All the goodness should be pouring out over the next week or so if I stay motivated. Going to be all over at the new blog - AudioVernacular.blogspot.com
Check it for Harlan Pepper, Kidstreet, The Midway State, Graveyard Train and more. Plus much more to come!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Hillside Reviews 2011!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Hillside 2011 Gameplan
Geeked out!
- Green is priority numero uno
- Yellow is a close second
- Red is my choice if I'm not distracted by swimming, or ice cream, or Hillside eats, or beer.
- Kidstreet are gonna kill it!
- I think Harlan Pepper are properly following in the Arkells footsteps - fellow Hamiltonians.
- And Midway State are new to me, and catchy catchy.
- OMMMG! Oh, Mother Mother Mangan Georgas! This workshop gives me goosepimples. Dan has collab-ed with everyone to great effect (Veda Hille, Shayne Koyczan, Hey Ocean - watch the amazing vid)
- How do you choose between Mother Mother and Hooded Fang though?! MM come from further.. and I haven't seen them since the new album. Still tough with talk of Hooded Fang's new album being amazing and it's not even out yet.
- Sheepdogs personify the '70s.
- Hollerado should be a fun closing party too!
- Gobble Gobble's Boring Horror is in the fight for my song of the summer. Their live show is supposed to be spectacular too. But Modern Field Recordings are really unique and I never see them touring..
- RAA vs Braids vs Fred Penner is a tough tough choice. I really love Braids' album even if I didn't love their set last Hillside. Whereas I just saw RAA - but their first Hillside set was fantastic. (A mere 2 years ago?!) Sorry 5-old-Stefan, not seeing Fred.
- Common Grackle are super interesting, and local! Pumped, even if I have to skip Paper Lions for them (grumble grumble... why can't I set the schedule?)
- Shad always brings it in Guelph. Or anywhere.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Hillside 2011 Preparatory Playlist
My silence has no correlation to my Hillside excitement level. To bring yours up, here is a little preparatory playlist with a song from each of this year's Hillside bands (available on Radio3 anyhow), personally selected by yours truly. Listen up, click through to the artists that grab your ear, and get ready for a whirlwind weekend of fun, sun, ice cream and swimming.
You're welcome ;)
Friday, April 22, 2011
Hillside 2011 Announced
Well I guess I slacked this year and only manage to post 6 of 53 bands early this year..
Regardless here is my initial list of excitement.
Dan Mangan - Finally!
Braids - Back again from last year, now with one of my fave new albums out
Hollerado - Gonna be a party!
Common Grackle - One of a few firsts at this Hillside
Karkwa - besides Karkwa
The Beauties (with Kevin Drew of BSS) - Fun last year, now back with more BSS front-men
Hooded Fang - Woohoo
Kidstreet - Waterloo family affair were amazing when they introduced themselves at a Shout Out Out show
Lights - She's back
Mother Mother - Triumphant return
Old Man Leudecke - Banjoooooooooo
Rural Alberta Advantage - New album, new set (cuz the old one was great)
Shad - Perennial favourite
Gobble Gobble - I've heard good things
Serena Ryder - First!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Hollerado, Hollerado, Hollerado (PCH, Apr 1)
Hollerado get an A+. While taking in their spectacle in the University of Guelph's basement I considered how this show would grade on Chartattack's annual "CMW Report Cards".
First there was the crowd interaction. If music doesn't work out for them (which it obviously will) then comedy could be a line of work. With cheeky lines and boyish energy they took cracks at everyone from themselves to the Republican party and kept the show rolling for their entire allotted time (and even beyond - playing an extra song beyond their timeslot).
Secondly the music was gosh-darn great. They've got one legit album out, the so-damn-literal Record In a Bag full of great tunes that they played like opener Juliette and Hard Love, but as they proved this does not come close to comprising their entire catalog. It also includes self-professed cheesy sing-alongs, and newly minted songs that are so new they had to pause to remember the chords. (They then ripped through On My Way to Shanghai so loud and fast in the dark that whether or not they got them right it sounded pretty sweet.)
Even the visuals and stage-use were something as the only time you'd take your eyes off the guys standing on top of their drum set or having a dueling guitar circle was when confetti exploded from side stage sending shrieks and cheers throughout the crowd.
Speaking of the young, university audience - they usually don't show much emotion in this notoriously energy-free venue but this set pulled them in. Even before Hollerado invited a Dinosaur Bones member on-stage to drop a freestyle rhyme people were clapping and dancing along.
