Search Results - "catlow"
Sunday, November 27th, 2005
This week’s edition covers a bundle of stuff I recently got from the good people at Boompa out in sunny Vancouver.
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The Ladies & Gentlemen / Small Sins (Boompa)
On this record, The Ladies & Gentlemen are actually just one gentleman, Mr Thom D’Arcy, formerly of Toronto’s Carnations. After the dissolution of his former outfit, D’arcy holed up in his basement and recorded these ten songs all by his lonesome. The warm, burbling keyboards and hushed, intimate vocals create a mellow, late-night vibe, but that laid back-ness is a bit of a rope-a-dope because when the chorus’ swell in “Stay” and “Threw It All Away”, it’s pure pop joy. Since recording the album, D’Arcy has assembled a proper band to bring his bedroom symphonies to the stage as well as kicked off an apparent trend of bands donning all-white stage garb (hello, Dragonette and Islands). Assuming the band enters the studio to record the follow-up as a band, it will be interesting to see how it sounds having more than one cook in the kitchen. The Ladies & Gentlemen are currently on a good old fashioned cross-country tour with Sylvie and Wintersleep.
MP3: The Ladies & Gentlemen – “Stay”
The Ladies & Gentlemen @ MySpace
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Catlow / Kiss The World (Boompa)
Natasha Thirsk used to lead Vancouver’s Dirtmitts but has since struck out on her own under the nom the plume of Catlow. Her debut album will sound pretty familar to anyone who lived through the alterna-girl rock heyday of the early- to mid-nineties, as the combination of Thirsk’s sweet vocals and fuzzed guitars wouldn’t have been out of place alongside Juliana Hatfield, Veruca Salt or Letters To Cleo. There’s snarling rockers, gentle ballads and some electronic-y bits thrown in for good measure. Some of the numbers feel a overly synthetic in the production and the gamut of styles are maybe a little too eclectic for the album’s own good, but Thirsk’s voice is fantastic and a treat to listen to, even if it does make me feel old to realize that it’s been over twelve years since I bought Become What You Are on cassette.
MP3: Catlow – “Number One”
MP3: Catlow – “Don’t Think”
Catlow @ MySpace
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My Project: Blue / My Project: Blue (Boompa)
It’s kind of fortunate for Vancouver trio My Project: Blue that I’ve been going through a Bowie phase, because it gives me a positive frame of reference for listening to their debut EP. Their mix of glammy/new-wave sounds is built on a bed of acoustic and electric guitars and fat analog synth lines and reminds me a little of a Coles Notes version of Changesbowie. Chad Blue’s warble sounds not unlike Destroyer’s Dan Bejar, though his melodic sense isn’t nearly as twisted. I’m tempted to suggest Jill Southern’s vocals be used to greater effect to offset the eccentricity of Blue’s delivery, but MP:B is probably more interesting if you don’t smooth out the edges. I think it’d be even more interesting if they headed further into left field, creatively, and introduce some more sonic chaos into their sound. The production on the EP is pretty clean and could use a healthier dose of weird… But that’s just me.
MP3: My Project: Blue – “Control Of Me”
My Project: Blue @ MySpace
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np – Wheat / Per Second Per Second Per Second Every Second
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2005
It’s always interesting to see a band twice in a short span of time, especially when they’re touring the same album. Case in point, Spoon, who had been through town just five months ago in support of Gimme Fiction. Last time through they put on a good show, though it took them a little while to find their groove. I don’t remember how early on in the touring schedule that show was, but I was curious to see what effect the intervening months of constant performances had had on the band and their sound.
I don’t know if it was the world touring or just the last couple days of travel that did it, but last night something was definitely different with the band. Thanks to the Vegoose festival, Spoon had a most roundabout itinerary, playing Detroit on Saturday, Las Vegas on Sunday and then arriving in the Big Smoke on Monday night for last night’s Toronto show. Now I try to avoid London, Ontario as much as the next guy but routing your tour through Nevada to do so is proabably a little excessive… either way, apparently Spoon was quite well-rested for last night’s gig, and the rest must have done them good because they played the best show I’ve ever seen them put on. I’ve only seen them three times, sure, but it was still the best of those, hands down.
