Tuesday, August 25, 2009
pennies
Why don't we start this catch up post with pics (and a video that I didn't take) from the Clips last show at Olio a few weeks back. Hopefully, you made it out to bid adieu to one of Vancouver's finest (though, if you didn't, they'll be back with new songs, and a slightly new line up).
And now a fast forward recap of other notable stuff:
- I caught Walter TV, Makeout Videotape, and Recreation last Thursday. I'd seen Make out Videotape before, but the sound was sort of abysmal at the show I caught. This time around was much better. Walter TV and Recreation were great as well. Apparently this was an all-White Rock (or White Rock-ex-pats) show.
- A big, big thanks to Manta Ray-Gun and Cat Attack who were both awesome on Friday at Damaged Goods. I booked both bands after only hearing their recorded stuff, but was totally blown away by how good they sounded live. It was only Cat Attack's second show, so look for big things from them in the future. I loved Manta Ray-Gun so much, I bought one of their tapes (if you see them, you should too).
- I was at Glory Days on Saturday for a friend's going away party. They don't do in-and-outs now. I can't remember any legal, non-Granville Strip bar doing that in this city.
One Cool Word is celebrating the release of their latest issue tomorrow at the Biltmore with World Club, Maria in the Shower, and Spoon River.
Justice Rocks (check the link for the full line-up) takes place on Saturday afternoon for free in Strathcona Park.
Also on Saturday, is the Bicycle Music Festival (once again check the link for the line up), which starts at New Brighton Park at 10am before moving throughout the city. The full route and schedule will go up here in a few days.
The Rain & the Sidewalk celebrate the release of their latest CD on September 5th with Role Mach and Collapsing Opposites.
Katasroyka, Girlfriends & Boyfriends, and the Ludvico Treatment play the Media Club the same night.
Hope Sandoval once again ignores her apparently crippling stage fright to play the Red Room on September 22nd.
Junior Boys are at Venue on October 8th.
Vic Chesnutt plays the Red Room on November 26th. He'll be backed by a band that features Guy from Fugazi and members of A Silver Mt. Zion.
Maximo Park, which was originally scheduled for September 7th at Venue, is canceled.A lot A handfulA couple of people are really bummed about that one.
And, last, but certainly not least, happy birthday to Megan from Fine Mist and Andy Dixon!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
darko
A couple of years ago, a guy named Andrew emailed me to invite me down to the Chapel to check out his band, the Clips. Luckily, I got off of my lazy ass and actually made it to the show, because they impressed me enough to check them out again... and again.. and at some point they became one of my favourite local acts.
I was looking back at old blog posts and realized how many of the funnest nights I can remember involved going to see a Clips show at some point in the evening (usually in one of the city's "alternative" venues). So, it's with more than a touch of sadness that I let you know that MJ's decided to give up his guitar duties in the band (an amicable split), and, though Andrew, Edo, James, and Jeremy have decided to still make music together, with his departure, the remaining four will be shifting directions and changing names to respect the change in their line up.
While that means exciting things in the future, it also means that this Thursday at the Red Room for Olio is the last time to hear the Clips play their old songs live (so if what was already, in my humble opinion, the best show of the fest wasn't enough to get you out on a Thursday, you've got extra motivation now).
In atypical fashion, the guys have already revealed their setlist for Thursday:
Eyesuck
Pennies (new song)
Space Kidz w/ "triad" segue to...
2nd Hand Deal
Untitled new song
Kassel
...because if you want to hear something that isn't above, they'll take requests. The Olio website says "via marker on shot glasses (presumably full ones) bought from the bar and delivered to the stage," but Edo told me they'll play something if you write the song name on a sign.
See you at the Red Room.
now playing: the Clips - Wire
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
leaky lifeboat
On Sunday, I checked out the second day of VFest, making it just in time to hear the last of Awesome Color's songs while waiting to get in.
Jarvis Cocker was the first act that I actually saw. Jarvis, who wasn't exactly dressed for the weather, was his usual charming self, pulling mostly from his latest disc.
Future of the Left, whose latest disc I quite like, were on the side stage after that, but I opted to move closer to the mainstage, since Sonic Youth were playing there right after.
SY, who had Mark Ibold (ex-Pavement) playing bass with them, pulled almost solely from the Eternal, throwing in a pair of tracks from Daydream Nation ("Cross the Breeze" and "Silver Rocket"). While the set displayed that the newer stuff holds up pretty well against older tracks live, I could have done with a little more variety... but beggars can't be choosers.
I bailed just as Metric were finishing off their set. I wasn't huge on their latest, but they've definitely still got live chops.
Thanks to the Clips for playing Damaged Goods on Friday. And sorry, once again, that the DJ started playing music accidentally before you guys were actually finished.
Cartographers, Streetlight, and Wilderness Years play Funky Winkerbean's tonight.
On August 1st, there's a benefit for Goonies (at Goonies, of course) that features Candles, Nihilist Party, Shipyards, Gross Xmas, and Half Chinese.
Also on August 1st, Quintron & Miss Pussycat play an early show at the Media club with thee Manipulators.
Little Mountain is showing the Speculative Frontier on August 6th, a night that also features music by Jeffrey Allport and Empress.
Sex with Strangers, Combine the Victorious, Accost, and the Keeper play the Rail on August 8th. The Skinny will be there to make you laugh as well.
Kidnap Kids, Nihilist Party, Half Chinese, and Payday Millionaire play Lugz on August 14th.
Bats for Lashes play Venue on August 25th. (thanks Reilly)
Busdriver is at the Media Club on September 1st.
The Brunettes are at the Media Club on September 21st.
The Manic Street Preachers play the Commodore on September 22nd, which is their first visit to Vancouver since before I even got a fake ID, let alone reached the age of majority, which is a long ass time ago.
Kid Koala is at the Commodore the next night.
Brasstronaut play the Biltmore on September 23rd.
Holy Fuck play Venue on September 24th.
Pink Mountaintops are at the Rickshaw on September 27th.
"Monsters of Folk" (Conor Oberst, Jim James, and M.Ward) are at the Orpheum on October 13th.
Grizzly Bear plays the Vogue on October 14th. (thanks BunkleLife)
A Place to Bury Strangers are at the Biltmore on October 20th.
Yo La Tengo are at the Commodore on October 21st.
The Gossip plays the Ballroom the next night.
Built to Spill are at the Commodore on November 18th.
Monday, July 20, 2009
neon eyelids lift me up to the sky
The Clips haven't played in Vancouver since November of last year, so I'm really excited that they agreed to play Damaged Goods this coming Friday. If you've heard their record or seen them live, I probably don't need to say much more than that.
I'm going to optimistically suggest that you should get there early, because this really should be a packed show.
Regulars: July 20th - July 26th
Monday
Skinny Mondays @ the Biltmore: unknown (looking for a new venue?)
Tuesday
Boosh Tuesdays @ the Cobalt: the Falklands, Plus Perfect, What's Wrong With Tohei?
Sailing @ the Astoria: Half Chinese
Wednesday
Fake Jazz Wednesday @ the Cobalt: The Two Dads, Feral Children, Mind Kontrol Ultra, Human Shield, Knots
The Beehive @ Honey: back on July 29th
Gypsy Fade Wednesday @ the Media Club: back on July 29th
Thursday
Honey Lung Thursday @ Honey: Stamina Mantis, Nihilist Party, and Role Mach
Friday
Damaged Goods @ the Astoria: the Clips
Far Away @ the Media Club: MT-40
Phantom Islands @ Hoko's: Stamina Mantis, Payday Millionaire, Air Castle, and Sajia Sultana
Saturday
Glory Days @ the Biltmore: Hard Drugs and Adelaide
Night Shift @ the Astoria: back on August 8th
No More Strangers @ Funky Winkerbean's: the Magician and Girlfriends & Boyfriends
Thursday, January 22, 2009
everybody knows that you're coast to coast kid
The Clips - "Space Kidz" (via Pitchfork TV
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
cameras
So, after having the plug pulled on the venue and apparently almost losing their headliner, the Beyond Robson post-election soiree finally did go off at the Peanut Gallery on Saturday.
