Those silly boys of Vampire Weekend have released their latest and greatest from their self-titled album. I've always enjoyed "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," and seeing it in the form of a retro-styled 80s-teen-movie-meets-Weekend at Bernie's-meets-horror-film- definitely brings out the fun of the song. I'm not entirely sure on the director of the video, but all I'm saying here and now is that Vampire Weekend certainly has some of the neatest music videos I've seen in ages.
Hello ladies and gents. It's been a while since posting on here for me, and with this mixtape exchange I've found a good opportunity. I'm a member/lurker on a message board called Mortigi Tempo, and every month or two we participate in a mixtape exchange. We all sign up and draw a partner, and send them some sweet tunes over the internet and/or the mail. This is my most recent mixtape for a member of the board, and I figured I'd share it with Voila, maybe you guys will enjoy it. I'll go through it and give a brief synopsis on the track list and we'll be off on our way!
1. Blast Off! - Lettuce Lettuce is quite simply a powerhouse of get down, get groovy funk. Based out of Boston, these guys will give you no choice but to move to the groove. 2. Can You Get to That? - Funkadelic Don't let the name fool you, this isn't exactly funk in the same vein as the last track. This was in Funkadelic's early days before they morphed into the funk monster that was Parliament (better known as P-Funk). Think Sly and the Family Stone with a more laid back, sparse feel. 3. Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) - Frank Sinatra and the Count Basie Orchestra These guys speak for themselves. Just a few legends struttin their stuff live in Vegas. 4. Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai Some people might remember this song as that song from back in the 90's with the awesome music video of that guy dancing in the white room with the moving floor. Some might remember this artist as the group that played "Canned Heat" years later, which is infamously known as the Napoleon Dynamite dance song. I remember this song as a feel-good, funky jam courtesy of the best acid funk group to come out of Britain. 5. Mr. Sexy Boy - Chin Chin I might be writing a review for this album later on. I heard another Chin Chin song on college radio earlier this summer and loved it so much I called the station to find out who it was. Ordered the CD, and I can't put it down. These disco-soul-funksters from Brooklyn are irresistibly catchy while still maintaining an astounding level of musicality. One of my favorites on the mix. 6. Unfunky UFO - Parliament Coming to you from the aforementioned P-Funk (see track two's description) this is the epitome of dirty space funk, played by those who created it. Just get down on this one. 7. Building Mode 6 (from the Sims Original Soundtrack) - Jerry Martin and Marc Russo This is the transition from the first part of the mix to the second. This is just downright beautiful. I'd exit and enter building mode on the Sims until this song came up. 8. Hot Fun in the Summertime - Sly and the Family Stone Fitting for the season. Feel-good soul from one of the funnest groups around. 9. Slippery People - Talking Heads I know this is cover of a certain soul song, but I can't think of the group at the time. Either way, this is among the Heads' grooviest songs, this version taken from their legendary live album Stop Making Sense. 10. It's Your Thing/Jackson's Thing - 29th Street Saxophone Quartet It's simple. Get four saxes, give them some funky music, and make em rap. Nuff said. 11. Human Nature pt. 2 - Youngblood Brass Band My favorite brass band on the planet, this recording was from when they still had their founding member and virtuoso on the sousaphone, Nat McIntosh. This song is slightly reminiscent of Chicago. 12. March of the Pigs - Nine Inch Nails Rocking track from the king of industrial metal. 13. Song for the Dead - Queens of the Stone Age Probably my favorite track from these guys, Dave Grohl's drumming is spectacular. You'll wonder how they're staying together in the frantic sections of this balls-to-the-wall rocker. 14. Soma - Smashing Pumpkins Ending the mixtape on a quiet note, this song is quite simply beautiful. Listen to it loud with lots of bass. I'd say it's the Pumpkins' most beautiful song in their catalog, and that is certainly saying a lot.
Hope you folks enjoy the mix, it's a fun set of songs that should make you move and make you feel good. More mixtapes will keep coming as the exchanges keep happening. Blast off!
