Friday, February 22, 2008
pythagorian love triangle
Promo Pile: Vol. 8
Taxes - Crystal Gravy
There are only two problems with Taxes' self-released EP. One is that the rather lo-fi sounding recording betrays how much bang and clatter they produce live. And the second is that it's so short.
Crystal Gravy finds four familiar Vancouver faces combing their past and present affiliations (Go Go Stop, Ghosthouse, WPP, Plus Perfect, Safety Show, Weather Pines, and a million other projects), taking all the loudest bits, and throwing them together into a neat little package.
I'm going to leave it at that, because you know what is better than my crappy review? Checking them out for yourself tonight at the Astoria. Taxes are on at 10:30pm and Owl Drugs and Twin Crystals follow.
You can still grab an mp3 of "The Suburbs Are Killing Us" here
Friday, February 15, 2008
tell her to come pick me up. tell her i'm downtown.
Promo Pile: Vol. 7
JPNDRDS - Lullaby Death Jams
This record really deserves a proper review, but I talk about Japandroids so much, if you aren't already convinced that you should pick this up, I'm certainly not going to be the person who changes your mind.
Simply put, I thought their first EP was one of the best things I heard all of last year, and this one is about twice as good: the recording is better, the songwriting is sharper, and Brian and Dave sound tighter.
They're playing tonight at the Biltmore with two of the other best local live bands (Fake Shark Real Zombie and the Clips), and they'll have copies for $5. So come get one. Or if you're busy, go buy one at Zulu or Red Cat so they can afford to put out the long-player that they're writing.
If you're looking for a sample, you can still get "Darkness on the Edge of Gastown" (along with a bunch of other great music) in the mix for Insite that the guys were cordial enough to donate their music to.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
let's buy happiness
Promo Pile: Vol. 6
Boys Noize - OiOiOi
I think I'm going to keep this fairly short, but since Boys Noize is at the Plaza tonight, I wanted to get something up.
There are probably three ways that you could go on OiOiOi. If you hate the kind of electro that's all the rage these days, you can stop reading now. Similarly, if you bought the Justice, Simian Mobile Disco, or Digitalism record, and that was enough of a "blog house" fix for you, this isn't going to be an essential pick up. On the other hand, if you have the Justice, Simian Mobile Disco, and Digitalism records, and you're craving some more, you'll want to get your hands on this as well.
There's not a ton going on here that's extremely original - in fact, I think "&Down" either samples or shares a sample with Justice - but the familiar tricks are all executed quite well.
I don't know if it's a live set or a DJ set tonight, but if you don't have other plans and feel like dancing, the Plaza's a pretty good bet (although the Unicorn is also a good - and, tonight, free - bet).
Monday, August 27, 2007
mutiny, i promise you
Promo Pile: Vol. 5
The New Pornographers - Challengers
I was going to start this by saying that Challengers has been getting a bit of a bum rap from some of the online publications out there. But now that I've thought about it, I'm not so sure.
The thing about this record is that from one perspective the songwriting is stronger. If you were to give these tunes an acoustic guitar and vocals treatment, they'd all stand up as well crafted, well written numbers that aren't relying on any fancy bells and whistles or cheap tricks to keep things above water (ok, except for "Unguided," which is sort of universally bad). On the other hand, I miss those cheap tricks, bells, and whistles. It seems like Carl Newman is using his steadily improving chops to grab at your brain instead of your balls. I just don't understand why he couldn't do both.
I've always maintained - and I'm sure Neko fans will disagree - that Dan Bejar's songs were the best parts of any New Pornographers record. With all due respect to Carl, Bejar's the best songwriter in the group. But, he has this tendency to bury his melodies in off-time cadences and off-kilter instrumentation. I enjoy that, but Newman's magic touch when it comes to arranging was always the perfect foil to Dan's hyper-literate, dense songwriting. The tracks ended up being grounded in songwriting that was incredibly sharp and intelligent, but they were backed by these monsterous, hooky, perfect power pop arrangements. In the past, it sometimes seemed like Carl's songs were just getting by on the latter (or getting by on giving Neko a huge chorus to wail on). Conversely, now that he's grown as a songwriter, he's abandoned the former.
