2009: The Songs

As far as my favorite songs go, this seems to be the year for the grand epic. I don't know what it is, but the longer progressive numbers were the ones that seemed to have the biggest impact on me, which you'll notice as you start perusing through the following list. On top of that, if you want to get technical, the entire Decemberists album is basically arranged as one lengthy 55 minute song and should actually be my number one song of the year, but that would just be a little too redundant, what with it already sitting atop my Top Albums of '09 list. So, having said that, here is my annual list of the songs that have warranted necessary use of the repeat button on my iPod throughout the year. As per usual, the tunes are not listed in any particular order, since basically all of these songs are tied for first place, in the sense that I listened to them all with great repetition.

Bay Of Pigs by Destroyer (from Bay of Pigs EP)

At 13 minutes in length, this one is a moody little number that is as epic sounding as the plans for the attempted 1961 Cuban invasion upon which the title of the tune is based most likely was at the time, although unlike that CIA trained endeavor, the song is actually quite successful. Beginning as an ambient mix of controlled synths and opportunities for Bejar to share confounding lyrics such as "Magnolia's a girl. Her heart's made of wood. As apocalypses go, that's pretty good. Sha-la-la, wouldn't you say?" the song shifts partway through into an upbeat disco thump before culminating in two minutes of white noise that is nothing short of mesmerizing.

Stream: Bay of Pigs at Stereogum

And The Glitter Is Gone by Yo La Tengo (from Popular Songs)

Although by and large the latest release by everyone's favourite Hobokeners has them sounding more poppy than ever before, it's the album's closing 16 minute instrumental psychedelic rocker that had me begging for more. Though many might disagree, YLT are at their best when they just let loose on their improvisational selves.

Video: And The Glitter Is Gone Pt 1 on youtube
Video: And The Glitter Is Gone Pt 2 on youtube

Siren Song by Bat For Lashes (from Two Suns)

Natasha Khan's voice pierces right through me on this hauntingly beautiful number. I know that comparing her to Kate Bush is a little bit redundant at this point (of course, so is using the word 'redundant' twice in the same article) but the fact that the song would not be out of place on Bush's The Dreaming is part of its wonderful appeal for me.

Video: Siren Song (live at Morning Become Eclectic) on youtube

Lemons (aka Big Fish Little Pond) by Amos The Transparent
(from My What Big Teeth You Have)

Skilled songwriting matched with a simple yet unforgettable melody makes this song an infectious slice of perfection as Jonathan Chandler and company prove that even amidst a year of grand orchestral experimentation, there is a lot to be said for the charms of a subtle, acoustic pop song.

Download: Lemons (aka Big Fish Little Pond) mp3
Video: Lemons (aka Big Fish, Little Pond) on youtube

Little Secrets by Passion Pit (from Manners)

Overall, this has been a moderately successful year for me as far as listening to dancier music goes, with bands like Green Go, Handsome Furs, Friendly Fires and Woodhands receiving at least some minimal iPod airplay from me, although getting through an entire album in one sitting by any of those artists is a bit of a tall order for my anti-disco soul. Still, there was one number that achieved 'press, play, repeat' status for me, and it was this retrofied number by the Massachusetts five piece. The songs Sleepyhead and The Reeling may have received a little bit more blogger love but trust me, Little Secrets is by far the standout.

Video: Little Secrets (live on KCRW) on youtube

Doom by Hut (from Hut EP)

There are some songs that lend themselves to pristine production by nature of their incredible hooks and infectious melodies. However, when that's been done a million times before already then there's something refreshing about hearing that dynamic within the confines of a rough and delightfully real, lo-fi sound. Daniel Lee (of Hooded Fang) has coined a masterpiece with this song, and I hope that when he makes it rich in the future, he chooses to keep this song just the way it is, because it's the roughness that gives this song its charm.

