Tuesday, May 13, 2008
weird weight
I should also point out that June 5th at Hoko's boasts Mt. Career as the headliner, whom you might know better as Andy Dixon. As far as I know, this will be his first show supporting his solo record.
I actually heard that Andy and Greg (also of Winning and ex-Red Light Sting) and Steve and Al from Taxes were going to play a set of hardcore tunes under the name "Healthy Students"... but I guess that didn't pan out.
Stereolab is at the Commodore on October 19th with Monade
Since I usually end up talking about shows that those of you under the age of majority can't attend, here's one that turns the tables. Those philanthropic gentlemen in the Clips are lending their talents to Urban Aid 2008, which is an annual fundraiser for Covenant House. The show goes down on May 22nd at the Jericho Community Centre and ticket info is on the friendster 3.0 event page. You've got to show your Go Card to get in. If you don't know what a Go Card is, you're too old to be hanging out with a room full of high school students anyhow.
If you entered the Gnarls Barkley contest, you might have been thinking, "I wonder if he forgot to pick a winner." And you would be right. But I finally did that this morning. So congrats to Ben who gets a bunch of CDs and that sick double vinyl that includes the new Gnarls record in reverse. Thanks to Adam at Warner for hooking up the prize.
Oh, and New Music West is this week. There are a handful of great bands playing... but most of the line up caters to people who think going to the Roxy and hearing the house band play while they play the numbers game is "seeing live music."
now playing: the White Stripes - Black Math
Thursday, May 08, 2008
club action
I went in expecting a couple of dudes with some laptops/sequencers/etc, but the foursome rock a fairly traditional set up of guitar/bass/drums/keys. It took a bit of the sheen off of their songs, but frankly, I find really precisely performed dance music a bit sterile at times, so dirtying things up a bit was fine with me. The only song that was a bit lacking due to the live set-up was "Let's Make Out." The band are pretty ace as showmen, but none of them do a very good Sebastian Grainger (who sings on the studio version). The "encore" cover of "Whip It" made up for that though.
Yo Majesty were only 2/3rds strong (Jwl B got denied at the border), but Shunda K and her DJ (whose name unfortunately escapes me right now) killed it. A lot of times no frills rap shows can leave a lot to be desired, but even a shorthanded Yo Majesty absolutely slayed. If they come back, make sure you show up, because they deserve to perform for a packed house.
As a side note, after the show, a friend of mine was buying a bargain $10 shirt, when he noted to Shunda that he'd "pay at least double for this shirt." Her reply: "I'm from the ghetto, man. I'm not going to charge you $20 for a t-shirt." That, my friends, is truly keeping it real. Think about that when you're scoping out Jay-Z and Nas merch this summer. For the record, it's a pretty sick t-shirt at any price.
And here are some show announcements, minus hyperlinks, because I have to run:
If you're looking for something to do tonight, Run GMC and Lions in the Street are at the Plaza.
On July 24th, No Age is at Richard's with Abe Vigoda and Mika Miko. Forget about that Girl Talk show now.
And Bison, Spread Eagle, and the Death Rays are at the Astoria on May 24th.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
word's on the street and it's on the news
Contest: Black Kids CDS Giveaway
You've probably heard of these guys, so I'll keep it brief. After giving away an EP last year, Black Kids are releasing a full-length, Partie Traumatic, on July 22nd. And predictably, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You" is the lead-off single. They didn't have any records to sell when they came through town with Cut Copy last week, but you can just go ahead and win yourself a copy of the CD version of the single right now. In addition to the A-side, the disc features "You Turn Me On" and Sophie B. Hawkins cover.
If you want to win, just send an email to quinn.omori [at] gmail.com with the subject line "Black Kids Contest" before Wednesday, May 14th at 8am PST and I'll pick one winner at random. Easy, huh?
In the rare instance that you're reading this from outside the GVRD, you can catch Black Kids here:
May 8 - Detroit, MI at Magic Stick*
May 9 - Toronto, ON at Lees Palace*
May 12 - Boston, MA at Paradise*
May 13 - Brooklyn, NY at Studio B*
May 15 - Washington, DC at Black Cat*
May 16 - Philadelphia, PA at Pure*
May 17 - Baltimore, MD at Sonar*
May 18 - New York, NY at Bowery Ballroom
*with Cut Copy
And everyone can check out the stream of 12" b-side here
Oh, and congrats to Neil and Robin, who are going to Does it Offend You, Yeah? and Yo Majesty for free tonight, courtesy of Sony/BMG
Monday, May 05, 2008
let the iron in your heart's blood ring
Also on sale Friday (but with no presale and definitely not all-ages) are tickets for Boris at Richard's on July 30th. Torche supports. Smile isn't as good as Pink, but this news still brings to mind the words "fuck" and "yes."
Tilly and the Wall are at Richard's on July 4th.
The Dodos are at the Bourbon on June 26th... but if you're not in Calgary that day like me and apparently half the bands in this city, you should really go see the Cons.