Challengers is still pretty good, and at the very least, it shows off a new side of the New Pornographers. I just wish they had revealed it without ditching what made them so great before.
now playing: Timbaland - Way I Are (Cousin Cole's Unwound Mix)
Saturday, May 19, 2007
wintering in brooklyn
Promo Pile: Vol. 4
The Last Town Chorus - Wire Waltz
When you pop Wire Waltz into your computer, iTunes spits back that the appropriate genre is "folk." It's not completely off the mark. Megan Hickey's songs drip with the same slow moving molasses that flavours early Cowboy Junkies releases and her weapon of choice - a lap steel - certainly fits in with the traditional folk/country aesthetic. On the other hand, I have a hard time filing this along side my Jayhawks, Jolie Holland, or Gillian Welch records. Instead, it seems like it'd find a better home next to my Slowdive records.
While she can certainly wail in the traditional sense, more often the noises that Hickey coaxes out of her guitar are like the Americana version of the washes of sound that characterized the shoegaze movement. The comparison's helped along by the album's production as well. The vocals are drenched in reverb, giving them a Hope Sandoval-like quality.
The obvious attention grabber is a slow burning version of Bowie's "Modern Love," but the cover doesn't overshadow some of the stronger originals. The title track starts the album off on a strong point, but "It's Not Over" is my personal highlight. The lost love subject matter might be a bit overdone, but the theme's given a more sinister tone on the track, especially after the squeals of slide guitar fade out, and a ghostly nursery rhyme chant that plays out the coda.
download: The Last Town Chorus - It's Not Over
now playing: Sloan - Deeper Than Beauty
Sunday, April 29, 2007
anything but disco
Promo Pile: Vol. 3
The Affair - Yes Yes to You
I think the Buddyhead MP3 Blog was the first thing that tipped me off about the Affair. I can't remember exactly when they posted about the NYC band, but I do know that I had three mp3s kicking around on my hard drive for about a year before they finally released their debut full-length, Yes Yes to You in January.
The band isn't exactly trying to break new ground with their new new-wave sound, but what they lack in originality they make up for with tunes, and the latter is often better than forced novelty anyhow. The Affair's also been blessed with quite the singer, and even if you're sick of "throwback" bands, you'll want to give them a chance because of Kali Holloway. In a track review for the Tyee, I think I said something about her having Debbie Harry's attitude and Ronnie Spector's pipes, and I stand by that. The songs on Yes Yes to You are bursting with girl group leads, but also boast lyrics with enough modern wit to make the Velvettes blush collectively.
The only thing about this record that rubs me the wrong way is the production. The vocals are pushed up to the front and sound great, the drums sound nicer, and the guitar has some extra "umph." But the keyboard has gone from having this really smooth and appropriately vintage sound to a much sharper casio kind of tone. It's still a great album, but I found that a little disappointing (check it out for yourself below).
download: the Affair - Andy (from Yes Yes to You via theaffairnyc.com)
download: the Affair - Undressed, Undercover (Demo Version of "Andy")
now playing: Bjork - Earth Intruders (Spank Rock Remix)
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
dirty town
Promo Pile: Vol. 2
Mother Mother - Touch Up
I remember reading a claim somewhere that Vancouver's own Mother Mother (formerly just Mother) were like "nothing you've ever heard." The statement's completely untrue, but I can see what they were getting at. The songs on Touch Up are like everything you've heard before all at once. And it's that strange blend of the familiar that's certainly positioned the band as something unique. The songs are rooted in country/folk traditions, but they pull from anywhere and everywhere through the record's thirteen tracks. While it's less frantic than Girl Talk (and certainly less dance floor oriented), it's not totally outlandish to say that both acts are the product of the same sort of ADD, mashed up, MTV clip'd culture.
