Top Six: Vol. 2

So as we all breathe a huge sigh oh relief about the TTC situation for now (although I still ended up missing out on the Northern State show), let’s enjoy some good ole music talk, shall we? Here’s the Top Six of the week:

1. Jamie Lidell
I know I’ve been talking about Jamie Lidell a lot lately, but…oh who am I kidding, I’m not going to stop. His new album, Jim finally hits stores today so buy it! I honestly have nothing more to say, I am just in that much awe over Jim. This man is my Otis Redding. See and hear for yourself:

MP3: Jamie Lidell - Hurricane
VIDEO: Jamie Lidell - Little Bit of Feel Good

2. Harbourfront Concert Updates
Every year, Harbourfront seems to be the place for free shows of all sorts and this summer already looks extremely promising. To start off, the annual Canada Day festivities will be led by Canadian indie-folk darling, Basia Bulat. If you haven’t listened to her debut LP, Oh, My Darling yet, you simply must. Not only is she incredibly adorable, she’s equally as talented. Though not likely to draw as big of a crowd as last summer’s Final Fantasy/Do Make Say Think line-up, this show should still be great to watch. So if you want to celebrate Canada Day in a relaxing and fun style, check out Bulat (and company? No other act has been announced yet, but I think there will be). Another interesting show to attend would be Ladytron on July 4th. Not only is the show strange, in the sense that Ladytron and outdoor, Harbourfront-esque venues don’t really go together, but this one’s also free. I’ve known for quite a long time now, but I’m still quite surprised. Anyway, with the release of their upcoming album, Velocifero, this show would be a lot of fun with the new material (which I’m not terribly fond off, but I have yet to sit down and listen to the whole album). Also, contrary to many beliefs or misunderstandings, this Ladytron show will be accompanied by Poni Hoax, not tour mates Datarock. Sorry, folks. Other shows so far include Billy Bragg on June 17th and Ohbijou on June 28th Full details below:

Tuesday June 17th: Billy Bragg @ 8:00 p.m. (NOTE: This is NOT a free event - $30 advance & $35 on the day of performance)

Saturday June 28th: Ohbijou @ Time TBA (FREE)

Tuesday July 1st: Basia Bulat @ 8:00 p.m. (FREE)

Friday July 4th: Ladytron & Poni Hoax @ 9:30 (FREE)

3. New Crystal Castles Video
I’ve always loved CC and their fantastic music, so I was really excited today when I noticed on Pitchfork that they had a new video. Unfortunately it’s not as amusing as “Air War” (watch here), but it’s hard to not love the band regardless. The clip for “Courtship Dating” is quite simple as it’s just shots of Alice and Ethan half buried by the darkness. Visually, it can either be boring or beautiful. I find it to be a bit of both though. Hmm. Either way, I still love Crystal Castles and if you haven’t purchased their self-titled debut, do it. It’ll blow your mind away – literally.

VIDEO: Crystal Castles - Courtship Dating

4. Music and BBQ? Sign me up!
So I frequently browse the pages of the well-known Stillpost forums and I noticed this a couple of days ago:

Thursday June 12th
Better Reasons Fest : Forest City Lovers, The Magic, Evening Hymns @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 8 PM - Pay What You Can

Friday June 13th
Better Reasons Fest : Prairie Cat (feat The Bicycles), Scraps from Boil Street: Puppet Shorts by Juliann Wilding and Henry Fletcher, Peter Project, Lily Frost @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 8 PM - Pay What You Can

Saturday June 14th
Better Reasons Fest : Kids on TV, Nif-D, The Phonemes, Tradition, Matias Rozenberg @ Tranzac (Main Hall), 5 PM BBQ begins

That is all I know right now, but this sounds VERY promising. I will report more details ASAP. And if you know anything (AA/19+?), please let me know! Oh Tranzac, how you never disappoint me. I love you like crazy. And while we’re on topic, you should listen to the latest release by Forest City Lovers (its good shit!).

