"Deflecting Your Accolades"

Reviews of Beth In Battle Mode, Chance and Dead Leaf Echo

So many CD's, so little time. And judging by the fact that we still have new releases coming up this year by Midlake, Divine Comedy, Editors, Richard Hawley, Kings of Convenience, Sonic Youth, etc, etc, etc, it's becoming painfully obvious that covering all of that ground is not going to be an easy task. (It's not a good sign when I find myself actually being relieved that I don't like Peter Bjorn and John's latest CD since it means that this is one less release to worry about. Pretty sad 'eh?) Anyways, here's a sampling of a few releases that have been out for a little while that I do quite enjoy.

Beth In Battle Mode - Hot Science

This local band continues on the course they charted with their intoxicating debut by upping the ante and proving that their ability to write the catchiest songs around was no mere fluke. From the opening guitar and heavily cowbelled opener of I Want You (Outta Here), BIBM gets the party started with a sound that is still steeped in all the wonderment that 80's new age has to offer, but this time turning the rock up just a little bit. While their sense of fun is still in tact, there is a definite newfound maturity displayed in songs like You Found A Cause, and the more downtempo Secret/ Weakness which shows that the band is certainly capable of mixing up the vibe from time to time. Still, they shine the brightest when performing keyboard heavy pop songs that contain the hookiest chorus's imaginable. The title track is awesome, boasting a solid key line, a mildly atmospheric bridge, solid backing vocals and Edward Maher's authoritative high pitched near falsetto. Another standout is A Little-Known Fact which is probably the song that comes closest to harnessing the explosive energy that the band is capable of administering on the live stage. Hot Science is a great album that should provide a suitable soundtrack to a party filled Saturday night.

Myspace: Beth In Battle Mode
Stream: Hot Science (entire album) is being streamed at CBC Radio 3
Photo by James Pattyn
Download: A Little-Known Fact mp3

Chance - Famous Words and Alibis

The music of LA musician Chance has always been that of a subtle beast. At first listen it comes across as standard alt-rock complete with feedback and roaring guitars. But as the songs burrowed a steady hole into my head, I consistently found myself revisiting them time and time again, as his affable eccentricity becomes more and more apparent with every listen. I've described his music in the past as unclassifiable and the same holds true with his first real full length. What makes him a real enigma of sorts is the fact that although the songs are very difficult to pigeonhole into a genre, they're by no means weird. The songs may stand in a definite league of their own, but they are still very accessible and catchy. The opening track Happening hypnotically sucks you in, as the lyric "no one even knows what's happening" becomes all the more swirling and anthemic as the song reaches its sweet crescendo before blasting into Ambulance Chaser, one of the album's many rockers. Chance can rock with the best of them, but I personally find the more atmospheric cuts to be the standouts. There is a vulnerability in the vocals accompanying Ripped, Torn, Broken, which is a truly progressive sonic adventure. You is a power ballad wherein Chance unashamedly enlists a complete vocal choir to accompany him, lifting the song to heights that it may not have reached otherwise. And speaking of crescendoed heights, Life And Life Only ends the album in a stadium worthy manner, boasting a guitar sound that brings me back to the grunge meets pop stylings of the mid 90's. Overall, Famous Words and Alibis is admittedly a grower, but once it does, its subtle charms are impossible to ignore.

Chance releases his music 100% independently and you can purchase 'Famous Words and Alibis' on his website.

Myspace: Chance
Video: Life And Life Only on youtube
Above photo is on his myspace page
Download: Happening mp3


Dead Leaf Echo - Truth

After being incredibly impressed with last year's Pale Fire EP, Dead Leaf Echo have done it again with another lush production of atmospheric shoegaze on this brilliant six song EP. This time around they've enlisted the production know-how of John Fryer, who has worked with Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode and Lush. Much like their previous release, the band chooses to approach their style with a careful reverberation, as opposed to the large wall of noise that is presented by other notable shoegazers. This allows them to have a more melodic sound that encapulates a feeling of melancholy. The highlight track is Act Of Truth, which opens with a swirling backing vocal that continues throughout the course of the song. The echoey guitars chime in at a pleasant tone giving the song a real soundtrack feel, evoking images similar to the ones that Psychedelic Furs have done in the past, and M83 has accomplished more recently. The EP also ends on a very powerful note with Trial, where the vocals and instrumentation work closely together to create a soundscape of warmth and beauty, coupled with a frenetic leaning towards the inauspicious.

