Basia Bulat @ Soundscapes (In-Store Performance)

Falling under the category of "sure thing" is the irresistible talents of Basia Bulat, a person that I've seen perform several times now, yet who still manages to leave me in awe every time. In promotion of her latest release entitled Heart Of My Own she's been playing a number of shows lately at slightly larger venues, but prior to this in-store at Soundscapes I would have to say that my favourite time seeing her was when she played another in-store at Criminal Records a couple of years ago. I just find that her brand of humble acoustic folk is well suited for the intimate setting of a local record store, and it doesn't get much more intimate than the slight surroundings of Soundscapes.

As anticipated, the crowds didn't take very long to build and, as usual, I was happy that I had the sense to get there a little bit earlier. It ended up being a packed house that certainly wasn't as uncomfortably full as I had seen the place before, but it was still a pretty healthy crowd indeed. There were a couple of other factors that contributed to the intimate vibe of the evening. First of all, we all sat on the floor, which is cozy and stuff yet once again the dreaded foot falling asleep situation that haunted me only a mere month ago at the An Horse in-store show reared its ugly head again (although it should be noted that this was way more comfortable than that one was.) Secondly, when Basia took her place she requested that only her autoharp be plugged in as she felt that audio enhancement wasn't really necessary for such a small venue. A gutsy move for sure, but one that paid off nicely as the whole set felt that it was only a fireplace away from being as warm and personal a show as it could be. She focused mainly on newer material, which I'll admit I haven't really taken the time to listen to yet, but the personal unfamiliarity to the songs had no effect on my overall enjoyment. If anything, hearing her voice in this natural setting only made me twice as eager to check it out as soon as possible. The unmic'd situation really drove home just how powerful her voice actually is, as there didn't seem to be a single person who remained unaffected by her entrancing vibrato. The highlight of the set for me was her closing number which was an acapella rendition of an old gospel number that she sang sans instrument, only using her handclaps and footstomps as percussion. It made for a humorous moment when her foot stomping made a small amount of merchandise fall to the floor, which had her remark "Neil Young is going to kill me", which was greeted by great laughter from all in attendance. It must've been one of his books or CD's that fell. Still, it's that unforced human quality that endears so many people to her both as an artist and as a person. As she heads stateside to continue touring the new material, she'll no doubt continue to make new fans and friends along the way, and it'll be interesting to watch her popularity continue to rise, as it no doubt will.

Photos: My pictures of Basia Bulat @ Soundscapes are on flickr.
Myspace: Basia Bulat
Download: Gold Rush mp3
Video: Highlights from the performance are at Now Magazine
Video: Basia Bulat was also interviewed in the basement at Soundscapes the day of the show on AuxTV.

Other stuff:

You've probably heard about this already, but Broken Social Scene have returned with an epic new song called World Sick which can be downloaded for free on their website. (You'll need to give them your email address). The song  is awesome, as expected, and it will be featured on their upcoming album which well be called Forgiveness Rock Record, as is scheduled to be out in May. [Myspace: Broken Social Scene]

Daniel Hales and the Frost Heaves have a new video out for the song Shepherd of Lost Shopping Carts. [Myspace: Daniel Hales and the Frost Heaves]

Dutch indie rock band Bettie Serveert is back with an excellent  new album called Pharmacy of Love and a track entitled Deny All is available for free download. [Myspace: Bettie Serveert]

[Via Chart Attack] It looks like Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon are going to be recording a "trio" album with Yoko Ono which, I can't believe I'm saying this, sounds like it could be pretty interesting. [Myspaces: Sonic Youth; Yoko Ono]

And lastly, it seems that this is the season for in-store events, with some pretty interesting ones coming up. Zeus will be playing Soundscapes on March 6th at 6pm. Kurt Vile is going to be at Criminal Records on February 26th at 6:30pm. And during CMW on March 13th, Criminal Records has got an awesome three-fer featuring Aidan Knight (5pm), Dan Mangan (6pm) and Hollerado (7pm). Yay free music!

Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade: The Thrilling Conclusion (#5 - 1)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41] [#40-36] [#35-31] [#30-26] [#25-21] [#20-16] [#15-11] [#10-6]

Drum roll please....

5. Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens (2005)

Forget about simply putting out a concept album, Sufjan Stevens actually had the nerve to attempt a concept series. It appears that the fifty states, fifty albums project was most likely abandoned after this one, the second in the series, but when you've reached a pinnacle such as this, why continue? If I were to simply pick up this album without any prior knowledge, it would likely have been returned to the pile without even listening. Everything from the length of the song titles, (one song title is 53 words long) to the length of the album itself (clocking it at just under 75 minutes) would normally be too daunting a task for even one as ambitious as myself to undertake. But the hype eventually got to me, and boy, am I glad that this time, for once, the hype was right! This highly melodic history lesson of sorts has the feel of an epic movie, with all of the ingredients in tact. There's action, humor, moments that pull on the heartstrings as well as moments that make you think, not to mention villains that you boo and heroes that you cheer for. Mr. Stevens is one gifted individual, as is showcased by the fact that he can take some of the wordiest lyrics I've ever read, and combine these poetic puzzles to some of the hookiest musical accompaniment I've ever heard. There are some prize worthy melodies on this one: Decatur, Casimir Pulaski Day and the current king of road trip classics Chicago, to name a few. And the fact that the whole thing ends with such an amazing instrumental number called Out Of Egypt, Into The Great Laugh of Mankind and I Shake The Dirt From My Sandals As I Run that plays like a sonic stew of BSS, Peter Gabriel and The Mothers of Invention is like the perfect reward for sitting up and committing yourself to such an awesome album. [Myspace: Sufjan Stevens]