There's really no "you'll like A if you like B" comparison to make. But you can get a pretty good idea of what the record is all about by streaming three songs on their official site. It's one of those records that will divide rather than unite, and there's probably an equal chance that you'll love it as there is that you'll hate it. And that means you should at least check it out.
now plaing: Julie Doiron - Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Paul Simon Cover)
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
feed a fire
Promo Pile: Vol. 1
Women and Children - Paralyzed Dance, Tonight
Women and Children's bio reads like an atlas, with the group's four members coming from disparate locales, and the band's core of Kevin Lasting and Cheryl Serwa seemingly participating in endless jetsetting. It's fitting then, that while Paralyzed Dance, Tonight is grounded in the folk tradition, the 14 tracks tend to be all over the map.
It sounds thrown together. Some of the songs sound off the cuff. Some of the tracks end on bum notes that weren't edited out during mixing and mastering. And there certainly isn't any easily discernible theme that lends itself to any sort of album length cohesion. But in spite - or perhaps because - of the aforementioned elements, it's a surprisingly enjoyable 40-minute listen.
Kevin and Cheryl take an equal share of the vocal duties. Generally speaking, I'm a sucker for complimentary male/female vocals, but while the tracks that feature complimentary crooning are still quite good, the songs that feature a lone singer fare the best.
It's probably also correct to call it "freak folk." And while I like my share of that scene, those two words also often evoke thoughts of not having enough drugs to possibly make the song in question enjoyable. Luckily, that's not the case at all with Women and Children.
In retrospect, when you break it down on paper (or in cyberspace) this record has nearly everything going against it, but somehow ends up being rather wonderful. That probably speaks to the value of music criticism, but that's another discussion for another time.
download: Women and Children - Born TP
download: Women and Children - My Bad
On an unrelated note, you've got another 24 hours to click on the sidebar so you can pick up a copy of that k-os picture disc.
now playing: Women and Children - Oranges
Sunday, November 19, 2006
swallows and amazons
Memphis - A Little Place in the Wilderness
If you're one of the members of a band that features someone from another, more established group, it must get a little tired to here your project compared to your bandmates' more famous act. So, apologies to Chris Dumont, but you really can't talk about Memphis without drawing comparisons to Torquil Campbell's other band.
I'm sure some people will miss Amy Millan's vox on Memphis' dreamy pop songs, but my favourite Stars tunes are tracks like "The Aspidistra Flies" and "Tonight," that feature more subtle arrangements and Torq flying mostly solo in the vocal department. And that is, for better or worse, what you get on A Little Place in the Wilderness. With that in mind, Memphis does set itself apart from Campbell's other gig now and again.
The bounce of "Incredibly Drunk on Whiskey" is a far cry from Stars' usual atmospherics, and on the whole, A Little Place in the Wilderness seems to forgo many of the electronic flourishes that adorn releases like Set Yourself On Fire.
The band's bio states that, "Memphis is a band, not a side project," and I'm not one to argue. It's up to the members of any group to decide what they're putting into any given project. At the end of the day though - side project or not - if you're not a fan of Torq's other band, A Little Place in the Wilderness is unlikely to tickle your fancy either. On the other hand, if you're big on Stars (or tasteful, low key pop in general) you probably want to give this record a chance.
download: Memphis - I'll Do Whatever You Want
...and here's the video:
now playing: Memphis - The Night Watchman
pythagorian love triangle
Promo Pile: Vol. 8
Taxes - Crystal Gravy
There are only two problems with Taxes' self-released EP. One is that the rather lo-fi sounding recording betrays how much bang and clatter they produce live. And the second is that it's so short.
Crystal Gravy finds four familiar Vancouver faces combing their past and present affiliations (Go Go Stop, Ghosthouse, WPP, Plus Perfect, Safety Show, Weather Pines, and a million other projects), taking all the loudest bits, and throwing them together into a neat little package.
I'm going to leave it at that, because you know what is better than my crappy review? Checking them out for yourself tonight at the Astoria. Taxes are on at 10:30pm and Owl Drugs and Twin Crystals follow.
You can still grab an mp3 of "The Suburbs Are Killing Us" here
Labels: promo pile, taxes
Friday, February 15, 2008
tell her to come pick me up. tell her i'm downtown.
