The Real Cool
With a name like that what would you expect? Three guys from Walsall who I'd say were stuck in the worst of the early nineties fashion trends but probably weren't alive to experience it the first time around. Appearances aside, if you closed your eyes you'd hear a reasonable approximation of stuff you'd find on side two of a 1975 EP. Really enjoyable stuff that was appreciated by a full room at the Sunflower despite being on only 15 minutes after 730 doors. Good on 'em.
Candid
Some straight ahead indie rock here that stripped away the vogue keyboards and reverbs and played their bass, guitars and drums. The refreshing sound out of Cov. lasted through about three songs until it started to repeat itself - noodling guitar over rhythm guitar, a mid-song breakdown for a clapalong drum beat, a swell, end, repeat. Don't get me wrong, they did a solid job of it but some variation in songwriting would go a long way.
Spilt Milk Society
This band had an air of experience despite their youthfulness. They began with their hit She Tastes Like Summer to appease the audience and get it out of the way; that tune starting slow and building. Th entire set, including Cops and Robbers, was engaging. The five of them had a large stage presence, fronted by a singer in an odd scarf-poncho. (Lead singers, amirite?) It was a departure night for both their drummer and bass player, who seem to be heading off to uni, but the band has gigs and plans to carry on. With the confidence they carry they could lead the next wave of Brummie bands.
Riscas
After the polish of SMS, first impressions of Riscas made me wonder if they'd stack up but that doubt was quickly silenced. Their music spoke for itself and the crowd that had not thinned swelled to cheer them along. I'd already been impressed with the calibre of local talent on the night and yet these guys took the cake, deserving of their headlining spot. By the time their 1,000,000 play Spotify tune Panic Like Tom came on to close the set everyone was into it, the floor opened up and everyone charged in to dance to it, myself included.
Friday January 19th, 2018 - Sunflower Lounge
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Top Ten 2017 - Year in Review
1. Lorde – Melodrama
2. Leif Vollebekk – Twin Solitude
I read that Leif made this album as one that he would like to
listen to himself. Well get me this guy’s record collection because his ear for
stripped back folk is spot on. Not to mention that beautiful and sometimes
delicate voice delivering lyrics to the heart via the ears.
3. War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
The production value on this record is worth a million bitcoins.
Although the composition must have been pored over for ages it doesn’t feel
like it, it just plays exactly the way it should. I don’t know anything about
composing, playing, singing or producing music but I like to think that I know what it sounds like
when masters of these arts are at work.
4. Future Islands – The Far Field
Yes, I’m now fully on board with the band that everyone should
have known tens of records ago. Discussing their discography is not my
objective here though, it is to say that this is the album that caught my ear
and compelled me to spin it over and over again.
5. St.Vincent – MASSEDUCATION
Another artist that I’ve known and respected only from the second deck
until this album. There’s the guitar work that she’s made her name on but
there’s also evocative lyrics and varied songwriting that is all top quality. MASSEDUCTION brings me down to the front row.
6. Idles - Brutalism
Whether their swagger is legitimate or for show(s) is irrelevant
as the music they put down on tape roars (and that is not a knock on their incendiary live gigs). It rocks those earworms right into
your skull. Extra points for the current, cutting, politically-forward lyrics
that give this record another imperial tonne of weight.
7. Run The Jewels – RTJ3
El-P and Killer Mike have each been at it a long time and now on
their third album collectively they may have hit their sweet spot.
El’s beats are as razor sharp as ever while the lyrics hold their edge too, even
during those times when it feels like you’re eavesdropping on a couple of bros
ribbing each other.
8. Weaves – Wide Open
Weaves are making some of the most interesting music anywhere
these days. Yet it’s not completely out there, "WTF-is-that?" kinda music; it’s
immediate and relatable, truly engrossing. I can’t even form the sentences to
describe it, you’d be much better served listening to it yourself.
9. Japandroids – Nearer to the Wild Heart of Life
Sure, I may have a soft spot for these two but I do think this
album hit it right. They’ve evolved their game and if it has a few more
“ballads” and the odd sentimental lyric, as opposed to reckless abandon and nostalgia, this comes as a sign of maturity. Japandroids are yearning less for younger
us and appreciating the now, and it still resonates.
10. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
I could not get the hype. Each time I put on M.A.A.D City or Pimp a Butterfly it would get turned off before long without leaving much of an
impression on me at all. Then DAMN. dropped and all things changed. Die-hards
may hear this as a turn to the mainstream and, if so, it has worked because it
converted this non-believer.
11. Broken Social Scene – Hug Of Thunder
BSS have their sound and they are masters of it. Polished,
bombastic tracks that soar with male/female vocalists and ratcheted up brass.
It works, it’s good - very, very good - and just because this album follows the
sound does not make it derivative or repetitive. The addition of Ariel on
vocals helps to breathe a fresh voice here too. I’d be remiss not to shoehorn
it in here, especially with that closing song.
Long-List Considerations
Lana Del Rey – Lust For Life
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
Wolf Parade – Cry, Cry, Cry
Los Campesinos – Sick Scenes
The National – Sleep Well Beast
Sylvan Esso – What Now
Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound
Jens Lekman – Life Will See You Now
Beck - Colours
Author’s Address
In the year of the #metoo movement many horrifying actions have come to
light, where people of a privileged position manipulated that power, and it has
been sickening to read. There are essays to be written on the merits of art
versus artist but this will not be one. However, I will take this opportunity to
add another voice as a supporter of those who were taken advantage of and to consciously
choose not to glorify the perpetrators nor their work.
Friday, October 13, 2017
Fireball Tour 2017 - Reel Big Fish, Anti-Flag - Leicester Academy - Oct 13, 2017
Anti-Flag
Anti-flag where fucking great - they were so inclusive and lovely but still razor sharp and rockin'. Obviously they were political and played all my faves (except Red, White & Brainwashed, Rank 'n File, and drinkdrankpunk) but things like Turncoat, Fuck Police Brutality, 1 Trillion Dollars (can buy a lotta bling), and Die For Your Government were wicked. Lauren did me a solid and cabbed our bags over to the hotel and back cuz they wouldn't let us bring them in the front door, let alone check them (I guess cuz of all the terrorist shits) so I went wholeheartedly in the pit. They just had the positive outlook without being preachy. "We're Anti-Flag (anti as in ant-tie, not ant-tea as I always say it). Look at you - you're beautiful. You know why? Because you make the world around you. In this room, while you're with us there is no racism, no bigotry, no sexism, no hate. We are here to enjoy ourselves and for everyone around us to be able to enjoy themselves too! So slap hands with your neighbour, introduce yourselves - this life is about the relationships between people and not the divisions." They then ripped through they're take on Should I Stay or Should I Go? ("we wouldn't be here if it weren't for The Clash") and finished by moving the drumset to the pit and having the lead guitar stand on the kick drum and play the last song. Effin' brill.
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish are jokers through and through. They did a decent set of a mix but appeased with a bunch of old tunes and their famous covers. Plus they did the two good songs (and only the two good songs) from their last album including Everyone Else is an Asshole. Maybe the best part was when they said "We're Reel Big Fish and we're nobody today but back in the 90's we were the bomb. This was our hit song" and then launched into Smells like Teen Spirit then stopped partway "sorry, that was a song by Metallica" then My Own Worst Enemy by Lit "sorry, that was Nickelback" then it was 500 Miles by The Proclaimers ("another from Metallica") then The Impression that I Get by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones "sorry, that' was actually a number one from Less than Jake" before finally playing Sellout! Beer was obviously great and as part of the encore they had to cover Take on Me while the confetti rained down. Brought me back to my teenage days.
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish are jokers through and through. They did a decent set of a mix but appeased with a bunch of old tunes and their famous covers. Plus they did the two good songs (and only the two good songs) from their last album including Everyone Else is an Asshole. Maybe the best part was when they said "We're Reel Big Fish and we're nobody today but back in the 90's we were the bomb. This was our hit song" and then launched into Smells like Teen Spirit then stopped partway "sorry, that was a song by Metallica" then My Own Worst Enemy by Lit "sorry, that was Nickelback" then it was 500 Miles by The Proclaimers ("another from Metallica") then The Impression that I Get by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones "sorry, that' was actually a number one from Less than Jake" before finally playing Sellout! Beer was obviously great and as part of the encore they had to cover Take on Me while the confetti rained down. Brought me back to my teenage days.