The set list didn’t seem too different from what they played in June, maybe a little heavier on the catalog material, but the execution was excellent. They found their edge from the get-go and didn’t let up – I found a certain raggedness and maniacism in their performance that I didn’t see last time, and it definitely suits them. The extra energy on display really engaged the crowd as well, which was a pretty good size considering the band has been through town not long ago at all. The cozier stage of the Phoenix over the Opera House probably helped as well, and it was good to see that the bassist, at least, had taken my advice from last time and was moving around the stage quite a bit, offering some dancing support to Britt Daniel and his happy feet. But whatever the reason, I will have to amend my one-line synopsis on Spoon live from “they put on a good show” to “they usually put on a good show, but sometimes they put on a GREAT show”. QED.
Support for this tour was Mary Timony, a bit of an odd choice. I’d not heard any of her solo stuff, but did have a couple of Helium records back in the day. I didn’t really get on with them, but I had ’em. Anyway, I wasn’t going to let the fact that she was playing this date and not American Music Club sour me on her set prematurely, but I am still a little grumpy that AMC are joining the tour in just a few days. Anyway. The Mary Timony band, as she called them, was actually just Mary and a drummer – sort of a reverse-gender White Stripes configuration though more informed by prog than the blues. Though both Mary and drummer boy could play quite well, they weren’t exactly lockstep – sloppiness was evident at more than a few points. Luckily for them, it actually sort of added to the performance rather than detract. Both of them seemed to be having such a good time that it seemed kind of unsporting to call them on falling out of time with one another here and there, and it did slowly come together in time for set closer “9×3” which featured a terrific bit of back and forth jamming. Mary was particularly animated on stage, coming oh so close to a windmill or scissor kick, but never quite following through. If she had, that would have made the set.
And yes, there are photos. No you can’t see them now. Come back tomorrow. Update: Okay, we got photo action happening now.
The National tell The Daily News how they all gave up cushy day jobs in the name of rock. All hail. From Largehearted Boy.
Kevin Drew tells CMJ that there is absolutely no particular reason that Broken Social Scene’s Broken Social Scene is called Broken Social Scene.
Being There offers an dummy’s guide to the world of Guided By Voices. GuidedByRobertPollard.com is a fansite that endeavours to do the same. RobertPollard.net is the new home on the web for all things Bob, including news of the release of Suitcase 2 this week and the release of his first proper post-GBV solo album From A Compound Eye on January 24 of next year, courtesy of the good people at Merge.
Alas, poor Splendid. You will be missed.
The AP (via The Globe & Mail) gets a sneak preview as to what we can expect from this Sunday’s live live live debate episode of The West Wing. Sounds awesome – I am hoping that mid-episode both candidates bring out surprise new running mates. Rick Schroder for Jimmy Smits and Mike Farrell for Alan Alda. That would rule. I would vote for the M*A*S*H* ticket, GOP or not.
np – Catlow / Kiss The World
Saturday, June 11th, 2005
My first, and possibly only, NxNE show was catching Catlow, the new nom de plume of Natasha Thirsk, at the Cameron House on Thursday night. If the name is familiar, maybe it’s from her last band The Dirtmitts or if it’s just the surname that’s ringing bells, you may remember sister Kristy from mid-90s Vancouver outfit The Rose Chronicles.
Catlow played solo to a small but well-populated room, accompanying herself on electric guitar Billy Bragg-style. Her material was split up between quieter, delicate singer-songwriter-esque ballads and more aggressive rockers. The louder numbers were muted a bit sonically by the fact that she was playing clean and not especially loudly, but I liked the guitar tone – I thought it was more expressive than if she’d had a distortion pedal handy. With her sweet but edgy voice, Catlow is a bit of a throwback to the alternative 1990s when scrappy female-fronted rock bands were plentiful on the musical landscape – I hear shades of Juliana Hatfield and Veruca Salt in her sound and songwriting. There was probably a tip of the influence cap when she covered ‘Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry” (which you can also hear on her MySpace page).
