Imaginary Cities - Drake Underground (May 28/13)

Imaginary Cities seemed dreadfully aware of the nearly empty room they were playing to for this essentially unadvertised, free, early, album release party. Opening with the first single from Fall of Romance the band did their best to soldier on, disappointingly utilizing a violin track as they were playing as an ordinary five piece. By the end of this tune many of the back of the room dwellers had sauntered up to become mid room dwellers (this is Toronto after all) and whoop their appreciation for Chasing the Sunset. From here the band confided in us about being nervous about playing songs for the first time live, and the first time ever with their new bass player, but this didn't detract from the performance. The room seemed to be filling in (relatively) as they polished off the acoustic album opener, All the Time. With that out of the way the rest of the set was a breeze as Marti's vocals hit the spot and played off or with Rusty's throughout the performance - even when he sang the role of Ewan from The Sheepdogs on Who's Watching You. The only Temporary Resident was a clear and confident version of Hummingbird which was appreciated by the crowd. Seeing as there was a time limit on the stage they told us to pretend the final tune was their encore and they played the album closer. As a first taste of the new record it was a small, yet sweet nibble.

Hillside Saturday Day - ALX, Imaginary Cities + (July 28/12)

Birds of Chicago/Open Hearts Society workshop
Birds of Chicago were already back to warm more hearts. Technically a Chicago band they have Canadian roots that brought them to Hillside. First though were the Open Hearts Society and their female vocalist plus a new guy on electric guitar. The lady bird was flashy in her orange dress and large hair while her male counterpart played an acoustic. As a throwback to their roots in the 90's alternative band they pulled out a countrified version of.. no not their hit Two Princes but another gem in Little Miss Can't Be Wrong. Fun thing to do in a workshop and a fun thing to see for nostalgia sake.

Deep Dark Woods/Wooden Sky workshop
Forest in the Sky was not only made for the fantastic mash-up title but also because the two bands paired quite well. Both the Deep Dark Woods (forest) and The Wooden Sky (sky) were hairy creatures who combined on a Willie Nelson tune, complete with banjo and a country feel despite the keys. I'd skipped DDW the previous night in favour of the Arkells and considering I didn't really recognize or get that into any of the songs, I stand by my decision.

Arkells/Bright Light Social Hour workshop
Since Deep Dark Woods weren't quite doing it and the Arkells had the night before I went over to give them another try. Again Aaron Goldstein (who they introduced as a member of City and Colour as well as the Cowboy Junkies) joined them and again they did the Dylan with The Band cover "because it was so much fun last night!" The vocalists swapped from verse to verse which kept it fresh. All together they performed a Neil Young song and then I Need Your Love, another cover and why not? It is a workshop after all.

Hillside Sunday Morning - Wooden Sky, Ohbijou, Memoryhouse+ (July 29/12)

Yes it was the Gospel Hour first thing Sunday at Hillside but many people found themselves in the school of The Wooden Sky, perennial workshop favourites, who were blessed with the angelic presence of Ohbijou. A workshop should be fun and interactive and that's exactly what was delivered as both bands collaborated, mixing the cut-off shirted guitars and banjo of The Wooden Sky with the female cello, violin (and trumpet) of Ohbijou. What beaver-loving Canadian doesn't love The Hip? Little Bobcaygeon got things going and rolled onwards with You've Really Got A Hold on Me (Smokey Robinson). The epic height difference between the bands was rather amusing yet their musical styles lined up well enough for a very appropriate '60s feel on Carole King's Will You Love Me Tomorrow. Now the Wooden Sky did indulge in a song of their own - however it was the first time they'd ever played it for an audience so still a proper use of a workshop. Future Hillside bands, please take note - this is how to throw a workshop!

Following that uplifting beginning to the day the true Gospel Hour beckoned just in time to catch a tune
that had most on stage (Be Good Tanyas, Birds of Chicago, Elephant Revival), as well as most in the bursting Island tent, "wade into the water". The hatted ladies in the front of the crowd first started getting into it and then everyone joined in. There were even solos; trumpet, keyboard and a washboard solo. Raise your voice!

Having toured together one would hope that the Great Lake Swimmers and Cold Specks would have enough familiarity with each other's material to collaborate on it. Unfortunately this did not seem to be the case as the few songs from both that were caught during their workshop saw them simply swapping back and for. Cold Specks did perform When the City Lights Dim which saw the GLS crew backing her up.

Memoryhouse and Imaginary Cities both make some very pretty music but there was no synergy here. Even worse than the track for track stylings of most poor workshops they simply split the timeslot in half with Memoryhouse checking in first used a drum board to play a few tunes including a cover. The male member understandable stayed seated to play his acoustic guitar as he'd have worked up a sweat moving around in that heavy sweater in the July heat. The drummer's percussion was subdued by his soft tipped sticks and also employed a shaker. Taking over Imaginary Cities played three songs of their own, nice but not even reaching heights from their full set on Saturday, leaving not much new to remark.

