Search Results - "Young%20"
Monday, March 12th, 2012
Young Prisms at Sonic Boom in Toronto
Frank YangA little time off can be nice, but as much as I was enjoying the very unusual but welcome two-week break from show leading up to SXSW this week, it was also making me a bit antsy. Thank goodness for the Young Prisms in-store at the new Kensington Market location of Sonic Boom, in advance of their show that evening at The Drake. It would give me a quick, convenient way of scratching the live music itch and also let me pick up some LP sleeves. Everybody wins.
I saw the San Francisco outfit last February opening up for The Radio Dept., and while their dream-pop tended more to the murkier side than I’d like, they were a charming crew and so young that they could have grown plenty in the elapsed time. After all, In Between – the follow-up to their 2011 debut Friends For Now – was already done and coming out in a few weeks; it seemed highly unlikely that they would still be the same band as they were a year ago.
Turns out that was true in the literal sense – they were now a five-piece with the addition of guitarist/vocalist Ashley Thomas to the mix, and while her presence didn’t totally invert their sound, it made a difference. They still sounded very much like My Blood Valentine mixed with morphine – the opiate, not the band – being loud and fuzzy yet not especially aggressive, but the tunefulness that they previously seemed to prefer buried was now being allowed to surface. The second guitar was able to pick out melodies overtop of the churning bed of glider guitar and pounding rhythm section and when Thomas and lead vocalist Steph Hodapp harmonized as they did on new song, “Four Hours (Away)”, well it was clear that Young Prisms had a potent new instrument at their disposal.
Based on a few songs, it’s hard to say too definitively how far Young Prisms have come – the new record isn’t out until March 27 – but it sounds as though they’re mixing some Slowdive romanticism into their MBV sonic stew, and that can only be a good thing. And if these reference points have no meaning or interest to you, then you’d best just move along.
NYCTaper is sharing a recording of the band’s show in New York last week.
Photos: Young Prisms @ Sonic Boom (Kensington) – March 10, 2012
MP3: Young Prisms – “Floating In Blue”
MP3: Young Prisms – “Sugar”
MP3: Young Prisms – “Weekends And Treehouses”
Video: Young Prisms – “Floating In Blue”
Video: Young Prisms – “These Daze”
Video: Young Prisms – “Breathless”
Video: Young Prisms – “Sugar”
Rot Gut, Domestic – the new album from Margot & The Nuclear So & So’s – is out March 20 and a new MP3 is available to download. They play The Garrison on April 5.
MP3: Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s – “Shannon”
NPR is streaming a complete Shins concert in New York last week while JAM and The Line Of Best Fit share interviews with James Mercer; their new record Port Of Morrow is out March 20 and they’re at The Molson Amphitheatre August 4.
eMusic talks to Bowerbirds. They play The Garrison on March 27.
Le Blogotheque has posted a Take-Away Show with Perfume Genius; he plays The Drake Underground on April 8.
Billboard and Rolling Stone talk to M. Ward about his new record A Wasteland Companion, due out April 10.
J Tillman has released a new video from Fear Fun, his debut under the Father John Misty marque. It’s out May 1 and he is at The Horseshoe on May 14.
Video: Father John Misty – “Nancy From Now On”
Ramona Falls, aka the side-project of Menomena’s Brent Knopf, will release their second album Prophet on May 1 and follow it with a show at The Drake Underground on June 8.
MP3: Ramona Falls – “Spore”
Hey, remember Garbage? They certainly hope so. They’ve got a new album called Not Your Kind Of People coming out May 15 and will be embarking on a short tour that ends at The Phoenix in Toronto on May 28.
Video: Garbage – “Vow”
Class Clown Spots A UFO – the second album of the reunited Guided By Voices era is coming in June and the first sample is available to stream. It’s gorgeous. Details on the release and Bob Pollards new solo record – of course there’s another new Bob record – are available at Pitchfork.
Stream: Guided By Voices – “Keep It In Motion”
Pitchfork reports that Bob Mould has signed to Merge records for his next solo record, due out this Fall.
Greg Dulli talks to Rolling Stone about rediscovering The Afghan Whigs – just in time for their reunion this year.