Promo Pile: Vol. 7
JPNDRDS - Lullaby Death Jams
This record really deserves a proper review, but I talk about Japandroids so much, if you aren't already convinced that you should pick this up, I'm certainly not going to be the person who changes your mind.
Simply put, I thought their first EP was one of the best things I heard all of last year, and this one is about twice as good: the recording is better, the songwriting is sharper, and Brian and Dave sound tighter.
They're playing tonight at the Biltmore with two of the other best local live bands (Fake Shark Real Zombie and the Clips), and they'll have copies for $5. So come get one. Or if you're busy, go buy one at Zulu or Red Cat so they can afford to put out the long-player that they're writing.
If you're looking for a sample, you can still get "Darkness on the Edge of Gastown" (along with a bunch of other great music) in the mix for Insite that the guys were cordial enough to donate their music to.
Labels: japandroids, promo pile
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
let's buy happiness
Promo Pile: Vol. 6
Boys Noize - OiOiOi
I think I'm going to keep this fairly short, but since Boys Noize is at the Plaza tonight, I wanted to get something up.
There are probably three ways that you could go on OiOiOi. If you hate the kind of electro that's all the rage these days, you can stop reading now. Similarly, if you bought the Justice, Simian Mobile Disco, or Digitalism record, and that was enough of a "blog house" fix for you, this isn't going to be an essential pick up. On the other hand, if you have the Justice, Simian Mobile Disco, and Digitalism records, and you're craving some more, you'll want to get your hands on this as well.
There's not a ton going on here that's extremely original - in fact, I think "&Down" either samples or shares a sample with Justice - but the familiar tricks are all executed quite well.
I don't know if it's a live set or a DJ set tonight, but if you don't have other plans and feel like dancing, the Plaza's a pretty good bet (although the Unicorn is also a good - and, tonight, free - bet).
Labels: boys noize, promo pile
Monday, August 27, 2007
mutiny, i promise you
Promo Pile: Vol. 5
The New Pornographers - Challengers
I was going to start this by saying that Challengers has been getting a bit of a bum rap from some of the online publications out there. But now that I've thought about it, I'm not so sure.
The thing about this record is that from one perspective the songwriting is stronger. If you were to give these tunes an acoustic guitar and vocals treatment, they'd all stand up as well crafted, well written numbers that aren't relying on any fancy bells and whistles or cheap tricks to keep things above water (ok, except for "Unguided," which is sort of universally bad). On the other hand, I miss those cheap tricks, bells, and whistles. It seems like Carl Newman is using his steadily improving chops to grab at your brain instead of your balls. I just don't understand why he couldn't do both.
I've always maintained - and I'm sure Neko fans will disagree - that Dan Bejar's songs were the best parts of any New Pornographers record. With all due respect to Carl, Bejar's the best songwriter in the group. But, he has this tendency to bury his melodies in off-time cadences and off-kilter instrumentation. I enjoy that, but Newman's magic touch when it comes to arranging was always the perfect foil to Dan's hyper-literate, dense songwriting. The tracks ended up being grounded in songwriting that was incredibly sharp and intelligent, but they were backed by these monsterous, hooky, perfect power pop arrangements. In the past, it sometimes seemed like Carl's songs were just getting by on the latter (or getting by on giving Neko a huge chorus to wail on). Conversely, now that he's grown as a songwriter, he's abandoned the former.
Challengers is still pretty good, and at the very least, it shows off a new side of the New Pornographers. I just wish they had revealed it without ditching what made them so great before.
now playing: Timbaland - Way I Are (Cousin Cole's Unwound Mix)
Labels: promo pile, the new pornographers
Saturday, May 19, 2007
wintering in brooklyn
Promo Pile: Vol. 4
The Last Town Chorus - Wire Waltz
When you pop Wire Waltz into your computer, iTunes spits back that the appropriate genre is "folk." It's not completely off the mark. Megan Hickey's songs drip with the same slow moving molasses that flavours early Cowboy Junkies releases and her weapon of choice - a lap steel - certainly fits in with the traditional folk/country aesthetic. On the other hand, I have a hard time filing this along side my Jayhawks, Jolie Holland, or Gillian Welch records. Instead, it seems like it'd find a better home next to my Slowdive records.