Hillside Saturday Late- Rich Aucoin, Elliott Brood (July 28/12)

Elliott Brood

With Elliott Brood I have had some magnificent concert experiences, ahem Vancouver Olympics, small Club Vinyl Guelph, but most recently a sub par show at the Phoenix in Toronto. Prior to their set I'd allowed the most recent memory to cloud my judgement and had decided to branch out and skip their set. However as things at Hillside changed on the fly I was able to come over for the last few tracks and, boy, was I glad that I did. Their music is so upbeat and just asking for people to clap, bang and dance along that when that doesn't happen (looking at you Toronto) an entirely important aspect of the experience is notably missing. At Hillside one needn't worry about whether people will dance though so I found myself swept up in the Elliott Brood swirl that was already underway. Unfortunately I apparently missed the flash-mob that broke out earlier, and didn't have a pot or a pan to bash on but that all would have just been gravy. A good time, not a long time, as I managed to shimmy to a few favourites including Valley Town and a joyous rendition of Miss You Now. The latter finally went off after speedily troubleshooting and replacing a wonky amp right before the final song. Whatta time!

Zeus
The tradeoff in staying til the very end of Elliott Brood was a lack of sightlines from the back corner picnic bench of the Island Tent for Zeus. It's not so much their visual antics as their revved up throwback sound that their show is about anyhow. That meant only catching glimpses of them shredding Marching Through Your Head and The Renegade, while not ideal, wasn't the greatest loss either.

Rich Aucoin
What do you get when you insert Canada's premier party-starter in Rich Aucoin into the biggest party night of Canada's premier festival? You get all of the following, plus so many more intangibles that I'm sure to have forgotten (and probably couldn't even put into words anyhow).

To begin with, the word was out and the tent was utterly crammed with partygoers excitedly bouncing beach balls in anticipation while the tech crew hurriedly set up for the final set of the night. Finally it got underway and it appeared like a shoddily built tower of cards with a video projector on top but somehow we got through the entire intro video without too many blackouts. The video, as always, featured a number of chopped up youtube sensation videos as well uplifting and hilarious thank-yous and shout-outs, including one to yours truly the "official Hillside weatherman" (a nod to a tweet from earlier in the day). This was all done in full darkness, and finally after the extended setup and then the intro vid, when the lights came up and the music started all of that pent up energy exploded into a swaying, frothing sea of humans. What songs did he play? Who played which instrument? These are inconsequential details when the fact of the matter is that it was sheer excitement and fun throughout the altogether too short closing set. Rich himself did some crowd surfing, set off heaps of confetti bombs, climbed one of the tent poles and generally hyped up an already hyper audience. And yes, the signature parachute did make its appearance! Unfortunately it was far too small to physically contain everyone in attendance but it stretched just far enough for me to be on the edge of it, and the childlike joy that it brought permeated the whole tent. As the song goes "we can't leave It all in our heads" and we didn't, as we absolutely went off, leaving it all on the floor and marching off into the night with exuberance!

Top Albums 2011

A helluva year for music in my opinion. Decembers past I've struggled to fill out a Top 10 but not this year! No sir. An explosion of greatness that forced my hand to expand. I suppose taking the train to work really lengthened my music-appreciation time. My intentions weren't for any set number but these twenty-five were all legitimately in my ears and in my head at some point throughout this year.

1. Kids & Explosions – Shit Computer
   Shit Computer hit me from the first time I heard the opener and since that time way back in January (technically a December 2010 release, shh) I still haven’t gotten enough of this album. There is so much going on that I’m sure undiscovered nuances remain. A true soundtrack for the attention-deficit disorder generation this genre-melding piece is unrelenting from start to finish, never sounding tired or derivative (despite deriving 100% of its content from other sources). If you thought you loved Girl Talk but it wasn’t quite spastic enough, check Kids & Explosions.
   PWYC Download (ie:$0 if ya want)
   
   
2. Braids – Native Speaker
   Unlike almost anything else out there this young group goes well beyond their years to craft an album that is fresh, creative, intriguing but also wholly enjoyable. There is a slight challenge here but it is worth every effort to get into it. The effects are used at times to the point of confusion as a listener but it is this building and shifting that demands attention and deserves it. A breathy injection of fresh air into the Canadian indie scene.
   
   
3. Library Voices – Summer of Lust
   The promise shown on Library Voices’ Hunting Ghosts and Other Collected Shorts EP was huge, and coupled with their fantastic live shows expectations were lofty for their first full-length. That was why Denim on Denim was actually a disappointment, despite the inclusion of Haunt this House. To me it had the feeling of being rushed through the production phase, as was admitted by the band. A little faith and only a year later the Summer of Lust was unleashed upon us and it was all I that had been dreamt of. Danceable beats, singable choruses, literary references, and overall catchy songs out the yahoo - it has it all. A little patience and the reward is this “pop-as-fuck” gem.
   
