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AMERICAN ANALOG SET @ Petit Campus
By Louis Rozza - Hooked On Sonics - 11/14/2005
American Analog Set are nearing the tail end of a long North American tour which started in support of their sixth record Set Free, released on the Arts & Craft label. On this night, they hit Montreal for the first time in a while, and if what the band has been saying is true, this could be the last time they will tour. My introduction to the recorded history of American Analog Set came pretty late in their career, with 2003’s fine The Promise of Love which was so good that it inspired me to pick up my guitar again and start a new band. Since then, I have heard more of their material and read numerous articles; they still remain an influence. The band was in fine form, playing a set comprised of not only the new record but also some gems from earlier releases. The main sound of American Analog Set comes from the organ and keyboards, which pulsates through every song, reminiscent of that drone-pop sound that Stereolab used to have. The set was filled with quiet ambient guitars and keys, and on occasion pouring over into a gigantic wall of sound. It was a perfect soundtrack to the beginning of winter: quiet, dark, repetitive, somber. The band was in good sprits too, with singer Andrew Kenny often thanking the crowd, especially the ones who were sitting on the floor in front of the stage, which he said made him feel more at home. The one shortcoming was that I wish they played longer; it was so enjoyable that the hour or so that they did play just flew by. The crowd, mesmerized throughout, wanted more too and coaxed the band into one final song, a request made by someone in the audience. All in all, it was a great experience to finally see one of my favorite bands live.
[Tune in to HOOKED ON SONiCS Tuesdays 6pm – 8pm.]
NASHVILLE PUSSY + Bionic @ Café Campus
By Dallas Richter - Dont Mess With Dallas - 10/05/2005
Opening for Nashville Pussy was supposed to be some band called Whitey Houston (don’t let that wit escape you), but something happened where these dudes from Edmonton couldn’t make it to Montreal. The Whitey CD is actually pretty good. Anyhoo, so local rockers Bionic opened up instead. Now, I’ve never heard much of Bionic, but I’ve been told a lot of stuff, so there was a lot of hype to live up. Fortunately, they lived up to it. Frontman Johnson Cummins, writer of the sans doubt best weekly Mirror column, managed to bring it hard, heavy and loud, filling the room with bobbing heads.
I got my first taste of Nashville -- amongst other sorts -- Pussy in CEGEP. I found the High As Hell CD when my neighbour moved out and said “we left some shit behind, feel free to take it”. I guess it was some kind of going-away gift -- there was a case of 12, a pack of smokes and a Nashville Pussy CD.
When they took the stage at Café Campus, I saw the biggest congregation of sweaty redneck-types since my short visit to Alabama this summer. There was an undeniable party vibe in the air. I wanted to be a part of the party, so I spent the money I saved for a taxi home on beer and kept $2.50 for the last metro. Nashville Pussy brought the noise and had the crowd buzzing. One of the coolest things about Nashville Pussy is that you picture these two ugly, fat hillbillies scoring with hot chicks, including the other two band members, who themselves are sexy stripper-type girls. There is hope in that message somehow. The music was gritty, gyrating, and wooooah-fueled (the newest trend-word for coke that I just invented). Singer Blaine Cartwright, who sounds like asbestos, chain-smoke and a hangover, provided an atmosphere that allowed us to just hang out and not have to look cool, which I hadn’t felt in the last twenty shows I went to.
They played what I think are their best older songs and lots from the new album. They even played a Turbonegro cover. Guitarist Ruyter Suys made out with some hot girl in the audience and while it is a stupid male fantasy, it felt acceptable to enjoy it then and there. The show was fuckin’ great. It made me wanna scream “hell yeah!” all night.
[Tune in to Don’t Mess With Dallas Tuesdays 10am to noon.]
