Posts Tagged ‘Viva Voce’

Sunday, March 29th, 2009

SxSW 2009 A/V – Viva Voce

Photo By Frank YangFrank YangViva Voce
Portland, Oregon, USA

Husband-and-wife-fronted rock outfit will release Rose City, the follow-up to 2006’s Get Yr Blood Sucked Out, on May 26
Show review
– interview at Tuscon Weekly

Photos: Viva Voce @ The Mohawk Patio – March 21, 2009
MP3: Viva Voce – “Drown Them Out”
MP3: Viva Voce – “Devotion”
MP3: Viva Voce – “When Planets Collide”
MP3: Viva Voce – “We Do Not Fuck Around”
Video: Viva Voce – “From The Devil Himself”
MySpace: Viva Voce

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

SxSW 2009 Day Four

Camera Obscura, The Grates and Peelander Z and more at SxSW

Photo By Frank YangFrank YangA much-needed sleep-in, however slight, threw me off schedule before evening awakening on the final day of SxSW, so I hoofed it to the Mohawk and day two of Hot Freaks without so much as a coffee – a decision that would prove to be very… unwise by that evening. But in the meantime, I had the boost provided by another day of great music and a fresh pair of socks to get me going.

Greeting the early birds at noon were Austin trio Harlem, who seemed to treat the Mohawk patio stage like their own personal garage/rehearsal space – that’s meant in a positive way. Their music was charmingly rough around the edges but eminently hooky and their stage demeanor was that of a group of friends just goofing around and having a good time. There are certainly worse ways to start a day.

I then fled the high noon sun for the cooler climes of the Mohawk’s inside stage, where Brooklyn’s Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers were getting started. I was unfamiliar with them but they were spoken highly of by a few friends so I had a boo. A quartet led by a tiny girl with a harmonium and huge voice, they weren’t nearly as odd as first glances might imply, specializing in raw and wrenching blues-ish tunes… led by harmonium. Charismatic and compelling, and the chorus of voices people speaking highly of her/them is almost certain to keep growing.

Heading back out into the sunlight, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me because I had assumed, for whatever reason, that Jason Lytle – with the number of shows he was booked to do this week – would be working in a solo acoustic context. But no, the former Grandaddy frontman was doing the full band thing and it’s a good thing, because I don’t think his songs would have been nearly as impressive with just voice and guitar. It’s also evident that Lytle isn’t necessarily interested in distancing himself from his old band because, honestly, the new stuff sounds like the old stuff and he even closed out with – I think, correct me if I’m wrong, I haven’t revisited Grandaddy in years – “He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot”, which was just beautiful.

Over at Club DeVille, it was then time for Australian fun-meisters The Grates. I was personally quite excited to finally be seeing them – their manic live shows were already legendary – but the venue was only moderately full for them. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, though, as frontwoman Patience Hodgson bounded all around the stage and rest of the venue delivering tunes from their debut Gravity Won’t Get You High as well as new record Teeth Lost, Hearts Won – released last year in Australia and in negotiations for a North American release this year – like a aerobics instructor hepped up on pixie sticks. But the extra space really came in handy for their almost set-closer, when Hodgson whipped out a rhythmic gymnastics ribbon and began whipping it around and then – THEN – was joined, out of nowhere, by another rhythmic gymnast, ribbons a-flying, running around her. I doubt there was any sort of proper routine planned but for sheer, out of nowhere never seen that before ridiculous fun, The Grates won the day.

Back at the Mohawk, Portland’s Viva Voce – who were supposed to play the very first Hot Freaks but cancelled to go on tour with some outfit called The Shins – were making up for the delay with a set of guitar-driven rock that you could equally preface with “prog-” or “pop-“. Brutally loud and breahtakingly delicate, it was a fine showcase for Anita Robinson’s impressive guitar chops – to say nothing of her fine voice – without becoming over-indulgent. I only caught half their set on account of being spun around by The Grates but what I did see reminded me that I liked their last record Get Yr Blood Sucked Out and should be keeping an eye/ear out for their new album Rose City when it’s released on May 26.

My default answer for “what was the best thing you saw at SxSW” last year was Peelander-Z, not because they were any great shakes musically – they’re not – but because of the sheer spectacle of their show. Outrageous Power Ranger-esque costumes, stage climbing expeditions and general over-the-top antics ensured a memorable show whether you actually liked it or not. So naturally we had them back a second year in a row, but with the caveat that they had to keep within the allotted time limit. And I think that was the second most impressive thing about their show – I was familiar with their routine, mostly unchanged from 2008, but they somehow managed to cram everything in – the human bowling, the audience band recruitment, the crowd surfing journey to the top of the Mohawk tent – without running a minute over. The first most impressive thing was seeing Peelander Red climb onto the rafters of the stage canopy and hang upside-down, holding on only by his legs, while still playing his bass. And I’m really glad he was able to hang on because he was directly above me and if he’d fallen, I’d probably be dead as well. Not that I escaped their set fully unscathed – at one point Peelander Green broke a drumstick and whipped it into the audience, nailing me square in the face and hand. But the crowd loved it.

