Laurent Bourque - What We Talk About

So I've been sitting on Laurent Bourque's impressive debut CD for a few months now, trying to come up with the right way to describe it without making it sound like it's a bit on the dull side. You could slide it into the singer/songwriter genre, but that makes it sound boring. You could say it's a rock album, but that conjures up images of bar bands and classic rock, and that's not doing it justice either. And it's certainly hooky enough to be called a pop album, but the sounds are a tad too organic for it to be lumped in with a genre that is usually synonymous with overproduction. However, upon repeat listenings it's become obvious to me that to avoid certain tags would be equally unjust, as this Montreal (by way of Ottawa) musician incorporated all of these styles into his work in a way that is affective and enjoyable. In much the same way that a slew of overused ingredients can still mix together to create a pretty impressive omelet, Bourque has discovered a way to create a listening experience that may not be altogether new, but is rather inspiring nevertheless.

The mellower moments are handled by tracks like At Your Door and Calm Down, which both feature some beautiful harmonies and distinguished vocals that are hushed and effectively understated. The rock quotient is filled by songs like Always Alright which is a head bobbing rocker that enlists vocal and lap steel help from Amos The Transparent's Daniel Hay and Jonathan Chandler, as well as some inspired vocals by Zoe Speed. And finally there's some catchy pop music found in the likes of All You Beautiful Girls and Fall In And Out, as well as a notably Cure-ish guitar vibe in Coming Up For Air. The album ends with what is probably my favourite track, a song called Living In a Movie that makes good use of moderate production and some atmospheric instrumentation to create an ending that lingers on long after the album is finished.

What We Talk About is a reminder that oftentimes the genres and styles that we think we have grown weary of are usually the fault of the artists using them, and not of the genres themselves. Laurent Bourque has used these styles to create a collection of music that is endearing upon first listen, and continues to captivate more fully with each subsequent play.

Myspace: Laurent Bourque
Video: All You Beautiful Girls (live @ Canteen) on vimeo

Other stuff:

There's a lot of buzz surrounding local band Sandman Viper Command and I've just started listening to their latest release entitled Everybody See This the other morning and it's pretty dang good. You've got a few opportunities to see them this month during their free Tuesday night residency at C'est What. They play tomorrow night, Feb. 9th with The Darcy's, next week Feb 16th with Clothes Make The Man and Feb. 23rd with some "special guests". It's a good opportunity to see what everyone is talking about. They've also been interviewed at Blare Magazine. [Myspace: Sandman Viper Command]

In the late 90's, while everybody else was getting depressed, I was listening to a lot sunshiny happytime pop music, and one of the bands that made me smile was California's The Orange Peels. Well, after spending some time away from them, they released a peppy little album at the tail end of last year called 2020. To prove that they're still riding the wave of creativity, they've just released a new single called The Real You, which you can download here. They do know how to do upbeat, that's for sure! [Myspace: The Orange Peels]

For those of you that have missed out on grabbing some tickets to see The National at Massey Hall on Tuesday June 8th, it looks like they've added a second show for Wednesday June 9th. Tickets range from $32.50 to $52.50 and go on sale on Friday. [Myspace: The National]

Peter Gabriel finally has a new album coming out here in Canada on Feb. 15th entitled Scratch My Back. It's rare that I'd get excited about a covers album, but I have an almost unnatural obsession with PG, and his choice of covers has me more than a little bit curious also. He covers the likes of Magnetic Fields, David Bowie, Arcade Fire, Regina Spektor and Radiohead, and he's offering his cover of Bon Iver's Flume for free on his website. (It does require you to enter your email) [Myspace: Peter Gabriel]

Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#25-21)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41] [#40-36] [#35-31] [#30-26]

25. Kid A - Radiohead (2000)

While I completely understand my own enthusiasm for this album, I can't say that I really get why everyone else loves it so much. I've noticed that it's already topped some other 'best of the decade' lists and it was also Radiohead's first mainstream number one. But if this album is so commercially viable, then how come King Crimson isn't the most popular band of all time? Or how come other old school eccentricitists like Can or Van Der Graaf Generator isn't emanating out of every 14 year old girl's headphones? I'll never understand how Radiohead has done it, but I'm very glad that they have, because expanding the boundaries of what can be referred to as music is something that has been explored as far back as the early 1900's with french composer Edgar Varèse, and brought into the mainstream by the psychedelic movement of the 60's. Say what you will about Radiohead's over indulgent ways, but any band that brings a redefining of what is acceptable to the mainstream masses is worthy of our respect. And Kid A sounds awesome in headphones. [Myspace: Radiohead]

24. Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer (2006)

So I've had just over 3 years to fully absorb Dan Bejar's way of thinking as is transmitted through his lyrical wordplay, his thoughts and transgressions along with carefully studying just how his mind works and what it is that makes him tick and I gotta say that I still don't know what the hell he's talking about. But he just sounds so dang cool when he's musing and Destroyer's Rubies continues to be an entertaining listen from start to finish. The fact that it confuses me to the point where there are many times while listening that I find myself actually laughing out loud at how bizarre his ruminations can get (i.e.-sapphires vie for your attention, cheap dancers they mean well in their way but priest says - "please, i can't stand my knees and i can't bear her raven tresses caught up in the breeze like that!" etc etc etc) is only part of its charm and I still find it most enjoyable to continue the journey to finding out what it all means. Besides, if Bejar was easier to understand, what would be the point of returning? [Myspace: Destroyer]

23. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips (2002)

It is a risky move to create an album that is steeped in the glory days of prog, it is an even riskier move to create an album that is steeped in the second wave and significantly lesser cool days of nouveau prog. The fact is that Wayne Coyne's musical opus about dueling futuristic robots has more in common with FM's Black Noise and ELO's Time than it does with more "respectable" acts like Pink Floyd or Can. Of course, much like my number 25 pick above, this all explains why the album is on MY personal list, but it doesn't really make sense of the fact that the public at large seemed to enjoy this album also. It's a weird one, that's for sure, with its electronic flourishes and bizarre content, and admittedly, I have to be in the mood for it. But when I am, it's an awesome sonic spectacle that reaps rewards and surprises with every listen. It's amazing, but I've listened to the album hundreds of times and there'll still be certain noises, blips, bleeps and moments of instrumentation that catches me off guard, particularly within the two major instrumental pieces, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt 2 and Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia). I also appreciate the album's lasting power, and how some of the songs that I thought were throwaways at first, have become my favorites, such as In The Morning Of The Magicians and All We Have Is Now. Stunning. [Myspace: The Flaming Lips]

22. Funeral - Arcade Fire (2004)

Ok, so this album is great and wonderful and fantastic and bla bla bla, yada yada yada. It's a great album, I get it. This one is destined to top more decade end charts than any other, and it's deserved, nobody is denying that. I do think that the accolades are a bit overblown, especially the ones where people are calling this the most original thing they've ever heard. The fact is, if you've ever listened to anything prior to this decade, than you know that not only has this sound been done before by the likes of Byrne, Bowie and others, but it's also been done better. Heck, if you really know your Canadiana, then you must've noticed how much Neighbourhood 3 (Power Out) sounds eerily similar to Rush's Red Sector A, at least at certain moments. Does that stop this from being a great album? Of course not. If you're going to emulate past artists, those are good ones to go to, even if the Rush fans and Arcade Fire fans still refuse to mingle at my parties. And as much as I hate the hype, the album is still responsible for some of my favorite musical moments of the year. The last minute breakdown of Une Anee Sans Lumiere, the woah-oh-oh's of Wake Up, the incredible lift-off of Rebellion (Lies) and the epic grandiosity of In The Backseat. So to sum up: album=great, overhype=bad. Alright? We still cool? [Myspace: Arcade Fire]

21. Boxer - The National (2007)

If ever there was an album that was a textbook example of a grower for me, this was it. At first I found it very hard to focus on. The borderline comatose slur of Matthew Berninger was consistently lulling me to the sleep, and if I wasn't such a sound sleeper then I'm sure that the blast of horns at the end of Fake Empire should have waken me with a jolt, but at first, it didn't. Then I went from easy distraction to mild intrigue, thinking that a couple of the songs were pretty dang epic before finally embracing the album as a whole the way most of my friends already had. Like most of my all time favorites, taking the time to let these recordings sink in is what eventually triggers a response within me, a response that, quite honestly leads to addiction and that's the case with Boxer, I've become addicted to it. This magnificent album is one of contrasts, as it is both comforting and alienating, political and deeply personal, melacholic and triumphant. It's a great album to put on when I'm feeling good, and it's an even better album to put on when I'm feeling lousy. That settles it, I know what I'm going to be listening to today. [Myspace: The National]