The Awkward Stage is at the Biltmore on June 13th to celebrate the release of their next record, Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights. Mint's got an mp3 for you:
download: the Awkward Stage - Anime Eyes (via Mint)
lights in the sky
Thursday, May 01, 2008
we are rockstars now
Contest: Does it Offend You, Yeah? Ticket Giveaway
I think I mentioned the show awhile back, but here's a reminder that Does it Offend You, Yeah? is hitting Richard's (with Yo Majesty) next Wednesday. I'm mentioning it again 1) because I'm pretty stoked for it and 2) because their lovely PR firm is going to hook two people with a pair of tickets for next week's show.
We shall keep it simple for this one. If you want to take a date to the show on May 7th, just shoot me an email at quinn.omori [at] gmail.com with the subject "actually, it does offend me" and your full name before Sunday the 4th at 11:59pm and I'll pick two winners at random. That only gives you 3 1/2 days, so don't sleep.
Easy, huh?
While you're at it, check out the video for "Let's Make Out," which features vocals by that guy that you may remember as the dude from Death from Above who isn't in MSTRKRFT:
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
hearts on fire
Black Kids' performance didn't quite live up to the wave of press that they're riding, but it wasn't really their fault. And realistically, how could they? The songs are great and the band was pretty tight, but the sound during their set was brutal - at least from up on the balcony and then later down near the back of the floor. Even with the crappy mix, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You" still revealed itself as something pretty special.
The sound was a little cleaner during Cut Copy's set, which was a plus. Their set was pretty great too, with a major New Order vibe popping up at times. It certainly wasn't revelatory, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better way to spend a Tuesday night, especially for $20.
Jaguar Love, who are made up of two ex-Blood Bros and one ex-PGMG member, are at Richard's on June 2nd.
And... stay tuned tomorrow for a new contest.
weird weight
The Music Waste line up has been announced. A quick surveying of the landscape reveals that a lot of my favourites are playing at (roughly) the same times, but the fest is always more about seeing bands you don't know anyhow. Although, I'm dead set on catching Mutators before they had back on part two of their epic Spring/Summer tour.
I should also point out that June 5th at Hoko's boasts Mt. Career as the headliner, whom you might know better as Andy Dixon. As far as I know, this will be his first show supporting his solo record.
I actually heard that Andy and Greg (also of Winning and ex-Red Light Sting) and Steve and Al from Taxes were going to play a set of hardcore tunes under the name "Healthy Students"... but I guess that didn't pan out.
Stereolab is at the Commodore on October 19th with Monade
Since I usually end up talking about shows that those of you under the age of majority can't attend, here's one that turns the tables. Those philanthropic gentlemen in the Clips are lending their talents to Urban Aid 2008, which is an annual fundraiser for Covenant House. The show goes down on May 22nd at the Jericho Community Centre and ticket info is on the friendster 3.0 event page. You've got to show your Go Card to get in. If you don't know what a Go Card is, you're too old to be hanging out with a room full of high school students anyhow.
If you entered the Gnarls Barkley contest, you might have been thinking, "I wonder if he forgot to pick a winner." And you would be right. But I finally did that this morning. So congrats to Ben who gets a bunch of CDs and that sick double vinyl that includes the new Gnarls record in reverse. Thanks to Adam at Warner for hooking up the prize.
Oh, and New Music West is this week. There are a handful of great bands playing... but most of the line up caters to people who think going to the Roxy and hearing the house band play while they play the numbers game is "seeing live music."
now playing: the White Stripes - Black Math
Labels: contest winners, music waste, show announcements
Thursday, May 08, 2008
club action
I guess a crappy PFork rating still carries some cachet, because despite the fact that the similar sounds of Cut Copy and Simian Mobile Disco packed people into Richard's, it was pretty empty for Does it Offend You, Yeah? last night, which is a shame, because they were pretty good live.
I went in expecting a couple of dudes with some laptops/sequencers/etc, but the foursome rock a fairly traditional set up of guitar/bass/drums/keys. It took a bit of the sheen off of their songs, but frankly, I find really precisely performed dance music a bit sterile at times, so dirtying things up a bit was fine with me. The only song that was a bit lacking due to the live set-up was "Let's Make Out." The band are pretty ace as showmen, but none of them do a very good Sebastian Grainger (who sings on the studio version). The "encore" cover of "Whip It" made up for that though.
Yo Majesty were only 2/3rds strong (Jwl B got denied at the border), but Shunda K and her DJ (whose name unfortunately escapes me right now) killed it. A lot of times no frills rap shows can leave a lot to be desired, but even a shorthanded Yo Majesty absolutely slayed. If they come back, make sure you show up, because they deserve to perform for a packed house.
As a side note, after the show, a friend of mine was buying a bargain $10 shirt, when he noted to Shunda that he'd "pay at least double for this shirt." Her reply: "I'm from the ghetto, man. I'm not going to charge you $20 for a t-shirt." That, my friends, is truly keeping it real. Think about that when you're scoping out Jay-Z and Nas merch this summer. For the record, it's a pretty sick t-shirt at any price.