[July 28 - August 3] Mom Sounds Like: Experimental/Instrumental/Post-Rock Drinking Buddies:The Books, Do Make Say Think, All About Max, Bell Orchestre Synopsis: Dentronites duo striking up North Texan post-rock. Makes You Want To...: Introspect; Smile; Walk through the park. [Myspace]/[Blog]
One week, one band. You know the drill. This week, the featured artist is Mom.
The heat... the heat... unbearable. I'm sure it's plenty hot in other places, but here in North Texas, the high temperature has been melting... no - wait - sweltering... Scortching? Sizzling? Baking? Torrid? I could go on, but I think you get the basic idea; North Texans have been cooking in triple digit heat consecutively for more than a week now. A good time to sun tan, certainly. But also a good time to relax inside with some sweet ice tea and some good music filling the house.
When I'm cooped up in the house, I like to think - almost daydream - of what it would be like outside if it were cooler. Instrumental music really gets my mind racing with wondrous thoughts with its fluid instrumentation and (usually) its lack of lyrics. Luckily, if I'm wanting some nice tunes, I don't have to go farther than twenty miles north of the DFW Metroplex to Denton, TX, home of a humble band soothingly named Mom.
Mom, ironically, works in the same way a mother should. This duet of Dentonites, Bruce and Joel, take hold of their guitars, cellos, violins, and/or assorted electronic equipment and soothe your soul like a baby into sweet dreams. Their songs are thoroughly textured, while keeping an air of simplicity at all times. The songs are complex without being so deep that you have to think thoroughly about all the images formed between the melodies. The songs are lilting and imaginative, and can really inspire creativity if you leave your mind open. With elements of post-rock, folk, and minimalism, Mom has a very diverse, eclectic, and always intriguing sound that will certainly have you daydreaming yourself in no time.
Mom flies their flag for their local record label, Pancakes for Mattie, run by C.J. Davis of Good Records, local record shop here in Dallas, Texas. Mom's debut album, Little Brite, is currently on sale through Good Records online, or through iTunes. They of course have a Myspace, and also have a recently created blog that they update periodically. Mom has a show in Dallas coming up soon, and will be taking a short break from recording and playing. But these aren't stay at home moms, as this duo is launching a huge tour with Voices & Organs all over the east coast. So on these hot days, when we're forced to crank up the air conditioning, let the sweet sounds of Mom soothe you into relaxation. Have a nice week, readers.
"hey everybody! want to hear a new song? check it out! hope you enjoy... it's about rollerskating and falling in love with your customer."
That's the spur of the moment bulletin - esoteric as always - given to the Myspace public from Canadian indie-pop superstars, Stars. The Montréal-based quintet has released their latest song, "Why I Want To Save You." Narrated by Torquil Campbell, with the invaluble help of Amy Millan, and expertly layered and musically textured by Seligman, Cranley, and McGee, this track offers a glimpse into the (hopefully) soon-to-be latest release in the Stars repertoire.
Under the album name, the title 'Sad Robots' is listed, but who knows how permanent that might be. But the game from here is pretty simple, folks. Hit up Stars' Myspace and check out their latest release, "Why I Want To Save You." And if that doesn't quench your dehydration for beautiful pop songs, Stars still has plenty of songs from In Our Bedrooms After The War posted, along with "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead," definitely my personal favourite, so your trip will be that much more beneficial. Check it out!
Now, as I said on Wednesday, Peachcake is presently on their amazing Make Mixes, Not War tour. The intention is to have a party, but also to share some of your great music with friends or the band. Their directions for the concert are as follows:
"We Want YOU to make mixes (whether on tapes, CD's, 8-tracks, disk-drives, or whatever media of your choice), and share them! Yes...Share them. Show up to the show and do one of two things:
1. You can submit them to us, (the band) and they will automatically be entered into a giganto-contest where we'll listen and pick our favorite three. (Winners will receive all kinds of prizes).
2. Share them with friends/audience memebers. By doing this, you'll receive a discount on any shirt, pair of Sunglasses, or CD of your choice, and FREE Stickers!"
Now, free clothing options or nice, but as you may have guessed, I'm all about the music. Thus, I wanted to make a mix of my own for the show. But how does one make a mix stand out amongst hundreds of others? I solved this headscratcher with my playlist: a mix of covers! All the songs here are covered by other artists, a true celebration of music, as musicians play each others songs. If nothing else, it's a bit neat, and certainly unique. I collected as much of the stuff on imeem, so you aren't left to scour the internet in search of these rarities. So enjoy!
