Handsome Furs / Germans @ Lee's Palace

I'm in the final stages of preparing my year end lists for the mighty '09, but in the meantime I guess I've still got one show to tell you about. The fact that it took place almost a week and a half ago makes me wonder just how much anybody really cares about the details anymore, but since I haven't found any other reviews of the show anywhere else online, I figure that I might as well throw up my two cents worth. For what it's worth...

Before lunging into the commentary, I should preface the whole thing by saying that my personal views on Montreal's Handsome Furs are nowhere near as rabid as the majority. I think that they're a ton of fun. I do enjoy their music, albeit in smaller doses, and Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry's "neverending honeymoon" persona is as cute as it gets. Still, you know me when it comes to dance-y discofied electronic beats. Dance music feels awesome if I'm dancing, but otherwise, the organic sound of guitars, bass and actual drums excite me much more than any drum machine could even begin to try. Despite the fact that they're currently the 3rd hottest band in Canada, I've still never listened to their latest Sub Pop release Face Control all the way through and, admittedly, their style is not one that I would normally go out of my way to check out. But that Saturday night, check them out I did, partially at the behest of some friends who were also checking out the show, and also because I often find it hard to stifle the hype-curiosity chip that was obviously installed into my brain at a young age.

Opening the evening was a band that I would've seen the week before at The Garrison if they didn't hit the stage way past my bedtime. Germans are a local band whose name I've been hearing circulated around for a couple of years now. This is no doubt partially due to the fact that several of the members contributed to the Polaris winning Final Fantasy album He Poos Clouds, although for me personally it would take a lot more than that to shift my attention towards this band. Interestingly, their sound has been more often compared to the alt-rock stylings of the early 90's, with Superchunk being the most obvious comparison to me, although like many others, I do hear that slight homage to Pavement's hookier material. From what I hear of the newer material that they played that night however, they seem to be heading into a slightly new wavier territory and the songs that they've got playing on their website seem to only add to that notion. I quite enjoyed their set, with the songs in the latter half having more of an impact on me than the first half. The band also worked together exceptionally well as a team, switching up the instruments on a few occasions showcasing their versatility and unique talent.

Since this was to be their last show of the year, when Handsome Furs hit the stage, it was immediately apparent that the duo had been engaging in a little pre-show partying as Alexei in particular was loosened up and ready to perform. She bounded onto the keyboard with great fervor as the band's pounding beats worked the crowd into an ecstatic, yet surprisingly controlled frenzy. As expected, they played mainly songs from the current release, yet they showed no signs of growing tired of the material and, from what I can tell by the songs that I recognized, in a live setting, those songs boasted twice the intensity of the recorded versions. Boeckner played the part of controlled leader that night by keeping his banter mild and dignified while his wife took care of the crazy for the evening, causing Dan to bust a gut on more than one occasion over her wild antics. If everybody handled their synthesizer the same way that she was, there's no doubt in my mind that synth playing would be an Olympic sport in the very near future. As crazy as she was however, she was nothing compared to the kooky fangirl who hopped up on stage towards the end of the main set only to mumble indecipherably into the microphone before jumping into an audience than seemed less than keen on catching her. Since she didn't seem noticeably injured by the incident, I thought it was rather funny, as Boeckner quipped afterwards that he'd like to thank his 'cousin' for the onstage antics. One of the best songs of the evening was a new song that they used to introduce the encore, which online sources indicate is called A Great Decision. Apparently the ink on the lyric sheet was still wet, and while Perry was nervous about introducing it to a live crowd so soon, Boeckner felt pretty confident that it was going to be a hit, and I'd have to admit that he was right.

Overall, I found the show to be rather enjoyable and although I doubt that I'll be putting forth any special efforts to see them again, I certainly wouldn't make a point of deliberately missing them either. Like I said: tons of fun, great in small doses, and they are insanely cute together!

Photos: My shots of Germans @ Lee's Palace are on flickr
Photos: My shots of Handsome Furs @ Lee's Palace are also on flickr
Myspace: Germans
Myspace: Handsome Furs
Download: Handsome Furs' Radio Kalingingrad mp3
Download: Handsome Furs' I'm Confused mp3

'Sup In December: Ten Picks

Wow, these months are whipping by pretty wicked fast these days and it seems like I just posted one of these not that long ago. But here we are, the last month of '09 and today the weather is feeling pretty December-y and it's making me tired. I went to a great show on Saturday night that I look forward to telling you about, and if I don't fall asleep I'll be checking out another one tonight but in the meantime here are my picks for the month of December. Don't expect me to be as wordy as usual though. Pretty tired.

For more detailed listings, as usual, go check out Stillepost, Zoilus and Jen's Weekly List (of shows under $10)

1. The Hoa Hoa's / The Disraelis / Action Makes / Your 33 Black Angels @ Silver Dollar
(Friday December 4th; Cost: $6)

OK, I realize that I've been pushing The Hoa Hoa's pretty heavily lately, but their show last month completely blew my mind, and the fact that their name hasn't been circulating as much as some other acts literally keeps me awake at night. So their CD release show at the Dollar is mandatory if you like music as much as I do. And to sweeten the pot, locals psychedelics The Disraelis and Action Makes are also on the bill. But the major drawing action is Your 33 Black Angels from NYC, whom I've heard are so unbelievable that you literally won't believe it! Go to this show. Do it! Oh, Hoa Hoa's are also playing a free instore at Sonic Boom on the same day at 6pm. Do that also! [Myspaces: The Hoa Hoa's; The Disraelis; Action Makes; Your 33 Black Angels]

2. Grant Hart @ The Horseshoe
(Monday December 14th; Cost: $10.50)

Although most people name drop Bob Mould when engaging in conversations about Hüsker Dü, I've always been partial to the works of Grant Hart. He's currently touring in promotion of his first solo album in ten years entitled Hot Wax, which I still have to take the time to listen to. A couple of his previous albums though, namely Intolerance (1989) and Good News For Modern Man (1999) are a couple of albums that I enjoy very much. Should be legendary! [Myspace: Grant Hart]