5. New CSS!
I know we’ve all been waiting for it, but today we can stop the waiting because CSS has released a new track! “Rat is Dead (Rage)” is a less frantic, more tamed CSS, much like that of “Patins” (from their debut release). So far, I have no further information on the upcoming LP, but the band will be making a pit stop at the Kool Haus on August 5th with The Go! Team. Enjoy the new track!

MP3: CSS – Rat is Dead (Rage)

EDIT: I know the release date, album title and tracklist (via Pitchfork)

Donkey (out July 22, 2008)
01 Jåger Yoga
02 Rat Is Dead (Rage)
03 Reggae All Night
04 Give Up
05 Left Behind
06 Beautiful Song
07 How I Became Paranoid
08 Move
09 I Fly
10 Believe Achieve
11 Air Painter

6. My 6-track playlist:
Ra Ra Riot – “Each Year”
The Submarines – “You, Me & The Bourgeoisie”
Wintersleep – “Weighty Ghost”
Jamie Lidell – “Green Light”
CSS – “Rat is Dead (Rage)”
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – “If You Want Me”

*If you would like an mp3 of any of the tracks listed in my 6-track playlists, please let me know.

P.S.
And to leave on a positive note, I have finally solved the mystery of the Islands show on May 29th at the Phoenix. The following message is from the band (regarding the show):

Hey there,it's most definitely 100% all ages. There was a mix-up with the venue and the promoter. Tell all your friends

xx

islands

...YES!

The Con

So if you haven't noticed already, the TTC is currently on strike. Hopefully everyone got home safely last night, as the strike started abruptly at midnight, shocking and angering many. I was lucky enough to catch one of the last subway trains all the way back up to Don Mills, so I'm extremely relieved. The con to all of this though is that I'm not able to attend Northern State tonight, which is not the worst thing possible (if I missed out on a band like Broken Social Scene though I would be livid). What's more disappointing is that I will be missing Toronto's Shitt Hottt yet again! Anyway, since my plans have been ruined by the strike I've been catching up on some news and such. Here are some things I learned today:

1. David Suzuki + Jason Collett @ Music Hall

I'm a fan of both Suzuki and Collett, so when I was flipping through the pages of Eye Weekly, I was delighted to see that Jason Collett would be making a musical appearance at the Music Hall for a special Suzuki event. The show is strangely at 4:30 p.m. and is only 2 hours, so chances are that I'll be missing out on Tokyo Police Club's in-store performance at Criminal Records (time TBA).

*tickets are still available via Ticketmaster and Danforth Music Hall, $20-25

2. Aimee Mann In-Store

According to Chromewaves, Mann will be playing an in-store at Sonic Boom on May 9 @ 6:30. She will preview songs from her upcoming release, @#%&! Smilers (June 3).

3. Coachella Madness

So as well all know Coachella is taking place as I type this and thanks to the magical powers of YouTube, we are able to watch performances from yesterday. Thanks to Stereogum for bringing this to my attention. So far, I've watched most of Tegan & Sara's set from yesterday. Is it just me or are they not as amazing as usual? There was something just bothering me when I was watching them, and no I'm not talking about Tegan's distractingly long hair. I don't know. I definitely know I've seen them perform better though. The only exception was "So Jealous", which was great. There are tons of videos floating around the site right now, so if you have nothing better to do, YouTube away!

So that's all the excitement I can provide for the day. Hopefully you'll be able to walk or bike to your destinations today, as it is literally impossible for me. I shall return to my YouTube-tastic day.

New Jamie Lidell Video

I think I'm in love with Jamie Lidell.

For the past week, the only album I've been consistently obsessing over is Lidell's soon-to-be-released album, Jim. I've known of Jamie Lidell for years now, always noticing him in Feist articles and such. But I guess my awkwardly unhealthy addiction to Feist has always occupied me from checking out Lidell, Gonzales or Mocky (although I do listen to Gonzales every-so-often and I love him dearly). Anyway, when I finally decided to listen to Jim, I went in with little expectations primarily because I honestly knew nothing about him. In fact, the first time I listened to the opening track, "Another Day" was when I was about the go to bed last week and I was immediately shocked (in a good way). Okay, this is dragging on too long for an intro. My point is Jim is GOOD and everyone should run out (yes, run) next week and buy it!