[song] (original artist) - [played by]
1. Lover's Spit (Broken Social Scene - Feist 2. Good Life (Kanye West) - Cullen Rollins 3. Lucifer Sam (Pink Floyd) - The Flaming Lips 4. Tainted Love (Soft Cell) - Me First & The Gimmie-Gimmies 5. Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division) - Fall Out Boy 6. Tired of Waiting for You (The Kinks) - Green Day 7. Headmaster Ritual (The Smiths) - Radiohead 8. Idioteque (Radiohead) - Obadiah Parker 9. Born On A Train (Magnetic Fields) - The Arcade Fire 10. Keep The Car Running (The Arcade Fire) - Foo Fighters 11. My Hero (Foo Fighters) - Paramore 12. Clementine (Elliot Smith) - The Decemberists 13. A Pirate Looks at Fourty (Jimmy Buffet) - Jack Johnson 14. Love Vigilantes (New Order) - Iron & Wine 15. Heart It Races (Architecture In Helsinki) - Dr. Dog 16. No Diggity (Blackstreet) - The Klaxons 17. Crazy In Love (Beyonce) - Snow Patrol 18. Hey Ya (Outkast) - Obadiah Parker 19. Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson) - Ted Leo 20. Dancing In The Dark (Bruce Springsteen) - Tegan & Sara
Headliner: Peachcake Tour: Make Mixes, Not War Tour Venue: The Ridglea Theater - Fort Worth, TX Date: Friday, 19/7/2008
There are a lot of movies out there. And if you love movies, you will have likely experienced what I'm about to confide in you. Once in awhile, you have a movie that is very good. But said movie is so good because it breaks all expectations; because it breaks cinematic rules; because it bends your idea of what a movie should actually be. I'm talking like Memento, or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; like Amélie, Donnie Darko, Pulp Fiction, or Ghost World. Movies that might make you go, "HUH?!" once the credits start rolling, but still give you that burning, passionate love inside your heart for this new favourite movie.
This long metaphore is an feeble attempt to express exactly what a concert-meets-party-meets-festival-meets-extravaganza-meets-protest rally-meets-communal loving that is a Peachcake show. If that sort of definition wasn't particular enough, you can understand how hard it is for me to come up with words for how amazing Peachcake's recent wandering through Fort Worth, Texas, at The Ridglea Theater was. But trust me, I'll try to be as finite and explanatory as possible.
First a little history. Ridglea Theater is an age-old venue that has been a cultural landmark since 1950, and has been in the spotlight for local Fort Worth music for a decade now. Ridglea was basically the one stop shop in town to catch the most excellent movies around back in the day. Sadly, with the rise of the cineplex, the death of the local theatre became all too real. After turning into a derelict in the 90s, Richard Van Zandt and Wesley Hathaway revived the beautiful place, first hosting laser light shows. The architectural artifact eventually evolved into the neat, wholesome music venue it is today.
Onto Peachcake. This quirky quartet of crazy cats fly the flag of Peace (literally... it's the United States flag with a peace sign instead of stars). Their finest quality is taking one large piece of love and compacting it into the most gorgeous, electro-centric dance tracks your ears may have ever come in contact with. I heard of Peachcake when I first caught wind of Some By Sea almost two years ago, and have been following them off and on ever since. But I had never been to a Peachcake show.
Finally, the perfect event arrived in Fort Worth, that event being the Make Mixes, Not War tour hosted by Peachcake, who is wandering the country in search of some of the best music their audience can provide, as well as returning tenfold with wondrous performances.
The Make Mixes, Not War tour is very self-explanatory. Rather than fighting each other and our neighbours overseas, we should all come together with our communal love for music, and make mixes (mix tapes, mix CDs, 8-track mixes... whatever!) of your favourite sort of music. Then you bring it to your local Max Mixes, Not War adventure, and either share it with Peachcake, or share it with a friend you meet at the show. Pretty neat, eh?
