Search Results - "Lightspeed Champion Horseshoe Toronto March 4, 2008"

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008

Falling Off The Lavender Bridge


Photo by Frank Yang

Anyone who frequents these parts knows that I’ve been quite taken with Falling Off The Lavender Bridge, the debut album from Lightspeed Champion. And even though you won’t be able to swing a stick in Austin next week without hitting Mr Dev Hynes, I’ve been pretty psyched about his show here in Toronto last night for some time so even the 4000th winter storm to hit these parts in the past three weeks wasn’t going to keep me home.

Hynes ambled onstage dressed for the weather in a ski sweater and fur hat accompanied by his only bandmate on this tour, violinist Mike Siddell, and proceeded to deliver a charmingly shambolic set. Playing without a set list, he entertained requests from the audience (were people really requesting Test Icicles songs?), rattled off some amusing anecdotes about a MuchMusic interview and the beef refrigeration practices at Wendy’s and – oh yes, he played some songs. A couple new ones, an unidentified cover (Update: “Heart In A Cage” by The Strokes – thanks, all) and a fair number of Lavender Bridge tracks.

Obviously, with just two people there was no way he was going to reproduce the wonderful orchestration on the record but to their credit, the two of them did alright for themselves – songs like “Dry Lips”, “Galaxy Of The Lost” and epic-length set closer “Midnight Surprise” all fared quite well in stripped down form. The violin is really a very versatile instrument and was able to adequately stand in for the full string sections and my brain filled in the rest of the missing arrangements – apparently the songs are already that embedded in my consciousness. Obviously, in a perfect world there’d be a Lightspeed Champion tour with full band and orchestra and Emmy The Great on vox but I don’t know that he’ll ever find the audience over here to justify the logistics. But one can hope, and in the interim settle for stalking Hynes around Austin next week.

Photos: Lightspeed Champion @ The Horseshoe – March 4, 2008
MP3: Lightspeed Champion – “Everyone I Know Is Listening To Crunk”
MP3: Lightspeed Champion – “Waiting Game”
Video: Lightspeed Champion – “Galaxy Of The Lost”
Video: Lightspeed Champion – “Tell Me What It’s Worth”
Video: Lightspeed Champion – “Midnight Surprise”
Video: Lightspeed Champion – “Midnight Surprise” (short film)
MySpace: Lightspeed Champion

Synthesis asks British Sea Power if they like rock music. They’re at Lee’s Palace on May 16.

The Times has a sit-down (and walk around Oxford) with all the members of Radiohead. Their recent Rolling Stone cover story is now online as well. They have a date at the Molson Amphitheatre on August 15.

The Charlatans, perhaps drawing inspiration from Radiohead’s distribution model or perhaps being realistic about the market’s interest in what they’re up to, have elected to give away their new album You Cross My Path for free via XFM. I gave up on the Charlatans a few albums ago when they seemed determined to remake themselves as a disco band but this new one is a pleasant surprise – it’s quite a solid, if slightly anonymous, record. There’s nothing especially outstanding but the fact that the band still seems energized and to sincerely give a damn is to be applauded.

Album: The Charlatans / You Cross My Path
MP3: The Charlatans – “Oh! Vanity”
MP3: The Charlatans – “You Cross My Path”
Video: The Charlatans – “Oh Vanity”
Video: The Charlatans – “You Cross My Path”

Billboard reports that Spiritualized’s new record Songs in A & E will have a North American release on June 3, just a couple weeks after the May 19 release date in the rest of the world.

Drowned In Sound, Gigwise and The Irish Independent talk to Elbow’s Guy Garvey in advance of the release of The Seldom Seen Kid, out April 22 in North America. Stereogum has a new track from the album up for stream.

Harp talks to Scott Paterson and Adele Bethel of Sons & Daughters about butting heads with producer Bernard Butler in making one of my favourite records of the year so far, This Gift. They’re at Lee’s Palace on March 26.

The Toronto Sun makes the most of their recent time spent with Ray Davies, churning out an interview about his new solo record Working Man’s Cafe, the odds of a Kinks reunion and they also offer a recommended discography though Rolling Stone one-ups them with a complete discography review. Davies plays the Danforth Music Hall on April 3.

Friday, February 29th, 2008

Bête Noire


Photo by Sam Holden

Though I came of age in the early ’90s, neither the Screaming Trees nor Afghan Whigs figured heavily into my musical development. I dug a few of the singles from each but I just couldn’t relate to their brand of bellowing angst – was more of a moper than a shouter. Did I say was?