So Stereogum posted his new video for the aforementioned single, "Another Day" today. Watch here. It's a wonderfully uplifting video and although he's no Feist, Lidell is quite the charmer (and dancer). I see good things in the future for Lidell! Verrrrry good things.

Weekend Forecast

So the weekend is approaching and if you are itching to get out and enjoy some good ole music, here's a couple of friendly suggestions:

Friday April 25

Cadence Weapon & Buck 65 @ The Music Hall

If I didn't have plans already tomorrow night, I would definitely be front and centre for this. This is possibly the most sensible and brilliant pairing of Canadian rappers ever. But considering how I don't regularly listen to much rap, I guess I can't make a proper judgement on this. I am very curious though, as to how the pair will fair in such a grandeur venue such as the Music Hall. I'll look forward to all the photos and miscellaneous You Tube clips I guess!

*tickets are still available at Rotate This and Soundscapes, $25

Saturday April 26

Northern State, D.R.I., Shitt Hottt @ Mod Club

I'll admit it, I mainly fell in love with Northern State because of their affiliations with Canada's beloved Tegan & Sara. But as time passed, I found myself really liking their latest album, Can I Keep This Pen? Now they're returning to Toronto, sans T&S, but it should still be as entertaining. Northern State truly knows how to throw a party and have fun. As for the opening acts, I don't know much about D.R.I., but I've heard nothing but positive remarks when it comes to Toronto's very own Shitt Hottt. And since I've already missed a handful of opportunities to catch them live, I'll finally be able to see for myself how good they are on Saturday night.

* tickets are still available at Rotate This and Soundscapes, $16

Born Ruffians @ Lee's Palace

This is definitely going to be the show of the night. Three things are basically stopping me from attending this: 1) I'm unfortunately under aged. 2) I already purchased my ticket for Northern State. 3) BR are playing a free in-store at Soundscapes the next day. So obviously, I would choose the free show. I'm poor, give me a break. BUT if none of the above issues apply to you, feel free to TRY getting tickets, as this show has been sold out for quite some time.

Sunday April 27

Born Ruffians @ Soundscapes (In-Store Performance) - As I've mentioned already, this should be a crowded gathering, so show up a little early!

** Sites: Soundscapes and Rotate This!

In other news, Sonic Boom has just announced an in-store performance by Seattle's Smoosh on Friday May 2 (they'll be in town, opening for the first of Tokyo Police Club's two sold out nights at the Opera House).

Hope everyone has an exciting and eventful weekend!

Top Six: Vol. 1

Since I haven’t updated this blog in such a long time, I guess I owe more than one post. Therefore I will do my best to compress several topics and such into one. Here’s a list of the top 6 things I’ve been obsessed with lately:

1. Islands – Arm’s Way
I’ve always been a fan of Islands. Whether it was just a quick fix for my Unicorns deprivation or just my true respect for frontman, Nick Thorburn. But it’s been two years now since we’ve seen a release from the band and I was really starting to doubt if Islands were in fact, forever. Clearly I’ve been proven wrong though, seeing as how Arm’s Way will be hitting stores on May 20th and is already receiving lots of love from Stereogum. Also, if anyone’s ever seen them live recently, one may have noticed a brigade of new tracks along with their frequent white (face-painted) faces. Needless to say, after seeing them play a free show earlier this month at the Berkeley Church in Toronto, I was jittering with excitement. My first spin of the album was quite pleasant, especially since I was already familiar with many of the tracks, either hearing them live or through bootlegs and friends. The opener, “The Arm” is a grandeur spectacle of sharp riffs and lushly vicious violins that immediately made me fall in love with Nick and co. again. The album as a whole still maintained a sense of whimsical pop fused with a darker matter injected by Thorburn’s apparent theme of death on numerous tracks. Highlights include the ever-so-catchy “Creeper” and hauntingly beautiful 11-minute closer, “Vertigo (If It’s A Crime)”. The only disappointment in Arm’s Way to me would’ve been the popular fan-favourite, “Abdominal Snow” as the arrangements just weren’t as successfully executed as the demo-versions of the past. All in all though, definitely worth picking up next month. Arm’s Way is quite possibly one of the best albums of the year so far.