Mad Caddies also played and I think I caught the very end of the set but due to early set times and having to travel up to Leicester on the day it was all a blur. Pretty sure I missed Sweet Little Machine altogether.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Top Ten 2016 - Year in Review
1. Regina Spektor – Remember Us to Life
If Bleeding Heart was a promise, then this album is delivery
on that promise. Expanding on those pitch-perfect vocals and the magical piano
fingers, Ms. Spektor has wrapped them in creative and full production. This album
has depth and covers a wide spectrum and it hits on all fronts, from singing to
storytelling to grabbing you right in the chest and squeezing very hard. Take Sellers of Flowers alone... Even before
her live show made me dizzy with wonder this album had already secured its
rightful spot here.
2. Donovan Woods – Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled
Donovan is a wordsmith which is obvious even from each 140 characters out of @donovanwoods but when he pairs this with his guitar picking the synergy carries you off and the strings on this album make it transcendental. A devastating romantic, he can express not just one emotion but an array of inner turmoil in a tangible three minutes. It’s not just skill, it’s masterful.
Donovan is a wordsmith which is obvious even from each 140 characters out of @donovanwoods but when he pairs this with his guitar picking the synergy carries you off and the strings on this album make it transcendental. A devastating romantic, he can express not just one emotion but an array of inner turmoil in a tangible three minutes. It’s not just skill, it’s masterful.
3. Bon Iver – 22, A Million
Even having guiltily read some of the pre-press reviews of
the album and the Eaux Claires Festival live debut I was still unsure upon the first
listen. Yet, I was compelled to try again. And again. The challenge quickly
paid dividends in being a thoroughly engaging and dynamic record. Boundary busting
and all the other terms that have surrounded this release, it is without a
doubt a true piece of art. Justin, I’d be happy as hell to stay for tea.
4. Basia Bulat – Good Advice
Basia, your confidence is showing and it’s making you glow.
That luxurious voice of yours is in top form and the full band backing that
you’ve surrounded it with is making my dreams come true. For all the warm
feelings I have for each previous album this is the point where all
that potential comes together. It’s a breakthrough and I wish for it to break
you through so you can continue to push yourself and deliver the goods for ages
to come. Thank you for this Good Advice.
5. Pup – The Dream is Over
After screaming along to the self-titled at as many shows as
I could get myself to I was entirely resigned to the sophomore not quite living
up. And yet I was completely wrong and feel like a dummy for doubting Stefan
and co. for even a moment. From the first time I heard DVP to the millionth time I threatened loved ones with “if this
tour doesn’t kill you, I will” and those are just the first two tracks of this
blast of a record. All the props these dudes are getting are fully deserved. No
pressure on that third album, fellas.
6. Wintersleep – The Great Detachment
With the top tier group of musicians in this band it’s
no surprise that their output is so consistently excellent. It’s not that
they are doing things that are entirely new but more that they do them so goddamn well.
Whether building tension, packing punches, or excising demons they are on top
of the game. Circumstances have not yet allowed me to witness The Great
Detachment live so for now I will put this album on again and close my eyes.
7. John K. Samson – Winter Wheat
Further building my case that John K. is the best lyricist
in this country (even with some stiff competition right here on this list) he
takes that and wraps a wonderful musical experience around it. His strongest
solo effort to date, surely with thanks to a few of his former rock
counterparts who play alongside him here. In this
post-Weakerthans world it’s reassuring that John will continue to enthral us
with each lyric, each line, transporting us around the country in a perfectly
worded phrase. I’ll even forgive the grammar on Postdoc Blue’s “so your
presentation went terrible” because you wrapped up Virtute, even if it wrenches
my heart.
8. Aidan Knight – Each Other
Delivering the full length follow up to Small Reveal that I
was fearful might not be coming. Aidan lays this work out with precision and
detail that allows it to whisper right where it should and burst just as it
needs to. It is a river ride that washes over and engulfs the listener until
you find yourself back on the beach, wet yet warm, full and refreshed.