3. Zero 7 @ The Phoenix
(Thursday December 3rd; Cost: $30)

I don't know why, but Zero 7 is one of those bands that I sheepishly admit to liking, even though I really shouldn't. They're just so calming and incredible and I'll bet they're absolutely otherworldly to see live. I'd imagine that the sound at The Phoenix would be perfect for their type of music. Like the last band, I've yet to hear their current release Yeah Ghost, but apparently it follows along the lines of 2006's brilliant The Garden. While it's true that Sia Furler isn't joining them on this tour, I've read that jazz vocalist Eska Mtungwazi is a revelation, and from what I've sampled, I don't doubt it. [Myspace: Zero 7]

4. The Sadies @ The Horseshoe
(Thursday December 31st; Cost: $20)

OK, here we are, broken record time: The Sadies are the best live band in Toronto. The Sadies play New Years Eve at The Horseshoe every year. The Sadies are ALWAYS perfect. 'Nuff said. [Myspace: The Sadies]

5. W.S Wallcott's Rabbits Foot Minstrel Revue: A Tribute To The Band @ The Boat
(Thursday December 10th; Cost: $5)

As we all know, the music of The Band is timeless, and for five bucks, this would be a pretty hard show to justify passing up. The number of talented musicians taking part is staggering. The list includes members of Born Ruffians, Cuff The Duke, Ohbijou, Jason Collett, The Golden Dogs, Zeus, Steamboat and more. Yes. [Myspace: The Band]

6. Handsome Furs @ Lee's Palace
(Saturday December 5th; Cost: $15)

Husband and wife electro-punk disco pop? How can you go wrong? My interest in this band has been more of mild curiosity as opposed to rabid enthusiasm, but many of my friends have never forgiven me for ducking out on The Handsome Furs (pictured above) at this year's CMW back in March, so it looks like I'll be making up for that this month. [Myspace: Handsome Furs]

7. Do Make Say Think / Charles Spearin's Happiness Project @ Enwave Theatre
(Sat. Dec 12th & Sun. Dec 13th; Cost: $16)

I have very mixed feelings about the bands that Arts & Crafts have been signing as of late, but when the crop of originals put out something new, it always makes for substantial listening. Instrumental post-rockers Do Make Say Think are celebrating the release of their 6th full length entitled Other Truths at the Queens Quay venue, along with this highly ambitious side project from BSS-er Charles Spearin. [Myspaces: Do Make Say Think; Charles Spearin's Happiness Project]

8. Spiral Beach / Boys Who Say No / Heartbeat Hotel / Romo Roto @ The Garrison
(Saturday December 19th; Cost: $12)

I finally got to check out the city's newest live venue on Saturday night, and I was surprised at how much I liked this incredibly red venue. I've also been seriously itching to see Spiral Beach again, as they are certainly one of my favorite live acts in the city. This is their last show of the year, and although I'm not familiar with all of their supporters, Boys Who Say No are almost as much fun as they are. (OK, they're nowhere near as much fun, but they are still pretty fun, in their own way) [Myspaces: Spiral Beach; Boys Who Say No; Heartbeat Hotel; Romo Roto]

9. Bellewoods / Raised by Swans / Old World Vulture / Cheap Speakers @ Horseshoe
(Friday December 11th; Cost: $8)

After a brief hibernation, Raised By Swans are celebrating the release of their new CD called No Ghostless Place at another TWM showcase, this time at The Horseshoe. All of the supporters are great, including TWM faves Cheap Speakers, spacey proggers Old World Vulture and classic folk rock with Bellewoods. Variety ensues... [Myspaces: Bellewoods; Raised By Swans; Old World Vulture; Cheap Speakers]

10. Hey Rosetta / Julie Fader / La Strada @ The Horseshoe
(Fri. Dec 4th & Sat. Dec 5th; Cost: $15)

I still maintain that Hey Rosetta's Into Your Lungs is one of the most solid releases of last year, and the one time that I saw them live is still a show that I thnk back to often. For a good solid performance, this Newfoundland band is pretty much a sure thing, as far as I'm concerned. [Myspaces: Hey Rosetta; Julie Fader; La Strada]

Honorable Mentions:
Only a couple of honorable mentions this time around. Female folk duo Dala (who's latest album Everyone Is Someone is actually much better than I expected it to be) is playing Hugh's Room (Dec 17, $12); The Skydiggers are playing two nights at The Horseshoe (Dec 18th & 19th, $20); Patrick Watson is at Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Dec 12, $25) and Friendly Rich and the Lollipop People are at The Tranzac (Dec 5th, $10). A show that would have definitely made my top ten is Friendly Fires with The xx at The Phoenix on Dec 2nd but the show is completely sold out and I didn't get a ticket so I decided that there was no real need to mention it in the top ten. My friends think Friendly Fires is the bomb (I think they're alright) but The xx have released one of the best albums of the year and it would've been great to see them. They're back in April at the Kool Haus (ugh) with Hot Chip so we'll see.

Where I'll Be:
December is chill out time for me, so I don't think that I'll be going to too much this month (didn't I say that last month?) but I'm 99 percent sure that I'll be at the Handsome Furs show and I'm planning on seeing The Hoa Hoa's at Silver Dollar because I want to see them as often as possible. Everything else is a "we'll see how I feel on the day of" situtation, but I'm pretty determined to not do much so, once again, we'll see. Dress warm peoples.

Rural Alberta Advantage / Bahamas / Fox Jaws @ Lee's Palace

Procrastination nearly gave me a swift kick to the head last Friday night, when up until about noon that day, it looked like I wasn't going to get in to the Rural Alberta Advantage's sold out show at Lee's Palace. I don't know why I didn't think it was going to be a problem since, according to a very reliable source, the RAA is currently the hottest band in Canada. Thankfully, I was one of the fortunate ones as I was able to squeeze in at basically the last minute. Sometimes it's kinda cool knowing someone who knows someone.

