted State of Mind
04. Naked Sun
05. Gold Heart Mountain Top Queen Directory
06. So Divided
07. Life
08. Eight Day Hell
09. Witch's Web
10. Segue: In the Realms of the Unreal
11. Sunken Dreams

* Pre-order "So Divided"

Locke, Moneen, and the Red Tree

2006-10-03T12:39:00.000-03:00

Last night, Moneen made their triumphant return to the East coast with the first of two shows in Fredericton (all-ages show at the Kinsmen Centre tonight). The band has never really made it to mainstream punk status, in spite of their jump to the Vagrant label, but their shows seem to keep getting bigger and bigger. The reason, of course, is that they have a reputation for putting on killer live performances. Having seen them twice before, and again last night, I can get behind that rumour.

Here's the thing about Moneen... I came to admire this band at a time when I was still learning a lot about the local indie scene. Moneen came into our little town as an unknown band and blew everyone away on the basis of having some truly memorable songs, incredible stage energy, and generally being interesting people. Who knew such a cool, hard-working band existed on the lonely East Canadian touring circuit?

Two albums later, the energy and the people are still there -- but to be honest, The Red Tree (their latest album) didn't floor me in the same way as their other releases. I'll gladly argue that they are still at the top of their class by busting out of the conventional pop-punk mold a bit, but it's not enough. Not enough to make me forget that my inbetween years of growing into adulthood are over, or that they sound very little like most of the other bands I enjoy these days. Of course, it's not Moneen's fault that my brain came to associate them with such a specific time in my life and that my head is now in a different space.

That said, last night was a really fun show. Kenny Bridges is one of the most charismatic singers I've ever encountered, regardless of genre, and he worked the crowd like it was a reunion of old friends. The band's space in my heart may be a bit smaller to make room for the new generation, but it's far from gone.

[mp3] Moneen - Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do

* Moneen on MySpace

Electronica for the masses

2006-09-29T16:06:00.000-03:00

I recently picked up some new-ish albums I've been seriously aching to give a proper listen. That is, the latest by James Figurine (Mistake, Mistake, Mistake, Mistake) and Junior Boys (So This Is Goodbye). I normally wouldn't lump these into a single post, but I had similar feelings about the two records, so this is what you get. Suck it, Trebek!

I bought both albums on the strength of fantastic singles. James Figurine's "Apologies" struck me as an alien version of the intimate confessionals put forth by his better known project, The Postal Service. But where that band crafted tight pop songs, James Figurine allows his songs to develop and evolve at a more leisurely pace. The instrumentation on the album, however, is much sharper and a little uglier than most of The Postal Service's Give Up. That's not a criticism, just an observation.

What annoyed me about Mistake is that these truly gorgeous numbers are squeezed into an album that's not good enough for them. For every brilliant "Apologies" on the album (there are several), there is a much less interesting track to drag things down and they're usually the instrumentals. James Tamborello doesn't exactly have the most confident voice in electronica, but it's the one human element in a digital sea on this album. It's that sense of optimistic loneliness he evokes that makes me love this album in its best moments. I just wish there were more of them.

I said I was also going to write about Junior Boys, didn't I? The Canadian duo recently released So This Is Goodbye, a follow-up to 2004's Last Exit. My interest was piqued upon hearing the urgent stomp of "In the Morning" and then the very Depeche Mode-esque "Count Souvenirs." Even moreso than Mistake, however, I found the rest of the album to be a little spotty and inconsistent. There's just too much meandering on the other songs for my tastes with not enough else going on to keep me interested.

I don't regret either purchase, but neither lives up the promise of its best songs. These go in the "good, but not great" category as I wait for their next releases. What can I say... My glass is always half full.

[mp3] James Figurine - 55566688833
[mp3] Junior Boys - Count Souvenirs

* Buy Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake
* Buy So This is Goodbye

Better than Citizen Kane

2006-09-28T12:57:00.000-03:00

Speaking of release dates that couldn't come soon enough, November 17th will see the unleashing of the latest Tenacious D opus, The Pick of Destiny. A video for the title track is available online now, so make sure you check it out. Basically, the video is about KG and JBls going to see their own movie (again) and causing a scene at the theatre. Can't wait to see this. Even if it's not actually better than Citizen Kane (as the song claims), I predict it will at least be 73% more rocking and feature 46% more power-slides.

I am a patient boy

2006-09-27T22:28:00.000-03:00

Our regulars will recall several recent posts concerning the release date of a new ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead album (titled So Divided). The original release date was in the first week of October. That was hard to wait for, but I was able to deal. Next, we were told the album would be pushed back to late October. Gulp. Whatever... I'm a big boy, right?

Now I see that the album has experienced yet another delay and won't be released until November 14th. Ugh. I realize the band probably has zero control over this, but for anyone who also eagerly anticipated Worlds Apart, this scenario feels overwhelmingly familiar -- except that album was delayed by several months.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still very excited to hear the album, but I do have to admit this is kind of a buzz killer. In the words of Fugazi: I am a patient boy and I wait, I wait, I wait... and wait... and wait... and wait... ... ... ... ... wait.

[mp3] Fugazi - Waiting Room
[mp3] Emm Gryner - Waiting Room

Bring down the (metric) system

2006-09-16T16:37:00.000-03:00

I don't have much to say today, but I figure I should at least mention that we'll be going to see Metric tonight. It'll be my first time catching the band, so I'm curious to see what they bring to the stage.

[mp3] Metric - The Police and the Private

* Buy Live it Out

I have not forgot, but a silence crept over me.

2006-09-11T21:00:00.000-03:00

Alrighty... Me again.

Joanna Newsom has really been attracting much buzz lately thanks to the mass leak of her new album Ys, which is not due out until November. Really, Miss Newsom has been at the forefront of the Psych-Folk movement since Milk-Eyed Mender came out in 2004. Along with artists like Devendra Banhart, Antony and the Johnsons, Animal Collective and Vetiver, they have established a whole new genre of interesting, thoughtful music that is still really fun to listen to. Those are the bands that I enjoy, anyway.

Joanna plays harp (not the harmonica kind of harp, a real harp) and although she certainly uses many classical harp techniques, her harp style is much different than a classical harpist. Her voice is... unique. It is at first a bit alarming and perhaps a bit too childish for the closed-minded. Anyone who can just sit down and listen, however, will get a great deal out of her album whether listening while running, driving, falling asleep, or sitting on your patio enjoying a cold one.

I am excited for her new album to be released so I can hear it in its entirety. Suposedly all the songs will be acompanied by a full orchestra. However, I am not posting any of those leaked songs. The song "Sadie" is from Milk-Eyed Mender and it happens to be one of my favorite examples of modern artists with good songwriting skills; it is a beautiful song. Enjoy!

[mp3] Joanna Newsom - Sadie

* Buy Milk-Eyed Mender

Big Debts

2006-09-02T21:17:00.000-03:00

I am sure some of you have been wondering what it would take to awaken this beast from its muted slumber. Well, it is true I have neglected you for a while and I am taking a public stance on the fact that I am restocked with ideas and new music.

The song that is pushing me backionto my music sharing is from an album I have had on very heavy rotation lately. Not Saying/Just Saying is the debut album by Shout Out Out Out Out. The band has received a good deal of press the past few months and was featured on CBC Radio. According to their label "Shout out out out out = two drummers + four bass players + two samplers + five synthesizers + five cowbells + two octapads + one vocoder." Awesomez!