Tomorrow: Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade (#20-16)

The National @ Kool Haus

Although The National have been reportedly hard at work on their follow up to 2007's critically acclaimed Boxer, I suppose they felt that there was no harm in using their summer to ride the wave of success that this excellent album has provided for them. That tour kicked off on Thursday night, here in Toronto. Pretty much every time that they had come here in the past I have been unable to attend, which is unfortunate because each visit showcases them at a bigger venue than the one before. I did catch their opening set for R.E.M. at Molson Amphitheatre and I thought it was downright euphoric, to say the least. Needless to say, that show only made me swell with increased anticipation at the chance to see the band return to a more intimate venue the next time around. Unfortunately my eagerness was tempered significantly when I got the word that the show was going to be at the Kool Haus on a Thursday night. This meant that I was going to be late, and that the sound was going to be bad.

As predicted, the sound was bad. In fact, it was amongst the worst I've ever heard, but I'll tuck Mr. Negative away and try not to dwell on that too much. On the plus side, I still managed to arrive before they started (and from what I've heard, missing opener Colin Stetson was not a great loss) and I even managed to find a decent enough spot where I could see what was going on relatively clearly. Also, I could hear that the place was filled a large number of ignorant chatterboxes, but from where I was standing the crowd seemed to be rather attentive and appreciative. So that was cool. The performance of course, was exactly what I expected it to be, that is, out of control. In a good way.

They opened the evening with Start A War and there are very few things on this planet that balance the seeming contradiction of warm intimacy and epic anthemicism as the baritone vocals of Matt Berringer. For a band that hasn't played together for several months (with the exception of a charity show) his voice was there in all of its deep dark glory and the band themselves did not sound out of practice at all. While it's true that Matt dropped the mic a couple of times and even messed up a few of the opening lyrics to Fake Empire, I think that this had more to do with the liquid in his hand, as opposed to simply being away from the live stage. He even threw the mic stand into the crowd during a blistering performance of Mr. November, which was very rock 'n roll, as far as I'm concerned (although I am glad that I wasn't standing in the line of fire.) The set was mostly comprised of songs from Boxer and Alligator, with some of the highlights being a powerhouse performance of Squalor Victoria and a gruff rendition of Mistaken For Strangers, which had Berringer's voice growing increasingly more Joe Cocker-ish as the night went on. They did showcase a couple of new songs as well, including a noisily sprawling version of Vanderlylle Cry Baby that hinted at the fact that the band's next album is going to carry on in their essential epic, yet brooding Brooklyn style. The encore was equally triumphant, particularly during the one-two punch of the aforementioned Mr. November and About Today, both of which managed to ensure that the show ended on a rock 'n roll high.

Although the show was plagued with all of the usual annoyances that accompany shows at the simply awful Kool Haus, I would say that overall, people that truly appreciate The National (which I would guess would be about 85% of those in attendance) likely left the venue satisfied. The National are currently one of the best live bands on the planet, and this show left me in eager anticipation for the upcoming album, which is apparently due out later this year.

Photos: The National @ Kool Haus on flickr
(I was too far away to get any really good shots , but you can see Chromewaves' pics here, For The Records' pics here, and ChartAttack's pics here.)
Myspace: The National

'Sup In May

As you can tell by the lack of general show reviews in April, the month was a bit of a write-off as far as show goings are concerned. I did see a couple of great ones, but I didn't end up going to any of the ones that I was planning on checking out. Hopefully May will be a little bit more fruitful in that area. So let's stop regretting the past and move boldly forward into the future, shall we?

Tonight, Friday May 1st, is the CD release party for Black Diamond Bay's new long player entitled Calm Awaits. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you haven't yet seen Patrick Krief wail a guitar, than you are seriously missing out. Seriously. The openers are pretty solid also, they being The Dress Whites (best pop band in the city) and Make Your Exit. The show's at Sneaky Dee's and the cost is $7. [Myspace: Black Diamond Bay; The Dress Whites; Make Your Exit]

Saturday May 2nd also showcases a pretty awesome CD release party, this one for Great Bloomers Speak Of Trouble. They're playing with Sports: The Band; Gavin Gardiner and the Cutting Edge and Modernboys Moderngirls. Sounds awesome! The show's at The Horseshoe and tix are $8 adv/ $10 door. [Myspace: Great Bloomers; Sports: The Band; Gavin Gardiner (Wooden Sky), Modernboys Moderngirls]