Download: Doom mp3

It's Not Your Birthday Anymore by Morrissey (from Years of Refusal)

I figured that the days of Morrissey sitting in a personal year end list was gone forever, but lo and behold, here he is with a song that ranks among some of the best work of his entire career. This song is classic Moz, with that tongue in cheek misanthropic lyricism in full force and a chorus that is as large as it gets. A twisted anthem for sure, and the type of song that wannabe bombasts (like Snow Patrol) could only dream of penning.

Video: It's Not Your Birthday Anymore on youtube
(It's basically just the song streaming over a still of a half eaten piece of cake, but that's the only place where I could find the song streaming)

Synastry / New Beginning by Dog Day (from Elder Schoolhouse EP)

You knew that the combination of Halifax shoegazers Dog Day and prolific studio mastermind Rick White was going to be pretty spectacular, and the limited edition Elder Schoolhouse EP (vinyl only, and only 400 copies made) has produced the band's most expansive material so far. It may be cheating a bit to include all of side 2 as one song, but these two tracks should never be pulled apart for any reason whatsoever. The second part is a massive wall of psychedelic feedback that'll have you seeing double. I can only provide an mp3 of the first part of the song, but you really need to track down the whole thing for the full impact.

Download: Synastry mp3

Venus Rising by Blue Rodeo (from The Things We Left Behind)

Like the aforementioned Morrissey, I was pretty sure that the days of including Blue Rodeo on best of the year lists were long behind us, but the Keelor / Cuddy combo have proven that they still have the chops to pull it off when they want to. The new album still contains quite a bit of filler, but there is enough gold on it to make it their best album since Five Days In July, and this may be their best song since Diamond Mine. An epic slowburner with some blistering guitar work.

Stream: Venus Rising on youtube

Cat Tail Legs by Megan Hamilton
(from See Your Midnight Breath In The Shipyard)

The award for best vocal performance of the year goes to Megan Hamilton for the incendiary throat shred that she pulls of throughout the course of this barn busting number. Everything about this track is straightforward and immediate and although she pulls off abstract just fine at other points on the CD, this quality rocker gets the job done with perfection.

Download: Cat Tail Legs mp3

Honorable Mentions:
Drunkard's Prayer by The Schomberg Fair
Black Bull Nova by Wilco
I Can't Be Normal by Shelby Lamb
Grew Up On The Seeds by The Hoa Hoa's
Saturna by Son Volt
Love's On The Run by The Space Between Things
Come Saturday by The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
Dené Sled by Pick A Piper
Tightrope by Yeasayer
Faults by The Paint Movement

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: Passion Pit Ticket Giveaway!!

REVIEW OF PASSION PIT - MANNERS

Incredibly high falsetto-ed singing voices can't help but be sort of funny. That's just the way it is. Therefore, the major full length release by buzz band Passion Pit, which is entitled Manners, is going to make you smile, whether you like it or not. I suppose I could understand why some people might not like it. It is overly schmaltzy in parts, the ballads seem to occupy the same black hole that may have sucked in the likes of Howard Jones or The Motels, and if you don't like the 80's, well, then you may not even want to go here. But I'll be danged if it isn't just the most endearingly catchy album I've heard in ages.

Album opener Make Light is one of my faves, exploding right from the get- go, yet still managing to intensify as it carries on. Just when you think Michael Angelakos' voice couldn't get any higher, he continues to tighten his belt until the chorus comes along and intoxicates in an incredible glass shattering sort of way. Little Secrets is track two and it is probably the most infectious song on the album. A hyper amalgamation of disco and Jackson 5-ish soul, this should be this year's Time To Pretend. Even the children's singalong chorus doesn't irritate me the way that it should. Quite the contrary, it suits the song well and I think that I actually like it better than MGMT's anthem of last year. By the time we get to the first single from the album, track 4 The Reeling, it becomes obvious that Passion Pit are more than just a solid pop band. The hooks in these songs, coupled with Angelakos' introspective lyrics mean that these songs are not simply contagious pop songs that wear out their welcome upon repeat listening. No, these songs deserve to be delved into in a deeper fashion, once you've stopped dancing, of course. Take for example, a song like Eyes As Candles, which contains a singalong chorus composed of na-na's and hey-hey's, while still including inner directed moments, such as "I feel you rise above me the western landscape's towering, and from my shell of a body the flowers blossom for picking." Yes, in amongst the bubblegum hooks are some tortured lyrics that help to offset the whole package nicely.

