My favourite albums of 2013

I heard a fellow music lover and DJ say they disliked doing Top 10 lists for the year's music, but did one anyway because it's expected of him as a DJ and taste-setter of sorts. I'm mixed on the concept. Some years it seems tedious, but most years, it's quite a lot of fun. It's nice to look back at the past year and re-discover and even re-enjoy some of the music you loved in the past year. It's also fun to look at what others think. It's also kind of fun to see what the bigger, more predictable sources think. Like which musician in their 60s that Rolling Stone will praise this year (it's Paul McCartney) and what mainstream rapper Pitchfork will chart in the Top 10 (It's Kanye West at #2).

Here's my list. We'll be taking a closer look at the these albums in the coming couple of months. I'll also be counting them down on my radio show on January 10th, 8 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca.

1) Savages - Silence Yourself (Matador)
2) Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe (Glassnote)
3) The Thermals - Desperate Ground (Saddle Creek)
4) Chelsea Light Moving - Chelsea Light Moving (Matador)
5) John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts (Partisan)
6) Jay Arner - Jay Arner (Mint)
7) Darkside - Psychic (Matador)
8) Yuck - Glow and Behold (Fat Possum)
9) The Besnard Lakes - Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO (Jagjaguwar)
10) !!! - Th!!!er (Warp)

Honorable Mentions: Austra - Olympia (Paper Bag), Low - The Invisible Way (Sub Pop), Body/Head - Coming Apart (Matador), Cults - Static (Columbia), Dark Horses - Black Music (Last Gang)

Least favourite thing of the year, probably the neo-folk movement. The most immediately grating song I heard this year was Avicii's "Wake Me Up!"

What say you? What did you like or dislike in this past year musically?

Who we lost in 2013

Musicians (and a few non-musicians) we lost in 2013, along with some video and music goodness.

Patti Page
Steve Knight (Mountain)
Leroy Banner (Ohio Players)
Patty Andrews (Andrews Sisters)
Ann Robson (Safire)
Cecil Womack
Reg Presley (The Troggs)
Mo-Do
Shadow Morton
Tim Dog
Tony Sheridan
Mindy McCready
Magic Slim
Cleotha Staples
Jewel Aikens
Stompin' Tom Connors
Alvin Lee
Peter Banks (Yes)
Claude King
Clive Burr (Iron Maiden)
Jack Greene
Jason Molina
Deke Richards
Scott Hardkiss
Jimmy Dawkins
Oophoi
Chi Cheng (Deftones)
Scott Miller (Game Theory)
Rita MacNeil
Cordell Masson (Parliament)
Christine Amphlette
Richie Havens
George Jones
Chris Kelly (Kris Kross)
Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
Alan O'Day
Ray Manzarek
Joey Covington (Hot Tuna)
Bobby Bland
Alan Myers (Devo)
Paul Smith
T-Model Ford
Tim Wright (Pere Ubu)
Zev Asher
Jack Clement
Edyie Gorme
Allen Lanier (Blue Oyster Cult)
Marian McPartland
Sid Bernstein
Ray Dolby
Phil Chevron (The Pogues)
Jan Kuehnemund (Vixen)
Cal Smith
Noel Harrison
Gypie Mayo (Yardbirds)
Lou Reed
Cheb i Sabbah
Chick Willis
Ray Price
Lord Infamous (Three 6 Mafia)

Jello Biafra speaks truth

I've been putting a bunch more music into my iPod and came across my copy of Incredibly Strange Music Vol. 2. This was put out by the people at Re/Search, who put out some stellar books in the 80s on counter culture. I'm particularly fond of the Industrial Culture Handbook, which opened my eyes to a number of weird things in music. The ISM volumes, or course, cover odd music, mostly from the 40s to 60s. Jello Biafra, of Dead Kennedys fame, wrote the liner notes for ISM Vol. 2. It kind of nails down why I search out the music I do, and why I enjoy digging through boxes of old records:

"From early one, I developed a sense of humor about records and music that weren't necessarily 'cool'. Starting in the 9th grade, I got fed up with radio that I began buying records just on the basis of which covers looked the most interesting. Thrift store singles broadened me even more. My tastes continued to widen; I'm always looking for that left-field idea that would help make my own songs different...