Interview has an interview and NPR a World Cafe session with Sharon Van Etten.
Billboard and Spinner talk to Jay Farrar about the New Multitudes Woody Guthrie project; the project also stopped in at Daytrotter for a session.
Patterson Hood reflects on the making of Drive-By Truckers’ 2001 masterpiece Southern Rock Opera to Boulder Weekly.
Friday, January 20th, 2012
Death Cab For Cutie discover you can play these songs with strings on Spring tour
Autumn de WildeBen Gibbard’s songwriting is kind of emo/heart-on-sleeve on the best of days, so how could he ratchet up the melancholy quotient now that he’s officially Mr. Ex-Zooey Deschanel? By adding strings, of course! To be fair, Death Cab For Cutie’s just-announced Spring tour was probably in the works well before news of his break-up was announced, but it seems appropriate that the Death Cab canon will be getting performed with an extra layer of drama thanks to the contributions of San Francisco’s Magik*Magik Orchestra, who will be accompanying the band for these dates, including April 19 at Massey Hall in Toronto.
Details on the tour were announced earlier this week and the fan club presale goes today at noon, with a Friends of Massey Hall presale at 10AM on Tuesday, January 24, a Collective Concerts presale that same day at 1PM and whatever tickets are left go on sale via Ticketmaster on Saturday, January 28.
And if you were wondering, this is indeed Death Cab’s third show in Toronto in the past year, as they’ve pogoed from clubs (The Phoenix last May) to amphitheatres (The Molson Amphitheatre last July) and now a theatre – all in support of last year’s Codes & Keys.
Video: Death Cab For Cutie – “Underneath The Sycamore”
Video: Death Cab For Cutie – “Stay Young Go Dancing”
Video: Death Cab For Cutie – “Home Is A Fire”
Video: Death Cab For Cutie – “You Are A Tourist”
San Francisco’s fuzzy pop fiends Young Prisms will be at The Drake Underground on March 10, part of a Winter tour that may or may not be in support of a new record. They were last here in February 2010 supporting The Radio Dept..
MP3: Young Prisms – “Sugar”
MP3: Young Prisms – “Weekends And Treehouses”
Pitchfork has posted some news on Fleet Foxes that involve members leaving Fleet Foxes, both temporarily and permanently. Bassist Christian Wargo and and keyboardist Casey Wescott are striking out as Poor Moon with a debut EP entitled Illusion due out March 27; they’ll be in town at The Drake on April 6 supporting Lost In The Trees. And gone for good is drummer and live banter specialist J. Tillman, presumably to concentrate on his solo career. His last album was 2010’s Singing Ax.
MP3: Poor Moon – “People In Her Mind”
MP3: J. Tillman – “Three Sisters”
The Phoenix New Times checks in with John Stirratt of Wilco, while The San Diego Union-Tribune talks to Jeff Tweedy and North Country Times gets Nels Cline on the line.
NPR has posted a World Cafe session with Crooked Fingers.
Austin360 talks to John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats.
PopMatters has a sit-down with Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips.
Rolling Stone gets Matt Berninger’s thoughts on The National getting shortlisted (though not yet nominated) for a “Best Original Song” Academy Award. The tune, “Think You Can Wait”, came from the soundtrack for Win Win and sounds a little like this.
MP3: The National – “Think You Can Wait”
KCRW is streaming the whole of Chairlift’s new album Something. It’s out January 24 and they’re at The Horseshoe on March 28.
MP3: Chairlift – “Sidewalk Safari”
Stream: Chairlift / Something
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
The Radio Dept. and Young Prisms at Lee’s Palace in Toronto
Frank YangFact one: The Radio Dept. are not, by any conventional standard, an exciting live band. Fact two: I was terribly excited to see The Radio Dept. make their live Toronto debut on Monday night. The first point I’d gained first-hand knowledge of when I took a pilgrimage to see them in New York City in May 2009 for what I figured would be my only chance to see the band who’d made some of my favourite records of the past decade live, and so the fact that I was wrong about that and they were finally coming to my own hood cemented point two. And I wasn’t the only one who’d been waiting patiently for this day, judging from the other 500 people who sold out Lee’s Palace for the occasion.
