Vernacular

Hillside Reviews 2011!

2011-07-26T23:53:00.000-04:00

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!

Hillside 2011 Gameplan

2011-07-18T23:23:00.000-04:00

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.

Hillside 2011 Preparatory Playlist

2011-06-23T10:06:00.000-04:00

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 ;)

Hillside 2011 Announced

2011-04-22T09:55:00.000-04:00

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

Memphis - Torq doesn't miss a Hillside does he?

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!

Hollerado, Hollerado, Hollerado (PCH, Apr 1)

2011-04-19T23:36:00.000-04:00

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!

2011 Roundup #2: Dala etc.

2011-04-15T12:36:00.001-04:00

Dala: The lady duo returns!

On the Beat and Pathh

Rundown Royalty

Chris Velan

Etran Finatawa - Africa

* All are unconfirmed

Hillside 2011 - Opening Peek

2011-03-21T23:06:00.000-04:00

The first leak of 2011 performers for the ultimate in summer festivals!

- Charlotte Cornfield

- Les Tireux d’Roches

- Etran Finatawa

And seeing as there isn't much dirt here I'll include this year's poster

Hooded Fang (Noon Hour Concert UoG, Oct 31, 2008)

2011-03-12T22:44:00.001-05:00

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)

Blog Transition - AudioVernacular

2011-02-25T00:23:00.000-05:00

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....

AudioVernacular.blogspot.com

and check that colour scheme while you're at it!

Mary Rose Obsession - Hard Rock Cafe - Feb.9

2011-02-22T00:20:00.000-05:00

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

2011-02-22T00:11:00.000-05:00

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.

It's been a month since the show and with apologies to Craig Stickland and his backing band not a whole lot is retained from the end of the set that I caught. My phone-notes don't elaborate much either - "standard mellow indie rock" reads one line. The next is "broke out acoustic and had a break down" which if I recall is near the end of the set when Craig swapped from electric to acoustic guitar and they played a song with a strong instrumental breakdown that stood out from the rest of the show.

The Mountains and The Trees - Tranzac (Jan 20, 2011)

2011-02-21T19:23:00.003-05:00

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)

2011-02-21T13:42:00.004-05:00

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)

2011-02-21T09:35:00.004-05:00

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!

WILDLIFE, Paint Movement, Make Your Exit (Horseshoe Feb.18)

2011-02-20T10:25:00.009-05:00

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.

Make Your Exit actually made quite the entrance Friday night - it was the exit that I found lacking. With the core five and an additional two members lined across the stage front they settled down a decent-sized, babbling Horseshoe crowd to start a slow snap. Quickly I realized that this was their a capella version of Zeus' The River By The Garden, as seen on Southern Souls. Both that video and the live version were pretty darn great, building up to epic proportions with melodica and kazoo. Unfortunately for me this turned out to be the high point of the set as I was unfamiliar with their music, and though it was decent indie rock it sort of melded together which made it feel as if it were dragging on. (Being band 3 of 3 and nearing last call probably had some effect on this too.) At the time I stated that the encore felt extraneous.. make your exit boys, make your exit.

Kids & Explosions - Stop-Motion Video

2011-02-19T03:52:00.003-05:00

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)

A Rich Residency (Rich Aucoin, Pete Samples - Drake Hotel - Feb. 16, 2011)

2011-02-17T00:33:00.005-05:00

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!

Top Albums 2010

2010-12-28T12:18:00.009-05:00

A year with missing chunks due to travel I still managed to cram my head full of plenty of music - primarily of the Canadian independent variety (and admittedly much less international play, as reflected in the list). I have NOT glanced at any other year-end list yet, choosing to go with what I've actually loved this year (before playing catch up on the great things I've missed). It was also a big year for catching up on 2009 as I was travelling for 1/3rd of that year and hence was out of touch. Check the "Found in 2010" section following the list. Blah, blah, On with the List->

Top 10 of '10

#10. Kathryn Calder - Are You My Mother?

A pretty album through and through. Stemming from a time caring for her dying mother the music obviously comes from the heart and comes across as such.The stripped down So Easily is a hauntingly beautiful display of Kathryn's strengths. I loved her in Immaculate Machine, not to mention her work in The New Pornographers, so to put her lovely voice on display as the focal point here is a dream come true.

#9. Ketch Harbour Wolves – Anachronisms

This band caught me by surprise. I was surprised by how much I liked what I heard considering I’d never heard of them before. In the span of three days I discovered their existence, saw them play, reviewed the show and e-friended the band. Well-written songs that really move along with tight instrumentation. There are a hundred influences swirling around and it all comes together to sound familiar yet unique at the same time. This album deserves your ears so I’ll name-drop a few like Pearl Jam, or even a hint of Coldplay, (but not as wanky as either of those two), The National and Hey Rosetta. Who do you think of?

#8. The Books – The Way Out

Another “sample” record making the year-end. With a five year absence The Books returned and didn’t miss a beat. Part spoken word, part music, it combines for an intriguing journey of a record that calls for repeated listening, and deserves it.

#7. New Pornographers – Together
I learned my lesson by leaving 2007’s Challengers off my year-end list – and the only explanation was that it came across as an instant classic – so good that it was as if I’d loved it for ages already, and hence forgotten it was a new release by year’s end. The New Pornos continue to craft practically-perfect pop on Together and this time around I’m going to recognize it. (Permanent addition of Kathryn Calder [#10], and finally seeing them live, kinda, this year helps too!)
#6. Hollerado – Record in a Bag
Short, catchy, indie rock’n’roll that bounces around your head all day. Good on them for cracking the FM dial – lord knows there’s enough singles on this album that deserve the airplay. Have you heard Juliette with the volume up?!
#5. You Say Party! We Say Die! – XXXX
XXXX is the best You Say Party! We Say Die! album released to date, period. It had already attained that status well before the absolutely devastating and sad on-stage death of their drummer, Devon Clifford. This occurrence will overshadow this year for the now-name-changed band (understandably dropping the “You Say Die”), but they still deserve the recognition for this release. I XXXX it.
#4. Tokyo Police Club - Champ

I’m a sucker for a hook. If I find myself belting out the lyrics third listen through that puts me in a happy place (as I did with summer-singalong Favourite Colour). Tokyo Police Club burst out of the gates with catchiness packaged up in microscopic packages leaving you wanting more. It seemed damn near impossible that this band would fulfill the promise (and match the hype) but on this, their second full-length, I’m tickled to report that they have.

#3. Girl Talk - All Day

It has come to the point that Greg Gillis has sharpened his craft so much that the sample swaps come across that naturally that you’re almost saying to yourself “Of course this riff came next” when in reality no mortal could predict what’s twenty seconds ahead. I listened the shit out of Feed the Animals and didn’t think it could be matched. Having only had two weeks with this sample-dense record the verdict is still out – but it is enough to say that it is in the running!

#2. Brasstronaut

The EP was promising and the full-length is just that “Full” - and phenomenal. The instrumentation of this 6-piece is tight and the song dynamics really, really smart (ie: Six Toes). Boy did I rave about these guys before Hillside, and they didn’t embarrass me in the least. I'm not intelligent enough to adequately describe this album so please save me the effort and listen to it for yourself.

#1. Sufjan Stevens – Age of Adz

Sufjy placed fewer obsessions on the lyrics this time around, focusing on the overall feel of the music. Sure he may repeat “I’m not fucking around” fifty or so times in one song for example, but the song absolutely soars – as does this album. Soars straight to the top of my list (closing track auto-tune and all) as a fall release that I still can’t get enough of come January.

Oh, one more thing... as always the ordering could change from day to day, but Sufjy would decidedly remain #1.

Honourable Mention 2010

Owen Pallett - Heartland

Shad - TSOL

The Acorn - No Ghost

LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening

Description written BEFORE getting bumped...

"The final offering as LCD according to James Murphy, it is a strong one. Considering the repetition and some long track lengths I thought I might tire of this one quickly, but there’s just enough build up to keep you waiting for that beat to drop, that tempo to shift, that keeps ya hanging in there. Not every single song hits the mark but there are enough strong tracks that “This is Happening”, this is squeaking onto the Top 10 (not top 3 as 2007’s Sound of Silver sat)."

2010 Artist of the Year

Okay, there's no science behind this, in fact it is basically just a title I punched in so I could have a chance to rave about Japandroids. One of those bands that at first I didn't 'get' but finally when it did click I fell harder than for bands that I love from the start (same thing happened with Death From Above 1979, RIP). Post-Nothing may have been released in 2009 and was played non-stop on my ipod in 2010. I also got to rip it up in the pit at Hillside (yes a pit at Hillside) seeing them for the first time, and this year's single, Younger Us, epitomizes youth.

Discovered in 2009

Pat Lepoidevin - Blue Tornadoes

If this had been a 2010 release it would have rivaled for top spot. Discovering this East Coast artist as an opener I was enraptured by his solo live performance and loved this album. It has the ability to calm me in the most stressful times. Pure love.

Said the Whale - Islands Disappear

Despite the hype around this album last year I didn't get my hands on it til 2010 and then it all made sense. Out on the Shield, a first-person recollection of the gold rush is one of my most-played songs of the year. Goodnight Moon and Holly, Ontario - the final two outro songs - are both fantastic, Camilo (the Magician) was one of the singles of 2009. All told it sums up to greatness.

Regina Spektor - Far

It combines beautiful vocals, straightforward yet deep lyrics and catchy music in Regina's unique way. I've loved her in the past and this is one of her strongest efforts to date.

Jamie T - Kings and Queens

Not much to say but this English lad has got a flair that I dig.

Dan Mangan and The Crackling, Harbourcoats (Trinity St.Paul's Church, Toronto Oct. 28)

2010-10-29T10:18:00.008-04:00

There's something about that Dan Mangan. An unmistakable likability, the way he can warm a room with his presence, charm a crowd with a flicker of a smile. Last night he proved that this can extend to hundreds of people at a time as he wowed an assembly of followers in the Church of Mangan. (Sacrilegious? It was actually held in Toronto's Trinity-St.Paul's Church.)

From the line snaking down Bloor West full of devotees rushing for front-pew seating (including me - success!) or procrastinating fans desperately hoping for a ticket at the door (was that Will Currie and TPC's Graham Wright I saw?), it was clear excitement was riding high for this show.

Before Dan could take the stage a few additional treats were bestowed upon the crowd that quickly filled up the small lower lever, before lining the benches in the larger upper auditorium. The Crackling came first and did a rather impressive job as a three piece making some 'beautiful music' (Dan's words, though I'll agree) sans drummer. The lack of drumming makes sense as the band is actually fronted by the drummer from Dan's band, Kenton, now manning an acoustic guitar, who is flanked by Gord the guitarist and Conrad(?) the fretless bass player, in their usual roles. Using both their vocals, sometimes in harmony, and their instruments, they really did create great music and knew how to add emphasis - primarily via footstomp.

A respected Canadian indie rocker turned singer-songwriter followed this up. Bry Webb under the guise of Harbourcoats did a set of purely acoustic songs which allowed his raw talent to show through. It is obvious but can't go without saying that his distinctive voice, made famous through his role fronting The Constantines, really sets him apart.

Finally it was time for Dan Mangan - though by finally I don't mean it, as it was only 9pm, and secondly he had already made an appearance as humble guest drummer for The Crackling's singalong, "I hear what you're saying". (Taking his spot at the drumset and wise-assing "So Stayin' Alive in B?")

The music may all fall under the solo heading 'Dan Mangan' but nine people took the stage for this performance, and though members came and left throughout various points of the evening, when the crash of nine instruments hit, it really made a thunderous impression. (Stand-up bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keys/trumpet, trombone, drums, 2 violins, cello) Right from the start they gave us a taste of what they could do with a version of Sold that sucked in the audience and had a clap-along from song one.
It was actually a miscue during the second song that set the mood for the evening. Partway through You Silly Git Dan accidentally bumped his mic stand sending it oscillating in front of him, but in a mere moment, while sauntering back and forth with it, he hurriedly snuck in "..and the next line couldn't be more topical" before singing "I'm not as clever as I look". This was heartily received and from here out the evening's mood was good-natured and intimate, despite the size of the crowd.
Paring down to five members for Road Regrets they maintained the smaller line-up and went acoustic for The Indie Queens are Waiting. However this version required a pre-apology from Dan, "you'll see why". During the chorus band members would echo the lyrics, Veda Hille's recorded part, in near-falsetto voices which not only had the audience members in hysterics, but also got Dan going too with one glimpse of his bass player's scrunched up singing face. A normally sentimental song was given over to comedy but it was well worth it!
Also showcased this evening were a number of new songs. Showing promise from the very first, Post War Blues, it was a rocking song that began with military-like drums and ended up roaring as-much-as, or more than, any other Dan Mangan song released to date.
Tina`s Glorious Comeback saw the members forgo a drumset in exchange for tapping drumsticks and the shaking of a tambourine - complimented by hearty footstomping.
With only two guitars, bass and drums the core group introduced another as-yet unreleased song, Oh Fortune, which had ambient string scratching and cymbal rubbing.
The most stunning song of the night may very well have been a heartfelt version of Basket, introduced as an ode to his grandfather. Beginning with Dan alone he sang emotively while picking his guitar. With everyone fully drawn in, the bass joined, then the violins and the song built to crescendo, before returning to bare guitar and voice. Incredible.
The only way to follow this was with Fair Verona which had a similar structure of quiet, working up to huge heights before coming down again.
Having been treated to a few lush, layered songs it was time for a change of pace. As everyone but Dan exited the stage we were told we were about to witness the first ever playing of this song for any audience - not even the band had heard it. What followed was a courageous song, one that asked many questions ranging from anger to sorrow and absolutely hit its mark.
To add yet another dynamic to this already impressive show the band, minus violins and cello, returned for a cover song - Elliott Smith`s I`m Gonna Love You Anyhow. R.I.P.
A pick-me-up was offered in the form of Some People. The improvised instrumental interlude showed the band`s chops and sounded pretty great, before bringing it back around to finish off the tune.
In finale, perhaps predictable but no less appreciated, they burned into Robots. The silly song that everyone loves to sing along with. And boy did we sing, as Dan leapt from the stage into the aisles we leapt to our feet, and as he climbed onto the back of a pew our voices climbed to the rafters. It was an uplifting experience, one might say magical or even holy considering the appropriate setting.
With looks of genuine appreciation, mixed with charming humility, Dan smiled and waved as he left the stage met by our natural standing ovation that carried on from the close of the set.
Just as naturally the five main members (keys included) returned for an absolutely necessary encore. In a bit of a twist they played another new song, inspired by the movie Stand By Me, that was excellent and seemed to have the quintessential 'Dan Mangan' feel.
Joined by everyone on stage, and from the sounds of the angelic voices, everyone in the church, the closer was So Much For Everyone. A beautiful song in its own right it is brought to a whole new level fully unplugged. As Dan's guitar & voice intro works up to the song's breakout and he is joined by the better part of one thousand voices united in the love for his music, it sends chills. Euphoric!

Wintersleep Live Up to their Potential (Vinyl, Oct.21)

2010-10-23T11:05:00.003-04:00

Both previous times I’ve prepared to see Wintersleep I’ve listened to their records and dreamt about how amazing it the live show should translate. Yet both times I’ve been let down – mid-afternoon Hillside Inside set, and openers to a half-empty gargantuan Toronto Amphitheatre from half-way back. Each time I’ve thought “if only they could play in a sweaty, crammed little club where the fans are stoked to be there specifically for them”. Last night at the Vinyl my wishes came true and it was absolutely everything I could have hoped for.

Shoulder to shoulder with fans the energy buzzed in the darkness while the air filled with smoke. Finally the anticipation was sated as Wintersleep took to the stage and proceeded to rock our faces off. With well-composed songs and accomplished musicians playing them, they really know how to build a song up to epic proportions that make you lose your place in the swirl of guitar and drums. It didn’t matter whether the songs were new or old throughout the night because the band was feeling it, and the fans actually gained energy along the hour and a quarter of mindmelding music. Just as New Inheritors tracks like Preservation, Baltic and Trace Decay build and improve as they go along, so did this show.

A fine subset of Welcome to the Night Sky was included too, such as Archaeologist that played well with keys traded for tambo and a modified chorus, while Dead Letters.. was simply and purely awesome. The crowd sure was pleased by the early-set back-to-back accessible hits of Weighty Ghost into Oblivion while deeper cut fans must have been blown away by the full rendition of that album’s closer Miasmal Smoke & the Yellow Bellied Freaks that also closed this set.

