vintage

Sorry about the belated post today. I’ve been busy exorcising, adventuring and hoeing-down, so as you can imagine, there is precious little time left for blogging. Ha ha.

(For the record, I liked Constantine more than I thought I would. It was rather interesting, and Keanu Reeves’ trademark wooden face served him remarkably well in it.)

Today I’d like to draw your attention to an album that not enough Canadians have heard, not to mention the rest of the world. That album is called Melville, recorded by a legendary — and legendarily under-the-radar — band known as the Rheostatics.

Some background: the Rheos started up in 1980, and soon gained a well-deserved reputation as one of the most influential Canadian bands in history. Curiously enough, they haven’t gotten much attention in the mainstream, but with the musicians these days that are, that might have been a good thing. Whatever the case may be, the Rheostatics forged on and ahead for twenty-seven years, disbanding officially with a farewell show at Massey Hall in March 2007 (tragically, before I was employed there).

The album in question, Melville, was released in 1991, when I was two years old and wouldn’t have been able to appreciate it anyway. Chart magazine (RIP) ran a poll in 1995 to determine the top 50 Canadian albums of all time, and Melville placed 16th; in subsequent polls, it was fifth (2000) and 44th (2005).

The 2005 poll was actually what first drew my attention to the record, as I had been subscribing to Chart for a little while at that point and made it my goal to listen to all the records on that top 50. Other artists leading that album included the usual suspects of Canadian legend, namely Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Sloan, the Tragically Hip, etc.

It’s strange, then, that the Rheos would be considered equals of such muscular musical forces as these, but usually provoke a reaction of “Rheo-who?” from the average Canadian. Strange and unfortunate. They’re one of the most eclectic and undefinable artists in the country, for certain; it’s impossible to pigeonhole their sound, and I can only imagine what they might have said to people when they were starting out and were asked to describe their sound. “Uh … weird?”

Melville is a quirky record, and one that might take a while to grow on you if you haven’t had the pleasure of hearing the ‘Statics before. It’s pretty classic material, though, and along with Whale Music, was what first introduced me to the Gospel of Rheo. It features the usual suspects of jerky and somewhat angular tunes, Martin Tielli’s twisting, soaring vocals (for the uninitiated, think an intense-er Hawksley Workman), rollicking good-times tunes (in French!) in the form of “Chanson Les Ruelles,” and even a quintessential Canadian cover. And a song called “Saskatchewan”.

You might have noticed the excess use of the word “Canadian” in this post; that’s because it’s impossible to describe the Rheostatics without the use of that adjective. They are hosers through and through, and routinely write about the homeland in everything they do. To listen to this band is to snowshoe, to eat maple syrup, or to tack “eh” annoyingly onto the end of every sentence; but it’s also to appreciate everything that this giant landmass has to offer. Especially bands like this. They don’t come around often, so we had better listen up when they do.

Tunesday 8: Horses

In the dying days of November, I was approached by a Toronto band by the name of Svelt St. informing me of a new record titled Hello, Dear dropping in late December 2008. They describe themselves as “jumping genres,” incorporating elements of “trip-hop, hip-hop, house, breakbeats, rock and electro to name a few, [and] pulling an equally eclectic fan base”.

The band is made up of two members, vocalist and MC, and Hello, Dear is their second record; their first, according to their MySpace, was distributed online-only and sold out quickly.

For courtesy’s sake, I will keep this review short: Svelt St. does not captivate me. While I can see some songs transitioning well to the dance floor, when a beat matters more than artistry or decent lyrics, none of the work on Hello, Dear keeps me interested. The single “Po’ Boy” starts off promisingly, a subdued School of Language-style vocal intro, but then the cheesy synth and beats kick in and that’s the end of that.

Most of the lyrics on the record are unremarkable, as are the beats; I don’t hear anything here that sounds new or different from the usual “club beat” stuff. The lead-off track, “Lights On,” sounds like your usual dance tune (synthesizers, drum machine) with vocals mixed low and such creative lyrics as “Turn off the lights, daddy’s home”.

While Hello, Dear might be all right for ambient noise or the club, there’s nothing about this record that suggests to me it might have staying power; it’s not remarkable for any reason, and doesn’t live up to the hype suggested by the Svelt St myspace page. I am not incensed by its terribleness as I might be with some bands — it’s certainly not at that level! — but I’m not thrilled with anything on the record either. Svelt St. have succeeded in crafting that most elusive of things: an album that leaves a music critic completely devoid of any emotion toward it. Could be worse, I guess.

Svelt St. on MySpace
Listen to Po’ Boy

Today the United States watched as their 44th President, Barack H. Obama, took the oath of office. The 43rd, George W. Bush, helicoptered the hell out of there as soon as he could, and the world is left with one giant dream and many even larger expectations.

The track of the day today is in honour of Inauguration Day and all the things we are crossing our fingers for. You made it this far, President Obama — let’s see what you can do.

