TV On The Radio - Dear Science,

I've been spending a lot of time lately talking about, and listening to, bands that are more significantly under the radar. This reality had caused me to be completely unaware of the fact that the now major labellers TV On The Radio were releasing a new CD entitled Dear Science,. Of course, as soon as the news hit my ears, I rushed out to pick it up.

The reason for my enthusiasm is the fact that TV On The Radio still remain as one of the most consistent bands in the world of indie rock or mainstream rock or whatever category the kids are putting TVOTR in these days. A new TVOTR album is just about always a shoe-in for my personal year end top 10, and what can I say, Dear Science, will likely be there as well in December.

Many comments have been made that this is their attempt at becoming mainstream. I would have to disagree. Sort of. First of all, I never thought that their sound was not mainstream. I realize that the radio never played them, but as far as melody, catchiness and appealing vocals go, they've always had that. Secondly, indicating that they're now having an attempt at the mainstream would indicate that this album is significantly different than their other work. I'm not hearing it. They've always tried to incorporate several different styles and genres in their work, and they're still doing so here. You've got a touch of their trademark new wave doo wop in Halfway Home, gorgeous balladry in Love Dog and Family Tree, some Prince-like funkiness in Crying and Red Dress as well as a horn section that falls somewhere between Fishbone and Sly and the Family Stone. Tunde Adebimpe's vocals have never been better. Whether he's delivering a bassy croon, a funky falsetto or a tongue-in-cheek (yet still socially conscious) rap, Tunde displays some superb vocal control and variety. The highlight for me is Golden Age, which reminds me of Bowie at his most epic, and sounds quite euphoric over all. Clearly, TV On The Radio have still got it, and it appears that, although they're slightly cleaning it up and reigning it in, they won't be losing it anytime soon.

Photo by Ludis Mergins
Myspace: TV On The Radio
Video: Golden Age (live) on youtube

Other stuff: I (Heart) Music has just compiled its annual list of The Hottest Bands In Canada and this year I got the privilege of contributing to this list. Upon reading the final results, I've learned a few things. First of all, I talk too much. My comments are several words more than everyone else's. That's a bit embarrassing. Gonna have to tone that down a bit next time. Also, Chad Vangaalen's place at number one was a bit of a brain fart for me, in the sense that I forgot all about him. He wouldn't have been my number one but still. Sheesh. Finally, I think next year I'm going to put a little bit more personal opinion into my list, because I totally would have included Entire Cities and Golden Hands Before God... since they are definitely hot in my mind. I just didn't realize that there was enough other people out there who felt the same way. Really glad to see them both on the final list. On Monday, Matthew will be posting all of the other bands that received votes but didn't make the final cut. Should be interesting.

Jon Doe and Kathleen Edwards are about to embark on their co-headlining Hurtin' and Flirtin' tour that takes them all over the USA in November, but as a warm up, their doing a little intimate show at the teeny tiny Dakota Tavern (249 Ossington Ave) on Monday November 3rd. I believe the tickets are $20, and they're only available at the door, which opens at 8. Should probably get there early. I'm still undecided myself, although it would be an outstanding show.
Myspace: John Doe
Myspace: Kathleen Edwards

This just in! Toronto's Cancel Winter are going to be interviewed TODAY at 3:30pm on a UK Radio station. Go to www.playradiouk.com and click Listen Now. They're playing at the El Mocambo on December 19th.
Myspace: Cancel Winter

Tracy Shedd has a new video for the song Whatever It Takes from the CD Cigarettes and Smoke Machines.
Myspace: Tracy Shedd

Hello Operator has a new video for the song 55 Regrets from the CD The Breaks.
Myspace: Hello Operator

The Bicycles are doing a free instore performance at Soundscapes on Tuesday November 4th at 7pm.
Myspace: The Bicycles