All told it was a high energy display of party rock rooted in big, classic guitar riffs. If you like the band at all, or like a party, you'll effin' love these guys after a show!
Friday, April 15, 2011
2011 Roundup #2: Dala etc.
Dala: The lady duo returns!
On the Beat and Pathh
Rundown RoyaltyChris Velan
Etran Finatawa - Africa
- * All are unconfirmed
Monday, March 21, 2011
Hillside 2011 - Opening Peek
The first leak of 2011 performers for the ultimate in summer festivals!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Hooded Fang (Noon Hour Concert UoG, Oct 31, 2008)
Arriving after the beginning of their set I found the zombie-basketball squad (it was halloween afterall) in the midst of their fine young set. They played all the stuff from their online repertoire and a handful of others. It was pure creative Canadian indie music - right up my alley. Not sounding the same, but akin to Born Ruffians (who incidentally they were playing with the following evening). I ate it up as their drummer handled primary singing duties, and even gave up the drums at one point to allow one of the girls to unsteadily drop the backbeat while he sang and played guitar up front. They had a xylophone (who doesn't these days?) and the 6 piece impressed me enough to request a CD afterwards (which i was disappointed to hear they'd forgotten)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Blog Transition - AudioVernacular
As all three of you readers likely haven't noticed, my recent posts have all been about Toronto shows. Well the fact of the matter is that I've joined the migration and moved to the big smoke. In honour of this, and in wanting a fresh start of sorts, a remodel, a makeover, I've begun a NEW blog.
It is likely to follow in Vernacular's format but instead of focusing on the Guelph region will now highlight primarily Toronto-based concert reviews, and perhaps the odd bit of music news & reviews as well. Don't you fret it will still offer up the same mediocre, amateur writing-style.
Please follow me on over to..... drum roll please....
and check that colour scheme while you're at it!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Mary Rose Obsession - Hard Rock Cafe - Feb.9
Yes, this was a battle of the bands but Mary Rose Obsession are much more polished than your high school rock group. They've got a mix of influences all stemming from the popular hard rock genre (I'd put Finger Eleven in with them; a friend likened them to Danko Jones). The stage presence from the two pairs of brothers is impressive and shows that they've been at this for some time, yet still one step away from gaining recognition for it. They have built a small but loyal following and perhaps a win in the next round would not only secure them an opening spot for Bon Jovi in London, England but have that fan base explode too - or at least they'll start getting some rotation on The Edge where they would fit in nicely. Check it out and cheer 'em on, might just luck out and take in their pretty darn entertaining reinvention of Justin Timberlake's What Goes Around..
Best of luck in the finals Wed. Feb 23, 2011 back at the Hard Rock!
Bravestation - Supermarket Jan. 19 - Craig Stickland
It came to my attention that Bravestation were playing the Supermarket and I'd never heard of them. I had heard positive reviews though and swiftly downloaded their EP, liked what I heard and rushed off to the PWYC event. Overall it was an enjoyable set, punctuated by the little extras coming in way of synth and percussion. Adding a standalone drum to songs like Their Calling, and an electric set at other times kept things catchy and fresh (unlike the fashion sense.. faux tie dye?... jean vest?...) With the fifth song of the set, Colour of Youth they seemed to hit their stride and rode it into their final tune, EP opener, White Wolves. A short, short set was long enough to get a reaction that demanded an encore and despite having scrapped the song from the set-list earlier stating they were sick of playing it, they were cornered into doing it last anyway. Young band, small catalog. It wasn't exactly the most powerful way to go out but it did feature the tambourine and was fairly catchy. Glad to have seen this band at this point so once they fill out to an LP's worth of music (and a full set) I can see how far they've come along.
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Mountains and The Trees - Tranzac (Jan 20, 2011)
The Mountains and the Trees, a band name with a solo performer much like City & Colour, was the main attraction at the Tranzac on a cold evening in January. He was seemingly at ease, sitting down throughout his performance that featured many of the songs from his very listenable album I Made This For You. Lyrically his songs are quite transparent and therefore emotionally affecting, and it seemed that he was making connections in this large room occupied by only a small but adoring crowd. The mic'ed flower-patterned suitcase placed in front of him did indeed become percussion later in the set, and despite playing an electric guitar there was a mic placed to pick up his picking as well. On the closer he employed very deliberate looping, including the bowing of his guitar to great effect.