4. Black Sheep Boy - Okkervil River (2005)

While we're still in the vein of the highly ambitious, taking a classic Tim Hardin folk song and expanding on the song's theme by creating a full length concept album around it, would certainly fall in that category, and only the literary mind of Will Scheff would ever be able to pull that off. Normally, I'm a big believer that for a good lyrical album to work, it should be just as easy to enjoy whether one is paying attention to the lyrics or not. But this album is sort of the exception to that rule. Not that the album isn't good if you're not paying attention to the words and themes, but you really need to have the lyric sheet in front of you if you're going to be dropping this album in at number 4 on a 'best of the decade' list. The album touches on feelings of isolation and loneliness in a way that we can all relate to, no matter how popular we are (or think we are.) His ability to wax poetically while still maintaining candor and frankness cannot be an easy job, but this is exactly what he does throughout the course of the album, proving just how talented a songwriter he is. The fact that he does this so effectively makes it the type of album that can really speaks to me as I listen, to the point where I can actually see myself in the narrative. And those moments where the guitars literally blast out of the speakers are just an added bonus. [Myspace: Okkervil River]

3. The Trials Of Van Occupanther - Midlake (2006)

The opening piano notes of Roscoe are like a giant magnet that draws me in every time that I put this one on. In fact, whenever the song comes up on shuffle, it doesn't take long for me to shut off the shuffle feature and just let the album play, because you don't just listen to Roscoe and not let the rest of the album continue. That's like watching the opening scroll of Star Wars and then turning the channel. You just don't do it! The classic 70's sound of this album is an unabashed throwback, but it works so well that you just have to go with it. The album has a real earthy vibe to it, and when Tim Smith's understated vocals come in, accompanied by one of the strongest rhythm sections of the moment, I can almost smell the burning wood of a campfire, and feel the cool breeze off of the ocean. With acoustic guitars and flutes that chime like the earlier folksier output of Jethro Tull to the layered bassline and guitar backdrops that play like early to mid 70's period Fleetwood Mac, this album is sharp in beauty and rich in melody. The biggest secret to the album's success is the band's sense of control. Some of the instrumental moments at the end of the songs Head Home and We Gathered In Spring, show that the band is quite capable of bombarding us with grand progressive moments or over indulgent jam band adventures, while the vocals in songs like Young Bride and In This Camp show that Smith could probably sing the phone book if he wanted to, but the band chooses to keep things simple and accessible. Within the confines of The Trials of Van Occupanther, that approach works to their advantage and the album never overstays its welcome. [Myspace: Midlake]

2. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco (2002)

We've all heard the story surrounding this album, making it the greatest success story in the history of indie music, as well as the defining moment when the record labels lost all credibility. But the whole adventure would not have gelled so effectively if the music on this album was not as good as it claimed to be, and the fact is, that even when listening to the album 7 years on, it's still an intoxicating beauty. The fact that all of the members of the band had the guts to take a collection of songs that would have worked just fine as subtle slices of alt-country fare, and expand them into sonically challenging art rock collages is an inspired move, and one that paid off in spades. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart is almost tear jerking, and that's amazing when you consider that the beat changes several times throughout the song, it's enshrouded in white noise and the lyrics don't really make any sense to me. There are other moments of expansive brilliance like the two songs that close the album, namely Poor Places and Reservations. Both of those songs contain atmospheric codas that, if left in lesser hands, would render the skip button necessary. Instead, they both dare you to keep listening and I don't know anyone who hasn't enjoyed the payoff that comes from doing so. Finally, to the staff of Reprise Records who claimed that the album wasn't commercial enough, I've got to know if they were even listening to tracks like I'm The Man Who Loves You, Pot Kettle Black, Heavy Metal Drummer or Jesus, Etc. because those are four of the greatest pop songs of all time, and they're all on the same album. If that doesn't equal record sales, than I don't know what does. The fact that this became Wilco's best selling album proves that they were wrong, we were right, and from that day on, this is my second favorite album of the decade and who needs them? [Myspace: Wilco]

1. You Forgot It In People - Broken Social Scene (2002)

If you follow this blog at all, then you already knew that this album had to be my number one! When I first heard it, (which incidentally was the day after I first saw them perform live) it single handedly restored my faith in the artistry of music. I had grown up listening to artists that were determined to strive beyond existing stagnant music forms, beginning that education with progressive rock, and then moving towards punk, new wave, 80's college radio and the beginnings of grunge, when suddenly, in the mid 90's I just got tired of it all. By the end of the decade, all I wanted was a good hook and a catchy pop style. That all changed when I saw Broken Social Scene play live and the celebratory nature of art rock was reawakened in me. There were something like 17 people on that stage, playing some songs that would be considered pop and other songs that would be considered avant garde. Some of the songs followed a verse chorus verse chorus format, while others were just the repeating of the same line over and over again, while yet other songs were instrumental blasts of horns and feedback. The band worked together like a well oiled machine, while each individual was contentedly admiring the talents of the guy or girl beside them and looking genuinely surprised at what was unfolding around them. What I saw on that stage was not just a band uniformly playing a collection of songs, it was a community of people that loved music and wanted not only to impress each other, but to be impressed by each other. And when I picked up this album and popped it into my CD player, the band actually managed to accomplish the seemingly impossible by transposing that energy and camaraderie to a physical disc. In my teens, I used to listen to albums repeatedly, to the point where I knew every snap crackle and pop that the cassette shot forth. By the time I hit my 20's however, those days were seemingly gone, both due to life getting in the way, and just general ADD. Again, that all changed with this album. I listened to it non stop for a couple of months, and then pulled it out weekly for a couple of years after that. It had been ages since an album had that kind of staying power for me then, and it hasn't happened for me since. There were undeniably better albums released this decade in a technical sense, but for me, where I was at the time it was released, where I was at the time that I picked it up, and where I am now, there really is no other album that comes close. This is my album. This is the one that originally motivated me to start blogging about music. This is the one that originally reawakened my desire for live music. This is the one that caused me to ignite a fire for what is going on locally. Yes, this is my favorite album of the decade. End. Gush. Now. [Myspace: Broken Social Scene]

Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade Are:

1. You Forgot It In People - Broken Social Scene (2002)
2. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco (2002)
3. The Trials of Van Occupanther - Midlake (2006)
4, Black Sheep Boy - Okkervil River (2005)
5. Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens (2005)
6. Third - Portishead (2008)
7. Man Made - Teenage Fanclub (2005)
8. Sebastopol - Jay Farrar (2001)
9. The Hazards Of Love - The Decemberists (2009)
10. Sorry Love - Pipas (2006)
11. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene (2005)
12. Set Yourself On Fire - Stars (2004)
13. Smile - Brian Wilson (2004)
14. Lifted, Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground - Bright Eyes (2002)
15. The Stage Names - Okkervil River (2007)
16. Love Is Hell - Ryan Adams (2004)
17. Let's Get Out Of This Country - Camera Obscura (2006)
18. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning - Bright Eyes (2005)
19. The Crane Wife - The Decemberists (2006)
20. Gang Of Losers - The Dears (2006)
21. Boxer - The National (2007)
22. Funeral - Arcade Fire (2004)
23. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips (2002)
24. Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer (2006)
25. Kid A - Radiohead (2000)
26. Let It Die - Feist (2004)
27. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood - Neko Case (2006)
28. Cryptograms - Deerhunter (2007)
29. Desperate Hearts, Blood Thirsty Babes - TV On The Radio (2004)
30. Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams (2000)
31. Figure 8 - Elliott Smith (2000)
32. A Ghost Is Born - Wilco (2004)
33. Glissandro 70 - Glissandro 70 (2006)
34. Hometowns - Rural Alberta Advantage (2008)
35. Ys - Joanna Newsom (2006)
36. Welcome Interstate Managers - Fountains of Wayne (2003)
37. You Are Free - Cat Power (2003)
38. For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver (2008)
39. Icky Thump - White Stripes (2007)
40. Goodbye Doris - Fox Jaws (2007)
41. The Revolution Starts...Now - Steve Earle (2004)
42. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out - Yo La Tengo (2000)
43. Is This It- The Strokes (2001)
44. Sunset Tree - The Mountain Goats (2005)
45. The Weekend - The Weekend (2000)
46. Left And Leavng - The Weakerthans (2000)
47. Never Hear The End Of It - Sloan (2006)
48. Writer's Block - Peter Bjorn And John (2006)
49. Everything I've Forgotten To Forget - Amos The Transparent (2007)
50. Gold - Ryan Adams (2001)

Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#15-11)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41] [#40-36] [#35-31] [#30-26] [#25-21] [#20-16]

15. The Stage Names - Okkervil River (2007)

Okkervil River are the decade's greatest examples of combining self reflection with compelling storytelling, presenting a narrative that may or may not be autobiographical, but makes for an entertaining and tragic story either way. They've displayed this exceptionally on previous albums, but this 2007 release has taken that formula and made it rock. While most artists believe that somber lyrics should be accompanied with somber melodies, Will Scheff took the opportunity to take those ideas and turn them on their heads with an album that can easily be described as a full on rock 'n roll assault. Charging out of the gate with three rockers right off the bat, Scheff and company refuse to hold back, and the album is mostly action packed from start to end. For those moments where the album does chill out, the band does not sacrifice thrill for monotony, as songs like the album's centerpiece A Girl In Port goes epic as it builds and builds to its brassy climax. The album brings it all together in the grand finale with John Allyn Smiths Sails, a song about the tragic death of poet John Berryman, with a reworking of the traditional Sloop John B making the song sound celebratory despite the subject matter being so sad. The reason the album appeals so much to me is in its ability to seek out positivity in a sea of negativity as it celebrates death, as much as it celebrates life. [Myspace: Okkervil River]

14. Lifted, Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To the Ground - Bright Eyes (2002)

Not only the most pretentious album title on the list, this album may also be in the running for being the most pretentious album on the list period, which for me, is part of what makes it so great. Although there are a couple of contrived moments, overall Oberst has never sounded so open, and on this album he sounds to me like he's seriously taking some therapeutic measures for reasons of self growth, as opposed to simply sounding angsty to sell a record. Of course, I could be wrong and easily fooled but whatever, it works for me. Originally, it was a shoo-in for my top ten, since not only have I listened to it repeatedly throughout the course of the decade, but it also contains what is probably my favorite song of the decade (the highly emotive Waste Of Paint), but upon listening to it more recently, I decided to knock it down a couple of notches in favor of a few albums that are more where I'm at right now. As I mentioned while blabbing about my #18 pick, I'm not always into what Bright Eyes is doing, and probably less so these days but when Conor is properly focused, he can really knock it out of the park. His lyricism has never been better, with odes to constant failure like Nothing Gets Crossed Out ("it's too hard to focus with all this doubt, I keep making this to-do list but nothing gets crossed out"), the human need for companionship expressed in Bowl Of Oranges ("I learned the lesson that everyone is alone and your eyes must do some raining if you are ever going to grow") and the aforementioned Waste Of Paint where his personal feelings of desperation have never come across more clearly and although his warbly vocal is not for everybody, for me it adds that extra sense of realism that I find very moving. [Myspace: Bright Eyes]