The tour is certainly unique, but how are their shows? Let me list some adjectives: surreal, hallucinogenic, eclectic, vibrant. Peachcake's show structure is possibly the strangest I have ever seen, in the most amazing way possible. Stefan, our humble (if not esoteric) lead singer, spent half of the show on the floor with his audience, running back and forth, singing and dancing. Mick McHale was a bit too busy rocking out on guitar with David Halicky on drums and John O'Keefy playing just about every other instrument.
Somewhere between purple monkeys, granny panties, bags of magic, throwing Stefan into the air with a sheet, climbing on top of the huge speakers for guitar rockage, astronaut helmets, and lots (emphasis on lots) of dancing, Peachcake rocked and danced Ridglea to the ground. The show was less of a concert and more of a dance party; less a dance party, and more like a peaceful form of a riot; less a riot, and more an experience. To be frank, as detailed as I can possibly get, there is no way to accurately describe the live Peachcake experience. It's a period of 40-60 minutes where you are required to let all your inhibitions go, and simply have an absolute blast, and make some brand new, great friends out of strangers. It's both weird and beautiful, and certainly shifts every expectation I've ever had for a concert, ever.
The Makes Mixes, Not War tour is certainly far from over. In fact, Peachcake just began this extravagent tour across the nation the day before the Fort Worth show, in El Paso, TX on July 18th. They'll wind up the roads to those Northern Yankee states before making mad dash way out west, before returning to Texas for more fantastic party times, with their finale in their home state of Arizona. I sincerely (more emphasizing, this time on sincerely) suggest you attend. The fun has only begun.
[July 21-27] The Mudbloods Sounds Like: Wizard Rock Drinking Buddies: Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls, Catchlove, The Remus Lupins Synopsis: Folk-pop infused wizard rock that blends with modern Muggle music. Makes You Want To...: Sing!; Read Harry Potter; Dance the Hippogryff. [Myspace]
One week, one band. You know the drill. This week, the featured artist is The Mudbloods.
I can't help it, honestly. Texas is a country all it's own, no matter what the silly Union of the United States of America or world history tells anyone. After all, Texas is the only state in the Union to ever have been its own country. Texas has nearly every sort of environment one can imagine, from prairies to the Hill Country; from barren, parch near-desert conditions to dense pine forests. And to make this all prevalent, the music scene in the Lone Star State can be described in two wholesome words: Unique and unrivaled.
Though quite a few bands in the next few weeks are Texas-based (this was honestly not planned), there was one I have been a fan of for an especially long time now. Graced by the gift of guitars and the power of love and magic is a wholesome wizard rock band hailing out of Austin, Texas, humbly (or rebelliously, depending on your point of view) named The Mudbloods. Now, when you are a group of wrockstars - whether you're trekking across the Texas highways or those of the nation - if you're going to name yourself after one of the nastiest, foulest racial slurs in the wizarding world - designated especially for those of non-wizard decent - you're definitely going to need some musical talent to back up your band.
This is where The Mudbloods shine. This trio of tricksters brings a different sort of sound to the world of wizard rock. Whereas many wrock bands tend to revolve around a style of electronic-based lyrical endeavours, The Mudbloods stand out with a style, sound, and passion that seperates them from their peers. First off, they have the full band going, which is a definite plus. Their lyrics are of course tied to the Potterverse, but unique in that they aren't necessarily directed toward narration or specific events like many other wrock bands (okay... there was a song about the eulogy for Hagrid's giant spider, but that's different).
Their final badge of honour comes with their unique sound. Wizard rock is still a VERY new genre, and thus, is still having those terrible growth spurts seen when something's growing up. By terrible, I mean good, as this offers for tons of eclectic variety in bands, whom may share a genre and common bond for their love of magic, but who contrast in completely unique musical styles. The Mudbloods bring a more folky, quote-unquote "indie" sound to the wrock table. If bands like The Shins, The Decemberists, and Clap Your Hands And Say Yeah were put in a blender with a few Hogwarts alumni, you'd probably end up with something similar to The Mudbloods. From pop-ish hits like, "Ginny and Me," to stirring folk-pop ballads with songs such as, "Freedom Is Only A Hippogryff Away," and of course, wild and new experimental tracks like "The War" show exactly how unique these Muggle wrockers can be. Needless to say, they're one of my absolute most favourite wizard rock bands around right now.