Myspace: Dead Leaf Echo
Photo is on myspace
Download: Act Of Truth mp3

Am I Ulysses? Am I Ulysses?

Reviews of Franz Ferdinand, Grizzly Owls and The Craft Economy

As you've likely already noticed, I haven't had a lot of time for posting this week. Work has been quite busy (which is a good thing) and Canadian Music Week / Fest is well under way. Saw a great show on Wednesday night, another one last night and will likely be doing so again this evening. Reviews and pictures and whatnot will be posted steadily over the next week or so, but in the meantime, here are a few brief words on some of the CD's that I've been enjoying recently that have nothing to do with CMW.


Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

I never think about Franz Ferdinand. I don't know why, I just never do. Their music has always been very fun and accessible, and I really can't think of anything that I dislike about them. It just seems that whenever they come out with a new album I listen to it, like it, put it away, and never listen to it again. Will things change for album number three? Only time will tell. Tonight: Franz Ferdinand features more of the same quirky new wave pop that made them such a hit with fans, and their jaunty melodies coupled with their humourous lyricism remain as fresh sounding as they did on their debut in 2004. Nothing revelatory, just good clean dance-infused mirthfulness. Things become particularly interesting towards the end of the album, beginning with Lucid Dreams. The first half of the song contains some very solid radio friendly material, but the song's second half turns into an instrumental electronica breakdown that is as adventurous as it is invigorating. Dream Again is a slow groove, with an appropriately dreamy synth line, while album closer Katherine Kiss Me is a solid acoustic number that has Alex Kapranos doing a pretty dead-on Ray Davies take in the vocal department.

Sony Music is running a contest where you can win 'Tonight: Franz Ferdinand' on vinyl, 'Franz Ferdinand' on vinyl, the Franz Ferdinand DVD, a vinyl carrying case and four autographed FF posters, each with individual designs. Contest rules are here.

Franz Ferdinand are playing a sold out show at the Kool Haus on Monday May 4th, 2009.

Myspace: Franz Ferdinand

The Grizzly Owls - The People Have All Gone EP

The follow up to California's The Grizzly Owls twangy debut By Night On My Bed showcases the band offering forth even more lo-fi country twang. The last time around, Joseph and Jenny Andreoti combined the classic syrup of Kris Kristofferson with the experimental nature of The Cocteau Twins. This time around things are more honky tonk, and less eclectic, allowing the band to master a specific sound which works very well in their favour. The band used the film The Last Picture Show as inspiration, as well as some found pictures of Jenny's father during The Korean War. This no doubt contributed to the EP's overall authentic sound. Jenny's voice still displays a raw emotion that is swooping and cinematic, but also seemingly more controlled. The guitar sound is mired in echoey beauty, while the banjo presents a unique uptempo contrast to some of the more sinister lyrics that it accomanies, such as those found in The Legend Of The Ghost Man. That song comes across sounding like an old traditional folk tune. Another highlight is Madman, Hysterical Woman which combines cheatin' and hurtin' lyrics with twangy vocal harmonies (featuring Raymond Richards) and some sweet resonation, making this a truly perfect country song.

The People Have All Gone EP is available at CD Baby and iTunes. The non album single 'Whiskey and Clyde' is a free download at RCRDLBL.com

Photo by Ty Rose

Myspace: The Grizzly Owls

The Craft Economy - Is On Your Side EP

I've made no secret about how I feel about The Craft Economy. I am a huge admirer of their creative approach to music distribution, releasing their albums under a Creative Commons Non-Commercial Share Alike license. But, more importantly, I'm also a huge fan of their fun and, oftentimes hilarious stab at retro 80's dance rock. This EP has been on regular rotation in my iPod for several months now, and it's perfect. It's one of those albums that puts a permanent smile on my face every time I listen to it. The stop-start melody of Menergy! along with its hyperactive keyboard work and shout along vocals makes a point of attacking you right away. The first time that I listened to The Tonic when they started singing the chorus from 80's french pop siren Mitsou's Bye Bye Mon Cowboy, I'm pretty sure that I laughed out loud on the subway. And not every song is a simple energy infused dance song. Colpoy's Bay, for example, while still very dancable, has a wonderful melody that enables the song to make even more of an impact and it grabs you with it's irresistable hookiness.