Theirs wasn’t the only Toronto debut happening on this evening, though technically Young Prisms took their first Hogtown stage earlier that afternoon across the street at Sonic Boom for an in-store. Still, this was probably the first introduction for most to the group of San Francisco youngsters who just released their debut album Friends For Now and even for those of us who’d heard them in advance, there were still some revelations. For example, so effectively is the album sonically obscured and wrapped in distortion that I didn’t realize their lead singer was a girl until she took the mic. Live, they were less about the fuzz and more about the pummel, the bass and guitar often working in tandem for a unified, full-frequency drone attack with one or the other occasionally breaking formation to contribute some melody. All of which would have been overly dull if not for the fact that they had some solid pop tunes anchoring it all and a pleasantly goofy demeanour – in particular, they seemed really excited about both the concept and execution of poutine.
The Radio Dept. are about their songs. The writing of and the recording of those heartrendingly sublime synth/fuzz pop gems, first and foremost, and not the performing of or heavens forfend the promotion of, hence their taking years upon years to release a new record and reluctance to take it on the road. But because those records and songs are so good, their fans around the world can’t help but clamour to hear them live and when they oblige, as they’ve done so more frequently in the past couple of years, it’s on their terms. I think this is important to appreciating their show, which is stripped-down to say the least. Playing in near-darkness with Martin Larsson on guitar and bass, Daniel Tjäder on keys and laptop and Johan Duncanson on guitar run through a cheap-as-you-get practice guitar amp, they were clearly not about spectacle.
With the simplicity of their presentation and reliance on pre-recorded backing tracks, they often seemed like they were jamming overtop CDs or drum machines in their basements, making music for the joy of making music, never mind anything else. And that was really what it was – rather than recontextualizing their songs for the stage, it was as if they instead invited the audience into their studio to hear them work. And really, though I’m as much pro-live drummer as anyone you’ll ever meet, it would have just been wrong on many of these songs, whose simple, distorted mechanical rhythms are like their beating hearts. All of which is to say that yes, The Radio Dept. are understated performers – almost to a fault – but it’s how it has to be.
Happily, the audience seemed to understand this and there was no restlessness in the house over the course of the set. In fact, the enthusiasm of the packed house was rather at odds with the band’s reservedness – between the hearty applause after every song, each one someone out there’s favourite, and hollered requests or just thanks, their Scandinavian stoicism cracked more than a few times into smiles or even grins. They may not like touring but that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy it. In return, they played a set that leaned heavily on their breakthrough Clinging To A Scheme and featured only a couple each from Pet Grief and Lesser Matters, but in keeping with the theme of their Passive Aggressive compilation, long-time fans were still rewarded with a good number of non-album singles and b-sides. At an hour including the one-song encore – the soaring “Pulling Our Weight” b-side “The City Limits” – it was far too short a night with too many wonderful songs left unplayed – especially considering that the odds of them returning soon, if ever, are long at best – but that, like expecting rock moves or extended banter, was the wrong perspective to take. That they were here at all was a gift, and a near-perfect one.
Exclaim also has a review of the show while Toronto Star and The Boston Globe have interviews with The Radio Dept. SF Weekly has an interview with Young Prisms, who are back for a show at Parts & Labour on April 21 supporting The Fresh & Onlys.
Photos: The Radio Dept., Young Prisms @ Lee’s Palace – February 7, 2011
MP3: The Radio Dept. – “On Your Side”
MP3: The Radio Dept. – “The One”
MP3: The Radio Dept. – “The New Improved Hypocrisy”
MP3: The Radio Dept. – “Never Follow Suit”
MP3: The Radio Dept. – “Heaven’s On Fire”
MP3: The Radio Dept. – “Freddie & The Trojan Horse”
MP3: The Radio Dept. – “David”
MP3: The Radio Dept. – “The Worst Taste In Music”
MP3: The Radio Dept – “A Window”
MP3: The Radio Dept – “Pulling Our Weight”
MP3: The Radio Dept. – “Why Won’t You Talk About It?”