Even though it’s been some 15 years since either band reached their commercial peaks with Sweet Oblivion and Gentlemen respectively, the frontmen from each band have never stepped out of the public eye. Mark Lanegan has carved out a critically acclaimed solo career in addition to his duties as a sometime-Queen Of The Stone Age and unlikely duet partner with Isobel Campbell while Greg Dulli has been a Twilight Singer for as long as he was an Afghan Whig and now the pair, who’ve worked together before in the Twilight Singers, are set to release the first album from their long-percolating collaboration as The Gutter TwinsSaturnalia, out Tuesday. And hell, if you’ve been waiting a long time for this? It was worth it.

It’s hard to imagine a situation in which Greg Dulli would be the good cop, but here – even though his vocals drip with the greasy soul and anguished lasciviousness that have long been his hallmark, they can’t withstand Lanegan’s weight of a thousand tombstones baritone. When he steps in, it’s like every light in the room dims and the temperature drops by ten degrees. The man has presence. They both do. And together, whether trading lead vocals or in harmony, they’ve produced a record that stands as one of the finer pure rock records I’ve heard in ages. Dominated by huge guitars (“Idle Hands” is an apocalypse I could get into) but also drenched in piano, strings and mellotron – this is no collection of home demos cobbled together – Saturnalia is grandiose but never loses the rawness or darkness that gives it its crackling vibrancy. Of course, when you’ve got two singers who sound like their concert rider could consist of nothing but whiskey and gravel, how could it? The songwriting drips with blues and soul with dashes of Americana and shows two veteran songwriters still restless, still searching and still not the kind of guys you’d want to run into in a dark alley. Absolutely bracing.

You can stream the whole album on their MySpace and they kick off their North American tour tomorrow at Noise Pop in San Francisco, with a Toronto date on March 14 at the Mod Club. There’s not many things that could make me wish I was here at home that week rather than eating tortilla-wrapped foodstuffs in Austin, but this show is one of them. And there’s a terrific feature on Lanegan in the new issue of Magnet, featuring conversations with many of his collaborators over the years as well as the man himself.

MP3: The Gutter Twins – “Idle Hands”
Video: Afghan Whigs – “Gentlemen”
Video: Screaming Trees – “Nearly Lost You”
MySpace: The Gutter Twins

The Oakland Tribune discusses the life story of The Mountain Goats with John Darnielle.

The Herald Sun gets to know Interpol frontman Paul Banks.

A Place To Bury Strangers tells The Deseret News they are pro-internet.

Drowned In Sound talks to Beach House about Devotion. They’ve a new video and are at the El Mocambo on March 28.

Video: Beach House – “Heart Of Chambers”

Thinking about heading to the ElMo this Sunday night to see Headlights and Evangelicals, aren’t that familiar with either band and don’t have a lot of time to spare? Have no fear – just check out the track below wherein Headlights cover Evangelicals. If you like the performance and the songwriting, it’s win-win. If you don’t like either… well there’s a new episode of The Simpsons on. You could watch that.

MP3: Headlights – “Skeleton Man”
MP3: Evangelicals – “Skeleton Man”

Billboard reports that Elbow’s next album The Seldom Seen Kid will get a North American release on April 22 courtesy of Fiction/Geffen.

Dev Hynes of Lightspeed Champion, who plays a free show at the Horseshoe on Tuesday night, chats with Exclaim!.

The Westender talks to British Sea Power, whose Martin Noble writes in The Guardian about the debut of The Modern Ovens, his Jonathan Richman covers band.

Entertainment Weekly has the tracklisting for the Heroes soundtrack, out March 18, which will feature artists such as Bob Dylan, Wilco and the first new Jesus & Mary Chain single in a decade. None of which changes the fact that it’s a terrible show.

Canadian Music Week hits next week and while we, as a city, haven’t cottoned to the culture of the day show yet – and probably never will – we have rather taken to the art of the in-store. Just consider the many mergers of live performance and retail next week: On Thursday, March 6 at 5PM you have Immaculate Machine at Soundscapes, then it’s a quick jaunt on the Bathurst 511 to Sonic Boom where Matthew Barber will be playing in the basement at 7PM. Then on March 7, Attack In Black will make those same wood-paneled walls rattle with a show at 7PM. Laura Barrett will serenade Soundscapes on Saturday the 8th at 4PM and then on Sunday at 4PM, once you’ve recovered from whatever CMW hangover you’re nursing, head back to Soundscapes for a show from Forest City Lovers. Yes? Yes.