After going out with a bang (figuratively, and literally – burst of confetti) the crowd hollered for a legitimately deserved encore and the efforts fully paid off. They led with the repeatedly requested Orca, dating way back to 2003 from the bands first self-titled effort, and it was appreciated. Finally they hit on 2005’s release, finishing oh-so-strong with the neatly drummed Danse Macabre letting us all yell out “Oh you had such big, big plans!” Well my plan was to take in Wintersleep at their best, in this well-suited situation and that’s exactly what I got; one of the best live shows in recent Guelph history - or anywhere for that matter.

Nearly Complete Set List
Drunk on Aluminium
Encyclopedia
?Trace Decay
Dead Letters & the Infinite Yes
Black Camera
Experience the Jewel
Weighty Ghost
Oblivion
New Inheritors
Preservation
Archaeologists
Baltic
Lasers
Miasmal Smoke & the Yellow Bellied Freaks
Encore
Orca
Danse Macabre

Rah Rah open for Wintersleep (Vinyl, Oct. 21)

2010-10-23T11:01:00.000-04:00

The evenly mixed-sex, sextet on stage known collectively as Rah Rah were performing their driving pop, lead by earnest drumming. They burst out with Betrayal Pt. 1, including male/female vocals, violin and plenty of energy. Carrying on in short time they covered the infectiously ridiculous Going Steady hit, Tentacles, as well as its record-mate Fuck NAFTA. Like their Saskatchewan brethren (and sistren(?)) of Library Voices they really know how to make a catchy hook and back it up with nearly frenetic pop instrumentation – keys and accordion included. That or burst out in the middle of songs like Henry with lines such as “Hey Henry, you better lock that shit down!” The female drummer who had been clanging a cymbal with a tambo earlier then doled out extra sticks to any bandmate with a free hand and they tapped out Beaches all over the joint (speakers, walls, mic stands etc.) – a highlight for sure. Unfortunately there wasn’t much more time for other highlights as they had a sick member so they tossed in a Duet for Emmylou.. and took off after playing for about as much time as it took them to sound check. Not even enough time for recent single Arrows – which leaves a reason as good as any to catch them on the next fly through.

The Noise and the Ghost are four guys from Guelph who had the honour of opening the evening. Catching only the closing few numbers they held their own with some chill roots rock, tossed in a few decent electric guitar riffs (and had an acoustic going too), before closing off with a Wilco cover.

Danny Michel & Emma Lee (Dublin St. Church, Oct 20)

2010-10-21T10:39:00.007-04:00

Whether plucking her guitar or pounding it in a percussive-strumming manner Emma Lee’s voice soared above. Her singing is strong right across her impressive range, easily filling the open hall of the Dublin Street Church. Her whistling is nothing to scoff at either, as she proved with a fully-whistled verse – just another element of a diverse show. From beneath her hat she mixed storytelling with lovely and at times revealing songs, including one penned alongside Ms. Jill Barber. An enjoyable set from a performer who comfortably mixed brand new songs into a set book-ended by Never Just a Dream songs That Sinking Feeling and Until We Meet Again.

Danny Michel has a proven fan base, no doubt built up from putting on quirky and fun performances over the years. This show was no different as Danny played, with an emphasis on playfulness, a solo show to a large gathering. Foregoing introduction he took the stage and launched into song with his trusty red electric guitar. His silence didn’t last long though as the atmosphere was kept light with stories, new and old, as well as questions from the audience. He even solicited requests only to jokingly ignore most of them, though he did bend to include his harmonica and I Will Love You For Miles to appease two shout outs. Whether it was recently released songs or back-catalogue tracks, Danny kept things interesting with loops, curious glances, and occasionally unique and unexpected delivery.

Having seen Danny solo recently, and knowing he’d recently been touring with a full band I was slightly disappointed when they weren’t there. Especially for Sunset Sea cuts that really snap on record with their full, upbeat sound that just can’t be duplicated with only a guitar, no matter how many layers of loops are added. That being said, if the band had been there we may not have witnessed as much quirk, or as many new takes on old songs, so it is a trade-off.

All in all the audience seemed pleased, both old fans and new converts alike. A two-song encore was demanded and saw the aforementioned harmonica, as well as an electronic sound-effect solo that was pretty neat. Danny Michel, entertaining as always.

Set List after the Jump
Into the Flame
Maybe You Can Find It In Your Heart
Sweet Things (yes, rock and roll ending, in a church)
This Feeling
Feather, Fur and Fin
Whale of a Tale
Wish Willy
Bank Robber (quick Clash cover)
If God’s On Your Side
White Lightnin’
Who’s Gonna Miss You?
Tennessee Tobacco
Encore
I Will Love You For Miles
Switchman

Sunparlour Playas (eBar, Oct 14)

2010-10-15T09:46:00.004-04:00

The Sunparlour Players are one of those bands. Like Shout Out Out Out Out and The Burning Hell their recorded music is fine and all, but it is the live show where they really take off.

As they were soundchecking I was worried that Guelph had forgotten about this as the eBar seemed to have cleared out to some degree, but when the banjo broke out the crowds came flocking, seeing as we are what singer Andrew Penner described as their pseudo hometown. What better place to kick off an extensive tour?

And kick it off they did.
The raucous three-piece ran through a serious amount of favourites from both of their previous two albums, much to the delight of the attentive and responsive people clapping along up front.

The key difference to the live show seems to be the drumming. Not only is he lined up at the front of the stage along with his bandmates, but Rosie is seriously killer at percussion - multi-talented too! Most tunes saw a xylophone rested on his set being played by one hand while the other manned the drums, and the kick leg kept the beat. He even broke out the accordion a few times.

Dennis celebrated his birthday by accepting a spontaneous outpouring of fan-led 'Happy Birthday', a couple of pints, and then rocking out the guitar and banjo. He even set banged on the "The" kickdrum and cymbal for a few tunes too like Dyin' Today. (The band is still rocking the rattiest looking kickdrums which at one point were painted one-word-per-drum "The" "Sunparlour" "Players".)

Hollerin' and singin' is what Penner does best and last night was no exception. Belting out old favourites like John Had a Bell and a Whistle and If the Creeks Don't Rise from Hymns for the Happy he sure did make us happy. Also give him some creativity points for hanging a windchime from the stem of his instrument, and tying bells to his boots for other songs!

It was a full, energetic and upbeat set but we still wanted more. An encore screamed O'Captain, the movie-soundtrack tune Bless this City and once again a distinctly Sunparlour version of Thunderstruck! Can't wait for the new album sometime next year, and surely a tour to boot.

Sunparlour Players Set List:
Wall Sisters
Battle of '77
Joy in What You Lack
Nuclear
North
*New Song?* "Your Grandfather"
Point Pelee is the Place to Be
Pacifist's Anthem
If the Creeks Don't Rise
Dyin' Today
John Had a Bell and a Whistle
The Detroit River is Alive

Encore:
O'Captain
Bless this City
Thunderstruck

Hoodie Good, Modern Field Recordings (eBar Oct 14)

2010-10-15T09:31:00.001-04:00

The recognizable eBar/Hillside sound guy, Jordan, has a solo musical incarnation. It's called Hoodie Good and it is pretty good. Primarily a one-man show he plays guitar, sings, taps some keys, bangs drums, and sometimes runs a drum machine, and loops a bunch of this - all while barefoot! It was entertaining, even Tiffany's I Think We're Alone Now. Highlight was when he had a backing trio chanting and hollering along while the intensity ratcheted up and Jordan fully circled the stage, working from guitar, to beating the drums from all sides and back to his guitar. Check out the CD that was released this night, and then watch him do it live next time.

Modern Field Recordings had a stand-up drummer and a stand-up bass but the music went along more with the seated singer/guitarist, and his wooden box tapping counterpart. The songs would start out with promise but the level never elevated - the set never took off. Fun instruments like the melodica - even a synthesizer! - still didn't quite break through. I think they're okay with this since the singer did note "We want to be a band you can dance to, but we like chilling out too much."

Missing the Action

2010-10-01T15:47:00.000-04:00

Dear Vernacularists,

Or should it be Sandrushers? Either way, Dear YOU - reader of the blog. This may come as a disappointment to you, but trust me I'm taking it harder. With all of those wonderful shows upcoming in Guelph (check the sidebar ->) I sadly find myself out of town for the foreseeable future. That means I likely won't be around to document many of the shows. Sad, truly sad.

Depending where the job market takes this computer programmer/physicist/blogger extraordinaire I hope to pick up where I've left off in my new city, town or village. Unfortunately my current location is practically scene-free so things might be a little quiet round these parts for the (hopefully) short term.

Don't worry, upon my return I plan to woo you all back via descriptive reviews and whispered sweet nothings.

Until then!
Stefan

Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby, Cooooooooast! (Newmarket, Sept 18),

2010-09-23T12:49:00.003-04:00

Assembled in, of all places, a new salon in downtown Newmarket, fans came together for a preview of Ruby Coast’s as-of-yet unreleased first full album. (That or they were there to help support Studio 5’s efforts to clean up the BP oil spill via trimmed hair.) With their keyboardist raised up in the front display window and the band crammed in below him at the end of the long, 150-year old building Ruby Coast took their positions. Sightlines may not have been great but the music made up for it. Claiming it to be their first time ever playing an album front to back for a show they launched into it – catchy indie rock from the get-go. Like their brethren Tokyo Police Club (actually from Newmarket, just up the street from Ruby’s home of Aurora) they create infectious jangly rock, tossing keys, synths and xylophones into the regular mix of bass, guitar and drums – all serving as a the bed for yelped yet appealing choruses.

Showing maturity from their More than Television-inclusive EP they haven’t lost that pop sensibility and energy (as I’d argue Born Ruffians did on their latest, albeit second, LP). There was tambourine, there was hollering and there were dramatic tempo changes. These young boys know how to move into rock territory too as they proved in the driving closing of Liza, Liza (track 6?). Garnering attention through the window from those passing by on the street they ripped through a solid rendition of Monsters, the one previously recognizable song of the night. The night and therefore album closer built up with an extended introduction and was quite dynamic as it carried on through shifts and served as a strong way to go out.

The floor withstood the strain, and the guys withstood the sweat, producing a fitting introduction to their latest effort. If all is right in the world this full-length release should push Ruby Coast into the stratosphere alongside TPC and the Born Ruffians, taking them far beyond the confines of small town hair salons.

Hillside 2010 - Sunday Recap

2010-09-21T11:56:00.008-04:00

The Acorn falls from the Wooden Sky

There were enticing collaborations happening throughout the grounds to kick off a sunny Sunday morning. Being a big Acorn fan (with new concert tee to prove it), and after an impressive Wooden Sky performance the day before this team effort drew me in. Many of the so-called ‘workshops’ had fallen flat with bands simply interchanging on the same stage, but this set went beyond that to integrate both bands in ‘the hole in the universe’. For example they all played a light-hearted rendition of the Barenaked Ladies’ Lovers in a Dangerous Time which was good fun and included some slide guitar. Keeping with the easy-going set they led a Happy Birthday singalong, and joked about the seemingly accidental ‘uniform’ for nearly all on-stage members – plaid shirts of all colours.

Location appropriate, and carrying on the weekend-long love for Royal City, they performed a cover of these legendary locals. Keeping with the covers while commenting on how indulgent they were being, they closed out strong with a double dose of Tom Petty - Last Chance for Mary Jane and finally Runnin’ Down the Dream. Cliché or not, I think the audience enjoyed hearing it as much as these boys did playing it.

Plenty more after the jump including Gospel Choir, Braids, Shapes and Sizes, Hayley Sales and Gord Downie.

Gospel Hour

In Hillside 26 years the Sunday morning gospel hour has gained a strong following. No matter how hard people go on Saturday night they make a point of being there for this now three-hour ‘hour’. Sarah Harmer was charged with duties of overseeing this melee and that was no easy task with the amount of performers listed and hanging around (ie: emcee Vish Khanna holding down drum duties). As mentioned above the workshops really take off when collaborations add a hint of spontaneity to produce magic. Unfortunately those ingredients were missing in the section that I watched, so there was little sorcery making its way to the back edge of the tent where I was peeping in. The Good Lovelies led a tune but didn’t have enough of an opportunity to exhibit their reputed humour. Despite the extra backing Basia Bulat’s If It Rains didn’t blow away her strong version from the previous afternoon’s set. Luckily it wasn’t raining, so the opportunity was taken for an early dip in the lake.

The Skeletones Four

Being locals, and with a Gordon as a member, The Skeletones Four were on the radar without having yet made a huge impression. This set may not have changed that for everyone but it was should have. With hard-hitting, instrument-based music (as opposed to lyric driven) they included a couple electric guitars and added some synths to a rocking sound. Evan Gordon held down bass duties as the fourtet (surprise, surprise) played a jam-my set of tight music, if you know what I mean.

The Shapes and the Sizes

In the early afternoon set the 4-piece Shapes and Sizes sounded pretty good over a lunch and beer. They came off rather loose in a positive way, and closed well with Head Movin’.

Braids

With a bit of hype coming into this set the bar was set pretty high. (High enough to draw me in over the Zeus set that everyone seemed to be talking about for the rest of the day, which I don’t want to talk about at all, to avoid that sinking feeling of regret.) This Pop Montreal band built from ambient noise composed from synths and effect pedals and reverberated vocals, into swirling songs with texture. Animal Collective references seem to follow them like, well braids on a little girl, but there’s definitely some substance to that. The set was intriguing with much to take in, with all four members contributing unique sounds from their individual instruments, in addition to all of their voices.

The Gord Downie Hour

The introductions for this tried to sound like a list of living legends from Canadian indie rock. Judging by the rammed tent people were obviously excited by this, but without a sightline I couldn’t be bothered to stay beyond Julie Doiron’s song (the second of the set) when I realized they’d be round-tabling it with a song from the back catalogue’s of each member’s career.

Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans

There isn’t a heckuva lot of country I like. Usually I hide it under a ‘folk’ heading even if I do. But Corb Lund is unabashedly country and I will unabashedly say that I enjoyed him thoroughly. Staring into the afternoon sun of the mainstage (no cowboy hat to protect his eyes) Corb played a handful of Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! favourites, including the title track, and I Wanna Be in the Cavalry complete with banjo. Nearing the end of the set Corb gathered us all in with a very serious and somber introduction. He had us hook, line and sinker and I couldn’t help but laugh as the song he was prefacing turned out to be Time to Switch to Whiskey. And a rousing version it was as they went around the band each offering a solo, mixing in some Folsom Prison Blues, and returning to the song that left everyone content - and fixin’ for a drink!

Holy Fuck in a Tent

With gear of all sorts stacked center stage each member of Holy Fuck faced the other three to create their electro rock and eventually a dance party. Arriving late due to a Shad set that just couldn’t be torn away from it would have been more interesting to have a better vantage point to figure out how they produce this music live. From what I could gather they had two guys manning keys, a third on bass and another beating the drums. Mostly instrumental at times they would scream with the microphones firmly implanted in their mouths, busting out vocoded vocals atop the music. Expectations may have been built up since their last Hillside appearance a few years ago so when the dancing didn’t erupt immediately it was slightly disappointing. Song after song the momentum built, playing a bunch of well-known tracks and for the second-to-last track things finally let loose with the entire crowd bouncing up and down in unison.

Hayley Sales

Hayley has come recommended before, but it wasn’t until she’d sung live that the full extent of her talent was realized. This was a few years ago at Hillside and in the meantime I’m sure much has changed for her but she remains gorgeous, with a voice to boot. Slotted against Canadian music royalty (see the Hippest singer in the land) Hayley was fully cheerful and engaging with the audience that came to marvel at her range. In a blue polka-heart dress, Ms.Sales’ powerful voice rang out over her acoustic guitar with bass accompaniment, except when she dismissed him to play a Simple Song on a broken ukulele. As a sign of how great she is, I left her set to catch some of Gord’s (out of necessity) but ran back before Stars to catch her last few songs.

Gord Downie and the Country of Miracles

The Country of Miracles filled out to a six-piece on stage, with Julie Doiron being quite outgoing while Gord Downie seemed slightly more subdued than he usually is in his normal gig. (No broken mic stands!) It was more of a rock impression live than the recorded material gives, but either way it’s that signature voice that defines it. The East Wind under a rising full moon was something to behold.

City & Sara, Ra Ra-Sleep (+Special Hip Guest)

2010-08-29T22:31:00.005-04:00

Ra Ra Riot

Ra Ra Riot have a dense sound with a lilting vocal delivery and that is exactly what came across at Toronto’s amphitheatre on Saturday night. The six piece began a stellar night of music to those patrons that knew about their excellent sound and specifically showed up for it, and those that were just early enough to be introduced to it. The ever-prompt amphitheatre had them mid-set as I found my seat, perfectly coinciding with my most favoured track Too Dramatic from this year’s The Orchard. This upbeat tune pulsed its way throughout the gorgeous early evening shadows. With the skeleton of an electric cello rumbling and the violin streaking overtop they won people over in short time.