I keep expanding and discovering more and more sounds, i blunder into new things. Hybrids and blends are the most intriguing, especially when they're unintentional. Part of the reason I search for weird rock-ethnic-experimental music hybrids is: they inspire me to come up with new material. The more bent and unexpected, the better - you never know what you may find, and what sort of catalyst/inspiration it could be. If you want to get into the weirdest of the weird, you have to take chances. For those who stay curious, there are always new frontiers..."

Here's some music from the compilation. Ken Nordine's experiments in "word-jazz", an odd mix of jazz and free-association poetry

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees 2014

We got the nominees list for 2014's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a week or two ago. Let's take a look at who made the grade!

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band: A seminal blues band, Butterfield was a hugely influential blues harp player that also dabbled in jazz and psychedelic rock. Good pick, but likely won't be inducted this year.

Chic: This is the second year that Chic has been nominated. Chic, with Nile Rodgers at the helm, were one of the best disco bands. While disco hasn't aged well, Rodgers has kept himself busy in electronic music, having shown up on Daft Punk's Random Access Memories this past year.

Deep Purple: Strange they're not in the Hall already. Stoner rock before it was stoner rock, heavy blues influence on their music. Maybe it's because they're kind of associated with just one song, "Smoke on the Water"?

Peter Gabriel: An early member of Genesis, Gabriel left the band early and went his own weird way. Has worked in prog, psychedelic, new wave, roots and jazz. Amazingly eclectic artist that deserves to be in the Hall.

Hall and Oates: This is my sentimental favourite this year. I apologetically love Hall and Oates blue-eyed soul and vocal harmonies. They'll get in, but probably not this year,

KISS: The first slam dunk of the list, KISS brought theatricality to a new level with their stage shows and their glam-tinged hard rock. Also set the standard for marketing a band's image to death (KISS coffins anyone?). Gene Simmons will be a brilliantly, unsufferable douchebag during the induction too.

LL Cool J: A lot of hip-hop has been inducted in the past few years, LL Cool J looks to be the odds-on favourite for this year. He's one of the biggest names in rap to come out of the New York scene, and also has the crossover R&B appeal too. He'll likely get in.

The Meters: New Orleans based funk and blues masters made several classic albums in the 60s. They've been up for induction before, but I doubt it's their year.

Nirvana: The other shoo-in this year, and in their first year of eligibility. Nirvana set the entire world of music on its ear in 1991 and their short but inspiring career launched the Seattle scene, changed rock radio forever and arguably made indy rock socially acceptable.

NWA: The other hip-hop group in nomination this year, and one of the most influential bands from the Los Angeles gangsta rap style. Very confrontational for the time, but Dre and Ice Cube has both lightened up a lot (Ice Cube does family movies now, hard to believe the guy who rapped "Fuck Tha Police" had that in him). Likely will be skipped over for LL this year.

The Replacements: This is the most interesting pick this year. The Mats were musical chameleons and a stalwart of the 80s scene in Minnesota. Oddly iconoclastic, they were equally at home in punk and in indy rock. They were also famous for their drunken and drug-addled concerts.

Linda Ronstadt: Another sentimental favourite. Ronstadt's work might be dismissed as schmaltzy and poppy. Anyone doubting her range should listen to her version of Warren Zevon's "Carmelita". Due to health problems, this singer now can't sing anymore. She'll likely get it.

Cat Stevens: Strange he's not in either. Cat Stevens is a legend in folk rock circles and in the 60s rock and roll/folk style. "Peace Train" alone should be his ticket in. Maybe he's been delayed to the Yusuf Islam thing back in the 90s?

Link Wray: Consummate surf-rock and instrumental electric guitarist. Likely not his year though.

Yes: Massively influential prog rockers, with a hit career spanning into the mid 80s. Maybe, but not likely this year.