Although Manners overall only shows a mild step up from the electro pop style of last year's Chunk Of Change EP, it certainly hints at the possiblity that while Angelakos is happy to play it relatively safe for now, he does have a lot of interesting ideas in his brain. I wouldn't be surprised if each successive album showcases a little bit more invention than the one before. For now though, he's undoubtedly satisfied to simply have us soaking in that crazy voice of his.

Above photo is by Elizabeth Weinberg
Myspace: Passion Pit
Video: Sleepyhead on youtube
Video: The Reeling on youtube

CONTEST: After a couple of failed attempts at coming to Toronto, Passion Pit are finally going to be playing Lee's Palace on Tuesday June 16th. Thanks to Sony Music Canada, I've got two tickets to give away to this show. If you're interested, please send off an email to quadb2001 [at] gmail [dot] com with the words "I Wanna Be In The Passion Pit" in the subject line, and your full name in the body.

Contest is now closed. Congrats to Alicia E. and thanks to all who entered.

'Sup In June

As you've likely noticed by now, the monthly "Sup In ..." post has become less of a list of what I'm doing, and more of a list of what I would do if I were you. The shows that I plan to attend tend not to see the light of day more often than not, and it seems that each month showcases a show or two that I end up going to as more of a spur of a moment type of thing. June is going to be busy with this year's NXNE festival in full force which I'm obviously participating in although, due to other conflicting priorities, my involvement this year will be significantly more reserved than in year's past. Anyways, enough of my jibber jabber and on to the month's events:

To start with, I'd like to tell you about the Aux TV Secret Sessions Series taking place every Saturday during the months of June and July. It all happens at The Audio Recording Academy (554 Queen Street East), it's all ages, it usually starts at 5pm and it's free. To get in, all you have to do is RSVP to rsvp@secretsessionstara.com with the show you wish to attend, your name and the number of guests. Some of the performers for the month of June include The Ghost Is Dancing, Great Bloomers, Holler! Wild Rose, The Paint Movement, Josh Reichmann and Oh No Forest Fires. For more info, go to the website. [Myspace: Secret Sessions Tara]

In support of their critically acclaimed Veckatimest album, Grizzly Bear are in town on Friday June 6th playing The Phoenix. Tix are $18, although I think it might be sold out. [Myspace: Grizzly Bear]

Ma homeboy (I'll never be able to pull that off, will I?) Slakah The Beatchild is having a CD release party at The Revival on Thursday June 11th in support of his excellent new release entitled Soul Movement Pt 1. Looks like it's going to be quite the bill for any fans of hip hop ad R&B, with guests including Divine Brown, Melanie Durant, Ebrahim and Shad K, amongst others. Details for the event can be found here. [Myspace: Slakah The Beatchild]

One Hundred Dollars are playing The Horseshoe on Friday June 12th. They are by far the best country band in the city. Tix are $8. [Myspace: One Hundred Dollars]

Alt-Country giant Alejandro Escovedo is back and playing Trinity St. Paul's on Tuesday June 16th for $27. [Myspace: Alejandro Escovedo]

Also on Tuesday June 16th, Passion Pit are making an attempt to return to our city by playing Lee's Palace. They've already failed twice before so hopefully we get to see this one make it's way to fruition. I've noticed that the tickets are sold out at some of the local points of sale, so keep your eyes on this blog as I may have a couple of spots to giveaway in the very near future. $12. [Myspace: Passion Pit]

Which of course brings us to this year's NXNE festival, taking place June 17th - 21st. I think I'm going to do a more detailed posting for this as we get closer to the date, but you can already get started on your personal picks by perusing the schedule over here. Admittedly I haven't got it all figured out just yet, but one band that I certinaly will NOT be missing is legendary 60's Seattle rockers The Sonics, who will be at Yonge-Dundas Square on Saturday June 20th at 9:30. It looks like I'm sort of leaning towards checking out more of the 'out of towners' on the schedule, as opposed to the 'will always be heres' on the schedule, but more on that later. [Myspace: The Sonics]

One thing that I will mention, is that Daps All Ages and No Shame are going to be presenting an all ages afternoon show at Rolly's Garage on Saturday June 20th, from 1pm to 6pm. On the bill are Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees, Lightmares, Laura Barrett, Swirling Shores, Times Neue Roman and Pick A Piper (who I just saw last weekend and I gotta tell you, whew! More on that later.) Tix are $10.