SUPER FURRY ANIMALS + Caribou @ Club Soda
By Émilie Christiansen - 11/01/2005
Super Furry Animals were in town on November 1st and having experienced their live performance before, I knew they were not to be missed. Their shows are known to be a cornucopia of visuals and sound and I was not disappointed. Caribou (formerly known as Manitoba) opened the show and although I’ve never listened to any of their albums, their live set impressed me. The band members were constantly switching instruments and the songs flowed very smoothly from one to the other. It was made doubly interesting by the fact that the music was accompanied by an animated film in the background. They played a long opening set and still managed to keep my attention all the way through.
Between sets, they had a screen showing the turntables backstage in the dressing room, which they were using to DJ. From time to time, as done in previous shows, they would show us messages by writing on paper plates that they would put in front of the camera. SFA started with a “live” intro onscreen, consisting of the band jumping on a golf cart to enter the venue through the back. The band arrived onstage suited up in strange light-producing overalls. They looked furry, yet were producing an eerie green light. They might’ve been made of fiber optics. This effect, added to the background visuals and lights, did not leave you a single second to get bored. The band played mostly their latest songs, keeping the older favourites until the encore.
The band mostly let their surroundings create the action onstage, while they concentrated on producing crazy sounds on their instruments to please our ears. It is only towards the end that singer Gruff Rhys started being more playful. He would use different vocal effects and go nuts by using the microphone experimentally. The concert ended, per Super Furry Animals habit, with crowd pleaser “The Man Don’t Give a Fuck”. Messages decrying governments as liars and murderers were shown on screen and also played from an audio sample. It was a bit odd to jump from a party atmosphere to political rants. The show was concluded with more video work, featuring credits of the road crew and showed the band leaving the venue on their golf cart “live”. Finally, they showed a mini-montage of the city of Montreal. They used this montage of the city to thank the spectators and it was pretty funny to see the way that the editor used the “Go Montreal” Tremblay signs profusely.
Overall, I had a great time from start to finish. Long live crazy background visuals and furry light suits! Super Furry Animals know how to put on a strong live show and I would recommend anyone to see them live.
[Tune in to CJLO all the freakin' time.]
SPOON @ Club Soda
By Alex Huynh - Losing My Edge - 11/02/2005
Spoon are in a weird place. That's the conclusion I came away with after witnessing their first Montreal performance in three years. Back then, cramped in the muggy oven that was Casa Del Popolo, Spoon were an underrated indie band that just released their second record in less than 20 months. The 1-2 punch of Girls Can Tell and Kill The Moonlight would forge their identity, which was previously muddled thanks to the weight of their influences such as the Pixies, Hüsker Dü, Archers Of Loaf and Guided By Voices. Fast-forward to a roomier venue, a younger and less sweaty audience and strangely, their new position as quasi-elder statesmen of indie rock. Hell, you now got tepid crap factories like Robbers On High Street shamelessly ripping them off. Anyway, a lot has happened in three years -- hey, isn't The OC in its third season? -- and needless to say, they are no longer the underrated, rather faceless indie band that had just been acrimoniously dropped from Elektra. What they have become, however, is somewhat curious because with the critical acclaim of their latest release Gimme Fiction, it seems that they're like almost the token "intelligent" band that teenypitchforkers will like. I don't want to say that Spoon's recent work is too mature or subtle for such a young audience... but isn't it? Sweeping generalizations aside, it is heartwarming to see that after a long hard road, their minimalist and increasingly experimental power pop sound has found a growing audience almost solely on the strength of the music.
Starting off the set with Girls Can Tell's "Chicago At Night" was a bold move -- and so was singing into an unplugged mic -- as many expected the opening notes of "The Beast and Dragon, Adored" to welcome us. It did follow the set opener and seamlessly transitioned into "Sister Jack". With the next two songs being "Lines In The Suit" and the first real highlight "Paper Tiger", one expected a balanced set comprised of Spoon's last three albums. What followed was mostly Gimme Fiction songs, with notably "I Turn My Camera On" getting an enthusiastic reception. It was astounding to witness the level of tight musicianship that Spoon has reached, especially the rhythm section. Everything was executed flawlessly and in a classic fashion, but whereas the bits of experimentation work on Gimme Fiction, they came off as slightly sterile in a live context. This is a band on top of their game and with a deep catalogue; I was hoping -- perhaps unfairly -- that the songs would resonate more. As it stands, the brain probably enjoyed the show more than the heart.
