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!

2009: The Shows

Every year I say that I'm going to tone down the amount of shows that I go to, and every year I end up seeing more than the year before. This year's final tally sits at 143 different artists to have graced the live stage in my presence, including three more than I still haven't gotten around to reviewing but I will. Eventually. Of course, I have friends that have probably seen that amount in a weekend but for an old married guy, I'd say that's still a pretty obscene number.

Overall though, this year has been a fabulous concert going experience, with my top three shows being amongst the best shows I've ever attended in all of my 20+ years of concert going. So, here are my top 10. This week I've been feeling a bit of the overwhelmed blogger meh's, so I'm going to make life easier by simply plagiarizing my own words from prior reviews but hey, so it goes. If it's good enough for For The Records, than it's good enough for me. I'm deliberately choosing the expressions that are laced in my usual penchant for blatant hyperbole.

1. The Decemberists @ Kool Haus on August 3rd (Review)

"When I'm an old(er) man and reflecting back on all of my concert going experiences, I'm pretty positive that the Short Fazed Novel Tour of 2009 will be one of those shows that I'll be referring to often. A Decemberists show goes beyond simply being another concert; a Decemberists show is an event."

2. Wilco @ Massey Hall on October 14th (Review)

"I would have to say that my favourite part of the evening though was during the encore when they came very close to displaying a slightly different version of the magic Being There moment of my previous experience when they played Monday and Outtasite (Outta Mind) from that album, only to follow it up with Hoodoo Voodoo from Mermaid Avenue. Classic!"

3. Sonic Youth @ Massey Hall on June 30th (Review)

"...their youthful energy allowed me to ride that time capsule into my past and enjoy this show, not as just another concert, but as a significant event."

4. The Hoa Hoa's / Your 33 Black Angels / The Disraelis @ Silver Dollar on December 4th (Review)

"You'll have to pardon the hyperbole, but this show was life altering!"

5. Tom Fun Orchestra / Bruce Peninsula / The Darcy's @ The Horseshoe on January 31st (Review)

"The second encore showcased the band playing the snot out of all of their respective instruments and jumping around the stage, falling all over each other and generally creating merry chaos all over that Horseshoe stage."

6. Roky Erickson / The Sadies @ Lee's Palace on October 28th (Review)

"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."

7. The Sonics @ Yonge and Dundas Square on June 20th (Review)

"I was standing with a couple of people who were obviously there for The Sonics the first time around, but when I turned around to look at the crowd, I was amazed at the fact that, by and large, most of them were the same age as the people who usually go to the shows that I attend. Appreciation for musical heritage is very important to me, so it was great to see all of these young 'uns jumping around like crazy, almost as if they were at a White Stripes concert."

8. Holler, Wild Rose @ The Boat on March 15th (Review)

"I love that feeling when you're watching a band and suddenly you realize that you are actually in the midst of greatness. That moment for me came when they performed Captive Train. The harmonies were absolutely cherubic on that song, and the steady build of those ringing guitars continued to climb to euphoric heights before Jon Mosloskie's high pitched Buckley-inspired throat tore a strip out of the atmosphere and made me completely forget where I was."

9. Gary Louris and Mark Olson @ The Mod Club on February 4th (Review)

"These days my attention span isn't what it used to be, so to be able to command my attention for an hour and a half with an acoustic set is no ordinary task. But of course, Gary Louris and Mark Olson are no ordinary performers and this was certainly one for the concert memory books."

10. Joe Pernice @ Dakota Tavern on September 24th (Review)

"By the time he finished, we had been treated to almost two hours of material, many of which were obscurities from his career which made for a very special night."

Honorable Mentions:

• Modernboys Moderngirls / Fox Jaws / Amos the Transparent / AfterpartY @ Sneaky Dee's on January 23rd (Review)
• No Shame's 100th feat. Skeletones Four, Pick A Piper, Ruby Coast and Green Go @ Horseshoe on Sept. 18th (Review)
• Fallout Party feat. Volcano, The Hoa Hoa's, Postcards and Easy Targets @ Rancho Relaxo on Nov. 6th (Review)
• Depreciation Guild @ The Horseshoe on Sept. 7th (Review)
• Sunparlour Players @ Theatre Centre on August 14th (Review)
• Lovely Killbots / Whale Tooth / Make Your Exit / Amos the Transparent @ Horseshoe on May 22nd (Review)
• The Sound of Sea Animals @ The Legion on April 18th (Review)
• Slakah the Beatchild @ Revival on June 11th (Review)
  