Wintersleep

Returning to past Wintersleep albums is a reminder of their strength as songwriters, managing to craft catchy songs while incorporating exquisite guitar work. That being said their live show has yet to translate that as well, at least in the situations I’ve seen them. Opening this set they treated us to new New Inheritors such as Mirror Matter before dropping that catchy as all get-out Oblivion. It appeared a difficult task to translate to this huge venue that was slowly filling with mostly non-fans. Even a blistering version of recent single Black Camera wasn’t enough to draw people in as the amazing guitar breakdowns were being lost in the ether. Miscommunication led them to rush into finale Weighty Ghost, which they put a slightly new spin on as they do to most live songs which may have disappointed those radio fans who yelled in recognition off the top. Realizing they actually had time for two more songs after this was a blessing as they rocked Archaeologists with loose vocals, leaving them with the somewhat synthy, tempo-changing Trace Decay as their strongest performance in finale. Give this band a headlining spot in a moderately sized club and I bet they’d have the power to floor ya.

Tegan and Sara, City and Colour after the jump..

Tegan and Sarah

Tegan. Sarah. Admittedly nervous off the top (massive crowd? opening for Dallas?) took a few songs before they really began to translate, despite the hearty response to them off the top. They shine at their most vulnerable and so it was songs with revealing lyrics like The Con, and numbers such as the slowed down Back in Your Head – laid out over acoustic guitar and synths - that really hit their mark. In fact there was a midset section that removed much of the presence of the backing trio (drum, bass, keys/guitar) and put the focus on the band’s namesakes to great effect. Teegs and Sassy did So Jealous ‘classics’ such as the title track, Walking with a Ghost, Speak Slow and Where Does the Good Go? There was also a neat version of Nineteen that had the mid-song vocals over just an ethereal guitar. To close it out they brought everyone back for a rocking Northshore and after giving authentic, heartfelt thanks the two of them alone used The Con’s closer, Call It Off for an emotional singalong leaving a hanging T&S presence as they exited the stage.

City and Colour

City & Colour is Dallas Green and that's just how this show began, Dallas strumming a guitar in his suspendered Canadian tuxedo for 10,000 or so (mostly) screaming fans. Partway through opener Comin' Home he was joined by his backing band who were present for about half the set. "I said I wouldn't say anything... but 'Holy $h!t'" were some of the first words Dallas muttered to the audience a couple of songs in, and of course the crowd went crazy. Back and forth from acoustic to electric he mixed in cuts from both albums as well as a couple of new tracks to boot. A vocal-only outro to Hello, I'm in Delaware resounded, while Save Your Scissors had the crowd's voices in unison covering the chorus for him after the band had left again. A knockout was the harmonica-laden Body in a Box, which preceded the predictable Tegan and Sara accompaniment - at least it was for the oil spill response song freshly written by Mr.Green. The girls held their own with their vocals but didn't produce particular magic on their only song.

That Girl had the couples in the house (both gay and straight) reaching for each other's hands, while Sometimes was reworked as a rocker with legit electric guitar solos and everything. To close out the set he followed T&S' lead by closing with an album closer - the slow burn of Bring Me Your Love's As Much As I Ever Could.

Lights out, "I Love You Dallas'" drowned out by cheering for the encore. This eventually brought him back out alone to the piano to play an "almost cover" of Alexisonfire's Happiness by the Kilowatt. Euphoric right? But as the cry went all morning at Buskerfest - wait there's more!

To paraphrase the man of the hour's introduction to the next and final song of a rather solid evening of performances, "I brought my friends back out with me for this one," backing band strolls on stage as the lights shine on them, "and I brought another friend with me too. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Gord." The introduction by first name only was all that was necessary as speculation had been running rampant all day about this potential collab. Spontaneously the crowd went officially bonkers - the guy directly in front of me impulsively jumped in her lap and hugged the sh!t out of his girlfriend - as the reigning god of Canadian rock sang his verse and backed up the chorus on Sleeping Sickness. Gord Downie and Dallas Green embraced both before and after the song, as caught up in the moment as we all were. As Dallas pointed out - I feel sorry for those who decided to beat the traffic by sneaking out early.

Band of Horses, and other Toronto Island Bands (Pavement, Beach House, Zeus, Timber Timbre)

2010-08-22T19:24:00.006-04:00

Despite being on Toronto Island and in line before doors were set to open most of the patrons did not make it in before the bands began, with us being no exception. The Beauties and Flash Lightnin’ had come and gone.

Zeus was wrapping up their last couple tunes as the sun broke out to match our exuberance of finally making it into the venue. The huge and still relatively empty space didn’t allow Zeus to crank up the energy as they are capable of, but the sound did come across clearly, especially during the guitar solos. They did their go-to Genesis cover That’s All but overall didn’t leave much of a distinct impression.

Timber Timbre’s music seems more appropriately suited for a darkened basement club and was therefore out of context on this now-sunny afternoon in the glorious nature of Toronto Island. Taylor Kirk – the mastermind behind it all – even commented on how he was about to play an awful song on a nice day before picking his guitar and keeping slow, distinct time with a simple kick drum. He was accompanied by a lap steel which was being bowed, and deeper in the set the sound was filled out by a female violinist, a clarinet and a subdued sax. He cut the speed of Until the Night is Over in half during its live rendition. The set didn’t particularly fit the vibe and didn’t much improve my previous opinion of his music being a slight yawn played live.

Beach House are receiving a lot of love lately and the music does seem suited for lazy days in the sun, even at a beach house. However the live performance was not all that entertaining for someone with only a cursory knowledge of their music, and from what I heard even fans weren’t particularly blown away. The duo played their guitar and synths, backed by a drummer, and the music swirled lazily while the female did a take on headbanging that didn’t sync up all too well. Repetitive vocals didn’t do anything to increase interest and eventually the set passed us by.

By the time Band of Horses hit the stage I was ready for something to impress me, and this set was the prescription the doctor had ordered. For some reason I find it funny that middle-aged dudes are often behind some of the most adored hipster music of the day, and from Band of Horses made this thought resurface. Regardless of their appearance they are a group of five hard-hitting great musicians. Often combining three guitars simultaneously, both electric and acoustic, they remade their already stellar album cuts in impressive fashion live, featuring tracks from all of their full lengths. Their technical playing was pretty darn great, and that unique voice coupled so well. Infinite Arms has taken longer to gain traction in my playlist but the performance of the new material improved its chances (though unfortunately Northwest Apartment wasn’t included). What was included, saving the best for last, was The Funeral which the crowd clapped out with great appreciation for a fantastic performance.

Pavement were before my time. I missed them in their prime, and despite all the good I'd heard and checking them out via their recently released Quarantine the Past 'Best Of' I couldn't get into them. After the exuberance of BSS I couldn't be much bothered with them here either. The five-piece, (including two drumsets) did open with Cut Your Hair which is the one song that I had dug. I couldn't get into the set though, even with Kevin Drew and the Band of Horses lead singer joining them onstage early in the set for a collab. After a beer Pavement played the soundtrack to our walk to the inevitably long ferry line back to the city.

For the main event of this day, curators and co-headliners, Broken Social Scene check this review that was actually published soon afterward.

Danny Michel, Solo, Sunlight Music Fest 2010

2010-08-15T19:23:00.006-04:00

Danny Michel took the honour of headlining the fledgling Sunlight Music Festival in Guelph with grace and ease. Playing a very loose, solo set Danny oozed charm while entertaining the crowd gathered on the benches and grass encircling the Riverside Park bandshell. As mentioned he was unaccompanied on this occasion and worked primarily with his electric red guitar, swapped out briefly for a beat up black telecaster and augmented at times by his harmonica. It is the song writing that sets Danny apart moreso than his catchy, seemingly-simple music so this arrangement was just fine.

In keeping with this feeling his looping was understated and unobtrusive, as he laid down a few base samples for the first song while mirroring a child who was dancing and prancing near the stage. However for the catchysweet opening track from new album Sunset Sea Danny jovially noted that there were about 15 instruments on the album and that he’d do his best to replicate at least two, before playing Maybe You Can Find It In Your Heart. He described this album as being very happy and that feeling could certainly be heard on This Feeling – written on a bus riding in the Caribbean. Wish Willy played the part too. Older tracks were also put in the mix, with his environmentally-conscious Feather, Fur and Fin and a reinterpreted version of White Lightning that worked really well, especially with the mutli-layered ending (one of the few times the sampling was emphasized).

Throughout the show Danny was easy-going, playing with his cadence and with the kids in the audience. On I Will Love You For Miles he had a false start, momentarily forgetting the line and looking around to no one in particular, but laughed it off and began again with renewed confidence. A few songs also had false stops since the step of the sample pedal didn’t take effect but none of this detracted from the show, in fact it made it that much more personal. Adding to that was Danny laying bare his favourite song he’s ever written, Who’s Going to Miss You?, for good reason.

Leaving on a playful note the closer was Tennessee Tobacco, an upbeat ditty that had people tapping and bobbing along. So much so that they turned this kinetic energy to encore-worthy applause and received If God’s On Your Side, Who’s On Mine? in return. Danny Michel played a relaxed, easy-going set to a parkful of pleasant, fortunate people.

Saturday Round-up with Jason Collett, Beauties, Wooden Sky +more (Hillside 2010)

2010-08-15T18:48:00.001-04:00

A promising workshop between Flashlight Radio and Zeus failed to meld the two groups very well, creating chocolate and vanilla cake, not marble. Rather than play together it was mostly a back and forth that saw FR play New Constellations and Z rocking Marchin’ Through Your Head with the other band simply adding a little extra guitar and obligatory tambourine and some shakers in the background.

Read more for Jason Collett, Wooden Sky, The Beauties, Emerald City, and Chris Trapper

Chris Trapper played solo acoustic singer-songwriter stuff on his guitar or uke. It wasn’t bad but the fact that it took me away for The Canned Goods closing song was a bummer.

That early set finish did afford me the opportunity to check in on Emerald City. Like The Canned Goods they are a rather young band, but they seemed to have more unbridled energy, though perhaps less poise. Most members sang at one point or another, often overlapping too. Of note instrumentation-wise, they used a stand-up bass, as well as bowing a cello at times and included a whistle solo, which was the fashionable thing to do this weekend it seemed.

The Wooden Sky had a packed tent, and it wasn’t all due to the rain falling outside. Out of the gate they seemed to be a rockin’ band but the energy waned as the songs slowed mid-set and things didn’t quite live up to their promise. With the finale some of this was recouped on a percussion-centric that brought on a solid hand clap. The crowd reacted with more hand-clapping than seemed due, but perhaps I just wasn’t feeling it.

The late afternoon son came out in time for Jason Collett’s timeslot. From backstage while grabbing volly dinner I could hear the Angel of Kensington. Rounding to the front I saw Jason, backed by Zeus of course, playing Love is a Dirty Word including that wicked bass riff. As I’ve felt before while watching his show, if I could choose the setlist I think that it could be a great show, but with major songs missing its hard not to feel slightly underwhelmed. At least he pulled out the prerequisite I’ll Bring the Sun in the blazing sun while sweat poured down his face as he strummed his beat-up acoustic guitar, and Zeus rocking out behind him.

The Beauties had a tough task to follow-up Flash Lightnin’ but with a bit more notoriety bringing the fans out already, and the sound traveling throughout the grounds they were up to the challenge. I was stuck in line for the loo during Fasion Blues but they had plenty of other bluesy rock’n’roll tracks to fill out the set. Die, Die, Die was a rambler that played on with varied pacing and instrumental interludes but showed just how tight the band are together (following their Toronto tavern residency). They extracted a huge singalong during Devil Do which was a bunch of fun. For a finale they had a big jam during which they would encircle the drummer, build up the song, let it cool off, only to do it again and again until the top finally blew off and left us all pleasantly exhausted.

Richard Laviolette, Oil Droplets, and Lime Parade (Sunlight Music Festival 2010)

2010-08-15T17:43:00.001-04:00

I'll be honest - the country, folk of Richard Laviolette and the Oil Spills doesn't normally do it for me (I'd prefer his other incarnation with the Hollow Hooves). However being a local upstart quickly gaining popularity, and the strength of the backing band, along with endorsements for their live performance I stuck around to see if there was anything to it. As it turns out there is. Behind Richard and his acoustic guitar were an accordion, banjo, couple more guitars and drums that livened up the sound (unfortunately some of the regulars like Jenny Mitchell and Geordie Gordon were replaced on this evening, though the understudies fared just fine). When they stepped it up it felt like a jamboree, with dueling guitars and banjo solos that were good fun. Funeral Song stands strong on the album and did so again live. As a finale they threw down a Neil Young cover, Music Arcade, and bid us adieu.

Lime Parade are a young, Guelph band trying to cut their teeth. Their apparel, shiny silver dress and sunglasses all around ended up being louder than their sound which pretty tamely wrapped the female vocals. The four piece used bass, keys, drums, ukelelee and guitars to play their brand of indie rock, as well as tossing in a kazoo on a respectable rendition of Feist's 1,2,3,4. On their closer they claimed to let loose but it still seemed a little bridled. The highlight of the set was another numeric cover, Bedouin Soundclash's 12:59 a song I'm especially familiar with but had no reason to be disappointed by this version. Props.

Hillside 2010 - Friday Night Recap

2010-08-06T18:18:00.007-04:00

A clean-shaven Beardyman kicked it all off on the main stage. Blinded by the afternoon sun that had busted through after an ominous day he composed blazingly danceable tracks by feel alone. Amazingly this beatboxer does not use samples or records but instead composes entire tracks by recording his vocals on the fly and whipping them into club beats. Only during his "sound check" did he perform a full-on beatbox track which turned out to be the highlight, even though the rest was great. Unfortunately it was still mid-afternoon and things were just getting underway so the rather sizable dance party that did form was only a fraction of what it could (and I argue Should) have been.

Read on for First Rate People, Warped 45s, Laura Marling and Flashlight Radio!

First Rate People were hard to pin down. As a young band, both age and experience, it may simply be that they haven't yet found their sound since it varied greatly from song to song. Not to say that it didn't sound good at times as this five-piece swapped vocal duties, even letting the female drummer in on the action. Songs were short, bass was groovy and the few tracks I caught were alright.

The Warped 45s were a quick, upbeat take on country, complete with a singer in a cowboy shirt. Their keys were poppy akin to Will Currie from the quick glimpse I had.

Laura Marling has been receiving quite the buzz for a solo twenty year old out of the UK. Up for the Mercury Prize she brought her music to Hillside's main stage. With a powerful full band behind her on most songs Laura's nicely accented, soft voice still managed to come through. The dynamics of the songs were pleasant, as were the tracks where she strummed solo on her acoustic guitar, using lulls to to her advantage.

Flashlight Radio were quite enjoyable live. Their deliberate instrumentation was offset well by the powerfully pretty vocals of the female lead singer. Laid over an acoustic bed the song Leaving caught attention - and did I mention they were pretty?

Shad and Hey Ocean reverse roles (Hillside '10)

2010-08-05T23:18:00.008-04:00

I'm nearly out of adulation for Shad's live show. Not because I'm growing weary of it, but in fact just the opposite. His live show is even more polished than ever and his charisma comes off completely naturally. Added attraction at this show was the guest vocals of the acoustically and aesthetically pleasing Ashleigh from Hey Ocean on Rose Garden.

Another contribution to this performance was his Hillside-themed freestyle rap which I captured below.

With a joke about Hillside being like BC-away-from-home Shad introduced another member of the British Columbian band Hey Ocean, the bass player for Rock to It amongst other songs. The woman-empowering Keep Shining fit the Hillside vibe, as did the everyone-empowering Compromise. The only downer was the lack of TSOL bangers Yaa I Get It and We, Myself and I but older Out of Love Part II helped to fill the void.

As an indication of how much he pulls in his crowd, myself and friends pushed off a hugely anticipated Holy Fuck set so we could stick around for the end of Shad. No one was upset with the decision, especially as he played a crowd-friendly set pulling out classics interspersed with new TSOL songs, guests and freestyling.