9. Okkervil River – Away
Moving at the pace that Okkervil wants to move. It’s
lovely, from the sweeping music to the poetic lyrics, without even realising the
fine points I am compelled to return to it over and over.
10. White Lung – White Lung
A roar from front to back, this album is short and strong.
Led by the fierce female vocals and that wandering electric guitar it just
surges along with the only complaint being how quickly it finishes so you just
flip it on again from the start. A real fresh breath.
Andy Shauf - The Party
Anonhi - Hopelessness
Aqua Alta - Dreamsphere
BadBadNotGood - IV
Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
Case/Lang/Viers -
Drake - Views
Kanye West - Life of Pablo
Frightened Rabbit - Painting of a Panic Attack
Jazz Cartier - Hotel Paranoia
Memoryhouse - Soft Hate
Rae Spoon - Armour
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
River Tiber - Indigo
The Strumbellas - Hope
The Strumbellas - Hope
Tuns - Tuns
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Funeral for a Friend - Farewell Tour - Institute - Apr 13, 2016
The opening band had five members convulsing around the stage. Their name was Zoax which I believe was meant to rhyme with "hoax" but really rhymed with jokes! (ha) The singer staggered around the room singing into people's faces and then climbed to the balcony to do the same. Only thing was it was a corded mic so the real drama was watching the Tech wrangling wires up to the second deck. Overall they were okay, bit more screamo than I'm into these days, but improved as the set went on.
Shai Hulud just didn't have a melody. I don't know how FFAF said they were all fans before they even met each other and it was their one combined influence. The final song was dreadful and I was waiting for it to pass. My friend, who had tickets for both nights (Casually Dressed was the next night), was wondering how she'd get through them again Thursday but I believe it was Shai's last night on tour.
FFAF compared to these guys sounded crisp and solid. The chugging bass riffs and soaring guitars lit up the audience who had not reacted much previously. A sold-out place - it was packed - but on the opening bars of Hours the pit started and the air changed. The album live was awesome and it brought me back to my red VW Golf on highway 9 between Bradford and Guelph in 2005. I stood too long with my petite friend at the back before giving into the itch to mosh around track five. Some burly, topless men raged - I watched one have his bro yank his meaty arm to pop his disjointed shoulder back into place - but it was all in fun. Wasn't sure what the post-Hours set would be like or if there even would be. The band left and the singer did a solo tune with an electric guitar. It wasn't terrible but it was too slow after the vibe of that album, which already ends with a couple more restrained tunes. He jokingly chided people at the beginning to STFU but it wasn't an actual joke and they still didn't. You know what they did? They clapped along to this ballad - such wankers. Band rejoined and they ripped through a healthy extra half dozen songs, none of which I knew because they weren't Hours or Casually Dressed (for obvious reasons) but sounded alright. I made my way back to my friend and was glad she wasn't annoyed with me for having buggered off. The singer got sentimental about the last night and seemed authentic about it which was nice, however it was made awkward by the "how many of you are coming to see us tomorrow? Well, this isn't for you" introduction. Overall I was pleased that I went never having seen them before and think higher of the band having seen them in their send-off.
Shai Hulud just didn't have a melody. I don't know how FFAF said they were all fans before they even met each other and it was their one combined influence. The final song was dreadful and I was waiting for it to pass. My friend, who had tickets for both nights (Casually Dressed was the next night), was wondering how she'd get through them again Thursday but I believe it was Shai's last night on tour.
