The final lineup and schedule has finally been announced for NXNE 2009! It's happening in various venues downtown Toronto between Thursday June 17 to Sunday June 21st, with prices of wristbands ranging from $25 to $250. So starting nerding out by compiling your own spreadsheet of shows you wanna see based on the timeslots on the schedule. I'm telling you, it comes in quite handy.
There will also be impromtu performances in parks and various random locations (last year, there were some shows at the Pearson Airport). For those of you under 19 and those of you on recessionary buget, you may wish to check the bands playing at Yonge and Dundas Square (times listed below) for free!
Thurs 18, 2009 6pm Spiral Beach 7pm Xavier Cafeine 8pm Melissa Auf Der Maur 9pm Burning Brides 10pm The Black Lips
Friday 19, 2009 7:45pm In Flight Safety 8:45pm The Cliks 9:45pm Wintersleep
Saturday 20, 2009 12:30pm Burning Boyz 1:30pm Say When 2:30pm The Zoobombs 3:30pm Golden Triangle 4:30pm Crystal Antlers 5:30pm Japanther 6:30pm Youth Brigade 7:30pm AMP $100,000 Rock 9:30pm The Sonics
Sunday June 21, 2009 4pm Swami Featuring Fell 5pm Liquid and the Velvet Trench 6pm Ninjasonik 7pm Candy Coated Killahz 8pm GZA 9pm The Cool Kids Black Lips feat. GZA - The Drop I Hold (mp3) (buy)
What do the Perms from Winnipeg look like? They look so stereotypically Canadian, they could be spokesman for Tim Hortons. (huzzah!, I made a funny). But any ways, it's good old fashioned Can-Rock. You know it. Their new album, Keeps You Up When You're Down has just been released and its appropriately titled.
I think "pleasant" is the correct word to use when describing James Yuill. I listen to his new album (new to North America anyway), Turning Down Water for Air, and I just sort of blank out with a half smile on my face for the forty or so minute duration. It's acoustic guitars and synthesizers and soothing vocals and sweet lyrics and xylophones, and it's really just pleasant! James Yuill - Left Handed Girl (mp3) (amazon) (iTunes) James Yuill - No Pins Allowed (mp3) (amazon) (iTunes)
It's being said that James Yuill is helping to coin "folktronica". A quick wikipedia search will tell you that it was a term first used by the British press earlier this decade to describe music that has elements of, well, folk and electronica d'ur! The genre is surprisingly digestible. Folktronica turns out to be much less obnoxious than the name implies.
In terms of Turning Down Water for Air, there was nothing "difficult" about listening to the album. James Yuill doesn't ask you to decipher any obscure metaphors. He doesn't ask you to jaw-drop over break-through melodies and he doesn't hint at how clever the folk-electronic fusion is. It's a great little reminder that music doesn't always have to compel- compel to weep, compel to party, compel to take down the government. Sometimes, you can actually just sit down and enjoy the music. With James Yuill, things are simple. Hear good music, enjoy good music, stick music on repeat. Thank goodness for simple!
The melodic Five Blank Pages have seen many changes in their line-up, had many supporting musicians and made plenty of friends around the city. They've been a part of the Toronto indie scene since I realized my fascination with music. It's a little bit of a blow to the whole tapestry of things, now that they've announced their final show.
I don't remember exactly how I stumbled upon them, or even how I came to own their entire discography. I think I bought their first EP during Music World's closing sale, and their LP during a Record Store Day. I'll admit that while neither were regulars to my CD player, they mark one of my first steps into discovering new music and hold a special place in my collection. In any case, when I got the email about the disband, I was a tad upset.
The last show is to be part of Toronto's eighth annual Over the Top Festival. They'll be taking over the Mod Club, along with friends Oh No Forest Fires and the Boys Who Say No on May 23rd for one last romp before it's over. Expect a trumpeter, trombonist, cellist and violinist to join them on stage for some of their more orchestral songs. I guess since they're going out, they're going out with a bang. It's licensed and all ages; they want everyone to come.
