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!

"I'm gonna dance my face off tonight..."

Reviews of Fox Jaws, The Balconies and Daniel Hales & the Frost Heaves

There's a strong possibility that you're thinking: more CD reviews?!?! What about the usual concert reviews? Hasn't this guy been to any shows lately? Well the answer to that question is: yes I have, and I'll hopefully be posting some reviews of those shows next week. But for now, I've got a few more CD's I want to tell you about before I take off to the cottage for the weekend. Correction: I've got a few more GREAT CD's that I want to tell you about before I take off to the cottage for the weekend.

Fox Jaws - At Odds (or Exercises In Separation While United In The Fall)

I've made no secret of the fact that Barrie's Fox Jaws are one of my favourite bands. Their 2007 debut Goodbye Doris is one of my most listened to albums of the decade, and their recent signing with Nevado Records had me filled with great expectations. As soon as the album opens with Migrating Deer, my first expectation is immediately filled as the production quality is significantly cleaner, although they admirably stay away from placing too much sheen on their sound, which would have been inappropriate to the band's affable rawness. Throughout the course of the album's 50 minute length, the band shows their willingness to keep things progressively expanding as they avoid committing the all too familiar sophomore repeat. At Odds is a mildly experimental album that shuffles across a few different styles, although that magic coupling of pop sensibility and Carleigh Aikins' wicked awesome voice remains at the album's core. One of the most noticeable changes made on this album is the fact that the vocals are split equally between Carleigh and Daniel Allen. This creates another level of sound that revels due to the fact that their voices contain an incredible uniqueness that makes them stand apart from others. There are still some solid high energy rock songs like Youth Dance and Home and Native, the latter of which contains the most effective laughing chorus since Morrissey's We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successfull. There are some epic moments like Drinking Fountains and album closer The Enabler which makes good use of the build-up effect. But it's those experimental pieces that really impress, like Ahab's Ghost and I Am An Army, where the combination of distorted vocals, massive guitar sounds and intense drumming makes for a sonic experience that bears repeating. They even manage to accomplish the impossible with Himmelfarb by creating what I would describe as an experimental pop song that you can totally dance to.

With At Odds, Fox Jaws have created another masterpiece that has managed to keep the band in my personal faves list for another couple of years at least. If they continue to expand their musical palate the way that they have this time around, they'll likely grow to be one of my favourite acts ever.

Fox Jaws are celebrating their CD release party TONIGHT at the El Mocambo with Major Grange and Rival Boys.

Photo by Jenny Charlton
Myspace: Fox Jaws
Download: Ahab's Ghost mp3


The Balconies - The Balconies (early review!)

Sometimes I get mixed up between the albums that I've received early and the albums that are already released to the public. It was only halfway through my preparation of this review that I realized that the self titled debut by Ottawa's The Balconies is not to be released until September. I contemplated holding off this review until then, but ultimately I decided screw it, I'm here already. And quite frankly, it's going to be hard to contain my enthusiasm until it's official release due to the fact that this is one stellar album.

The Balconies straddle a line of influence that encapsulates so many different musical areas that it's hard to even know where to start. At times, the jangly guitar is straight out of the sixites songbook as a subtle amalgamation of garage rock and beach party swagger. Other times I hear the serious influence of 70's and 80's new wave, as if David Byrne, Ian Curtis or even Fred Schneider were in the room with them, coaching them along. And other times the album boasts a loudness that should be pleasantly embraced by fans of Pavement or Sonic Youth. What's interesting is that when all of these influences are smooshed together into one cool package, it ends up sounding like something wholly original. The album opens with an incredible foot stomper entitled Lulu, which has Steve Neville's voice at it's most mischievous; a sound that grows more interesting throughout the course of the album. Jacquie Neville's voice is introduced on the next track 300 Pieces, and that voice, along with the song's arrangement is a perfect example of the band's originality and refusal to be pigeonholed into one specific sound. It's cool when a band mixes it up throughout the course of an album; it's even cooler when they can do it within the structure of a single song. This also says a lot about the talents of drummer Liam Jaeger, since he manages to keep everything together with his calculated style. The band is capable of keeping things relatively simple when they want to, as is showcased in straight forward rock numbers like Smells Like Secrets and Skinny Dipper. They can also get downright haunting on surreal cuts like Hollow Bones and The Slo (which is probably my favourite song on the album.)

Like my review, the buzz has already started early on this outstanding Ottawa three piece, and you can bet that once the album is officially released, people's enthusiasm will continue to build. Having witnessed the band live a couple of times as well, I think that it's safe to say that this is no mere fluke. The Balconies are one amazing band.

The Balconies self titled debut will be released officially on September 15th. The will be playing The Horseshoe on Aug 26th, the TARA Secret Session at The Audio Recording Academy on Aug 29th, and they're at Lee's Palace on Sept 25th.

Photo by Ben Welland
Myspace: The Balconies
Download: Lulu mp3


Daniel Hales & the Frost Heaves - Frost Heaves

There is something very refreshing about the debut release by Daniel Hales and the Frost Heaves. It's becoming increasingly rare in the circles of indie rock to hear an artist whose lyrics are obviously the work of a well read and intelligent individual, while still maintaining a simplicity that keeps the artist from coming across as an arrogant jerk. Daniel Hales manages to accomplish this amazing feat with ease, as Frost Heaves is a warm, endearing album that is smart, yet free from all pretentiousness. The first couple of songs, entitled Bridges Freeze First and Distance From Mars are well produced slices of rootsy folk, boasting traces of Neil Young and The Skydiggers. They're decent songs but they really serve as a simple starting point to the rest of the album. The album really shifts into high gear with the psychedelia of Loose Thread, where the slight twang of Hales' voice is still in tact, but when enshrouded in the midst of swirling guitars and trippy percussion, it comes across as something totally different. Shepherd Of Lost Shopping Carts is a breezier number with a dreamy psych pop sound that is nothing short of intoxicating. Other highlights are the straight ahead REM rocker Wrong Meter, the crazy psychobilly romp of Questions For A Carjacker and the truly epic ambiance of Discontinued Road. The title track is easily the most eclectic track on the album, as it meanders on with a psychedelic glow that would be an odd ending to the album if it wasn't followed by a simple acoustic bonus track entitled Walking Home, which wraps up the entire Frost Heaves package nicely.

Frost Heaves is the type of album that is perfect for this time of year, with our all too short Canadian summer winding down to an unfortunate close. With each listen, the album grows more and more reflective, striking a perfect balance between moments of quiet meditation and tripped out mind expansion, creating a sound that is difficult to pigeonhole, yet easy to digest.

Myspace: Daniel Hales & the Frost Heaves
Download: Shepherd Of Lost Shopping Carts mp3