If you're in the mood to get your female fronted rock on, then there really is no better place to be on Thursday May 7th then at The Phoenix to see The Kills, who are still promoting 2007's Midnight Boom. Tix are $18.50 adv. $20 door. [Myspace: The Kills]

If local rock in a more affordable price range is your thing, than you may wish to check out Arietta's show at The Horseshoe, where they are celebrating the release of the new full length Migration. This is also on Thursday May 7th, and the cost is $7. If you're unfamiliar with them, they're streaming the entire album on their myspace page. [Myspace: Arietta]

A couple of years ago, Sweden's Loney Dear put on one of the most enjoyable shows that I've ever seen. Emil's great music was only emphasized by the fact that he also exuded enormous amounts of charm, charisma and hilarity. Well, on Friday May 8th, he's back again playing The Rivoli and if I can recommend one show, this would be it. To sweeten the pot, Headlights from Illinois are opening for them, and although I've never seen them live, I can vouch for the fact that their music is totally on par with Loney Dear. Rest assured, this will be an amazing show. Tix are only $10. No excuses my friends. [Myspace: Loney Dear; Headlights]

I'm finding this hard to believe, but The Vaselines are playing their first ever show in Toronto on Friday May 15th at Lee's Palace. They are an absolutely legendary indie pop band from Scotland that Kurt Cobain has sung the praises of on more than one occasion. Tix are $29.50 advance. [Myspace: The Vaselines]

The legendary Leonard Cohen plays Copps Coliseum in Hamilton on Tuesday May 19th. Tickets are $49.50-$250.00. [Myspace: Leonard Cohen]

I already have my ticket to see The National (pictured above) at the truly dreadful Kool Haus on Thursday May 21st. I'm obviously looking forward to this since The National are all kinds of amazing, but if I had paid more attention to the fact that it was on a Thursday night at Kool Haus, I likely would have thought twice about going. I'm going to be getting there a little bit later, which means I'll likely be standing near the back, which means I won't be getting any worthwhile pictures for this one, which means I'll be grumpy. Ah well, at least they're awesome. Tix are $24.50 but I think they might be sold out. [Myspace: The National]

The pretty ladies in Au Revoir Simone bring their ethereal keyboard pop to Lee's Palace on Thursday May 21st. Tix are $12 adv. [Myspace: Au Revoir Simone]

My favourites Amos the Transparent are playing The Horseshoe on Friday May 22nd with Whale Tooth, Make Your Exit and The Lovely Killbots. I am soooo there! Cost: TBA [Myspace: Amos The Transparent; Whale Tooth; Make Your Exit; Lovely Killbots]

Which brings us to this year's Pitter Patter Festival. I still haven't really settled on what I'm going to be seeing myself, but the early version of my schedule is looking like this:

Thursday May 28th: If I go out at all on Thursday, I'll likely settle at The Neu+ral where I can check out Hunter Eves (11pm), Left Of Zero (12am) and First Person Shooter (1am). Left of Zero I've seen before and really like. I'm mildly familiar with the electro punk of First Person Shooter and the progressive sounds of Hunter Eves intrigues me. I don't know anything about the openers First Noise Than Silence (10pm), whom I can't even find a myspace page for.

Friday May 29th: There's a lot of good choices on Friday including Black Hat Brigade at El Mocambo (12am), Burn Planetarium at El Mocambo (10pm), The Miles at The Boat (12am) followed by Spiral Beach at The Boat (1am) and there's also Silver Speakers at the Oxford Hotel (10pm). Since I've seen most of those artists before, I think I may go over to Bread and Circus to catch Megan Hamilton and the Volunteer Canola (12am) followed by Entire Cities (1am). Never seen Megan (love her!) and it's been a long time since I've seen Entire Cities.

Saturday May 30th: I am definitely going to be planting myself at The Embassy to see the 60's inspired rock of The Abbreviations (10pm); the pop delights of Nich Worby (11pm), the 90's alt-rock of Cedar (12am), and it'll be great to see if I finally get out to see my beloved Hoa Hoa's (1am), who I continue to miss on a regular basis for some reason. Hopefully not this time.