In front man Noyan Hilmi's words: After five years and hundreds of performances, it has come time to play our final show as Five Blank Pages. Since 2003, we've worked very hard and done so much. Our lives are now moving on to place other priorities ahead of the band. It was only a matter of time until the scales would tip, thereby putting Five Blank Pages behind us. It would only feel right to signal the end of the band with a celebration of what we've accomplished, who we've had the pleasure of working with, and the music we've created. We want you to join us for the last Five Blank Pages show. We've worked hard to make it as special as possible and for everyone to be able to attend.
They won't be leaving fans emptyhanded though. The Young Glow EP is their parting gift. It'll be available at the show on the 23rd in special edition packaging, hand numbered and all, and on iTunes and their website later this year. Here's a little taste of the 4 track EP. Five Blank Pages - What An Ending (mp3) (not yet avialable for purchase)
"I will never die. I will simply graduate from the university of life."
I check out jarviscocker.net and that's the first thing I hear. That's just great! He goes on to recite other things from what appears to be a blurry, pixelated lyric book. It's hard to tell from the quality of the live to web broadcast. He's sitting there with the band, centre of a lazy, almost slow jazz, sort of jam. He looks just like he has for the past years or so that we've known him from his mySpace page. Scruffy beard, floppy hair, thick black rim glasses, grey suit jacket.
"How dare you be better than me! How dare you!"
He's doing something special, live from the Galerie Chappe in Paris. Actually, it's almost over if you're reading this on the day this post was written. For the past few days, he's been doing all sorts of brilliant musical nonsense, from improvisation to hosting an aerobics class. This has all but put live to air via his website. Possibly the best way to advertise his upcoming release of Further Complications, May 19th on Rough Trade Records.
"I really like you! However, I'm just popping outside for a cigarette."
Here's the past and present schedule of events, set in Paris-ian time (that's six hours ahead of EST Toronto time if you're interested in catching the rest of the broadcast).
FRIDAY 8th MAY
12 - 2pm - BAND REHEARSAL
2 - 3pm - IMPROVISATIONS ON A THEME (throughout the course of the exhibition a box will be available in the gallery into which members of the public can post titles, phrases, suggestions, lyrics or anything else that the band can then base improvisations around. During this hour the band will create a number of pieces based on selections of this material).
3 - 4pm - AEROBICS CLASS
4 - 5pm - BRING AN INSTRUMENT (members of the public are invited to bring an instrument with them & play along with the band. Amplification will be available for electric instruments).
5 - 6pm - GUEST PERFORMANCE (an invited guest will play with the band)
SATURDAY 9th MAY
12 - 2pm - BAND REHEARSAL
2- 3pm - BRING AN INSTRUMENT
3 - 4pm - DANCING (the band will play an hour of music designed to encourage people to dance. Dress appropriately)
4 - 6pm - SET-UP FOR OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE (weather permitting)
6 - 7pm - OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE (the band will play a short open-air concert just outside the gallery)
SUNDAY 10th MAY
12 - 2pm - BAND REHEARSAL
2 - 3pm - QUIET HOUR (an hour of the softest music the band can play)
3 - 4pm - GUEST PERFORMANCE
4 - 6pm - REVIEW OF THE WEEK (the band will play music written over the course of the past 6 days)
But not to worry if you've missed any of it, or most of it like I have. The whole thing has been documented and is up for streaming here! There's so much gold on there! Like this: Jarvis teaching a class of 8 year old to rock hard.
1. Put The Phone Down (mp3) (amazon) (iTunes) 2. Light You Up 3. Bluff 4. Ain't No Life 5. Up On the Bridge 6. Where Does It Begin 7. What Is Real, What Is Doubt 8. Today I Feel Sure 9. Midnight Fires 10. Wooden Bones 11. Open Arms
We've got all these new bands emerging that are overly dramatic, thinking "being depressed is cool, so let's do that". But Pilate Speed will have none of that. For sure, it has a sense of melancholy about it, but never to the point that it tries to become something it's not. The tracks on Wooden Bones come across as some of the most honest expressions of emotion in recent music. And that's not exactly the easiest of feats to achieve when the recurrent theme of the album is fragility in life and in humanity.
To listen to Wooden Bones in its entirety is like to set yourself down for a contemplative stage drama, without an intermission. We're sweetly introduced to our protagonists, Pilate Speed, during the first track, Put the Phone Down, and easily become smitten them. But as with theatre, the conflict soon arises and the darker themes of Wooden Bones become apparent. It's a tense reflection of life as our vocalist calls out to an unknown brother, once during each act. Brother, I dared... This ain't no life for us, my Brother... Hey Brother, are you out there? And by the denouement, we're even given the lines that tie the whole story together in the album's title track. Our days are numbered here... It's alright. The stage goes black, the audience applauds and the CD stops spinning. We're emotionally done for the day.