FFAF compared to these guys sounded crisp and solid. The chugging bass riffs and soaring guitars lit up the audience who had not reacted much previously. A sold-out place - it was packed - but on the opening bars of Hours the pit started and the air changed. The album live was awesome and it brought me back to my red VW Golf on highway 9 between Bradford and Guelph in 2005. I stood too long with my petite friend at the back before giving into the itch to mosh around track five. Some burly, topless men raged - I watched one have his bro yank his meaty arm to pop his disjointed shoulder back into place - but it was all in fun. Wasn't sure what the post-Hours set would be like or if there even would be. The band left and the singer did a solo tune with an electric guitar. It wasn't terrible but it was too slow after the vibe of that album, which already ends with a couple more restrained tunes. He jokingly chided people at the beginning to STFU but it wasn't an actual joke and they still didn't. You know what they did? They clapped along to this ballad - such wankers. Band rejoined and they ripped through a healthy extra half dozen songs, none of which I knew because they weren't Hours or Casually Dressed (for obvious reasons) but sounded alright. I made my way back to my friend and was glad she wasn't annoyed with me for having buggered off. The singer got sentimental about the last night and seemed authentic about it which was nice, however it was made awkward by the "how many of you are coming to see us tomorrow? Well, this isn't for you" introduction. Overall I was pleased that I went never having seen them before and think higher of the band having seen them in their send-off.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Top Ten 2015 - Year in Review
I've always got an excuse for why my musical consumption wasn't as high as it should have been - this time it was a move to the UK at the end of the summer and no real internet connection since then to listen to a lot of new stuff. Regardless I present the best of what I did hear.
Albums/EPs
1. Young Fathers - White Men are Black Men Too
(Scotland)
Shame rattled in my head from the first play and I just had to seek out the artist. It was bold, unique and came with energy in spades. Sure enough the rest of the album lived up to this introduction and I couldn’t get enough. They seem so unique in their swagger – the closest I could liken is an unhinged TV on the Radio. All the ideas seemed to have been tossed in the pot in the studio and only briefly stirred such that there’s a frenetic rawness that makes it exciting time after time. It was stunning to me that this was not their debut, as it just seems so fresh and new, like adolescents bursting with creativity.
2. Purity Ring - Another Eternity
(Edmonton)
I’ll be honest – I thought that Purity Ring’s last album, Shrines, which nearly landed here in 2012 was lightning in a bottle, not to be repeated. How happy I was to be wrong when Another Eternity proved to not just match but be a step up from this Edmonton crew. Doing electro pop the way it is meant to be this is Canada’s answer to Chvrches and frankly this is better.
3. Hayden - Hey Love
(Toronto)
From the Massey Hall preview that he delivered of a few Hey Love songs (particularly No Happy Birthday with it’s introduction/explanation) it was clear that Hayden wasn’t resting on his laurels. Often singer-songwriters of his ilk will pen a couple great albums early on that will keep people coming back to see them looking for the classics. Not here, not Hayden. He has pushed the envelope with this excellent effort, proving his often introspective songwriting continues to be on point. In terms of pure music he has made a wonderful album, refusing to clutter he manages to stick to the basics but make them sound oh-so-good; an album that continues to give on repeat visits.
4. Allie X - COLLXTION 1 [EP]
(Toronto/LA)
This may not quite be an album at just seven songs and under thirty minutes but regardless it’s going right here on this list (because it’s my list and I do what I want.) I knew her best from her role as vocalist in Dwayne Gretzky (Toronto’s premier cover band) so this incarnation was foreign, strange and amazing because of it. The first tease I had was a live Hillside Festival set where she wore glasses and tights and although slightly hesitant in this popstar incarnation the promise was there. Next was that (still) weird video for Catch and finally this EP which delivers on the anticipation. Pure pop done right - her voice is strong and dynamic, her music catchy and the production slick. Like Diamond Rings before her hopefully the pop god(dess) schtick will take off!
5. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
(USA)
Carrie and Lowell at first disappointed me, so how did it get onto my top ten? Admittedly I was looking for another Age of Adz which I loved dearly and each of the first seven times I played this it just wasn’t. I even shelved the album for awhile, returning to it on rare occasion when I was feeling mellow. However by perhaps the twelfth time (maybe the time I awoke on a plane to the magic of Blue Buckets of Gold) I began to get it. I’d think “this is actually a really great song” and then the same two tracks later. Before long I would hear a snippet and would crave the rest. So not even a slow burn – more of a roasting, cooling-off period, and now a high temperature broil. It may not be the way to make potatoes but it landed this album right here.
6. Coeur de Pirate - Roses
(Montreal/Paris)
Beatrice came out with a confident pop album, unleashing herself in a big way. Previously her musical profile was primarily ‘lovely Francophone piano chanteuse' but she has blown the doors off of that. Not only is half of the album in english but the tracks have fuller arrangements that boldly embrace the pop realm and thrive because of it. Although her previous releases, including Trauma a disc of english cover songs, were great it seems that this incarnation is what that standout voice was destined for.