Forever Indebted is a song about being in debt, big debt, knowing that there is really nothing you can do about it, and how much it sucks. Personally, I love the lyrics in this song even more than its catchy beats. The message rings so true to me and many people I know.

Here are the lyrics:

Big debts

you know they've got me, more than i've got them
and every month i think i've finally hit the bottom
but they keep growing, and fucking growing
and every month i get in deeper with my owing

well goddamn, how did this happen?
it's not like i spend all my time steady spending
well goddamn, if i could get out, somehow i know i'd just
go right back in

all my friends, they're in the same boat
they just can't get out
but they keep working every day as if there's hope
and that's it, that's how we're living
hand to mouth, but we're still made to feel guilty

well goddamn, how did this happen?
it's not like we spend all our time steady spending
well goddam, if we could get out, somehow i know we'd just
go right back in

they say you have to learn to compromise
stay inside your means, and we'll all be fine
but we're surrounded by their credit lines and their
payment plans with interest piled high
why do you think they fucking advertise?
it's 'cause we'll make them rich, while they ruin our lives
like jaycie jayce in a conga line, i'm in an ackward place
and i'm out of time
they only say you have to compromise once you're in too
deep and they own your life
there's no wonder that we're all stressed out when paying
bills is all that's on our minds

I recently got in touch with Nik Kozub to inquire if the band would be touring the east coast of Canada, but unfortunately we will have to wait or travel to see their highly acclaimed live show.

[mp3] Shout out out out out - Forever Indebted

* Visit Shout out out out out's Myspace

So Divided

2006-08-30T14:53:00.000-03:00

Just about everybody knows that one of my favourite bands making albums these days is ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead. A few weeks ago we heard that a new album was due to be released in early October. Today, I came across even more great news.

Apparently Rolling Stone was given a chance to preview the album and the resulting article drops several pieces of news. First, Conrad Keely noted that the tentative title for the new album is So Divided. Not a terribly striking title, but neither was "Worlds Apart," really. My favourite part of the article, however, was the mention that an updated version of "A Witch's Web" would be included on the new disc. The song was previously released on a Peekaboo Records compilation (in 2000, I think) and... well... it's awesome. I'm starting to get impatient now.

[mp3] ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - A Witch's Web

* Visit ...Trail of Dead online
* ...Trail of Dead on myspace

Why Can't I Be Remastered?

2006-08-28T21:00:00.000-03:00

Few bands have have made as great an impact on me as The Cure. I spent much of the mid-90s obsessing over Wish and then exploring the band's back catalogue. So it came as a welcome announcement when Rhino started reissuing the band's early albums as remastered double-disc sets.

The most recent batch of discs to be re-released includes two of my absolute favourite albums by the band: The Head on the Door (1985) and Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (1987). I was lucky enough to score a copy of the latter and it's just as awesome as I remember it. Not only does the album sound fantastic in its polished version, but the extra disc is loaded with previously unreleased demos and live recordings from the tour that followed the album's release.

If you're still not convinced that this is must-have stuff, here are some choice cuts from the set. "Like Cockatoos" is a personal favourite that shows off Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me's prominent tendencies towards psychadelia. The song is built around a single riff that comes at you out of a haze of chirping and tinny washes. The vocals don't enter until fairly late in the song and are delivered in a shadowy whisper that increases in urgency as the instrumentation becomes more chaotic.

The live version of "Why Can't I Be You?" included on the second disc demonstrates how the band can take one of their more sinister pop songs and twist it into something much more substantial and textured than you might think possible. Look out for some surprises dropped into the extended bridge.

[mp3] The Cure - Like Cockatoos
[mp3] The Cure - Why Can't I Be You? (live)

* Buy Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (Deluxe Edition)

Let's go to the mall, man!

2006-08-17T11:45:00.000-03:00

It's been a while since I've taken a look in the ol' mailbag and... holy crap, it's overflowing! Right, so in order to catch up, I'll be taking some time over the next couple of weeks to point you in the direction of some artists whose publicists are working overtime.

First up we have Mark Mallman, a man whose bio describes his music as "legendary piano rock" in the grand tradition of early Elton John and David Bowie with the theatricality of Freddy Mercury. That sounds like a bit of an overstatement to me, but nevertheless I have to admit that the music is kind of appealing.

On the track "Substances," Mallman sounds more angsty than any of those names dropped above. There's a synth-infused strain of dark pop that slithers just beneath the surface of the song, which is more Franz Ferdinand than Freddy Mercury. There are more songs on his myspace, so you can decide for yourself. I guess we'll know more on August 28, when his album Between the Devil and Middle C comes out.

[mp3] Mark Mallman - Substances

* Official site

10 things I hate about Joker

2006-08-14T17:35:00.000-03:00

I'm a total geek for anything Batman related, so I'm excited to see some news and rumours about the sequel to Chris Nolan's Batman Begins finally surfacing. The first official announcement (a week or two ago) confirmed that Heath Ledger would take on the role of the Joker and that the movie's current title is simply The Dark Knight.

I don't think anybody had Ledger in mind when they considered their dream cast for the movie, but I have to say I'm pretty warm to the idea. The guy is a good actor and looks like he could give a more menacing performance than we're used to seeing from the character. Given the "real world" context Nolan and company have given the Batman mythology, it makes sense that a new Joker would have to be more dynamic than the straight-up demented clown approach. I'm confident that with a decent script, Ledger's Joker has the potential to be as sick and twisted as Bale's Batman is determined.

We have no idea what this Joker will look like. If he looks like classic renditions of the character, we may get something like the mock-up at the top of this post (from Newsarama), but I doubt that. I'm guessing the colours will be toned down and that he will look a bit more "scary" ... however they do that.

Everything else we've heard is rumour, but some of those are exciting too. I keep up with my Batman movie news through the excellent site Batman-on-film.

[mp3] Steve Miller Band - The Joker

The 'D' is back, alright!

2006-08-04T13:26:00.000-03:00

Best thing I've seen all day: A trailer for the new Tenacious D movie, The Pick of Destiny. In terms of ridiculous movies that I'm anticipating with child-like glee, this is right up there with that one about snakes getting into hijinx on some sort of aircraft.

If you're not familiar with "The D," the song Wonderboy provides a concise -- albeit somewhat fanciful -- history of the band. My favourite part is when they sing about killing yaks with mind bullets.

[mp3] Tenacious D - Wonderboy

Rockstar: censorship edition

2006-07-31T11:02:00.000-03:00

Rockstar: INXS was one of my guilty tv pleasures last year and so I have to admit I was kind of looking forward to the new Supernova edition, even though I have zero interest in the people forming this new band. It's a silly competition for sure, but it's surprisingly entertaining and the song choices are easily the most interesting for a tv show of this type (that I've seen). It beats the hell out of American Idol, at least.

Since it gets sent out to millions of people every week, maybe I shouldn't be surprised that the show would edit (read: censor) its songs, but at the same time it really takes you out of the "reality" of the show. The segment that irked me was Dilana's third week performance of "Zombie" by The Cranberries. Though the verses were kept mostly intact, all lines about "tanks," "guns," "bombs," and "fighting" were changed or removed. I don't understand the point of choosing such an unapologetically angry and passionate song if you intend to neuter it anyway. That's not very rock 'n roll; especially for a show where the judges constantly tell the contestants that they want to see more grit, more balls, and more rebellion.