The rather heavy tone, that repeated roll back and forth between mourning and uplifting throughout the record can be somewhat tiresome, but some well-placed, stand-out tracks are just about able to make up for this . Put the Phone Down, Ain't No Life, Midnight Fires, and Open Arms are the ones to admire on this album.
In their official bio, vocalist-pianist-lyricist Todd Clark, explains the heavy tones with a fairly optimistic view. "This life we have is all we've got, and it's short, so better make the most of it. I think the album takes an observational look at some of these universal themes, from era to era and across generations. For the most part, these things don't change." And maybe that perspective is why Wooden Bones works as well as it does. "I've been around long enough and know what I was like when I was growing up, to know that people most often care most about tunes that define a particular time and place for them."
And yeah, he's kind of right there. It won't be at all difficult for listeners to find a connection to the album. I think one of the best ways to describe it, is as a reflection. For me at least, it brings about the feelings that I get when I reflect about where I am in life. Up til this point, how have I been doing as a person? How content am I with this? What's left to do? And really, who doesn't think about these sort of things?
Check out their video for Put the Phone Down, and hear what the band have to say about the single during a photoshoot, respectively here:
What is the deal with moustaches? Only maybe 2% of the population actually look good with one. Why must all indie boys feel compelled to go out and get one?!
Anyhoo, the latest member of the moustache crew is Paul Banks of Interpol. This must be his alter ego disguise, like Superman/Bruce Wayne. He's set to release a solo album entitled Skyscraper, under the name of Julian Plenti (w-t-f?!) on August 4th.
Apparently, Banks has been performing incognito under this name for years. Let's hope that Mr. Plenti's vocals are as throaty and cool-as-shit as Interpol's Mr. Banks. Interpol - Heinrich Manoever (mp3) (buy)
I got down to Toronto's Union Station in the late afternoon yesterday, and trekked the rest of the way to the Kool Haus, where Franz Ferdinand would play a sold-out show after the sun set. The area reeked of compost and industrialization, but it was bright and warm. Pleasant weather for the dedicated fans that had been waiting in this line since AM hours. Those that showed up before 4 PM were lucky enough to have a chat with the band when they arrived. A friend of mine received a paper fry cook hat from some diner in the States as a gift from Paul, the Ferdinand drummer. He's trying to find the best burger in North America, you know?
By the time doors opened, the line had begun to curls its way around the parking lot toward the back of the building. We got in, and then we waited. Again. Track after track of techno beat was played as the stage crew prepared the equipment. Every time the beat dissipated, half the audience would gasp at the thought of it finally starting. When the beat started up again, we'd all let out a communal groan. This went on for just over an hour, then the Born Ruffians took the stage.
Now to be fair, the Born Ruffians played a pretty good set. Their singer-guitarist, Luke LaLonde, has a certain pleasant aura to him. He looks to the audience with a typical rocker's sort of gaze, but when you catch him glancing over and nodding to his band-mates, you can tell by his boyish smile that he's truly enjoying himself. Musically, the four-piece are definitely not afraid of their shout-along "oh-oh-oh"s, and that's always fun. But maybe it was that I was unfamiliar with their tunes, or the eclectic nature of their sounds, 'cause I had some trouble telling when one song ended and the next began. The Born Ruffians really did deserve more credit than the crowd was willing to give them though. After what felt like a ridiculously long wait time, (about two months of the tickets selling out, hours in line for those who were in the front, and a painful dance-soundtrack stage set-up session), we were all just waiting for the Franz to take the stage. And maybe that's how it's been throughout their tour with Franz so far. They did say that they recently started playing the final song of their set with Paul the Ferdinand drummer.
They Ruffians finished and the crowd grew restless again as new wait-for-us-to-set-up-again music started up. A weak chant of "we want Franz" started and moved across the audience, but died quickly as it had absolutely no effect. So again we waited, and just after ten the magic began. The stage went red under the lights as Franz Ferdinand finally took to the stage.