After that stretch, songs from Kill The Moonlight and Girls Can Tell started to dominate the last half of the setlist, with "Fitted Shirt", "The Way We Get By" (to the loudest ovation of the evening) and the set closer, "Me and the Bean". The encore featured "Small Stakes", "Everything Hits At Once" and "My Mathematical Mind". From a biased standpoint, it was a great end to a very decent performance. Still, it was hard to shake the feeling that this wasn't as great as it could've been. It wasn't their stage presence either, because while Britt Daniel wasn't particularly chatty, he would occasionally flash a boyish smirk that would connect with the crowd. Speaking of which, the audience could have been described at best as polite and respectful. While Spoon isn't exactly "losing your shit" music, they should be able to deliver a transcendental performance that puts the crowd in a collective trance.
Spoon have moved past their indie rock peers by avoiding easy musical gimmickry and mastering their craft to an unbelievable extent. Starting out as a band that wore their influences on their sleeves, they have since managed to carve a sound that is distinctively theirs. Yet, they are not quite on the level of, say, Wilco when it comes to taking that critical and increasing commercial attention, and bringing it to the next level from a live perspective. At heart, they are still a bar band -- and I mean that as a compliment -- with arty tendencies, perhaps more fitting for small to medium-sized clubs. As their changing environment takes them to bigger venues, here's hoping that Spoon will adapt their live performances to match the ambitious music that they put out on record.
[Tune in to Losing My Edge Sundays 2pm-4pm and Tuesdays 8pm-10pm.]
MATTHEW GOOD @ Club Soda
By Marc Wiltshire - The Humpday Buffet - 10/18/2005
This marks my fifth occasion seeing Matthew Good live, and even after so many shows over the years, he still manages to evoke an incomparable emotional response from his audience. For the past ten years, Matthew Good’s music has revolved around my life on many different levels, without ever getting old. I have caught myself listening to his music consistently and still manage to discover something new about it, and moreover, about myself.
The show opener was different than what I was expecting, as he played a very slow-paced eight-minute song, which evolved into a powering climax. Good’s music seems to crawl on an audience, slowly and gently, weaving a web of melodies and lyrics that transcribe into something beautiful and heart-pumping. The show was filled with classic tracks dating back to his debut album and ranging until his most recent contributions from his ten-year retrospective album In A Coma: 1995-2005.
The thing I love the most about any concert is the discourse between the artist and the audience. Matthew Good is always exceptional for me in this regard. He’s the kind of musician that cherishes his fans for making his career move forward, and makes it very apparent in his shows (it’s the little things, like telling us the Canadiens won 4-3 against Boston, the game that was going on while the show was). The man knows which city he’s playing for. The audience’s interactions with Good made it feel like we were all friends with the band and that we were there to show support and have fun. A lot of shows, particularly bands who have marked their territory in the industry, seem to create a formal atmosphere around their show. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some great shows by big-time artists and loved every moment of them, but eventually it feels somewhat formulaic and “professional” when the band is just playing, doing their thing and hardly interacting with its audience. A concert for me is a means of connecting two beings (artists and audience) to celebrate in one night of music. Seldom do I get that feeling from a band unless they’re playing at Missy Bar or somewhere similarly small. Matthew Good never disappoints me on this criterion. He’s so honest, modest and passionate about what he does, but more importantly, he shares that feeling with his audience.