Women had some technical difficulties near the beginning of their set, but once they got rolling they sounded pretty good. The sound was way cleaner last time they were here (at Hoko's), but they played a bunch of new songs on Saturday, which were nice to hear. The new material isn't a far cry from the songs off of their self-titled debut, but that's definitely not a bad thing.
The Clips, who may have played one of their last shows for awhile (Brasstronaut got a residency at the Banff Centre, so Edo will be out of town for 6 months or so - congrats, guys), came on before Women. The band practices in the Peanut Gallery, but I think this might have been the first time they'd ever played there. It was nice to see them on their home turf, especially if they aren't back there for awhile now.
As a Clips related aside, check out these photos by Chris Wang of their recent video shoot.
I got to the venue in time to catch the end of Gang Violence's set. They were pretty good to begin with and they're getting better every time I see them.
During Hot Panda and the Bicycles I was hanging in the back. I'm not overly fond of either band, honestly.
Tomorrow (Thursday, in case you're reading this tomorrow), Hard Feelings play with Golden Touch at Honey.
On Saturday, Fine Mist, Trembling, and SSRIs play at Casa del Artista. After the bands Mikey from the Barcelona Chair is spinning tunes. Admission is by donation and all proceeds go to Amnesty International and the Kuong Kyaw Refugee Camp on the Thailand-Burma border.
The same night, Elizabeth, Adjective, and Sex Attack are at the Peanut Gallery.
On November 27th, the aforementioned Barcelona Chair open for Assertion at Pat's.
On the 29th, Haggatha is at the Sweatshop with V. Vecker, Set Sail to Sea, and Leviathans.
The Sweatshop hosts another displaced ER show (someone called the cops on them) on December 4th with Wet Hair, Peaking Lights, Temptation, and Aerosol Constellations.
The next night, Mattress plays the Railway with the Doers, Shearing Pinx, Stamina Mantis, and gr8-2000. It's Shawn from the Doers' last show with the band.
Spiral Stairs (ex-Pavement) is at the Biltmore with Ian Moore on December 17th.
Matt & Kim are at the Biltmore on January 28th.
Lykke Li returns to play an even bigger venue (the Commodore) on February 11th.
And, Barr is off the bill at Richard's tomorrow night.
now playing: Marnie Stern - the Crippled Jazzer
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
this one's out to the wasted space kidz
Friday, I hit the Sweatshop for the first time since it moved (surprising, I know) and caught the Clips, who were celebrating the re-release of their (great) debut, Matterhorn. The guys were their usual dance-tastic selves. I left before Faunts (combination of drunk and tired). Anybody catch them?
Saturday, I started my evening off at Hoko's. Ora Cogan was pleasant, but I wasn't really in the mood for her very soft sounds. It would have been nicer in a different venue.
Aja Rose Bond was a little more up my alley (on that particular evening). And things really got rolling when the sound got cranked a bit. In fact, I would've liked to hear her stuff even louder. Things were just great at a normally palatable volume, but I imagine that I would've loved all the swirling noise had the decibels approached something closer to ear splitting. But that's just me.
A big thanks to Kris and Jesse for letting me know that they were putting on this show, because I'd never heard of Grouper before they emailed to say they were bringing her to town, and she was absolutely wonderful. If you described what the performance was - essentially layers of heavily delayed instrumentation and looped/delayed/reverb laden vocals - it sounds like a bit of a sonic mess, but it was anything but. As with Ora Cogan, it wasn't exactly the most fitting environment, but I would've watched her pretty much anywhere.
My only regret is that, because I had my bike, I didn't have anyway to carry an LP or two home.
After the Hoko's show wound down, I made my way over to the Peanut Gallery, where No Gold had just started playing. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but something about that band just cheers me up, no matter what my mood... and I was in a pretty decent mood before arriving.
I will take any Secret Mommy show that I can get, but their rather intricate arrangements suffered from the less than optimal sound at the Peanut Gallery. It's still nice to cram together on a Summer evening to see one of the city's best bands do their thing, but if you missed it, you can count on the fact that you can catch them with some better acoustics at some point.
Basketball weren't held at bay by the sound system. In fact, they weren't held at bay by anything. Cam sort of nailed it on the head this afternoon when he asked me, "how amazing were Basketball?"
This band get's better every time I see them, so I'm more than a little bummed out that Vic Square is going to be their last Vancouver show for the foreseeable future.
Oh, and Cheylene from the Peanut Gallery lost her jacket, ipod, and cell phone on Saturday. If you took it my accident (or you upped it and have decided to have a conscience since then), drop her a line and give it back.
Speaking of the Block Party, for the anonymous facebook-less person who asked awhile back, the rest of the line-up (thus far - there's more to come) is: Evaporators, No Kids, Ice Cream, and Defektors, with Bison and Sorcerers playing the after party. And, there should be a real website up here sometime before the show.
Speaking of Sorcerers, Budgie's Burritos is celebrating their soon-to-be finished renovations with a party on August 15th at the Biltmore. Sorcerers and VPD play and the headliner's being advertised as a "big, hairy, East Van bovine." Wonder who that could be?
Speaking of Cam, he's got a new monthly with My! Gay! Husband!, and they're kicking it off with a bang at the Sweatshop on August 16th. Ladyhawk and Hard Drugs perform with Jason spinning tunes before and after. It's really wouldn't be proper to make it all the way through summer without a Ladyhawk show (I know they opened for the Cons, but I was in Calgary).
On Wednesday, David Eby is having a fundraiser for his City Council bid. Taxes, Brasstronaut, Language Arts, and Tyler Fedchuk are all flexing their political muscles for the evening at the ANZA.
Hawaiian Bibles, Familia, Ruskin, and i/i are at the Media Club on Friday.
Also on Friday, Mutators are having their LP release party at the ER. You may remember their being a previously held LP release party where the celebratory mood was dampened slightly because the records got delayed due to a mastering problem. Well, they're all packaged and ready to go now! I, for one, am absolutely amped to hear their full-length. Hopefully, you are too. Shearing Pinx and V. Vecker are on hand, along with Zs (from Brooklyn), who go on last.
now playing: BSS w/Liz Powell - Horses (Patti Smith Covery)
Monday, February 18, 2008
missing the plan
I don't have to go to work today, but for some reason I only slept in for an hour, so why I don't I talk about a show I should've recapped a few days ago...
There was a ton of stuff going on Friday night, but, as expected for anyone who knows me, I was at the Biltmore for the first part of the night.
At this point, I don't really know what else to say about the Clips or JPNDRDS that I haven't said already. Last year they put out two of my favourite records (and JPNDRDS already put out one of my favourite this year), and even though I've seen both bands play more than almost any other band in the last 12 months, they're still both live favourites.
Only downside of the evening? I had to bail early to catch some friends' birthdays at the Astoria, so I missed Fake Shark-Real Zombie. I bet they slayed (as usual) though.
Cut Copy are at Richard's on April 29th. I'll be completely honest though, I'm more excited to see if Black Kids can live up to both the hype and how fantastic their first four (released) songs are.
Cat Power is at the Vogue for an all-ager on April 10th. Here's to there being shows at the Vogue again. There's not enough all-ages venues in this city, and there's certainly nothing comparable to that size that doesn't sound like shit. Sonic Youth there a few years back is still one of the best things I've ever seen. (thank to everyone who emailed/commented on this one)
Eddie Vedder is performing solo at the Centre for the Performing Arts on April 2nd.