Islands will be making a stop at the Phoenix on May 29th (Tickets on sale now at Rotate This and Soundscapes. $12, 19+)

Edit: The band's MySpace claims that this is going to be all-ages. I will try to clearify this up ASAP.

Also, “The Arm” and “Creeper” can be streamed on the band’s Myspace right now OR you can purchase the single for “The Arm” on iTunes starting today.

2. Ladyfest Toronto 2008
Last week, I decided to sit in on the opening meeting for this year’s Ladyfest committee meeting downtown and let me just tell you, that committee is quite possibly the nicest bunch of ladies (and gentleman – Damien being the lone man) you’ll ever be surrounded by. To quickly recap what you missed: Ladyfest is going to be taking place September 18-21 around many venues in Toronto and it’s going to be bigger, better and far more diverse in everyway possible! Ladyfest is an annual art, culture, and music festival held around the world celebrating a framework of pro-feminist, trans-inclusive, pro-diversity, and anti-oppressive idealisms and aesthetics. This year’s new additions include a donation bank for knitwear of all sorts that will be given to Jessie's Centre for Teenagers and Anduhyaun Emergency Women's Shelter (a resource centre for pregnant teens and teen mothers, founded by the wonderful June Callwood), and if all goes well, more all ages events for the young feminists of the city. Being a youngster, myself, the latter appealed to me the most and I will definitely be working hard to spread the word to as many young women as I can. Those who would like to help can either contact me or someone at Ladyfest. Personally, I don’t believe enough young women are equipped with the knowledge of feminism and related topics and issues today and hopefully through this year’s Ladyfest, we’ll be able to change that, regardless of how many we reach. One’s better than none, right? Anyway, I’ll make sure to keep you updated.

If you are interested in helping out (or just reading up on Ladyfest) please visit their website. Further updates will be posted soon.

3. Festivals-Galore!
The sun is beaming, the weather is heating up and the bands are gathering together for some incredible summer fests! So far, the big ticket events in town will some be returning favourites – VFest, Over the Top Fest, last year’s successful Rogers Picnic and the sort-of annual Toronto Island bash. As we’ve all heard, Foo Fighters and Oasis will be the main headliners leading Toronto Island’s VFest in September. The line-up at the moment is obviously not as appealing as last year’s (Um, you can’t beat Bjork), but you never know who’ll be announced in the upcoming months. Who knows, maybe Broken Social Scene (not BSS Presents…) will make a triumphant return, since they’re probably not going to do so at the Toronto Island bash on June 7th (although theoretically, BSS is not touring at the time of this show…so fingers crossed…?). Arts and Crafts labelmates, Stars and Young Galaxy will be in attendance in June though, supporting headliner Death Cab for Cutie. Watch for their new album, Narrow Stairs to drop next month. Also playing with Death Cab and co. will be Rogue Wave. If we draw our attention towards next weekend’s Over the Top Fest though, we’ll surely be seeing a wave of lesser known acts swarm Toronto as the annual all-ages festival kicks off on May 1st. Acts to watch out for will be up-and-comers, Wye Oak and Toronto’s very own Huckleberry Friends. Those two are definitely worth checking out. But if the music is not particularly appealing to your musical senses, there’s always several movie screenings around the city. And just surfacing today are rumours of a returning Rogers Picnic. Not surprising though, since last year’s line-up was so amazingly diverse and enjoyable (Tegan & Sara, Little Brother, Bad Brains, The Dears, Apostle of Hustle, etc.). Exclaim is already speculating possible acts such as Cat Power, City and Colour, Animal Collective, Tokyo Police Club, Junior Boys, Chromeo, Born Ruffians and the Carps. Whew, that was a mouthful of bands! So as you can clearly see, there are plenty to look forward to this summer. So run to your nearest record store, purchase some tickets, listen to some fantastic music, have fun, and if you don’t have one yet…get a job to pay for all of this! Not necessarily in that order, of course.