13. Smile - Brian Wilson (2004)

This masterpiece does have the unfair advantage of being 37 years in the making, as Wilson began this self proclaimed "teenage symphony to God" all the way back in 1966. Recording difficulties, his own mental breakdown and the fact that the rest of The Beach Boys just wanted to surf, prevented the project from ever reaching any official form of completion, although I've been listening to fan-made bootleg versions of this one for years. The fact that Brian Wilson was a misunderstood genius has been well documented yet sadly overshadowed by his former band's penchant for recording catchy, but basically saccharine sounding songs about surfing, girls, sunshine and surfing. This orchestral song suite is as brilliant as I'd anticipated it would be, as it gels together in a way that includes classical flourishes with singalong lyrics, doo wop melodies and creative segues into a package that begs to be experienced as a whole piece, as opposed to being simply a collection of songs. The album also gets extra marks for surpassing the initial hype. With 30 plus years of build-up, I think that we were all pretty skeptical that this finished product could possibly live up to such heightened expectations, enabling most of us to hold on to those old bootlegs, just in case. The fact that the finished product is even better than expected is a real testament to the genius of Wilson, and there's no doubt that the album will continue to be heralded as one of the true classics of the rock era. [Myspace: Brian Wilson]

12. Set Yourself On Fire - Stars (2004)

The subtle intricacies of pop music have never sounded more nuanced than on this third offering by Stars. The album is a grand romanticized listen for many reasons: First of all, there is the fact that there's a great eloquence exuded in every perfectly articulated syllable sung by the charismatic Torquil Campbell. The more understated, yet charming vocals of Amy Millan serve as the greatest complement to those of Campbell, creating a melodramatic atmosphere that weaves in and out of the album in the same way that it tends to within most relationships, romantic or otherwise. No, Campbell and Millan are not a couple in real life, but the natural interplay that they possess throughout the album never sounds "put on" or "for show", and you'd be forgiven for assuming that, not only are they a couple, but they have been one for years. This is by far their most consistent album, with every song working together to create a defined whole. One of my favorite moments is the opening track about two former lovers meeting together entitled Your Ex-Lover Is Dead which is both affectionate and damning at the same time, as is indicated in the harsh lyric "and all of the time you thought I was sad, I was trying to remember your name." There's the obvious homages to mid 80's English pop such as Calendar Girl and the album's "hit" Ageless Beauty. And it's those celebratory moments that really help escalate the album to majestic heights, namely What I'm Trying To Say and Soft Revolution, where the mission is made clear in the lyric "we are here to take the blame, to take the taunts and if the shame, we are here to make you feel." Exactly. It's those expressed feelings that make this album so great as it hits on every nerve and moment that dwells in each and every one of us. Sounds corny, but it's true. [Myspace: Stars]

11. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene (2005)

The Social Scene's follow up to 2002's You Forgot It In People is a mess. It's jumbled and sloppy, and very much lacking in the structured hooks that were so prevalent on the previous album. Yes, this is one huge catastrophic mess. However, so is the desk in my office but I promise you that I would never be able to get a single thing accomplished if my desk wasn't in the state that it's currently in. Sometimes it can only be out of chaos that true inspiration is derived, and I find this album to be as inspirational as they come. The album is a sonic boom of conflicting sounds and ideas with layered symphonies that clash as much as they complement, but I absolutely love it! The most appealing thing about BSS has always been the way that they can make their music sound like a community in action, and this album is the noisy din of just such a community. The sequencing is just perfect, with each song outshining the one prior, culminating in the epic, and somehow appropriately titled, ten minute explosion of It's All Gonna Break. The album is downright exhausting, and I usually need a few minutes of silence and a stiff drink once it's finished, but it also weilds several surprises every time I put it on, making every listen a unique experience unto itself. How many albums can you say that about? [Myspace: Broken Social Scene]

Tomorrow: Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade (#10-6)

"If You Ever Get Lonely, Just Go To the Record Store And Visit Your Friends"

RECORD STORE DAY - SATURDAY APRIL 18TH.

This Saturday is the Second Annual Record Store Day, which is the day that music lovers such as you and I are encouraged to take the opportunity to stop downloading and support your local record shop. Some of my favourite music-related memories have to do with spending hours perusing the local record stores, staring at those huge elaborate covers and stewing over whether or not it would be in my best interest to drop my hard earned money on that rare 3 disc clear vinyl box set that included the one song that I had never heard of, in amongst 15 other songs that I've already purchased about five other times before. I think back to my formative years growing up in the sleepy industrial town of Oshawa, and walking into a little place on Simcoe Street called Star Records. This place was awesome! At that age, I was hungry for all things relating to progressive rock, and I remember being encouraged, nay... instructed, to pick up anything and everything by The Strawbs. Since then, it didn't matter which town I moved to next, there was always a small record store that I could check out. In Brampton, it was the now sadly defunct New World Records on Queen Street. When I moved to Oakville, there was Recordings on Kerr Street, with its massively intimidating basement of vinyl, where I picked up my first Van Der Graaf Generator album, several rare releases by The Cure and a little something by Generation X. Right across the street was the much smaller but still endearing Cactus Records, where the owner reluctantly let me have his last copy of The Mothers of Invention's Uncle Meat. And then the move to Burlington introduced me to Looney Tunes on Brant Street, where I had picked up Big Star, Captain Beefheart and 13th Floor Elevators all in one shot. Now of course, I live in downtown Toronto, and places like Soundscapes, Criminal Records and Rotate This! have enabled me to create even more memories.