Wolf Eyes is going to destroy Pat's on June 11th.
Chromeo is at the Commodore now. Same day though.
Minus the Bear are at Richard's on March 24th.
Lo Fi Fnk are at the Bourbon on March 6th.
Tokyo Police Club are at the Plaza on May 16th.
Gary Louris (of the still on seemingly indefinite hiatus, Jayhawks) is at Richard's on March 17th. Vetiver open.
The Von Bondies are at Richard's on April 25th.
C'mon are at Pub 340 on March 29th. I've only streamed a few of their songs off of MySpace, but my general rule of thumb is that if it involved Ian Blurton, there's a pretty good chance of it being good.
Plants and Animals are at the media Club on March24th. No Gold opens.
No Gold also plays the Media Club on March 7th with Secret Mommy and Basketball.
And last, but certainly not least, the SSRIs, Russian Words, Hymn for Her, and Emmett Hall (who I presume is not the late, great who helped found medicare) are at Little Mountain Studios on March 7th.
now playing: Maximum Joy - Stretch (99 Records Version)
Friday, November 02, 2007
our hearts are cagey, but we're not wasting time
I do apologize for not mentioning that the Octoberman/Mohawk Lodge/Leah Abramson musical caravan returned home this week and played a celebratory show at the railway last night. I bet it was good. Leah played solo.
I, however, was at the ANZA for the Clips CD release. I won't go heavy on details, but Small Fame opened and it was pretty much what you would expect from a Dan Moxon fronted project. Less metal riffage than Bend Sinister. The Paper Cranes actually closed out the night, which was gracious of them, since the weeknight show date meant a lot of people called it a night rather early, and checked out after the Clips. Those early-to-bed people missed out on a pretty great set that was highlighted by a Jam cover.
The Clips, as you'd expect, came to party. They also filled the room with their friends, who gave them a proper album kick off.
You can check out my thoughts on their newie, Matterhorn (sort of), at Streethawk. Luisa also had a nice chat with Andrew and Edo: here.
Nardwuar's now been on the air for about 12 hours already. He'll rock the UBC SUB Ballroom tonight. It's all-ages and free.
Matt did his annual Hottest Canadian Bands Poll. It's not that I haven't been excited by a lot of Canadian acts this year, but I wouldn't exactly call them "hot." I felt a bit out of touch with the rest of the blogosphere, although 8 of my 9 picks made the list. Here's my ballot, if you were curious. Note the overuse of the word "someone" in the comments for AF:
There's a bunch of stuff going on this weekend. Get out there and at least look like you're having fun.
Monday, October 29, 2007
ghouls night out
On Saturday, I attempted to catch both Paradise Island and Tara Jane O'Neil at the Secret Space, while bouncing next door to take in the Misfits cover night at the Emergency Room, but I managed to miss TJO when I got wrapped up in Nu Sensae/N213's joint set at the ER.
Paradise Island features Erase Errata's Jenny Hoyston, whose set was a mix of experimental, almost ambient noises and pretty standard guitar songs. It was sort of hit or miss, but it wasn't as if one of the aforementioned styles was entirely well executed and one wasn't. The highlight for me was when a bunch of sleigh bells and tambourines got distributed around the room and everything was bathed in a wash of jingling.
It was the first time I've been to the Secret Space as well. It's a fun little room. They also had a wicked pumpkin on display, that I clearly should have taken a picture of.
After Pardise Island's set, I made my way next door to the Emergency Room. The Nu Sensae/N213 set that distracted me from getting back to the Secret Space in time for Tara Jane O'Neil was pretty great. Actually, everything was pretty great, but the Mutators' set was awesome (shocking that I'd think that, I know). If you can't sing like Danzig (and how can?), you may as well sound like you're shredding your vocal chords.
There were plenty of great outfits on display, which of course included Misfits make-up and a more than a few Joey Only hairstyles (I know there's an actual name for that, but I don't know it).
I once again neglected to grab a Mutators 7" before they ran out/stopped selling them. The good news for me (and you) is that they're at Audiopile now and at Scratch later this week... or you can get one by mail from the Broadway to Boundary.
Lots of great local stuff going on this week, as you can see over in the sidebar.
Unfortunately, Taxes won't be playing Shindig this week, but A Relative Distance, who were supposed to play the week that Treacherous Machete won, are filling in. Somewhat Taxes related, Sean is doing Morning Brew again. Don't call it a comeback.
I got my hands on the new Clips record, Matterhorn. Full review will be up on Streethawk tonight/tomorrow morning (plus an interview), but in the meantime, I will say that my expectations have been satisfied (and they were pretty high). Grab your own copy on Thursday at the ANZA.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
matterhorn
Modern Creatures are at the Emergency Room on October 19th with Taxes, Nu Sensae, and A.R.C.
Josh from the Painted Birds emailed about their tour kick off party at the ANZA on October 12th. Ammonia Stars open.
The Digitalism and Matthew Dear shows have been combined, which means the former changes dates (to one day later) and the latter changes venues (from the Media Club to Richard's). Tickets for either original show will be honoured at the new date/venue, and I presume you can get refunds for Digitalism tickets if you can't make the new date. (thanks Simon)
Monday, September 17, 2007
through the broken city
I've always maintained that while I never felt that Bend Sinister were my thing, I've always thought that they're extremely talented. There's the old argument about whether "good" music is a subjective or objective thing, and while there's definitely a subjective component to any criticism, I always brought up Bend Sinister as an example of a band that I thought were, objectively speaking, a great band. With that in mind, I also felt like one day I'd be watching them and things would click. I think that day came on Saturday night. They're still a few steps removed from what I usually listen to (Naben once jokingly - or maybe seriously - said that judging by what I listen to, if I liked them, they'd be doing something wrong), but they're set this weekend was immensely enjoyable. So, I guess I have to think of someone else to point to when I make my objective criticism argument, and if Naben reads this while they're on tour he might have to reconsider some of his riffage. It's business as usual for everyone else though.
Sinister singer, Dan Moxon, organized the weekend soiree at Brad Gough Studios as the kick-off for their CBC Radio 3 sponsored tour, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate their latest trek across the country. While the place was absolutely packed (by about 10pm), the space was such that it didn't seem as weirdly cramped as gallery shows usually are. Don't get me wrong, the place was stuffed with people, but rather than feeling like it was a show in an art space, it felt like the place was actually designed with performance in mind. The sound system wasn't the most amazing thing in the world, but other than that, you it didn't feel like the music was intruding on somewhere that it didn't usually belong. Hopefully, things went off without any major hitches, and we'll see a few more shows there in future.
The Clips, who are out on tour with Bend Sinister for the first half a dozen dates or so, played right before their tour mates, and further cemented themselves as one of my favourite local live acts. Apparently, people were unfortunately still during No Gold's set (which I unfortunately missed), but things definitely got moving once the Clips got going. It was hot as hell inside, but that didn't mean people were holding back at all... it just meant that it got really sweaty in there. And, since the people came to move, the band obliged by sticking almost exclusively to their upbeat numbers, which was just fine by me.
How much am I looking forward to their forthcoming (out Nov. 3rd) full-length? A lot.
After the tour, their next scheduled show is November 29th at the Bourbon (for Blastramp). The equally poptastic, Good News are also on the bill... and hey, doubles are four bucks.
I missed No Gold (damnit), because I was interviewing Bison over at the Balmoral (woo!). I actually didn't get to catch their set (my original plan was to skip between venues, but the Bend Sinister show was so full there were no ins/outs), but I did take in Taxes before heading East. Sean seemed even more animated than usual, and I think the somewhat sparse crowd that was there would agree that they were pretty ace. I'm kicking myself for forgetting to pick up their freshly burned CD-R release, but hopefully they'll have some on hand when they play Shindig on October 30th (against Adjective - that one'll be close).