I likely won't be getting out on Sunday, but there are a few acts playing that night, not to mention the fact that The Boat is hosting some all ages afternoon events on both Saturday and Sunday. The entire festival is pay what you can, and you can see a pdf of the whole Toronto schedule here.

And finally, I'd just like to send out a hearty congratulatory message to the guys and gal of Rural Alberta Advantage who have just been signed to the highly influential Saddle Creek Records. I wish them all the success in the world and one would definitely be hard pressed to find a more deserving set of semi-locals (by way of Alberta, of course.) Frank at Chromewaves gives his thoughts, and the story has also been throughly covered at Pitchfork, ChartAttack, Exclaim, and Radio Exile. [Myspace: Rural Alberta Advantage]

The photo of The National was taken by Rachel Been for Spinner.com

R.E.M. w/ Modest Mouse & The National @ Molson Amphitheatre

And another artist whom I've waited all my life to see can now get crossed off that list. Sunday night marked a historical night in the concert going life of yours truly, as I finally got around to seeing R.E.M. in concert. The show was nothing short of spectacular and although I could (and will) make all of the typical long time fan type of complaints, there were still enough surprises to keep me as entertained as a little girl.

First off the band opened with These Days from Life's Rich Pageant, a personal fave and an awesome way to open a show. I cannot express how much that excited me! They continued to rock most triumphantly, following up with Horse To Water (from Accelerate) and What's The Frequency, Kenneth?, ensuring that the fans got off to a delightfully hyper start. I was actually amazed at what a dynamic frontman Stipe is. For some reason, I always pictured him to be much more introverted. But nothing could be farther from the truth. He played the role of eccentric rock star perfectly, with just the right mix of pomp and charisma. Following the John Cusack rule of mixtape making, at that point they took it down a notch with Drive. I'm confident enough with my manhood to admit that I may have teared up a little bit during this song, coming to the realization that the band who practically raised me was actually on the stage in front of me. The show continued to me a fine mix of the old and new, the band pulling out songs like Begin The Begin and 7 Chinese Brothers, all to my surprise, and my favorite moment was during the encore when Johnny Marr joined them onstage for Fall On Me, one of the most beautiful songs ever written.

As I mentioned, my complaints about the show are all very fanboy and typical. They didn't play a lot of the songs that I would've liked to hear. I could've done without hearing BOTH Losing My Religion and Man On The Moon since those are the only songs in the R.E.M. catalogue that I am truly sick of. But clearly my opinion is really only an opinion, because the crowds ate it up. And let's be honest, if they played something like Letter Never Sent, I probably would have had a heart attack. I actually thought it was funny how when Religion was playing the people went nuts, rushing to the front and into the aisles, screaming with unmitigated enthrallment, only to have the band kick them with a shocker by following up with the far less known Second Guessing. I loved jumping around and singing along to that one while all those who were proclaiming their love for the band just a few moments ago, suddenly didn't know what to do with themselves. Bwahahaha! Miss your Mix 99 much?

I also wanted to quickly mention that there was actually a tornado warning for Toronto, and the Amphitheatre is right by the lake which is probably not where you want to be when there's a tornado warning. Prior to R.E.M. hitting the stage, rain was falling and lightning was crashing. But just before they hit the stage, the sky cleared and a rainbow appeared in the sky. It was pretty cool.

Photos: My shots of R.E.M. at Molson Amphitheatre are on flickr.
Myspace: R.E.M.
Video: Hollow Man youtube

Typical conversation in my life:

Indie loving friends: Modest Mouse is the greatest thing in the world ever!
Me: Yah, I don't know, I....
ILF: Have you ever seen them live?
Me: No, I haven't
ILF: Oh, well that's why! Cuz' they're just so unbelievably fantastic that their fantasticness makes me feel all fantastic inside!!!
Me: I guess I'll have to check them out...

Well, now I've seen them and it was great in its own way, but now I can confidently say that I will never be one of those people who really 'get' them. The playing was tight though, and although I'm not a big MM fan, I am a pretty huge Johnny Marr fan, so there was something very surreal about seeing him. The album I like best is The Moon and Antarctica, and they surprisingly played a couple from that, which was sorta cool. But Isaac Brock's voice still gives me a migraine and their lack of variety still miffs me. But there were a lot of people that were clearly there specifically to see them, and I'm sure that they left completely satisfied.