And not an in-store, but there might be a merch table – Emily Haines plays the Phoenix on March 30.

And here’s something to wind out the week… new Iron Man trailer. May 2. Yes.

Trailer: Iron Man

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

Come Clean


Photo via Eisley

I’m not a believer in the idea of “guilty pleasures” but if I were to hold the music I listen to up against an objective scale running from “cool” to “not so cool”, Eisley would almost certainly have to fall into the latter end of the curve.

And on paper, there’s a lot that about them that you could consider cred-defeating. An outfit comprised of all siblings and one cousin hailing from the Texas Bible belt and trading in earnest, major label-endorsed pop-rock would appear to have about as much edge as a rubber ball. But what they do have, and what all the studio gloss can’t obscure, is a glorious pop sensibility that guarantees at least a half-dozen melodic moments per album, delivered in the angelic voices of one of the DuPree sisters (or all three in harmony), that remind me of why I buy their records. Compared to their mostly midtempo debut Room Noises, 2007’s Combinations showcased the band’s rockier side though at the expense of some of the first record’s lyrical whimsy.

Eisley came through town a few times in support of Room Noises – I caught their first headlining show and felt old – but they’ve yet to tour through for Combinations until now. Their Spring tour still has many holes in it but their April 9 date at Lee’s Palace is on the books.

MP3: Eisley – “Golly Sandra” (live)
MP3: Eisley – “I Wasn’t Prepared” (live)
MP3: Eisley – “Just Like We Do” (live)
Video: Eisley – “Invasion”
MySpace: Eisley

As promised at his in-store last week, Kinks-man Ray Davies has booked a North American tour in support of his new solo record Working Man’s Cafe and will be at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto on April 3. Good news for everyone who couldn’t make it to HMV to see him play or who could make it but couldn’t see him anyway.

Anglo-Gallic trio The Teenagers return to town for a show at ANTI (nee Spin Gallery out on Queen West) on May 1 – full tour dates on their site. They will be celebrating the March 18 release of their debut Reality Check.

MP3: The Teenagers – “Starlett Johansson”
Video: The Teenagers – “Starlett Johansson”

The two-thirds of Low-powered Retribution Gospel Choir makes its Toronto debut June 21 at the Rivoli. Their debut, self-titled album is due out March 18.

NOW Q&A’s Devonte Hynes of Lightspeed Champion. He’s at the Horseshoe for a free show on Tuesday night (March 4).

Chart has a feature on Super Furry Animals.

Kevin Drew has a new video he’d like to share with you.

Video: Kevin Drew – “Lucky Ones”

The Georgia Straight talks to British Sea Power about the recording process of Do You Like Rock Music?. They’re at Lee’s Palace on May 16.

Black Mountain, playing Lee’s Palace on March 5, talk to NOW, The Montreal Gazette, The Chronicle Herald and hour.ca. Also on the bill is Bon Iver, who just released For Emma, Forever Ago last week. ArtistDirect, PopMatters and MP3.com chat with Justin Vernon.

Steve Earle discusses prison and Elvis with hour.ca. He’s at Massey Hall on March 4.

If you missed NPR’s stream of Wilco’s show in DC last night, fret not – it’ll be online soon it’s online now. And the band are also going to be on Saturday Night Live this Saturday night – playing live – with guest host Ellen Page.

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

All In The Mind


Photo via MySpace

Aside from a few typos here and there in the last little while, I think I’ve been pretty good about reporting things that can generally be considered factual. Accurate. Based in truth. Which pretty much goes against the basic ethos of blogging, does it not? So with that in mind, I will indulge in a little wild speculation and rumour-mongering, though even that has a basis in reality.

Yesterday morning, I got an email from a reader asking if I knew anything about a Verve gig at the Ricoh Coliseum on May 1. Obviously, I did not. I was then directed to a page at Ticketmaster.ca that did, indeed, indicate there was a show booked for The Verve at the home of the Marlies on International Workers’ Day and further, tickets were to go on sale tomorrow, February 23, priced at the reunion-correct range of $45-$55 (if memory serves). Because even though they were “Getting back together for the joy of the music”, that mortgage has gots to get paid. And I wish I’d taken a screen shot of it as I’d intended (before heading into a meeting) because, after a few more inquiries about it from various corners, it was taken down.