Alex, Paul and Bob walk to their positions. Nick hobbles. The poor guy has still got his foot in a cast. He raises his crutches to the audience and the applause is deafening. "Your foot's still fucked up!" is the only explanation we receive from our favourite frontman after a standard-setting performance of their latest single, No You Girls. The energy in the band and in the audience is fantastic! The bar is raised high for the songs to come, and still they never disappoint. In fact, half-way into the second song, there's already a pseudo mosh pit forming. I spent the rest of the performance being grinded into the barrier (I'll hand it to whoever was behind me, you were very rhythmic) and absorbing other people's sweat. Alex thanks us for our enthusiasm.
The set was comprised of jumps, kicks, jump-kicks and mostly songs from the third album Tonight, naturally. Live Alone is probably my favourite of that bunch, and it was great to see it live. The blitzkrieg finale to What She Came For spurred an insane riot about the crowd, and I've got the bruises to prove. But of course, they did indulge us a bit with the crowd pleasers- Michael, Shopping For Blood, Outsiders, Take Me Out.
And despite this, some girls decided to write up their own set list to toss on stage. Alex looks it over, reciting his favourite bits back to us. It includes the entirety of all three albums, and a special request for their bassist to rap the opening theme to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. "Aw c'mon, Bob!" Nick encourages. "One line! Just one line!" Alex insists. He turns to the audience. "Would you like to hear one line?" "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! BOB BOB BOB BOB BOB BOB BOB..." Bob refuses. This might get uncomfortable. "You're all too mean," Nick tells us. "Shame on you." They turn to Paul. Maybe he'll do it. "Eh, I don't know any of it. No, no. Alas..." The show continues.
It was intense. By then time the boys returned for their encore, Alex had a bag of ice with which to ease his wrist. No one seemed to question it. He even attempted to crowd surf during This Fire. I think that was a poor idea on his part since the people in the front couple rows were mostly girls of petite stature that didn't quite have the strength to support him.
The band gave a final shout out to Toronto, and the show ended at about midnight. They gave a few waves and the stage was empty again. The sore and aching audience inched out of the sweaty humid building and were reminded of what fresh air felt like. That was quite possibly the best show I've seen.
And since I feel like I've written and posted about Franz SO many times before, I feel it'd be wrong of me to give you more tracks. What I WILL do is give you, quite literally the audio rips from my videos, posted up above. Have fun with the off-key singing audience. Ha, is that better or worse than actually giving you the album tracks?
Yeah, so supposedly, this is my music blog, but Edie's been doing more work than I have lately. I took a short hiatus, 'cause I just wasn't feeling it. It happens. But I'm back now, and I have both a concert, and album review to get to, and I promise they'll both be up within the next 48 hours.
Strange Boys are young lads hailing from Austin, Texas, (not to be confused with StrangeBoys from Halifax, NS), who have got that bluesy rock and roll swagger down pat. They've got the slurred drawl of say, Bob Dylan and a rough unfinished sound that you can image coming out of the speakers of a dusty forgotten used record store owned by someone older than your grandfather. The Strange Boys could be compared to the Black Lips, but foregoing the pop-sensibilities and creating a mood that seems just right for sitting on a porch in a forgotten time, drinking cold beverages and watching the world go by. Heard You Wanna Beat Me Up - Strange Boys (mp3) (buy)
The following are all-ages unless otherwise specified. This list is SUBJECT TO CHANGE. I'll try my best to keep this up-to-date but ALWAYS double check official sources before you go.
I hope that sharing a few of your songs is alright by you. If not, please let me know as I will immediately remove your material upon request. We're still good though, right?
Greetings few, but well-loved readers. Please enjoy your stay but remember, the mp3s are for sampling and will only be available for a short time. If you find something you like, support the artist. Buying the record and going to shows makes everyone happy.
Music submission? Important feedback? Questions or comments? Complaint? We're more than happy to hear it: impressionableyouth@gmail.com
The final lineup and schedule has finally been announced for NXNE 2009! It's happening in various venues downtown Toronto between Thursday June 17 to Sunday June 21st, with prices of wristbands ranging from $25 to $250. So starting nerding out by compiling your own spreadsheet of shows you wanna see based on the timeslots on the schedule. I'm telling you, it comes in quite handy.
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