I wouldn't dream of blaming Dilana, since this was probably a producer's decision, but come on... Who is the show trying to fool? America is at war and it's not exactly a secret. If you don't want to draw attention to that fact, maybe Rockstar needs to start looking at more "pleasant" songs.

[mp3] The Cranberries - Zombie
[mp3] Dilana Robichaux - Zombie

* My Old Kentucky Blog has been giving reports on the show, which is awesome
* The performance mp3 came from Jeepney Diaries, which is also awesome

Too hot to handle

2006-07-28T09:18:00.000-03:00

This is Hot Chip. You've probably read about them on numerous blogs and today you're going to hear about them from one more blogger.

Right, so you already know that Hot Chip produces classic dreamy electro pop over killer beats. And you already know that they've done some inspired remix work. I bet you've even heard of their live performance ethos, which is to say they actually prefer to play their synths rather than have a computer sequence them.

What could I possibly have to add that you don't already know? That's a good question. Now that I actually have a copy of the band's new album The Warning, I can 100% guaranteed certifiably endorse any of the above statements that you may have read on other blogs. Just buy the album already. Unless you don't like fun...

[mp3] Hot Chip - And I Was a Boy from School
[mp3] Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama Out (Hot Chip mix)

* Buy Hot Chip - The Warning

Get your feet dusty

2006-07-25T14:12:00.000-03:00

Something about rapper K'naan caught my attention the first time I heard his voice grace the airwaves of the CBC. It was one of those moments where you force yourself to completely refocus just so you don't miss a word. Unfortunately, I didn't know who the artist was at the time and so I settled in to wait until our paths crossed again... Over the radio, anyway.

K'naan's album The Dusty Foot Philosopher actually came out quite a while ago, but continues to pick up steam. And rightfully so. K'naan combines mesmerizing storytelling with world-spanning rhythms and infectious melodies.

Although living in Canada now, K'naan was raised in Mogadishu, Somalia, which he calls one of the most dangerous cities in the world. After reading about some of his childhood experiences (thanks to the album's liner notes), it's hard to disagree. Knowing this history also makes a song like "If Rap Gets Jealous" hit you ten times harder than it already does.

[mp3] K'naan - If Rap Gets Jealous
[mp3] K'naan - What's Hardcore?

* Visit K'naan online
* Buy K'naan - The Dusty Foot Philosopher

All the Small Sins

2006-07-12T14:15:00.000-03:00

Last week we caught Toronto's Small Sins (formerly The Ladies & Gentlemen) here in Fredericton. From my understanding, the band is really more of a solo project run amok, with bassist and singer Thomas D'Arcy being responsible for most of the recorded output. Live, however, the band is a white-suited powerpop five-piece. They even have a guy whose sole job is keyboard solos, drinking, and hitting stuff. Neat.

As a result, the album I picked up at the show basically sounds nothing like the live act. The songs are all there and the melodies are all intact, but there is a lot more breathing room on the record. The live sound was dense and big, while the album sounds a lot more minimalist and even a little bit fragile. When you first listen to it, you keep waiting for the oomph of a big guitar to lift the song up, but it never quite arrives. Instead, the songs unfold at their own pace and just sort of take you along for the ride.

[mp3] Small Sins - Stay

* Small Sins on MySpace
* Photo from Planet Keri

The Man of Metropolis

2006-07-04T10:30:00.000-03:00

So has anyone gone to see the new Superman movie yet? The answer is no. In spite of getting, well, not that bad of reviews, the movie has made very little money so far. The general consensus I get from the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes is that the movie was long, tender, and gentle but for the most part not that fun. I still plan on going to see it. What do you guys think?

Here is a whole load of songs.

[mp3] Sufjan Stevens - The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
[mp3] The Flaming Lips - Waitin' for a Superman
[mp3] The Kinks - (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman
[mp3] Our Lady Peace - Superman's Dead
[mp3] Three Doors Down - Kryptonite
[mp3] Five for Fighting - Superman (It's Not Easy
[mp3] Crash Test Dummies - Superman's Song
[mp3] Laurie Anderson - O Superman
[mp3] Lazlo Bane - Superman (Theme to Scrubs)
[mp3] R.E.M. - Superman
[mp3] Goldfinger - Superman
[mp3] Spin Doctors - Jimmy Olsen's Blues
[mp3] Bush - Superman

* Note: Leaving off Eminem on purpose.

Immaculate Burger Machine

2006-06-30T11:59:00.000-03:00

Tonight I'll be going to Saint John to see Immaculate Machine at Elwoods. The Victoria, BC trio is mid-tour right now and this is actually the last Canadian date for a while before they hit the US for some July stops.

I also just happened to catch a segment being aired on our local campus station (CHSR) where the band baked some black bean and tofu burgers... I think. It was some kind of burger-related food item, anyway. Funny stuff.

[mp3] Immaculate Machine - Phone No.

Go, Germany!

2006-06-28T23:44:00.000-03:00

In spite of my German heritage, I have to admit I've never been the huge soccer (football) fan most of my native family members are. Nevertheless, I did go to a bar last week where a World Cup game was being shown. Again... I'm not being entirely truthful. I mostly went for the wing special. Those guys in green seemed to be doing an a-ok job. Go Green!

But I digress...

I had to pass along this awesome tune by a German band called Klee, courtesy of Said the Gramophone. It's essentially power pop comparable to something like Wir Sind Helden, but this feels more elegant to me.

[mp3] Klee - Fur Alle, Die

* My Old Kentucky Blog has some more about the band.
* As for the Paul Klee painting, I just thought it was interesting. I managed to catch an exhibit of his work the last time I was in Germany and this made me feel nostalgic. Good times.

Feelin' anxious

2006-06-27T15:02:00.000-03:00

I don't get excited very often anymore about new album release date announcements, but I'll happily make an exception for And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. The band has stated on their website that a brand new studio album is due October 6. I'm ecstatic!

So, so guilty

2006-06-23T10:23:00.000-03:00

It seems to be one thing after another us these days, doesn't it? Just when I think I'll be back on a posting roll, something else always comes up. I may just have to officially state that we're going to be cutting back the number of posts per week. However, we're not dead yet. These things happen, and in fact, may change again down the road.

For those of you who have been with us since the beginning, this one's for you. In the tradition of posting dance tunes and remixes on weekends, here are some of my current favourites. That Bloc Party remix finally captures some of the remix potential I've heard in the original Helicopter since it was released. I'm glad someone was able to bring out that frantic energy in it. Meanwhile, Nick Zinner dancifies "Turn Into," The Knife's "We Share Our Mother's Health" gets even weirder than it was before, and Scissor Sisters receive the Hot Chip treatment.

[mp3] Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Turn Into (Nick Zinner Mix)
[mp3] Bloc Party - Helicopter (Breakneck Mix)
[mp3] The Knife - We Share Our Mother's Health (Trentemoller Mix)
[mp3] Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama Out (Hot Chip Mix)

Steal this corporation

2006-06-19T09:49:00.000-03:00

The latest Thievery Coporation release, Versions, has been getting some rotation this past week. Having listened to it a few times through, I'm not really sure what to say.

Not exactly an album of new music, Versions is a compilation of Thievery Coporation remixes. Your enjoyment of the album will depend entirely on what you expect from a Thievery Corporation album. Generally speaking, this isn't a big stretch from their other releases. It's thoroughly consistent from beginning to end -- a little too consistent for my tastes. And it definitely covers all the expected Thievery Coporation jazzy-trip-hop bases you would expect -- again, maybe a little too thoroughly.