All of their albums are available for free on their website.

The Craft Economy are playing Beth In Battle Mode's CD release party (a CD that I will be telling you about shortly) on March 20th 2009 at El Mocambo.

Myspace: The Craft Economy

Fleece Elves - The Dreams EP

I received a pretty decent little EP from a local band called Fleece Elves. Although the band has been playing together for a couple of years now, The Dreams EP is the first time that they've made product available to the public and they've got a sound that is warm and easy to absorb. Their style could best be described as easily accessible folk tinged pop music with the emphasis placed on the Americana side of things. The EP opens with the most upbeat song of the four, entitled Full Of Empty. It's incredibly catchy, and the full sound of the chorus reminds me of some of the great straight forward rock music of the early 90's, stuff like The Odds or Counting Crows. The little guitar strains that poke through some of the lyrics show a hint of their classic rock influence, which manifests itself in full force by the end of the EP. Pin Cushion and Red Star are the songs that most openly display their roots rock influences, which will likely cause many to compare them to Wilco, although I think that perhaps The Skydiggers or The Cash Brothers would be a more accurate point of reference. The harmonies are very unique, and the guitar, once again, is given centre stage, especially during the latter half of the latter track, where the band's sense of adventure starts to peek through. The real clincher is the last song, entitled All The Colours You See. Track One may be the catchiest song, but this one has the most obvious hook, one that will have you singing along within the first minute of its nearly seven minute time span. The aforementioned classic rock influence really shines on this one, as the structure leans heavily on tempo changes and country rock guitar virtuosities, reminding me a lot of the Allman Brothers. Overall, this is a solid primer for what is to come, and it'll be neat to see if the band chooses to follow the jam format of the last song, or they play up the power pop angle of the first song.

Fleece Elves are playing The Smiling Buddha Bar on Saturday February 21st.

Myspace: Fleece Elves

Other stuff:
Sorry for the late notice, but AfterpartY are playing live tomorrow night (Saturday February 14th) at The Supermarket in Kensington Market. However, if you can't go out there's no need to fret or fear, their entire show is being broadcast live at SyncLive.com. Simulcasting video over the internets...what will they think of next? [Myspace: AfterpartY]

Beth In Battle Mode are in the process of releasing a new CD entitled Hot Science. They've got a new song streming on their myspace and next week, they'll have another one. They're encouraging all to check in regularly as they'll be offering all kinds of news and updates and other fun stuff. They are playing Rancho Relaxo on February 18th. [Myspace: Beth In Battle Mode]

Olenka and the Autumn Lovers were recently the featured band of the day in The National Post. They are playing The Tranzac on Wednesday February 18th. [Myspace: Olenka and the Autumn Lovers]

Songs From A Room did the live performance and interview thing on the XM Satellite Radio show Live @ The Verge last Wedesday. For those of you who missed it (like me), it is being re-broadcast this Sunday February 15th at 9am. SFAR are playing The Horseshoe on Sunday February 22nd. [Myspace: Songs From a Room]

TWM-Fest Day 2 featuring Coast Guard, Amos the Transparent, Fox Jaws and Beth In Battle Mode

I hope TWM Fest days 1 & 3 were as successful as day 2 was because it could only be described as rousing! This is the way to celebrate such a successful series of local indie talent and Friday night just confirmed that all of the best music is still to be found right here in the city of Toronto. Even though my two favorite acts of the night were technically exported from slightly outside of the city but still….