But I digress, The Mudbloods offer a cool collection of Potterverse music for your eager ears. They have a debut album, Out of the Forbidden Forrest, where they have a song entitled, "Concerning the Dementors on the Shore of the Black Lake, or, If the Dementors Should Take Me in My Sleep, Give My Invisibility Cloak to Ron," which for some reason unbeknownst reason reminds me of Sufjan Stevens. Then they have their Animals That Have Left Me EP, all about wizarding world animals, and is probably a favourite of Hagrid. If that wasn't enough of a treat, The Mudbloods have one of the latest featured albums on the Wizard Rock EP of the Month Club, - which is an excellent organization that I will let explain itself right here - happily but forebodingly entitled A War Amidst Pop Songs.
Present day, The Mudbloods have hitched their brooms up to their trailer, and are drifting around North America on a wonderful tour with fellow wrockers The Remus Lupins and The Whomping Willows, concluding in Chicago for the crazy wizard party, Wrock Chicago (or Terminus, whichever name you prefer). Of course The Mudbloods have a Myspace. And as it happens, you can catch their brand new songs recorded from A War Amidst Pop Songs right now. I sincerely recommend "I Wish You'd Be My Witch." If you are ever so interested in my life, you can find me listening to that on repeat until my EP arrives. 'Til then, to quote the lovely Dumbledore, "I would like to say a few words... Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" Have a great (and hopefully Potter-filled) week, dear reader.
It's a very long story, but basically, in my wanderings across the internet, I have befriended quite a few (that's an understatement) friends who have an insane love for Harry Potter culture. We had a miniature Potter party. But seeing as it's the internet, it seemed quite quiet. I sought to fix that.
This is a playlist of great wizard rock music, particularly designed for a wrockin' common room party. It features some of the best wrockstars around, including The Mudbloods, Harry and the Potters, and the Ministry of Magic to name a very few. If you're feeling in a particularly hyper and Potter-ish mood, this is the excellent way to dance off some steam. If you're new to wizard rock, this is shockingly a great introduction to a wonderful, little-known genre of music which is so independent that it almost entirely eschews record labels and the mainstream style. Either way, I hope you enjoy it.
Post-script: This is a shoddy excuse for an article, as I went to one of the best shows I've ever been to tonight (hosted by the one and only Peachcake). Expect a review of the concert on Wednesday while I recuperate... AKA listening to The Greatest Hits Ever ...So Far on repeat and dancing until my legs give out.
Headliner: Kill Hannah Featuring: The Medic Droid, White Tie Affair, and Innerpartysystem Tour: Hope For The Hopeless 2008 Venue: The Granada Theater - Dallas, TX Date: Friday, 11/6/2008
The scorching sun beat down relentlessly all week on the DFW Metroplex, hitting triple digits on several occasions. By the end of the week, things hadn't cooled down. But when a band whose name touts both pretty women and murder in three syllables, one shouldn't expect a cold to descend upon a city, should one?
Kill Hannah came to their home away from home in Dallas, Texas, to remind the faithful crowd that turned out how to rock out Chicago style. Their headlining tour, Hope For The Hopeless, named after their most recent LP of B-Sides and rarities, is set to troll across the states in a wild ride-meet-dance party-meets-concert extravaganza, featuring some of Kill Hannah's favourite bands and buds as opening acts.
First up was the White Tie Affair, a pop-punk band with a penchant for (ironically) black ties, spiky hair, and sex appeal. Personally, I wasn't into them, though they flooded the eager crowd with attention and a typically fun time. I give them a lot of credit for being able to rock out on a very limited stage size. Eh, I'm harsh cause I'm not into their style; it seems very rehearsed and boring to me. But to each his own, right?
Next in line was Innerpartysystem. I had heard nothing about these folks beforehand, and thus had no idea what to expect. I certainly didn't expect an extremely electro-oriented explosion from this crazy quartet, who literally rocked the stage apart with an extreme light show. Epileptics beware, their pulsating multi-coloured lights are every bit as eclectic as their live set, which was inherently a 30+ minute electro dance party, with no banter or bull to clutter the music. Their set was certainly a surprise, though the voice amplifier on their mics produced a strange effect that made the vocals hard to hear. And the light show, though awesome, may have been a it too intense, but was certainly worth it.