Speaking of Adjective, they'll be the guest live act at Better Than Loneliness on October 3rd at the Biltmore.
Chromeo are set to make-up for their canceled show from a few months back on October 4th at Sonar.
The Winks are back home on November 3rd to play an all-ager at the Ukrainian Hall with Secret Mommy, No Gold, and Collapsing Opposites.
While you may want to head down to the Plaza for Boys Noize on Wednesday night, you should know that the Makeout is celebrating it's first birthday at the Unicorn. That's a whole year of Thursday morning hangovers!
I've got an awesome contest to announce tomorrow, so check back/stay tuned/get excited.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
time breaks down
If you'll recall, tonight's show is a fundraiser for the upcoming CBC Radio 3 sponsored Bend Sinister/Clips tour, which sees the two bands playing shows out to Winnipeg together, with Bend Sinister (and singer/keys come videographer, Edo) heading all the way across our great nation (as well as several nations within the nation). What that means is that, in addition to seeing three of the city's finest live acts, you can feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that your $10 is going to brighten the day of someone in Regina when this mobile party rolls through their crappy town (err.. sorry... Regina-ites... Reginians... whatever). Not only that, but you'll be able to check out some great art, as some of Terminal City's finest artists are putting their personal favourite works on display. And, to top it all off, after all the bands play, Expendable Youth (aka those ChalkedUp dudes) are spinning for your dancing pleasure (although the Clips should get your ass shaking as well). Oh, and there'll be tons of beer... and it'll be cheap.
I know Bison, Taxes, and Cobra are playing the Balmoral tonight as well, and while that would usually be a no brainer, this party is going to be a guaranteed good time. Plus, if you're really keen on catching some of the show at the Bal, it's not that far of a walk. And, if you're worried about missing out on the Unicorn, you can always catch the Salbourg guys with Boyz Noise (eep!) on Wednesday.
Dan from Bend Sinister (and also Small Fame) put together a great compilation that features the three bands that are playing tonight, and also a whole slew of bands that they'll be playing with when they make the trek out to Pop Montreal and back. I want to say that it'll be available at the show, but I'm not sure if that would make me a liar or not. If they do have some kicking around at the merch booth, it's worth picking up.
now playing: Blue Sky Addicts - End of the Beginning
Sunday, July 15, 2007
2nd hand deal
Our next stop was Wintermitts CD release at Frank's on Franklin. The band describes themselves as "ADD" and "genre bending," and I wouldn't disagree. With that in mind, my fondness for them varied from song to song. The only other time I saw them, they were playing as a 3-piece, but last night they were a five strong version of the Wintermitts, and that was definitely a good thing.
After the Wintermitts finished, I made it to the Sweatshop in time to catch most of the Clips set. I'm way more into their upbeat material than the down tempo stuff, and luckily for me, that's mostly what they stuck to. If for nothing else, they get loads of admiration for being able to get most of the crowd to dance when it felt like it was too hot to move at all. Their last song, especially, was pretty intense.
Bend Sinister finished off the evening (well, my evening - the party kept going after they played). As I've said before, they're just stylistically not my thing, but if you're into prog (minus the pretension), there's nobody doing it better in this city. They also got a new drummer. No offense to the old guy, but this new dude is an upgrade, which makes them even tighter than they were before.
now playing: Autolux - Sugarless
Monday, April 02, 2007
so trill
photo by J. Brass (via the Clips MySpace)
On Friday, Andrew from the Clips was kind enough to invite me down to their show at the Chapel. Before I get to the music, it's worth digressing a little to talk about the venue.
Located just around the corner from Pat's, the former funeral parlour is a great new addition to Vancouver's collection of venues. Honestly, the way things are going in the city, I'm happy when any place willing to host live music springs up, but this place looks like it could really be something special. On Friday (and through until April 15th), the place was also playing host to the art show, Vague Undertaking, and while I'd never profess that I'm very knowledgeable about visual arts, it seemed like a great spot to showcase some pretty interesting looking pieces. The room that the bands played in was cozy, but not cramped, and more importantly, it sounded pretty good in there. But back to the band...
When I sampled the Clips' music for the first time (through their MySpace), I remember thinking "they're pretty good," and sort of filing it away. Honestly, I think it may be in part due to the fact that the p2p revolucion has started to eat away at my attention span, but that's another discussion for another day. On that note, I showed up on Friday with a very general idea of what I was about to hear, and came with very few preconceptions. And, I've got to say, I was really quite impressed. The guys don't really stick to one style, so I was more enamoured with some tracks and less into others from a personal preference perspective, but it seems that whatever they try to do stylistically, they can do well. For me, the highlights were the dancier numbers, and the crowd up front seemed to agree (total bonus points for getting a Vancouver crowd to move), but there were also some nice moments that were reminiscent of Menomena and Clinic (like, before Clinic fell off). Maybe I just need to turn up my computer speakers, but it's also worth noting that their stuff sounds better when it's nice and loud, like it is when it's live.
Speaking of, you can check out the band in a couple of weeks at the Pic. They're on a bill with Huge Manatease, Trembling on April 14th.
With apologies to Bend Sinister and Panurge, I ducked out early, because I already had plans to go to 1/2 Alive.
There were some minor hiccups at the hipster dance night's latest rebirth. The guys had some technical difficulties due to the new set up, and the place apparently didn't expect so many people so the bar was understaffed, but those things were to be expected at a new place. The venue itself, however, is just a bit weird. I still had a pretty good time, but the vibe in there doesn't really fit with what you may have come to expect at 1/2 Alive. Was anyone else there? Thoughts?
now playing: Voxtrot - Kid Gloves
pennies
Why don't we start this catch up post with pics (and a video that I didn't take) from the Clips last show at Olio a few weeks back. Hopefully, you made it out to bid adieu to one of Vancouver's finest (though, if you didn't, they'll be back with new songs, and a slightly new line up).
And now a fast forward recap of other notable stuff:
- I caught Walter TV, Makeout Videotape, and Recreation last Thursday. I'd seen Make out Videotape before, but the sound was sort of abysmal at the show I caught. This time around was much better. Walter TV and Recreation were great as well. Apparently this was an all-White Rock (or White Rock-ex-pats) show.
- A big, big thanks to Manta Ray-Gun and Cat Attack who were both awesome on Friday at Damaged Goods. I booked both bands after only hearing their recorded stuff, but was totally blown away by how good they sounded live. It was only Cat Attack's second show, so look for big things from them in the future. I loved Manta Ray-Gun so much, I bought one of their tapes (if you see them, you should too).
- I was at Glory Days on Saturday for a friend's going away party. They don't do in-and-outs now. I can't remember any legal, non-Granville Strip bar doing that in this city.
One Cool Word is celebrating the release of their latest issue tomorrow at the Biltmore with World Club, Maria in the Shower, and Spoon River.
Justice Rocks (check the link for the full line-up) takes place on Saturday afternoon for free in Strathcona Park.
Also on Saturday, is the Bicycle Music Festival (once again check the link for the line up), which starts at New Brighton Park at 10am before moving throughout the city. The full route and schedule will go up here in a few days.
The Rain & the Sidewalk celebrate the release of their latest CD on September 5th with Role Mach and Collapsing Opposites.
Katasroyka, Girlfriends & Boyfriends, and the Ludvico Treatment play the Media Club the same night.
Hope Sandoval once again ignores her apparently crippling stage fright to play the Red Room on September 22nd.
Junior Boys are at Venue on October 8th.
Vic Chesnutt plays the Red Room on November 26th. He'll be backed by a band that features Guy from Fugazi and members of A Silver Mt. Zion.
Maximo Park, which was originally scheduled for September 7th at Venue, is canceled.