Bent By Elephants (Hillside '10)

2010-08-05T22:56:00.000-04:00

A full contingent of elephants hit the stage; seven of them playing violins, trombones, horns, guitars, bass and drums - often in unique ways. Early on the female drummer left her post to bring only one drum to the front of the stage so the group could play a song with limited instrumentation but layers of vocals that came off really neat. Adding to the song was the bowed saw. With all that backing instrumentation they could really build up the music before the strong lead female vocals impressively kicked in. On Sask. Pool the lyrics ask "How high can you go?" and her range responded resoundingly high. A pretty good show from an emerging band.

Shane Koyczan (Hillside 2010)

2010-08-05T22:45:00.003-04:00

With Shane Koyczan being a spoken-word artist it is an intimidating task to attempt to describe his appearance at this year's Hillside Festival using only words. Making the task all the more difficult is the fact that it was the most moving performance of the year. The man did a mixture of spoken word pieces, both with and without musical accompaniment consisting of a male cello player and two females on keyboard, guitar and backing vocal duties. Shane sure can make you feel feelings through his seemingly simple stories and poems. Reactions ranged from smiles and laughs, to hugs and tears as he told tales of his childhood and Haikus about STDs (separate stories). The most affecting by far was that of a young, terminally-ill boy that Shane had met in the hospital and really needs to be heard for full-effect. That full effect was felt by every last person who crammed the tent to witness this wordsmith's magic, and they were unrelenting in their appreciation which brought a visibly touched Shane Koyczan back out for an unaccompanied encore that was met with more passionate applause.

The Acorn Falls on Hillside '10

2010-08-05T21:58:00.005-04:00

The sky is falling! No wait, it's The Acorn dropping double drum sets and dueling guitars on an expectant Hillside audience. Bringing Ottawa-indie from their recently released No Ghost they represented it well live, tossing in some beloved Glory Hope Mountain tracks like Crooked Legs for good measure too.

Secondary drumming with plenty of drum-edge tapping was really getting it done, and the one-armed hardcore tambo-shakin' while simultaneously keeping the drum and cymbal beat was spiffy. (All the while donning rubber boots in true Hillside/Wellington Brewery fashion.) Misplaced, a sparsely arranged but lovely tune held its own live, eliciting a slow clap/sing-along. Slightly more upbeat were Cobbled from Dust and Restoration but it was the title-track "single" No Ghost that finally had people shuffling along to the melodies. Returning to a tried and tested classic in Flood Pt.1 for the finale was a commendable choice, as was adding the phenomenal mid-song two-way guitar breakdown.

As the new album is still growing on me I wasn't fully blown away by this No Ghost-heavy set but it was enjoyable nonetheless, and their return to the stage for a workshop with The Wooden Sky the next day upped their cred further.

Basia Battles the Weather (Hillside '10)

2010-07-29T23:25:00.004-04:00

No way will the weather halt a Hillside. Sun, rain, lightning, or mud does not matter to these patrons that carry on despite it all. The elements did their best to put a damper on Ms.Basia Bulat's set by raining, on-again, off-again, hard enough each time to force the stage crew to come out and cover up. Perhaps ten minutes late it let up and stayed that way (for the most part) to allow Basia to perform. Thankfully she did as I've been waiting for two years now to see her after missing out on a sold out gig at The Stage.

Even with the prolonged build-up, further delayed by the rain, I was not disappointed once she began singing out. Flanked by a couple other female musicians, violinist and guitarist/ukuleleist respectively, Basia in her polka-dotted dress had further accompaniment from a stand-up bass and drummer. Despite all of this it is her voice that cuts through and presents the "Wow" factor, especially on set-toppers Heart of My Own, If Only You and In the Night. Guesting on Go On was the trumpet player from The Hidden Cameras before the males departed to leave the prettier half of the band to play Before I Knew much to the appreciation of the hand-clapping audience.
As if the weather-gods were anticipating Basia's set (or perhaps vice versa) Basia was well-prepared with her song that sings, "I don't mind, If It Rains". Neither did we, especially since her voice like sunshine broke the clouds, warming up the afternoon as well as our hearts.

My Son the Hurricane (Hillside '10)

2010-07-29T21:58:00.008-04:00

Once before have I seen a gaggle of musicians parade through a Hillside crowd. Unlike that internationally acclaimed band who were already in their heyday, My Son the Hurricane are an emerging group with something to prove. Without warning they began playing single-file, looping around the edge of the Island Tent during a break in the Saturday afternoon rain. Quite a stir was made even before their lead sing-/rapp-er reached the stage, blazing yellow banner bearing the bands name in hand.

Click "Read More" for the video below!
Eventually all twelve members clamoured up there behind him with their assortment of instruments and large brass contingent (complete with massive tuba). For the size of the band they were astonishingly in unison while playing some fun, upbeat music. Overtop of this, their beaming, charismatic frontman spit hip hop rhymes and did all in his power to get the party going. He was somewhat successful as a brave soul attempted to body surf, and even people just ducking under the tent for its rain protection seemed to be nodding along in approval. A playful version of Pantera's Walk medleyed into Rage's Bombtrack, the latter being an appropriate way to showcase their skills. If it's some high energy fun you're after, consider giving these guys a shout.

Opening up the Canned Goods (Hillside '10)

2010-07-29T19:52:00.005-04:00

It was early Saturday when The Canned Goods took to Hillside's stage. Never too early for some good rock though is it? This local Guelph four-piece is young in age only as their musical stylings hearken back to classic rock roots in a way that compliments them very well. Unphased by a mainstage billing they appeared cool and composed while their instrumentation and vocals came across loud and clear. Songs were well written and dynamic, including decent guitar solos which always makes me a happy blogger. The only telling sign of their newness was that they only used two-thirds of their allotted time, presumably running short of polished and completed songs to play. When the only complaint is "we wanted more" you're doing something right! All that means is that there's more incentive to get another dose at their next show and eagerly await mighty things from this band with a future.

What was that Socalled? (Hillside '10)

2010-07-28T23:43:00.005-04:00

What is Socalled? No, really. I saw a bit of the Socalled set at Hillside a couple years ago, didn't understand what was going on so dismissed it and moved on. This time around I stuck it out for the spectacle and yet I'm still just as confused. I mean, yes, there was music (including rapping in Yiddish) but it was much more than a concert. There was magic - so was it a variety show? A few guests, including local legend Noah 23 joined them on-stage to drop a verse or two, but I wouldn't say it was a jam.

Even though two saxophones were played simultaneously by the same man it wasn't a talent search either.

Perhaps the closest descriptor that could be used is that Socalled was a Party. All of those things, and much, much more, happened during the set led by the very eclectic ringleader, Josh Doglin. Encouraged by and encouraging fellow singer Katie Moore, he seemed to go off on tangents on a whim (sometimes clever disguises to buy time while his samples loaded). Whether it be a whistled solo or an accordion riff, songs were composed in a variety of ways much to the delight of the crowd. During their "hit" finale, (These Are) The Good Old Days the folks under the tent were only too happy to be responding with the "Na Na, Na Na'"s while crowd-surfing the talking garden gnome. (Yes, that happened too)

Socalled didn't make much sense, but who cares how it is defined given that overall it was a hoot?

Flash Lightnin' and I don't mean the weather (Hillside '10)

2010-07-28T22:13:00.005-04:00

"Sorry Sarah Harmer" was the call from Flash Lightnin' as I entered the tent that could be heard from across the festival grounds. This three piece was playing unabashedly hard for three minutes at a time, being sure to pack in a filthy guitar solo or two into that time. It was balls-out rock and roll that grew in intensity and fun, continually attracting people as it filled from twenty or so when I arrived to a full crowd by the end. The drummer's driving beat made sure the songs didn't hit any lulls while they layered licks on top from their lightning instruments. Joined on a track by The Beauties they got a bluesy vibe going but were soon back at the rock, with the guitarist playing incredible solos with his metal slide. Hell, at times they were givin' it as hard as any metal band. Flash Lightnin' have my vote for favourite single song of the festival with their self-titled (yes, as in titled after the band) song that shook the tent with stormy lyrics, drumming like thunder and guitar-work like lightning. Straight ahead awesome!

Royal Wood in the Royal City (Hillside '10)

2010-07-28T21:43:00.007-04:00

Dressed to impress in a vest and tie, with his signature slicked hair, Royal Wood must have been warm while entertaining an Island Tent crowd early Saturday afternoon. I suppose sitting behind his piano (keyboard) for the first three songs mustn't have been hot work but after that jumping up to play some acoustic guitar the sweat must have been trickling down his back.

Come to think of it Royal was glowing throughout the set but that may just have been due to the great reception his beautifully composed music was receiving. Bringing his songwriting to life with a three-piece backing band Royal fed off the energy and for single On Top of Your Love he could be seen pounding the keys of the rather wobbly keyboard. A Mirror Without was such a strong ending to the set that the crowd wasn't about to let Royal go. In the first authentic and deserved encore I'd seen on the weekend we embraced him as he returned to the stage alone with his guitar for one more gem, Lady in White, to great ovation.

Brasstronaut Rockets to Hillside Fame ('10)

2010-07-28T12:59:00.003-04:00

As the six-piece took the stage I recognized Radio3 host Tariq Hussain on guitar duties, while I had seen the bassist play previously with Dan Mangan. They launched into Old World Lies opener, Insects with the deep rumble of the stand-up bass under layers of keys, electric guitar and filling out the "brass" section, a horn and hardcore clarinet. The clarinet player could be seen giving it his all throughout the performance, even while playing his electronic clarinet and especially when clapping it out with intensity.

They played a new, as-yet-untitled song that mixed electric and acoustic guitar before Hand Behind brought out Tariq's lap steel. Mid-set Requiem for a Scene made quite a scene indeed with an epic instrumental ending. Following this up were Old World Lies then Lo Hi Hopes, coming across much like the album versions and then some live.
Although it may not be the best song they've recorded Hearts Trompet received a grand treatment live, as the end of the song approached and the members played themselves off the stage one by one until it was only the lead singer and drummer remaining. As the drummer pounded away on his kit the singer doused him repeatedly with water from his bottle but it did nothing to hinder the percussion. It seemed like a neat way to finish a set but no one complained as they retook the stage to soar through a Slow Knots knockout to wrap up Hillside's Friday night festivities.

Hidden Cameras Revealed (Hillside '10)

2010-07-28T12:32:00.005-04:00

The Hidden Camera collective gradually emerged on stage, building up their opening number slowly and methodically before the horn section came crashing in. Frontman Joel Gibb really makes the most of his voice as an instrument, playing with it throughout the set along with emotive facial expressions. But there were many others on hand to lend both vocal and instrumental support for the show too. In fact the band numbered at least a dozen at points, including some guest vocals from beloved former Guelphite, Gentleman Reg.

For Smells like Happiness the band was apparently joined by Basia Bulat though I couldn't tell as all members performed the entire song under the cover of red blindfolds (to correspond to the lyric "Happy we are when we choose to wear the blindfold").

Old and new songs alike were mixed into the set, with Origin: Orphans tracks, In the NA and a dark version of Walk On complementing classics such as Awoo with its perky xylophone component. Nearing the end of the hour everyone loosened up and band members could be seen dancing and smiling with each other while go-go flag wavers came out to dance at stage-edge. In crowd-pleasing fashion The Hidden Cameras spectacle closed down with band and crowd alike shimmying to the Death of a Tune.

Not the Holiest F*ck (Hillside '10)

2010-07-27T23:44:00.005-04:00

As Holy Fuck was slightly delayed in getting going I squeezed my way towards to front, but not quite close enough to see the specifics of what was going on. The four of them were facing each other, overlooking keyboards and synthesizers, as well as a drum kit and bass guitar all packed together at center-stage.

Expectations were supremely high for this pre-sunset set and people were stood everywhere, even on picnic benches. The group began composing their electronic masterpieces, ramping up the energy as the one member yelled occasionally into a vocoder. However it seemed that with the set amputated at either end it took too long to get off the ground and by the time it did it was practically over.

Don't get me wrong - people danced but it wasn't quite the unabashed, all-out dance party that I was really looking forward to. Even with more popular hits like Super Inuit, Lovely Allen and the recent single, Latin America there seemed to be some slight reservations. Red Lights was a personal fave and began to get the crowd really into it. Finally by the second last song most everyone was jumping along with the band and the anticipated dance party was on. Unfortunately this year they weren't Sunday night's closers so they had to yield the stage for another band and just as the fun had begun, the chord was yanked.

Stars over the Hillside (Sunday 2010)

2010-07-27T22:12:00.005-04:00

Both humbled and incredibly happy to be closing Hillside Festival's main stage Stars put on a patently romantic set to spread a last dose of love through the crowd before we all had to return to reality. They came out under a Five Ghosts poster, a departure from the flower-strewn stage that has been their signature for some years now. Despite a fifteen-minute late sound check the sound was blatantly awful off the start with mics being off completely among other problems, but these were cleared up by the end of opener We Don't Want Your Body so the performance could become the focal point.

While pointing a spotlight back on us Torq proclaimed Hillside to be his favourite festival, a claim that is backed by his history of playing it as Memphis (2007), Hillside Inside with Stars (2009) and of course Stars opening for the Arcade Fire on this very stage in 2005. Amy was in great form in a sparkling dress and Cranley rocked some (hilariously) epic rock power-stances with his bass guitar. Most of the set was tit-for-tat Five Ghosts track for the usual suspects of older songs. A version of Going, Going, Gone had slower elements from the Nightsongs original, but brought more to life like the Sad Robots version. When Amy began singing over Chris' simple piano it really set the mood for a beautiful rendition of Midnight Coward.

With quiet hours looming over us the band stood poised for their final song and Amy said "You know what's coming" only to break into a less-than-stellar new song that signified to me that they'd be back. And they were, with the best Stars encore of the seven or eight times I've seen them. A touching rendition of the ultimate Stars lost-love duet, Your Ex-Lover is Dead was followed by a plea for One More Night. Sadly there were no more nights as another year of the Hillside Festival, dripping in all of the emotions supplied by an excellent Stars set, came to a gorgeous close.

[Set included Ageless Beauty, Take Me to the Riot, Elevator Love Letter and from The Five Ghosts Fixed, I Died So I Could Haunt You, Wasted Daylight, and The Passenger but unfortunately not Dead Hearts.]

Japandroids (Hillside 2010)

2010-07-27T21:25:00.007-04:00

Whether it was the coveted Saturday night Island Tent closing slot or simply their preceding rep I can't be sure but people were pressing themselves to the stage in frantic anticipation of the Japandroids set. In fact rather than leaving the already full pit area following The Beauties, people were actually packing themselves in further. I use the word pit since soon after all the stage prep was complete for this powerful two-piece they launched into a mosh-pit inducing set. It was loud, it was distorted, it was incredible.

Introducing themselves by first names, Brian and David started out strong and carried that energy throughout the entire set - most of which Brian spent perched on an equipment case set at the foot of David's kickdrum. Speaking of the kickdrum, each pound reverberated through my chest as the wall of amps (and everything else) was cranked up to maximize the output from this small band that loves to pack a big punch. And with hard rockin' music, frenzied fans and a small, sweaty tent we had a volatile mix of elements. Security did their best to contain us, while the stage manager wore an intense expression throughout, but the crowd wasn't to be stopped. Crowd surfing, shoving and stumbling en masse ensued, though with this being Hillside everyone was simply out to enjoy themselves so no one would be hurt.
In celebration the boys popped champagne and after a couple swigs asked the audience to pass it back to their sound guy. In true Hillside fashion fans stopped their moshing to calmly pass the bottle along and I thought it had a shot of making it until Brian gave the OK to have "a little drink" along the way and so the bubbly started going down.
It was wild, the most wild I've seen a Guelph-lake crowd get and it made it a uniquely awesome set. With lyrics like "I don't wanna worry 'bout dying, I just wanna worry 'bout sunshine girls" and "Remember saying things like 'we'll sleep when we're dead'" it seemed appropriate to join the melee and belt them right out too.

[Set list consisted of the latest two singles, Art Czars and Younger Us, plus the majority of Post Nothing with highlights being Boys Are Leaving Town, Sovereignty, Wet Hair and a stellar version of Young Hearts Spark Fire.]

Yukon Blonde Has More Fun (Hillside '10)

2010-07-27T09:17:00.001-04:00

As much fun as The Hidden Cameras had been on the main stage, Yukon Blonde were taking it to a new level over by the lakeside. Arriving mid-set a massive, sweaty swarm of people had surrounded these musicians. A pretty typical four-piece band, they were bringing the straight-up ROCK and people were eating it up. To add to the party atmosphere streamers were flying every which way while patrons danced below. It is one of those situation where the band makes fine recorded music but you mix stage presence with a crowd that is ready to party and fun ensues. Anyone in attendance would agree!