The final opening act was led by another electro dance-rock group, this time the duet hailing from Phoenix, Arizona. I picked up on these guys something like half a year ago, and have been listening to them off and on ever since. So I expected a quality show, which they undoubtedly delivered. Somewhere between the steady beats, the wild synth noises, and a keytar, The Medic Droid performed top notch, enlivening the crowd into a wild dancefest.
After a night of electro powerpop bands, time in between shows filled with thumping techno, lead to the the stars of the night, Kill Hannah. Now, Kill Hannah are really like local celebrities in the Metroplex. Local alt-rock station 102.1 The Edge was one of the radio stations in the country to give Kill Hannah airplay when they first got their feet on the ground. That's around the time Kill Hannah exploded onto the music scene, and began touring internationally to critical acclaim.
Thus, my previous statement comes full-circle: Dallas is Kill Hannah's second home. And these Illinois natives weren't about to disappoint their loyal Lone Star fan base. Beginning their show with a fog machine and some of their hits from Until There's Nothing Left Of Us, Kill Hannah opened with steady slew of songs. That is, until they were halfway through, when they decided to treat Dallas to something a bit more special. The band began to reach into their repertoire to pull out their diamonds and gems; brand new material, as well as old school classics.
Kill Hannah played Home, from Hope For The Hopeless, as well as their brand new track, Acid Rain. Of course, we can't forget Hummingbirds The Size Of Bullets, an extremely old school jam, before finishing their pre-setlisted encore with their personal hometown favourite, Chicago. It was certainly an eclectic ride, as they finished their set with the song that put them on the map, "Lips Like Morphine," and if that didn't spoil Dallas' sweet tooth for Kill Hannah, I don't know what will.
And if all this wasn't a good enough outlook for the Hope For The Hopeless tour, this was only their fourth show! That leaves 29 shows all across the United States for an avalanche of awesome performances. You can certainly find Kill Hannah on Myspace, as well as their tourmates, White Tie Affair, Innerpartysystem, and The Medic Droid. You can also snag Kill Hannah's latest compilation album, Hope For The Hopeless, at your local retailer and digital outlet. The opening picture is brought to you by Muses Radio via Flickr, while the rest of the photos are courtesy of The Granada Theater.
[July 14-20] Ohbijou Sounds Like: Folk/Indie-Pop Drinking Buddies: Great Lake Swimmers, The Acorn, Sufjan Stevens. Synopsis: "Small town stories... big city phenomenons." Makes You Want To...: Introspect; Retrospect; Relax with friends. [Myspace]
One week, one band. You know the drill. This week, the featured artist is Ohbijou.
Not to sound fussy, but these days, somewhere between the traffic jams, the dirty gray skylines, the withered plants from the summer heat, and the lack of proper air conditioning, things can get pretty stressful. It's the modern lifestyle we're living, which signifies an extreme emphasis on its motto, "Busy, busy, busy." I realize that this is the way things go, but I think a communal session of relaxing is in order. When I'm stressed, I relax, and when I relax, I listen to music.
But not any ol' band is relaxing. I don't doubt the prowess of Dir en grey, or the wild beats from YATCH, but when I'm listening to something to chill out I need something slightly more calming. I could listen to Colin Meloy's solo work, with his lovely cover songs. There's always Iron & Wine, with their Georgian folk. Then there's always Sufjan Stevens with his adventurous and enlightening (and of course, slightly quirky) musical projects.
But lately, my weary heart and soul has been turning to a certain septet hailing from the Ontario, Canada. Congregated in the Toronto Metroplex is the provincial folk collective known as Ohbijou. If you're looking for something communal, you need go no farther, as this band has been touted as having a strong family vibe since their inception. And this isn't just because lead singer Casey Mecija - who is a multi-instrumentalist along with her sister Jessica Mecija - happen to share a surname. These seven friends come together as a family all their own, and their commonality is reflected in Ohbijou's sound.