7. Peaches - Rub
(Toronto)
Bitch rub! This is the first time that I gave Peaches a chance and have been rewarded. Perhaps I’d written her off as an attention-seeking shock artist which, to be fair, she may be to some degree. But she’s not just that – underneath the onslaught of vulgar language and the graphic X-rated content there are some grimy beats and serious hooks. Refraining from re-recording your voicemail greeting to “can’t talk right now, this chick’s dick is in my mouth” is an ongoing struggle. She challenges everything here and does so in a way that gets tunes jammed deep inside your skull. Killer album that’s going to make me delve into the back catalogue and see what I’ve been missing.
8. Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon
(Vancouver)
Late to the party on this one – it was all the press after Adele’s release which he co-wrote on that prompted me to finally put this on. Was I happy that I did! Otherwise I’d have missed out on a quiet but strong album full of feelings and keys. Apparently he taught himself the piano for this record out of necessity having left his guitar on the other side of the continent. It would appear that this junior could write a tune with a cereal box and some dental floss. Beautiful, really.
9. Burning Hell - Don't Believe the Hyperreal
(Canada..)
Here Matthias brings his quirky songwriting to the fore in this instrumentally sparse duet album. Along with his partner, Ariel Sharrat, they sing some of the funniest and most charming songs to come out this year. Particularly amusing is the recounting of their first ever meeting in Fuck the Government, I Love You (even the titles are top notch). It may be short but front to back these are catchy and lovely songs. Let me paraphrase a lyric to summarize what you may be thinking: “love songs are dumb… oh yeah? wait til you hear these ones!”
10. Django Django - Born Under Saturn
(UK)
Altogether catchy. This is my upbeat, slightly quirky, indie pop record entry for the year (see Dodos, Vampire Weekend etc.) These United Kingdom fellas jangle and rock with hooks galore. Sure, by the end of thirteen tracks you may have figured out the formula but that doesn’t stop you from putting it back on two days later.
Other Considerations
Evening Hymns - Quiet Energies
(Ontario)
A very good album perhaps hampered only by my lofty expectations for Jonas. The amplification over previous works – more drums and less ambient swirlings – move him away from the signature sound I adore him for. Not that this is bad by any stretch.
Chilly Gonzales - Chambers
(Canada/Germany)
This album with the Kaiser Quartet is an excellent work that I listen to often. Honestly though, I really enjoy Chilly’s rapping and am disappointed that it’s instrumental (besides Myth Me.)
Grimes - Art Angels
(Vancouver)
"Has Grimes given up her grime and simply gone pop?" I wondered about a few of these tracks on first play (California in particular.) But as the disc grows it becomes clear that Claire is still instilling her own vibe.
Les Jupes - Some Kind of Family
(Winnipeg)
This prairie band gets little love but they’re doing their thing so well. They’ve carved out a signature sound and press on with it which is by no means me complaining – quite the opposite, in fact.
[Update: Just read the announcement that the band has broken up]
Albert Hammond Jr. - Momentary Masters
(UK)
Knowing he had a gig coming up I decided to give this a spin and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it…and kept coming back to it. Well-written and catchy, it may not be the best release of the year but it’s worth listening to.
Wavves X Cloud Nothings - Wavves X Cloud Nothings
(USA)
Frankly Cloud Nothings can drum with anyone and I’m probably going to put it on the list.
Last Minute Shoutout
In the new year I discovered Loon Choir's Alway Golden and have been smitten with it leading me to the rest of the album All This and Everything Else which isn't half bad either (and nearly leading me to quit my job.)
(Ottawa)
Albums/EPs
1. Young Fathers - White Men are Black Men Too
(Scotland)
Shame rattled in my head from the first play and I just had to seek out the artist. It was bold, unique and came with energy in spades. Sure enough the rest of the album lived up to this introduction and I couldn’t get enough. They seem so unique in their swagger – the closest I could liken is an unhinged TV on the Radio. All the ideas seemed to have been tossed in the pot in the studio and only briefly stirred such that there’s a frenetic rawness that makes it exciting time after time. It was stunning to me that this was not their debut, as it just seems so fresh and new, like adolescents bursting with creativity.