The excellent double bill of Jonathan Richmond and Vic Chesnutt are playing the Great Hall on Thursday June 25th for only $20. [Myspaces: Jonathan Richmond; Vic Chesnutt]

Also, on Thursday June 25th, you may wish to check out the always amazing Ohbijou with Great Bloomers and Evening Hymns at The Opera House. Tix are only $13. [Myspace: Ohbijou; Great Bloomers, Evening Hyms]

I have the opportunity to broaden my horizons by attending a day of The 26th Annual Tottenham Bluegrass Festival which takes place June 26th, 27th, and 28th at the Tottenham Observation Area. I cover artists that borrow from the bluegrass genre all the time, but I anticipate that it's going to be downright inspiring to spend an afternoon sitting in the sun taking in some old school meat and potatoes type of classic bluegrass tunes. Some of the artists are a little bit rootsier than I'm accustomed to, but I am looking forward to seeing a set by Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass. Another band that intrigues me is called The Dixie Flyers, who actually have some pretty impressive Canadian bluegrassers playing amongst them. (I've also heard that I've got to try a deep fried Mars Bar at least once in my life.) Schedule and other info can be found at the website. [Myspaces: Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass; Dixie Flyers]

The return of the always delightful Camera Obscura takes place at Lee's Palace on Saturday June 27th. I am madly in love with their latest My Maudlin Career. Tix are $23.50. [Myspace: Camera Obscura]

There's quite a number of legends coming through town in June, one of such is Todd Rundgren, who is playing The Mod Club (!) on Sunday June 28th. Tickets are $49.50. [Myspace: Todd Rundgren]

Tuesday June 30th is a busy day here in the city as New York's legendary glam-rockers the New York Dolls are in town playing Lee's Palace. The tickets are $29.50 and legends of this magnitude do not come around all that often so you really have no excuse for not attending. Actually there is one excuse, that is, if you're planning on seeing... [Myspace: New York Dolls]

...SONIC YOUTH!!!! To say that I'm excited about this show is hardly a strong enough phrase to convey the level of excitement going through my body right now. I once stated that Sonic Youth (pictured above) were basically the best band in the world, and I don't think that my statement is all that far off. They are legends having inspired almost every band that I've loved since and I think this is going to be one epic performance. They are playing Massey Hall on Tuesday June 30th and tickets are $48.50 and worth every penny! [Myspace: Sonic Youth]

"The song within my soul, the melody that can't grow old"

Today I spent the whole day (literally) sitting at my local tax person's office, waiting to see how much I owe the government this year. In that room, the radio was set at Oldies 1150 AM. It's your typical oldies station, playing the hits of the 50's ,60's and 70's ranging from rock 'n roll classics with cred like The Stones, CCR, and The Beatles to classic Motown like Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin as well as some schmaltzier stuff like Lesley Gore and Bobby Vinton (pictured above.) Perhaps not my selection of choice, but relatively inoffensive nonetheless. At one point however, a lady in her mid to late 40's leans in to the person next to her, and I overhear her saying, "This music sucks!" For some reason, not only did I instantly assume that her personal mp3 player consisted of the unimaginative musical stylings of Cher and Rod Stewart, with perhaps a touch of Beyonce, just to prove that she's till "hip", but her comments also really irritated me. Why?

At first, I really didn't know why. It's not that I have any Lesley Gore in my iTunes catalogue, nor do I own '14 Golden Greats by Sam Syrup and the Sappytones.' Still, for some reason her blanket statement made me a little bit irate. After thinking about it, I came up with a few possible reasons for my state of perturbation.