Essentially, while there may be some great songs here, they are buried amidst too many songs that sound exactly the same. I realize consistency is important when you're trying to establish a mood as Thievery Coporation often does, but this takes the cake in terms of "sameness" on display. If you want some wallpaper music to put on at a hipper-than-average dinner party or maybe just something neutral to put on for a quiet evening, you've found it. If you want an album that is actually engaging, song-to-song, you may have to look elsewhere.

Of course, there are highlights on the album. These happen to be some of the more mainstream names in the tracklist, but they also hold up to the remix treatment in a more interesting way than most of Versions.

[mp3] The Doors - Strange Days (Thievery Coporation mix)
[mp3] Sarah McLachlan - Dirty Little Secret (Thievery Coporation mix)

* Buy Thievery Coporation - Versions
* To be fair, most other bloggers appear to have enjoyed the album more than I did. Check out some of their reviews.

Help me start a fire

2006-06-15T10:28:00.000-03:00

Hmmm?? Gah!! Sorry, that was my initial reaction when I first heard Tobias Froberg's "When the Night Turns Cold." I'm normally hesitant to post about people I know so little about. Fortunately I learned everything I need to know about Froberg in a 4-sentence email.

Froberg is a Swedish musician on the Cheap Lullaby label and if these two songs are any indication, he makes some really fantastic folk/pop music full of sweet chimes, ambling banjos and ethereal keyboards. What a very pleasant surprise to start off my morning. Be sure to check these out:

[mp3] Tobias Froberg - When the Night Turns Cold
[mp3] Tobias Froberg - Love and Misery

* Check out Tobias on MySpace
* Official site here.

A wonderful world

2006-06-09T10:15:00.000-03:00

I'll keep this brief. Tonight, my girlfriend and I are travelling to Saint John to see David Suzuki speak. He is giving a free lecture at the university there and he's always been one of those people I quietly admire.

If you're not familiar with Suzuki (you're obviously not Canadian), you should probably take a moment to read a little about the man. Wikipedia has a decent page about him, so that may be a good place to start.

A geneticist by trade, Suzuki became a household name when he entered broadcasting, hosting various radio and television shows about science and nature. Not only is he a great host, but he is also known for taking an active part in environmental discussion and activist causes.

I'm not sure what song would best suit this post, but I'm going to try. Here is Joey Ramone's take on "What a Wonderful World," because really, you have to recognize that you have something worth protecting before you can start to do anything about it.

[mp3] Joey Ramone - What a Wonderful World

* Buy Joey Ramone - Don't Worry About Me

Tale of Two Blues Guys

2006-06-07T07:01:00.000-03:00

It seems like a lot of flavour-of-the-month bands are popping in and out of the mainstream spotlight these days. They mostly seem to lean to the emo-pop genre, which I don’t really mind all that much, considering the mainstream's recent history. Today I will post about a genre that I don’t think I have mentioned much here, but which is dear to my heart: blues.

Blues artists have traditionally been (in my opinion) the hardest working musicians in the business. It has always been an extremely hard and lengthy process to become recognized as a blues musician.

*Layton, Vaughn and Shannon arriving in Montreux

Everyone has at least has heard of Stevie Ray Vaughn. He is my personal all-time favourite blues musician and the inspiration for anything bluesy I have to say. At the time of his death (August of 1990), Vaughn had reached the pinnacle of his popularity and had endured much to attain it.

In 1982, Stevie and his Double Trouble band mates, Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton, had the opportunity to play the jazz festival in Montreux, Switzerland. This put them out a large amount of money, but they were hopeful that the festival would allow them to break into the international market. The crowd that day had been bored by long sets of acoustic blues. When a skinny white boy from Texas came on stage and played an aggressive set of blues rock, he was far from well-received; the crowd even booed. This obviously tore into Stevie, but he still played as hard as he ever did, hoping to win over the crowd. The crowd was not won over, but after the show Vaughn was approached by David Bowie who was impressed with him and asked him to play on his next album, Let’s Dance. He also met Jackson Browne who offered the band the opportunity to record at his own studio free of charge. This would become Texas Flood, the group's first studio album for Epic Records. Over the next three years the band gained the recognition they deserved and when they returned to the festival in 1985, they were greeted by screaming fans.

I will probably get bashed for putting John Mayer in the same post as Stevie Ray Vaughn, but whatever. Mayer has traditionally been bashed as a stupid pop artist -- not only by “hip” indie kids, but even the mainstream audience, claiming he is an archetypal corporate rocker. I am not ashamed to say I own a few of his CDs, and you know what? They are all quite good. It is true that he pumped out a lot of pop BS love songs, but he has also recorded a lot of intricate, well-written songs.

In 2005, Mayer joined bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan to form John Mayer Trio. They released one live CD and toured as an opening act for The Rolling Stones. Mayer wanted to move his career in a new direction. Obviously not satisfied with the criticism he was receiving, he wanted to prove himself as a musician. John Mayer Trio feature a more blues-influenced style and pay homage to the great musicians of Mayer’s childhood days. He recently announced that the band was now defunct, but would continue to play a few festivals this year. Mayer is currently working with producer Kanye West and he will be appearing on West's "Bittersweet" (for release in 2006). Who knows how that will turn out.

[mp3] Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble - Pride and Joy Live in Montreux 1982
[mp3] Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble - Scuttle Buttin' Live in Montreux 1985
[mp3] John Mayer - Why Georgia
[mp3] John Mayer Trio - Who Did You Think I Was

* Buy Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Live at Montreux 1982 & 1985
* Buy John Mayer Trio - TRY!

The number of the beast

2006-06-06T13:59:00.000-03:00

We may be a little neglectful of this blog sometimes, but when a chance like this comes along, we're not ones to pass it up. That's right kids, today is the sixth day of the sixth month of 2006. If hellfire is ever going to rain down upon us, I suspect today would be the day.

And of course the last thing you want to hear before your world comes crashing down around you would be a bunch of songs about the devil. Knock yourself out on these:

[mp3] Mogwai - Mogwai Fear Satan
[mp3] Beck - Devil's Haircut
[mp3] INXS - Devil Inside
[mp3] Pulsars - Owed to a Devil
[mp3] Buck 65 - Devil's Eyes
[mp3] The Smiths - Handsome Devil
[mp3] Bright Eyes - Devil in the Details
[mp3] Ladytron - Evil
[mp3] Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil

PS. Anyone who can identify the source of that photo above receives an A+ and a gold star.

Cleaning out the inbox

2006-06-06T10:16:00.000-03:00

We haven't really touched on it much, but lately we've been receiving some pretty cool music in our mailbox that various publicists and promoters would like you to hear. In some cases we even agree, so here are some of the highlights for you to check out.