Hillside Sunday 2010

2010-07-26T01:04:00.006-04:00

Woo-eee. That was something else! Another Hillside down, and one exhausted blogger here. So many greats that it's gonna take some time to get through it all but I'll press onward. Sunday brought out the likes of Shad - as solid as usual, Holy Fuck causing a dance fracas, Hayley Sales blowing us away with that voice and finally having the finale slot go to Stars who did not waste the opportunity (best encore from them I've seen).

Waving to Shad
Tonnes of photos, videos and of course reviews to come real soon. For now, good-night, and good-year to another incredibly amazing Hillside weekend.

Hillside Saturday 2010

2010-07-25T01:09:00.007-04:00

Battling on-again, off-again rainstorms Hillside Saturday took a little while to get rolling. Main Stage packed at sunset for Sarah Harmer
Royal Wood was the first set to really wow the audience, with his earnest songwriting and piano chops (though props should also be given to young locals, The Canned Goods for their dynamite Hillside debut.) Full credit to My Son the Hurricane for doing everything in their collective power to get a party started (and being somewhat successful). The Acorn were solid and Basia Bulat ran through a rain-shortened but pretty string of songs on the main stage. Kudos of the day belongs to Flash Lightnin' who came outta nowhere and floored us all with three-piece rock'n'roll; their set closer (not the much deserved encore number) stands as my favourite single song played so far this weekend. The anticipation for closers Japandroids was palpable as all levels were cranked to 11 and the place went off with the first legitimate mosh-pit I think I've ever witnessed on the island. (Full reviews to come.)
Japandroids "Don't call our music 'minimal'"
Whatta day, and with tomorrow's sun acts like Shad, Shapes and Sizes, Stars, Corb Lund and Holy Fuck plus a whole lot more are gonna shine!

Hillside Friday 2010

2010-07-24T01:22:00.007-04:00

Another Hillside is upon us!

Beardyman set the tone with an opening mainstage set that had a horde of volunteers grooving in what turned out to be evening sunshine (after highly suspect weather all day). The Hidden Cameras packed a dozen or so people onto that very same stage at dusk and included some special guests among them. Surprise party of the night went to Yukon Blonde who were already absolutely rockin' the little Island tent when we arrived - complete with streamers and dancing. While a highly anticipated set from Brasstronaut did not disappoint in any way.

Complete reviews to come but in the meantime there's only a few short hours to rest until it starts up again tomorrow with the likes of Royal Wood, Bent By Elephants, The Acorn, Basia Bulat, Grand Analog and Japandroids. See ya there!

Hillside Playlist

2010-07-21T10:15:00.003-04:00

Uh-oh. A few short days 'til Hillside and besides Stars and that dude from the Hip you haven't a clue about any of the 65 bands scheduled to play the fest this summer. Fret not. I've got you covered with a Hillside playlist created especially for the purpose of introducing you to new artists.
Nearly 2/3rds of the acts are included here (the rest didn't have Radio3 profiles) and the best part of the list is that when you find an artist that catches your ear you are one click away from a smattering of information about them, plus MORE of their MUSIC.

Enjoy! (and you're welcome)

Rush Through Time

2010-07-19T22:11:00.004-04:00

It was a few years ago upon hearing The Trees that I vowed that I would see Rush perform live. A few opportunities passed me by but on Saturday I snapped up the chance to catch the show, alongside my father, a long-time fan.

They'd apparently just taken to the stage as I entered and unlike Leafs games where the stands don't fill up til the end of the first, the ACC was absolutely packed. Fans of this legendary Toronto trio were in for a full night of Rush hits ranging from classics right through to tracks from their upcoming release, hence the appropriately titled Time-Machine Tour. To go along with this theme the stage was decked out with things that looked like a cross between front-load washing machines and old-school juke boxes that would alternatively blink or smoke. Regardless of this theme Neil Peart manned a massive drumset in his customary cap, Alex Lifeson made his guitar scream in loafers, a sports coat and jeans, while Geddy Lee had his signature glasses topping off jeans and a T. Unlike some bands from the past it is the music they play and not their fashion that makes them famous.

Pearts drumming has often been the headline for Rush, but Lifeson can really work his guitar, while I was also impressed with the fat bass lines emanating from Geddy's instrument. These were all featured in the first half that had a variety of hits and deeper cuts highlighted for me by Freewill.

Following an intermission (and a hokey video intro that saw the band acting, including Lifeson donning a fat-suit) we were given, as promised, Moving Pictures, front-to-back, in full. As they progressed from Tom Sawyer to Red Barchetta, the incredible instrumental YYZ to Limelight, each successive song kept replacing the last as my favourite of the show. The B-side wasn't half bad either.

Following this there were some theatrics. Not only were there indoor fireworks (that startled the bejeezus outta me) but there were also fireballs in time with some xylophone work. Neil Peart showcased his skills in an eight-minute drum solo that saw his 360-degree drumset spin around him while he never missed a beat. Following this, presumably to give Neil's arm's a moment's rest, Alex came onstage with an acoustic guitar for an extended intro into Closer to the Heart, a radio-staple that had a rousing reception. The hits came fast and furious now, with only the odd Snakes and Ladders or future release tossed in. During 2112 (part I, & II?) drumsticks could be seen flipping through the air as the crowd enthusiastically pumped along to the "Hey"'s.

Despite having rocked for closing in on three hours already an encore was heartily cheered for and received. Coming back on stage with an instrumental track they rolled into a reggae version of Working Man. Part way through the switch flipped and this massive hit rocked out in all its glory as a suitable closer to an incredible glimpse of the lifelong catalog of this city's "Working Band".

(Following the show a skit featuring the duo from I Love You, Man, the movie, played on the big screen. In character these two continued their devotion to "the Holy Triumvirate" by breaking into their dressing room, only to be caught by Rush themselves. And yes, Geddy Lee did "slappa da bass.")

Hillside Schedule Announced

2010-07-13T16:54:00.004-04:00

Time to start arguing with your friends over which bands you're going to see cuz the Hillside 2010 schedule has been released!

Decisions, decisions...

Grand Analog or Japandroids? (Haven't seen either, leaning towards latter)

Zeus or Shapes and Sizes? (Seen Zeus a few times and trust Pop Montreal to have some interesting performers)

Corb Lund or an intimate with Gord Downie and Julie Doiron? (Corb is some of the only straight country I like, coupled with never having seen him, but that other option is so very tempting!)

Whoever's closing down the mainstage Friday night or Brasstronaut who I love and really wanna see.

Paddle Slower Guelph

2010-07-11T21:54:00.009-04:00

Music was emanating from the foliage where bicycles were strewn haphazardly. Following it back to the source I came upon an assorted crew of people canoeing, kayaking, wading, sitting, crouching and standing, perhaps 75 in all for the Paddle Slower Festival (July 10, Boathouse to Victoria, riverside). Everyone was either watching or listening to the band nestled among the trees at the edge of the river. Innes Wilson and His Opposition finished up and Whoop-szo broke out their melodica and banjo amongst other instruments for some space-appropriate music. A jar was passed around to contribute gas-money to the bands that were playing this inaugural free fest while we were directed further up river to the next "stage".

Next stop consisted of JJ Ipsen playing acoustic self-admittedly sad songs considering the surroundings. However he swapped back and forth with Jenny Omnichord and her upbeat tunes (and dancing son) kept things light, especially her introduction to Del Shannon's Runaway.

The furthest point was perhaps the most bizarre. In the dust below the recently constructed concrete beast of a bridge at Victoria Street, Steve Sladkowski and a friend play some pop and free-form songs, and the traffic above did not interfere in the least (truly).

With the heat of the afternoon subsiding people took to their various modes of transport and meandered back to base camp - the Boathouse. Lisa Bozikovic already had her keyboard set-up beneath a large tree and once most people had made their way back she played a lovely set (including Take and Take).

It was a most interesting idea for a non-traditional festival, one that originally seemed like it might be difficult to pull off, but as far as I could tell it was wholly successful.

Busking For Change (Guelph)

2010-07-08T10:17:00.002-04:00

Yesterday afternoon a really neat endeavor rolled into Guelph. Busking for Change brought a bunch of talented bands to St.George's Square under the scorching sun to play acoustic sets while raising money for War Child. It can't be said that it went off without a hitch, as the hosting band had car troubles, a few others dropped out at the last minute and the fervor of buses and World Cup rowdies all played their parts but regardless of all that the show must, and did, go on. A show including the Bass Lions, Craft Economy and more...

Members of Still Avenue hurried to the square to get things started with a meager setup, an acoustic guitar and some covers while The Balconies were broke down on the 401 with all the War Child signage. A female member eventually arrived and tried to make herself heard in the busy square. When I checked back later Sandman Viper Command were playing with a handful of musicians and a drum.

The Craft Economy with four of six members present reworked their tunes from their synthesizer base into acoustic jams. This was done really well, and the male/female singers played off of each other especially on songs like Big Dawg, Lil Purse.

Most of the Bass Lions couldn't make it but singer Nathan (I believe) did and accompanied by a tambourine-ist (tambouriner?) played a really entertaining handful of songs. It got intimate as he closed in on the small gathering and played a great acoustic version of Ransom the Sunset. Following a storied musical tale of the relationship between Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson the soccer game concluded. Taking the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach to the whooping and hollering, Nathan waved over a group of Spanish high schoolers who took over the guitar and serenaded us with what I take to be either soccer chants or Spanish folk songs. Unfortunately they didn't relent the guitar until after his allotted time was over.

From what I caught of it Busking for Change was a fun time, and hopefully it raised a couple of bucks for War Child while they were at it!

Owen Pallett Plays for Canada (Day)

2010-07-06T21:24:00.005-04:00

It seemed a rather small gathering of fans at the Owen Pallett's feet for his free Canada Day show in Confederation Park, Ottawa but meant that I could scramble up close for one of my all-time favourite performers. As always he took the stage with modesty, removed his boots to properly work the looping pedals and launched into it. I've babbled on about how he recreates songs in the most fantastic ways before so I'll skip to the new aspects of this show.For the first time Owen is regularly featuring a second musician on stage this year and after a few solo songs this man came out without prompting (later introduced as Thomas Gill). Mostly he picked up some guitar chords, though he'd also add neat percussion with a couple drums and padded sticks. There were new songs from the critically acclaimed Heartland including Lewis Takes Action and Flare Gun but the Final Fantasy classics (before the name-change) still went down just as beautifully as before. A prime example was He Poos Clouds which saw limited looping exchanged for loads of sweet violin playing, as well as a spot-on version of The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead.
Nearing the end of the set I broke my trance to realize just how many people had been pulled from their resting spots in the grass to take in the spectacle from up close. The hour+ set flew by, helped by enthralling songs such as The Butcher that drew silence from the outdoor festival crowd. Saved until last was Lewis Takes Off His Shirt, the song that still makes my hair stand on end as it brings me back to the spectacularly stormy performance at last year's Hillside.
Yet that wasn't enough and we demanded Owen play us another Song Song Song before a finale of This Lamb Sells Condos that had Thomas, and some of the crowd, whistling the violin parts. Owen never disappoints!

My video of his second song, which was a version of This is the Dream but I'm not sure it was "of Win and Regine" as the chorus lyrics do not say "Montreal might eat its young" but something else.. perhaps Ottawa?

Polaris Short List 2010

2010-07-06T13:44:00.003-04:00

I think it is between Owen, Shad and Dan. Since Owen's already won it'd be a tight race between the other two and my personal bias would go to Dan. (Though I'm not familiar with either French entry - Karkwa or Radio Radio.) Along with everyone else I'll say that T&S should have been skipped over for YSP or Brasstronaut just for diversity.

1Dan Mangan
2Owen Pallett
3Shad
4Broken Social Scene
5Caribou
6Besnard Lakes
7Tegan & Sara
8The Sadies
?Karkwa
?Radio Radio

Canada Day Odds (Hey Rosetta, Cadence Weapon, K-OS)

2010-07-05T22:12:00.000-04:00

Many people were complaining of the lack of headliners on and around Parliament Hill for this year's Canada Day (who are BNL without Steven Paige anyway?). Considering the entire day was free and included Shad, Elliott Brood, Owen Pallett and Hannah Georgas (who I missed unfortunately) I wasn't complaining! There was also an appearance from the Queen (as in "of England") who I also missed, but Hey Rosetta didn't pass me by. It would have been easy for them to though considering they took the stage in front of a ridiculously large crowd and only played Red Heart (c'mon, one song organizers?!) Also caught poet laureate, Cadence Weapon, do a cut I didn't recognize (likely from his forthcoming LP).

Most of the K-OS set was heard from the portapotty line-up. As usual it seemed playful, with a full band, two drum sets and plenty of riff sampling ranging from Black Sabbath to Journey to U2. K-OS also sang some of his own tracks like Crabbuckit and Sunday Morning with the operative word being "some" as he casually omits lines here and there much to my chagrin. With minutes to fireworks he broke out the O.C.-theme sampling I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman and very clumsily swapped out the lyrics from "California" to "Ottawa City". Let's just say in comparison to K-OS the fireworks really went off!

Elliott Brood @ Confederation Park (7/1/10)

2010-07-03T15:49:00.000-04:00

The trio had already taken to the stage as I sauntered up. Elliott Brood's country-tinged clap-along music fans were already beaming and people were converting by the song. Songs like Second Son and Without Again chugged out and they even borrowed from The White Stripes catalog with a blistering version of Hotel Yorba. Perennial favourite Oh, Alberta was perfectly geared to a Canada Day crowd with its Great White references but was upstaged by Chuckwagon which received the heartiest response of the day.

Shad K in the Capital (07/01/10)

2010-07-03T12:23:00.005-04:00

The tent was full of plastic white chairs, and these chairs were full of mostly middle-aged people enjoying a peaceful rest in the shade after braving the Canada Day crowds and sun. Move in Shad supporters. As one of Canada's premier emcees, as always backed by DJ T-Lo, as well as a friend holding down bass and keys, took to the mic the young-uns began streaming in. The space immediately in front of the stage filled up with teens and twenty-somethings bobbing along to Shad's conscious-rap. As a dynamite performer he used his hour to entertain the birthday revelers drawing from his strong, recent effort TSOL. Included in the new ones he spit single Yaa, I Get It like the barrage that it is, but also slowed it up with Rose Garden and introduced himself with Good Name. Being a free show he relied heavily on popular crowd-pleasers like I Don't Like To and The Old Prince Still Live at Home. While a brief sun-shower fell on those patrons overflowing from the tent Shad was possessed to freestyle about it and his bald head at the end of Rock to It. The most rockin' song from TSOL came near the end of the show (We, Myself and I) before closing out with the roller-coaster of I Get Down and Get Up. Though the closer holds an uplifting message to go out on the crowd wouldn't have it and begged for more, receiving Keep Shining in return.

BSS in the Olympic Island Sun

2010-06-29T21:45:00.004-04:00

The curators of this sort-of annual one-day fest graciously took to the stage during the second-last timeslot of the day, beginning with the sun setting and ending at dusk. Between was a whirlwind of musicians and a roaring set full of a heckuva lot of new tracks off Forgiveness Rock Record, their first legit release since 2005. Album and concert opener World Sick was played by a pared down band of only seven, but they quickly ballooned before even reaching song two as people stepped up midsong, including a first appearance by Lisa Lobsinger. Although she was highly praised by BSS-circus ringleader, Kevin Drew, while introducing her for her lead vocals on All to All she was relegated to back-up on other songs and not given the respect I think she deserves. It's hard to hold the limelight though when stars such as Leslie Feist arrive to sing 7/4 Shoreline. Fighting through some early technical difficulties they played on, bringing out Sebastien Grainger sans guitar for a few, as well as introducing Ms. Emily Haines to sing too. There was a duet between Feist and Haines on Sentimental X's which caught them face to face as the sun made a final burst through the clouds minutes prior to setting that was particularly beautiful. There was so much swapping in and out that its difficult to capture it all so here's some notes.

Leslie and Emily separately breaking out some mean air-guitar during Almost Crimes

One track that went over better live than on the album in my books was Water in Hell

Andrew Whiteman took lead for Fire Eye'd Boy

With four guitars going, including some heavy hitting by Charles Spearin Cause=Time burst forth from the stage.

The Sweetest Kill ballad was particularly nice, breaking up a set that had gotten rocking in the middle

Some others from the set list: Texico Bitches, Forced to Love

After Lover's Spit concluded the band hit new decibels with Meet Me in the Basement that was almost too much to bear from my range 15 rows from the stage. When they came back for the inevitable encore of Ibi Dreams of Pavement (considering Pavement was closing the night) I was glad I'd stayed to take in all 19 members pour on-stage to finish off the love-in.