Finally, did you know that Feist played a surprise show at The Rivoli last Tueday night? Yah, me neither. Apparently it was a songwriter's circle type thing with Wayne Petti, Hayden and others contributing. Woulda been cool to be there, had I have known!?!?! Will she be doing that again? Rumours, rumours....
Myspace: Feist
Myspace: Wayne Petti
Myspace: Hayden

NXNE 2008: Day 1 featuring Cancel Winter, Amos The Transparent & Great Bloomers

I can't possibly imagine being more exhausted then I am right now. This has probably been my most successful NXNE yet, having been throughly impressed with at least one unfamiliar act each day, and catching some old reliables in the process too. Whenever I catch a moment or two over the next few days I'll work at posting pics and throwing up some comments on the acts that I saw. I'm still hoping to ease my way in to the My Morning Jacket and Besnard Lakes show tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. In the meantime, here's what happened on Thursday:

Basically I wasn't really available until about 10pm or so. Add to that the fact that I had been up since 4:30am, and you've got a guy who wasn't too interested in moving around all that much. So I just thought I'd head on out to The Supermarket at Kensington, and just plant it there.

I had spent the better part of the day listening to Cancel Winter's liestillnow CD in preparation for the show. The band's from around here, and is mainly the brainchild of Nate Kreiswirth. It's an admirable collection of folk-tinged indie rock songs that combine meaningful lyrics with non-threatening pop hooks. Some of the songs, like The Silence, border on the anthemic, while other cuts, like Change, are very personal and introspective. There are even some more intense numbers like The Stars and Modern Machine, which incorporate a touch of the new wave into the mix. I thought the show went pretty well, with Nate proving himself to be a genial performer that has a knack for keeping the audience interested.

Cancel Winter will be playing The Horseshoe on July 18th.

Photos: Cancel Winter @ The Supermarket on flickr
Myspace: Cancel Winter
Video: The Silence (from The Riverbank Acoustic Sessions) on youtube

One of my favorite performances of the whole NXNE festival was that of Amos The Transparent. This time around they were boasting an 8 piece lineup which looked doubly huge when huddled together on the tiny Supermarket stage. This included a horn player and two female singers which made the songs all the more ceremonious in sound and scope. From what I understand, at one time the band actually was quite huge, but these days they mostly travel as a four piece. So this was sort of like a reunion of sorts, and the enthusiasm that the cast members displayed about playing together again was surely felt by everyone in attendance. Leader Jonathan Chandler was still the most animated presence, playing the controlled spazz while using his guitar as a virtual weapon of mass destruction onstage. At one point, concert photographer Pete Nema mentioned to me that he had to get to another show, but he just couldn't tear himself away because the band was "killing it!" If this is true, than not a soul left the place without at least a battle scar or two. This will certainly be a show to remember, since I assume that this huge ensemble doesn't get together all that often.

Photos: Amos The Transparent @ The Supermarket on flickr

Myspace: Amos The Transparent

My surprise pick of the evening was our very own Great Bloomers. They were a surprise, simply because I didn't really know them all that well. They are also of the slightly folksy indie variety, but it's their blatantly melodic tunes that I found impossible to resist. The band boasts a very tight rhythm section that makes it impossible to just stand still while they're playing. I also appreciated Lowell Sostomi's effortless approach to vocals, keeping the straining to a minimum at times when other vocalists would push it beyond their personal boundaries. They didn't act like they were out to prove anything, just simply to have a good time. For an idea of what this band is all about, listen to the song Catching Up on their myspace page. A lot of their songs follow this similar pattern. They start out relatively mellow, fooling you into thinking that they're going to slow things down a little bit. Then the gun fires and they're off! Their simple songs explode into a groovy barrage of sunshine brilliance, just daring you not to smile. This is the type of music that I have to admit that I'm always in the mood for, which means that I'll probably always be in the mood for the Great Bloomers.

Photos: Great Bloomers @ The Supermarket on flickr
Myspace: Great Bloomers