And, last, but certainly not least, happy birthday to Megan from Fine Mist and Andy Dixon!
Labels: birthdays, cat attack, damaged goods, lazy show recaps, makeout videotape, manta ray-gun, recreation, show announcements, the clips, walter tv
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
darko
A couple of years ago, a guy named Andrew emailed me to invite me down to the Chapel to check out his band, the Clips. Luckily, I got off of my lazy ass and actually made it to the show, because they impressed me enough to check them out again... and again.. and at some point they became one of my favourite local acts.
I was looking back at old blog posts and realized how many of the funnest nights I can remember involved going to see a Clips show at some point in the evening (usually in one of the city's "alternative" venues). So, it's with more than a touch of sadness that I let you know that MJ's decided to give up his guitar duties in the band (an amicable split), and, though Andrew, Edo, James, and Jeremy have decided to still make music together, with his departure, the remaining four will be shifting directions and changing names to respect the change in their line up.
While that means exciting things in the future, it also means that this Thursday at the Red Room for Olio is the last time to hear the Clips play their old songs live (so if what was already, in my humble opinion, the best show of the fest wasn't enough to get you out on a Thursday, you've got extra motivation now).
In atypical fashion, the guys have already revealed their setlist for Thursday:
Eyesuck
Pennies (new song)
Space Kidz w/ "triad" segue to...
2nd Hand Deal
Untitled new song
Kassel
...because if you want to hear something that isn't above, they'll take requests. The Olio website says "via marker on shot glasses (presumably full ones) bought from the bar and delivered to the stage," but Edo told me they'll play something if you write the song name on a sign.
See you at the Red Room.
now playing: the Clips - Wire
Labels: the clips
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
leaky lifeboat
On Sunday, I checked out the second day of VFest, making it just in time to hear the last of Awesome Color's songs while waiting to get in.
Jarvis Cocker was the first act that I actually saw. Jarvis, who wasn't exactly dressed for the weather, was his usual charming self, pulling mostly from his latest disc.
Future of the Left, whose latest disc I quite like, were on the side stage after that, but I opted to move closer to the mainstage, since Sonic Youth were playing there right after.
SY, who had Mark Ibold (ex-Pavement) playing bass with them, pulled almost solely from the Eternal, throwing in a pair of tracks from Daydream Nation ("Cross the Breeze" and "Silver Rocket"). While the set displayed that the newer stuff holds up pretty well against older tracks live, I could have done with a little more variety... but beggars can't be choosers.
I bailed just as Metric were finishing off their set. I wasn't huge on their latest, but they've definitely still got live chops.
Thanks to the Clips for playing Damaged Goods on Friday. And sorry, once again, that the DJ started playing music accidentally before you guys were actually finished.
Cartographers, Streetlight, and Wilderness Years play Funky Winkerbean's tonight.
On August 1st, there's a benefit for Goonies (at Goonies, of course) that features Candles, Nihilist Party, Shipyards, Gross Xmas, and Half Chinese.
Also on August 1st, Quintron & Miss Pussycat play an early show at the Media club with thee Manipulators.
Little Mountain is showing the Speculative Frontier on August 6th, a night that also features music by Jeffrey Allport and Empress.
Sex with Strangers, Combine the Victorious, Accost, and the Keeper play the Rail on August 8th. The Skinny will be there to make you laugh as well.
Kidnap Kids, Nihilist Party, Half Chinese, and Payday Millionaire play Lugz on August 14th.
Bats for Lashes play Venue on August 25th. (thanks Reilly)
Busdriver is at the Media Club on September 1st.
The Brunettes are at the Media Club on September 21st.
The Manic Street Preachers play the Commodore on September 22nd, which is their first visit to Vancouver since before I even got a fake ID, let alone reached the age of majority, which is a long ass time ago.
Kid Koala is at the Commodore the next night.
Brasstronaut play the Biltmore on September 23rd.
Holy Fuck play Venue on September 24th.
Pink Mountaintops are at the Rickshaw on September 27th.
"Monsters of Folk" (Conor Oberst, Jim James, and M.Ward) are at the Orpheum on October 13th.
Grizzly Bear plays the Vogue on October 14th. (thanks BunkleLife)
A Place to Bury Strangers are at the Biltmore on October 20th.
Yo La Tengo are at the Commodore on October 21st.
The Gossip plays the Ballroom the next night.
Built to Spill are at the Commodore on November 18th.
Labels: jarvis cocker, metric, show announcements, show recaps, sonic youth, the clips
Monday, July 20, 2009
neon eyelids lift me up to the sky
The Clips haven't played in Vancouver since November of last year, so I'm really excited that they agreed to play Damaged Goods this coming Friday. If you've heard their record or seen them live, I probably don't need to say much more than that.
I'm going to optimistically suggest that you should get there early, because this really should be a packed show.
Regulars: July 20th - July 26th
Monday
Skinny Mondays @ the Biltmore: unknown (looking for a new venue?)
Tuesday
Boosh Tuesdays @ the Cobalt: the Falklands, Plus Perfect, What's Wrong With Tohei?
Sailing @ the Astoria: Half Chinese
Wednesday
Fake Jazz Wednesday @ the Cobalt: The Two Dads, Feral Children, Mind Kontrol Ultra, Human Shield, Knots
The Beehive @ Honey: back on July 29th
Gypsy Fade Wednesday @ the Media Club: back on July 29th
Thursday
Honey Lung Thursday @ Honey: Stamina Mantis, Nihilist Party, and Role Mach
Friday
Damaged Goods @ the Astoria: the Clips
Far Away @ the Media Club: MT-40
Phantom Islands @ Hoko's: Stamina Mantis, Payday Millionaire, Air Castle, and Sajia Sultana
Saturday
Glory Days @ the Biltmore: Hard Drugs and Adelaide
Night Shift @ the Astoria: back on August 8th
No More Strangers @ Funky Winkerbean's: the Magician and Girlfriends & Boyfriends
Labels: damaged goods, the clips, weekly listings
Thursday, January 22, 2009
everybody knows that you're coast to coast kid
The Clips - "Space Kidz" (via Pitchfork TV
Labels: the clips
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
cameras
So, after having the plug pulled on the venue and apparently almost losing their headliner, the Beyond Robson post-election soiree finally did go off at the Peanut Gallery on Saturday.
Women had some technical difficulties near the beginning of their set, but once they got rolling they sounded pretty good. The sound was way cleaner last time they were here (at Hoko's), but they played a bunch of new songs on Saturday, which were nice to hear. The new material isn't a far cry from the songs off of their self-titled debut, but that's definitely not a bad thing.
The Clips, who may have played one of their last shows for awhile (Brasstronaut got a residency at the Banff Centre, so Edo will be out of town for 6 months or so - congrats, guys), came on before Women. The band practices in the Peanut Gallery, but I think this might have been the first time they'd ever played there. It was nice to see them on their home turf, especially if they aren't back there for awhile now.
As a Clips related aside, check out these photos by Chris Wang of their recent video shoot.
I got to the venue in time to catch the end of Gang Violence's set. They were pretty good to begin with and they're getting better every time I see them.
During Hot Panda and the Bicycles I was hanging in the back. I'm not overly fond of either band, honestly.
Tomorrow (Thursday, in case you're reading this tomorrow), Hard Feelings play with Golden Touch at Honey.
On Saturday, Fine Mist, Trembling, and SSRIs play at Casa del Artista. After the bands Mikey from the Barcelona Chair is spinning tunes. Admission is by donation and all proceeds go to Amnesty International and the Kuong Kyaw Refugee Camp on the Thailand-Burma border.
The same night, Elizabeth, Adjective, and Sex Attack are at the Peanut Gallery.