I'm afraid that I haven't had the time to compile a 'Sup in January post this time around, but I will say that I've got my ticket for The Cribs @ The Phoenix on January 15th, and I do have my eye on a few other possibilities also, although I'm not committing myself to anything else just yet. I promise that I'll get my review of the Spiral Beach / Boys Who Say No / Romo Roto show up sometime soon and I'll end by saying that I hope that everyone had a safe 2009 and will continue to make 2010 a groovy experience of its own!

Sonic Youth w/The Entrance Band @ Massey Hall

I have stated before, without a hint of irony, that Sonic Youth is the best band in the world. That is significantly different than saying that they're my favourite band in the world. Although they would likely settle nicely somewhere in my top 30, it's by means of their longevity, mixed with their continually consistent relevance, that I feel I could accurately make such a statement. They've gone from being an independent band, bucking at the system by doing exactly what they wanted to do, to being the only band signed to a major label that continued bucking successfully. Their latest album, The Eternal, sees the band returning back to their indie roots by releasing it on Matador Records, and once again, this is done without compromise. Although some of their albums have been a little bit more melodic than others, they have never recorded anything resembling a commercial sellout and while it's fair to say that they're older stuff is better, technically it's more because those songs came out first, as opposed to actually being better. Continuing in that trend of doing whatever they want, their appearance at the sonically pleasing Massey Hall was not that of a group of old timers recording their unplugged album. This was by all intents and purposes a punk rock show, albeit a slightly larger one than most punkers might be accustomed to.

The opening band was The Entrance Band from Los Angeles. As they started, they felt to me like a perfect complement to Sonic Youth's noisy sense of scatter, but by about two songs in, it became apparent to me that these guys were far less cacophony, and far more wankerific stoner rock. There were heavily shrill vocals and long extended guitar solos aplenty, and at times it felt like they were only a Hammond B3 organ away from Smoke On The Water. Still, although I found it enjoyable enough, about 15 minutes in I had gotten the point, and I was admittedly getting antsier and antsier at the anticipation of seeing Moore and Gordon assault that stage.

When it came time for their set to begin, the droning guitars and the nimble vibrations made it obvious that, although an assault would likely take place soon enough, right now was not the time for it. They opened their set with She Is Not Alone from their self titled debut EP, which incidentally is the only album that I don't have by them. This subtle number was an intriguing way to start their set for sure, since the song itself may have led some to believe that the show was going to be tailor made for the die hard, long time followers of the band. By song two, which was Sacred Trickster off The Eternal, it was apparent that this was not going to be so. They continued to play all eleven cuts from the new album, and while that would annoy me if this was anybody else, once again, Sonic Youth has always been nothing if not consistent. This means that the new album is awesome enough that they can get away with a set heavy on new material. The songs translated exceptionally well to the live stage. This isn't to say that I didn't miss hearing some of my favourites. The three that I was looking forward to the most were Kissability, Catholic Block and Teenage Riot, none of which were featured that evening. My number four however, was The Sprawl (can you tell that Daydream Nation was one of the defining releases of my formative years?) and they played the crap out of that song. It was also great to hear Death Valley 69 from the Bad Moon Rising album at the end of the night, and once again they played it as if it had only come out yesterday. I can see from some of the pictures floating around of the evening, that Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Mark Ibold and Steve Shelley are certainly looking their age these days, but from where I was sitting, they looked as young as ever, and their youthful energy allowed me to ride that time capsule into my past and enjoy this show, not as just another concert, but as a significant event.

This show has already been reviewed all over the place with far more professional pictures at Chromewaves, For The Records, The National Post, Eye, Fazer and Now.

Photos: Sonic Youth / The Entrance Band @ Massey Hall on flickr
Myspace: Sonic Youth
Myspace: The Entrance Band
Download: Sacred Trickster mp3

'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 Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love

Originally I wasn't going to bother blogging about The Decemberists' The Hazards Of Love CD, simply because everybody else already has. The thing is, I think it's only fair that I provide my readers with a reason why I've been terribly negligent about listening to anything else over the past month, and that reason, as you may have already guessed, is due to the fact that this album exists. It's brilliant, it's addictive and, to be quite honest, it's the album that I've been waiting 20 years for.