If you're a fan, (and these days who isn't) then you've likely already read a review of this show somewhere else on the interweb already, but here's a few of my own highlights anyway:

Barrie's Fox Jaws opened the night, and as always, they put on a fantastic show. The band and I have been forming quite the bond as of late, due to mutual admiration for what we do. I love their music, and they love how often I gush about how much I love their music. It's a very special relationship. When I play their music for friends, I'm admittedly greeted with varying levels of enthusiasm, but their live show is one of the few that I have brought friends to that have resulted in blown minds every single time. Obviously there was no room for me to bring friends this time around, but I did run into a couple of them when I was there, and following the show it looked like the Jaws have recruited yet some more new converts. The performance was as high energy as always, the vocals were insane, and the group really benefited from the excellent sound at Lee's on this particular night. Besides all of the great new songs from their latest album At Odds (or Exercises in Separation While United In The Fall), it was nice to hear a couple of the older classics as well, most notably my favorite song My Hands, My Plans, which I swear I saw lead vocalist Carleigh Aikins dedicate to yours truly, even though none of my friends saw it, which leads me to think that maybe it was just in my imagination, but I'm going to pretend that it wasn't, so that I can go on believing that this show was, in fact, the happiest day of my life, next to my wedding and the first time that I tried an apple fritter at Starbucks. (I'm not kidding, have you tried one of those sweet delicacies of death yet? Life altering.)

Photos: My shots of Fox Jaws @ Lee's Palace are on flickr
Myspace: Fox Jaws

Next up was Fox Jaws Nevado labelmate Afie Jurvanen, also known as Bahamas. When I saw him back in February he was still starting out as a solo artist, having only a handful of contacts on his myspace page. Since then, a lot has happened, including the aforementioned indie label signing, as well as the playing of a lot of shows. I remembered liking him back then, but I actually remembered very little else about the show. On the contrary, after this show, I don't think that I'll be forgetting him again anytime soon, although I hope that it's his impressive guitar playing that sticks with me in the long haul, and not some of the other stuff. I have to admit that I wasn't a huge fan of his stage presence and banter. He came across to me as rather cocky, (and not the good kind of cocky), and a lot of the times that he thought he was being funny, he really wasn't. If his attempts at humor were just of the bombing comedian sort, then I'd just feel bad for him, but it was more of the cutting and insulting sort, and I don't really have a lot of sympathy for that. In his defense the audience was littered with an irritating "let's talk during his whole set" vibe, so I understand that it must've been a test of his patience. Also, personal opinions aside, many who were paying attention actually did seem quite taken by him so maybe he actually was funny and my idea of humour is just different than everybody else's. (I also think Dane Cook is the most not-funny guy ever, so there you go.) He eventually got better as the set progressed though and, although it was a case of too little too late, he did actually make me chuckle a bit towards the end. As far as the music goes, the songs were decent enough, though not particularly memorable, but what eventually won me over was his guitar playing. He is an outstanding guitarist, and I really would've liked to see him (hear him) do more of that. Frank Zappa has a collection titled Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar, and I think that nowhere would that sentiment have been more appropriate than during this particular set. Those moments where he stepped away from the microphone towards center stage and wailed away on that axe were the definite highlights for me, and he also gets full marks for closing with a fun cover of Purple Rain. He ended the song after only a couple of verses, so I didn't get to see if vocally he could pull off the "I know I know I know times are changing!" scream or the apocalyptic closing guitar solo, but from what I had witnessed of his talents, I'd imagine that he could have. At least the solo.

Photos: My shots of Bahamas @ Lee's Palace are on flickr
Myspace: Bahamas

I had just seen the RAA at the Horseshoe back in July and, with a few exceptions, I don't usually make a habit of seeing the same artist twice within a certain space of time but there were a few reasons why I made an exception for this show. First of all, Fox Jaws (one of my exceptions) were opening. Secondly, the Horseshoe show was littered with irritating and out of place frat boy types and I was eagerly hoping that this wouldn't be the case this time. Thirdly, they seem to play bigger and bigger venues these days, which means if I don't catch them now, the next time could very well be a place like Kool Haus or Sound Academy and I just won't stand for that sort of thing. And fourthly, they're just so freakin' good!

The set of course was as phenomenal as always, with the band displaying that amicable sense of sincere gratitude that makes them so endearing to all of us. From where I was standing, the crowd was significantly better than last time, although I've read reports that seem to disagree. But simply forming an opinion based on those who were in my general vicinity, the crowd was appreciative and respectful. All of the touring and honing of their live show has really paid off in the sense that the band did not miss a step in terms of performance. Nils Edenloff didn't say all that much inbetween songs, but what he did say was worthwhile and enjoyable. He also, once again sang his heart out although it can't be easy to stretch the vocal muscles the way that he does night after night, and his voice did have a noticeable hoarseness that must be due to a staggering amount of performances lately. Amy Cole reminded me that she's much more than just another cute indie rocker, with her backing vocals adding just the right amount of timbre and variety to help these songs move beyond what they would be otherwise. Just like last time though, the star of the show for me was percussionist extraordinaire Paul Banwatt, who really is one of the best out there right now. The way he uses that kit to fill out the empty spaces within the songs helps to solidify their sound in such a way that the percussion really becomes the key distinguishing ingredient. They played almost every song from Hometowns which was great of course, but the highlights were a couple of the newer songs which showcased the fact that, while they definitely have a specific style, the next album is not likely to be a simple regurgitating of the same songs. There was one in particular that I believe they played right after Drain The Blood that sounded especially atmospheric and scrumptious. Nils solo cover of the theme song to The Littlest Hobo was also a nice touch that brought many of the thirtysomethings in the crowd back to their youth.