Holy Fuck at Last!

2010-06-29T21:28:00.003-04:00

After two years of speculation the electro-rock dirty-word band with the near mythical Hillside performance of yesteryear are returning. That's right, as originally reported here May 13th Holy Fuck will be bringing it back to Hillside this year. With the release of their fully listenable Latin they're jumping on its back and riding it out to festivals across this country (and around the world). Look out for an electrified Island tent (that is if they don't find themselves on the main stage!)

Ted Leo, No, Not in Guelph

2010-06-29T09:37:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately the last minute Ted Leo show that was supposed to happen in Guelph last Friday was cancelled almost as quickly as it was created. This was due to uncontrollable car troubles en route. A disappointment for sure but perhaps this opens the door to a true Ted Leo show in Guelph sometime in the future - one with enough notice to plan around even?

Top Albums 2009

2010-06-27T19:15:00.003-04:00

Well here we are, at the half-way point of 2010, and here I am, posting my favourite albums of LAST year. Timely huh?

Traveling for the final three months of 2009 (and into 2010) hampered not only my listening but also my blogging. However I'm back and here we go...

10 Jon-Rae Fletcher - Oh, Maria

Leaving The River behind, Jon-Rae reinvented his sound on this album but still features his signature booming voice. Mixing elements from folk, rock and country, this album, bookended by two strong Maria-songs, blazes a new sonic trail - one that I'll gladly walk from end-to-end.

9 Think About Life - Family

A party album through and through. I found myself dancing alone to these songs far too many times for it to be left off my year-end list. Bursting out of the gate with Johanna I could hardly wait for Set You On Fire but luckily the wait was passed with fancy footwork.

8 Coeur De Pirate - Coeur De Pirate

Much figurative ink has been spilled about this lovely inked artist on this very blog. She makes Quebec-French sexy with her piano tunes with pop - perfect for the spring (and fittingly including a stand-out track entitled Printemps).

7 Akron/Family - Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free

There's an energy here. Something indescribable kept luring me back to this album, more than any individual song. I find with that I'm partial to Canadian artists, but in this case I'm more than willing to make an exception.

6 Bus Driver - Jhelli Beam
Favourite song of the year, opening track - Split Seconds. That's a huge reason why this album got so much air-time but it was worthy. Admittedly I don't listen to a heckuva lot of hip-hop however there are songs on here that are like nothing I'd heard before. It's lyrically dense and makes my head swirl, like having your friends spin you as fast as they can on a merry-go-round.

5 Bruce Peninsula - A Mountain is a Mouth

Nothing can capture the spectacle of the wall of voices that is a Bruce Peninsula show, yet this album is still successful in itself. Rumbling along the choir sings tunes that'll stick in your head for days - or in my case all year.

4 Sunparlour Players - North

Album opener, North is a perfect fit. People complain that the trio remains bridled throughout this record, not letting loose as they've been known to do. I pay them no attention - it suits me just fine (and I know the shows continue to be raucous).

3 The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns

Quite an amazing year for The RAA and rightly so. This album sticks to its Albertan theme and comes through as a whole. That simple closer, Summertime, had me flipping back over to Side A to immediately start the whole thing over again more than a few times this year.

2 Maybe Smith - Another Murder in the Morning

Its frenetic and it runs by. It feels like new things are being tossed at you throughout it and perhaps that was why I would return again and again. It challenged me to try and get a handle on it, and each time I'd discover something new.

1 Dan Mangan - Nice, Nice, Very Nice

Dan created a gem. His endearingly gruff voice covering a huge range (case and point Basket) while singing quotable, witty lyrics. After hearing the Roboteering EP I could hardly wait for this full-length to arrive, and even those heightened expectations were exceeded. This seemingly simple singer-songwriter closed in on perfecting his craft here.

The End. Enjoy, and see you next year.

Catch Ketch Harbour Wolves (Jimmy Jazz 6/24/10)

2010-06-25T01:05:00.006-04:00

A week after the packed house for Dancehall Free For All the Jimmy Jazz was back to business as usual, however with the music being put out by the Ketch Harbour Wolves they deserve a full venue. Those of us in attendance marveled in a solid set focusing on new tunes from Anachronisms, the disc that brought me out to this show (over an interesting bill running at the eBar). Officially hailing from Toronto, despite their name's origin being in Nova Scotia they admitted that members came in from Cambridge today. The male five-piece unnecessarily crammed themselves into a corner of the Jazz but played an equally tight set nonetheless.

Holding it down with a pair of guitars, bass, keys and drums, they tossed in some xylophone early in the set. Impressive on many tracks was the three-part vocal harmonies as the lead singer who was more than capable on his own was backed up to great effect. There was a resounding nod to The National, primarily due to the drumming on Damascus, while the final song Black Skies Around You had a Hey Rosetta! feel to it, what with the piano intro building to a climax before coming back in. Between were personal faves (after only having the record for 2 days)Breakdown and Photograph featuring some neatly amped guitar work. Altogether it was a well-played live rendition of quite excellent songs. Given some exposure the crowds will be out in droves to feed back the appreciation that these guys deserve.

Ted Leo Show, yes, in Guelph! (6/25/10)

2010-06-25T00:01:00.001-04:00

Update: The show did not go ahead for reasons explained here.

From what I've heard Ted Leo is royalty, so fitting that he would be playing a last minute show in Guelph - ~~TONIGHT~~ (Friday, June 25th, 2010). Apparently a show in Kingston fell through and Guelphites get to reap the benefits of that. This is the only reason I wish I weren't camping this weekend. Go in my place, and tell me how it is!

There's a facebook invite floating around with more info - I lifted the following directly from it (search:TED LEO LAST MINUTE GUELPH SHOW)

Date: Friday, June 25, 2010
Time: 8:00pm - 11:30pm
Location: The Synnema
Street: 121 Wyndham St N, Suite 106
City/Town: Guelph, ON

Besnard Lakes Rock (and Smoke) Out the eBar (6/18/2010)

2010-06-23T18:20:00.003-04:00

The wall of smoke was literally blinding, and the roaring guitars nearly deafening as the Besnard Lakes broke out Like The Ocean Pt.II as the closing band for the first ever Friday night eBar show. It was like listening to the record, except the record was blasting from an unknown source cutting through the fog. Fuzzing out the guitar duo and bass at the ending of the song brought it straight into the powerful Devastation from The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse. Between waves of fog the band could be seen fronted by a man in a cowboy shirt, while to his left stood his wife holding down bass duties. The other male guitarist and drummer added to the dense sound that brought up psychedelic thoughts more-so than the singer's shaggy '70's haircut. Looks aside, they rocked the place hard with the likes of Albatross and Disaster. Showing some flexibility they also featured a flute at one point and the front-man showed off his sky-high singing voice. Closing the set was an epic, drawn-out, then shred-filled And You Lied to Me, which would have been tough to top so they didn't even try with the encore. Instead they apologized before busting out a spot-on rendition of AC/DC's Dirty Deeds that was hilariously well executed. The show left my ears ringing and in a way I didn't ever want them to stop.

Young Galaxy Rock, and Not in a Good Way (eBar 6/18/10)

2010-06-21T18:18:00.005-04:00

The lights dropped, the smoke rolled out and the multi-coloured strobes began swirling, as did the guitars. It was to be a rock show - a loud one at that with all dials set to 11. On the surface this sounds like a the setting for a great set however something didn't quite jive. Young Galaxy on album, including their rather enjoyable Polaris Prize long-listed Invisible Republic, produce pop music with rock tendencies that is quite melodic. When that works, and gains accolades, why offer something entirely different on tour? I may not be in the majority but I was disappointed with this heavy, loud set, and further disappointed that only two of the four members could be made out through the darkness. What was visible was the guy setting up for a guitar smash to end the set, only to pull out in a fake. If you ask me, they should leave the rock (and associated antics) for the rock and roll bands.

Library Voices (eBar 6/18/10)

2010-06-19T09:52:00.005-04:00

There'd been discussion as to whether the Library Voices would headline the show, but here they were playing slot one of three at the eBar's first Friday night show ever. It has only been slightly over a year since their opening slot for Hollerado on this same cramped stage and in that time much has happened to this band out of Saskatchewan. Speaking of cramped stages, the eight-piece remains in tact (and I have a theory on that) though the male manning the keys had been relegated to the floor in front of the stage to no ill-effect as it made the show that much more personable. Out of the gate was a rocking intro song that I haven't heard from them recorded or live and it served as a proper opening before assaulting us with pop. In the aforementioned year's time LV has released a full length Denim on Denim and they hit us up with a majority of tunes from that disc, including Insider Trading off the top - a song that charges along. As catchy as their recorded material is, Library Voices are one of those extraordinary bands that really make it happen live. It is the sheer enthusiasm and joy that they pump into those instruments that invite smiles to the faces of the audience, claps to their hands and lyrics to their lips. Their happiness on stage, my theory on why they can stick it out with such a large band, becomes infectious and spreads like the plague through the crowd (if the plague caused you to dance bordering on blissful delirium). Whether they are climbing on amps, strumming from their knees (bassist), or in Carl's case - doing somersaults on the dance floor (while singing) they're something to see.

Whale Tooth Free For All (Jimmy Jazz 6/17/10)

2010-06-18T15:28:00.004-04:00

Whale Tooth had to compete with NBA Finals, Game 7, 4th Quarter and did a respectable job of it. Despite my split attention I can recall the five piece putting on a catchy set. The front woman was dressed in hipster vogue yet had a pop-friendly voice with a classic sound I couldn't quite place, but it was complimented well by the occasional male vocals. Not only that but she was an animated dancer, rivaling the drummer in that regard, though he gets respect for doing it while sitting behind a drum set. The five piece actually broke from their quick and catchy tunes for an extended dance breakdown in one of the tunes, that had both the band and the crowd moving. Their triumph on stage almost evened out the disappointment of another Lakers championship.

Jimmy Jazz may not always be the most happening bar on the block but when they're hosting local bands things change. Tonight was no exception as the young Guelphites kept streaming through the door to see the latest from Dancehall Free For All. They've been bringing their danceable mish-mash of genres to the masses since high school and have no signs of stopping. Having made two albums already, a self-titled and last year's 9-5 Lives, this show saw them back with yet another soon-to-be-released disc. The six young men were dressed to the nines, complete with skinny ties, while playing a bunch of new tunes, which obviously did not yet have the crowd recognition but went over okay nonetheless. As the set progressed they did add in some old faves and a cover too but the biggest reaction must have been for the guest rapper. At first I thought he was a punk messing with their mic but soon realized he was welcomed by the band as he spit a mostly unintelligible (for the sound) verse over some Dancehall instrumental doodling. After his departure they did a handful more, including one of the more difficult attempted singalongs I've heard. Tossed in for good measure was a drum, to bass to keyboard solo while the sax and horn section deserve mention. To round out the sextet props to the guitarist, as well as the leader - the man with the voice. It was a slightly underwhelming set when compared only to previously great DFFA gigs. Their closer saw their rapping friend come back up for a chilled out reggae-style song before an additional encore offering finished off the night.

Polaris Long List Lazy First Impressions

2010-06-17T14:46:00.003-04:00

Much will be said about the Polaris Prize lists... I like to go off the cuff first impressions and leave it at that. Here are all the albums with my thoughts on them 1-5 (with 0 being "I haven't yet heard it"). FIRST! :)

0Apollo Ghosts - Mount Benson (Vancouver)

2Bahamas - Pink Strat (Toronto)

3The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night (Montréal)

0Blue Rodeo - The Things We Left Behind (Toronto)

3Brasstronaut - Mt. Chimaera (Vancouver)

4Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record (Toronto)

4Basia Bulat - Heart Of My Own (London)

0By Divine Right - Mutant Message (Toronto)

3Caribou – Swim (Dundas)

2Jason Collett - Rat A Tat Tat (Toronto)

2Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (II) (Toronto)

0Amelia Curran - Hunter Hunter (Halifax)

0Fred Fortin - Plastrer La Lune (Montréal)

0Frog Eyes - Paul's Tomb: A Triumph (Victoria)

3.5Hannah Georgas - This Is Good (Vancouver)

0Ghostkeeper - Ghostkeeper (Calgary)

2Holy Fuck - Latin (Toronto)

0Karkwa - Les Chemins De Verre (Montréal)

0LeE HARVeY OsMOND - A Quiet Evil (Hamilton)

2Greg MacPherson - Mr. Invitation (Winnipeg)

5Dan Mangan - Nice, Nice, Very Nice (Vancouver)

0Misteur Valaire - Golden Bombay (Montréal)

4.5The New Pornographers - Together (Vancouver)

5Owen Pallett - Heartland (Toronto)

3Plants And Animals - La La Land (Montréal)

0Radio Radio - Belmundo Regal (Montréal)

0Justin Rutledge - The Early Widows (Toronto)

0The Sadies - Darker Circles (Toronto)

4Shad - TSOL (London)

0Elizabeth Shepherd - Heavy Falls The Night (Toronto)

0The Slew - 100% (Montréal)

0Meaghan Smith - The Cricket's Orchestra (London)

0South Rakkas Crew - The Stimulus Package (Toronto)

4Tegan And Sara - Sainthood (Vancouver)

0The Wooden Sky - If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone (Toronto)

0Hawksley Workman - Meat (Huntsville)

5You Say Party! We Say Die! - XXXX (Vancouver)

3Young Galaxy - Invisible Republic (Montréal)

3Yukon Blonde - Yukon Blonde (Vancouver)

2Zeus - Say Us (Toronto)

National Antlers

2010-06-14T00:25:00.006-04:00

Groping my way to my seat through the extremely dim Massey Hall (bumping heavily into one poor chap) I could hear a great deal of noise coming from the opening band on stage. Arriving at my second-row balcony seat I was overlooking a trio who were entertaining the already half-filled seats. The vocalist was also playing simple guitar into pedals that were reverberating the sound throughout the auditorium, while the stockin' footed keyboardist did his best in front of a rather great drummer. In fact those argyle socks were doing nearly as much work as his hands on the keys but whatever they were doing it was working. The Antlers' style of music, which can be difficult to translate to a live setting, was pulled off. For example there was a mid-set ended for about three minutes, which can either be grating or epic. In this case it was the latter.

Admittedly going into this show I wasn't a HUGE fan of The National - I'd been introduced to them and adored Alligator but hadn't felt quite as strongly towards Boxer (thinking it a lesser duplicate). With the new album being so new I'd been trying to get into it in preparation for the show.
The band took to the stage with confidence; all five core members plus a two-person brass section, and a multi-instrumentalist mostly on keys and sometimes violin. Matt's recognizable vocals only added to his tall stage presence. Immediately following the clearing of the press photographers he jumped to the audience floor and coaxed everyone to their feet (didn't take much persuasion). As people flooded the front of the stage, much to the chagrin of the ushers, and those who had paid top dollar for front row seats, the band carried on with another twenty songs or so. Honestly it was nearly two hours of great music. For me the Alligator section hit the spot with three or four straight tracks from that album. People could be seen singing along to almost every song though, even those off the recently released High Violet which seems to be quickly growing on fans of the band. I couldn't keep track of all the tracks though my friend did (and posted them) however I did find the set closer Fake Empire really caught my ear. As did the song I most anticipated, Mr.November, hoping for the sing-along so I could curse loudly in Massey Hall, and curse I did as Matt climbed over the seats to 20th row during the encore! That was followed up by Terrible Love, the excellent opener to the band's latest effort which translated well. They weren't even done, coming back for a second encore - an acoustic version of About Today before finally deserting the stage for good (well at least until retaking it the following night for their second of two shows at Massey Hall). Despite my reservations going into the show I was not disappointed in the least - it's hard to be with a set list spanning their entire career and nearly two hours - and for true fans of the band it was a show to be remembered.