2. Purity Ring - Another Eternity
(Edmonton)
I’ll be honest – I thought that Purity Ring’s last album, Shrines, which nearly landed here in 2012 was lightning in a bottle, not to be repeated. How happy I was to be wrong when Another Eternity proved to not just match but be a step up from this Edmonton crew. Doing electro pop the way it is meant to be this is Canada’s answer to Chvrches and frankly this is better.
3. Hayden - Hey Love
(Toronto)
From the Massey Hall preview that he delivered of a few Hey Love songs (particularly No Happy Birthday with it’s introduction/explanation) it was clear that Hayden wasn’t resting on his laurels. Often singer-songwriters of his ilk will pen a couple great albums early on that will keep people coming back to see them looking for the classics. Not here, not Hayden. He has pushed the envelope with this excellent effort, proving his often introspective songwriting continues to be on point. In terms of pure music he has made a wonderful album, refusing to clutter he manages to stick to the basics but make them sound oh-so-good; an album that continues to give on repeat visits.
4. Allie X - COLLXTION 1 [EP]
(Toronto/LA)
This may not quite be an album at just seven songs and under thirty minutes but regardless it’s going right here on this list (because it’s my list and I do what I want.) I knew her best from her role as vocalist in Dwayne Gretzky (Toronto’s premier cover band) so this incarnation was foreign, strange and amazing because of it. The first tease I had was a live Hillside Festival set where she wore glasses and tights and although slightly hesitant in this popstar incarnation the promise was there. Next was that (still) weird video for Catch and finally this EP which delivers on the anticipation. Pure pop done right - her voice is strong and dynamic, her music catchy and the production slick. Like Diamond Rings before her hopefully the pop god(dess) schtick will take off!
5. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
(USA)
Carrie and Lowell at first disappointed me, so how did it get onto my top ten? Admittedly I was looking for another Age of Adz which I loved dearly and each of the first seven times I played this it just wasn’t. I even shelved the album for awhile, returning to it on rare occasion when I was feeling mellow. However by perhaps the twelfth time (maybe the time I awoke on a plane to the magic of Blue Buckets of Gold) I began to get it. I’d think “this is actually a really great song” and then the same two tracks later. Before long I would hear a snippet and would crave the rest. So not even a slow burn – more of a roasting, cooling-off period, and now a high temperature broil. It may not be the way to make potatoes but it landed this album right here.
6. Coeur de Pirate - Roses
(Montreal/Paris)
Beatrice came out with a confident pop album, unleashing herself in a big way. Previously her musical profile was primarily ‘lovely Francophone piano chanteuse' but she has blown the doors off of that. Not only is half of the album in english but the tracks have fuller arrangements that boldly embrace the pop realm and thrive because of it. Although her previous releases, including Trauma a disc of english cover songs, were great it seems that this incarnation is what that standout voice was destined for.
7. Peaches - Rub
(Toronto)
Bitch rub! This is the first time that I gave Peaches a chance and have been rewarded. Perhaps I’d written her off as an attention-seeking shock artist which, to be fair, she may be to some degree. But she’s not just that – underneath the onslaught of vulgar language and the graphic X-rated content there are some grimy beats and serious hooks. Refraining from re-recording your voicemail greeting to “can’t talk right now, this chick’s dick is in my mouth” is an ongoing struggle. She challenges everything here and does so in a way that gets tunes jammed deep inside your skull. Killer album that’s going to make me delve into the back catalogue and see what I’ve been missing.
8. Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon
(Vancouver)
Late to the party on this one – it was all the press after Adele’s release which he co-wrote on that prompted me to finally put this on. Was I happy that I did! Otherwise I’d have missed out on a quiet but strong album full of feelings and keys. Apparently he taught himself the piano for this record out of necessity having left his guitar on the other side of the continent. It would appear that this junior could write a tune with a cereal box and some dental floss. Beautiful, really.
9. Burning Hell - Don't Believe the Hyperreal
(Canada..)