It's true that this means my waiting for it predates the existence of The Decemberists by about 11 years, but so does my love for the well executed concept album. It's also true the number of overwrought and pretentious concept albums greatly outweigh the ones that are done well, (and it could be argued that even the ones that are done well are a bit overwrought and pretentious) but when it works, it takes the experience of listening to music to a whole new level. The idea of an entire album being a solid work of art unto itself, as opposed to being a collection of shorter 'works of art' means that the listener has to be willing to commit. Admittedly, most people aren't ready for that kind of commitment, and this is why The Hazards Of Love will continue to polarize people like no other album has in recent years. Simply being a fan of The Decemberists does not mean that you are going to dig this one, and the opposite holds true as well.

I thought I'd refrain from a formal review this time around since, like I said, the album has been reviewed enough already, but I thought I could at least relate a couple of the reasons why it appeals to me, perhaps moreso than it might for others. The first reason, as I've already alluded to, is my obvious love for progressive rock. My admission of prog-love has likely already banished me from the throngs of indie rock credibility forever but one cannot hide who he is. Sure, the album dips into several other territories including folk, ambient, glam-rock and even some very obvious homages to metal, but more than anything else this is a prog album, through and through. The second reason for my succumbing to the album's powers is my admiration for an epic love story. I've ranted before about my disdain for the common love song, i.e. the type that leads you to believe that true love requires little to no effort and always ends up all hearts and roses. But as for the love that strives to endure through the greatest of trials and still has to struggle to stay alive, well this has always been a tale that never tires for me. And never before has this tale been related with such eloquence within the boundaries of rock 'n roll, than on this album.

Lastly, there is also no real need to dwell on the specifics of the narrative since this also has already been dissected elsewhere, but it is safe to say that the storyline would all be meaningless if the music wasn't any good. Although several of the tracks do work quite well on their own, the album really is meant to be listened to as a whole, and under that criteria, it is an outstandingly adventurous piece of music. Like a classical composition the album contains a wealth of highs and lows, and while the complaint has been made that the songs lack any real hook, all I can wonder is what album are these people listening to? The recurring refrain of "the wanting comes in waves" as well as the expression that gives the album it's name, is a hook that remains in my subconscious consistently, to the point that I find myself craving it often. Some have also mentioned the lack of strong melodies, but I think that moments like The Rake Song, The Drowned and most notably Wager All prove that this also is not a very strong argument.

Ultimately, this album is not for everyone, and obviously it does require some work on the part of the listener. But if you're up to the challenge, the payoff is epic and if you're looking for something unique, especially within the current musical climate, than The Hazards of Love is definitely a great place to go.

The Decemberists are playing the Kool Haus on Monday August 3rd. Above photo is on myspace

Myspace: The Decemberists

Other stuff:
There are a couple of exciting shows coming to Massey Hall in the near future. Sonic Youth are going to be performing on Tuesday June 30th in support of their upcoming release The Eternal. which is due out on June 9th. The tickets range from $36.50 to $48.50. Also Fleet Foxes are apparently big enough to play Massey as well now and they'll be doing so on Tuesday August 4th with tickets ranging from $32.50 to $39.50. [Myspace: Sonic Youth; Fleet Foxes]

Well, the relative peace was fun as it lasted but it looks like drama has returned to the world of Wilco since former bandmate Jay Bennett has decided to sue Jeff Tweedy over some royalties involved with the documentary from a few years back. The story is on Pitchfork while the new album, masterfully entitled Wilco (The Album) is due out on June 30th. The first single is called Wilco, The Song and the album apparently contains a duet with Feist. Looking forward to it. [Mspace: Wilco]

As part of Largehearted Boy's 'author interviewing musician series', author Ben Greenman interviews former Old 97'er Rhett Miller. [Myspace: Rhett Miller]

Apparently, either Coldplay plagiarises everybody, or Viva La Vida sounds exactly the same as every song ever written! The latest complainant: Cat Stevens. Story is on Stereogum. [Myspace: Coldplay, Cat Stevens]

The Receiver have posted a couple of new tracks from their upcoming album on myspace. The album is called Length Of Arms and it is due out on May 8th. [Myspace: The Receiver]