Futureheads and The Like

2010-06-11T10:28:00.008-04:00

With the first flash of the strobe lights the frenetic scene was set for another Toronto Futureheads show after far too long (four years according to the band). They launched into latest album opener and title track The Chaos, counting us in with 5,4,3,2,1! It was instantly clear that the band hadn't lost the edge that had made me see them four or five times back in the day. The chords drove forward at lightning speed while the vocal interchange between the fab four (has that moniker been taken yet :P ) from the UK remained their signature. We didn't have to wonder long whether they'd satiate our appetite to hear tracks from their debut album, an appetite that remains since its 2004 release as the second track came from that self-titled effort. In fact, they said that it would be a night that was a medley of both new and old, but for the most part the main set swapped back and forth between newest album - a return to form - and their beloved oldest album. This was perfectly fine with me and I couldn't help but smile and shout along to one of the tightest groups around - always impressing me with their spot on delivery of dynamic tempo-shifting, multi-harmonizing music. As polished as they are, they do not appear road-weary but in fact seemed fresh and funny even with their banter (and the accents made them that much more endearing too I believe).
It is a toss-up for my favourite song from the new album so luckily for me they got The Heartbreak Song out of the way early in the set. In the middle they did slip in a This Is Not The World track Beginning of the Twist as well as the EP single Area much to the delight of my friends. Notable was their go-to Kate Bush cover Hounds of Love compete with the old gimmick (that never gets old) of splitting the crowd to harmonize on Uh-oh-ohs at the start.
After chanting out my other nominee for favourite new song, Jupiter, they left the stage cheekily telling us they'd be back in two minutes for an encore.
True to their word they returned with the only News and Tributes track, Skip to the End as requested, and continued with a few more requests - almost entirely for the old stuff - before finishing us off with Man Ray.

The excessively early show was already under way when we arrived at 8pm and stepped into a wind tunnel - or at least you'd think so with noise level. Everything was on crank and it took a few moments to make sense of what The Like were doing. Cutely dressed in tights and dresses these four women were no slouches behind their instruments. I'd previewed the LA band's music and had thought "60's girl pop, with an edge" and that proved mostly true. Like The Pipettes and even Gigi they wrote quick, upbeat, catchy songs with a roaring guitar and plentiful keys. Altogether alright.

Get Your Hillside Hopes Up [Update the Second]

2010-05-24T23:46:00.003-04:00

To add further fuel to this fire - The Minotaurs who are confirmed for this year's festival include the bassist from Holy Fuck also (as well as being the bassist for King Cobb Steelie). It is common for multiple bands with overlapping members to play the festival, such as Paul Banwatt last year with Woodhands and The Rural Alberta Advantage.

Jenny Omnichord's Board Game (& Album) Release

2010-05-14T09:48:00.005-04:00

In a red dress and dual braids Jenny sat center-stage, omnichord in lap, but there was something different than her usual sets. The band! Jenny was playing with a full backing band on this album-release night and it totally filled out the sound which is usually just her vocals laid over the, uh, unique sound of the electronic omnichord. On this night bass lines, drum beats, some accordion and opener JJ Ipsen's keys made this a much richer affair.

As it was a release for Jenny's board game/album I was expecting to hear all the new stuff, not realizing that it has been a few years since her last solo release so what she's been playing at shows over the past year or two has gone into the album (makes perfect sense). Songs like Pain of Maybes took on a new life with the band anyhow. She reached back into her first album for tracks like Kings of London too throughout the set. Jenny was as cute and endearing as ever, even while partially flubbing a wild tempo change with an easy-going laugh. Her interaction with the crowd always seems to draw people in and make things seem very intimate, whether it be in an attic or at the eBar. The funniest moment had to be her introduction to Randy B. Found Me, yes that Randy B., though I'd ruin it if I tried to explain.
We called her back onstage for an encore - a two song affair that closed with a cover of The Pixies' Where is My Mind which was a light-hearted way to end the night.

JJ Ipsen and his five-piece opened the evening. The recorded material I'd heard before hadn't done much for me and even live I still found myself feeling rather blasé about the music. The lengthy opening set did feature a couple whistling songs which were sparse highlights.

Grand Ol' Hillside

2010-05-13T13:49:00.004-04:00

A handful of artists added to the Hillside line-up today (via the official site) - some of note for different reasons.

Firstly there was another confirmation of a leak heard here first - Flashlight Radio will be playing (that **unconfirmed** list on the right hand side there is quickly dwindling!).

Also the hip hop artist Grand Analog will take the stage, making for a solid showing from that genre to go along with Shad K. Maybe Shad will even join them for their collaborative effort Electric City?!

And finally.. you remember that beat poet with the spoken word piece at the Vancouver Games opening ceremony? Sure ya do - anyhow that guy, Shane Koyczan by name, will be back to perform once again, having been at Hillside 2009 also. You may also know him from Dan Mangan's Roboteering EP on which Shane takes over with great effect on Tragic Turn Of Events / Move Pen Move. Check it out!

Other additions after the jump!
Also added:
Laura Marling
Reid Jamieson

Get Your Hillside Hopes Up? [Updated]

2010-05-13T13:00:00.001-04:00

Wary as I am to once again promise this band to Hillside audiences after the disappointment of last year.. the evidence is there, mind you it remains rumour.

The band in question is Holy Fuck. This Hillside buzz band of 2006 were originally scheduled to return to the festival last year but had to pull out due to a scheduling conflict with a Japanese gig. Now Matt Shulz, drummer for said band, is listing Hillside Festival, Guelph on his myspace tour itinerary for July 25th of this year. The rest of the gigs match up well with the Holy Fuck myspace shows (including Sappy Fest in New Brunswick the following weekend) - however Hillside and a few other shows are missing.

Here's hoping that Shulz has updated his site before the band have and that Hillside audiences will indeed be treated to the electro-experimental rock powerhouse this summer - sure would be a nice way to make up for last year!

Update:
Here is recent a quote from Brian Borcherdt of Holy Fuck regarding their upcoming tour schedule.

“It’s starting to get nice out, so I don’t blame people for wanting to be outside at festivals. We’re going to play a bunch of festivals this summer, and that’s a very random thing, we’ll be going this way then the other, so we weren’t able to schedule a proper Canadian tour at this time of the year. So when it cools off and gets miserable outside, we’ll be at your neighbourhood’s urinal-cake-smelling, rock’n’roll-sticker-covered, hole-in-the-wall club.”

Ah, he must mean Jimmy Jazz!
Source: Exclaim

Further Update:
See the first comment for a little piece of non-investigative blogging I added the other day.

Stars Unveil Five Ghosts at the Starlight, Waterloo

2010-05-07T09:18:00.008-04:00

Stars have allowed the unique opportunity of reviewing their show at the Starlight in Waterloo May 6th, while simultaneously reviewing their as-yet unreleased new album The Five Ghosts.

The beloved pop stars, Stars, took to the stage - Chris facing the band on keys, Pat decked out in his signature white shades (and two tufts of hair on an otherwise shaved head), Evan in his fedora, Amy and her large, bright guitar and Torq sporting a white hoodie. A floral stage persists for this tour, as it began with the last album's tour, however the roses have become white flowers (and are not nearly as plentiful). The opening track, Dead Hearts, was the favourite new song played at their Olympic gig, and was vying for that title once again, being an Amy-led duet with an instantly nostalgic chorus of "They were kids that I once knew." In fact the first handful of tracks featured Amy prominently singing, and playing her white guitar too. The album was shaping up to be a return to form, by that I mean Nightsongs/pre-Heart form. Short poppy songs over many synths that saw Cranley manning the keys much more often than slapping the bass. This opening section of the album came to a close with the new single Fixed before a shift in style with a song introduced by Torq as being about celebrity. The chorus was weird, confusing even, with not only its content and title We Don't Want Your Body, but also the fact that it sounded SO pop - in the dirty, top-40 sense of the word.

There was a slight lull in the middle, with a rather boring (live anyway) Amy-only vocals song Never Been Good with Change that seemed to drag on. This tune was followed up by The Passenger, an "oo oo ooo" refrain overtop of laser beam noises that also missed the mark as far as I was concerned.

Yet the show was resurrected by a poignant track, Torq's Last Song Ever Written. Despite the name being perfectly suited for a closing song, there was still one more plus the finale; Winter Bones a duet that finally saw Cranley leave the keys again and brought back the romantic pop feel that worked so well on their Set Yourself on Fire masterpiece.

During the intermission I reflected on the album - a more poppy and synthesized affair than we've heard from Stars in some time. A departure from the strong, album-focused, guitar songs (relatively) heard on the previous In Our Bedroom After the War. The obviously biased crowd seemed to enjoy it well enough, though my initial impression is that it will produce a handful of favourite songs rather than album-of-the-year accolades upon repeated listens.

In fact the second set, chosen by the fans via online voting, reflected much love for the more lush, romantic side, since none of the six songs played really fit the prominent style of this newest release. Between "the hits chosen by you" as Torq called them, he rambled on as he is known to do. (It could be that I was just naive when I first began going to Stars shows, but his banter used to sound poetic and profound.) However his voice is still there, and the excellent, enduring ballads of yesteryear still pack the emotion in a live setting. We were treated to a string of favourites from the previous three LPs - Your Ex-Lover is Dead, Take Me to the Riot, Elevator Love Letter, Heart, Ageless Beauty, and One More Night. It wasn't until the very last song that they hit on any of the three I voted for, giving me Calendar Girl but not Personal or their This Charming Man cover.

To satisfy that tiny leftover feeling, Torq and Chris returned to the stage and played the only Nightsongs cut of the night Tonight which needed two takes but was wonderfully laid over the sole piano and wrapped up this lovely exhibition of Stars music, new and old.

Odd, Out-of-this-World Bill

2010-05-05T09:11:00.005-04:00

The latest edition of The Bookshelf newspaper comes with a whole load of great news on the concert front. First there's the 1/2 page spread of Hillside performers as previously reported, and on the front is this tasty tidbit.

In June (the 18th to be exact) the eBar will be hosting a show with three great bands on their own, each with a sound much different from the next, which will make for a diverse though guaranteed excellent concert.

Starting off the night will be the spacey pop of ex-Arts & Crafts band, Young Galaxy. Last time I caught them it was a sunny Toronto Island afternoon - and they brought out a bit more of a rocky side than displayed on their dreamy albums.

From there things are going to jump into high-gear as the Library Voices will fill the place with their large ensemble of fun, pop music. Last time I caught them at the eBar I was floored, and since then they've only gotten better. Not only that but their full length Denim On Denim (Canadian tuxedo?) is out, catchy, and ready to be heard live.

Finally are the much-loved in the indie community Besnard Lakes. This band uses a variety of instruments, in interesting ways, such as bowing a guitar, to create a progressive pop sound that a lot of people (myself not included) lose their poop over. Maybe you'll find yourself in that group?

Regardless of your style of pop there's going to be something here for everyone. An eagerly anticipated concert not to be missed!

The Darcys create, Canyon City grows

2010-05-04T16:21:00.005-04:00

Canyon City. Here’s a few more C's for you. Competent. Carpal Tunnel. Covers. These young lads could certainly play their instruments, but it was plain to see that they’re still cutting their chops. While stretching out his wrist the singer himself self-deprecatingly pointed out that the vocals weren’t quite up to snuff before launching into a Supremes cover – one of many covers on the evening. I won’t rule them out completely as the determination seems to be there, but they’ve got a ways to go yet.

Based on the crates full of effect pedals on stage I was a little weary of another noisy assault at the Jimmy Jazz. However The Darcys didn’t fit the mould I’d already set out for them. By creating well-composed, layered songs over strong and varied drumming they were much more dynamic than I first anticipated. Guitars did swirl, filling out the songs in a way that added texture and not simply noise. Someone in the crowd lamented how it was a shame that a band of this caliber was stuck playing the Jimmy Jazz on a Friday night – but who knows, with the right luck they could very well break beyond.

Will Currie plays Magneta Lane in Your Neck of the Woods

2010-05-04T16:14:00.006-04:00

First up, representing this neck of the woods were, well, Your Neck of the Woods. An uber folky sound coming from these ladies and gents that I resist from specifying as country though their sound is definitely rooted out in the sticks. With a 6 person ensemble, including a violinist and shared male/female lead vocals, they entertained a well-attend Van Gogh’s crowd for the Wednesday night that it was. Definitively I can say there was dancing, though I’m not so sure it was two-stepping to the fiddle, wash-board and broken tambourine; regardless people were enjoying themselves. The fan-favourite Cabin in the Woods (no, nothing to do with Evil Dead) was broken out mid-set and got even more people moving. At times the recorded female’s vocals can be over the top, but on this night she was either more restrained or that stand-out red dress made amends for it. They carried themselves well leaving me once again surprised by the depth and breadth of local talent in this small city.

Under the blinding flash of a multitude of strobe lights Will Currie and the Country French took to the stage. This was a straight-ahead set with a large dose of new music from the as-yet unreleased new album from the group. Will once again led the way with his piano playing though those Country French were no slouches either. The quick Surprising Me saw the dancing folk return to the floor and stay there for the remainder of the set, giving the band energy to feed off of which they did well. It was a spirited showcase and had the band wondering aloud why they don’t make the short trip from Waterloo more often.

Magneta Lane have the longest history of any bands on the bill for this evening and so they were given their due by headlining, which unfortunately meant a slightly thinner crowd for this weeknight show. Yet there were still plenty of people on hand to witness the guitar-driven rock offered up by this all-female three-piece. Not all too familiar with their previous work I gave them a shot and was rewarded with some entertaining songs from the noticeably gracious group.

Hillside 2010 Weekend Passes and Tickets

2010-04-30T16:56:00.004-04:00

Hillside tickets are on-sale Saturday (that's tomorrow) at 10am. I've heard of people who arrived at 8am to the office last year and were the last to get weekend passes. With more ticket outlets (but obviously no additional tickets due to the capacity of the island) I would advise being there even earlier than that if you're headed down.

There's always the option of attempting the online option too - word on the street is those all went in 20 minutes last year (and many refreshes later) so don't sleep too late!

Lastly, the list of confirmed performers has grown on the Hillside website but doesn't contain anyone not having been previously rumoured as far as I can see (besides the addition of Hayley Sales). Among the newly confirmed: Bent By Elephants, The Beauties, Royal Wood and Zeus. I reckon there's still a handful of artists to come.

Good Luck.

Radio 3 Reveals (many) Hillside Artists

2010-04-27T08:52:00.007-04:00

Hillside Festival Updates, care of Vish Khanna/Radio3. See the sidebar-> or link above for full listing, and below for highlights.

- Gord Downie and the Country Miracles (featuring Julie Doiron)
I remember an interview with Hillside's artistic director when he lamented that The Tragically Hip could never play Hillside because it would cease to be Hillside and would become the Tragically Hip show. Since this is the closest you're ever going to get, I'd say enjoy it!

- Shad
Oh my goodness, this guy is gonna bring it. Seen him play countless times at the Vinyl/Starlight but that's because he just kills every time with his intelligent, hilarious flow and fun live charisma.

- The Hidden Cameras
Though not from Guelph these guys are beloved here, often playing church shows and things. Their songs are uber pop, but not poppy, in the best way.

- The Acorn
These Ottawa boys compose amazing, full-sounding albums. Extra excited to see them for the first time!

- Zeus and Jason Collett
Jason Collett had made his name through hard work and great songwriting over the past few years, with members of Zeus serving as his backing band. Now Zeus have emerged as a force all their own.

- Basia Bulat
Look for this London, Ontario songstress to steal the show. She has sold out places in Guelph with practically zero advertising, likely because people know she can make such darn lovely music, and oh, that beautiful voice.

- Corb Lund
I'm not much for country ordinarily but have always made an exception for Corb Lund. Missed every chance I've had to see him play, but this year I'll make a point of it.

- Japandroids
For two guys they make a helluva lotta noise. Sweet, sweet noise.

- Young Rival
Formerly The Ride Theory this band plays the eBar this week and return for Hillside in a few months.

- Yukon Blonde
Another renamed band (formerly Alphababy) who are getting some buzz since the reemergence.

Kazoo Fest: A 'Rich' Party with Diamond Rings (PS: I Love You)

2010-04-26T20:27:00.005-04:00

Let's say the party planning committee convened for a brainstorming session.. do you think they could come up with something as over-the-top as Rich Aucoin brought to the Jimmy Jazz in Guelph last Friday?

Gathering the crowd together in a little-league style huddle there was a hip-hip-hooray cheer, complete with balloons and confetti, to get the party started. Immediately following this, the pre-programmed dance beat kicked in so people could shake it. While youtube sensation video clips shone on the wall, he cut up their audio, including the "ow ow ow ow ow" grape-stomper, to form the beat. When it wasn't viral videos, the music kept time with an skewed-colour version of the animated 'Grinch' movie circa 1966. It was difficult to pay attention to any of that however, as Rich did his best to whip the crowd up by running amongst us when not manning his keyboard or effect-mic. He jumped and clapped and started sing-alongs to the lyrics splashed over top of the videos and generally encouraged a raucous party. People were only too happy to partake in this mixed-media bash -- Rich Aucoin for party planning president!

The energy may have been down for the next band, but the noise level was WAY up - and they were only twice as big as the solo Rich Aucoin set. PS I Love You amped things up through a slew of electric guitar effect pedals and hard-hitting drumming. Nearing the end of the set they brought out John O'Regan (Diamond Rings/D'Urbervilles) to guest sing, but mostly just groove.