Photos: Modest Mouse @ Molson Amphitheatre on flickr
Myspace: Modest Mouse
Video: We've Got Everything on youtube

First openers The National, on the other hand, were gold. They played a 45 minute set that included mainly songs from last years critical darling Boxer, and this show just solidified the fact that they are more than deserving of all of the hype. When I got off the bus at Lakeshore, I heard the band opening with Start A War, so I ran like Forrest Gump to get in the stadium as fast as I could. The sound was magnificent, and it was fun to see this already successful band winning over even more fans. Scattered sporadically throughout the crowd were clearly people who were there specifically to see them, but there were far more in attendance poised for conversion. I saw someone sitting a couple of rows in front of me rush out to pick up their CD. I saw people looking at their significant others and doing that "Wow, they're pretty good" head shake thing. I'm pretty sure that they have been and will continue to be winning over fans throughout the course of the entire tour. Fake Empire sounded downright inspirational and Mistaken For Strangers was also a highlight.

Photos: The National @ Molson Amphitheatre on flickr
Myspace: The National
Video: Mistaken For Strangers on youtube

'Sup In June?

Short answer? Tons. Grab yourself a drink and some cereal, sit back and relax because this is going to be one lengthy post. June is a month of legends and NXNE and it's going to be so full of the rawk that I'm going to make sure that I chill out a little bit in July. I won't pull another January hiatus or anything, but I'm fairly sure that June is going to cause me some significant wipe out action.

Things get all started tomorrow night when I see the reunited Eric's Trip at The Mod Club. For those that aren't in the know, the Trip are one of the truly great lo-fi bands of the 90's, cranking out four official CD's and several independent EP's and cassette releases during that time. Since then, Rick White and Julie Doiron have gone on to have some more success in their own write, but nothing compares to the insane heartbreak fueled distortion that they created when they were together. I've been listening to Love Tara and Forever Again all day today in preparation for the show, and it's amazing how well those songs hold up. Can you tell I'm excited? When picking up the tickets, the brother at Soundscapes told me that I should be sure not to miss the opening bands because they're also spectacular. He's got impeccable taste so I'll take his word for it. They are Quest For Fire and $100.

Myspace: Eric's Trip
Myspace: Quest For Fire
Myspace: $100.

If seeing Eric's Trip isn't enough, Sunday June 8th marks the day that I FINALLY see R.E.M. In the next few days, I'll be composing my love letter to R.E.M. that will help you more fully understand why this is such a big deal for me, but for now let's just say that, in many ways, R.E.M. has made me the obsessive musical compulsive that I am today. Also, Accelerate is their best album in 15 years. The opening bands are not too shabby either and you may have heard of them also. They are Modest Mouse and The National. Familiar with them? Opening for R.E.M. should give them that little push that they need in their little careers. (YES! Sarcasm, give me more!!!) It's been a long time since I've been to a show in an amphitheater setting, so we'll see how I handle being in the 200 level as opposed to being up front like I always am. Hopefully I don't get too grumpy.

Myspace: R.E.M.
Myspace: Modest Mouse
Myspace: The National
Video: R.E.M's Hollow Man on youtube

Which brings us to NXNE! Boy, did I have a hard time deciding where I was going to go. There's a lot of great stuff going on, but a whole whack of conflicts as well. However I think that I discovered a feasible schedule that has the greatest number of good bands with the least amount of traveling. So take a deep breath .... and here goes:

The fest doesn't officially start until Thursday June 12, but there are a few early shows that are part of the NXNE-Extra series. Wednesday night (June 11) I'll be trying to attend Lightspeed Champion at Lee's Palace. This might be tricky since the press badges are not available for pick up until Thursday at noon, but I'm trying to see what I can do. I'd like to get in though because I think that this will be an incredibly fun way to get the festival started.

Myspace: Lightspeed Champion

On Thursday night (June 12), I plan on making my way to The Supermarket to see Cancel Winter (10pm), followed by Amos The Transparent (11pm). Amos' Jonathan Chandler eluded to the fact that this was going to be a very exciting and different show the last time that he was in town, so I'm looking forward to finding out what he meant by that. I would go and check out Sloan at The Mod Club, but I'm not available until 10, and they come on at 9. However, there's a rumour circulating that they will be heading on up to Lee's Palace afterwards for a 1am show. If said rumour is true, then I'll be leaving after Amos The Transparent's set and heading down to Lee's. If not, then I'll just stay put and check out Great Bloomers (midnight). Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

Myspace: Cancel Winter
Myspace: Amos The Transparent
Myspace: Sloan
Myspace: Great Bloomers
Stream: Sloan's Parallel Play on yeproc records.