Slow rhythms, with beautiful harmonies between the Mecija sisters, ebb and flow between the subdued melodies that Ohbijou brings to the table. Their songs tend to be slow and steady, and purposely, perfectly round themselves out, building and falling like snowbanks or waves. The wonderful instrumentation supports their gorgeous poetry, which is pretty tough to rival. "This could be our last resort/Let’s cut these limbs that weigh us down/The spies hide out in smoky leaves/Our love is sweet espionage." Ohbijou's music is not the talents of any one individual, but the talents of everyone put together. This is music for the introspective souls, and can warm a heart like a fire or a family.
Ohbijou released their first debut album, Swift Feet For Troubling Times, two years ago to positive acclaim. As if that wasn't enough, they opened for The Flaming Lips at the Virgin Music Festival in Toronto, and were nominated for CBC Radio's The Galaxie Rising Stars Award, where they were up against other amazing Canadian outfits such as Final Fantasy (Arcade Fire alumni) and Emily Hayes (of Metric and alumni from University of Broken Social Scene). They also released a lovely compilation with tons of friendly bands called Friends In Bellwoods, which was to donate all funds to the Daily Bread Food Bank of Toronto.
But that's ancient history (or a year ago, anyway). As for present day Ohbijou, they are brewing over the rim with excitement. The final tweaks to their new album, which remains mysteriously untitled, are underway, and the album is set to release after New Years. They have their first publicly debuted song from the new album, "Black Ice," currently up on Myspace for your listening pleasure. More good news: Ohbijou is due to record a split-EP with friends The Acorn, and will be launching on tour with them soon thereafter. To top it all off with a cherry Friends In Bellwoods, released back in December of 2006, has raised over ten-thousand dollars as of May's end! If that's not celebratory, I'm not sure what is.
Ohbijou is definitely one of the best bands I've heard all year, and absolutely deserve your ear. Let them entertain you while I wish you an absolutely great week, reader. Peace.
Oh ye, Portus 2008. How ye grant the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex with your wondrous love, magic, and Harry Potter related events. Portus has just begun down here in the Lone Star State. Sadly I'm not in attendance! But my heart is certainly there.
But some of our fabled wrockers aren't calling it a day. Several are launching on some awesome magic-filled summer tours! Unfortunately, not all is yet settled. The Mudbloods, The Whomping Willows, and The Remus Lupins are still looking for shows in Fort Worth and Houston TX, Nashville, TN, and Lexington, KY. If you know of a place that can line them up with a last minute show, or know someone who can pull some strings, by all means, confide! You can reach me at [chris.voilamusic@gmail.com], and I can pass the word along, wander over to The Mudblood's Myspace blog and leave them a comment directly.
Lately, I had a lot of money to spare for new music (I've been wasting it on three upcoming concerts!). Oddly enough, my body (or ears) have been attempting to compensate for the new sounds by putting old favourites of mine on constant repeat. Whether I'm walkin' in the sweltering Texan sun, or languoring amongst the air-conditioned furniture of my house, I'm constantly reminded of Andrew Bird, Throw Me The Statue, and you guessed it, No Kids. To relieve myself from these constant reminders, I made a little playlist up, which I'll share with you via my imeem.
This playlist is dedicated to Ben Folds' amazing Bonnaroo finale. I wasn't there, but I caught his performance of "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" on Fuse. The band was short for time (I believe Kanye West was up next, with that infamous delay. But I digress), so the Ben Folds Five played played their finale at light speed. It was an excellent performance. Sadly there are no videos or mp3s of good quality on the net yet. So if you have one, please, please, please oh please let me know. In the mean time... enjoy the sweet tunes.
[July 6 - 13] No Kids Sounds Like: Indie-Pop Drinking Buddies: Throw Me The Statue, Architecture In Helsinki, 1090 Club. Synopsis: Groovin' beats with a western Canadian flair. Makes You Want To...: Dance; Walk in the park; Clean the house. [Myspace]
One week, one band. You know the drill. This week, the featured artist is No Kids.
Feeling thoroughly independent? I certainly am. After the Fourth of July and all those crazy fireworks, the United States had a major celebration on their hands. Sadly, though - not counting Labour Day of course - which I never do - there are no more real prevalent holidays for the next four some-odd months! This is officially a tragedy, and we'll all be certainly mourning a good excuse to have a party. Blistering hot summer days, the start of school in autumn, the closing of the public pools, declining business at the amusement parks. It'll all down here from here 'til Halloween, folks.