Diamond Rings were next and so John's dancing continued, but now in a more interpretive style to the prepared Macbook Pro beats. O'Regan also played some keys and sang but it was his movement that entertained me the most. However after a few of his tracks, and one music-filled night (see Bruce Peninsula review) I called it a night, to wade home through the drunken university students puking and falling over. (Them, not me!)

Kazoo: Hell's Peninsula

2010-04-24T11:59:00.005-04:00

Under the glow of lamps Katie Stelmanis took to the piano to begin what promised to be an excellent evening show. Playing solo she knew her way around the keys, having opted for the grand instead of a keyboard due to theft, though in this church setting it seemed the more appropriate choice anyhow. Tilting her bench back and forth towards the pair of mics (normal and echo) she sang gorgeous songs with her impressive voice that had a Joanna Newsom Ys feel. I'll be sure to watch out for her new incarnation as Private Life in the near future.

More on Katie later with Bruce Peninsula, but first the Flowers of Hell.

A transatlantic orchestral band, numbering 16 at times tonight had half that number holding down various instruments including an upright bass, violin, saw(!) - all bowed - electric guitars, drums, a trumpet, flute, bass, piano and an organ (unfortunately keyboard produced and not the church's organ which has been rumoured and would have been phenomenal). As you can imagine there were times when these folks (7 males, and a female on the upright) made a great deal of noise, with strumming hands moving faster than my eyes could keep up with. However it was the way that they built each piece up from its ethereal beginnings to a crescendo that truly entertained. Primarily instrumental they did include an odd vocoder/spoken word conversation, as well as a cover sung entirely in Czech. Twas a fitting setting to see a band of this style play, and play well.

The three members of Bruce Peninsula took to the stage... wait three members?! But wait, what are those angelic voices floating behind me? From the upper section of the church, the Choir of Bruce sung to the heavens. After scampering to the stage for the next song the four lovely females, bookended by the equally handsome gentlemen broke into Steamroller and we were off. I could tell you about their instruments, and mention how they have a member whose primary responsibility is to shake things, but with this band it is all about the vocals. The way they intermingle their voices, stretching from folk to gospel, is simply extraordinary (oxymoron?). Though the Loudon Wainwright III cover, Swimming Song was awesome, their new track about the 'itty bitty baby' that was essentially a round must have been the highlight for me. Bruce Peninsula have too much fun on stage, dancing, joking, and laughing for the crowd not to be drawn into their joy. And boy was I joyful when the final medley turned into my Mountain Is A Mouth fave, Crabapples as the finale. The crowd around me must have been equally as pleased as it was greeted with a standing ovation. This brought the entire crew back on stage, with the addition of Katie Stelmanis, for an encore which left us all Satisfiiied!

Pepper's Problems, New D'urbs (eBar)

2010-04-22T10:01:00.004-04:00

Clad in pure white, besides his ironic mustache, Gregory Pepper took to the stage for a hometown-supported show at the eBar with his 'Problems' decked out in black (I smell a set-up..). Once Built a Boatwas out of the way, the four-piece, including Kate and Michael on guitar, took off with their quick and quirky songs. All the tempo changes, sliding from hard-hitting to sweeping and melodic in a beat, kept you on your toes (see One Man Show). They were entertaining through and through, even playing off technical woes as just more of 'his problems'. A couple standouts, identified by their morbid lyrics, were If You Try and R3 single, Knives and Guns. Gregory Pepper and His Problems are onto something, adding yet another dynamic to the Guelph music scene.

It has been awhile since The D'urbervilles played Guelph (seemingly ever other week a couple years ago) so I was interested to see what, presumably, new material would be like. It came storming out with a rather rocking sound, less synth/keyboard than before perhaps, and they didn't let up. The set of primarily new music was fairly straight-forward, and featured a couple rather catchy tunes despite the muddy sound (and low vocals). They didn't bother much with the quickly dwindling audience, though I blame the late set-time on the opening night of the 5-day Kazoo fest for the mass exodus. Those who stuck around got a taste of an upcoming album, plus a couple familiar tidbits such as The Receiver and (Hot Hot) Hot Tips.

Young & Old Man, Bell(e) Voice

2010-04-17T23:28:00.005-04:00

Old Man Leudecke took his place, seated on the eBar stage, donning his cap, eye-glasses, suit and a banjo. From this position, with his left leg tapping out the songs the entire night he entertained a capacity crowd for a solid set. His quick strum/picking of the banjo proved quite effective in keeping people entertained, especially with such a simple one-man band (though he did swap to acoustic guitar for a two-track interlude mid-set).
Not being particularly familiar with his deeper catalogue, I still enjoyed it all in spite of the annoying drunk-talkers obstructing my view for much of the show. To plug his most recent release he got the song The Rear Guard out of the way early, which incidentally includes the basis lyrics for the album's title My Hands are on Fire. Another fan-favourite was I Quit My Job, while his song that first attracted my attention Proof of Love closed down the set. An enthusiastic crowd, even after a full hour show and nearing 1am cheered him on until Vish invited him back for another go round that ended with the joyful Joy of Cooking. A delightful closing from a lovely entertainer with charming stories, both spoken and in song form.

Solo Guelph female. Impressive bluesy voice. Sparse electric guitar. All of these three word sentences are quite basic first impressions that I find synonymous with the following three words. Patty Bell Smith. That voice of hers is tremendously powerful though the music itself is not a style that really captivates me. (I found myself listening while studying the nearly 300 separate graphic-novel-esque drawings on the eBar wall.)

Opening up the night was a diamond in the rough (not saying the rest were rough, just an unanticipated find). Pat Lepoidevin, the young man from N.B., composed songs for us with his looping pedals and a mix of violin, ukulele and guitar (often on the same song). His voice was dynamic; the backing percussion was subtle; the looping was not-so-subtle but well done indeed. I won't make the obvious reference to the other fiddle-looping dynamo because this was somewhat different, and not yet as polished but still plenty of promise. Case and point - for the final song Pat laid down the first loop and left it running, then bolted through the crowd and down the stairs. We were left murmuring, only to have him reappear a minute later to cheers, carrying an instrument he'd forgotten in the car. He then proceeded with the final track, George the Polar Bear, "a children's song performed for adults", during which he entered the crowd to walk around for a chorus singalong that left everyone smiling. This having been his first visit to Guelph, he remarked on his enjoyment of the city and I sincerely hope that will be enough to bring him back. I know I'll be back to see him again if he does!

THT @ The Keg

2010-04-17T23:06:00.004-04:00

Having professed to "lurving" Guelph while chatting after their PEI-night Olympic show, Two Hours Traffic backed it up by playing a free show at the Keg (Brass Taps) at the UoG. I was happy to see that not everyone was there only for the cheap drinks (that was only a secondary reason for me!) as they took to the stage and a slew of THT fans loyally trotted to the front to dance along (myself included). It took a while to win over the casual fans, especially with a new-album heavy set-list off the top (Territory, Lost Boys, Drop Alcohol), but in due time people were converted. Picking up steam they cruised through with gems such as Heroes of the Sidewalk and Backseat Sweetheart. Despite the lack of anywhere to go between sets they deserted the stage only to return soon thereafter with a couple song encore, inviting a fan to back up on tambo, and end off the night with the much beloved Stuck for the Summer.

Dead Letter Chorus opened from Australia. Despite some solid reviews that I'd heard before, and since, I wasn't blown away, though admittedly I was seated off to the side enjoying the aforementioned cheap drinks for the entire set (still something is to be said that they didn't budge me from that position).

Brooding Over It

2010-04-17T22:53:00.002-04:00

Twas a strong but small crowd amassed for the concert at Vinyl (March 25). Local songstress, Patty Bell Smith was unfortunately lost in the din of the dank club, and her excellent vocals were practically drown out by the time they reached me hanging out near the band at the back. Once the fringe-rock trio of Elliott Brood took to the tiny stage everyone clamoured forward, perhaps in anticipation of hand-outs to come. It was a customary Brood set with the drummer pounding away, seated guitarist and those unlikely vocals emanating from that unassuming looking fellow - not to knock their live performance in any way since it is notoriously stellar. Having seen them just recently at a riled up Olympic show in Vancouver there weren't many surprises throughout the night. As per usual they built up their songs, whipping the crowd into a frenzy, so much so that some members decided to join the performers on-stage, much to their chagrin (as they explained later that a past experience of audience participation had resulted in busted instruments). To make up for it they handed out instruments that were meant to be banged about, in the form of dollar store pots and pans, for the final few songs. All songs were equally well done, with the only stand-outs being due to my personal preference. However I was pleasantly pleased by the one surprise of the night, which was when they went beyond their 10pm curfew to play an encore rendition of Miss You Now.

BeardyMan

2010-04-13T09:53:00.003-04:00

BeardyMan (UK) has the Hillside Festival on his myspace/website, and if this is correct (looks legit) it's going to be ridiculous. Listen to some of his stuff, as I am now for the first time, and you'll see why!

Stars over the Hillside

2010-03-31T14:50:00.003-04:00

Going back to my first-ever Hillside experience, this year STARS will be performing once again at the festival! (From an interview with Hillside organizers)

Also circulating is:
Los Lobos
Alex Cuba
The Tabla Guy

First Glance at Hillside

2010-03-30T09:23:00.007-04:00

Early still, as the festival's call for artist submissions is still open, but a small handful of performers for this summer's 2010 edition have already surfaced.

Brasstronaut - About to blow up (Vancouver)
Harry Manx - B.C. Blues
Horse Feathers - Indie/Folk from Portland
Minotaurs - of Nathan Lawr and the..
First Rate People - Toronto
Krista Detor - Outta Indiana
Bent by Elephants - From Montreal
Andrew Queen - Ontario
Kim Logue - More Ontario folk, as expected

Last to Weigh in on Polaris Prize

2009-11-06T11:40:00.001-05:00

Fucked Up?

Tis.

Alpha Ipod

2009-10-16T11:44:00.002-04:00

As you can see by the accidental last post I'm on the move around Asia. My blog for that is separate - StefanSpies.blogspot.com

As an experiment I've been listening to my iPod throughout this trip in a sequential order. Figuring it would be too difficult to chose the perfect album to match my mood every time (without new music coming my way) I thought this would give me an opportunity to revisit albums of old, rekindle love for some, and discover some gems in my collection that slipped through the cracks. Therefore my music collection (38+ days worth if played straight) is coming at me one album at a time - alphabetical order, by album title.

Well beginning in Toronto with A-Sides a Soundgarden best-of, I've worked my way past the self-titled Alexisonfire, Radiohead's Amnesiac, Aquemini by Outkast and many more before arriving at the catchy, yet pretty Awoo, by the Hidden Cameras to close out the A's.

Both Wolf Parade albums passed me by and I still love Apologies to the Queen Mary and though not as good At Mount Zoomer is decent too. Speaking of double albums - Rock Plaza Central also made a first album (that I heard anyway) that I love in Are We Not Horses whereas the follow-up ..at the Moment of Our Most needing or if only they could turn around, they would know they weren't alone is decent too. (I think they shortened that title, thank goodness but my ipod still has it as such)

Found a gem in Lily Allen's Alright Still especially the cover of the Kaiser Chief's Oh My God.

Thought I would want to skip through the very first one, Soundgarden, but ended up finding more than a couple tracks that I enjoyed more than i anticipated.

Other greats were Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett), the classic August and Everything After (Counting Crows), Arular (MIA), driving into the majestic country of Hampi to ..And the Ever Expanding Universe (Most Serene Republic) was fitting.

A runner for my top 10 2009 has got to be Maybe Smith's - Another Murder in the Morning. Hectic as it is if you can get into it the album pays off.

All in all A's were a big letter - nearly 50 albums listened to in full already! What with the "A somethings.." and the "All the hits" and the "...and the somethings" it was stacked and I expect to move through letters faster now so updates will be more often.

Now onto the B's! Starting with Weezer's B-side collection. See how that goes and I'll let you know in a letter.

It Starts in Mumbai!

2009-10-01T00:50:00.000-04:00

Well it's true what they say - no matter how much reading and preparation you do, you can never fully prepare for the real thing. My flight from Vancouver to India took a stop in Hong Kong and Bangkok and all told from lift-off Vancouver, to touch-down Mumbai it was exactly 24 hours journey. However it wasn't as bad as it sounds as I got lots of rest, read and watched some movies/TV, and was fairly comfortable scoring an emergency aisle each time (ah, legroom).

Arriving at 3am local customs and baggage were reasonably smooth and I'd hired a taxi into Colaba, a fairly well-traveled area of Mumbai. The Sassoon dock, promised to be a hub of fisherman activity turned out to be a sketchy spot in the pre-dawn so I was taken for a ride (both literally and figuratively) by my driver to the Gateway of India, only 500m away. Here I waited in front of the Taj Hotel (not the actual Taj) as the day lightened, getting some friendly tips from a German couple. There were many other 'friendly' Indians offering to find me a room and eventually I did get one though not until I'd stepped over sleeping people, and gone up super-sketchy lifts 5 floors while checking out OTHER hotels.

Once that was settled away I regrouped at the Gateway and took the Lonely Planet (thank goodness for Lonely Planet!) walking tour through the old British Fort area to the main train station. There are dogs, sleeping people, tiny cats with big heads, and yes - cows - all over the streets. Mostly I just cruised around on my own, feeling comfortable (at least when the sun is up) in any situation, while still exercising caution and sticking to somewhat busy thoroughfares. Saw the Mint, the Bank of India Reserve (btw don't try to take a picture of this, and if you do pull your camera out, then at least take the picture so you can delete it when the security guard forces you to!), and the University of Mumbai. Best of all there are huge parks in the heart of the city that overlook old English buildings, such as the Court House - a bustling place where security isn't all that good and I managed to climb to the 4th floor rooftop overlooking the complex.

At an Applied Art School I met a friendly fellow and swung a cricket bat - though the actual game fell through. Later on a couple young guys bought me a Chai tea (this tea is so sweet I actually like it!) before they tried to hustle me into buying a male Indian-dress before I caught on to the ruse.

Been an eventful day and a half.. my train was to leave at 7 this morning but has been delayed til 11. Almost that time now so I'd better go catch it!

Traveling

2009-09-28T14:31:00.000-04:00

Apologies for keeping you hanging and not delivering.. I was supposed to attend the Final Fantasy and Timber Timbre show in Vancouver at a church this past Friday. I was super excited for it and you can imagine how crushed I felt when Owen Pallett came down with strep throat and had to cancel. Therefore I didn't get to see the show and don't have anything to post about either.

I do have another blog on the go though, it will document my travels through Asia over the next four months. I know it's not the same but it'll have to do as I doubt I'll be catching many relevant concerts while I'm away. Perhaps on the flip side I'll start it up again, wherever I take up roots in Canada upon my return in February. Until then!

Oh Matthias! (Matthias Kom, Weird Weather)

2009-09-28T14:24:00.002-04:00

I made Coles notes for myself to fully write this one up.. but now that a month has passed it doesn't look like the full write up will ever surface. So here is a glimpse into what I was planning. It refers to the Attic (in Guelph) show featuring Matthias Kom (of the Burning Hell) and the Weird Weather, and Lisa Bozikovic.

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Lisa playing the keyboard with same guy sitting on guitar and matthias on drums

matthias opens with "part of your world" before getting into some originals and some covers. Long story about dermatologist mid-song. Captures attn over simply uke. Gets Jenny O for cover of Wax Mannequin and story about being in yukon. Has the first girl, lisa, join him to sing backup on Burning Hell's song (lie, la,la,la,lie). Closes with Kiss the Girl including keyboard set to totally fit the sound of the song.

Weird weather saw Kom back on drums - only brushes b/c at the attic. nick (?) playing guitar - at one point so fast you literally couldn't see his hand. another player too.. keys? overall not that particularly intriguing set.

Comment on the night of Matthias (involved in all three sets, and the most captivating for a self-proclaimed agoraphobe!)
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Out of Commission

2009-09-02T22:09:00.003-04:00

Apologies to the two and a half of you who've bothered to check here in the past few weeks. I've been wrapping up my tenure in Guelph and have actually driven out to St John's Newfoundland in the meantime. I know I should have given you the heads up but times were hectic - please accept my humble apologies.
I still have plans to write up the Matthias Kom/Weird Weather show from the Attic a few weeks ago. And I hope to give myself a proper send off before I voyage to the ancient land of spice (Asia?) for a few months. I'll say my goodbyes to Guelph at that point.