My favorite part of the show was by far the encore. I suppose encores would frequently be a highlight, but in this particular instance, it relates to my point above. While the band got off stage and the audience was screaming with enthusiasm for their eventual return, a few fans began to sing “K-I-C-K-A-S-S, THAT’S THE WAY WE SPELL SUCCESS”, quoting the opening of one of The Matthew Good Band’s most famous songs, “Giant”. It sprung out of one person and before we knew it, the entire audience was singing along with it. It may not have been a surprise, but it was great to see Good play that song immediately when coming on stage. I have a feeling that he was going to play it, but maybe not right away, so it just added to that feeling of connection between the band and audience.
It still amazes me that even after hearing these songs so many times and seeing them being performed as often, Matthew Good’s music continues to blow me away and holds a special place in the lonely or sad moments in my life. His music is very therapeutic for me, and I’m sure it will continue to get even better.
[Tune in to The Humpday Buffet on Sundays 6pm – 8pm… which is always sexy.]
THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY + The Bravery @ Spectrum
By Idle Matt - Idle Minds - 10/12/2005
In one of the more shocking concert line-ups of recent years, everyone’s favourite fervently anti-capitalist punk/garage band, The (International) Noise Conspiracy, opened for The Bravery. This is almost as shocking as when Ash opened for... The Bravery (?!) earlier this year.
Seriously though, what's the deal with The Bravery? Do they always invite bands to open for them and that are guaranteed to outshine them?
And what’s the deal with The (International) Noise Conspiracy opening for The Bravery? I’ve been a Noise Conspiracy fan since they formed in 1998, and before that, I was (and still am) a huge fan of lead singer Dennis Lyxzén's earlier hardcore band, Refused, but recent decisions made me hesitate in accepting this review assignment. First they sign to a major label, and now they’re opening for a band who, to be honest, seems like a cookie-cutter band hand-crafted based on what They thought was cool. Curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to check it out.
The evening began with People In Planes from Cardiff, Wales. Honestly, they sounded like an inferior, bland(er) version of Incubus... and I don't even have a very high opinion of Incubus. In the middle of the third song (a fairly boring ballad-ish song called "Falling By The Wayside" which had the band members swaying back and forth and looking very serious), I had enough and went to the lobby to check out the merch table.
I’ve never seen an opening act have more merchandise than the headliners.
The (International) Noise Conspiracy, hereon in referred to as T(I)NC, had enough merchandise to make Wal-Mart proud. However, amongst the merchandise was a selection of books from AK Press, purveyors of radical literature, hand-picked by the band and road crew. Something about the thought of your typical 16-year-old Bravery fans leafing through copies of “The Revolution Of Everyday Life” by Raoul Vaneigem ("the essential handbook for all of us still alienated by modern capitalism") brought a smile to my face.
I struck up a conversation with the merch guy, who admitted that he was a little shocked that the band was opening for The Bravery, but admitted that it was great exposure for band. Then he broke my heart when he told me that the band starts a tour with Turbonegro in a few days. Now that’s a show I’d actually pay for…
A full-sized T(I)NC backdrop befitting of a headlining band was in place and after a lengthy wait trying to work out a technical glitch, the lights went out and very effective intro music by Public Enemy began. The band came out with their standard matching outfits, this time black jackets with red undershirts.
The band began with “Black Mask” from their most recent release of the same name, finally released in North America after being held hostage during a major label shake-up involving American Recordings. Unfortunately, the technical glitch was still there and the sound was pretty sub-par. To make matters worse, Dennis’ mic wasn’t working and the song suffered until he was forced to steal the guitarist’s backup-vocal mic.
This was my third time seeing the band and besides the sound, they were as entertaining as always (although I still miss the female presence of organist Sara Almgren… so sue me, she was kinda cute up there). I don’t completely buy into their political stances, but they write some rockin’ tunes and always put on an energetic and entertaining show.