An added bonus to the bill was a set from the Provincial Parks who I hadn't even seen advertised but damn near stole the show. Compared the the solo sets preceding them there was much more going on here sonically. A welcome, if unexpected, dessert following the app and main course. Only a three piece they were rather dynamic, creating wonderful texture within their unconventionally structured songs somewhat akin to Akron/Family. There was plenty of high hat shimmering and it seemed that not a song went by without one of the members shaking a shaker. Having not played in ages they showed the slightest amount of rust but not enough to seriously detract from the performance. To name drop further I wouldn't feel wrong likening them to The Acorn as well, which is a high compliment that they deserve.
Opening the evening was Zachary Lucky who seemed quite ill at ease, especially when compared to Janes who followed. His acoustic folk songs were fairly straight-forward without much to set him apart from that crowded field. He was very appreciative, repeating "Thank you guys so much" more than a few times.
Hey Rosetta - Seeds review (Bonus! Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing review)
A friend request my opinion of Hey Rosetta's album Seeds after it came out last Tuesday. Having spent some time contemplating this I replied off the cuff and this came out. Figured it might be worth sharing.
-Hey, can you listen to the new hey rosetta album and blog about it so I can form an opinion?
I feel about it similarly to how I feel about the new RAA. Neither band has strayed far from the path set out by their equally-amazing-in-their-own-right debuts. The formula hasn't changed a great deal, with the RAA keeping Paul's drumming high in the mix, pulling the tracks through and making you dismiss the sometimes agitating singing voice. Hey Rosetta on the other hand still have lush arrangements (plenty of violin, thumbs up!) and generally build from soft to epic, though there are a couple tunes that buck the trend. With high expectations set by Into Your Lungs (not to mention the Plan Your Escape EP) it would have been difficult to meet, and I'm slightly disappointed to report that this album does not seem to one-up the band's previous full-length. Caveat - Despite the strength of Hey Rosetta's recorded music it is really their live show that sets them apart and therefore I almost feel as if opinion should be reserved until this album's concert is taken in so the desired nuances can be highlighted. In conclusion, read the review of next Wednesday's sold out Lee's Palace show for more.
Stand-out tracks: New Sum (Nous Sommes), Young Glass, Welcome, Bandages
Akron/Family for Family Day (Horseshoe Feb. 20)
A night of indulgence began with All-You-Can-Eat sushi luckily I slipped away from that smorgasbord to continue with Delicate Steve at the Horseshoe. The five-piece out of N.J. seemed like Akron/Family lite, in that their music was slightly improvisational, kept vocals to a minimum but featured some tight musicianship. Not ordinarily considered an instrument, the keyboardist also threw down some intense clap patterns (intense judging by his facial expressions anyway). Additionally he was featured with a whistle solo, but unlike Friday night's whistle solo at the 'Shoe this one was played on a gym whistle! These were just eccentric aspects of a thoroughly entertaining opening set where the singing guitars and driving drums carried us through. Having the drummer prominently sat sideways, facing the band at stage-edge was an added treat too. The closing song had a drum machine in addition to his drumming, which they turned down for a stellar mid-song guitar solo and then cranked back up to finish an already strong set with an intense melding of everything all at once. This was met with an equally intense response from the crowd and these lads looked genuinely appreciative of the outpouring of appreciation.
$10 seemed like a steal for an Akron/Family-Day eve spectacle and many others agreed with me as the place was packed out (likely sold out) and heating up by the time the beloved band took to the sweaty stage. Indicating that they were going to play some slower older songs, and hoping that was okay with us the three stood with their guitars and did just that. It was good but I was anxious for them to turn the volume up, forgetting the old notion of being careful what you wish for. Perhaps 15 minutes later they took advantage of the eagerness of the crowd and began interaction through an 'internal dance' followed by a swaying, humming dance too and fed off of this for the first song featuring percussion. Before we knew it the drummer was working a light-induced effect box of some sort (a theremin?) with the flashlight in his mouth, then the floodlights on the stage. The others worked their tables of pedals too, as well as effect mics jammed in their mouths, producing a large sound. The drummer and then the bass player from Delicate Steve took turns in succession joining the band on stage to add another layer to the dense mix. Upon their departure the band brought things back to only vocals again only to build things back up. Admittedly at times when all rhythm was lost, the percussion had stopped, and there was only a wobbling screech coming from the awfully loud speakers steps away it did become a little wearisome. However for the final song they brought the drums back in, picked up the guitars again for a semblance of a 'conventional' song, complete with lyrics.
