Amos The Transparent - Everything I've Forgotten To Forget

"Everything I've Forgotten To Forget" is probably one of the best kept secrets of the year in Canadian indie rock. The album is by Amos The Transparent, who is actually Jonathan Chandler and Christopher Wilson from Ottawa. The music is smooth, versatile and intricate, with several layers of personality revealing itself in every track. I don't know how this CD has avoided being more of a buzz album, since it incorporates the help of a few notable guests. A quick skim of the liner notes revealed that Evan Cranley of Stars and BSS appears on the title track. That song is extremely powerful, opening with some very slight percussion before Jonathan's vocals come in, reminding me a little bit of Adam Gardner from Guster. The vocal breakdown at 2:42 is incredibly effective as it slowly builds to grand magnificence for the last minute of the song, which is a powerhouse assault of drums and horns. Another noteworthy guest comes in the form of the angelic vocals of Amy Milan on the delicately titled "After All That, It's Come To This." Amy herself jumped on board after hearing the guys perform an acapella version of the tune. That makes sense because the song is compelling in every way. From the searing vocals to its orchestral climax, this is easily one of the best songs of the year.

That doesn't mean though, that the impressive guest stars are merely a gimmick to mask an otherwise mediocre release. Far from it. The other tracks are just as good. For example, "Hard Times, Simply Come By" has an easy listening 70's Neil Young vibe to it, with just a hint of twang. "OK OK Fine Okay" is an incredibly deceptive song. The majority of the cut is a mellow, folksy ballad. Then, out of nowhere, comes some masked percussion accompanied by some mildly maniacal singing followed by electric guitars and feedback, completely altering the direction of what was an otherwise straight-ahead pop country rock song. The song segues into "The Stale Scent Of Old Beer" which can only be described as another Canadian collective epic. Do you ever get tired of those? Yah, me neither. And I can't imagine that I'll be getting tired of this album anytime soon.

Photo by Tom Svilans.

Amos The Transparent are going to be at The Legendary Horseshoe on November 8th with Two Hours Traffic. It's a must-see!

Download: After All That, It's Come To This mp3
Myspace: Amos The Transparent
Purchase: Everything I've Forgotten To Forget at mymusic.com
Video: Interview with Jonathan and Chistopher on Rogers TV youtube

Jetplanes of Abraham

The Canadian orchestral music collective type band is becoming such an overwhelming indie fad these days, that the appearance of another one may not be super exciting to some people. But seriously, does the idea of more bands like Arcade Fire or Broken Social Scene really sound like a bad thing? The fact is, that every time I get wind of another band from Canada boasting more than 5 members, playing enthusiastic indie rock that employs as many instruments as a band can squeeze onto a single disc, I start to salivate more than just a little bit.

Jetplanes of Abraham are just such a band, hailing from Ottawa, Ontario. Their self titled debut is beyond outstanding. Containing an exciting amount of infectious pop hooks and sporting instruments as wide and varied as violin, xylophone and the usual bass, guitar, keyboards and drums, these guys and gals fit in very well with the aforementioned bands. The vocals will paralyze you, (but in a good way) and there are so many excellent sing along and clap along moments that it is sure to bring out your inner indie rock child. Some of the highlights for me are "Four Part Harmony" which sounds like it's actually boasting more of a billion part harmony; "Take The Cash" which works with the "start slow and build" formula, which for me is always money; and the brilliantly titled "Complications, Fascinations and Quitting Your Job" which is like the delicious stew of the mix, incorporating many different moods and flavors and smooshing it altogether into one epic song.

The buzz on their live show however is rapidly growing. From what I've read, the band is having a ton 'o fun onstage, running from one end of the stage to the other to set up for several instrument changes throughout the course of their set. Sounds like my kind of show! The beauty thing is that attending one of their shows will be significantly kinder on your pocketbook than those other bands ... for now anyways. Sadly, I'm out of town for their next T-dot appearance, but I guarantee that this one is a must see for those who enjoy the live rock 'n roll as much as I do.

Jetplanes of Abraham are playing at Sneaky Dee's on the corner of College and Bathurst on October 6th.

Photo by Bonnie Findlay

Listen: The entire album can be streamed here.
Download: Tunnels/ Terminals mp3
Myspace: Jetplanes Of Abraham
Videos: For Now (live at the National Gallery of Canada) youtube
Not Tonight (live in Ottawa: CD release party) youtube
Purchase: Jetplanes of Abraham at their online store

Skytone - Echoes In All Directions

While sifting through hours and hours of new indie rock, it occurred to me that a lot of time would be saved if I were to automatically delete all of the bands that sort of sound like Coldplay. Some bands are really good at it. Some bore me to tears. And then, every once in a while, a band comes along that is actually better at it. While most of my peers have been jumping aboard The Fray bandwagon (which is more like a band-18 wheeler for crying out loud,) I would much rather glide along with the charismatic sounds of Skytone. On the debut CD "Echoes In All Directions" brothers Rodney and Darius Doddridge should really teach a class on melodic sensibility. I swear that it’s been a long long time since I’ve heard music sound this smooth. “Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead” is a perfectly crafted pop song that reminds me of many of the catchy but forgotten hits of the 80’s. I had almost forgotten what those sound like. The harmonies in “Springtime” will certainly chill you out, and they’re tailor made for relaxing with a beer in your hand. “Just A Little Attention” comes across like a Badfinger meets Jason Falkner hit tune. And “The New York Song” (probably my favourite) has a Johnny Marr-ness stamped all over its crisp guitar work. When I feel overwhelmed with so-called indie mediocrity, Skytone is definitely like a breath of fresh air.

Downloads:
The New York Song mp3
Just A Little Attention mp3

Visit the Skytone myspace page.
The CD “Echoes In All Directions” is definitely worth purchasing.
You can buy the CD here, or you can download it on itunes here.