The songs were met with a very good crowd response. People were clapping along, but the band had little success with their attempts at sing-alongs during the choruses. I knew this wasn’t your typical T(I)NC show when I saw a group of girls waving their glowsticks in the air. The crowd cheers were also definitely a little more high-pitched than usual. And then a funny thing happened… the girls in the audience started screaming like they were watching some teen idol!
Dennis was up to his usual, highly entertaining schtick from the school of James Brown and as the show progressed, the high-pitch screams got louder after each of Dennis’ moves. At one point, Dennis lifted his shirt, exposing his nipple… and cue the screams. Not sure if anyone heard me laugh my ass off.
During a particularly sloppy rendition of “Capitalism Stole My Virginity”, Dennis did his best Iggy Pop impression by walking on the crowd and having people support his feet up as he sung. Only thing missing was the peanut butter to spread on himself.
As usual, all the rock n’ roll grandstanding was counter-balanced by healthy doses of anti-capitalist, pro-union, radical ranting and imagery:
- “Like A Landslide” was dedicated to the teachers on strike across Canada.
- Before “Let’s Make History”, something was said to the effect of “when we get together, we can accomplish great things”
- The word intifada was written on the Bass amp. (Literally "shaking off" in Arabic, the word intifada has come to denote Palestinian uprisings against Israel)
- Before a song, Dennis talked about how they grew up listening to punk, to which the crowd cheered (“I love punk! Green Day rule my world”). And my vote for best sarcastic response, which I think went over people’s heads: “Yes… I know it’s very exciting…” He went on to explain how bands these days complain about how things suck, but don’t talk about the system and how things got that way. And that bands like The Clash, Public Enemy and Gang Of Four wrote revolutionary songs that tried to address the problems with the system… and that the following song is of the same ilk (at which point they started into “A Small Demand”).
Finally, their set ended with the band standing still with their fists in the air as Public Enemy’s “Power To The People” played. A message of black power… from a group of Swedes.
I was disappointed that they didn’t play “The Way I Feel About You”, which I consider to be the strongest track from the new album. Otherwise, it was a fairly pretentious and over-the-top set from T(I)NC… and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Despite some suspect career moves and seemingly contradictory political stances, at least they always manage to put on an entertaining show.
Which brings me to the headliners...
Named one of Rolling Stone magazine's Artists To Watch In 2005... The Bravery. Call it rock with a new wave edge or new wave with a rock edge... The Bravery's music is darkly danceable and eminently catchy. (Or so I’ve been told…)
Unfortunately, due to a press deadline, I had to leave before The Bravery started. You can check this earlier Bravery review. Honestly, even a band of The Bravery’s caliber shouldn’t be reviewed twice in the same year.
T(I)NC Setlist:
- Black Mask
- Up For Sale
- Like A Landslide
- Smash It Up
- Let’s Make History
- A Body Treatise
- A Small Demand
- Capitalism Stole My Virginity
- Armed Love
[Tune in to The Idle Minds Sundays 4pm – 6pm.]
JASON MRAZ + Raul Midon @ Spectrum
By Jordan-na Belle-Isle - Canadian Invasion - 10/06/2005
Like, omigod! I got to see Jason Mraz headline at the Spectrum and it was, like, pretty okay. And I’m not into him because he’s hot or anything! It’s about the music, you know, totally about the music. But he is soooooo hot, omigod! And he wore a pink t-shirt (his new single is “Geek in the Pink” ;) ) and his trademark backward baseball hat, so cute!
So there were TONS of people, mostly girls who were like all skanked out for Jason. It was like being at a friggin’ Backstreet Boys concert, whatever. Omigod, these girls were like fifteen! No way would he want any of them. Geez. And they were all crazy, just going nuts over him, constantly taking pics with their digi cams and cells and screaming things like “Have my baby, Jason!” LOL! Like everytime someone screamed or clapped, it was only because he’d do something cute, like a little hip shake and grin. * swoon * But like no one seemed to care about the music.