Here Matthias brings his quirky songwriting to the fore in this instrumentally sparse duet album. Along with his partner, Ariel Sharrat, they sing some of the funniest and most charming songs to come out this year. Particularly amusing is the recounting of their first ever meeting in Fuck the Government, I Love You (even the titles are top notch). It may be short but front to back these are catchy and lovely songs. Let me paraphrase a lyric to summarize what you may be thinking: “love songs are dumb… oh yeah? wait til you hear these ones!”
10. Django Django - Born Under Saturn
(UK)
Altogether catchy. This is my upbeat, slightly quirky, indie pop record entry for the year (see Dodos, Vampire Weekend etc.) These United Kingdom fellas jangle and rock with hooks galore. Sure, by the end of thirteen tracks you may have figured out the formula but that doesn’t stop you from putting it back on two days later.
Other Considerations
Evening Hymns - Quiet Energies
(Ontario)
A very good album perhaps hampered only by my lofty expectations for Jonas. The amplification over previous works – more drums and less ambient swirlings – move him away from the signature sound I adore him for. Not that this is bad by any stretch.
Chilly Gonzales - Chambers
(Canada/Germany)
This album with the Kaiser Quartet is an excellent work that I listen to often. Honestly though, I really enjoy Chilly’s rapping and am disappointed that it’s instrumental (besides Myth Me.)
Grimes - Art Angels
(Vancouver)
"Has Grimes given up her grime and simply gone pop?" I wondered about a few of these tracks on first play (California in particular.) But as the disc grows it becomes clear that Claire is still instilling her own vibe.
Les Jupes - Some Kind of Family
(Winnipeg)
This prairie band gets little love but they’re doing their thing so well. They’ve carved out a signature sound and press on with it which is by no means me complaining – quite the opposite, in fact.
[Update: Just read the announcement that the band has broken up]
Albert Hammond Jr. - Momentary Masters
(UK)
Knowing he had a gig coming up I decided to give this a spin and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it…and kept coming back to it. Well-written and catchy, it may not be the best release of the year but it’s worth listening to.
Wavves X Cloud Nothings - Wavves X Cloud Nothings
(USA)
Frankly Cloud Nothings can drum with anyone and I’m probably going to put it on the list.
Last Minute Shoutout
In the new year I discovered Loon Choir's Alway Golden and have been smitten with it leading me to the rest of the album All This and Everything Else which isn't half bad either (and nearly leading me to quit my job.)
(Ottawa)
Monday, November 16, 2015
Chilly Gonzales - Southbank Centre (London, England) - Nov 7/15
Chilly brought his bathrobe, along with his piano, pop sensibility and humour to the large, full Southbank Royal Festival Theatre in London on Saturday evening. Emerging alongside the Kaiser Quartet they exhibited some instrumental cuts from their Chambers album together before Chilly broke the vocal silence and said good evening. From there it was a mix of music, comedy and showing off his 'musical genius' in a variety of ways. This included giving us examples of arpeggios in popular music throughout the times (and what certain songs would sound like without them) as well as conducting his quartet from different perspectives - as a producer using them as a sampler, or as a drum machine. Naturally he included Sample This too. He did rap, such as Supervillain Music and the cleaned up version of The Grudge and as an encore an amalgam of Self Portrait and his own rebuttal (Not) A Musical Genius from stood atop the piano bench. A particular moment of levity came during one of the more serious instrumentals featuring the quartet where from the shadows a man emerged and walked purposefully to the drum kit, stretched, and then delivered one thundering two-handed beat before immediately retreating the way he had come. (The drummer later was made to dance which brought on an awkward moment of forced audience participation that we won't speak of.) It wasn't just the Chilly show though - at one point he took a seat off to the side and instructed his quartet to "entertain me" which they did; payback for the song or two that he did solo while the lights went out on the Kaisers. One instrumental was performed entirely in the dark, leaving us to visualise it ourselves without the newly deprived sense. Plus there was a unique world premier as a writing partner of Chilly's took a mic to centre stage where he rambled about a hotel room with a piano and then sang three somewhat ridiculous songs about the things that may have happened in that room. It was interesting but not the strongest part of the show. Knight Moves, two standing ovations, and one encore later (but conspicuously no bongos) the two hour spectacle came to a satisfying close with the patrons left to gush about the entertainment that was had.
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