The Zombies: Huge pop-psychedelic band with a massive back catalogue. I like this band for this year's ceremony.

My picks for inductions: KISS, Nirvana, LL Cool J, The Zombies, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt.

RIP Lou Reed

Lou Reed has left us. Reed passed away at the age of 71 on October 27^th. No cause of death has been released yet, but Reed had been suffering from liver problems, having undergone a liver transplant in April.

Reed's contributions to rock and experimental music can't be understated. His musical career was a rocky one, and started ignobly. His love for 50s doo wop music got him into recording and one of his first gigs was for the cut rate Pickwick label, writing music without credit. It even spawned a minor hit for him in 1964 called “The Ostrich”.

It wasn't until Reed met Welsh cellist John Cale that his star began to rise. Together with Moe Tucker and Sterling Morrison, Reed and Cale formed The Velvet Underground, Cale had been part of Reed's band in “The Ostrich” sessions, and introduced him to New York's avant-garde scene through La Monte Young's Theater of Eternal Music. After some performances, the band caught the attention of Andy Warhol, who paired the band with Nico, and helped put out their debut album The Velvet Underground and Nico in 1966.

The Velvet Underground were unlike any band at the time. Reed's penchant for classic rock merged with Cale's instincts for free-jazz, neo-classical and general musical experimentation and formed something very unique for the time, something so forward looking that it almost had no place in the mid 60s. The Velvets put out several albums through multiple line-ups, all of them commercial failures, but they inspired a decade of influential musicians, from prog rockers to punks. Without the early experiments of the Velvet Underground, there would be no punk scene, or art-rock scene, or perhaps any type of scene in New York.

Reed left the band in 1970, in pretty acrimoniously fashion. Earlier, new manager Steve Sesnick convinced Reed to fire Cale. Feuding with Cale, Reed left and the rest of the band followed suit in the next few years, leaving it to shamble around under new band leader Doug Yule, who had replaced Cale, until 1973.

Reed's solo career has been up and down, but contains many landmarks and stellar recordings. His first big album was 1972's Transformer, produced by Mick Ronson and David Bowie. This album contained his first hit “Walk on the Wildside” and one of his best known and loved songs “Perfect Day”. Reed followed this with the critically acclaimed Berlin, a dark album about the seedy underbelly of Berlin.

Reed released Metal Machine Music in 1975 to derision. The album is a difficult listen, two albums of electronic and guitar noise with little structure. The album remains a highly influential album to avant-garde and noise musicians though.

The 80s saw Reed mellow after his marriage to Sylvia Morales. He recorded The Blue Mask in 1982, probably his best album of the 80s. His material in the mid 80s had a poppy quality to it. The 80s culminated with a reunion with Cale for 1990's Songs for Drella, a tribute album to Warhol, and his concept album New York in 1989, about the lives of people he saw in New York.

The early 90s saw the Velvets reunite for some benefit concerts, then an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Reed continued to record through the 90s and 2000s, and he married electric-violinist Laurie Anderson in 2008.

Reed's career was very hit and miss and quite iconoclastic. He had a bristly personality, often scathing of his critics and fans. Among my friends, we had a term called “Lou Reed syndrome”. For us, it seemed like Lou Reed lacked a certain internally critical voice. For every album he produced, there seemed to be one brilliant track, then 10-12 songs of indulgent and tuneless songs. Whenever I run into an album with one track and then 10 songs of dreck, I tend to say the artist caught “Lou Reed syndrome”.

For me, Reed's most stellar work was his work with the Velvets, with Loaded and White Light/White Heat being his best work. Upon hearing “The Gift” for the first time in the late 80s, my mind was opened even more to the possibilities of music as art. His work in experimentation in music is legendary. He will be missed.

RIP Lou Reed

On Godspeed winning the Polaris Prize

On September 23^rd, the 8^th annual Polaris Prize was announced. This year, the prize went to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, a seminal experimental music band from Montreal, for their album Allelujah! Don't Bend Ascend. Normally, I'd be celebrating this win, being a landmark and a validation of experimental music, a style and approach to music near and dear to my heart. But, my emotions are a bit mixed on this. Let me explain why.