MP3: Young Prisms – “Sugar”
MP3: Young Prisms – “Weekends And Treehouses”
Video: The Radio Dept. – “Never Follow Suit”
Video: The Radio Dept. – “The Worst Taste In Music”
Video: The Radio Dept. – “Where Damage Isn’t Already Done”
Video: The Radio Dept. – “Pulling Our Weight”
The Fly talks to Lykke Li, whose Wounded Rhymes arrives March 1. She’s at The Phoenix on May 22 and just released a new/alternate video from said record.
Video: Lykke Li – “I Follow Rivers”
Jonsi has released a video from his live album/video Live At The Wiltern, available digitally only.
Video: Jonsi – “Go Do”
A second Jeff Tweedy solo show has been announced for March 23 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre; ticket presale goes today at 10AM regular on-sale is Friday. Support for both Tweedy shows and his whole solo tour comes from Toronto’s Snowblink, whose debut Long Live is out next Tuesday and who has an in-store at Soundscapes on March 3 and an album release show at The Music Gallery on March 5.
Basia Bulat will play at The Great Hall on March 26 as part of JunoFest; tickets for the show are $17.50 or free with the $30 JunoFest wristband. And who doesn’t want a JunoFest wristband? They’re like the new LiveStrong wristband. Except not.
MP3: Basia Bulat – “Gold Rush”
Titus Andronicus have assembled a Spring tour that includes an April 1 date at The Horseshoe. Tickets are $11.50, medical bills for the bedlam that will ensue are on you.
MP3: Titus Andronicus – “A More Perfect Union”
The Civil Wars, who’ve just released their debut Barton Hollow, will camp out at the El Mocambo for two night across April 5 and 6, tickets for each show $10.50 in advance.
MP3: The Civil Wars – “Barton Hollow”
Liam Finn will be at Lee’s Palace on April 7 with The Luyas as support. Tickets for the show are $15.
MP3: Liam Finn – “Plane Crash”
MP3: The Luyas – “Tiny Head”
Just as they promised last week when opening for The Decemberists, Wye Oak will be back on April 9 for a show at The El Mocambo. Their new record Civilian will have been out a month and a day by that point. Let’s hope Jenn Wasner’s guitar amp survives the duration of the show this time.
MP3: Wye Oak – “Civlian”
Nashville rock-rockers accumulating quite the buzz overseas Mona will be in town for a free show at The Horseshoe on April 19. Advance word likens them to Kings Of Leon so maybe make plans to get there early or stay far far away. Their self-titled debut is out May 16.
Video: Mona – “Teenager”
Thursday, May 10th, 2007
I don’t think it’s ever taken me a week to put together a review – but considering that this is encompassing twelve bands over four days as part of this year’s Over The Top Fest, I think I’m allowed a little extra time.
It’s funny to think that before the festival began, I was speculating that I’d surely end up seeing stuff I didn’t like, based largely on the fact that I didn’t know a lot of the bands playing and one must be realistic about such things. Well in the post-mortem, I can say with no small amount of astonishment that I enjoyed almost everything I saw – I may not be joining some fan clubs or rushing out to buy the records, but as far as the specific performances I saw over the course of last weekend go, almost everything was some degree of terrific.
I spent the first two nights at the Tranzac as well as Saturday afternoon before wrapping things up with another matinee on Sunday at Sneaky Dee’s. I didn’t purposely avoid the bigger-name shows but that’s how things shook out, making for a really laid back festival which suited me just fine. Anyway, let’s get into it (eye also has a wrapup of their weekend).
The Icicles (Grand Rapids, MI) – This four-girl, one-guy outfit started things off with matching airline-themed costumes, synchronized leg kicks and sugary pop confections topped of with tight, sweet harmonies. A late sub-in for a canceled band, they were retro without being kitchsy and so full of smiles they were impossible to dislike. Their new album is Arrivals & Departures and apparently they had a song in a Motorola commercial? News to me, but it explains how they paid for those snazzy outfits.
MP3: The Icicles – “La Ti Da”
eCard: The Icicles / Arrivals & Departures
MySpace: The Icicles
Casper & The Cookies (Athens, GA) – Even if I didn’t know they came from Athens, GA, I’d have guessed this four-piece came from Athens. Sounding like the offspring of Elf Power and early Of Montreal, their glammy psych pop was enthusiastic but also overly generic. Their energy onstage was appreciated but the music, while proficient, was ultimately unremarkable.