The openers of the night were Coast Guard, an indie pop gem consisting of Dennis Keough (drums), Justin Mahoney (bass), Jimmy Rose (guitar, synths), and Rhiannon Thomas (vocals, guitar). Their music has a slight east coast edge to it and reminds me a bit of Thrush Hermit, only with female vocals. It’s unassuming and pleasant enough but I can’t say that it really grabbed my attention as much as I would’ve liked it to. However, this criticism should be tempered with the fact that I actually ran into a whole whack of friends at this show and spent the better part of the Coast Guard’s set catching up with them. So the band didn’t really have my undivided attention.

Photos: My shots of Coast Guard @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr.
Myspace: Coast Guard

Ottawa’s Amos the Transparent were up next and the last time I saw them was also here at Rancho and their slightly inebriated presentation was one of the most entertaining shows of the year. I was speaking with Jonathan Chandler before the show and he was mentioning that he was dealing with a little bit of a strange sinus thing and they were making the drive back to Ottawa that evening. That meant minimal drinky drinky. That gives the band an A for responsibility and an obviously more reserved performance than last time. But if a band can play a tight show while under the influence, than just imagine how tight they are when performing sober. And they were tight and sounding as great as usual. It was cool that the band was willing to play this small venue considering the significant amount of exposure that they’ve been receiving as of late. The fans were all there, and the interaction between the band and the crowd gave me that warm and cuddly feeling, like a giant indie rock hug. They mentioned that they'll be returning to the city for NXNE, and that they're performance is going to quite the extravaganza. Whether or not this means a show with their original significantly larger line up I don't know, but colour me intrigued.

Photos: My pics of Amos the Transparent @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr.
Myspace: Amos The Transaprent

The stellar Amos performance left Fox Jaws’ Carleigh Aikins remarking “How am I supposed to follow that?!?” Well she needn’t have worried because I think Friday night’s show was they’re best performance to date. How does she do that thing with her voice? It was there in all of its raspy glory. My friend and local musician Haley Zalesky said it best when she exclaimed “That voice! I want it!” I noticed that they seem to be introducing more and more new material at each show, and this performance didn’t feature as many songs from Goodbye Doris as I would’ve liked. Still, unless you’re someone like Queens of the Stone Age (who incidentally were playing a surprise intimate show at the El Mocambo just up the street) a band only has a minimal allotment of time and Fox Jaws clearly wanted to feature as much new music as possible. And that’s all good because the songs sound awesome. I obviously don’t know the names of these new tunes but there was one about dancing or something (lol) and the last song of the night in particular made me all eager with anticipation for the new album. Another thing to look forward to is the fact that, I believe they’re going to be recording their next album with Nevado Records. That’s the label that recorded Bass Lions latest, which so far contains the best production I’ve heard all year. So there is no reason that the upcoming Fox Jaws CD should not be the greatest thing that I’ve ever heard. Ever. No pressure.

Photos: My pics of Fox Jaws @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr. (Compared to the last two times that I saw them, these ones actually turned out pretty good.)
Myspace: Fox Jaws

I was so tired at this point that there should be a new word to describe how exhausted I was because words like ‘tired’, ‘exhausted’ and ‘fried’ just don’t cut it. However, I’ve been wanting to see Beth In Battle Mode since I reviewed Technical Know-How last year and darned if I was going to miss them again! So I figured, I’ll catch a couple of songs, take a few crappy pictures and call it a day. Well c’mon! That just can’t be done at a show as fun as the show that BIBM puts on. The self proclaimed world's premier garage-prog-disco power trio put on a show that was every bit as fun as one would expect from such a crazy tag, Andrew Ennals is the most entertaining synth player I’ve seen since watching Good Rockin’ Tonite in the 80’s and every band member was more than happy to mug for the various cameras of the night. David Gilgan was pounding the drums like a madman and Edward Mahen’s voice was here in all of its Loverboy-ish charm. (I hope he doesn’t mind that I keep comparing him to Loverboy but I’m sorry, the voice constantly conjures up images of a red spandex clad Mike Reno. But in a good way. If that’s even possible.) Finally, the ultimate proof that I was thoroughly enjoying this show was the fact that the band was even making my usually stoic booty shake and that rarely ever happens. Although, apparently it’s debatable as to whether or not what I do can actually be called dancing. Thanks for crushing my self esteem Jen. Just kidding. My ego is actually still as huge as ever.