It looks like the tour is not going to be settling down any time soon as they spend a good chunk of December and January in the States, before settling in Vancouver in February. Hopefully they take a little break at that time and hit the studio to commit some of these new tracks to vinyl so that we can be spinning a second album in the early part of 2010.

Photos: My shots of Rural Alberta Advantage @ Lee's Palace are on flickr.
Myspace: Rural Alberta Advantage

Reviews are also available on Chromewaves, Narratives, Chart and BlogTO.

Roky Erickson w/The Sadies @ Lee's Palace

If you're at all familiar with the sordid past of psych-rock pioneer Roky Erickson, than you know that it was only a few years ago that the possibility of ever seeing him perform live seemed about as likely as a warm winter in Toronto. His heavily permissive lifestyle back in the 60's while he was the leader of seminal psychsters the 13th Floor Elevators led to his being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1968, resulting in jailtime, electroshock therapy, and even a brief stint where he believed that aliens were coming to Earth to do him harm. It was only shortly after the end of the 90's that Roky finally received both the medical and legal aid necessary to help him on the road to recovery. It was in 2005 that he performed his first full length concert in 20 years, and it was from there that the momentum continued to grow, culminating this year in a brief four date tour that brought him to Chicago, Detroit, Hamilton and right here to Lee's Palace in Toronto last Wednesday night.

Since I attended another performance earlier in the evening, the situation lined up in such a way that I got to Lee's early enough to plop myself down on an elevated stool that was right up against the stage. In other words, best seat in the house, not only for Roky, but also for the openers whom I probably don't have to tell you too much about: The Sadies.

The insane talent of The Sadies has been documented quite extensively on this here site and I really don't know how much more I can add to what I've already said. When I first heard that my favourite cow-punkers would be opening for the garage rock legend, the match-up did not seem hugely unfathomable. I've seen The Sadies cover everyone from Love to The Stooges to The MC5, so their love of all things psychedelic and garage-y has been duly noted and sharing a stage with Roky seemed appropriate. I will say that limiting The Sadies to a 35 minute set is somewhat criminal because, although their set was as intoxicating as it always is, to my ears it felt as if they were just getting started. I will also say that they made good use of their limited time by blasting through as many songs as possible, including an outstanding new song that showcases just how diverse the Good brothers are. If the new album is as promising as the new song they played, it is sure to be a significant release for them.

Photos: My shots of The Sadies @ Lee's Palace are on flickr
Myspace: The Sadies
Download: Anna Leigh mp3
Video: Flash on youtube

As great as they were, the crowd was clearly there to see the legend, and right from the start Roky and his band commenced to rocking, obviously with the intent of laying any doubts to rest as quickly as possible. Roky was smart to surround himself with some highly experienced bandmates for the evening. He had Kyle Ellison (Meat Puppets / Butthole Surfers) on guitar, Matt Harris (The Posies / Oranger) on bass and Kyle Schneider (Ian Moore / Charlie Sexton and a billion other bands) on drums and they were as tight as could be. For obvious reasons, Roky can only get so animated but the enthusiasm exuded by the band themselves more than made up for that. Actually, it was admirable to see a fully competent band care for the areas that Roky was unable to care for himself, while not using the situation as an opportunity for personal grandstanding. To the band's credit, never once did they detract from the reason we were all there in the first place, that is, to see Roky Erickson. He played for about an hour or so, and played a variety of songs from different areas of his career. My personal highlight was hearing him end with some Elevators classics, namely Splash 1 and their signature hit You're Gonna Miss Me as well as a song from his Bleib Alien days called Two Headed Dog. After leaving the stage, the band shouted, applauded and hammered for an encore but, even though the setlist indicated that he was going to come back out with 1982's Don't Slander Me, apparently it was not meant to be. Personally, I've always appreciated an artist that can just make the last song count, instead of contriving up the joint with an anticlimactic encore. This is exactly what Roky did, and the show was everything I could ask for and more.

It's not too often that one gets to see a living legend perform, especially not at a moderately small venue like Lee's. The image of Roky on that stage is one that I will not be forgetting anytime soon. I think it was expressed most eloquently by a friend of mine, who was also there, when he described the image of Roky with his back to us playing guitar, fan blowing his silver-ish hair like he was on a beach in psychedelic garage heaven as completely blissful. Nicely put.

Photos: My shots of Roky Erickson @ Lee's Palace are on flickr.
Myspace: Roky Erickson
Myspace: 13th Floor Elevators
Video: You're Gonna Miss Me on youtube

Other stuff:

There's an interesting interview with Andrew Whiteman of Apostle of Hustle and Broken Social Scene by Matt McKechnie over at Thick Specs. He will be at Lee's Palace on November 19th. [Myspace: Apostle of Hustle]

The Wooden Sky have recently put together a project entitled "The Wooden Sky: A Documentary in Pieces" directed by Scott Cudmore on their summer ‘09 Bedrooms & Backstreets tour. The first two pieces are available here. They will be playing Lee's Palace on November 13th with Hooded Fang and Brian Borcherdt. [Myspace: The Wooden Sky]

Pick A Piper also have a new video up for their song Rooms using footage from all the way over in Iceland. Although today's mild snowfall has made me hate pretty much anything associated with the word "ice", the video is still actually pretty good. You can watch it here. PaP are playing Polish Combatants Hall on Nov. 7th and Rancho Relaxo on Nov. 21st. [Myspace: Pick A Piper]

Exclaim has an exclusive on the Born Ruffians follow up to last year's excellent Red Yellow and Blue. Apparently Luke Lalonde has decided that thinking too much is overrated and they're just going to do what feels right for the new one. We'll be able to find out how well the method worked when the album is released on Warp Records early next year sometime. [Myspace: Born Ruffians]

It may be still a little bit early for such lists, but Amazon has just compiled what is, to my knowledge, the first official list of the 100 Best Albums of 2009. And, big surprise, it looks nothing like what mine is going to look like. You can see the list here.