Nathan Asher may come off as a litte too earnest, a little too heart-on-his-sleeve, but I prefer that to those too-cool-for-school rock singers who put as much heart into their music as they would pumping gas. This particular song is perhaps the most accessible of the bunch with a simple chord progression and Asher's signature shakey vocals over it. My favourite lines: "It takes gallons of wine / to quiet the blood /And your eyes may get drunk / but your mind won't shut up enough." The song could be a bit shorter though; I didn't really need that last minute of noodling.
[mp3] Nathan Asher & the Infantry - Sex Without Love

Psapp have made the rounds on the blogs before. At least I think that's how the ended up in my iTunes. Either way, the latest batch of songs we received seems to suggest that this London duo is onto something good. I've once again chosen a quiet and pretty tune. This song may not show off their quirky electronics so much, but it will expose you to the beautiful voice of Galia Durant. Conveniently, the band's album The Only Thing I Ever Wanted is released today by Domino records.
[mp3] Psapp - Tricycle

Whattaya know... Another duo! The Sky Drops do fuzzed-out shoegazer rock. The song "Green to Red," leans more towards the pop side of things and that's a-ok with me. This is like a surreal dream, a warm breeze, and time-traveling to 1991.
[mp3] The Sky Drops - Green to Red

Finally, this gentleman who works under the name Riamiwo didn't actually send anything to us, but he did happen to add me on his myspace, which is how I heard his music. I have to admit I'm not 100% sold on the vocals, but the instrumentation and arrangements are really beautiful. The sound is like organic electronica in the vein of The Notwist, Radiohead, or perhaps Mogwai in their more tender moments. Check out this dreamy instrumental track.
[mp3] Riamiwo - Electric Tagtraum

Erasing the internet, one blog at a time

2006-06-04T12:10:00.000-03:00

My internet connection is still critically injured, so no music from me today, but if you're like me, you're probably too busy looking for new Thom Yorke tracks anyway. I'm not sure what I was expecting from these songs, but they're really growing on me -- particularly "Black Swan." Go Thom!

* What's the fuss about? All yer hype at the Hype Machine.

Phantom City Surgeon

2006-06-01T10:48:00.000-03:00

We've posted one or two older A/V songs before, but never discussed the man in any great detail. The reason is that, until now, we haven't had any new releases to talk about. What I mean to say is: synth-punk wonder Philip Clark has a new album out! The aptly-named CD is called Hot Action and I'm sure Mr. Clark would be happy to sell you a copy via his website.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Who the hell is Philip Clark? You'd think that after knowing him personally for at least a year or two I'd be able to give you a straight answer, but that's not really the case. He's a synth-enthusiast, an avid blogger, he lives in a big mysterious house, and he's probably not as quiet as his calm demeanour may lead you to believe.

Sounds like a dance-party waiting to happen, doesn't it? Maybe you'll be more convinced once you walk into one of his shows to find him swinging from the ceiling monitors, or stealing everybody's shoes at an all-ages show. He has this thing with pirates, you see... Or maybe I should just let these new songs speak for themselves:

[mp3] A/V - Phantom City Wants To Hurt You
[mp3] A/V - The Clumsy Surgeon

A/V plays in Fredericton tonight at The Capital. Show 'im some love!

* Buy Hot Action and make a wish come true

My guide to being funky pt.2

2006-05-29T12:17:00.000-03:00

The Present

Yes, I have returned. I promised a part two of my “how to be funky” and I will pull though now. The last post was all about musicians who inspired me to be funky; this post is about musicians who are releasing music right now that is funky as heck.

Gnarls Barkley have definitely been the hot story of the year so far. Their first single Crazy is still crazy popular and I still have people coming up to me asking me if I have heard it because they just did and they love it. This blend of talent really works well. Cee-lo is and established rapper songwriter, previously collaborating with Carlos Santana, OutKast and a bunch more. He was the guy who sand the backup vocals on TLC’s Waterfalls and the genius behind Pussycat Doll’s Don’t Cha (grunt). The first I ever heard of Danger Mouse was his mash up of the Beatles White Album with Jay-Z’s Black Album, releasing… the Gray Album obviously. He also Produced Gorillaz last album Demon Days.
[mp3] Gnarls Barkley - Smiley Faces

Buck 65 has a special place in all hearts of people from Atlantic Canada. Although he has received critical acclaim across the world he is still yet to receive much commercial success. His albums are released by Warner all around the world, but not Warner USA for some reason. He recently broke a deal with V2 to have his latest 2 albums available in the States. His sound has noticibly changed over the years away from the traditional hip-hop sound to more folky electronica (oh yeah!). If you have ever seen Trailer Park Boys, Julian almost always plays Buck 65 in his car. In the Aug2004 issue of kerrang he sparks a little controversy saying that he has grown to hate hip-hop and that “people behind hip hop don’t know anything about music theory.” He later apologized, saying that he had gone overboard after being provoked by the interviewer.
[mp3] Buck 65 - Wicked and Weird

Jamioquai is in fact the name of Jay Kay’s band not his name as is often misinterpreted. He has been a staple is the modern funk scene for over a decade. He has recently been expressing much distain over his record label Sony. He recently said in an interview for the Sydney Morning Herald “These days it's 18% music and it's bloody 82% marketing bullshit ... Next time I do an album, I'm gonna put it up on the internet for five fucking dollars.” Out of contractual obligation he will have to release a greatest hits album in 2006. "2006, they're out of the fucking picture. Take your greatest hits and stick it up your fucking arse."
[mp3] Jamiroquai - (Don't) Give Hate a Chance

Jamie Lidell is a British electronic soul artist. Lidell takes us back to the 60s and covers all the bases up to todays funk. He is a relatively new discovery for me, but in my curious research I have found many critics claiming him to be the new heir of funkyness. And he is always, always compaired to Jamiroquai's Jay Kay, being another white british man who is getting funky.
[mp3] Jamie Lidell - When I Come Back Around

Prince released his first album in 1978 and is widely known as being hard to work with. He changed his name to O(+> and would be known as “the artist formerly known as prince”. He explains the name change “The first step I have taken towards the ultimate goal of emancipation from the chains that bind me to Warner Brothers was to change my name from Prince to O(+>. Prince is the name that my Mother gave me at birth. Warner Bros. took the name, trademarked it, and used it as the main marketing tool to promote all of the music that I wrote. The company owns the name Prince and all related music marketed under Prince. I became merely a pawn used to produce more money for Warner Bros...” He returned to his given name in 2000. In the Dec2004 issue of Rolling Stone he was voted best male performer and most welcome comeback.
[mp3] Prince - Lolita

The kids are in the hall again

2006-05-28T15:40:00.000-03:00

I've been wanting to touch on some comedy in this blog. To start, I guess we'll go to one of the touchstones of Canadian comedy, the Kids in the Hall -- or, more specifically, Bruce McCulloch.

Outside of the group, McCulloch put out two solo albums that are a mixture of comedy, spoken word, and music. There's definitely nothing traditional about it. The resulting "songs" are always bizarre, often funny, and sometimes surprisingly poignant.

And to make this post complete, here is a live version of "Having an Average Weekend" by Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. The song was the very memorable theme music for the Kids in the Hall tv show.

[mp3] Bruce McCulloch - Hangover Chronicles
[mp3] Bruce McCulloch - That's America
[mp3] Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet - Having an Average Weekend (live)

* Buy Bruce McCulloch - Drunk Baby Project
* Buy Bruce McCulloch - Shame-based Man
* Buy Brain Candy: Original Soundtrack

Lost, American Idol, and the return of the Cover

2006-05-25T11:38:00.000-03:00

Wednesday night was sort of a big deal for television fans. For Travis and I, it was all about Lost, but I have to admit I was also just a little curious about what would happen in the American Idol finale.

We tuned in occasionally and caught the following: Meatloaf coughing up a furball (or singing... whatever), some funny recaps of early auditions, and Mary J. Blige dueting with the utterly annoying Elliot on U2's One. As I've said before, I feel there is a shortage of worthwhile U2 covers, but unfortunately this one does nothing to help the problem -- "mediocre" and "dull" are two words that come to mind.