Trying to follow such an act is no easy feat, so it’s probably just as well that Camera Obscura don’t go in for on-stage shenanigans – just wonderful pop songs, perfectly suited to basking in the warmth of the setting sun. Though visibly worn from the activities of their week, the band capped off their SxSW and our Hot Freaks showcase for the year with a compact set of their very best material from 2006’s Let’s Get Out Of This Country and the forthcoming My Maudlin Career, out April 21. Highlights were their new single “French Navy”, the still-brilliant “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken” and wall-of-noise – who ever thought that phrase would be used in conjunction with Camera Obscura – “Razzle Dazzle Rose”. Pure bliss for the SxSW twee-pop contingent, and another triumphant Hot Freaks for the history books.

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

The Sweetest Thing

Hot Freaks at SxSW 2009… revealed!

Photo By Donald MilneDonald MilneThe first one went over like gangbusters, and the second one was even better… so why wouldn’t we do it all again for 2009? Yes’m, I’m once again very proud to be able to announce – along with fellow music blog compatriots Aquarium Drunkard, Gorilla Vs Bear, Largehearted Boy, My Old Kentucky Blog and You Ain’t No Picasso – the lineup for Hot Freaks 2009, taking place during SxSW at the Mohawk and Club DeVille in Austin, Texas on March 20 and 21. Two days, three stages, 32 acts.

It’s taken a little longer than usual to get things together this year, but it’s been worth the wait. I mean, we’ve had some pretty impressive Hot Freaks alumnus over the last couple years – St Vincent, Shearwater, The Polyphonic Spree, Grizzly Bear, Land Of Talk, Jens Lekman, Lykke Li, The Acorn and British Sea Power to name just a few – but I will hold this Hot Freaks lineup up against any of the others we’ve pulled together in the past. But don’t just take my word for it – have a look:

Friday, March 20, 2009

Club DeVille (Insound Stage)
12:30 PM Obits / MySpace / MP3: “Pine On”
1:30 PM Handsome Furs / MySpace / MP3: “I’m Confused”
2:30 PM American Analog Set / MySpace
3:30 PM The Thermals / MySpace / MP3: “Now We Can See”
4:30 PM The Hold Steady / MySpace

The Mohawk Patio
12:00 PM The Wrens / MySpace / MP3: “Everyone Choose Sides”
1:00 PM Bishop Allen / MySpace / MP3: “Dimmer”
2:00 PM The Henry Clay People / MySpace / MP3: “Something In The Water”
3:00 PM Port O’Brien / MySpace / MP3: “I Woke Up Today”
4:00 PM The Rosebuds / MySpace / MP3: “Life Like”
5:00 PM Delta Spirit / MySpace / MP3: “People C’Mon”

The Mohawk Inside
12:30 PM The Rural Alberta Advantage / MySpace / MP3: “Don’t Haunt This Place”
1:30 PM We Have Band / MySpace / MP3: “Hear It In The Cans”
2:30 PM These United States / MySpace / MP3: “Honor Amongst Thieves”
3:30 PM Alela Diane / MySpace / MP3: “White As Diamonds”
4:30 PM Richard Swift / Richard Swift / MP3: “Lady Luck”

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Club DeVille
12:30 PM Real Estate / MySpace / MP3: “Black Lake”
1:30 PM Girls / MySpace / MP3: “Lust For Life”
2:30 PM The Grates / MySpace / MP3: “Burn Bridges”
3:30 PM Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains / MySpace / MP3: “American Names”
4:30 PM Jeremy Jay / MySpace / MP3: “Beautiful Rebel”

The Mohawk Patio
12:00 PM Harlem / MySpace
1:00 PM Jason Lytle / MySpace / MP3: “Birds Encouraged Him” (live)
2:00 PM Vivian Girls / MySpace / MP3: “Where Do You Run To?”
3:00 PM Viva Voce / MySpace / MP3: “Drown Them Out”
4:00 PM Peelander-Z / MySpace / MP3: “Ninja-High Schooool”
5:00 PM Camera Obscura / MySpace / MP3: “My Maudlin Career”

The Mohawk Inside
12:30 PM Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers / MySpace / MP3: “Filthy & Free”
1:30 PM Roadside Graves / MySpace
2:30 PM Mason Proper / MySpace / MP3: “Fog”
3:30 PM Lemonade / MySpace / MP3: “Big Weekend”
4:30 PM Amazing Baby / MySpace / MP3: “Bayonets”

The Wrens are kicking things off at noon. The Rural Alberta Advantage will still be riding high on opening up for Grizzly Bear the night before. The American Analog Set – reunited and reactivated for this show only! – are playing The Golden Band in its entirety. The Hold Steady will be holding court on the Insound stage. Alela Diane will mesmerize. The Grates will be bouncing off the walls. Jason Lytle will unveil his post-Grandaddy works. Peelander-Z will do… what Peelander Z does. And Camera Obscura will close things out by showcasing their forthcoming album My Maudlin Career. This, my friends, is what we call bliss.