Tuneday 7: I Believe In You

A little while ago, Entire Cities played a show in Hamilton put on by our good friend Steve McKay. We had the pleasure of sharing the bill with Mandibles, some of whom are classmates of mine, and all of whom are terrific players. Led by guitarist and singer Jordan Howard, Mandibles are a joyful, rollicking sort of band, featuring catchy songwriting and an arsenal of percussion.

Mandibles have a self-titled CD out, nine songs of Howard’s earnest and fervent vocals backed by an impressive collective of musicians. It’s a great record, equal parts roller coaster and lilting song, but Mandibles’ crowning glory is their live show; D. Alex Meeks’ aforementioned battery of percussion instruments, Lisa Conway’s violin, and the whole troupe’s collective energy makes for a sweaty and fantastic evening. They’re a carnival, a hoedown, and a pop band all in one, and certainly a band who should be getting far more recognition and exposure than they are right now.

In case you’re not yet convinced, here’s the lead-off track from their record, a tune called The Never Ending Fall.

If you’ree in Toronto, you can catch Mandibles at the Drake Hotel, along with The Little Deaths and Hut, this Wednesday (January 21).

In other news: the new Brent Randall & His Pinecones CD is out tomorrow, titled We Were Strangers In Paddington Green, and I am so excited about that. It’s certainly been long enough! Watch for more about them soon.

I’ve been getting some perplexing, interesting or just plain strange search hits lately, and I thought it would be fun to share some of them. I can only imagine what putting them all in one post will do for Google. Here are some interesting searches that have led people here in the past little while.

joel plaskett pogues — I only wish. I don’t even know what that would sound like other than “awesome”. I don’t know if I want to hear him attempt “Fairytale of New York,” though; that could end badly.

stuart mclean useless — Now, I know I used to strongly dislike him, but that is a bit much. He is certainly not useless.

“woodhands suck” — Get off my blog!

pony da look lyrics — No.

don ruh — I just have this image of myself in the Mafia now. Ordering bloody animals to be put in people’s beds … laundering money … clearly I have chosen the wrong path.

And one of my recent favourites: sunlight on the lino what is the lino. Oh man. “Goodbye Girl” seems to perplex some people not of the Commonwealth. Here, young padawan.

I’ll be back shortly with some real posts. Hurrrrr. Happy Friday!

I apologise for missing last week’s Tunesday! By the time I realised, it was much too late to make up for it, so I decided to just wait until this one. Hope you haven’t been that sad about my silence lately (ha ha!).

Today’s tune is by Rogue Wave, a band I just can’t seem to get tired of. There’s something about their music that is slightly off the beaten track, and I love it. Their sound is very distinctive, and very captivating; this song, from their second album Descended Like Vultures, is one of my favourites. The slightly noisy crescendoes on the last word of each line in the verse … I love it.

I’m really bad at these track of the week write-ups, so let’s just hope that you decide to listen to it. Enjoy!

Tunesday 6: Bird on a Wire (not a Leonard Cohen cover!)

I will be back shortly with a couple of reviews. 2009 is starting off slow around here, but that’s mostly because I’ve been slothing around the house with nothing to do — the strike is coming to the end of the tenth week and my brain is beginning to fall out my ears.

If you’re in the Toronto area and find yourself with nothing to do tomorrow (Wednesday, January 14), Entire Cities are playing at the Tranzac (292 Brunswick) for Dwight Schenk’s CD release. The album is called Natural Disasters and I am on a track! Doors at 8, us at 9:30, and dear friends The Owle Bird shortly thereafter.

I’ve finally decided on the best live shows I saw all year. I couldn’t narrow it down to ten (largely because of the Calgary Folk Music Festival), but who decided that was the format for year-end lists? Fifteen it is, and in chronological order because I cannot figure out how to rank them.

Sloan (March 6, The Supermarket, Toronto)
review

Just by virtue of the fact that they played a host of songs I never thought I’d see them do (“Stood Up” and “Same Old Flame”, for example, from an old 7″ released around 1996), gave us a preview of some new tunes a few months before Parallel Play, and had a good time on a small stage.

The Bad Plus (May 24, Quincy’s, Calgary)
review

One of the more talented jazz groups I have had the pleasure of witnessing, and of course, they ended with their now-famous cover of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” (which the Bad Plus have released on 2007’s Prog). Incredibly talented and versatile musicians, and Quincy’s was a great venue for them.

The Weakerthans (July 24, Calgary Folk Festival)
review

I credit this show with catapulting me into becoming a Weakerthans fan. They were terrific, and just the perfect sort of music for a summer afternoon. There couldn’t have been anything better about the Weakerthans’ short folk festival set.

Be Good Tanyas (July 25, Calgary Folk Festival)
review

I’ve wanted to see the Tanyas for quite a few years, dating back to the first time I heard “The Littlest Birds” from Blue Horse. Unfortunately, they didn’t play that, but they put on a very impressive show at the Folk Festival, reminding us that their blend of bluegrass, folk and country is not going anywhere. Three of the finest voices this country has to offer.