Part of it is the feel of hipsterism to this year's pick. GY!BE have been doing their style of music for more than 15 years, mostly on their own imprint, Constellation Records. Constellation, due to their association with Godspeed, has been a remarkable label dedicated to the strange and artsy end of the musical spectrum. From those meagre beginnings, now Constellation's releases seem to enjoy popularity with almost every release put out. And good on them for it. But, where is the love for this kind of music coming out on other labels, even other Canadian labels?

Let me give you an example. One of the big names on Constellation is Colin Stetson, an avant-garde saxophonist who also dabbles in post punk and electronics (He was also up for the Polaris Prize this year). His music is dense, difficult and noisy. Without Constellation behind him, it's doubtful he would be as big of a name in campus radio as he is now. Nor would he be embraced by the same crowd that likes Metric, The Shins and Said the Whale. But, how much of this is on Stetson himself and how much is it on the label he's on?

Hot labels aren't new in music. Matador, Sub Pop, Merge, Kill Rock Stars, K, all have enjoyed a buzz that have helped their bands. Montreal also currently sports Arbutus Records. Everything they release seems to catch fire, regardless of quality (though most releases on Arbutus are of a high quality). Same with Constellation. Regardless of whatever strange thing they put out, it seems to get picked up by the hipster crowd. The most recent releases like this have been the aforementioned Colin Stetson, Jerusalem in My Heart (a bizarre mix of Middle Eastern folk, indy rock and electronics, with song titles in Arabic text-speak), Esmerine (a similar mix of world beat and post punk) and Sarah Neufeld (violinist from Arcade Fire, a drony mix of neo-classical and orchestral pop). Would these band, standing on their own, garner the same attention if they weren't on Constellation? Is their popularity due to their talent, or does it have more to do with who they are associated with?

On the avant-garde jazz scene in Canada, there are easily a dozen artists I can think of that deserve just as much attention as Colin Stetson. Jesse Zubot, Jean Martin, Peggy Lee, Simon Fisk, Gordon Grdina and more are doing things very similar to what Stetson is doing, but without the backing of Constellation, the Said the Whale fans of the world ignore them. And it's not like that Canadian college radio is not getting their music. Our station has many releases from these artists. But because the hip label Constellation isn't on the cover, they seem to be ignored.

Even bands similar to Godspeed suffer from this. Hamilton's SIANspheric has been doing droning post punk like Godspeed since before Godspeed existed, but they seem to be a footnote in Canadian music history, even though they often do the genre better. Ditto for the even older Nihilist Spasm Band, which even the most hardcore of experimental music fans in Canada might be hard-pressed to recall their songs, even though they continue to record and tour today.

The second aspect that bugs me about this selection is that it feels like tokenism. Godspeed's latest album isn't their best, nor is it particularly interesting. Their best work were their first couple of albums, F# A# Infinity and Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada. Godspeed have also been doing the same sound for 15 years, with not much variation in what they do. There's very little that's groundbreaking about Allelujah! Don't Bend Ascend. They're pretty much the same band they were in 1998, with the same expansive, twenty minute drones that they're known for.

This award feels like those Grammy award ceremonies where the awards go out to bands as a concession for their previous works. Remember when Santana took home all those awards for his album of collaborations with modern pop stars, that was several dozen steps behind his groundbreaking work in the 70s? Or Herbie Hancock's award for best album in the 2000s, long after his most celebrated work in the 70s. Or the awful Ray Charles album that won after his death? This feels like, “Hey Godspeed! We loved your past work but we didn't feel like acknowledging it til now. Here, have an award for this sub-par album that isn't as great as your old work, but makes us feel better for giving it to you.” Of course, there was no Polaris Prize back in 1998, but the point remains.

Ideally, this award should go to someone that was young enough to enjoy the cash reward and prestige that goes with the award. Godspeed already have a hipster empire. How about METZ, Purity Ring or Whitehorse, all of whom put out stellar albums this year. I'm happy for Godspeed's win, but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Indie Band Round Up #3

Some new Canadian bands for you to check out!