Passion Pit w/ Harlem Shakes & Cale Parks @ Lee's Palace

Last week was a busy week, both in terms of music and non-music related activities. I do have a few NXNE related reviews to post but before I go there, I've still got a couple of other shows to tell you about, beginning with the one that I caught at Lee's Palace last Tuesday night; a show that definitely falls into the long-awaited category.

Passion Pit had to bail on their last two Toronto dates, making this show at Lee's not only highly anticipatory, but actually the hottest ticket in town. This fact was compounded by the further fact that their stock has been rising quickly. Their first full length Manners was released only last month, yet the band sold out Lee's quite fast and they're already slated to return to Toronto again in August, this time performing at the bigger-by-about-550-people-venue, the Phoenix. That made this one about as intimate as we're gonna get with these guys for now, so the fans were very eager to just soak it all in.


Starting the night off was Cale Parks, a multi-faceted drummer and vibraphonist from Brooklyn. I showed up in time to catch only his last couple of songs, but even that brief amount of intake was enough to see that, as a drummer, this guy oozes talent. It was incredible to watch his drumming hands move at a speed that may as well have been the speed of light, since it was still faster than my tiny sense of perception could comprehend. However, this was not a wankerific set long drum solo, since the musical accompaniment of his laptop was steeped in the sounds of pure electro pop, not all that dissimilar to pioneers of the genre, such as Depeche Mode or New Order.

Following the percussive onslaught of Cale, was the predictable indie rock that was the Harlem Shakes. If there was ever proof that I've seen way too many bands as of late and am starting to develop into an overly jaded live music guy, I think this band is it. Judging by audience reaction, it looks like the Shakes have developed a pretty solid fan base of their own, and upon hearing their music that night, it was easy enough to see why. It was quite hooky and accessible, easy to jump around to, and generally inoffensive. However, as soon as the first song started up, I pretty much figured out what they were all about, and the lack of surprise just made me a tad disinterested. Other reviewers have name dropped Vampire Weekend when describing these guys, and I think that's a pretty decent starting point. If you like VW, then you'll probably dig these guys too. Overall they're not what I would call a bad band by any means and they've certainly got the performance aspect down. It's just that the music itself seems to be somewhat devoid of original thoughts and ideas. They name dropped Ruby Coast a few times during the night, which is good because if those bands are somewhat tight with each other, than maybe the Rubies could toss a few ideas their way as to how to throw in a tempo change or a dose of mild interestingness while still maintaining that indie rock sensibility. Just a suggestion...

Which brings us to Passion Pit. The band opened with, what I believe was an unreleased song. The lack of familiarity obviously meant nil to the patient fans since they were dancing spasmodically right from beat one. The crowds' rampant Pit-love must have been kept hidden for a long time since their enthusiasm was more than apparent. For the first few songs I was right up front in the midst of all of the euphoria, and from that vantage point, this was turning out to be quite the historical concert. The band sounded great, the music was all kinds of infectious, and everyone was having a blasty blast. The second song was Make Light, and it was hard not to get positively giddy at the sound of Angelakos' crazy falsetto. The highlight for me was the impossibly dancey Little Secrets, whereupon we all had our hands in the air during the "higher and higher and higher" part. After about four songs or so however, I shimmied my way out of the crowd and got a better look from a little further back and that was when the imperfections shone through more clearly. The band was actually quite stoic on the stage, which is unusual for a band that encourages so much movement. Also, the show was virtually banter free, which actually resulted in a couple of uncomfortable silences. Finally, the aforementioned falsetto was off quite a bit, which I wasn't expecting. Still, all of these shortcomings clearly went unnoticed for most of those in attendance, which means that the end result was still that of a good time had by all. Obviously the big hit (Sleepyhead) was another highlight, as was the one song encore of The Reeling. The show was brief, clocking in at about 40 minutes or so, which may have rubbed some people the wrong way, since they have been waiting for this show for so long. As for me, going to bed before twelve is always a good thing. and this show left me adequately satisfied.

My Photos: Passion Pit, Harlem Shakes and Cale Parks @ Lee's Palace on flickr.
Myspace: Passion Pit
Myspace: Harlem Shakes
Myspace: Cale Parks
Video: Someone actually posted the whole concert on youtube. Watch it here.

CONTEST - Win tix to see Shout Out Out Out Out at Lee's Palace

And at the close of one contest, another one emerges. I'll keep this post brief since I just talked about Shout Out Out Out Out over here, but let's just say that I've heard some outstanding things about their live show. Well, it looks like they're going to be bringing their vocoder infused dance party to Lee's Palace on Saturday April 25th, and it promises to be insane! Their openers are no slouches either. You've got the self proclaimed macho disco sounds of DVAS (Dietzche V & the Abominable Snowman), and the retro synth funk of The Cansecos. It'll be a fantastic deviation from the norm for myself, but there's a strong possibility that it will be a free sweat fueled dance party for you too. Did I say free?

Well actually, the tickets themselves are $15, BUT for one special reader and their dance partner of choice, I've got two free passes to see these three bands in concert, courtesy of Six Shooter Records. To enter, just send an email to quadb2001 [at] gmail [dot] com with "I Want To Shout Out at LEE's" in the subject line, and your full name in the body.

Contest is now closed. Congrats to Noah L. for winning the tix. Thanks to all who entered.

Myspace: Shout Out Out Out Out
Myspace: The Cansecos
Myspace: DVAS

Download: Shout Out Out Out Out's Guilt Trips Sink Ships mp3

Download: The Cansecos' Raised By Wolves mp3

Download: DVAS' Forever mp3

'Sup in April

Let's get right into it...