   
4. Dan Mangan – Oh Fortune
   Outsiders may not have predicted that this would be the next logical step for Dan Mangan’s follow-up to his long-brooding Nice, Nice, Very Nice breakthrough but now that it’s here we all agree that it was the way to go. A much fuller, orchestral sound that swirls all around his still focal gruff vocals. It hits on many levels. The top-notch songwriting remains and is filled out by the splendid band it was written with. The power of Post-War Blues very nearly matches its incredible live intensity. And just try to listen to Rows of Houses and not be moved by that voice and the strength of the music that sweeps it along. Oh Fortune required slightly more patience than its predecessor but the dividends pay off in time with this new masterpiece.
   
   
5. Imaginary Cities – Temporary Resident
   Another album that is difficult to put a finger on exactly what makes it so gosh darn enjoyable. The lead female vocals are unique and pleasant. The songs themselves are well-written, well-played. The album isn’t in-your-face but it definitely has some weight to it that it carries right through. As a whole there isn’t really a fault to be found and trust me, I’ve listened to it through enough times to know.
   
   
6. Kidstreet – Fuh Yeah
   I didn’t know Kidstreet before they made their veer towards electro dance and it probably would have stayed that way. Suffice it to say that I’m very pleased this trio of siblings made this change so they could produce the X EP that led directly to this very similar debut, Fuh Yeah. (Only complaint is that they did not include the super fun Spin Twirl). It could be argued that their position on this list is unfair as I first discovered their music as an opening act, and it was only after having already been impressed by this show that I got a hold of the recorded songs. That may be true but as fun as their dance parties are there still needs to be substance to the music -that fun needs to translate to disc. Both of these things are here of course, hence why I’ve been dancing to it both in the concert hall and in my bedroom all year.
   
   
7. Classified – Handshakes and Middle Fingers
   Class has been on a long arcing upward trajectory, not only in mainstream popularity but also in quality. Since he’s been on my radar I’ve enjoyed his work though often pulling a selection of repeatable tracks from an album whereas Handshakes strikes deftly off the top and carries this momentum through. Sure he’s had his novelties –  Canadian anthem-sampling raps, Choose-Your-Own-Adventure – but here he comes through as adamant and authentic. That Ain’t Classy is perhaps his most commercial sounding song, but the fact that it is so polished is not a knock but a compliment to his beat-making and production skills. Sampling throwbacks like the Danger Bay theme song or giving industry advice are ways for Luke to not only allow his creativity to shine but also to keep the long-player sounding fresh throughout. Kudos to Classified for this album, through and through.
   
   
8. Wildlife – Strike Hard, Young Diamond
   I’ve admitted before that I’m all for a hook – I live for the catch. Pure catchiness wrapped up here leaning more toward pop-Wolf-Parade rather than other local earworm heros, TPC. One of the first up-and-coming Toronto bands (despite having been in the game a surprisingly long time) I dug soon after I “moved to the city” myself. Enough single-worthy tunes packed on this record to have me singing along for months.
   
   
9. Rich Aucoin – We’re All Dying to Live
   How do you capture bouncing under a parachute with Rich Aucoin in the sweatiest dance party this side of Daft Punk? Why invite twenty-two million friends to each add a drip of energy to a pop/dance album for the ages! I don’t know all the intimate details of the production of the album but it is damn near the closest I could conceive of capturing the energy of a Rich Aucoin show on record. In fact it is better than I’d originally imagined. The multitude of tracks stream by in a fun fury and before you know it hundreds of people are chatting in your living room and you’re ready to start this thing over again from the top. Not just a one-man dance party any longer!
   
   
10. Airplane Boys – Where’ve You Been
    Seemingly coming out of nowhere this mixtape has some inexplicable magnetism that drew me back again and again. The sample choices, perhaps obvious but done in respectable fashion, included such megastars as The Arcade Fire and Radiohead but the flow laid atop makes 'em unique. As an introduction to this Toronto-based duo I can only hope that the promise comes to fruition.
    Free Full Download!
    
    
11. Hey Rosetta - Seeds
    It is unfair to try and stack this up against Into Your Lungs considering how much I loved that album (see Top Albums 2008). Alas 2011 seemed to be the year for ever-so-slightly lesser second contributions from bands whose previous albums I’d fallen fast for (ex from this list:RAA, Dan Mangan, Arkells, Dodos). Despite this I still really enjoyed this album and spun it a tonne trying to have it attain the Into Your Lungs levels that it could just not quite reach. Seeds is a solid tune. Yer Spring is a friggin’ fantastic song. Bandages was already stellar even before that yearn-for-the-Rock video they created. Need I mention the songwriting on Welcome? Separately or the sum of its parts, this offering still deserves its accolades.
    