Yes, I have no problem remembering what I bought at these stores and approximately how old I was at the time. But I can't remember the albums that I've picked up at the more popular chain retailers. The chains simply lack the personality that comes from frequenting the local indie record store. I do download quite frequently these days from sites like eMusic and Zunior, but I'm sorry, nobody feels like reminiscing about the tunes I've downloaded from an impersonal spot on the internet. In the same way that the advent of the VCR failed to completely destroy a movie buff's need for a cinematic experience at the movie theater, I still have that need to enjoy the feeling that comes from asking for a recommendation from your local record store clerk. And I hope that the record stores will always continue to be here to fill that need.

Here's what some of Toronto's record stores are up to on Saturday:

Sonic Boom (512 Bloor St W) is hosting the biggest event on Saturday, starting at 4pm. They will be giveaways, exclusive releases and tons of live bands, including Hooded Fang, Green Go, Sunparlour Players and more. The full band listing is here and the price is free with a non-perishable food item.

Criminal Records (493 Queen St W) is also hosting a couple of free in-store performances featuring Rock Plaza Central at 6pm and Great Bloomers at 7pm. There will also be sales and prizes and things all starting at 11am.

Soundscapes (572 College St W) is offering 10% off all CD's, vinyl, DVD's and books.

Rotate This! (801 Queen St W) is also offering 10% off of all purchases on that day, as well as a bunch of 'limited edition record store day only' stuff, whatever that means!

And finally Sunrise Records (336 Yonge St) also has some live performances by Emma Lee, Honeymoon Suite, Thriving Ivory and others. Full band list is here.

Other stuff:
Just a couple of other interesting local concert news announcements that you likely already know:

The Olympic Island Festival was announced on Monday, and this year it looks like Broken Social Scene will be headlining again. Also on the bill is Explosions In The Sky, Thunderheist, Beach House, Apostle Of Hustle and Rattlesnake Choir. The date is July 11th and the cost is $57.50. Should be good but I just saw BSS and I don't really feel like paying that much so I think that I'm likely to sit this one out.

And The Decemberists are coming to the Kool Haus on Monday August 3rd with The Heartless Bastards supporting. The tickets are an insane $30.50 and they go on sale on Thursday April 16th. Don't quote me, but I believe that they will be performing their latest rock opera The Hazards Of Love in its entirety. The album seems to be polarizing the masses but I think that it's absolutely brilliant, and their most impressive release by far. Of course, I'm an unapologetic prog lover so make sure that you judge my opinions accordingly.

The quote above is from Penny Lane, Kate Hudson's character in Almost Famous.

Broken Social Scene w/ The Beauties @ Sound Academy

It would have to be a pretty special band to get me out to the dreaded Sound Academy for the always dreaded all ages show. But when the band in question is Broken Social Scene (whom I haven't seen for about two years now,) well, one has to set aside his own personal beefs and put forth the effort to be there. And what can I say?...the band once again proved themselves to be nothing short of epic, as they put on a show that once again solidifies the fact that when it comes to championing the Toronto indie community spirit, Broken Social Scene have certainly set the standard.

It's an established fact that there seems to be a bit of a hipster backlash against the band these days, no doubt spurred on by the fact that bloggers and know-it-all scenesters are not supposed to like a band anymore once they've reached a certain level of popularity. Sure you can flame me all you want for making such a blanket statement, but let's face it, music snobs are a fickle bunch. However, I've never been one to give in to semi popular opinion and, although I long for the magic that came along with seeing BSS at a time before the general populous caught on, it warms my heart to know that, in this case, the non-snob masses have chosen wisely.