MP3: Casper & The Cookies – “Kroetenwanderung”
MP3: Casper & The Cookies – “April 18, 2003 part 4”
MySpace: Casper & The Cookies
The Hylozoists (Toronto, ON) – The room had been rather empty for the first couple acts but by the time the local heroes took the stage, there was a decent-sized crowd in attendance. The eight-piece lineup was only a little smaller than the massive vibraphonic spree I saw in Austin in March but the missing members (a cello and trumpet, at least) took some of the orchestral grandeur with them. Which isn’t to say that their set didn’t sound terrific – it did, whatever their configuration The Hylozoists always sound terrific – but it did reinforce the opinion that that show in Texas, so massive and majestic-sounding, was something really special.
MP3: The Hylozoists – “Smiley Smiley”
MP3: The Hylozoists – “Strait Is the Gate”
MySpace: The Hylozoists
Nick Krgovich (Vancouver, BC) – When someone at an indie rock show says they’re going to cover the entirety of Sade’s Lovers Rock save for one song, it’s hard to know whether or not they’re serious. Nick Krgovich, best known as part of Vancouver orch-pop outfit P:ano, was serious. He opened the second night of the fest with a solo set of Sade covers, accompanying his delicate falsetto with spare synthesizers and loops. The fact that it all sounded really, really good is as much a testament to Sade’s songwriting skills as Krgovich’s musical abilities. An odd but really enjoyable start to the evening.
MySpace: P:Ano
Vague Angels (New York City, NY) – Best known (to me, anyway) as fronted by Chris Leo, brother of Ted, there was definitely something familiar and fraternal in their sound, Chris’ songwriting is a lot less compact pop and more free-form, stream-of-consciousness narrative. There’s an occasional hook thrown in to keep your ear interested but the vibe was rather beatnik bar-like. That Leo spent the set seated on the edge of his guitar case didn’t help much. Apparently Ted got the need to rock out, Chris got the hairline.
MP3: Vague Angels – “Vague Angels Of Vagary”
Video: Vague Angels – “Vague Angels Of Vagary” (MOV)
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone (Chicago, IL) – Apparently this was Casiotone’s first-ever show in Toronto and judging from the sold-out crowd, some folks have been waiting for this for a long time. Looking as casual as you can get in a worn old cardigan, Owen Ashworth set up behind a small fortress of keyboards (largely Casios, natch) and performed the charming bedroom anthems that have garnered endless comparisons to Stephin Merritt. Though he opened and closed the set performing alone (though he didn’t look pained about it), the highlights were when he was joined by Jennifer Hermannsson on vocals, her sunny voice and demeanor offering a counterpoint to Ashworth’s hangdog demeanor. A nice cap to a low-key evening. Check out an interview with Ashworth at Bandega.
MP3: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – “Young Shields”
MP3: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – “Cold White Christmas”
MP3: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – “Bobby Malone Moves Home”
MySpace: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone
Yah Mos Def (Philadelphia, PA) – The weekend matinee shows, as solid as the lineups were, were at a bit of a disadvantage as far as luring attendees went because it was absolutely beautiful out. It’s hard to argue for hanging out inside a dark club instead of a sunny patio. And so it was that Philly punk/hip-hop duo Yah Mos Def (one word away from a lawsuit) found themselves playing to a largely empty room. They didn’t seem to notice or mind, however, because as soon as their ipod DJ kicked in, they were all over the stage doing their thing like early Beastie Boys. I realize that’s a rather obvious and cliche reference point, but I’m not a hip-hop guy. It’s all I got. But I do know they didn’t sound like Mos Def.
Page France (Baltimore, MD) – I’m sort of on record as not being much of a Page France fan, so I was quite surprised how much I enjoyed the set from the stripped down lineup of singer/guitarist Michael Nau and bassist Jasen Reeder. I thought I’d miss the orchestral touches the rest of the band would have added but kept starker and simpler, I found their songs to be less fluffy and even detected a bittersweetness that I hadn’t noticed before. Maybe I need to go back and listen closer.