Fortunately we could just change the channel and go back to our beloved Lost, right? Sure, until the commercial break, when Mary J. Blige's cover was used again; this time in an ABC promo along with the words: "One Love, One World, One Network." Add to that "One Barf," please.

I don't particularly believe in the concept of a band selling out -- but still I can't help feeling that this song is being undersold and cheapened in recent years. In its original context (the sublime Achtung Baby), it is a desperate plea for understanding and reconciliation. What I saw Wednesday night was a bombastic exercise in uncalled-for feel-goodery. U2 may be known as that band with all the big stadium-rock anthems, but the anthemic quality of songs like One is betrayed by its less than optimistic lyrics:

"Did I ask too much?
More than a lot?
You gave me nothing,
now it's all I've got."

or

"Did I disappoint you?
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without."

There is a give-and-take element here that is being completely ignored in favour of the more palatable chorus: "One life / With each other / Sisters / Brothers." To me, the song is divided between what the speaker wants out of life and the reality of what he receives. That's a kind of pain that many people feel, but few have the talent and experience to express. Here is one of those people:

[mp3] Johnny Cash - One

* Buy Johnny Cash - American III: Solitary Man

Weekend recap

2006-05-23T11:37:00.000-03:00

Since I spent the weekend driving around the east coast to play some shows with my own music project, I have a lot of catching up to do. My blog feeds are bursting at the seams with good stuff. Here are some recent posts from around the web that caught my interest:

A Plague of Angels keeps the retro spirit alive with a second volume of their 80s mix.
Do you like covers? I mean, like, lots of covers? 'Cause My Old Kentucky Blog has, like, a million for you to check out right now.
If you like Imogen Heap, check out a stripped down performance of Frou Frou's "Let Go" at I am Fuel, You Are Friends.
Said the Gramophone has a guest article by none other than Will Butler of The Arcade Fire.
The Late Greats lists their 65 favourite Bob Dylan songs to mark the big man's birthday.
Taylor of Music for Kids Who Can't Read Good shows off his good taste by including The Cure's Disintegration in his Classic Albums series.
Speaking of The Cure, Kwaya Na Kisser has a great selection of extended Cure remixes.
Chromewaves has some great reviews (with photos) of shows by Mogwai and Sigur Ros.

Phewf! And believe it or not, that list could go on and on and on. And for the record, I was going to post a song to accompany this list, but EZArchive won't let me, so I guess we'll have to catch up on that later as well.

My guide to being funky pt.1

2006-05-22T07:35:00.000-03:00

Part 1 - The Past

Welcome again friends, I have decided to start a little two part post on a genre of music that is dear to both the Trick's and my heart, Funk! I am just going to briefly go over a few artists who are important to me and my funk development. There are many more artists whom I simply do not have the time or adequate knowledge to discuss. For more funk I highly recommend Larry Grogan's blog Funky16Corners, he really knows his stuff.

Kool & the Gang formed in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964. They consist of brothers Robert Bell (Kool) on bass and Ronald Bell on the sax. The band also had another sax, trumpet keys and drums. Their only #1 song was Celebration, but I don’t particularly like that song so here is one I do. I’m sure you all know Jungle Boogie.

[mp3] Kool & the Gang - Jungle Boogie

Sly and the Family Stone were the first major American rock band to have a multicultural lineup, containing females, males, Caucasians and African-Americans. The Band was originally formed by the merger of brothers Sly and Freddy Stone’s bands Sly & the Stoners and Freddie & the Stone Souls. The band eventually fell apart in the early seventies because of ego problems and drugs. Sly continued to release solo albums under this name until 1987 when he was arrested for cocaine use. Still, good music. This is one of the lasts songs they did as a band.

[mp3] Sly & The Family Stone - If You Want Me To Stay

Fred Wesley was a Pivotal member of James Brown’s backing band the J.B.’s playing the trombone. Fred later left Brown and played with some of the various Parlement/Funkadelic projects. Fred is still around today he released an album and autobiography in 2002 and professing jazz studies at the University of North Carolina.

[mp3] Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s - Doing it to Death

The big news of Isaac Hayes is that he recently quit his role as Chef on the comedy south park due to the highly publicized dispute between the series and the Church of Scientology. Hayes is a Scientologist. He is also the king of the Ada coastal district of Ghana. He has a best-selling cookbook, and a line of barbecue sauces and, oh yeah, he is a musician.

[mp3] Isaac Hayes - Do Your Thing

James Brown requires little introduction, he is the godfather of soul and the
Minister of the new super-heavy funk. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Brown became famous in the late 50s and continued to have hits through to the 80s. Little known fact, his eyebrows are tattoos.

[mp3] James Brown - I Got Ants In My Pants

Stevie Wonder is my personal favorite artist to get funky to. He was born Stevland Judkins, later changed to Stevland Morris. He holds a record 21 Grammys and one Oscar.
Blind from birth, the versatility of his work on drums, bass, harmonica and mostly piano is nothing short of genius in my opinion. He is an active democrat and has seven children. Enjoy!

[mp3] Stevie Wonder - I Wish

right across the cul de sac

2006-05-18T11:46:00.000-03:00

Over the Hedge was originally a comic strip written by Michael Fry and T. Lewis. It tells the story of a raccoon and a turtle coming to terms with the fact that their woodlands home is being overtaken by suburbs.

The movie adaptation is being released this Friday and features voices from Bruce Willis, Gary Shandling, Wanda Sykes, Steve Carell, William Shatner and yes, Avril Lavigne. The Soundtrack is done as a joint effort of songs by Ben Folds and instrumentals by Rupert Gregson-Williams. Here are some of the new Ben Folds tracks. Enjoy!

[mp3] Ben Folds feat. William Shatner - Rockin' the Suberbs (over the hedge version)
[mp3] Ben Folds - Heist
[mp3] Ben Folds - Lost in the Supermarket

* Buy the Over the Hedge OST

Shoreline details announced

2006-05-16T11:27:00.000-03:00

The Shoreline Festival will once again be hitting Rollo Bay, Prince Edward Island this year and although the line-up doesn't speak to me as much as last year's, there are still lots of good names in the mix. The festival runs July 21 - 23 and tickets are on sale now. An early-bird rate is available until May 20 that includes all three nights, camping, and parking.

The bands (in no particular order):

De La Soul [download]
Xavier Rudd [stream]
The Sadies [stream]
Holy Fuck [download]
Joel Plaskett Emergency [download]
Jason Collett [download]
Great Lake Swimmers [download]
Grand Theft Bus [download]
Scratch Bastid [videos]
The New Deal [stream]
Matt Mays & El Torpedo [stream]
Wintersleep [stream]
In-Flight Safety [stream]
Two Hours Traffic [stream]
Mark Bragg [stream]
All Of Green [stream]
Hot Toddy [stream]
Smothered in Hugs [stream]
The Mystery System [stream]
The Novaks [stream]
Tanya Davis [stream]
Brooke Miller [samples]
Catherine MacLellan [stream]
Ryan Leblanc [read]
Jenn Grant [stream]
Mars Hill [stream]
Fugato [anyone know a link?]

Probably

2006-05-16T11:17:00.000-03:00

Really, I don’t think Gnarls Barkley is any kind of news to anyone right now. Most of us have been cranking Crazy from our stereos for some time. But now for a little treat for those of us more booty shaking inclined.