While she can certainly wail in the traditional sense, more often the noises that Hickey coaxes out of her guitar are like the Americana version of the washes of sound that characterized the shoegaze movement. The comparison's helped along by the album's production as well. The vocals are drenched in reverb, giving them a Hope Sandoval-like quality.
The obvious attention grabber is a slow burning version of Bowie's "Modern Love," but the cover doesn't overshadow some of the stronger originals. The title track starts the album off on a strong point, but "It's Not Over" is my personal highlight. The lost love subject matter might be a bit overdone, but the theme's given a more sinister tone on the track, especially after the squeals of slide guitar fade out, and a ghostly nursery rhyme chant that plays out the coda.
download: The Last Town Chorus - It's Not Over
now playing: Sloan - Deeper Than Beauty
Labels: promo pile, the last town chorus
Sunday, April 29, 2007
anything but disco
Promo Pile: Vol. 3
The Affair - Yes Yes to You
I think the Buddyhead MP3 Blog was the first thing that tipped me off about the Affair. I can't remember exactly when they posted about the NYC band, but I do know that I had three mp3s kicking around on my hard drive for about a year before they finally released their debut full-length, Yes Yes to You in January.
The band isn't exactly trying to break new ground with their new new-wave sound, but what they lack in originality they make up for with tunes, and the latter is often better than forced novelty anyhow. The Affair's also been blessed with quite the singer, and even if you're sick of "throwback" bands, you'll want to give them a chance because of Kali Holloway. In a track review for the Tyee, I think I said something about her having Debbie Harry's attitude and Ronnie Spector's pipes, and I stand by that. The songs on Yes Yes to You are bursting with girl group leads, but also boast lyrics with enough modern wit to make the Velvettes blush collectively.
The only thing about this record that rubs me the wrong way is the production. The vocals are pushed up to the front and sound great, the drums sound nicer, and the guitar has some extra "umph." But the keyboard has gone from having this really smooth and appropriately vintage sound to a much sharper casio kind of tone. It's still a great album, but I found that a little disappointing (check it out for yourself below).
download: the Affair - Andy (from Yes Yes to You via theaffairnyc.com)
download: the Affair - Undressed, Undercover (Demo Version of "Andy")
now playing: Bjork - Earth Intruders (Spank Rock Remix)
Labels: promo pile, the affair
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
dirty town
I've been told that objectivity and music criticism go together like oil and water. And to a point, I don't think anyone would argue that that isn't true. On the other hand, passing judgment on something, isn't always directly tied into whether or not you like something or not. There are plenty of acts that I dislike and also think out and out suck, but there are also artists that I'd never go out of my way to listen to who I can recognize as extremely talented. I don't really like M. Ward or My Morning Jacket, but honestly, I think you'd be stupid to call either a "bad band." Well, M. Ward isn't really a "band" at all, but you get my point. With that, here's a record that really didn't do anything for me, but could very likely do a lot for you.
Promo Pile: Vol. 2
Mother Mother - Touch Up
I remember reading a claim somewhere that Vancouver's own Mother Mother (formerly just Mother) were like "nothing you've ever heard." The statement's completely untrue, but I can see what they were getting at. The songs on Touch Up are like everything you've heard before all at once. And it's that strange blend of the familiar that's certainly positioned the band as something unique. The songs are rooted in country/folk traditions, but they pull from anywhere and everywhere through the record's thirteen tracks. While it's less frantic than Girl Talk (and certainly less dance floor oriented), it's not totally outlandish to say that both acts are the product of the same sort of ADD, mashed up, MTV clip'd culture.