    
12. Austra – Feel It Break
    Katie Stelmanis’ voice is a national treasure. In previous incarnations it never seemed to get full exposure but here its operatic quality shines and accentuates her technical abilities. Lose It would be in the running for track of the year, but it is far from the only gem found here.
    
    [Not that those below weren't worthy of a written review, but my intentions were only ten before I scrolled through my library again and bumped two totally forgotten but absolutely beloved records in.]
    
    
13. Architecture in Helsinki – Moment Bends (AUS)
14. Rural Alberta Advantage – Departing
15. Arkells – Michigan Left
16. Noah23 – Fry Cook On Venus
17. TV On The Radio – Nine Types of Light (USA)
18. Elliott Brood – Days Into Years
19. Dodos – No Colour (USA)
20. Hooded Fang – Tosta Mista
21. Les Jupes – Modern Myths
22. The Streets – Computers and Blues (UK)
23. Sunparlour Players – Us Little Devils
24. Handsome Furs - Sound Kapital
25. Bruce Peninsula – Open Flames
    
    
    *All artists Canadian unless otherwise indicated*

Discovered in 2011

Chilly Gonzales - Ivory Tower
A late discovery. I wanted to hate this album and some of its terrible and provocative lyrics from the beginning. Yet in the end I couldn't stop spinning it. Even though he put out a new album in 2011, it was this 2010 disc that I kept returning to.

Bands to Watch 2012

I don't even know what they are specifically up to, but I know that I discovered these in 2011 and hope that more and more people discover them in 2012.

Birthday Girls
Hardcore outta Ottawa with a promising EP. True to their word, the self-described influences of DFA79 and Bloc Party (two of my faves of the early oughts) can be heard.

Airplane Boys
Toronto duo with a banging mixtape (a la Drake) and huge potential for a big market. I'd say they should take off, but that'd be a bad pun.
(Follow link for free album!)

Born Gold
Probably a smart name change (from Gobble Gobble), the rumour of their live show won't be lost because of it. Couple that with infectious indie electro that you can shake to and these guys have a good thing goin.
(Follow link for free album!)

Hey Ocean!
This late-'11 album is almost too good. It's pure, polished pop that goes down smooth. You make me wanna make a new dance up!

Humans
I think this EP I found on Spotify was actually from 2010 but I couldn't get enough of it. I hope there's more to come!

You can check out my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog

Imaginary Cities, The Coppertone (Horseshoe, Nov 8)

Led by their large-voiced, axe-wielding front woman The Coppertone rocked (and rolled) with capital Rs.  Her guitar playing was loud and clear and struck in the way this type of music should. Coupled with her bassist and drummer (one of which was apparently new, but you wouldn't know it) they produced big, brash, and a bit bluesy rock. Recorded it hadn't left much of an impression but it resonated with the volume cranked in the Horseshoe.

Another happy set from Imaginary Cities, from the real city of Winnipeg. Their fearless leader charmed with her enthusiasm and lead vocals, assisted by the also-grinning, tattooed guitarist, backing-vocals bass and drummer. The set was a Temporary Resident breaded sandwich filled with tasty new tidbits in the middle. Say You and Temporary Resident started things off and throughout the night they filled out the sound with additional tambo, clap-alongs, and keys (that were either looped or prerecorded deeper into certain songs like the new Water Under the Bridge, I didn't pay close enough attention to tell which). Marry the Sea was swell too. New Bells of Cologne was alright but their recorded stuff is what got us out to begin with, so it was welcomed when Bookie asked them for one more to follow the original closer, Hummingbird ("when will you respond?"), and they responded with That's Where It's At, Sam - even playing an extended outro. Altogether enjoyable set.

Imaginary Cities, Bobby Barzin (Rivoli NXNE, June 16, 2011)

Having never seen them before but seriously fallen for their debut Temporary Resident I was pumped for this show and was happy to get into the capacity Rivoli. The show was just about everything I could have hoped for out of a set. They stayed true to the structure of the songs while adding the raw live energy of rocking outros, guitar flourishes and, perhaps most of all, strong lead vocals. Marti Sarbit commanded the mic from the album/show opener Say You, through a smattering of new songs amidst Temporary Resident faves and even a Cake cover (Mexico) for good measure. This capable Winnepeg band secured my attendance at their next Toronto show, whenever that may be! Best of luck with the Polaris Prize.

Also arriving early had the advantage of catching a few tunes from the soulful-beyond-his-young-face, Bobby Bazini and co. This singer songwriter show some real promise in his genre.