Punch Drunk Cabaret

Every summer, the city of Kamloops puts on Music in the Park, a two month long nightly open air free concert series. The line up is pretty eclectic and family friendly, being open to the public and avidly attended by senior's groups. Needless to say, a band like Punch Drunk Cabaret seemed like an odd choice for Music in the Park, but they played nonetheless in August.

PDC are a tattooed, heavy-drinkin' country and rockabilly band from Alberta. They also play “steampunk swing”, whatever that is! Their sound on CD is more rootsy and country tinged than their live shows, which are more on the rockabilly and punk side of things. They were a great band and I took a video of one of their songs when I saw them back in August

http://www.punchdrunkcabaret.com/

Light Fires

Light Fires are a new electro-pop band from Toronto. A duo, this band has the cool, deteacted feel of an 80s band combined with a more modern sultry vocal approach. Their de3but album Face just came out in July.

http://light-fires.com/

A Tribe Called Red

Not exactly a new band, but a band who definitely came into their own this year. I first heard A Tribe Called Red back in the spring, after listening to their latest album, called Nation II Nation. Their sound was like nothing I had heard before. At the base is traditional First Nations pow wow music, drumming, chanting and droning rhythms. The trio of DJs behind this band add in club music and electronics, creating a sound that's truly unique. Very few bands are mixing this kind of indigenous style of music with electronics, and even fewer are doing it in Canada. A Tribe Called Red recently did the summer festival circuit, including Salmon Arm, and, by all accounts, have been putting on excellent shows.

http://atribecalledred.com/

On campus radio and hipsters

When I travel down to Vancouver from Kamloops, which is more often these days, thanks to a very special woman I've come to adore, the drive back from the coast is always an interesting one. I get thinking about how different the musical environment is in Vancouver as compared to Kamloops. And I get thinking how it affects my job in radio. I'm often struck by the enthusiasm that comes back into me as I drive back, how I've rediscovered my love for the career I've chose.

And, there's often an undercurrent of pessimism too, but not because I'm coming back to Kamloops from the “Big City”. Rather the opposite. I love Kamloops and the feel of the small city. I like Vancouver's hustle and energy, but it would overwhelm me if I lived there. I can take it in small doses, but a city the size of Kamloops is really where I want to be.

The best thing about music in Vancouver is, that if I want something, I can usually find it. Plus, just looking for what I want leads me to more finds that I didn't even know I wanted. More times than not, I've walked into a store not knowing what I'd find and walk out with 20 disks that I know I'd love. And the people there know their music. In Kamloops, I might be able to find a person or two that knows and is passionate about The Pixies, but in Vancouver, I can talk to the clerk about Bibio and he knows their work, listened to it and can tell me what they have in stock. That same clerk can often talk about The Ketamines, Merzbow and Dave Edmunds in the same conversation. That's a person after my own heart. But, that type of personality has the darker and more cynical edge of the hipster to it. Someone who knows everything and is eager to let you know that they know everything. Or they like what you're buying, but they have that album in a better condition, or on a more obscure imprint. That sort of thing.

This happens when I listen to campus radio in Vancouver too. Often, the presenters are informed, a bit rough around the edges and eager to share what they know, not due to the hipster urge (though that does exist in campus radio, big time), but for the betterment of their local scene. Some of the programming is good, some bad, but it's all trying to achieve the same thing. Then, when I look at my own work in radio, I get that strange push-pull. One, a desire to keep doing what I'm doing, pushing programming in new directions and teaching those who want to learn radio how to do what I do. And two, the sneaking suspicion that I'm not doing enough to push myself.

Let me explain a bit. I run an experimental music show. I think I do a pretty good job of it. Experimental music isn't a genre of music, but an approach to music. To make it challenging, to make music outside of the norm of what is considered music. Music that's atonal, arhythmic, noisy, abrasive, difficult. But, comparing my show to something that runs in Vancouver makes me wonder if I'm pushing my own show enough, pushing myself enough to really make the show something that's unique. I have a feeling if, somehow, I packed up my own show and put it on the air in Vancouver, I don't think it would fly because it doesn't push the envelope enough. I try to introduce my audience to things they wouldn't normally be exposed to, and push the idea of music as something that should be challenging. But sometimes I wonder if that's enough.