Upon exit the crowd began their own improvised chanting, clapping, stomping and cheering, all in time and eventually Akron/Family returned and simply joined in, with little to differentiate the encore cheer from the encore itself. That is until they took over for another ear-drum numbing, face-melting, wall of sound experience. As with the main set the closing number saw them pick up their instruments again (rather than poke and prod and wobble buttons and dials) to close out. It had neared two hours of full-on music stimulus - sometimes to the point of excess but always with the potential for greatness and many times hitting that mark. A Family/Day event well worth the cover charge!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
WILDLIFE, Paint Movement, Make Your Exit (Horseshoe Feb.18)
Whoa Wildlife! That album of yours... somehow reminiscent of Wolf Parade and still catchy/grabby like Tokyo Police Club. But this isn't a record review; I'm just getting it out in the open that I ventured out into the Wildlife for the first time already smitten. Admittedly I groaned when the laser and smoke machine were hauled on stage but besides the occasional blinding dart of green light I was won over in a hurry. As I was with the performance too.
Jamming out an intro in the dark the five lads looked well accustomed to the stage with a confident presence. They showed that they've got the chops to back it up too as they broke out into album opener Stand in the Water. With ease they performed a slew of songs, largely retaining their album veneer - even amped up further for the live setting. Matches with its singable and quotable chorus shone like a laser to the eye. Drunken Heart was an interesting inclusion in the set-list, while personal fave Move to the City was an equally disappointing exclusion (- a reason to catch them again I suppose!). Current single Sea Dreamer also fared well, though with a consistently strong performance no single track stood head and shoulders above. If there's one thing that always gives a show a boost in my books it's adding extra drummers to the mix -and the whistle-solo is A-OK too! Wildlife give it their all, evidenced by the blood pouring from a self-induced run-in between bass and forehead (requiring stitches), and they don't show any signs of slowing down from intro to glorious outro.
The Paint Movement have continued despite my lack of attention. Last I heard from them they were honing their sound and I'm happy to report that they've been successful on that front. Their instrumental breakdowns were something to look forward to song after song, especially as the vocals for Buffalo-beard and No-beard were muddled and low this night. Actually when Normal-Beard sang the final song and it came through loud and clear it made me wonder why he hadn't piped up more, though the stronger moments of female vocals that broke through were also impressive. Sounding less like Broken Social Scene this time around they appear to be gaining confidence and growing into a sound of their own - Faults proved this.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Kids & Explosions - Stop-Motion Video
Recently CBCRadio3 asked for submissions for your favourite musical discovery of 2010. As I'd fallen hard and fast for Kids & Explosions Shit Computer around the same time, it was a simple task to shoot off my love...
Here is the stop-motion video I made to re-enact the unveiling of the winner of this contest.
Bonus - includes opening track from Shit Computer.
Put Shit Computer on your Shit Computer (PWYC, including $0)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
A Rich Residency (Rich Aucoin, Pete Samples - Drake Hotel - Feb. 16, 2011)
When is the last time you danced? Okay, okay, easy one. When is the last time you sang? at the top of your lungs? under a parachute?! The Rich Aucoin gig (date 2 of 3 week residency) at the Drake offered an opportunity to do all of the above, and so much more! An intimate but fun-lovin' Wednesday night crowd (apparently including my new Toronto band-crush, Wildlife, though I haven't seen them yet so can't confirm) came out for what always proves to be a ridiculous party of an event when Rich rolls through. In addition to the above there was jumping, silly-string, hands-in-the-middle cheers, glow-stick parachute-popcorn, arm-in-arm bobbing and so many more unmentionables that completed the whole night. (Like the 3D video accompaniment - I've got the glasses to prove it!) Trying to describe a Rich Aucoin spectacle is about as hard as trying not to dance while at a Rich Aucoin spectacle. The dude knows how to throw a party, and a mean handful of confetti!
Do NOT (like me) miss Rich's final night at the Drake next Wednesday! (If it wasn't for Hey Rosetta that night... anyone wanna swap your HR Thursday night tix??)
Pete Samples had the honour of opening up, in what is planned to be one of, if not THE, last Toronto show for Pete. Stating that he felt like dancing and doing karaoke he forewent playing many instruments, choosing instead to bust out over prerecorded tracks. Along with this came drum and cymbal bashing, bubble blowing, chime kicking and all sorts of other noisemakers in front of a video reel lifted from a miniature village. (What?? It made just as much sense watching it...none.) He shimmied and shook, often all the way down onto the dance floor with the pint-sized but eager crowd, even forming us into a dance circle around him and having us serenade him sans backing music (like I said, eager crowd). By the end of the set the stage was littered with broken chimes, a slide whistle, gong, and even ice cream cone-shaped bubbles, making it look like the aftermath of playtime at a children's choir!
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