The Weakerthans (pictured above) are playing three shows at The Phoenix starting tonight (March 31st.) After years of unintentional neglect, I will be attending show #2 on Wednesday April 1st. This show is sure to be wicked awesome since joining them will be The Constantines (whom I've seen: amazing!) and The Waking Eyes (whom I've also seen: amazing!) the first two shows are sold out but I believe there are still some seats available for for the April 2nd show. $25. [Myspace: The Weakerthans; The Constantines; The Waking Eyes]

I was already prepared to see In-Flight Safety at The Horseshoe Tavern on Friday April 3rd, but now sweetening the pot is the fact that Oh No Forest Fires are one of the bands that are opening for them. I'm actually more excited about that since I haven't seen them for a while and they're one of my faves here in the city. Birthday Boys are also on the bill. Tix are $10 and In-Flight Safety are also doing an in-store at Criminal Records. Not sure of the exact time, although their website says 2-4pm. [Myspace: In-Flight Safety; Birthday Boys; Oh No Forest Fires]

A couple of the first bands that I ever blogged about are playing Bookman's Nu Music night at The Horseshoe on Tuesday April 7th. Fire Hydrant have a definite alt-rock style that is pretty easy to enjoy. Playing earlier on in the evening is Beautiful Nothing from Burlington. Their brand of dissonant high energy post punk is a far cry from what I'm listening to regularly these days, but this band holds a special place for me since they were one of those bands that got me looking into the indie music scene in the first place. Should be a good show. Also on the bill is Bombing Neverland and Dream Awake. Free. [Myspace: Fire Hydrant; Bombing Neverland; Beautiful Nothing; Dream Awake]

The Paint Movement are having a CD release party at The Rivoli on Friday April 10th with Fox Jaws, Make Your Exit and Provincial Parks. Great lineup! $8. [Myspace: The Paint Movement; Fox Jaws; Make Your Exit; Provincial Parks]

I am bummed to be missing Neko Case at Trinity St. Paul's on Friday April 17th and Saturday April 18th. Both shows are sold out but I wasn't able to attend anyways. Sucks. Just venting, that's all. [Myspace: Neko Case]

Local elctro dance sensation Woodhands are playing The Phoenix on Friday April 17th for $10. [Myspace: Woodhands]

As silly and out of place as this may sound, I actually think that I'm going to be seeing The Presidents of The United States of America at Lee's Palace on Tuesday April 21st. I know, I know, how old am I right? $20.50. [Myspace: The President of the USA]

Steve's boy Justin Townes Earle is playing The Horseshoe on Wednesday April 22nd in support of Midnight At The Movies which I should seriously get around to listening to. Tickets are $12.50. [Myspace: Justin Townes Earle]

Newfoundland's Hey Rosetta are bringing their triumphant stadium rock to Lee's Palace on Friday April 24th for $10. [Myspace: Hey Rosetta]

Bat For Lashes are awesome and they will be playing The Mod Club on Saturday April 25th for $15. 'Nuff said. [Myspace: Bat For Lashes]

It looks like I will likely be at Lee's Palace on Saturday April 25th to get my dance on with Shout Out Out Out Out who are in town to support their latest offering Reintegration Time which I've been listening to quite frequently lately. $15. [Myspace: Shout Out Out Out Out]

Noah and the Whale provide Lee's Palace with some of their eclectic indie folk stylings on Monday April 27th. $12.50. [Myspace: Noah and the Whale]

You certainly don't want to miss Elvis Perkins at The Horseshoe on Wednesday April 29th since he always does a solid show. $15. [Myspace: Elvis Perkins]

The Dears are playing The Mod Club on Thursday April 30th and tix are only $20. [Myspace: The Dears]

Also on Thursday April 30th is the amazing combination of John Doe and The Sadies at The Horseshoe. I've seen this amalgamation before and if you're able to attend, I cannot recommend them enough. $17.50 and it will be spectacular!! [Myspace: John Doe & The Sadies]

Weakerthans photo by Dan Moni.

CMF Day 4: Jon Rae Fletcher, Herman Dune, Basia Bulat, Elliott Brood, Cuff The Duke

I'm actually amazed at how 'not tired' I was by day 4 of Canadian Music Week or Fest or whatever. It's not that I'm not tired, it's just that I was expecting myself to be twice as tired as I actually felt on Saturday night. Still, I avoided venue hopping and had decided to just simply get my twang on at Lee's Palace for the night. The lineup looked solid, featuring some of the more folk and country oriented acts in the city. It looked like it was going to be a chilled and laid back evening. Turns out, I was only sort of right.
Jon Rae Fletcher started the night off with a distinct crooner's warble that was very endearing. His latest album Oh, Maria stands in stark contrast to 2006's Knows What You Need, with its introspective lyrics and downplayed tempo, and this is the atmosphere that he portrayed that night. The personal upheaval that has surrounded his life over the last few years has been well documented, and even though there is something very somber and reflective about his lyrics these days, his performance was still that of a man who is witty, with a good self-deprecating sense of humour. He even attempted to perform an older song as per an audience member's request, and upon realizing that he couldn't quite remember the rest of the lyrics, he simply bowed out gracefully, with a shrug and a laugh, refusing to take himself too seriously.

Photos: Jon Rae Fletcher @ Lee's Palace on flickr.
Myspace: Jon Rae Fletcher
Next up was Herman Dune from Paris, France. The band is a two piece, consisting of David-Ivar Herman Dune on guitar and vocals, and Néman Herman Dune on drums and backing vocals. The band plays a very quirky brand of folk music that is bent in a whimsical direction that comes across sounding as the bizarre love child of The Mountain Goats, Jens Lekman and maybe Cat Stevens. This being my first introduction to his music, I thought the lyrics were very strong and filled with clever wordplay. The melodies were simple, yet effective, and his voice was honest and powerful, although in a slightly nasal sort of way. He also had a very unique stage presence, that of a bearded traveling vaudeville performer. All of these ingredients together made for an enjoyable and bizarre experience that made me feel as if I was in some sort of cartoon or something.