From what I heard, Thursday night's performance was excellent as they showcased several songs from Brendan Canning's sort-of-solo-but-not-really-solo album Something For Everyone, as well as pulling out all of the crowd favourites. There's always the debate as to whether it's better to attend the first show or the second, but Kevin Drew has stated somewhere that he feels that the second show is always the better one. I don't want to be biased, but I'm pretty confident that attending show #2 was a solid choice. The show opened with the one two instrumental punch of Late Night Bedroom Rock For The Missionaries and Shampoo Suicide before seguing nicely into the unmistakable guitar strains of KC Accidental. Man, I love the way that song starts! Lisa Lobsinger joined in to cover the Feist part of 7/4 Shoreline and did an admirable job although, as we all know, she's not the most enthusiastic performer in the world. After that Brendan Canning took centre stage to perform Churches Under The Stairs and Hit The Wall from his own (sort of) album. The first major highlight for me was a couple of songs later when Andrew Whiteman sang Looks Just Like The Sun, which I don't believe I've ever heard them perform live, unless they did it on Toronto Island the first time that I saw them, which would have been before I was familiar with the song. That was followed by a strange sort of jazzy beat poet type of performance comprised of sax player Leon Kingstone tooting along to a recording of Charles Spearin's Jamaican neighbour talking about stuff. Trust me, being there wouldn't have made my explanation come across any clearer but let's just say that it was equal parts confusing and impressive. This brings us to semi-surprise number one: the appearance of Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock to perform a few songs. I say it's a semi surprise because anybody who read about the show the night before likely already had a hunch that he would be there. I've mentioned before my own opinions on Modest Mouse, but it was still cool to see the audience get excited, and he actually played a couple of the songs that I don't mind that much, namely Good Times Are Killing Me and Paper Thin Walls (which is actually one of my favourite MM songs.) The real surprise however came a few songs later that when Emily Haines took to the stage to perform Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl. I am firmly of the belief that she is the only one who should be allowed to perform that song and when she's not there, the song should be stricken from the setlist. That's just my opinion. Needless to say, she did a splendid job. Even more exciting was hearing her and Drew perform Swimmers, another song that I've never heard them do live. Amazing. The show continued along with some cool performances, including Canning's flashy display during the discofied Love Is New, where he came out all decked in a gold sequined outfit while some girls in the background danced around all Robert Palmer like creating a scene that I never would have expected at a BSS show, but still enjoyed immensely. After Isaac and Emily performed MM's World At Large, the whole band came out performing a triumphant Ibi Dreams of Pavement as balloons came cascading over the audience, reminding all in attendance that this was indeed an indie rock party of grand proportion. The last song of the night was Pacific Theme, another one that I've never heard live, and one of my personal faves that really served as the icing on the cake for me. While it's true that there are some things that I could complain about, they generally fall in the 'grumpy old man surrounded by a bunch of pushy tweens' category, and I realize that this is not the bands fault. (Please refer to my blog title ;) Still, overall I couldn't have asked for a better show, and whether or not I get the chance to see them again, I'm looking forward to hearing what else we can expect in recorded material from the BSS camp.

UPDATE: I just came across some excellent video footage from the show on youtube. 'Swimmers' is particularly magical. If you listen carefully, you can also hear what type of crowd we had to deal with. (grr, all ages shows...)

There is plenty more BSS related live action in Toronto for the month of December as Jason Collett does a weekly Tuesday night stint at Dakota Tavern, with the exception of Tuesday December 9th when Kevin Drew performs. Tickets to all of these shows are $15.

Photos: Broken Social Scene @ Sound Academy on flickr
Myspace: Broken Social Scene
Myspace: Brendan Canning
Myspace: Kevin Drew
Myspace: Emily Haines
Myspace: Jason Collett
Myspace: Modest Mouse
Download: Hit The Wall mp3


Some may feel that the Friday nighters may have received the short end of the stick by missing out on having tour mates Land Of Talk as the opening act. As for me, I have no problem with my opening act being an opportunity to be introduced to someone I don't know and Land of Talk is back in town at The Horseshoe on January 15th anyway. So for us, the opening act was The Beauties, who are the house band at The Dakota Tavern, not to be confused with a punk band from Vancouver, boasting the same name. As the first song was playing through, I remember thinking something along the lines of "Hmm, bar band. That's cool. Whatever." However, as their set carried on, each song grew more and more impressive as the band successfully harnessed the spirit of Sun Records circa 1954 with an exciting blend of old school country and upbeat rockabilly. Their original songs were all quite good, but the money moment for me was their faithful cover of the Velvet Underground's I'm Waiting For The Man. It's such an amazing song and their energetic performance was incendiary. For the last song, they were joined onstage by Lisa Lobsinger and Serena Ryder.

As far as I can tell, these guys don't even have a myspace page which is very strange. However from what I understand they play The Dakota Tavern every Sunday night.

Photos: The Beauties @ Sound Academy on flickr

Klas - To Sleep And Love

Klas is a delightful little 5 piece band from Malmö, Sweden that specializes in some very enjoyable lo-fi twee acoustic indie pop. The comparisons to Jens Lekman are somewhat justifiable, especially because lyrics like "all the crap I learned when I was seven is the same crap that I still hold on to" boast that same stylish 'jilted boyfriend' charm that sounds like it's meant to be depressing but actually still manages to put a little bit of a smile to my face. However the more organic approach of this CD begs more of a Lloyd Cole comparison to me than Jens. There's also some deliberate shout-outs to Lou Reed (he lifts a line from the VU's 'Waiting For The Man' on the song Fine Time) as well as R.E.M. (lifting a line from 'Nightswimming' for the song, um, Nightswimming) showing that the band likes to wear their influences on their sleeves, but in a way that is paying homage moreso than simply imitating. Some other highlights are songs like Duck Couples, where vocalist Klas Sjögberg compares his current relationship to the unbreakably eternal relationship that ducks apparently have with each other. Goofy yes, but charming as well. Canaries is a country song about the lengths people will go through to flee a bad relationship. And finally, An Eyeball Of Love is a great way to end the CD, another ode to love (are you starting to sense a pattern here?) and how it's still possible to enjoy a relationship even during the hard times. Although To Sleep And Love is no giant step forward in the world of lo-fi indie rock, it's still an enjoyable album that is worth seeking out and throwing onto the old CD player on a cold winter night. With your loved one.

The debut album "To Sleep And Love" is now available for only 10 dollars/60 spänn/6 euros and you can purchase it by e-mailing the band at: klastheband@gmail.com or get it from Series Two Records or Evil Twin.

Myspace: Klas
Download: Fine Time mp3

Download: Baby Blue mp3


Other stuff: Sorry for the lack of postings this week, it's been another one of those 'so insanely tired that I can't focus on other stuff, let along blogging' sort of weeks. I did go to the Calexico / Cuff The Duke show so I'll have that review up soon, as well as another exciting contest coming up and tons of CD's to tell you about. But in the meantime...