First of all, there's the fact that "This music sucks!" is not stated as an opinion, it's stated as a statement. I love opinionated people. As a matter of fact, I thrive on it. When someone says that they can't stand one of my favourite artists, I'm instantly intrigued as to their possible reasons for feeling that way with the hopes that it will lead to further stimulating conversation. But when someone makes a statement such as that which was stated above, I need evidence. In what way does said artist suck? Is it a case of a pretty face providing a diversion from the fact that other talents are actually playing the music, i.e. a Milli Vanilli type situation? Has listening to their music actually caused people (without former evidence of instability) to convulse and commit some serious crimes against random innocent bystanders? Is it possible that not one single being on this planet has derived an ounce of joy from the artist's sacharine style? Seriously, what reason, other than the fact that YOU don't like them, could there be for you to make such a huge accusation of suckage?

A second reason for my mild irritability could also be the fact that sometimes, there just seems to be a lack of respect for musical heritage. Regardless of personal preference, the contributions that these entertainers made allowed for music to evolve into the grand variety that surrounds us today. While it's true that some of the oldies exude a certain level of naivete, expecially those of the pop variety that precede Beatlemania and the onslaught of psychedelia, the astute listener can still hear the early stages of indie rock evolution. Lesley Gore's teenage heartbreak can be heard throughout the tunes of Camera Obscura and other modern day troubadors of twee. Indie cred exudes in the croons of Jens Lekman or Stephen Merritt, but how would that croon exist if not for 50's Bobby's like Darin, Vinton or Vee? It's true, I may not listen to many of these entertainers on a regular basis, but there comes a time when we need to accept the fact that most of these artists were certainly groundbreaking for their time. I also feel that there was a purity to the music that was played on the radio back then that is painfully lacking in the music that is played on the airwaves today. And it's not the purity in content that I'm referring to, but the purity in style and instrumentation.

My thoughts are not that of an old cranky curmudgeon. I'm actually younger than the person who made 'the statement' and I have always felt that good music should never be era-specific, but it should be able to transcend a certain time period. I think that music has never been more exciting than it is right now as artists continue to borrow from the past and create a future of limitless possibilities. The true musician and music lovers appreciation for the past assures us that the oldies most certainly do not suck. If it doesn't turn your own personal crank that's cool, but making the lame aforementioned statement just makes you look like a musical buffoon who obviously lets mainstream media dictate your personal taste, instead of putting forth the effort to try to generate a taste of your own.

Now sitting in the waiting room at the tax office all day, that sucks.

The above lyric is taken from 'My Heart Belongs To Only You' by Bobby Vinton.

Other stuff in the world of 'indie' and 'not-so-indie' rock:

Great Bloomers are interviewed on this week's Zygiella podcast in support of their CD release party for Speak Of Trouble. That takes place on Saturday May 2nd at The Horseshoe. [Myspace: Great Bloomers]

Michael McKean of Spinal Tap, The Folksmen and other awesome fake bands, is interviewed on this week's edition of the Stuck In The 80's podcast and it's incredibly entertaining. He will be joined by fellow Tappers Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer for the 'Unwigged and Unplugged' tour at Massey Hall on Thursday May 21st. [Myspace: Unwigged and Unplugged]

Kim and Kelley Deal of The Breeders talk about roller derby, Danzig and the songs on their latest EP Fate To Fatal over at Magnet. [Myspace: The Breeders]

Local rock 'n roll photography phenom Pete Nema is interviewed at A Table For One, an excellent local blog. [Myspace: Pete Nema]

Win Butler of Arcade Fire is interviewed by Clash Magazine about Funeral, which the magazine named the #1 album of the last five years. An interesting, if somewhat controversial list. [Myspace: Arcade Fire]

Passion Pit's new video for The Reeling is featured over at Now Magazine. The album Manners is out on May 18th, and they are making another attempt to play Toronto at Lee's Palace on June 16th. [Myspace: Passion Pit]