On November 27th, the aforementioned Barcelona Chair open for Assertion at Pat's.
On the 29th, Haggatha is at the Sweatshop with V. Vecker, Set Sail to Sea, and Leviathans.
The Sweatshop hosts another displaced ER show (someone called the cops on them) on December 4th with Wet Hair, Peaking Lights, Temptation, and Aerosol Constellations.
The next night, Mattress plays the Railway with the Doers, Shearing Pinx, Stamina Mantis, and gr8-2000. It's Shawn from the Doers' last show with the band.
Spiral Stairs (ex-Pavement) is at the Biltmore with Ian Moore on December 17th.
Matt & Kim are at the Biltmore on January 28th.
Lykke Li returns to play an even bigger venue (the Commodore) on February 11th.
And, Barr is off the bill at Richard's tomorrow night.
now playing: Marnie Stern - the Crippled Jazzer
Labels: gang violence, show announcements, show recaps, the clips, women
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
this one's out to the wasted space kidz
Really quick recap of my weekend (I'm sure yours was different - there was a lot to do):
Friday, I hit the Sweatshop for the first time since it moved (surprising, I know) and caught the Clips, who were celebrating the re-release of their (great) debut, Matterhorn. The guys were their usual dance-tastic selves. I left before Faunts (combination of drunk and tired). Anybody catch them?
Saturday, I started my evening off at Hoko's. Ora Cogan was pleasant, but I wasn't really in the mood for her very soft sounds. It would have been nicer in a different venue.
Aja Rose Bond was a little more up my alley (on that particular evening). And things really got rolling when the sound got cranked a bit. In fact, I would've liked to hear her stuff even louder. Things were just great at a normally palatable volume, but I imagine that I would've loved all the swirling noise had the decibels approached something closer to ear splitting. But that's just me.
A big thanks to Kris and Jesse for letting me know that they were putting on this show, because I'd never heard of Grouper before they emailed to say they were bringing her to town, and she was absolutely wonderful. If you described what the performance was - essentially layers of heavily delayed instrumentation and looped/delayed/reverb laden vocals - it sounds like a bit of a sonic mess, but it was anything but. As with Ora Cogan, it wasn't exactly the most fitting environment, but I would've watched her pretty much anywhere.
My only regret is that, because I had my bike, I didn't have anyway to carry an LP or two home.
After the Hoko's show wound down, I made my way over to the Peanut Gallery, where No Gold had just started playing. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but something about that band just cheers me up, no matter what my mood... and I was in a pretty decent mood before arriving.
I will take any Secret Mommy show that I can get, but their rather intricate arrangements suffered from the less than optimal sound at the Peanut Gallery. It's still nice to cram together on a Summer evening to see one of the city's best bands do their thing, but if you missed it, you can count on the fact that you can catch them with some better acoustics at some point.
Basketball weren't held at bay by the sound system. In fact, they weren't held at bay by anything. Cam sort of nailed it on the head this afternoon when he asked me, "how amazing were Basketball?"
This band get's better every time I see them, so I'm more than a little bummed out that Vic Square is going to be their last Vancouver show for the foreseeable future.
Oh, and Cheylene from the Peanut Gallery lost her jacket, ipod, and cell phone on Saturday. If you took it my accident (or you upped it and have decided to have a conscience since then), drop her a line and give it back.
Speaking of the Block Party, for the anonymous facebook-less person who asked awhile back, the rest of the line-up (thus far - there's more to come) is: Evaporators, No Kids, Ice Cream, and Defektors, with Bison and Sorcerers playing the after party. And, there should be a real website up here sometime before the show.
Speaking of Sorcerers, Budgie's Burritos is celebrating their soon-to-be finished renovations with a party on August 15th at the Biltmore. Sorcerers and VPD play and the headliner's being advertised as a "big, hairy, East Van bovine." Wonder who that could be?
Speaking of Cam, he's got a new monthly with My! Gay! Husband!, and they're kicking it off with a bang at the Sweatshop on August 16th. Ladyhawk and Hard Drugs perform with Jason spinning tunes before and after. It's really wouldn't be proper to make it all the way through summer without a Ladyhawk show (I know they opened for the Cons, but I was in Calgary).
On Wednesday, David Eby is having a fundraiser for his City Council bid. Taxes, Brasstronaut, Language Arts, and Tyler Fedchuk are all flexing their political muscles for the evening at the ANZA.
Hawaiian Bibles, Familia, Ruskin, and i/i are at the Media Club on Friday.
Also on Friday, Mutators are having their LP release party at the ER. You may remember their being a previously held LP release party where the celebratory mood was dampened slightly because the records got delayed due to a mastering problem. Well, they're all packaged and ready to go now! I, for one, am absolutely amped to hear their full-length. Hopefully, you are too. Shearing Pinx and V. Vecker are on hand, along with Zs (from Brooklyn), who go on last.
now playing: BSS w/Liz Powell - Horses (Patti Smith Covery)
Labels: basketball, no gold, secret mommy, show announcements, show recaps, the clips
Monday, February 18, 2008
missing the plan
I don't have to go to work today, but for some reason I only slept in for an hour, so why I don't I talk about a show I should've recapped a few days ago...
There was a ton of stuff going on Friday night, but, as expected for anyone who knows me, I was at the Biltmore for the first part of the night.
At this point, I don't really know what else to say about the Clips or JPNDRDS that I haven't said already. Last year they put out two of my favourite records (and JPNDRDS already put out one of my favourite this year), and even though I've seen both bands play more than almost any other band in the last 12 months, they're still both live favourites.
Only downside of the evening? I had to bail early to catch some friends' birthdays at the Astoria, so I missed Fake Shark-Real Zombie. I bet they slayed (as usual) though.
Cut Copy are at Richard's on April 29th. I'll be completely honest though, I'm more excited to see if Black Kids can live up to both the hype and how fantastic their first four (released) songs are.
Cat Power is at the Vogue for an all-ager on April 10th. Here's to there being shows at the Vogue again. There's not enough all-ages venues in this city, and there's certainly nothing comparable to that size that doesn't sound like shit. Sonic Youth there a few years back is still one of the best things I've ever seen. (thank to everyone who emailed/commented on this one)
Eddie Vedder is performing solo at the Centre for the Performing Arts on April 2nd.
Wolf Eyes is going to destroy Pat's on June 11th.
Chromeo is at the Commodore now. Same day though.
Minus the Bear are at Richard's on March 24th.
Lo Fi Fnk are at the Bourbon on March 6th.
Tokyo Police Club are at the Plaza on May 16th.
Gary Louris (of the still on seemingly indefinite hiatus, Jayhawks) is at Richard's on March 17th. Vetiver open.
The Von Bondies are at Richard's on April 25th.
C'mon are at Pub 340 on March 29th. I've only streamed a few of their songs off of MySpace, but my general rule of thumb is that if it involved Ian Blurton, there's a pretty good chance of it being good.
Plants and Animals are at the media Club on March24th. No Gold opens.
No Gold also plays the Media Club on March 7th with Secret Mommy and Basketball.
And last, but certainly not least, the SSRIs, Russian Words, Hymn for Her, and Emmett Hall (who I presume is not the late, great who helped found medicare) are at Little Mountain Studios on March 7th.
now playing: Maximum Joy - Stretch (99 Records Version)
Labels: japandroids, show announcements, show recaps, the clips
Friday, November 02, 2007
our hearts are cagey, but we're not wasting time
I haven't felt much like blogging in the last couple of days, though I'm sure you have found other, more superior methods of slacking off from work/school/vacation on other corners of the internet, so it's no biggie.
I do apologize for not mentioning that the Octoberman/Mohawk Lodge/Leah Abramson musical caravan returned home this week and played a celebratory show at the railway last night. I bet it was good. Leah played solo.