There was no listed promoter for the show, so I’ve got nothing to follow up on, but the timing works, considering they’re going to be at Coachella on April 25 and a flight back to England is probably cheaper from the east coast than the west. But the timing of that on-sale date implied that there was going to be a surprise, last-minute announcement either yesterday (obviously not) or today (we’ll see) or someone was completely off their nut. So, if you’re just hanging around online tomorrow morning around 10AM, try logging into Ticketmaster and see what you get. ‘Cause even if there’s no Verve tickets, you could always get some for Bon Jovi at the ACC. Come on – they’re playing with DAUGHTRY.

And then this morning, another reader email saying that inquiries had been made to the venue itself and they confirmed the show – Verve, May 1. So thanks to Greg and Scott for doing the leg work for me and unless whoever works the phones at Ricoh is a jokester, everyone who lives between Indio, CA and Toronto, ON and wants to see the Verve, cross your fingers for something to be announced for that last week of April. Don’t know if that on-sale date is still valid but it appears that it’s coming.

MP3: The Verve – “The Thaw Sessions”

Closer to the real world, The Daily Swarm was proven correct that Radiohead would be headling two of the three nights of All Points West so maybe their tip that My Bloody Valentine are coming to these shores in September have some legs? Because if The Verve are here in May, then their appeal as, oh, a V Fest headliner is obviously diminished but MBV… Oh wouldn’t the noise-averse residents on the island love that one.

Back to All Points West – couldn’t help but notice that Neil Halstead was amongst the performers, which brought hope that maybe he’d have his second solo album ready or there’d be more touring but as it turns out, he’s been touring with Jack “yes I’m really headlining these festivals get over it” Johnson in the UK and is probably part of whatever package that is. But either way, congratulations go to Neil on the impending twins. Now he and JLo will have something to talk about.

Still in the UK – Spiritualized’s new record finally has a title to go along with the May 19 release date – Songs In A & E. Which makes me thing of the Law & Order theme. There’s still no North American release date but one is promised, along with details of a world tour. Pitchfork has a track listing and more sundry details.

Did you know Ray Davies of The Kinks had an in-store at the HMV on Yonge St tonight at 6PM? No? Me neither, then I got pointed to this interview in NOW… and there you go.

Spinner quizzes Lightspeed Champion’s Dev Hynes about his all-time favourite graphic novels (sidenote – Black Hole is being adapted to film with a screenplay by Neil Gaiman and direction from David Fincher). Lightspeed Champion plays a free show at the Horseshoe on March 4 and as much as I’m looking forward to that, there’s a specific one of his many SxSW appearances that is circled on my calendar – Thursday March 13 at 2PM at the Urban Outfitters just north of downtown. Why? Because the 1PM slot on that day party is taken by Emmy The Great and if there’s any sort of justice, she’ll join him to recreate some of the wonderful backing vocals she contributed to Falling Off The Lavender Bridge. And though she doesn’t have a lot of her own stuff out there – no album, just some singles – what I’ve heard I quite like.

MP3: Emmy The Great – “Easter Parade”

Kate Nash, who began her North American tour in January with a well-received gig here in Toronto returns on April 28 for a show at The Phoenix. She also recently did a session for Spinner’s Interface.

Also just here but coming back, The Kooks will be at the Kool Haus on June 4 as part of a North American tour in support of Konk, out April 15.

That’s the same day that Saturdays = Youth, M83’s new record, hits stores. They’ve lined up a a North American tour which stops at the Mod Club on May 30. Their last visit here in April 2005 was the pinnacle of ridiculousness, even if more of it was canned than really should have been.

Swedes ahoy – El Perro Del Mar and Lykke Li are at the Mod Club on May 11. El Perro Del Mar’s From The Valley To The Stars is out April 22.

Chart and The Montreal Mirror talk to the Super Furry Animals, who were here on Wednesday night.

Just announced – A Fine Frenzy at Lee’s Palace on March 16 and Minus The Bear at the Opera House on April 1 with The Big Sleep and Portugal, The Man. Full dates at Pitchfork.

Mountain Goats in the media – John Darnielle counts off his five favourite Goats characters for eMusic, discusses characterization in his lyrics with The Village Voice and subjects to an interrogation from The Stranger. And NPR meets the world’s biggest (8-year old) Mountain Goats fan.