Ususally more of a full-band guy, I was a little surprised how much I liked the dynamic of her performing solo. I hope I get the chance to compare and contrast if she tours in support of the first Catlow album Kiss The World, which is out on Tuesday and which you can order from the good people at Boompa. Check out the track that’s been stuck in my head for the past day:
MP3: Catlow – “Number One”
Last Fall, Mates Of State initiated a contest wherein fans would create their own videos for “Goods (All In Your Head)” and the best one would be chosen as the official clip for the single. The winner and runner-up have finally been selected and posted. The winning one is alright and has better production values, but damn if G.J. Echternkamp’s dance video isn’t the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long long time. If this is what it means to teach the indie kids to dance, then sign me up. Thanks to Brendan for the tip-off.
This is something I hadn’t expected to see – Billboard reports that Stars will be getting the remix album treatment courtesy of their peers in the Canadian indie rock firmament. In an experience that Torq Campbell likens to letting your friends redecorate your apartment for you, Broken Social Scene, Metric and The Dears, among others, will be remixing tracks from Set Yourself On Fire for release in album form this Fall. I’m not a big fan of remixes (or paying for remixes, anyway), but this could be interesting.
13 & God, the bleepy-bloopy supergroup featuring members of The Notwist and Themselves, will be touring their eponymous album through North America this Fall, starting with a September 15 date at Lee’s Palace. Further tour dates here.
So I’m this week’s feature in The Toronto Star’s “Blog Roll” column. I’m flattered by the shout out (national newspaper, yo) but find it a little ironic considering that I’ve blown off most of NxNE this weekend…
So as I mentioned in the past I’m looking for a turntable. Some reserach indicates that my parents’ old deck would probably need more in repairs and refurbishment than it’s worth (it’s 35 years old), so I’m looking elsewhere. It’s good to see there’s actually a selection of decent entry-level players available from manufacturers like Music Hall, Pro-Ject, Goldring, etc, but they’re still a moderate amount of money, especially considering that I don’t actually own much vinyl (though I did get another 7″ sent to me in the mail yesterday and am mildly frustrated I can’t play it). I’m trying to decide between spending the cash on a new table or waiting until an older 80s-era turntable comes across my path for considerably less. I want something decent and sturdy and won’t necessarily be a dead-end if I feel like going further in vinyland upgrading something.
I am wary of spending too much on a turntable for the sole reason that it sets a precedent that I would probably rationalize into upgrading the rest of my stereo system (well if I spent X on a turntable and I don’t have any records, then it stands to reason that I should spend Y more on my CD player since I’ve got over a thousand of those… etc), most of which is barely a year old as is. Suggestions? Any recommendations from Torontonians as to where to go the turn up a deal? The fact that I’ve already begun leafing through the LP bins at record stores is not a good sign… Vinyl = ultimate musical fetish object. My demise is inevitable.
np – Elliott Smith / From A Basement On The Hill
Friday, June 10th, 2005
To whoever described Austin’s Explosions In The Sky to me as a Mogwai clone: I have a bone to pick with you. Thanks to you, I didn’t bother discovering this band earlier and thus missed their show at the Horseshoe last Fall. I mean, I like Mogwai but the way you said it seemed so dismissive, like they were some cut-rate loud-quiet-loud-quiet, second-law-of-thermodynamics-inferior copy, that I didn’t think they’d be worth my time.
Jerk.
I was finally exposed to EITS a couple months ago when a friend lent me a copy of The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place and it’s still blowing my mind. I actually had to force myself to return the album as quickly as possible and buy my own so as to not wear it out. Yes, they’re an instrumental “post-rock” guitar band but while the aforementioned surly Scots prefer the more visceral, “kick you in the head and bludgeon you while you’re down” dynamic to get their musical point across, I find Explosions to be more compelling and involving, musically – it’s more orchestrated, refined and overall sophisticated. Different bands for different moods, see? They even got a thumbs up from Austin symphony composer Peter Bay for their modern classicist leanings. It boggles my mind that this music comes from just four individuals. It’s just beautiful.