Loving the new Brendan Canning video for Churches Under The Stairs. It serves to only whet my appetite more for the upcoming BSS show at The Sound Academy on November 27th and 28th. I'll be at the show on the 28th. [Myspace: Brendan Canning]

There's still a few days left to enter your choices for this years CBC Radio 3 2008 Bucky Awards. Where else do you get the opportiunity to choose between Alice Glass and King Khan for Canada's sexiest artist? Voting ends November 28th. [Myspace: CBC Radio 3]

My favourite LA musician Chance has just released his latest CD entitled Famous Words and Alibis. You can purchase the new album here, and you can watch the video for Happening (featuring the Rock 'N Roll Granny) on youtube. [Myspace: Chance and the Choir]

The Broken West play around with their songs over on Daytrotter. [Myspace: The Broken West]

In 2001, Neil Finn (Crowded House) released an excellent live album called 7 World Collide, featuring guest appearances by Eddie Vedder, Lisa Germano, Johnny Marr, Phil Selway and Ed O'brien from Radiohead, Sebastian Steinberg and Tim and Liam Finn. According to the Wilco news page, it looks like he's doing it again with the same cast reappearing as well as KT Tunstall and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone. Any shows in connection with this '09 release are taking place in New Zealand. In the meantime, I'm getting ever more excited about my date with Wilco and Neil Young at the ACC on December 5th. Of course, they're playing the 4th as well. [Myspace: Neil Finn; Myspace: Wilco]

My Top 10 Hottest Canadian Bands 2008

As I mentioned in my last post, last Friday I (Heart) Music had posted the annual Hottest Bands In Canada list. I gave a few comments about my choices and omissions, etc. but after noticing that Mike at For The Records put up his personal choices, well, copycat that I am, I figured that I'd do the same.

Each of us who contributed to the list were basically given only two rules: the bands had to be Canadian, and they had to have a particularly "hot" year. We were aloud to define both of those terms anyway that we liked. The first one was pretty self explanatory, but determining what would be considered hot, well, that's another story. I basically decided that it meant that my personal views should be set aside (for the most part), and the bands in question had to have received quite a bit of recognition from the public, other artists and the critics and fans. I mostly stuck to that criteria, except now that I think about it, maybe my number one choice was based on more personal opinion that I consciously intended:

1. Cuff The Duke – Cuff the Duke was everywhere in 2008. They’ve opened for Feist and Calexico as well as playing backup for Hayden and holding their own with Blue Rodeo and Basia Bulat. Their live show is amongst the best that I’ve seen all year. They have the youthful vigor of a new band, but the musical abilities and tightness of a band that’s been doing this for decades. (And on a personal note, any band that can make me nostaligic for Oshawa is worthy of some form of recognition.) Myspace

2. Feist – Although last year was a particularly hot year for Feist, she managed to keep that momentum going in 2008. She appeared on SNL at the tail end of ’07, was on Stephen Colbert in April, will be headlining the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Concert with Diana Ross and won 5 Juno awards. However, what really makes 2008 an especially hot year for her is the fact that she got to sing with the monsters of Sesame Street. It took R.E.M. 16 years and 11 albums to get there. Feist did it in 9 years and 4 albums. Myspace

3. Shad - I know a lot of people that felt that Shad should have won the Polaris prize that he was nominated for this year. The fact that it wasn’t necessarily hip hop fans that felt this way really says a lot about how all encompassing his appeal really is. Like Cadence and K-OS before him, Shad has introduced impressive rhymes and beats to those who wouldn’t usually spend a lot of time with hip hop. Myspace

4. The Dears – What makes these guys so hot is the fact that they’ve struggled through a year of difficulty and adversity which included severing ties with both their label and most of their band, yet they still came out on top by releasing an album as inventive and brilliant as Missiles.
Myspace

5. Neil Young – It’s never easy for an artist to remain relevant throughout a career spanning 40+ years, but in many ways Neil is now more relevant than ever. He has the ability to play a large stadium and still make you feel as if his show was prepared just for you. Myspace

6. Caribou – Although I’ve got my personal views on all things Polaris, there is no denying the fact that winning this prize is a sure fire way to get your name on the map. Although Dan Snaith was already there in many ways, being included in every Polaris related conversation certainly adds to your hotness factor, and to do so with a style of music that many people find indefinable is twice as impressive. Myspace

7. Amos The Transparent – There are two kinds of hot: the kind that you notice immediately and the kind that sort of sneaks up on you. I’ve been following these guys closely and I’ve noticed that people will literally stop what they’re doing and become instantly awestruck when they hit the stage. They’re still a relatively small name right now, but they undoubtedly gain new fans with every show that they play. Myspace

8. Ruby Coast - For a bunch of kids fresh out of high school to put out music that is miles ahead of some of their (more popular) contemporaries, one has to wonder if this is just the tip of the iceberg. There may be no limit to what they can accomplish. Myspace

9. Broken Social Scene – Technically they didn’t even release an album this year, but when slapping the tagline “Broken Social Scene Presents…” to the front of your name guarantees that you’ll receive double the exposure, that’s pretty impressive. Myspace

10. Crystal Castles – Unfortunately my personal opinion doesn’t seem to have much of an impact on a band’s overall hotness factor so my list begins with a band that I don’t get, but for some reason a lot of people do. Although I’ve never been one to listen to video game music for enjoyment, a Crystal Castles show seems to have become synonymous with crazy antics and controlled chaos. They’ve successfully used negative publicity to their advantage, and you’ve got to respect that (to a certain extent anyway.) Myspace

'Sup In November

Well, although I've been listening to current releases by everyone from Deerhoof (very good) to Of Montreal (not so good) as well as several local acts (mostly good), I'm afraid I just haven't had it in me to whip up any new reviews right now. No particular reason other than a mild lack of inspiration I guess. So I figured in the meantime, I'd do my monthly "Sup In..." post a few days earlier because these are generally informative enough without requiring a great deal of creative writing. I've got a few cool shows that I'll be attending in November, as well as a few others that I probably won't but I still think are pretty cool for other people to attend.