I recently stumbled upon a Crazy promo CD that had various Crazy remixes. How Crazy! For those of you who don’t know, Gnarls Barkley is a compilation between Cee-lo and Danger Mouse. They will be playing Lolapalooza this year. Enjoy!

[mp3] Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (Jamie Dunn Remix)
[mp3] Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (Spencer Collective Extended Remix)
[mp3] Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (Karl G. Remix)
[mp3] Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (Karl G. vs. DJ Ori B. vocal mix)

* Buy St Elsewhere

Doom and Destruction

2006-05-15T13:30:00.000-03:00

Since Travis has started the day off on a particularly aggressive note, I'm gonna ride that theme a little longer. It's easy to ignore parts of your music collection sometimes when there's so much good new music out there, just waiting to be discovered. For me it tends to happen with the heavy stuff, but then when I dig it out again, I remember why I have these songs in the first place.

The Sword are an Austin, Texas band playing some seriously ballsy Sabbath-ish metal. Every note and drum hit feels like a ton of bricks smashing you in the face. I mean that in the best way possible, of course. The song "Barael's Blade" is available on the band's Age of Winters album, released earlier this year.

Refused were introduced to me well after the band had already split up in 1998. On the bright side, singer Dennis Lyxzen went on to form the equally spectacular International Noise Conspiracy. Although I enjoy that band too, they didn't deliver nearly the same level of ferocity and intensity.

[mp3] The Sword - Barael's Blade
[mp3] Refused - New Noise

* Buy The Sword - Age of Winters
* Buy Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come

Will you hate me if I stay this way?

2006-05-15T10:30:00.000-03:00

Jessie F. Keeler’s headquarters are set up in Toronto. You most likely know him from his duo with Sebastien Grainger, Death From Above 1979. This rip-roaring band employs only Jessie on bass and synth and Sebastien on drums and vocals. That’s right, no lead guitar! They claim to have met each other on a pirate ship, or sometimes they claim it was a gay bar or a prison. Who knows?

Last year, the band toured with Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails. I unfortunately couldn’t go, but I know a lot of SOBs who did and they said DFA1979 were far more impressive that QOTSA, even though they opened first. Their sound comes off as quite infectious to anyone who has a small place in their heart for metal.

Jessie also has a side project called MSTRKRFT (read:MasterKraft) along with Alex Puodziukas, formerly of Girls are Short. Together they have already done a number of fantastic remixes for the likes of Juliette and the Licks, Metric, The Kills, Bloc Party, Wolfmother, Buck 65, and many more. They are slated to release their LP The Looks on July 18th. Their first single Easy Love came out back in January. I must say that despite being a cool song, the video is a little much. I thought about posting the video for either this song or the MSTRKRFT remix of "Sexy Results" directly in the thread, but later decided against it.

The remix of Black History Month features Final Fantasy, a cool solo artist (Owen Pallett) who is also from Toronto. Enjoy the Tunes!

[mp3] Death from above 1979 - Blood on our Hands
[mp3] Death from above 1979 - Black History Month (Girl On Girl Featuring Final Fantasy Remix)
[mp3] MSTRKRFT - Easy Love
[mp3] Bloc Party - Two More Years (MSTRKRFT Remix)
[mp3] Buck 65 - Kennedy Killed the Hat (MSTRKRFT Remix)
[mp3] Metric - Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT Remix)
[mp3] Wolfmother - Woman (MSTRKRFT Remix)

* Visit the Death From ABove 1979 Online Store

Tonight! Raising the Fawn!

2006-05-12T21:13:00.000-03:00

Not much time to talk, i'm on my way out the door to chez Trick, in order to down some cold ones before the show tonight. It is In-flight safety and Raising the Fawn @ The Capital!
Go Now!(well not right now, in a bit). Enjoy!

[mp3] In-flight Safety - Somebody's watching you
[mp3] Raising the Fawn - Into ashes white
[mp3] Raising the Fawn - gwendolyn

But it's a long time and you're not home.

2006-05-12T16:57:00.000-03:00

Yes it’s true my U2 spot isn’t that soft. I have become quite a fan of Bedouin Soundclash. I honestly haven’t cracked that CD out for a listen for a month or so, but it is all coming back to me now…

Like Trick said, they are from Toronto, they actually met at Queens. They are guitarist Jay Malinowski, bassist Eon Sinclair and drummer Pat Pengelly They previously had Brett Dunlop as a djembe player (for the first album). They first came acrossto me as a straight up reggae band but after hearing them live I could tell that they didn’t want to be seen this way. They rocked pretty hard on one particular Clash cover. They have appeared on the Warped Tour, toured the UK and even had their song in a Zellers commercial.

The first song is off their first album Root Fire. They did a great live version of it at the show and later remarked on how much they liked that song. They said were going to redo it for their third album, but more rockin’. The other two are favorites of mine from their second album Sounding a Mosaic.

[mp3] Bedouin Soundclash - Santa Monica
[mp3] Bedouin Soundclash - Shelter
[mp3] Bedouin Soundclash - Shadow of a Man

* Buy Root Fire
* Buy Sounding a Mosaic

All is quiet on new year's day

2006-05-12T13:09:00.000-03:00

Bedouin Soundclash are a Toronto band rooted in Wailers-era reggae and dub. They played here in Fredericton a few months ago and although I didn't go, Travis was able to fill me in on things. Knowing my soft-spot for U2 (Travis's U2 spot isn't as soft), he informed me that the band played a reggae-fied version of "New Year's Day" from the War album. My curiosity was piqued and, as luck would have it, I was able to find a recording of the cover on the band's MySpace site.

I can't say the cover does a lot for me (it's a little boring), but it's definitely a unique take on the song and probably one of the more successful attempts I've heard at covering Bono and company. U2 covers tend to be notoriously bad, judging by the examples I've heard over the years.

One of the better attempts I've heard is a recent take on "Seconds" (also from the War album) by Rogue Wave. Their version doesn't stray very far from the original, but just enough to make it their own. It's not quite as rigid as U2's version and leaves a little more breathing room.

The moral of the story? War is a good source for covers. So who's going to take on "Drowning Man" for me?

[mp3] Bedouin Soundclash - New Year's Day (BBC Session)
[mp3] U2 - New Year's Day
[mp3] Rogue Wave - Seconds

* Buy U2 - War
* Buy Bedouin Soundclash - Sounding a Mosaic
* Buy Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures

Randomness

2006-05-11T10:09:00.000-03:00

Hey folks, sorry for the absence, I have been very busy for reasons totally under my control. The On Vinyl show was fantastic as always, it was nice to see lots of people make it out. Props to those guys for giving our site a shout out, but to clarify things, The Trick and I (Travis) are not the same person! I’ve got a couple of tasty treats for you all today. No real theme just some songs that have been rocking my walkman as of late.

The Exit are a new discovery for me. Apparently they have been around kicking bum since 2000. I just read that back in the middle of March they had their van and all of their gear stolen in California. Wow, that totally sucks. This particular song rocks especially hard.

Also here is my all time favorite (so far) The Faint song, Agenda Suicide. It is from their album Danse Macabre (no I am not spelling dance wrong, that’s the name of the album). The Faint have somehow been able to put together in this one album everything one guy named Travis likes about new wave. Enjoy!