There won’t be a new full-length anytime soon, at least not before 2006, but they have recorded an EP for the Travels In Constants subscription CD series that should be out sometime this Summer. In the meantime, I have to get my hands on a copy of their first proper album, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever, as well as the soundtrack to the 2004 smalltown football flick, Friday Night Lights, for which they composed the score. I don’t care much for football films in general, but I hear this one is good and I’d see it just to see how this sort of music is incorporated into the film.
Here’s a track from their latest album. It’s a six-and-a-half minute edit (the album version clocks in at just under nine), but it gives an idea of what they’re about.
MP3: Explosions In The Sky – “Memorial” (Edit)
For your further EITS media needs, check out this fansite which is actually easier to navigate than the official one and has more content, including videos of live shows and a link to the band’s section at The Live Music Archive, where you can download more than a dozen live recordings, all guilt-free. There’s also scads of content at these German and French fansites – check out the Peel Sessions tracks at the latter site. Amazing. Finally, check out this radio session they did for KVRX.
The Pitch interviews another of Austin’s fine musical exports, Britt Daniel of Spoon. Link from Largehearted Boy.
Thanks to 2Fives for pointing out that even though they’ve disbanded, Sea Ray are still updating their website, this time with an update on all members’ post-Sea Ray activities. Man, they were so good.
NME has the entirety of The Tears’ Here Come The Tears available to stream, but if you don’t feel like giving them your personal information and probably signing up for a lifetime of Babyshambles spam, Torr has the tracks directly linked.
I did make it out to see Catlow at the Cameron House last night. It was good. It was also late. I will write it up tomorrow.
np – Mogwai / Government Commissions: BBC Sessions 1996-2003
Thursday, June 9th, 2005
Though The Watchmen movie appears to be on life support, comics fans who like seeing things brought to the screen can get excited/chagrined about this bit of news – Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s We3, a tale of cybernetic housepets-turned-killing-machines trying to find their way home, is being optioned by New Line Cinemas. The trade paperback of this, which sports some gorgeous cover art, came out last week – 9th Art has a review of the collection. Morrison can be pretty hit or miss, but this series is far and away some of his best work ever. A film adaptation for this could work, providing the producers realize that it the violence – and boy, is it violent – isn’t the point of it all. The glib one-line description of Incredible Journey meets The Terminator, while accurate, doesn’t nearly do the story justice. It’s actually a very sad (albeit bloody) tale. I hope they get that.
I’m very disappointed there isn’t a poster of bats swarming the CN Tower. Comic Book Resources interviews much of the cast of Batman Begins, opening next Wednesday. Early reviews are very good! Excited!
Brett Ratner talks to Brett Ratner about the pressures he faces as the director of the third X-Men film.
Sufjan Stevens brings a little taste of Illinois to Toronto on September 10 for a show at Trinity-St Paul’s church (the album is out July 5). Another show I will have to miss this on account of being out of the country, and I don’t doubt this one would be lovely – Sufjan and band in a church? Glorious. Laura Viers supports. Tickets go on sale next week.
One Louder has constructed what he called “A Gigocracy”, sort of like the nine circles of Hell as applied to concertgoers. It’s written specifically about the New York scene, but looks pretty universal to me.
eye previews Ivy’s Sunday night show at Lee’s Palace.
Sleater-Kinney tells The Guardian about making The Woods.
Tickets for the Teenage Fanclub show at the Mod Club July 25 are on sale today and will run you $20 (according to the ad in NOW or $22.50 (according to TicketBastard). I will get mine at either the Horseshoe, Rotate This or Soundscapes tomorrow and tell you what the actual price is.
I was asked to contribute some thoughts to Salon.com’s piece on the Live 8 concerts, which I tossed off without a whole lot of thought. if I knew they were going to be printed as a direct quote, maybe I would have taken a little more time… Nah.
I’ve got another upcoming-week-in-live-music post up over at Torontoist, including a little preview of NxNE. I don’t know how many of these shows I will actually make it to… probably Catlow at the Cameron House tonight (check out her Myspace page), but besides that? I do not know. Perhaps nothing.
np – Sea Ray / Stars At Noon
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