But then I think, well, why should I compare it to what's going on in Vancouver? There might be a half dozen people doing what I do in Vancouver (and maybe pushing the idea a bit farther than I am), but I'm the only one doing it here. And, let's face it, Kamloops isn't Vancouver. What flies here wouldn't necessarily fly there and vice-versa, and that can be a good thing. I might not be pushing the envelope to what they do in Vancouver, but it's plenty for here. Kamloops is nowhere near as urbane as Vancouver. Often, our station is playing stuff here that, to me, sounds pretty tame, but for a Kamloops audience, it sounds pretty revolutionary. But, any type of radio that exposes your listener to something new is a good thing.

I remember a friend of mine asking me once, back when I was doing my English degree, “You ever feel like you're faking it and everyone can tell?” It's a question that's stuck with me for some reason. It's the curse of the intelligent, of the aware, constantly second guessing ourselves. How do I know what I know and how do I know it? The constant verification of “Do I really know what I know?” and looking it up to make sure it's right. The second guessing to make sure you're good enough. That's where the expression “True wisdom comes from knowing you don't know anything” comes from. It's not about being better, or being perfect, but living with yourself, with your own abilities. Pushing yourself to be better, not to be in competition with others, but pushing yourself to be better.Am I being too philosophical? Who knows. I know that Vancouver tends to get a mix of feelings from coming back from there, and it drives me to try harder and be better, which is always good in my book.

Salmon Arm Roots and Blues 2013 Redux

Probably the thing I look forward to most in the summer, at least musically, is the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival. It's one of the best summer music festivals in BC, probably the best outside of Vancouver, and every festival is great in it's own way. Plus, it's a great opportunity to put on my floppy beach hat, roast under the sun for a whole day and watch live music.

Well, there wasn't much roasting this year. It was cloudy and cool most of the day. There was a storm brewing, but it never seemed to materialize despite a couple of rumble of thunder. By the time the main stage shows came around, the wind was whipping every thing around, and finally managed to ground the kites that had been flying over the festival grounds all day.

I usually only go on one day, making it a day trip. I got to the grounds around 11:30 and, after getting a program, I headed back to the blues stage to catch the last three songs from Hamilton's Steve Strongman. He was playing an acoustic set and showed off his very deft fingers with some quality finger picking. He also performed in a full suit, which always amazes me that musicians can perform in costume without dissolving into a pool of sweat. I heard he played an electric set later with Mighty Mo Rodgers that even had Rodgers' eyes wide with his playing.

I popped over to the Shade Stage to see the Balconies. I was a bit disappointed with their sound. Previous albums from them showed a competent and fun indy rock band, but they had sinced morphed into a radio-ready guitar rock band. The band were decked out in the usual hard rock fair. We had the guy playing guitar in the cowboy hat. And the female lead singer with the eagle feather in her hair and the too tight clothes. By the third song, she was whipping her hair around in a circle. They seemed to have become "Just Another Rock Band." Not my thing...

So, I packed up and went to the Barn Stage to see The Belle Game. They were more my style, a bit on the new wave side of indy rock. They had a full band up there with a synth deck and reverb on the vocals. They sounded a lot like Metric. They also did a pretty cool version of "Beast of Burden". Here's a live video I took.



I talked some shop with Richard Sevigny at the Voice of the Shuswap table (they just got on the air this year and are doing well, by all reports), then got some lunch. My next stop was back at the Blues Stage for Sakura S'Aida, who was in the middle of a very soulful blues set. I caught the rest of her set, which was very good, then went back to the Shade Stage for what was one of my highlights of the day.