And here are some show announcements, minus hyperlinks, because I have to run:
If you're looking for something to do tonight, Run GMC and Lions in the Street are at the Plaza.
On July 24th, No Age is at Richard's with Abe Vigoda and Mika Miko. Forget about that Girl Talk show now.
And Bison, Spread Eagle, and the Death Rays are at the Astoria on May 24th.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
word's on the street and it's on the news
Contest: Black Kids CDS Giveaway
You've probably heard of these guys, so I'll keep it brief. After giving away an EP last year, Black Kids are releasing a full-length, Partie Traumatic, on July 22nd. And predictably, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You" is the lead-off single. They didn't have any records to sell when they came through town with Cut Copy last week, but you can just go ahead and win yourself a copy of the CD version of the single right now. In addition to the A-side, the disc features "You Turn Me On" and Sophie B. Hawkins cover.
If you want to win, just send an email to quinn.omori [at] gmail.com with the subject line "Black Kids Contest" before Wednesday, May 14th at 8am PST and I'll pick one winner at random. Easy, huh?
In the rare instance that you're reading this from outside the GVRD, you can catch Black Kids here:
May 8 - Detroit, MI at Magic Stick*
May 9 - Toronto, ON at Lees Palace*
May 12 - Boston, MA at Paradise*
May 13 - Brooklyn, NY at Studio B*
May 15 - Washington, DC at Black Cat*
May 16 - Philadelphia, PA at Pure*
May 17 - Baltimore, MD at Sonar*
May 18 - New York, NY at Bowery Ballroom
*with Cut Copy
And everyone can check out the stream of 12" b-side here
Oh, and congrats to Neil and Robin, who are going to Does it Offend You, Yeah? and Yo Majesty for free tonight, courtesy of Sony/BMG
Labels: contest winners, contests
Monday, May 05, 2008
let the iron in your heart's blood ring
So, as a few people have kindly mentioned in the comments, Wolf Parade is at the Commodore on July 12th. As Camillia kindly mentioned, you can grab pre-sale tix right here: http://wolfparade.ducatking.com. Alternately, SWAK points out that you can get them at Zulu and Ticketmaster on Friday morning. The odd thing is that the pre-sale link says that the show is all-ages... which, as far as I know, would be a first for an evening show at the Ballroom.
Also on sale Friday (but with no presale and definitely not all-ages) are tickets for Boris at Richard's on July 30th. Torche supports. Smile isn't as good as Pink, but this news still brings to mind the words "fuck" and "yes."
Tilly and the Wall are at Richard's on July 4th.
The Dodos are at the Bourbon on June 26th... but if you're not in Calgary that day like me and apparently half the bands in this city, you should really go see the Cons.
The Awkward Stage is at the Biltmore on June 13th to celebrate the release of their next record, Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights. Mint's got an mp3 for you:
download: the Awkward Stage - Anime Eyes (via Mint)
Labels: mp3, show announcements
lights in the sky
And here you were thinking what Radiohead did was pretty cool.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
we are rockstars now
Contest: Does it Offend You, Yeah? Ticket Giveaway
I think I mentioned the show awhile back, but here's a reminder that Does it Offend You, Yeah? is hitting Richard's (with Yo Majesty) next Wednesday. I'm mentioning it again 1) because I'm pretty stoked for it and 2) because their lovely PR firm is going to hook two people with a pair of tickets for next week's show.
We shall keep it simple for this one. If you want to take a date to the show on May 7th, just shoot me an email at quinn.omori [at] gmail.com with the subject "actually, it does offend me" and your full name before Sunday the 4th at 11:59pm and I'll pick two winners at random. That only gives you 3 1/2 days, so don't sleep.
Easy, huh?
While you're at it, check out the video for "Let's Make Out," which features vocals by that guy that you may remember as the dude from Death from Above who isn't in MSTRKRFT:
Labels: contests, does it offend you yeah
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
hearts on fire
I made it down to Richard's last night to check out Cut Copy. The place was packed, which brings up the question: were people there because of the Black Kids hype or because of the apparent (I actually haven't heard it yet) strength of In Ghost Colours?
Black Kids' performance didn't quite live up to the wave of press that they're riding, but it wasn't really their fault. And realistically, how could they? The songs are great and the band was pretty tight, but the sound during their set was brutal - at least from up on the balcony and then later down near the back of the floor. Even with the crappy mix, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You" still revealed itself as something pretty special.
The sound was a little cleaner during Cut Copy's set, which was a plus. Their set was pretty great too, with a major New Order vibe popping up at times. It certainly wasn't revelatory, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better way to spend a Tuesday night, especially for $20.
Jaguar Love, who are made up of two ex-Blood Bros and one ex-PGMG member, are at Richard's on June 2nd.
And... stay tuned tomorrow for a new contest.
Labels: black kids, cut copy, show announcements, show recaps