I've always looked at The Skydiggers as Canada's answer to The Jayhawks, since both bands have released several albums of high quality alt-country; doing so at a time when people weren't really calling it alt-country yet. They're currently promoting their latest release called City Of Sirens, and this promotion brings them to The Mod Club on Saturday November 1st. $25.00.

Myspace: The Skydiggers

Born Ruffians are also playing The Opera House on that same day. Saturday November 1st. $12.00.

Myspace: Born Ruffians

There's all kinds of exciting stuff going on with my current favourite new discovery Olenka and the Autumn Lovers. They've got both a new full length album AND a new EP being released very very shortly and their playing a show in Toronto at The Press Club (850 Dundas) on Sunday November 2nd. It's an early show, the doors are at 6:30pm. Cost: TBA.

Myspace: Olenka and the Autumn Lovers

I've been looking forward to seeing local Hi Hat Recording artists Clouds (That Look Like Things) again since the last time that I saw them, and what better way to do so than for free at The Horseshoe as part of Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite on Tuesday November 4th. This is their EP release party, but they are on first at 9:10pm. Free.

Myspace: Clouds (That Look Like Things)

Speaking of bands that I can't wait to see again, two of such bands are playing exactly one week later at the same venue for exactly the same price (I think) with two other awesome bands. To celebrate the kick off of registration for NXNE 2009, two of my local favourites Spiral Beach and The Golden Hands Before God are playing The Horseshoe on Tuesday November 11th. Joining them will be The High Dials and The Evelyn Room. You are a fool if you don't attend this one. Free (I think)

Myspace: Spiral Beach
Myspace: The Golden Hands Before God
Myspace: The High Dials
Myspace: The Evelyn Room

Also on Tuesday November 11th is Drive By Truckers with The Hold Steady at The Phoenix. But it's sold out. $27.50.

Myspace: Drive By Truckers
Myspace: The Hold Steady

On Wednesday November 12th, Atlanta's Deerhunter (pictured above) are going to be playing Lee's Palace. I picked up my tickets right away since I am such a big fan of both Cryptograms and Microcastle. However, I've been reading up on Bradford Cox's, erm, concert etiquette, and I'm realizing that this show has the potential to be either amazing or a train wreck. Thankfully, all the reports I've heard of this current tour have been very positive so I'm looking forward to this being a great show. I really hope so, because the new album is just too good. He is playing with Times New Viking and Neighborhood Council. $12.00.

Myspace: Deerhunter
Myspace: Times New Viking
Myspace: Neighborhood Council

On Thursday November 13th, the bizarre double bill of Iron and Wine with Blitzen Trapper are going to be playing The Phoenix. As far as I know, the show is sold out which means that I guess that I won't be going. I've got mixed feelings about this since Blitzen Trapper has released one of the best albums of the year. Iron and Wine, on the other hand, I'm just not feeling these days. At all. So I guess I'm not all that bummed about not going. For the most part. $25.00.

Myspace: Iron and Wine
Myspace: Blitzen Trapper

The Sea and Cake are at Lee's Palace on Friday November 14th. $15.00

Myspace: The Sea And Cake

A friend of mine saw Calexico just a few months ago and said that it was unbelievable. I saw Cuff The Duke a few months ago and said that it was also unbelievable. Well, they're playing together on Tuesday November 15th at The Phoenix. My prediction: UNBELIEVABLE! $18.50.

Myspace: Calexico
Myspace: Cuff The Duke

The Lovely Killbots are having their CD release party on Saturday November 22nd at Rancho Relaxo. Clouds (That Look Like Things) are opening for them along with Montreal's After The Weather. $6.

Myspace: The Lovely Killbots
Myspace: After The Weather

For someone who was incredibly impressed with Ohbijou's live show last year, I've certainly been missing seeing them a lot lately. Well, I'm going to get another chance when they play Lee's Palace on Thursday November 27th with The Acorn. Except I don't think that I can make it. $10.00.

Myspace: The Acorn
Myspace: Ohbijou

And finally, Broken Social Scene are playing two shows at the Sound Academy on Thursday November 27th and Friday November 28th. As I've mentioned before, I've already got my ticket for the second show. I'm anxious to know which incarnation of the band I'll be seeing that night. It's been a couple of years since I saw them last, and Feist has been there every time. Now I know that she doesn't perform with them all that much these days, but her current tour schedule says that she's in Toronto at Massey Hall on the 1st, and the ACC on the 3rd. From there she goes to Montreal, and then does a few dates on the east coast. But after the 10th, I really don't know what she's doing. I know she's in Norway for the Nobel Peace Prize concert on December 11th. Hmmm. Just thinking out loud, that's all. $26.50 for BSS tix. Feist tix are $39.50-49.50 for Massey Hall & $29.20-49.50 for ACC.

Myspace: Broken Social Scene
Myspace: Feist

OK, good night; brain hurts; going to bed now.