And here's a short list of the band's that I also want to see but can't due to there only being one of me: The John Henry's (Criminal Records @ 7pm & Dakota Tavern @ 10pm); Krief's Black Diamond Bay (Clinton's @ midnight); Danielle Duval (C'est What @ 10pm); Melissa McClelland (Dakota Tavern @ 11pm); The Coast (The Horseshoe @ 9pm); Two Hours Traffic (Rivoli @ midnight) and Key Witness (Velvet Underground @ 8pm)

I'm going to try to start things off a little bit earlier on Friday night (June 13) by zipping on down to Yonge and Dundas Square to see Hospital Bombers at 8pm, followed by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at 9. The rest of the evening was very difficult to choose but I think I settled on seeing Julie Doiron (11pm), followed by Evan Dando (midnight) at The Horseshoe. I loved The Lemonheads but they're another band that falls into the love 'em but never seen 'em section of my life. Afterwards I might take a chance and tunnel through the center of the Earth to catch Swervedriver (1am) at Lee's, but I'm really not going to get my hopes up for that.

Myspace: Hospital Bombers
Myspace: The Lemonheads
Myspace: Julie Doiron
Myspace: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Myspace: Swervedriver
Download: Julie Doiron's No More mp3

Download: Julie Doiron's Snow Falls In November mp3


And here are the acts that I wanna see but cannot on Friday night: Will Currie and the County French (Drake Hotel @ midnight); Ruby Coast (Drake Hotel @ 9pm); Songs From A Room (El Mocambo @ 9pm); Jason Plumb and the Willing (Gladstone @ 11pm); Beth In Battle Mode (Holy Joe's @ 11pm); Oh No Forest Fires (Kathedral @ 9pm); the whole line-up at The Reverb was very very tempting, namely The Priddle Concern (9pm); Great Lake Swimmers (10pm); Laura Barrett (11pm); The Meligrove Band (midnight); and Justin Rutledge (1am). Missing Fox Jaws (Rivoli @ midnight) and Golden Hands Before God Conducts Incredible Magic Band And The Spirit (Savannah Room @ midnight) is also killing me! But I had to go with Dando because opportunities to see him are far less frequent than the other local bands. And I've seen Fox Jaws five times. And I'll likely see them many more times. This year.

And now for Saturday night (June 14th)! If Thursday and Friday night are as action packed as I think they'll be, then I'm going to look forward to spending time with my wife on Saturday because it is our anniversary. 11 years! Where does the time go?

However, once dinner and a movie is done, the wife and I are still planning on catching a couple of shows and here's the plan. Spiral Beach (10pm), followed by Hey Rosetta! (11pm) at The Horseshoe. Some may feel it's sacreligious to exit before Matt Mays and El Torpedo (midnight) takes the stage, but I've been looking forward to the next show at Lee's Palace for a long time. We start with Miss Derringer (midnight), followed by another blast from the past in Redd Kross (1am). Should be fun! If we still have an unbelievable amount of energy, then we might go to El Mocambo to see Patrick Krief's latest project entitled Black Diamond Bay (2am) But probably not.

Myspace: Spiral Beach
Myspace: Hey Rosetta!
Myspace: Miss Derringer
Myspace: Redd Kross
Download: Spiral Beach's New Clouds Hot Clouds EP for free at Zunior.com

I wish that I could see these bands too but alas, I cannot: Entire Cities (Cadillac Lounge @ 1am); Revival Dear (Cadillac Lounge @ midnight); The Two Koreas (El Mocambo @ 11pm); The iSpies (El Mocambo @ 10pm); The 6ixty 8ights (Hideout @ midnight); Serena Postel (Free Times Cafe @ 11pm); Tin Bangs (Kathedral @ 1am); Grace Emily's (Neu+ral Lounge @ 8pm); Foxfire (Reverb @ 11pm); Magneta Lane (Rivoli @ 1am); Matthew Barber (Rivoli @ 10pm); Spookey Ruben (Yonge-Dundas Square @ 7pm) and Bran Van 3000 (Yonge-Dundas Square @ 9pm)

Exhausted yet? If you've read this far, you're the king. But wait there's more! On Monday (June16), I'm breaking my promise and actually going back to the Kool Haus to catch Besnard Lakes with the mighty mighty My Morning Jacket, one of the greatest live bands ever in the world ever. I am puh-huh-mped about this one!