Photos: Herman Dune @ Lee's Palace on flickr
Myspace: Herman Dune
I can't believe that I haven't seen Basia Bulat since last summer, and apparently a couple of things have changed. First of all, I noticed that Holly Rancher was not in attendance. Is she still part of the band? Does anyone know? Furthermore, I think that Basia has gained a little bit more confidence than the last couple of times that I saw her. She's always had a very sweet unsureness about her, but this time, even when certain things didn't go as smoothly as she likely would have hoped (i.e: sound problems with the ukelele,) she seemed to handle it with great poise and humour. She opened the show with I Was Your Daughter, a song that I'm pretty sure I'm used to seeing her end with. It's such a great song and the hyper handclaps got the crowd involved right away. She did a lot of the usual numbers, and even introduced a couple of new ones, including a great tune that she said was tentatively called Canyonero (named after the SUV on The Simpsons.) The show was lighthearted, even having a little kazoo thrown in for good measure. Her talent continues to amaze me as she always makes playing the autoharp look effortless.

Photos: Basia Bulat @ Lee's Palace on flickr
Myspace: Basia Bulat
At this point, any thought that this would be a nice little laid back evening was dashed to pieces by the time Elliott Brood took to the stage. I don't know why, but for some reason I thought that Elliott Brood was a countrified acoustic band. However, upon speaking to some of the fans in attendance before they hit the stage, it was becoming obvious that the evening was about to be cranked to another level. These guys may have been equipped with acoustic guitars, but they rocked hard! Every song came blasting through the air in a way that had me feeling stupid for forgetting my earplugs, and the band's hyperactive enthusiasm got the crowd whipped into a rock 'n roll frenzy. Partway through their set, they handed out some wooden spoons and aluminum trays and bowls, so as to have the audience provide some thunderous percussion to their songs, and I have to say that we were all having a blast! The crowd started dancing pretty heavily and they did not stop until the show was over. I was exhausted!

Photos: Elliott Brood @ Lee's Palace on flickr
Myspace: Elliott Brood
The evening ended with my hometown heroes Cuff The Duke, and as per usual, they put on a great show. It seemed rather tame after the Brood spazzfest that we had witnessed earlier, but The Duke are such an amazing band that they can truly do no wrong, as far as I'm concerned. They opened with my two favourite songs, Remember The Good Times and Rossland Square, which was great, but meant that I didn't have to spend the rest of the night in anticipation. They played a lot of new songs, which all sounded stellar, and indicated that we're likely to hear something new from them in the very near future. Excited! Wayne Petti played the nice guy again, graciously thanking everyone for attending before rocking out on the final song, If I Live Or If I Die.

Photos: Cuff The Duke @ Lee's Palace on flickr
Myspace: Cuff The Duke

Deerhunter w/Times New Viking & Braids @ Lee's Palace

Whether you call it growing up, maturing or simply learning the act of good showmanship, I have to say that the Bradford Cox that was on stage at Lee's Palace on Wednesday night was significantly different than the one that I read about from the last time Deerhunter was in town. Gone were the dresses and general audience alienation and, in its place was a charismatic and appreciative frontman who blasted through a fabulous set of shoegazey ambient punk rock. As Springsteen's Born To Run blasted through the speakers, it quickly became apparent that no other song could have been a more appropriate introduction to the show I was about to see! (New guitarist Whitney Petty was even sporting a GNR t-shirt!)

Although personally I prefer the sonic drone of the bands' previous effort Cryptograms, the follow up Microcastle is still no slouch. I've heard several comparisons to bands like The Strokes, but I've got to be honest, I don't really hear it. Sure, Cox has decided to take a slightly more accessible route this time around, but the newer songs are still steeped in enough atmosphere to keep things interesting. The show opened the same way as the new album does, with a brief intro before sequeing into Agoraphobia, and this song, as well as the other newer ones took on an extra air of triumph in this live setting. However, even songs from Cryptograms like Octet, Hazel St and the unmistakable title track sounded a little bit more controlled, almost epic. And Bradford graciously thanked the audience several times with an infectious grin, again showing that most of his headline making angst has been put behind him, at least while he's onstage.

Photos: Deerhunter @ Lee's Palace on flickr
Myspace: Deerhunter
Review: A more detailed review is up at Eye Weekly
Download: Nothing Ever Happened mp3


Times New Viking are Deerhunter's tour mates this time around, and their brand of lo-fi indie rock served as a perfect warm up and complement to the headliners noise fueled shoegaze. They're currently touring in support of their new album for Matador called Rip It Off. The songs are mostly fast paced and immediate, but the hooks are definitely in tact. They like to rely heavily on fuzzed out guitars and trashy keyboard sounds, but together it creates a very convulsive onslaught of sonance, one that I enjoyed immensely. The fact that the people in my area were dancing so enthusiastically just gave further proof that the melody does manage to peak through all of the static, something that only a band that knows what it's doing can accomplish.

Photos: Times New Viking @ Lee's Palace on flickr.
Myspace: Times New Viking
Download: Drop Out mp3


Opening the show was Montreal's Braids. Just the day before the show, the band was still known as Neighbourhood Council but they decided to change their name because "Neighbourhood Council does not represent the music that we play anymore..." I'm not sure what that means, but as far as the music goes, Braids played an ambient form of progressive rock that was experimental and sprawling. Although I quite enjoy this type of music while I'm sitting in my room with the lights out, I have to admit that part of me was wishing that they would get to the point a little bit quicker. I believe that their set was approximately 30 minutes long, and I think that they only played three songs or so. Admittedly, I was a bit restless. Still, I've listened to their music since then and I really like it, so I can only attribute my restlessness to being tired and simply not in the mood. And I definitely admire the fact that, although they self release their own material, they still managed to get thee attention of Bradford Cox, who claimed that he saw them and kidnapped them for this show.