The songs were okay. Mostly from his latest album, Mr. a-Z, like “Bella Luna,” “Wordplay,” and of course “Geek in the Pink.” And he just like had to play favourites from his first CD. Everyone went crazy when he did “ The Remedy (I Won’t Worry),” especially when he threw in a verse from Oasis’ “Wonderwall.” So wicked! We all sang along! My favourite part was during the encore when he sang “Plane” from Mr. a-Z. It was so cool because all the lights were off except for this one stained glass lamp. He like sat on this stool with his acoustic guitar and sang the song and it was soooooo intense. Except that he missed the high notes at the end of the song. Oops.
Oh yeah! And there was this awesome part when he brought his opening act, Raoul Midon, this blind guy who plays guitar and is just like wow! He reminds me of that Stevie Wonder dude my mom listens to. His set was pretty groovy; he’s great at guitar and does this cool thing when he uses his guitar both for melody and percussion. He also makes wicked trumpet sounds with his mouth. So Jason brought Raoul out for a duet and it was pretty neat. Jason was totally in his element, and for that one song, it was about the music, you know.
You know what totally sucks? Jason kinda knows the effect he has on us girls and sooooo plays up to that because it sells records! All these girls fall totally in love with him and want to buy like all his CDs and stuff! And he does all this on purpose to girls like me, girls who sigh and swoon at his charisma and that’s soooo wrong! Like this guy has musical chops! I have his Jason Mraz Live CD/DVD and it’s so different! You can so see his talent when he doesn’t have to be this cutesy idol guy. He’s great at guitar and has all these clever lyrics and is so quick and smooth with his delivery and omigod, he’s sooooo good at scatting. And like John Popper even plays with him! He’s like this totally famous blues guy, right? N-E-ways. You know what? It’s totally his record company’s fault!!! Elektra, right? It’s not Jason’s fault! He does what his evil record company tells him to do. Oh, Jason! If I owned Elektra, I’d totally give you time to develop as an artist and have you play in more intimate places, where you could totally grow and experiment with your music and not have to like prostitute your CD to teenaged girls.
[Jordan-na hosts Canadian Invasion (Fridays from 4-6pm) and no, she does not actually speak like that. Like, omigod, whatever! ]
TRICKY WOO + The Leather Uppers @ Petit Campus
By Angelica - BVST - 10/08/2005
As I get older and the weather gets colder, it becomes more and more tempting to not go out on a Saturday night. I came close to skipping out on last weekend's hot date: Tricky Woo with Top Brass and The Leather Uppers. I then remembered that that not only are Tricky Woo one of my favorite bands, they've been doing this since I was still trading stickers with my friends (well, almost) so my encroaching old age is certainly not an excuse.
Subsequently, I dragged my ass to Petit Campus (now doubled in size and in ticket price, by the way) just in time to see The Leather Uppers round out their set. This fun, bouncy rock n'roll two-piece got heads bobbin' and hips shakin', but once again it was the almighty Woo that really rocked the crowd.
I last saw Tricky Woo at the 2004 edition of Pop Montreal (read that review here). It was a triumphant return for a band that had more or less been off the rock n'roll radar for the past three years. They proved that they were back in fighting form, and Montréal quickly forgave them for abandoning us in our time of need.
Over the past year, the Woo have clearly spent some time figuring out how to pay us back, returning with a much-needed kick in the ass and yet another lineup change. Saturday's show was the official launch of First Blush, their killer new record, and the band proudly showed off their new sound. Of course, for these rock revivalists, "new" is a relative term. This material is less MC5, more Deep Purple, a little less "Since I've Been Loving You" and a little more "Black Dog". The audience was clearly primed for proto-metal, as both the new material and the old favorites got everyone hot and bothered. It made my heart glad to see some good old-fashioned dancing, and I still can't keep my heart from fluttering when I hear the crowd roar along with such touchstones as "Fly the Orient".