Ironically, there's a band out there who can respect the holiday that is Halloween. As well as the summer time, and fun times in general. I mean, c'mon, they do have a song titled, "For Halloween," after all. Who else would this trio of cohorts be? None other than No Kids. I was recommended No Kids by a friend of a friend, Cristina, who said she was listening to this nifty band all the way across the North American continent.
Hailing out of Vancouver, No Kids breaks it down with some sweet, grooving indie-pop that soothes the soul, glazing it with glorious, eclectic, eccentric sounds fused with steady rhythms and flowing sounds. No Kids' has some unbelievably catchy songs in their repertoire. If you can imagine the eccentricity and instrumental variety of Los Campesinos! mixed with a solid musical artist, like YACHT, you'll have a good basis for No Kids. Reader, if you have any idea how addicting their song, "The Beaches All Closed" - essentially the indie version of what sounds like a modern R&B/hip-hop hit - you'll sympathize with how difficult it was to write this article while leaving that song on repeat. Irrefutably, No Kids is the best band I've heard about all year.
Our tender trio has in fact recently returned to Vancouver as of last month, after their tour of Europe with Mount Eerie. Before that, they were wandering about with good friends the Dirty Projectors. Now they're chilling at home, no doubt relaxing after the rigorous touring, producing nifty podcasts for their fans.
But there's plenty of No Kids to go around. No Kids, of course, has a Myspace. But on the topic of their aforementioned European tour, they released a split EP with Mount Eerie, for exclusive sale on their tour abroad. As it so happens, there are still some left over, which you can snag for international order from CAFF/FLICK. And let's not forget about No Kids' debut album, Come Into My House, an excellent endeavour released on Tomlab Records, which you can pick up right over here.
Did I mention that "The Beaches All Closed" is incredibly addictive? I believe I did. If you need me, it'll still be on repeat... all week long. Until then, have a wonderful week, and enjoy that devilishly hot sun.
That sneaky devil! It seems Lykke Li, who was featured as this week's band of the week, is trying to sneak things by me. I think not though!
I'm going to have to admit, I have never heard of Andreas Kleerup, colloquially Kleerup, producer and member of The Meat Boys out of Stockholm, Sweden. It turns out he has quite a burgeoning career, what with getting on the musical map by producing for the pop musicians in Sweden, his latest being Robyn, with her latest release, "With Every Heartbeat" off of Robyn's self-titled album. The song rose to the top of the UK charts, so Kleerup definitely did his job well; I am also neglecting to mention his work on Cyndi Laupers latest album.
But Kleerup released his second full-length album last May, and enlisted the help of fellow Swedish musicians, including Robyn, Titiyo, and of course, Lykke Li. Lykke contributed her sensuous vocals to the track, "Until We Bleed," a quite lamentation which for some reason reminds me of Kill Hannah.
Now, I don't think I've ever mentioned the insanely wondrous talent that is Goot on Voilà! I must confess that this is a cryin' shame, and I'll circumvent this tonight (at three in the morning, in celebration of my summer break).
Famous teen-heartthrob, pianist/guitarist, afro-wearing pop-punk song wielding musician Alex Goot has just released a nifty new song for avid listeners everywhere. A cover song in fact! This diamond in the rough (buried back in 1991) of a piano ballad, "Walking In Memphis," was originally released by Marc Cohn. Goot has dug up this gem for our listening pleasure, and rocks out on piano in ways that can only be a compliment to Cohn.
You can check out Goot's cover of "Walking In Memphis" right here on Voilà! But you can't give me these lame excuses of being lazy when you could just as easily wander over to Goot's Myspace. Not only can you see other video-feeds of Goot rockin' out on his piano, but you can hear three of the latest and greatest songs in Goot's repertoire, from his most recent endeavour, Arranged Noise, presently on sale (ironically, on his Myspace).
Now if only this latest cover could quell my newfound craving for Ben Folds. Alas, my dreams of grandeur; Imeem, here I come!