[mp3] The Exit - Let's go to Haiti
[mp3] The Faint - Agenda Suicide

* Buy Home for an Island
* Buy Danse Macabre

The new Radiohead guide

2006-05-10T09:44:00.000-03:00

Yowza! Heaps of new Radiohead songs have been popping up all over the web as live versions. What's a fan to do? To help you keep track of it all, here is a list of the new song titles (so far) and some sites where you can find them:

Bangers 'n Mash (MyselfMyself, Torture Garden)
Open Pick (Torture Garden, MyselfMyself)
15 Step (Torture Garden, MyselfMyself)
4 Minute Warning (MyselfMyself)
House of Cards (MyselfMyself)
Spooks (MyselfMyself)
Bodysnatchers (MyselfMyself)
Arpeggi (MyselfMyself)

Complete Copenhagen (May 6/2006) set:
San Diego Serenade (also includes "Nude")

Acoustic versions of:
Arpeggi, Bodysnatchers, and Cymbal Rush
(I am fuel you are friends, MyselfMyself, The Rawking Refuses To Stop)

Almost all of these: A Reminder

BONUS:

As far as I know, the song "Reckoner" (AKA "Pulled Apart By Horses") is also still a candidate for the new album. It's a bit of a loose, raucous number in the vein of "Electioneering" or "2+2=5." I'm not positive how old this recording is (probably about 3 or 4 years), but Thom Yorke recently played an acoustic version of the song at a benefit. The chorus seems to have changed slightly, but it's still very recognizable.

[mp3] Radiohead - Reckoner (live)

DOUBLE PLUS GOOD:

Since Radiohead has a history of trying out songs live before they release them, numerous gems from the late 90s are still floating around, looking for an album to call home. "Nude" already appears to have been resurrected, but here are two more songs that I really hope get a proper recording some day. Both are from the OK Computer era and "Big Boots" was once rumored to appear on the soundtrack to that miserable Avengers movie. Again, I'm not positive how old this version is, since it went through so many incarnations.

[mp3] Radiohead - Lift (live 2002)
[mp3] Radiohead - Big Boots (aka Man o' War) (live)

* Thanks to thesparkthatbled for the "Lift" recording.
* Check out Radiohead's blog: Dead Air Space

Waking up has never been easy

2006-05-09T09:40:00.000-03:00

Some days I feel like I am in a constant state of sleeping. It just goes to show that there are sometimes miles between getting up and waking up. Alertness should never be assumed. Some days it follows naturally, but on days like today, you just need someone to scream in your ear:

WAKE UP!

[mp3] Les Savy Fav - Wake Up!
[mp3] The Arcade Fire - Wake Up
[mp3] Elastica - Waking Up
[mp3] Tegan and Sara - Wake Up Exhausted

PS. Does somebody want to build this for me?

Emergency PRA May 5th

2006-05-05T14:44:00.000-03:00

Tonight at the Capital bar in Fredericton, On Vinyl will be playing, with support from Them, the Ragtag. It is sure to be a rocktastic show so come on out! We have posted about On Vinyl before here. Congrats to the boys of On Vinyl for signing with Quadraphonic Records! They will be heading out to tour Ontario and Quebec in June with their new labelmates Sproll. Enjoy!

[mp3] On Vinyl - Caught Up
[mp3] On Vinyl - Lost and Gawking

* Buy Strode Dodger

Still missing in action

2006-05-05T12:00:00.000-03:00

Right, so I've still been mostly m.i.a. from this blog the last week. Not only have I been digging my way out of a pile of work (both home and other work), but my home internerd connection has been in need of attention. It will be getting that attention tonight in the form of a new router, so I should be back on top of things in no time.

Speaking of M.I.A., I don't think I've written anything about her on this blog. Before we even get to her music, there are a number of things worth knowing about this person:

Real name: Maya Arulpragasam
Born in London, raised in Sri Lanka
Her father (known as Arular) was a founding member of a militant Tamil group
Family tried numerous times to escape civil war
Returned to the UK and learned English at age 11
An art career led to her designing the cover of Elastica's second album and travelling with the band. Met Peaches.
First album, Arular, released February 2005.

As incredible as all this sound, the most amazing part is that her music is as surprising and diverse as her biography. The songs are virtually impossible to pigeon-hole, bringing together Western hip-hip, dancehall, ragga, new wave, pop, etc. Even the lyrics bounce back and forth between UK slang and Eastern influences, protest songs and pop. The resulting sound is somewhat alien to my ears, but it grows on you surprisingly quickly.

[mp3] M.I.A. - Sunshowers
[mp3] M.I.A. - Galang

* Buy Arular
* Full M.I.A. bio at Beggars Group website

Are like music to me

2006-05-04T11:41:00.000-03:00

Someone once told me that some members of Snow Patrol used to lie and say that they are members of Belle & Sebastian to get into the student union club at the Glasgow School of Art. Front man Gary Lightbody has since gained much acclaim (at least from my friends and I).

Snow Patrol are from Northern Ireland. Their new album Eyes Open is really quite fantastic. I would post every track if I wasn’t so morally conflicted. I think it might have something to do with Gary Lightbody’s plaintive vocals that make these songs so beautiful and rocking.

The UK release was May 1st and the first single was You're All I Have. The US release is set for May 9th with the first single being Hands Open. Appropriately they drop Sufjan’s name on Hands Open. Whatever, Sufjan is cool beans. I am also posting Set Fire To The Third Bar (featuring Martha Wainwright), this also is just such a great song. Ooh and Headlights On Dark Roads, dang so much awesomeness. Enjoy!

[mp3] Snow Patrol - You're All I Have
[mp3] Snow Patrol - Hands Open
[mp3] Snow Patrol - Set Fire To The Third Bar (featuring Martha Wainwright)
[mp3] Snow Patrol - Headlights On Dark Roads

* Buy Eyes Open

You can't fool me either

2006-05-03T15:01:00.000-03:00

Continuing with the Brit rock, The Mystery Jets are a five piece from Twickenham England. They have gained a lot of popularity because of a set of parties they have been hosting on Eel Pie Island (an island where they are from). The parties have attempted to fit as many bands on one stage at a time as possible. They have featured the likes of Ladyfuzz, Dr Filth, Larrikin Love, Jeremy Warmsley, The Mergatroid, Jamie T and Acoustic Ladyland.

The Mystery Jets released their debut LP Making Dens in the UK at the start of March. It is full of jangley, eclectic tunes. I have never had the chance to see them live, but I hear they are brilliant. Enjoy!

[mp3] The Mystery Jets - You Can't Fool Me Dennis
[mp3] The Mystery Jets - The Boy Who Ran Away

* Buy Making Dens

Won't you come on over

2006-05-02T12:24:00.000-03:00

The Kooks are a new young band from Brighton, England featuring 19 year old front-man Luke Pritchard, bassist Max Rafferty, guitarist Hugh Harris, and Paul Garred on the drums. They have released an excitingly diverse debut album that takes on many forms of post punk and pop and still manages to flow nicely.
Claiming to be big fans of The Coral, the Kooks praise them for releasing a unique debut album because that is what they wanted to do. Inside In/Inside Out has summery acoustic breezes, soulful piano, crazy synth, hints of ska, sweet melodies and plenty of screaming guitars and brilliant energy. Enjoy!

[mp3] The Kooks - Sofa Song
[mp3] The Kooks - Naive
[mp3] The Kooks - I Want you Back
Not from the album:
[mp3] The Kooks - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)

* Buy Inside In/Inside Out