Rocky Mountain News and Aspen Times talk to Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers while The Village Voice takes the worst song on their latest, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, to task. The Truckers are in town at the Opera House on March 19.

Spinner has the premiere of Tift Merritt’s new video from Another Country, out next Tuesday. She plays the El Mocambo on April 1.

Video: Tift Merritt – “Broken”

Will Sheff discusses fame and pretension with The Sydney Morning Herald. Okkervil River are at the Phoenix on April 9.

Gothamist interviews Matt Berninger, lead singer of The National. They’re at the Molson Amphitheatre on June 8 opening for R.E.M.. CNN profiles filmmaker Vincent Moon of Takeaway Show fame, who’s worked with both those artists.

Aversion reports that Wheat has released an ultra-limited edition single from last year’s Everyday I Said A Prayer For Kathy And Made A One Inch Square in “Move=Move” in a package chock full of bonuses and goodies.

MP3: Wheat – “Move=Move” (radio edit)

As predicted, an unofficial MP3 torrent of SxSW artists for this year is now available here. Thanks to DoneWaiting.

The Toronto Star looks at the phenomenon of “band glut” on the touring circuit, a consequence of every artist out there seeking to make their fortune on the road.

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

A Trip Out

So today is the day that British Sea Power asks North Americans, Do You Like Rock Music?. I offered up my thoughts on the record last month when the record was released in the UK so I won’t rehash that, sufficed to say I still love the album. Instead, I’ll point out that they’ve marked the occasion by announcing the second string of North American tour dates, covering the midwest to the east coast and wrapping up in in our neighbourhood, the penultimate date coming May 16 at Lee’s Palace with support from The Rosebuds.

This, of course, does me no good since I’m landing in Dublin early that morning, but it should be a riotous show for those of you able to attend. I will have to make do with trying to see them at Noise Pop and/or SxSW and hope that they bring the tour machine back for a second go-around in the Fall, perhaps.

The creepy puppet footage from their performance on Later… With Jools Holland which I tried to link a few days ago is now back up but far more interesting are the actual performances from the show, linked below, and the interview portion of the programme. You think it’s too much to hope that they’ll tour with the Cumbrian wrestlers?

And if you’re still uncertain as to your position on rock music, you can stream the album in its entirety at Spinner, but I’ll save you some trouble. The answer is “yes”. Four out of five critics agree, though Pitchfork (aka the fifth dentist) thinks they’re being clever again.

Stream: British Sea Power / Do You Like Rock Music?
Video: British Sea Power – “Waving Flags” (live on Jools Holland)
Video: British Sea Power – “No Lucifer” (live on Jools Holland)
Video: British Sea Power – “Canvey Island” (live on Jools Holland)

Also doing the stream thing this week, The Raveonettes’ new one Lust Lust Lust and Heretic Pride from The Mountain Goats’. Both are out next Tuesday and the Raveonettes play the Opera House on March 21.

Stream: The Mountain Goats / Heretic Pride
Stream: The Raveonettes / Lust Lust Lust

Dev Hynes of Lightspeed Champion gives Neu! a track-by-track walkthrough of Falling Off The Lavender Bridge. He’s at the Horseshoe for a free show March 4.

Rabble talks to Destroyer man Dan Bejar about various sundry topics, including his aversion to making music videos and his neighbourhood in Vancouver. Trouble In Dreams is out March 18 and he stops in at Lee’s Palace a month later on April 19.

I Heart Music has ripped and MP3-ified Basia Bulat’s session for CBC Radio 3 recorded at an in-store at Criminal Records here in Toronto last December. She’s got a show at Lee’s Palace on March 29.

The Independent talked to Feist prior to her 1-2-3-0-for-4 night at the Grammies on Sunday. It’s okay Leslie, you have much better hair than Amy Winehouse.

Dean & Britta stop in for a session at Minnesota Public Radio.

Matador has been working on definitively reissuing the whole of Mission Of Burma’s back catalog and will release the results of said efforts on March 18 in the form of the three volume set Mission Of Burma: The Definitive Editions I, II and III (all available individually). They’re so pleased with the remastering that they’re offering a couple of samples in both a 256kbps MP3 and uncompressed WAV form. I’ve linked the MP3s below – for the WAVs and full details in what comes in each of the MoB releases, hit the Matablog.

MP3: Mission Of Burma – “Max Ernst”
MP3: Mission Of Burma – “Weatherbox” (live)

This Is Fake DIY interviews Asobi Seksu.