MP3: Page France – “Hat And Rabbit”
MySpace: Page France
Matt & Kim (Brooklyn, NY) – Also proving they deserved a second look were the duo of Matt & Kim. I had given their album a spin a while back and found the giddy energy contained therein too much to take but in a live context, it makes for pretty much the best time ever. With Matt on vocals and keyboards and Kim a dervish on the drum kit, the pair were like a musical overdose of happy pills, especially with Matt as the almost absurdly effervescent frontman. The crowd was small but I wager we had a good enough time to cover for everyone else in the city. Definite highlight of the weekend.
MP3: Matt & Kim – “No More Long Years”
MP3: Matt & Kim – “Yea Yeah”
Video: Matt & Kim – “Yea Yeah” (YouTube)
Video: Matt & Kim – “5K” (MOV)
MySpace: Matt & Kim
Darling Arms (Montreal, QC) – The Sunday matinee at Sneaky Dee’s promised to be a low key, sedate affair which after four straight days of show-going, suited me just fine. Leading things off were Darling Arms from Montreal, whose debut EP I reviewed last year. Those recordings were mainly Christina Frances solo but the band now includes a drummer and cellist and as nice as the recorded versions of the songs were, they really sounded splendid with the extra instrumentation bolstering Frances’ sad and lovely voice. Really nice stuff.
MP3: Darling Arms – “Beluga”
Wyrd Visions (Toronto, ON) – I caught Wyrd Visions at last year’s Over The Top matinee and wasn’t terribly impressed with his one-man dronefest performance. But it seems he’s learned something of songwriting efficiency in the interim, with his compositions now only seeming to last a really long time instead of an eternity. But seriously, while his stuff continues to fall on the wrong side of the hypnotic/narcoleptic line for my tastes, it’s evident that it’s evolving and someday it could quite possibly be something I’d enjoy. Except for the thing where he spells “w-y-r-d-v-i-s-i-o-n-s” for 10 minutes. That has got to stop.
Mt Eerie (Anacortes, WA) – The works of Phil Elverum, until this day, had been pretty much completely unknown to me. I’d never heard anything he’d done as either Mt Eerie or The Microphones but had always heard it spoken of in hushed, reverential tones so I was pleased for the opportunity to see what he was about. I’d expected a set of the quiet, acoustic-y singer-songwriter stuff that was posted at his websites, but instead the set began with Elverum strapping on an electric guitar and doing the power trio thing with a rhythm section of local players. He seemed to relish the opportunity to rock out, Crazy Horse style, punctuating his songs with ragged guitar solos and occasional bouts of jumping up and down. After getting that out of his system, he settled in with the acoustic guitar and played a set more in line with what I was expecting, Eleverum himself was quirkily charming and his songs that were intimate, a little odd and a lot affecting. Chart talks to Elverum about how he chooses to release his music.
MP3: Mt Eerie – “Woolly Mammoth’s Absence”
MP3: Mt Eerie – “2 Blonde Braids”
MySpace: Mt Eerie
And that was my Over The Top 2007. As I said in the beginning, I opted to see acts that were mainly unfamiliar to me and it was a strategy that paid of very nicely. I don’t know that I came away with any favourite new bands, but by and large I had a good time just enjoying whatever it was that I was seeing at any given show, no doubt part of the festival’s strategy of eclectic lineups. I also heard that the shows I didn’t go to were generally all very successful and well-received. It’s really nice to see the Over The Top Fest continue to grow each year and yet somehow stay just as grassroots as it ever was (I think this was my fifth year of attending the shows). Congratulations to everyone who organized and ran things on a job well done and I’m looking forward to next year.
Photos: The Hylozoists, Casper & The Cookies, The Icicles @ The Tranzac – May 3, 2007
Photos: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, Vague Angels, Nick Krgovich @ The Tranzac – May 4, 2007
Photos: Matt & Kim, Page France, The Yah Mos Def @ The Tranzac – May 5, 2007
Photos: Mt Eerie, Wyrd Visions, Darling Arms @ Sneaky Dee’s – May 6, 2007
And as long as I’m talking festivals, hello Austin City Limits lineup. Am I going back to Texas again this year? I may very well.
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