The set was sadly super short, and even a wonderfully destructive encore couldn't keep the crowd from baying for more. That's okay, because I predict plenty more Tricky Woo to come. If Saturday night proved anything, it's that this old dog has a few more tricks left up its sleeve.
[Tune in to BVST every Thursday from 6pm to 8pm]
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS + Destroyer @ Cabaret La Tulipe
By Alex Huynh - Losing My Edge - 10/10/2005
Given that Carl Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar all have successful main projects, the New Pornographers show at La Tulipe marked a rare opportunity to see this indie supergroup perform, even if all three have played in front of Montreal crowds during the past two years. Perhaps the timing is perfect, because at their inception, they sounded exactly like a supergroup: flashes of brilliance, distinctive personalities shining through the music and frankly, a bit chaotic. Now with their last record Twin Cinema, the New Pornographers have delivered the album of their career partly because they finally sound like a band.
They started off with the title track from Twin Cinema, and first impressions were that this was a tight band, capable of backing up their recorded output in a live setting -- yeah, great fuckin' observation, I know. It was during the song that followed it ("Use It") that it struck me how much of an anachronism the New Pornographers are. They seem to exist just outside the current pop context and they're not closely associated to any scene in particular (besides the Great Fuckin' Pop scene). The New Pornographers are enjoying a career that will take generations to fully appreciate. Already, they have under their belt two of the most perfect pop songs of this young century ("Letter From An Occupant", "The Laws Have Changed") and are coming off their most accomplished album. As they stomp through "Mass Romantic", the first Neko Case-led song of the set and the title track of their debut, the New Pornographers are clearly on top of their game. On "These Are The Fables", they manage to reach a higher level. In fact, this was the point where this evening turned magical. The audience was still under the spell of Neko belting out the lines "Lay down in glory, you're not alone" twice at the end of the song, when the opening notes of Twin Cinema's centerpiece "The Bleeding Heart Show" unveiled themselves. The excitement was palpable and everyone knew what was coming: the finest two-minutes-and-a-half you will hear this year. The last half of that song, with the hey la hey la and Neko's totally devastating delivery of "We have arrived/Too late to play/The bleeding heart show", was a true moment of heartbreaking joy.
Dan Bejar dropped in like the wacky neighbor in the American sitcom for two songs during the set ("Jackie, Dressed In Cobras", "Streets Of Fire") and once during each encore -- always with a drink and a frown. His presence, lacking and lethargic during his opening set as Destroyer, was nicely and strangely offset here by his chipper bandmates. Comparatively, Destroyer was rather boring despite bringing their A material (including the surprising set opener "No Cease Fires!"). After a string of heralded live shows with Frog Eyes as his backing band, this was a disappointment. His contribution, however, to "Streets Of Fire" and "Testament To Youth In Verse" during the final encore -- with great harmonizing on the no no no no no's -- made up for his Destroyer set. On the other hand, it was easy to overlook the mastermind behind this whole operation, Carl Newman. While unflashy, he does have a sort of weird shy charisma that complements well with the personalities of his fellow Pornographers. It seems like it's his earnestness that keeps the quirky Bejar or the magnetic Case from being bigger than the band. Instead, they were the ultimate pop machine.
The rest of the show just kept reinforcing the notion of them being underappreciated geniuses, from the aforementioned "The Laws Have Changed" to "Fake Headlines" to "The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism" and "Sing Me Spanish Techno" closing the set. Song after song, they just kept reminding us how deceptively deep their catalogue is. Finally, they sent the crowd home with their first salvo back in 2000, the transcendental "Letter From An Occupant" (listen to it again). As most of the early 21st century bands will start putting out flimsier and flimsier releases in their three-album careers -- perhaps culmulating to a universal realization that the world does not need a third Interpol album or a Metric ripoff band -- we will be glad to have the New Pornographers' body of work to show our kids.