I, however, was at the ANZA for the Clips CD release. I won't go heavy on details, but Small Fame opened and it was pretty much what you would expect from a Dan Moxon fronted project. Less metal riffage than Bend Sinister. The Paper Cranes actually closed out the night, which was gracious of them, since the weeknight show date meant a lot of people called it a night rather early, and checked out after the Clips. Those early-to-bed people missed out on a pretty great set that was highlighted by a Jam cover.
The Clips, as you'd expect, came to party. They also filled the room with their friends, who gave them a proper album kick off.
You can check out my thoughts on their newie, Matterhorn (sort of), at Streethawk. Luisa also had a nice chat with Andrew and Edo: here.
Nardwuar's now been on the air for about 12 hours already. He'll rock the UBC SUB Ballroom tonight. It's all-ages and free.
Matt did his annual Hottest Canadian Bands Poll. It's not that I haven't been excited by a lot of Canadian acts this year, but I wouldn't exactly call them "hot." I felt a bit out of touch with the rest of the blogosphere, although 8 of my 9 picks made the list. Here's my ballot, if you were curious. Note the overuse of the word "someone" in the comments for AF:
1. Feist
People who don't like Feist are the same people who don't like kittens and world peace and things like that.
2. Arcade Fire
Neon Bible isn't as good as Funeral, and I honestly haven't listened to either very much this year, but denying that they're "hotter" than someone like Crystal Castles or someone like that is a bit delusional, no?
3. Julie Doiron
She didn't win the Polaris Prize, but at least her record wasn't boring as hell. In fact, with her Eric's Trip colleagues backing her, it was anything but. I would've ranked her higher if the Trip reunion tour had actually made it further West than Ontario.
4. Sunset Rubdown
I was actually a bit underwhelmed by their live performance, but the record is pretty amazing. Plus, everyone always loses their shit over anything Spencer Krug does (rightfully so).
5. New Pornographers
Challengers is probably their weakest effort to date, but the first full scale tour with both Neko and Dan is worth celebrating.
6. Pride Tiger
The guys in this band have always been pretty integral parts of the scene here in Vancouver, but Pride Tiger is probably their first opportunity to reach a bigger audience. And by "bigger," I mean "huge." The Lucky Ones is full of the kind of no frills rock that could score them points with absolutely anybody who appreciates a good guitar riff.
7. Neil Young
Honestly, I haven't even heard Chrome Dreams II yet, but it's Neil Young.
8. Crystal Castles
If blogs were really as influential as people seem to think, these guys would be Daft Punk or something. They're not, but they're still pretty good.
9. Basia Bulat
I mean, just look at her. Of course she's hot. Only kidding. But if we want to talk about names that were on everyones lips, Basia's is probably right up there.
There's a bunch of stuff going on this weekend. Get out there and at least look like you're having fun.
Labels: lazy show recaps, paper cranes, small fame, the clips
Monday, October 29, 2007
ghouls night out
On Saturday, I attempted to catch both Paradise Island and Tara Jane O'Neil at the Secret Space, while bouncing next door to take in the Misfits cover night at the Emergency Room, but I managed to miss TJO when I got wrapped up in Nu Sensae/N213's joint set at the ER.
Paradise Island features Erase Errata's Jenny Hoyston, whose set was a mix of experimental, almost ambient noises and pretty standard guitar songs. It was sort of hit or miss, but it wasn't as if one of the aforementioned styles was entirely well executed and one wasn't. The highlight for me was when a bunch of sleigh bells and tambourines got distributed around the room and everything was bathed in a wash of jingling.
It was the first time I've been to the Secret Space as well. It's a fun little room. They also had a wicked pumpkin on display, that I clearly should have taken a picture of.
After Pardise Island's set, I made my way next door to the Emergency Room. The Nu Sensae/N213 set that distracted me from getting back to the Secret Space in time for Tara Jane O'Neil was pretty great. Actually, everything was pretty great, but the Mutators' set was awesome (shocking that I'd think that, I know). If you can't sing like Danzig (and how can?), you may as well sound like you're shredding your vocal chords.
There were plenty of great outfits on display, which of course included Misfits make-up and a more than a few Joey Only hairstyles (I know there's an actual name for that, but I don't know it).
I once again neglected to grab a Mutators 7" before they ran out/stopped selling them. The good news for me (and you) is that they're at Audiopile now and at Scratch later this week... or you can get one by mail from the Broadway to Boundary.
Lots of great local stuff going on this week, as you can see over in the sidebar.
Unfortunately, Taxes won't be playing Shindig this week, but A Relative Distance, who were supposed to play the week that Treacherous Machete won, are filling in. Somewhat Taxes related, Sean is doing Morning Brew again. Don't call it a comeback.
I got my hands on the new Clips record, Matterhorn. Full review will be up on Streethawk tonight/tomorrow morning (plus an interview), but in the meantime, I will say that my expectations have been satisfied (and they were pretty high). Grab your own copy on Thursday at the ANZA.
Labels: mutators, nu sensae, paradise island, show recaps, the clips
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
matterhorn
Edo from the Clips wrote a dispatch from the road to let people know that the band's new album will be out on November 2nd. You might note that Friday's aren't typically new release days, but the guys plan to unleash their first full-length on the world in typical Clips fashion: at a sweaty dance party. The CD release show will be at Brad Gough Studios, and more details are surely forthcoming. Edo's filling in on bass (albeit on a midi keyboard) for Bend Sinister, since Dave was forced to come home due to medical reasons. I hope you'll join me in wishing Dave a speedy recovery.
Modern Creatures are at the Emergency Room on October 19th with Taxes, Nu Sensae, and A.R.C.
Josh from the Painted Birds emailed about their tour kick off party at the ANZA on October 12th. Ammonia Stars open.
The Digitalism and Matthew Dear shows have been combined, which means the former changes dates (to one day later) and the latter changes venues (from the Media Club to Richard's). Tickets for either original show will be honoured at the new date/venue, and I presume you can get refunds for Digitalism tickets if you can't make the new date. (thanks Simon)
Labels: show announcements, the clips
Monday, September 17, 2007
through the broken city
I've always maintained that while I never felt that Bend Sinister were my thing, I've always thought that they're extremely talented. There's the old argument about whether "good" music is a subjective or objective thing, and while there's definitely a subjective component to any criticism, I always brought up Bend Sinister as an example of a band that I thought were, objectively speaking, a great band. With that in mind, I also felt like one day I'd be watching them and things would click. I think that day came on Saturday night. They're still a few steps removed from what I usually listen to (Naben once jokingly - or maybe seriously - said that judging by what I listen to, if I liked them, they'd be doing something wrong), but they're set this weekend was immensely enjoyable. So, I guess I have to think of someone else to point to when I make my objective criticism argument, and if Naben reads this while they're on tour he might have to reconsider some of his riffage. It's business as usual for everyone else though.
Sinister singer, Dan Moxon, organized the weekend soiree at Brad Gough Studios as the kick-off for their CBC Radio 3 sponsored tour, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate their latest trek across the country. While the place was absolutely packed (by about 10pm), the space was such that it didn't seem as weirdly cramped as gallery shows usually are. Don't get me wrong, the place was stuffed with people, but rather than feeling like it was a show in an art space, it felt like the place was actually designed with performance in mind. The sound system wasn't the most amazing thing in the world, but other than that, you it didn't feel like the music was intruding on somewhere that it didn't usually belong. Hopefully, things went off without any major hitches, and we'll see a few more shows there in future.
The Clips, who are out on tour with Bend Sinister for the first half a dozen dates or so, played right before their tour mates, and further cemented themselves as one of my favourite local live acts. Apparently, people were unfortunately still during No Gold's set (which I unfortunately missed), but things definitely got moving once the Clips got going. It was hot as hell inside, but that didn't mean people were holding back at all... it just meant that it got really sweaty in there. And, since the people came to move, the band obliged by sticking almost exclusively to their upbeat numbers, which was just fine by me.