Myspace: Besnard Lakes
Myspace: My Morning Jacket
Download: Besnard Lakes' And You Lied To Me mp3

Download: Besnard Lakes' For Agent 13 mp3


And so ends my ridiculously full month of June. Unless you include Ohbijou with Jill Barber at Harbourfront Center on June 28th. Which I don't see any reason why you wouldn't.

Myspace: Ohbijou
Myspace: Jill Barber
Download: Ohbijou's St. Francis mp3

Download: Ohbijou's Steep mp3


Whew.

Coming Up...

So this is going to be one of those quick and tossed off sort of posts, but I thought I'd just fill you in on what I'm up to, and not up to, musically-wise, for the week ahead.

In the "not-up-to" category, The National, are playing at The Phoenix tomorrow night. I had every intention of going to this one since I've heard several reputable sources say that they have put on some of the best shows of the year. However, in my foolishness, I assumed that they weren't really that popular, and there should be no problem getting tickets closer to the show date. I snoozed and therefore, I lost. This one's sold out kiddies, so if you managed to get a ticket, let me know how it went. Or give yours to me. Whatever.

Neil Young is playing three dates at Massey Hall and the tickets are beyond expensive. So I likely won't be going to that one but, on Tuesday, I have been invited to the launch party for Borrowed Tunes II: A Tribute to Neil Young over at the Gibson Guitar Artist Showroom. I realize that this is nowhere near the same thing as seeing the actual Neil, but there are still going to be some performances from some artists that I'm actually quite fond of. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Melissa McClelland, Liam Titcomb and others will be performing the great songs of Neil. I'm quite looking forward to it.

I had mentioned earlier that the greatest local indie rock draws in the city these days come to us courtesy of Two Way Monologues. Wednesday marks the kickoff of a new series entitled Wallet Friendly Indie: 3 bands for 3 bucks. TWM Showcases have always been very well supported, often boasting over 120 or so in attendance. Wednesday's lineup at Rancho Relaxo is headlined by The Stables (formerly known as The Kent Boys), with sets by The Deadbeat Dads and Boxes and Bags. While we're on the subject, the next TWM Showcase #5 is extra-exciting in that it has none other than Patrick Krief of The Dears headlining. If you haven't seen him live, it's been recommended that you definitely do so. I hear his guitar work is insane! That show is also at Rancho on Friday October 19th, with Schomberg Fair and Obviously Five Believers supporting.

And finally, on Friday, The Horseshoe has a lineup that is so unbelievable that I can't believe it! It is a night of glorious Arts & Crafts wonderment as The Besnard Lakes are supported by Young Galaxy and New Buffalo. If you haven't heard "The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse" than you have been missing out on one of the most triumphant releases of the year. Same goes for both Young Galaxy and New Buffalo, the latter's new album being a very captivating album that I actually feel rivals Feist's "The Reminder." For those that don't know, New Buffalo is actually Sally Seltmann from Australia, who co-wrote Feist's mega-hit "1,2,3,4" from the aforementioned album. I had seen only a smidge of Young Galaxy earlier this year, but had to leave due to a mild case of nausea. I'm assuming that the problem was internal and had nothing to do with their performance, and thus I am really pumped about checking them out, ailment free.

More upcoming interesting shows that I may or may not attend:
Great Northern - Lee's Palace - October 17th
Scout Niblett - Silver Dollar - October 23rd
Rogue Wave - Mod Club - October 26th
The Sadies - November 2nd - Lee's Palace
The Sadies - November 3rd - The Horseshoe
Amos The Transparent - November 8th - The Horseshoe
The Weakerthans with Jenn Grant - November 7-8th - The Phoenix
Ohbijou - November 9th - Lee's Palace
The Pipettes - November 18th - Lee's Palace (rescheduled from what was supposed to be last Friday Night at The Opera House. If you already have tix, you can use them for the change)
Stars - November 26-28th - The Phoenix (got my tix for this one already too. Wednesday show. Way excited.)