There's really no "you'll like A if you like B" comparison to make. But you can get a pretty good idea of what the record is all about by streaming three songs on their official site. It's one of those records that will divide rather than unite, and there's probably an equal chance that you'll love it as there is that you'll hate it. And that means you should at least check it out.
now plaing: Julie Doiron - Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Paul Simon Cover)
Labels: mother mother, promo pile
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
feed a fire
You may recall that a couple months ago I resolved to take a page out of Frank's book and put aside Sunday for a little cleaning, by writing up something from the growing stack of records that sits beside my computer. Obviously, I haven't been very good about keeping with that plan, and frankly, there are a lot of Sundays where there's something else to write about instead (ie. a show from Saturday night). So rather than set aside a certain day of the week, I'm going to throw up reviews on days like today, when there's not much else to say. Generally speaking, I'm going to ignore things that I out and out dislike, so you can expect that any record that comes under the "promo pile" heading falls somewhere between "pretty good" and "great" in my humble opinion.
Promo Pile: Vol. 1
Women and Children - Paralyzed Dance, Tonight
Women and Children's bio reads like an atlas, with the group's four members coming from disparate locales, and the band's core of Kevin Lasting and Cheryl Serwa seemingly participating in endless jetsetting. It's fitting then, that while Paralyzed Dance, Tonight is grounded in the folk tradition, the 14 tracks tend to be all over the map.
It sounds thrown together. Some of the songs sound off the cuff. Some of the tracks end on bum notes that weren't edited out during mixing and mastering. And there certainly isn't any easily discernible theme that lends itself to any sort of album length cohesion. But in spite - or perhaps because - of the aforementioned elements, it's a surprisingly enjoyable 40-minute listen.
Kevin and Cheryl take an equal share of the vocal duties. Generally speaking, I'm a sucker for complimentary male/female vocals, but while the tracks that feature complimentary crooning are still quite good, the songs that feature a lone singer fare the best.
It's probably also correct to call it "freak folk." And while I like my share of that scene, those two words also often evoke thoughts of not having enough drugs to possibly make the song in question enjoyable. Luckily, that's not the case at all with Women and Children.
In retrospect, when you break it down on paper (or in cyberspace) this record has nearly everything going against it, but somehow ends up being rather wonderful. That probably speaks to the value of music criticism, but that's another discussion for another time.
download: Women and Children - Born TP
download: Women and Children - My Bad
On an unrelated note, you've got another 24 hours to click on the sidebar so you can pick up a copy of that k-os picture disc.
now playing: Women and Children - Oranges
Labels: biting chromewaves, promo pile, women and children
Sunday, November 19, 2006
swallows and amazons
I'm going to take a page from Frank and start doing a bit of Sunday Cleaning. Things might be less frequent than over there though... so I might tidy things up every second week instead. Speaking of Frank, if you haven't already noticed, he has a sharp new design up.
Memphis - A Little Place in the Wilderness
If you're one of the members of a band that features someone from another, more established group, it must get a little tired to here your project compared to your bandmates' more famous act. So, apologies to Chris Dumont, but you really can't talk about Memphis without drawing comparisons to Torquil Campbell's other band.
I'm sure some people will miss Amy Millan's vox on Memphis' dreamy pop songs, but my favourite Stars tunes are tracks like "The Aspidistra Flies" and "Tonight," that feature more subtle arrangements and Torq flying mostly solo in the vocal department. And that is, for better or worse, what you get on A Little Place in the Wilderness. With that in mind, Memphis does set itself apart from Campbell's other gig now and again.
The bounce of "Incredibly Drunk on Whiskey" is a far cry from Stars' usual atmospherics, and on the whole, A Little Place in the Wilderness seems to forgo many of the electronic flourishes that adorn releases like Set Yourself On Fire.
The band's bio states that, "Memphis is a band, not a side project," and I'm not one to argue. It's up to the members of any group to decide what they're putting into any given project. At the end of the day though - side project or not - if you're not a fan of Torq's other band, A Little Place in the Wilderness is unlikely to tickle your fancy either. On the other hand, if you're big on Stars (or tasteful, low key pop in general) you probably want to give this record a chance.
download: Memphis - I'll Do Whatever You Want
...and here's the video:
now playing: Memphis - The Night Watchman
Labels: memphis, promo pile