[Tune in to Losing My Edge Sundays 2pm-4pm and Tuesdays 8pm-10pm]
STARS + Hope For A Golden Summer + Donkey Heart @ Art En Majuscule
By Katie Seline - Wrong Side of the Bed - 09/30/2005
What I love most about this city is its easy access to great bands in intimate settings. Last Friday I was privileged enough to be able to attend the 150 tickets-only Quiet Fire II show at Art En Majuscule, in the warehouse district of the Old Port. This would be the end of my Pop Montreal binge, and was without a doubt the greatest possible way to pack it in.
Keeping with my newfound habit of arriving late for everything, I missed openers Donkey Heart, who I thought had broken up -- apparently I was wrong. In any case, as I walked through the cobblestone alley to Art En Majuscule, I knew that this was going to be a great night. The building that houses the venue was built on the ruins of the New City Gas Co., which was built in 1859. You really have to go to this place to understand how truly magical it is. Simply put, it was the perfect place to be holding this benefit. There was no stage, making everything all the more personal and inviting, allowing the audience to be right up in front of the musicians.
Hope for A Golden Summer is a five-piece from Atlanta and Athens, GA and who are enough to soothe the soul of even the most jagged of music lovers. Their set was one of the most captivating performances I have ever seen and its beauty lay in its simplicity. Singer Claire Campbell, whose voice can be compared to the likes of Beth Orton, harmonizes perfectly with Paige Campbell. Their melodies are soulful and enchanting and their sound borrows from old southern folk and bluegrass styles. There is nothing not to like about this band. At the very least, one can find true enjoyment in their use of saws and a crate of old coke bottles as instruments. HFGS can best be compared to an old-fashioned lullaby. The band is passionate and unique; it was a wonderful way to kick off my evening.
Next up was what everyone was waiting for -- a chance to see a band that we all knew was going to be absolutely amazing in such an upclose and personal environment. Stars is a group that have enjoyed moderate success. With two full-lengths under their belt (the first being the rather unknown album Heart) and despite being one of those “hey didn’t I hear that song on The OC?” bands, they remain just under the radar, which is odd considering all of the hype over the last year surrounding Montreal’s music scene. Perhaps this is due to the date of release of their most praised album, Set Yourself On Fire. The album came out around the same time as The Arcade Fire’s smash album Funeral, which basically stole any thunder available from any other band in the indie-rock music scene at the time. Whatever the case, this under-the-radar status is the beauty of Stars. Their lack of pretension and all-around amazing musical talent, paired with the fact that people haven’t been able to get sick of them in the way that they seem to have with The Arcade Fire allows for that little something special to remain intrinsic to them.
Set Yourself On Fire breaks my heart every time I hear it. The songs are real and raw, the sound is solid and fervent. Some call it cheesy, I call it beautiful, and I am willing to admit “Your Ex-Lover is Dead” is just about enough to make me cry. I knew that this show was going to stir up something that I hadn’t felt at a live show, no matter how good, in a long time -- the ability for a live song to really make me feel something. Every song that the band played made me want to run up and hold onto singer Torquil Campbell and never let go. As he pronounced “here’s a song for the person you hate the most”, just before breaking into “Your Ex-Lover is Dead”, I knew that this show was going to be one of the best for me this year. They played everything off Set Yourself on Fire, a few old ones and a great song called “All The Umbrellas In London,” which is a re-worked cover of the Magnetic Fields song. The audience sang along at the top of their lungs, and everyone fell in love.
If you’ve heard Set Yourself on Fire and are not quite sure, I urge you to see the band the next chance you get. They will blow you away with a sound that is pure, with an innocent and entertaining energy and with songs that will make you cry. I left the show with such a giddy, overwhelmed happiness that made the whole festival all that much better. It was the perfect way to end three days of great music, and what’s more, it was for a great cause.
For more information on Art En Majuscule visit: http://www.artenm.com/
[Catch Katie every Wednesday afternoon with Wrong Side Of The Bed from 4-6pm only on cjlo.com]
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