RSS

By Ashley Wong - Dump the Body in Rikki Lake - 01/08/2005

Peter Elkas’ (ex-Local Rabbits) solo project seemed like a strange match initially when seen opening up for mainstream hip-hop act K-OS. Local man Elkas, now re-located to Toronto, made a nice rock complement to hip-hop artist K-OS. For old Local Rabbits fans, his music has matured. His music now appeals to a much older crowd, incorporating a little bit of blues/soul with some rock and roll. The crowd seemed bored and a little distracted. His full-piece band played well with a relatively short set, setting up the stage for pop star K-OS.

Strangely enough, the moment Peter Elkas’ set ended, the Spectrum suddenly became uncomfortably taken over by loud and rowdy hip-hop/reggae fans. The air in the room became thick with the semblance and atmosphere of a club on St-Laurent. The place seared with McGill jocks, which was more than I could take. The music was pumped up, busting out all the club hits and radio anthems including an old favorite by the Fugees. People were standing on chairs, and the girls were all glammed up, gearing up to shake their booty to the much-anticipated K-OS. I was beginning to understand the appeal of hip-hop dance parties, but the people and atmosphere were just gross.

To me, part of the appeal of K-OS is the production he puts into his music. He incorporates so many different elements into his music so that it is not just straight up hip-hop, which is why Peter Elkas fitted well. K-OS blends hip-hop with jazz and rock instrumentals, even including primary use of the Spanish guitar on his latest album Joyful Rebellion (2004). He manages to do something different yet still remain in the realm of pop. His music is happy, catchy, intelligent and fun. Rather than singing about all the bitches and hoes, ‘bling’ and the Benjamins (which is more like a cock-party than anything else), K-OS sings about music, culture, love, values and life. The audience didn't seem to recognize the difference.

One thing about K-OS is that he has an understanding of communities outside of the ones he mainly draws from. K-OS, born Kheaven Brereto, grew up just outside of Toronto in Ajax, Ontario. In an interview featured on Artist Direct, he explains:

“I grew up in the suburbs around people like Sam [Roberts] and vibes like that. So a little secret to my success in Canada is that I’ve been able to assimilate into the independent rock scene and still remain a hip-hop kid. Because I know those people, I know what they’re about and I know how to vibe with them. And I think that could be a problem for some other artists is that they didn’t really grow up listening to U2 or Siouxsie & the Banshees or The Clash. They see that as rock music and there’s this taboo in hip-hop, that you just don’t do rock. “

In the article he discusses the difference between American and Canadian attitudes in hip-hop, the industry, stardom and music in general. Similarly to the way he could relate to Sam, he could relate to Peter Elkas. His openness to others broadens his audience, appealing to a range of people.

After the DJ got the audience all roiled up, K-OS hits the stage starting off the show with his hit “B-boy Stance”. From the beginning the show had a vibe of a more typical hip-hop show, which did not seem apparent from the openers. K-OS pulled out all the tricks including inviting Peter Elkas to come on stage to sing "Dirty Waters" (which he also sang on the album), stage diving, and some long drawn-out psych rock mash-ups of the Police and Bob Marley tunes. It was an upbeat beginning, but the show began to draw out as the band led into long drawn-out jams. K-OS ended the show with a recognizable favorite (and my personal favorite on the album) “Crucial”, but the band seemed tired from playing for so long, and the song didn’t seem to have the same punch. By this time it was nearing 1am and K-OS had been playing for a significant time. I did not bother sticking around for the encore. K-OS put on a great show, despite the length, and hopes to capture the same respected attention in America as he has in Canada.

-aw

 
Ashley Wong hosts Dump The Body In Ricki Lake Thursdays from noon – 2pm. You can check out more awesome pictures she took of the show here.

By David Caporicci-Urovitch - No Sleep Til Bedtime - 03/01/2004

Metal this year has spawned so many metal/tech/math/hard-core bands that the genre is overrun. It seems that everyone and their grandmother has their own take on this abstract sub-genre, mixing more of one element and less of another until it seems original. While some albums released produce what pioneers of the style have already accomplished, there are still some interesting variations; enter From a Second Story Window with their debut EP, Not One Word Has Been Omitted. Clocking in above 30 minutes, (longer than some full lengths I’ve heard this year) these five tracks present something that caught me totally off guard. They maintain a guiding melody while still playing heavy abrasive riffs mixed with dissonant chords and movements in odd time signatures. The vocals are a mix of a death metal yell and a superb lower dry shout. Technically, FASSW are superb musicians, but do not dwell on this, and let even stronger song writing guide the music between movements. Something also very noticeable is the eerie effect created by the band when they quickly mix upbeat major chords with sombre minor chords, frequently in the same bar. Some tracks like “I Tried Voodoo Once” use light breaks from the brutality to give the listener breathing room, which is effective, although sometimes these ideas do not seem well explored enough, jumping around too quickly without letting the movement truly develop. While FASSW will not astound the average listener of the genre, this EP shows much promise for future development, making them a band to keep watching.

By Jordan-na - Canadian Invasion - 01/14/2005

The first stop of Sum 41’s “Go Chuck Yourself” Canadian tour was a sold-out show at Montreal’s Metropolis. They were out to promote their latest release Chuck, featuring what they describe as a metal-influenced sound with a more mature outlook. Chuck was named after a UN representative that got the band out of a life-threatening situation during a War Child sponsored visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The lead single, “We’re All to Blame,” suggests that the band has grown up over the course of their last four albums and now cares about social issues and the current state of our world, yet their show suggests otherwise.