Ticket Info:

Over the Top Fest - tickets avaliable at Rotate This and Soundscapes (festival passes can be found online, check the festival website for more info)

Toronto Island show feat. Death Cab For Cutie - tickets avaliable at Rotate This and Soundscapes

Rogers Picnic - tickets are not avaliable yet.

VFest Toronto - tickets are avaliable at Rotate This, Soundscapes, various other places.

Added Bonus: For those who wouldn’t mind the distance, there’s always Montreal’s Osheaga Music Festival (August 3-4). Completely worth it, especially since Day 2 is offering Jamie Lidell, Broken Social Scene, CSS and the Go! Team, just to name a few. I’m definitely making the effort to go this year!

4. Jay Reatard vs. Rowdy, Greedy Torontonians?
I’m actually not a fan of Jay Reatard. Okay, that’s not correct – I’ve never listened to Reatard’s music. But regardless of my thoughts or opinions of him, I don’t think anyone’s missed out on this story in the past couple of days. I’m not going to attempt to retell this tale, in case I get certain details mixed up (Plus, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about it in one form or another). But the following are several sites, forums and YouTube clips that seem quite self-explanatory:

Stillpost Forum Thread

YouTube - Jay Reatard Punching Random Guy

YouTube - Dan Burke Rant

Photos: Courtesy of Former Transformer

Exclaim Article

Chart Article

Anyway, I just thought that this was incredibly interesting, as I have been reading endless articles about this today. I find myself to be quite neutral in this situation though. There are certain things in Reatard’s post that sound way too exaggerated, but understandable coming from someone who had his gear wrecked. For the sake of Reatard’s fans though, let’s hope he decides to return someday for another show. Just stay clear of Dan Burke and The Silver Dollar, I guess?

This is when I wished I would just turn 19 already and start going to fascinating shows like this. I’m weird, I know. I feel like listening to Reatard now (so hopefully by the time he returns for a show, I’ll be old enough to attend and be front and centre for the fun and excitement…just as long as I’m not directly in front of Reatard’s fist)

5. In-Stores: Making a Comeback
So if you read last week’s Eye Weekly, you would’ve noticed a very delightful article on in-store performances and how they’re “making a comeback” of sorts. It’s about time someone shed some light on them! I’ve been an avid in-store-attendee for a few reasons: a) I’m too damn young. For those bands that go on to play 19+ shows, it’s a great opportunity to see them live. b) They usually take place during the bright afternoons. Yes, shows can take place then. c) In-stores offer an intimacy and comfort that bar/club/stadium shows can never offer. It feels like you’re just watching your fun-loving (possibly wasted) uncle performing for the family during a holiday get-together. What, that doesn’t happen to you? Back to my point though, everyone should go to more in-stores. Oh, and I missed the most important reason – it’s FREE. And as much as we like to pay to be in a proper venue and waste the night away enjoying full sets from bands, paying nothing for a shorter set is not a bad compromise. But depending on the store, it can be tedious and irritating at times. For maximum satisfaction, Soundscapes would be the ideal setting for an in-store. Criminal Records and Sonic Boom are also great places that host some amazing in-stores, but problems with sound and positioning (e.g. if you’re really short and you’re standing in the middle, behind four really tall chicks…you’re fucked) do arise quite often. Either way, there are a couple upcoming ones that are definitely going to be barrels of fun.

Thursday April, 24th – Peter Moren (of Peter, Bjorn and John) @ Soundscapes, 4:00 p.m.
*Sunday April 27th – Born Ruffians @ Soundscapes, 4:00 p.m.
*Sunday May 3rd – David Monks (of Tokyo Police Club) @ Criminal Records

* I would advise you to show up a bit early.

6. My 6-track playlist:
Jamie Lidell – “Another Day”
Headlights – “Cherry Tulips”
The Constantines & Feist – “Islands in the Stream”
Ladytron – “Ghosts”
Islands – Pieces of You
Plants and Animals – Faerie Dance

Hope everyone had a wonderful Earth Day!