How much am I looking forward to their forthcoming (out Nov. 3rd) full-length? A lot.
After the tour, their next scheduled show is November 29th at the Bourbon (for Blastramp). The equally poptastic, Good News are also on the bill... and hey, doubles are four bucks.
I missed No Gold (damnit), because I was interviewing Bison over at the Balmoral (woo!). I actually didn't get to catch their set (my original plan was to skip between venues, but the Bend Sinister show was so full there were no ins/outs), but I did take in Taxes before heading East. Sean seemed even more animated than usual, and I think the somewhat sparse crowd that was there would agree that they were pretty ace. I'm kicking myself for forgetting to pick up their freshly burned CD-R release, but hopefully they'll have some on hand when they play Shindig on October 30th (against Adjective - that one'll be close).
Speaking of Adjective, they'll be the guest live act at Better Than Loneliness on October 3rd at the Biltmore.
Chromeo are set to make-up for their canceled show from a few months back on October 4th at Sonar.
The Winks are back home on November 3rd to play an all-ager at the Ukrainian Hall with Secret Mommy, No Gold, and Collapsing Opposites.
While you may want to head down to the Plaza for Boys Noize on Wednesday night, you should know that the Makeout is celebrating it's first birthday at the Unicorn. That's a whole year of Thursday morning hangovers!
I've got an awesome contest to announce tomorrow, so check back/stay tuned/get excited.
Labels: bend sinister, show announcements, show recaps, the clips
Saturday, September 15, 2007
time breaks down
You know, sometimes I wish this wasn't a one-man operation, if only so I could say things like "if there's one thing we like over here at From Blown Speakers, it's the Clips." For some reason, the group consensus implied in the "we" just makes the recommendation sound more trustworthy. But, as it stands, you'll just have to take my word for it, when I once again implore you to head down the Brad Gough Studios (870 E. Cordova at Hawks) tonight to catch the Clips, who are sandwiched between the equally formidable talents of Bend Sinister and No Gold.
If you'll recall, tonight's show is a fundraiser for the upcoming CBC Radio 3 sponsored Bend Sinister/Clips tour, which sees the two bands playing shows out to Winnipeg together, with Bend Sinister (and singer/keys come videographer, Edo) heading all the way across our great nation (as well as several nations within the nation). What that means is that, in addition to seeing three of the city's finest live acts, you can feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that your $10 is going to brighten the day of someone in Regina when this mobile party rolls through their crappy town (err.. sorry... Regina-ites... Reginians... whatever). Not only that, but you'll be able to check out some great art, as some of Terminal City's finest artists are putting their personal favourite works on display. And, to top it all off, after all the bands play, Expendable Youth (aka those ChalkedUp dudes) are spinning for your dancing pleasure (although the Clips should get your ass shaking as well). Oh, and there'll be tons of beer... and it'll be cheap.
I know Bison, Taxes, and Cobra are playing the Balmoral tonight as well, and while that would usually be a no brainer, this party is going to be a guaranteed good time. Plus, if you're really keen on catching some of the show at the Bal, it's not that far of a walk. And, if you're worried about missing out on the Unicorn, you can always catch the Salbourg guys with Boyz Noise (eep!) on Wednesday.
Dan from Bend Sinister (and also Small Fame) put together a great compilation that features the three bands that are playing tonight, and also a whole slew of bands that they'll be playing with when they make the trek out to Pop Montreal and back. I want to say that it'll be available at the show, but I'm not sure if that would make me a liar or not. If they do have some kicking around at the merch booth, it's worth picking up.
now playing: Blue Sky Addicts - End of the Beginning
Labels: bend sinister, no gold, the clips
Sunday, July 15, 2007
2nd hand deal
Yesterday, I'd half-assed planned to just chill out at Hoko's for a bit and take in Hefe and the Neins Circa. The "chilling out at Hoko's for a bit" part happened, but half way through Hefe it was decided that instead of trying to stick around at one show on such a busy night, we would hit up a bunch of them. I didn't catch any of the Neins Circa, and no offense to Hefe, but the undisputed highlight of Hoko's while I was there was the woman who did "Moondance" for the karaoke contest portion of the evening. It was pretty amazing.
Our next stop was Wintermitts CD release at Frank's on Franklin. The band describes themselves as "ADD" and "genre bending," and I wouldn't disagree. With that in mind, my fondness for them varied from song to song. The only other time I saw them, they were playing as a 3-piece, but last night they were a five strong version of the Wintermitts, and that was definitely a good thing.
After the Wintermitts finished, I made it to the Sweatshop in time to catch most of the Clips set. I'm way more into their upbeat material than the down tempo stuff, and luckily for me, that's mostly what they stuck to. If for nothing else, they get loads of admiration for being able to get most of the crowd to dance when it felt like it was too hot to move at all. Their last song, especially, was pretty intense.
Bend Sinister finished off the evening (well, my evening - the party kept going after they played). As I've said before, they're just stylistically not my thing, but if you're into prog (minus the pretension), there's nobody doing it better in this city. They also got a new drummer. No offense to the old guy, but this new dude is an upgrade, which makes them even tighter than they were before.
now playing: Autolux - Sugarless
Labels: bend sinister, show recaps, the clips, wintermitts
Monday, April 02, 2007
so trill
photo by J. Brass (via the Clips MySpace)
On Friday, Andrew from the Clips was kind enough to invite me down to their show at the Chapel. Before I get to the music, it's worth digressing a little to talk about the venue.
Located just around the corner from Pat's, the former funeral parlour is a great new addition to Vancouver's collection of venues. Honestly, the way things are going in the city, I'm happy when any place willing to host live music springs up, but this place looks like it could really be something special. On Friday (and through until April 15th), the place was also playing host to the art show, Vague Undertaking, and while I'd never profess that I'm very knowledgeable about visual arts, it seemed like a great spot to showcase some pretty interesting looking pieces. The room that the bands played in was cozy, but not cramped, and more importantly, it sounded pretty good in there. But back to the band...
When I sampled the Clips' music for the first time (through their MySpace), I remember thinking "they're pretty good," and sort of filing it away. Honestly, I think it may be in part due to the fact that the p2p revolucion has started to eat away at my attention span, but that's another discussion for another day. On that note, I showed up on Friday with a very general idea of what I was about to hear, and came with very few preconceptions. And, I've got to say, I was really quite impressed. The guys don't really stick to one style, so I was more enamoured with some tracks and less into others from a personal preference perspective, but it seems that whatever they try to do stylistically, they can do well. For me, the highlights were the dancier numbers, and the crowd up front seemed to agree (total bonus points for getting a Vancouver crowd to move), but there were also some nice moments that were reminiscent of Menomena and Clinic (like, before Clinic fell off). Maybe I just need to turn up my computer speakers, but it's also worth noting that their stuff sounds better when it's nice and loud, like it is when it's live.
Speaking of, you can check out the band in a couple of weeks at the Pic. They're on a bill with Huge Manatease, Trembling on April 14th.
With apologies to Bend Sinister and Panurge, I ducked out early, because I already had plans to go to 1/2 Alive.
There were some minor hiccups at the hipster dance night's latest rebirth. The guys had some technical difficulties due to the new set up, and the place apparently didn't expect so many people so the bar was understaffed, but those things were to be expected at a new place. The venue itself, however, is just a bit weird. I still had a pretty good time, but the vibe in there doesn't really fit with what you may have come to expect at 1/2 Alive. Was anyone else there? Thoughts?
now playing: Voxtrot - Kid Gloves
Labels: 1/2 alive, show announcements, show recaps, the clips