And thanks go out to our main sponsors GOOM Radio and Lala.com, who are offering 75 free songs for signups. Please respondez s’il vous plait – admission is free, PBRs are $1. Awesome is guaranteed. And sorry, this is a 21+ event – the drinks will be flowing.

Add all our shows to your sched.org calendar. You DO have one, right?

MP3: Guided By Voices – “Hot Freaks”

Friday, February 20th, 2009

El Sincero

Wheat return again

Photo via MySpaceMySpaceSay what you will about Taunton, Massachusetts’ Wheat, but you can’t deny that they refuse to stay down. Once upon a time one of my favourite bands (circa Medeiros and Hope & Adams), they became a cautionary tale against the major label machine with 2003’s ill-fated Per Second Per Second Per Second Every Second (which I chronicled back in 2004 and 2005) and essentially disbanded in the aftermath.

They unexpectedly returned in 2007 with Everyday I Said A Prayer For Kathy And Made A One Inch Square, again independent and down a member, but even then they were beset with label problems and delays. And the record itself was free of the excessive gloss of Per Second, it was decent at best – unfocused and only evidencing glimpses of the rough magic that defined their earliest releases. It pretty much came and went and I figured that that was the end of the band, again. They’d returned in order to finish on their own terms.

Or not. There were rumblings of a new record late last year and though there’s no release date as of yet, it has a title – White Ink, Black Ink – and a sample of it has surfaced on the band’s profile for SxSW, where I fully intend to see them play. Obviously not enough to form an opinion on, though it sounds like they’re sticking to the sonic cut-and-paste aesthetic of Kathy. I find I remain curious and still a little excited about the prospect of new music from Wheat – this news prompted me to revisit those magical first two records and they still give me tingles.

And those first two records – Medeiros and Wheat – are being reissued together along with a bonus disc of rarities and whatnots from the era entitled 30 Minute Theatrik (thanks to Mark for the tip). It’s set for a March 10 release but you can pre-order it now and get all three records digitally immediately. If you’ve never heard either one, well, you should. And here’s your chance.

More Wheat info and downloads available at thiswheat.com.

MP3: Wheat – “El Sincero”
MP3: Wheat – “Move = Move”
Mp3: Wheat – “What Everyone Keeps Telling Me”
MP3: Wheat – “World United Already”
Video: Wheat – “Don’t I Hold You”
Video: Wheat – “I Met A Girl”
MySpace: Wheat

Drowned In Sound declared this week just ending “slowcore week” and followed that up with extensive features on personal favourites like Low, Galaxie 500, The New Year and Early Day Miners. They’ll have a new album out sometime this year entitled The Treatment.

The Democrat & Chronicle interviews Blitzen Trapper, playing a sold-out show at the Horseshoe tomorrow night.

CBC Radio 3 talks to Casey Mecija of Ohbijou, who will release their second album Beacons on April 14 and follow that up with a CD release show at the Opera House on April 18.

The Thermals are hitting the road in support of their new album Now We Can See, out April 7. Pitchfork has the full North American itinerary, which includes a May 3 date at the Horseshoe.

MP3: The Thermals – “Now We Can See”

Mogwai have announced a North American tour for this Spring which will make up their cancelled The Hawk Is Howling dates from last Fall when drummer Martin Bulloch’s pacemaker threatened to escape from his chest. The Toronto date will be May 4 at the Phoenix – those who won passes to the cancelled show, I’ll be in touch about the make-up date.

MP3: Mogwai – “The Sun Smells Too Loud”

With their new album What Is?! coming out domestically on April 12, King Khan & The Shrines will be at the Phoenix on May 12 to promote.

Vetiver have a date at the Horseshoe on May 15 in support of last year’s Tight Knit.

MP3: Vetiver – “Everyday”

Leonard Cohen has announced a North American tour – closest local date is May 19 at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. Second closest is May 24 at John Labbat Centre in London. Tickets on sale March 2.

Neil Young’s Fork In The Road has a confirmed release date of March 31. Archives? Don’t ask.

Annie Clark, aka St Vincent, will release her sophomore album in Actor on May 5. Full details on the release at Pitchfork.

Also out May 5 is Outer South, the second solo record from Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band.

Viva Voce will release Rose City on May 26.

The Broken West have turned out a new video from last year’s Now Or Heaven.

Video: The Broken West – “Perfect Games”

CHUD interviews Scott Pligrim creator Bryan Lee-O’Malley.