Photos: Braids @ Lee's Palace on flickr
Myspace: Braids
Download: Liver And Tan mp3

Los Campesinos! w/ Jeffrey Lewis and the Jitters @ Lee's Palace

Hold On Now, Youngster..., the debut full length by Cardiff's Los Campesinos! is almost certain to rank extremely high on my year end best of list. The CD is just about as much fun as an album can get, so naturally, I expected the show at Lee's Palace to be nothing short of a veritable blasty blast! And a blasty blast it was!

This has been the busiest weekend that I can remember in a long time and remembering specific details about what happened late Friday night is not going to be easy, so you'll have to pardon me if this review comes across as a bit vague. I do remember that they were very energetic, and that energy only escalated as the evening went on. They kept the banter to a minimum, letting the music and dancing take precedence. Their myspace propelled "hit" You! Me! Dancing! was definitely the highlight of the night. What was great about it was the extended intro that was mega effective at building anticipation. It was cool to watch Gareth and Ollie bang away at the drums until that unmistakable riff took over and got the crowd bouncing and jumping along, creating a sweat level that could not be topped if the show took place in a sauna. In a way it sort of did. Man, it gets hot at Lee's. The last song had Gareth climbing the giant speaker to the left of the stage, much to the crowds delight.

Photos: Los Campesinos! @ Lee's Palace on flickr.
Downloads: Don't Tell Me To Do Math(s) mp3

Downloads: We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives mp3


I didn't have much of a desire to see Jeffrey Lewis again because I just saw him last week at this very venue. So I deliberately left my place late, but as I walked in, the familiar whine was in the air, and Jeffrey was in the middle of his Complete History of Punk Rock and its Development on the Lower East Side 1950-1975. It was amusing and entertaining to see people dance along to the 30 second snippets of classic punk that were spread intermittently throughout his beat poet like delivery of punk rock fun facts. This time around he had his band The Jitters with him as well as a projector to show his comic book art in the background. It was cool. I guess. I did like his Daniel Johnston t-shirt..

Photos: Jeffrey Lewis and the Jitters @ Lee's Palace on flickr
Download: End Results mp3

Myspace: Jeffrey Lewis and the Jitters

British Sea Power w/The Rosebuds and Jeffrey Lewis @ Lee's Palace

I haven't really taken the time to blog much about British Sea Power but I assure you that this is not due to lack of interest. It's just simply due to the fact that their latest CD Do You Like Rock Music? has already been blogged about elsewhere in great detail. So the fact that I also feel that this is one truly exceptional piece of work almost seems redundant. In my opinion, BSP just keeps getting better with every album, and DYLRM?'s attempt at stadium rock comes across as effortless. Some bands just got it, I suppose.

This viewpoint was only reiterated in greater detail upon seeing them at Lee's Palace on Friday night. I had never seen them before but I had heard that their show is a wonder to behold. In 2004, the band was awarded Time Out London's Live Band of the Year, and I can see that their prestige was highly deserved. Right from the get-go, the band refused to chill out. After using a recorded version of the album's opener All In It to accompany the band onstage, they followed it with Atom, also from the new album. The new songs seem to have been written with a live show in mind, which is probably why they work so well. But the older songs also sounded great, particularly Carrion and Blackout. As is their custom, they concluded with the live staple and slightly improvised Rock In A, which is an intense way to end a rock show. It's the only time that I can remember being happy at the fact that a band does not do encore's because that last number would be very difficult to follow. They obviously live by the idea that it's so much better just to make the last song count. And that they did.

Photos: My pics of British Sea Power @ Lee's Palace are on flickr.
Download: Waving Flags mp3

Download: Please Stand Up mp3

Myspace: British Sea Power

Opening for British Sea Power was Ralieigh, North Dakota's The Rosebuds. Before they even played a note, Kelly Crisp came out and greeted everyone within the first few rows, proving herself to be a really kind and personable individual. During the show, lead vocalist Ivan Howard also had a commanding presence that was subtle yet engrossing. Their music straddles a fine line between indie rock and dance music, creating a style that is very fun and easy to enjoy. They also have a unique chemistry that makes for a good show. Although the keyboard was present in pretty much all of the tracks, I particularly enjoyed the songs that were even more keyboard driven because I thought those songs introduced a bit more of a new wavy vibe. I can't say I'm all that familiar with their recorded works, but I think I might have to check out at least their latest CD Night Of The Furies, even though it's now a whole year old. Man, it's getting harder to keep up with everything musically.

Photos: The Rosebuds @ Lee's Palace on flickr.
Download: Blue Bird mp3

Myspace: The Rosebuds

The first act of the night was anti-folkster and comic book artist Jeffrey Lewis. There are people out there that absolutely love this guy. I mean, just love him. In one sense I can see why. There's no denying his talent for lyrical whimsy. The man's brain is obviously working a mile a minute, and how he remembers those sometimes introspective, sometimes angry and other times sarcastic lyrics is beyond me. For some reason, I just find him tiring. The songs that I like, I really really like but the songs that I hate, I really really hate. Some of his more popular songs are the ones that fall into the 'really hate' category for me, which made me pleasantly surprised that he didn't do those songs on this particular evening. I enjoyed that. In many ways, he was facing a tough crowd, since his style of anti-folk semi-punk may not be exactly what a room full of rock lovers wanted to hear. He seemed to be more successful when he kept things light hearted, like his ode to Ramen noodles, or his song about the terrifying creeping brain, complete with illustrated accompaniment. He's the type of performer that everybody should see at least once. Of course, I may be seeing him twice since he's back in town next Friday opening for Los Campesinos! This time he'll be with his band The Jitters.

Photos: Jeffrey Lewis @ Lee's Palace on flickr.
Download: End Result mp3

Myspace: Jeffrey Lewis