Photos: My shots of Beth In Battle Mode @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr.
Myspace: Beth In Battle Mode

Two Way Monologues One Year Anniversary

The Two Way Monologues Showcases at Rancho Relaxo have been my greatest source for learning all about what's new and exciting in local indie rock. It's through these shows that I've been introduced to some of my favorite acts such as Fox Jaws, Entire Cities, Deadbeat Dads and Schomberg Fair. I've also seen many of my other faves grow and flourish by means of these shows; acts like Tin Bangs, Amos The Transparent and Oh No Forest Fires. Sadly, this year circumstances have prevented me from attending as many of these shows as I did last year, but from what I've heard, they're as entertaining and as strong as ever. Dan Wolovick has his ear firmly pressed to the indie ground and he will no doubt continue to expose more great artists to a wider audience by means of the TWM Showcase.

To celebrate one year of providing such fine entertainment, the TWM Mixtape Volume 1 CD has been released and it is chock full of some of the greatest bands to have performed on the Rancho Relaxo stage over the past year. I've been listening to it pretty much non-stop over the past week, and there isn't a dud track to be found on it. Starting tonight, TWM is showcasing the first of three evenings to commemorate this remarkable achievement. The lineups are all gold, and although I'd love to attend them all, it looks like I'm only going to be able to make it to day 2, tomorrow night's show. Thankfully, that's the day that looks like it was tailor made for yours truly since three of the four acts have received rave reviews on this blog. Anyways, here are the lineups:

Thursday May 8th - Key Witness, Five Blank Pages, Numbers & Figures and The Eatons.
Friday May 9th - Beth In Battle Mode, Fox Jaws, Amos The Transparent and Coast Guard.
Saturday May 10th - Tin Bangs, Schomberg Fair, Mark Berube and Cheap Speakers.

All these shows are $10 with a CD, or $7 without. But seriously, get the CD.

I'm a little too lazy to post mp3's today, but go to the various band myspace pages and you'll find a whole slew of downloadable toonage or better yet, GO TO THE SHOWS AND GET THE CD! IT'S AWESOME!!!!

Beth In Battle Mode - Technical Know-How

Ahhh, it doesn't get much better than Beth In Battle Mode. Take every great band you've ever heard, chuck 'em in a blender, hit "BLEND", and you've got a band that is so insanely fun that I defy you to sit still and contemplate life while their music is playing. Technical Know-How is a real lesson in creating a mood, demonstrating a feeling and showing the universe how to be catchy. The album opens with "Rembrandt Q. Einstein" a jumpy little number complete with Costello-ish keys and Stranglers-ish vocals. "No Feeling" is an oxymoron of sorts in that the songs oozes so much feeling that it literally leaves you feeling exhausted. "Everyone Is In A Band" has all the handclaps and thumping drums necessary to expose the pop music lover in all of us. However it's the keyboard action in this one that made me laugh out loud. It becomes so intentionally overbearing that for some reason I just found it hilarious. When the positively psycho keyboard solo kicks in about three quarters into the song, I found myself ducking in order to avoid the lasers that are sure to come shooting out of the sky like they do at Styx concerts. "Presto's at 8" takes us back a decade earlier to the garage rockin' 60's and this song would not sound out of place on a Nuggets compilation. This time the brief key solo is a little more Deep Purple than Styx but still very cool. "The Sounds Of The Internet" zips ahead to the 80's and (I'm already laughing while typing this) sounds like what The Cars would sound like if Loverboy's Mike Reno sang lead. If you haven't clued in yet, this band is more fun than paintballing with Devo, (not sure what that means but you've gotta admit, that sounds pretty fun) and at exactly 30 minutes, the CD is exactly what the doctor ordered when it comes to a prescription for good times.

Beth In Battle Mode are playing their last show of the year at The Savannah Room on December 1st. Just because I can't make it to this one doesn't mean that you should miss it as well. It's sure to be a whole whack of good times.

Photo is by Moffat media.

Download: No Feeling mp3
Myspace: Beth In Battle Mode
Stream: The entire CD can be streamed over at CBC Radio 3 here.