No Warning, a hardcore outfit from Toronto, opened up for Sum 41.“Montreal get yer fuckin’ fists in the air!” They played in front of a yellow curtain and flat lighting, reminding you that this is only opening act, make no doubt. But they are more hard rock than Sum 41 could ever hope to be. Parts metal, parts hard rock with a slight tinge of punk, lead singer Ben Cook delivered his vocals in an angry screamo style accompanied by heavy guitar riffs and loud banging drums. Cook’s favourite word seemed to be “fuck” and variations in case you didn’t get that they are hardcore: “Thank you very fucking much” “Shake your fuckin’ tits if you’re ready for Sum 41.” It was as if they were embarrassed about opening for a mainstream band and overcompensated by acting as what they thought were bad-ass hard rockers. The music was typical pissed-off hardcore stuff. Nothing really stood out as one song sounded like the next. Perhaps they should have proved themselves by working harder on their music rather than their image.

Sum 41 obliterated any lingering thoughts of No Warning with a high-tech multimedia spectacle. Their show started off with a short film of the band members playing a basketball game that ended in a comical bloody murder, complete with body parts puréed in a blender and fried in a pan.

The Sums took the stage which was set up like an elaborate playground for the band. The speakers were set up so the guys could jump off of them. Drummer Stevo’s kit was on a raised platform with ramps on either side. He sported a blood splattered apron from the video skit. The backdrop was the Sum 41 logo surrounded by TV sets playing random clips and images. It was perfect for ADD types, with televisions to distract you, flashing lights, the band running up, down and around the stage. . . and oh yeah, there was the music.

Sum 41 opened up with “The Hell Song”, written for a friend who contracted a fatal disease, perhaps to remind us of how the band has matured and showing off their serious side. All their hits were played and the band did a decent job of recreating their repertoire live. The set list was wisely chosen to please both old and new fans, taking songs from all the albums. The crowd was more into the new Sum 41 material, singing along to new songs like “Pieces” and “Still Waiting.” There wasn’t the reaction I expected for their first big single “It Makes No Difference.” This crowd was more into the “new” Sum 41.
Singer Deryck was the center of attention. The other band members wore black and white but Deryck cavorted around the stage in a red t-shirt, doing Elvis and George W. Bush impersonations. The highlight came when at the end of “It Makes No Difference.” Deryck left the stage and reappeared near the soundboard in the back of the mosh pit. A keyboard was brought out and he played the mellowest song of their career, a ballad titled “Pieces.”

The concert was harmless fun for 15 year olds. But the show left me a bit cold with its contradictory message. Sum 41 is now trying to project an image of a band that is going back to the punk roots of social rebellion by caring about issues that affect our world. Yet they present certain contradictions in their image by having their tour heavily sponsored by Rogers mobile. A big Rogers ad was projected above the stage before the show, imploring the audience to text and win! It just reminded us of how commercial Sum 41 is. You can’t be pissed off about society and want to change the world while having your tour sponsored by a major cell phone company. It just doesn’t add up.

[Tune in to Canadian Invasion every Friday 4pm – 6pm]

By Alex Huynh -Losing My Edge - 12/04/2004

December is quite a strange time, as it can represent a sort of final hurdle before goals are reached or misery is momentarily ended, replaced by hope for a new and better year ahead. It’s rather ridiculous to think of that concept so boxed up in a calendar year, but we seem to nonetheless fall victim to it due to endless conditioning. So just as the university kids and young professionals comprising this night’s crowd have that milestone on their minds, that last lap before they can celebrate and go home, Feist and her band had actually reached it as their second night at Cabaret La Tulipe represented their last date of a year-long tour that had, in oversimplifying terms, started at Le Cabaret earlier this year.

From the first note, Leslie Feist owned every single seat and snow-soaked standing spot in the venue with her light n’ tight mesmerizing vocals that were enhanced by the venue’s excellent acoustics. Wasting no time in getting the crowd in on the fun, she proposed a sing-along by the second number of her set, "One Evening" (a song about one-night stands, she told us, "you all know what I mean"). It was unusually early to go into audience participation but at the same time, it felt more like an honest attempt in sharing her celebratory mood with us rather than a forced concert cliché. The more Feist played, the more the venue grew hypnotized, breaking the trance only to applaud loudly after each number. For those who enjoyed Sideways and who liked Justine Bateman over Tina Yothers in Family Ties, her charismatic and sexy presence was preferable to Emily Haines’. The music itself was competent but make no mistake, the proverbial and the literal spotlight shone down on Leslie Feist as a performer.

Feist was determined to break the fourth wall that night with lots of banter and giving us a peek at the shy girl underneath her confident stage performance. This created an atmosphere that made the music all the more delightful as cynicism was checked at the (poorly set-up) entrance. She communicated to us her nervousness in performing her Françoise Hardy cover, "L’amour ne dure pas toujours", as she thought that her French would not be up to par and fool the Quebec audience. Of course, she pulled it off magnificently as called for by the script, but it was easy to let yourself lulled into it. She then encouraged people to slow dance to the next song and pitting us against Friday’s crowd. One guy volunteered to dance with her onstage and she gamely accepted this gentleman’s offer, singing at the same time as she was being held in what were probably the moistest hands in the place.

Just like the previous night, she went into her own rendition of her sometimes-bandmates Broken Social Scene’s "Lover’s Spit" that lacked the heartbreak of the original. Perhaps that was the one criticism I can come up with about the whole show: her songs and especially her voice, while beautiful and easy to be smitten by, are simply too light to have any real emotional impact. Though the entire band’s energy and Leslie Feist’s own presence more than compensated for it, the magic evaporated the moment you stepped outside the venue, just like the snow that had started to fall before showtime.

Alex co-hosts Losing My Edge Sundays 2pm-4pm and Tuesday 8pm-10pm. It took him an enormous amount of will power to use only a single variation of the word "sex" in this entire review.