White Lies AGAIN

Fucking hell! About 50% of my recent posts have been taken down by that wussy copyright act. FUCK. This didn't use to be a problem for me. I mean, I respect the concept of the act and all, but just the fact they my entire post is taken down is really pissing me off. Music bloggers work hard on their reviews and features too. It's extremely painful to see our work simply disappear from the net without warning. If the companies had just asked me to take down the particular mp3, I would have immediately done so. Mind you, this doesn't mean I hold any grudges against the bands themselves, only about how their management deals with unwanted blog posts.

Anyway, I had a feeling this was going to happen so I saved a copy of my latest. Here it is again, unfortunately without the mp3.

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Yesterday after performing at 102.1 the Edge's storefront studio...


doing some interviews, playing another short set at the Masonic Temple for MTV Live...




and doing some more interviews, the White Lies played a sold out show at Lee's Palace. Well, that's the only one I didn't have access to. Five months away from legal drinking age and dreading the wait. Although my friends and I did manage to recommend Toronto's Sonic Boom store to them, located just across from the venue. Pretty much our city's answer to the Amoeba. I wonder if the boys got to check it out before their show?

Here's a brief overview:
The White Lies are a three piece band from London, England. Harry sings and plays the guitar, Charles provides bass support and Jack keeps the drum beat. Their album To Lose My Life made its debut on UK charts at number one, and yet in North America, they're still pretty obscure. They used to be called Fear of Flying, but changed their name when they changed their sound. They aren't particularly fond of constantly being compared to Interpol and Joy Division, although they do respect both of those icons. They're also one of the only bands I know that proudly links to their Wikipedia profile on their official website.

I just recently picked up the album at HMV 'cause they were offering it for a ridiculously good price. Listening to it, I really do want to name drop some bands that come to mind, but out of respect for their wishes, I'll avoid it.
See, To Lose My Life is definitely not something hugely innovative or groundbreaking. Maybe that's the reason they get a lot of comparisons. It's dark and brooding, but you can still dance to it, so it's easy to see why it hit number one in the UK. Harry McVeigh's got one of those deep booming voices that really resonates well. His voice would never get lost among a crowd, even when they're chanting some of the shout-along choruses during their shows. Although sometimes I find it hard to tell if the lyrics are too blatant and melodramatic, or if they're insanely poetic in a strange morbid sort of way. I mean, in the title track To Lose My Life,

Let's grow old together... (aww)
AND DIE AT THE SAME TIME (uhm... aww...? Did I emphasize the second line too much?)

I read that a couple somewhere is using this as their wedding song... Melodramatic? Or very romantic? Well technically, McAdams and Gosling "grew old together" and "DIED AT THE SAME TIME" in the Notebook. So I guess I'll go with very romantic.

the White Lies - To Lose My Life (mp3) (Amazon) (iTunes)
MP3 removed

But regardless, the White Lies are a great band with some great tunes. Because that's what it's all about isn't it? The tunes. Not the novelty of their sound, or the disection of their lyrics. If they've managed to create something that pleases the ears, then they're golden.