Andrew Bird (July 25, Calgary Folk Festival)
review

Definitely one of the most unique and interesting acts at the Folk Festival this year. It was hard to believe everything was being done by one man and a hard-working loop pedal; very intricate and delicately crafted music, and a great experience to see it being done live.

Blue Rodeo (July 26, Calgary Folk Festival)
review

Words can’t describe how much fun I had with Blue Rodeo. It had rained most of the afternoon and evening that day and I was ready to bail, but I’m glad we stuck it out — it’s obvious to me now why Blue Rodeo have been around for such a long time. Incredible musicians, and their joy of playing radiates from everything they do.

Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet (July 27, Calgary Folk Festival)
review

Abigail Washburn: a redheaded Southern belle who can sing in fluent Mandarin, accompanied by a string band. This alone is good enough to land the Sparrow Quartet on the list, but on top of that, they are amazing (also featuring banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck). To see these musicians is a real experience.

Squeeze (August 28, Kool Haus, Toronto)
review

I’ve wanted this to happen for years, and when it finally did, nothing was a letdown. Tilbrook was on top form, his voice and guitar skills as good as they ever were, and a bonus of touring without an album to back was a setlist jam-packed with all kinds of unexpected songs. A party from start to finish.

Sigur Rós (September 22, Massey Hall, Toronto)
review

I didn’t know what to expect going into this, but everything about it was great. Ethereal and soaring and very, very musical. The encore didn’t hurt either: a huge, joyful version of “Gobbledigook” featuring all the members of opening band Parachutes, and near the end, the biggest blast of confetti I’ve ever seen inside a concert hall. We were picking up the pieces for weeks!

Martin Tielli (September 28, Hugh’s Room, Toronto)

I regret not doing a proper review for this show, since it stayed with me for quite a few weeks. Tielli is one of those musicians you can go to when you’re sick of everyone doing the same thing, because he’s never, ever conventional. An incredible performance of his solo tunes and Rheos material with a great band of supporting musicians.

David Byrne (October 29, Massey Hall, Toronto)
review

Byrne is a real legend, and deservedly so; he did all the right things on the Massey stage, and added some quirks too (like the dancers!). The new material translates exceptionally well live, and he threw in some Talking Heads favourites too. He’s a thrilling performer, and one I’d see again in a heartbeat.

Hayden (November 1, Massey Hall, Toronto)

Backed by members of Cuff the Duke, Hayden’s jamming-in-a-living-room sort of set was homey and perfect, filling the beautiful old Massey Hall with his easygoing music. I didn’t want it to end. I’d see him again quite readily, especially since I bought his album after the show and know it reasonably better now.

Robin Williams (November 22, Massey Hall, Toronto)

The funniest hour and a half I’ve spent all year. Robin Williams just does not stop talking, and flits around from subject to subject to potty joke faster than light. Much ado was made about the American election, but also the Canadian one (he did a remarkable impression of Prime Minister Harper), and his accents and miming skills are among the most hilarious things I’ve seen in a while.

Justin Rutledge (December 1, Cameron House, Toronto)

If ever there were a perfect show, this might be it. The Cameron House’s front room capacity is about 70, and there were at least that many people crammed in there to hear Justin Rutledge on night 4 of his “Incredible Shrinking Tour” (each night brought a smaller venue). Many songs from Man Descending were played, and he went over two hours before finally deciding to take a break. I had no idea that much time had passed — a testament to the captivating things happening on stage.

Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe (December 14, Massey Hall, Toronto)

I must confess: before this, I didn’t even like Stuart McLean. I would turn the radio off when the Vinyl Café started. However, there’s something about seeing the live version that makes things all the more enjoyable; ad-libs, personal anecdotes, and the really great musicians he brought along with him. I have been inducted into the world of Dave and Morley, and while I probably won’t listen to too many studio broadcasts, the live ones have a certain warmth that I really enjoyed.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: There were two shows that I feel worthy of mentioning here, but they didn’t make the main list mostly because I was heavily involved with them (and that is probably a conflict of interest!). One of them is The Bicycles’ CD release party at Lee’s Palace on November 8, featuring a myriad of guest performers like Forest City Lovers, Henri Fabergé and the Adorables, Sloan, Hooded Fang, $100, Matt Murphy, etc. I did play in about 8 songs, but the Bicycles put on a fantastic performance in every one, including backing up all the aforementioned bands. It was a great way to bring Oh No, It’s Love into the world. (review)

The other is Entire Cities’ CD release party at the Canadian Corps Hall on April 11. This is my band, and we had planned for quite some time to get the release party in order. Everything went without a hitch; no delays, no PA problems, great sound, and a lovely time. It still stands as probably the best show I’ve ever played, and certainly the best show with Entire Cities; I think that in itself merits a mention.

Happy new year, everybody! I look forward to the news and tunes of 2009 (already shaping up to be a pretty good year). Now if only that strike would end already.