Every festival, it seems, I find a diamond in the rough, a performer that I normally wouldn't have thought I'd enjoy, or one that puts in an amazing set. Last year, it was Hazmat Modine. The festival before that was The Kropotkins. This year it was Malcolm Holcombe. He's a blues/country/folk singer from the mountains of North Carolina. I was reading my program when Holcombe unassumingly sat down on stage and started playing, without even a tune up. The audience, including me, were unprepared for this, and slowly started coming back over the next couple of songs. Holcombe was just a voice and a guitar, unaccompanied by anyone. His music was stark, unassuming and honest, just a man and his guitar. His voice suggested someone who had drank heavily his whole life. His lyrics were raw and brutal. He twitched and swung his head around like someone coming out of detox. His stories in-between his songs (banter wasn't something he did a lot, he spoke with his music) were disjointed and had more than a few cuss words. He minced no words. He had some odd chord changes and picking, and he beat out the rhythm to this music with the heel of his hand on his beat-up guitar. I watched this man in rapture for 45 minutes straight, only sitting up in awe after he was finished.



I headed back to the Barn Stage to see Selah Sue, a folk pop singer in the style of Norah Jones, but with a reggae vibe to her work. Like Holcombe, it was just her voice and an acoustic guitar. Her set was very popular to the hipster types. Lots of beards and henna tattoos in the crowd!

I walked around the grounds til the main stage started up at 6 PM and caught a few of the local performers on the busking stages. I didn't catch the names of the acts, but I saw a full band with two singers, a mandolin and a guy playing a guitar and a bass drum at the same time, then a solo singer, then a duo, the last of which were very good and funny. After a quick dinner, it was time for the main stage.

The night kicked off with Bright Lights Social Hour from Austin, TX. They reminded me of Kings of Leon in sound and looked. They had a heavy blues guitar sound and all the members of the band sported the hippie look of long hair and beards. They added some Rush style electronics into the mix, sounding a bit more proggy than the Kings of Leon would, maybe more like the Black Angels. They did say something odd though, that they didn't have festivals like this back where they're from. I guess South By Southwest is something different?

The second act was one of the acts I had hoped to see this weekend. When I go the festival, I usually go without knowing who is going to play, preferring to graze the music rather than seeing what I know and like. Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside are a great band from Portland, OR. They sound like a 60s garage/soul band with a modern indy rock filter. They were raw, they were a bit foul for a family crowd and immensely entertaining. By the end, they had me thinking they could stand beside the 70s era Elvis Costello and the Attractions with little problem fitting in. From me, that's high praise. I took a quick look in the merch tent and found none of their albums. I'll be ordering their latest as soon as I can scrape together some money.

My last act of the night was Daniel Lanois, who hit the stage just as the sun set behind the mountains. After seeing a couple of songs, which were very nice roots rock with some reverb and noodling, I felt I had seen enough. Usually, by the time the sun sets, the bugs come out in droves, and the patrons start into the pot. No bugs this year thanks to the wind, but the smoke was beginning to give me a headache. I could tick off seeing another musical legend on my imaginary bucket list of music.

Thanks Salmon Arm, I'll be back next year!

Forgotten Music #17: The Gleaming Spires - "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?"

I cam across Revenge of the Nerds while surfing the TV channels tonight. I am a child of the 80s and I loved this movie while going through high school, both as a cult movie and as an ultimate nerd revenge fantasy. Having endured my share of bullying and humiliation from the more popular kids in high school, the idea of getting revenge on those people resonated with me, as did the ending speech of the movie, about how there are more of us being put down than those on top putting us down.

There's also a nice group of 80s tunes running through the movie. Outside of the overt Devo references in the movie, most seen in the Lambda's musical number, with Lewis and Gilbert dressed up in yellow Tyvek radiation suits like the early incarnations of Devo, there's lots of great 80s tunes in the soundtrack. If you look closely too, Lewis and Gilbert have a Devo poster up in their first room at college. Then there's one that comes with a bit of a delay to it, The Gleaming Spires.

The Gleaming Spires were formed as a side project of the great new wave band Sparks. Formed first as a duo of Leslie Bohem and David Kendrick, they performed as Bates Motel, before recruiting two other members of Sparks, Jim Goodwin and Bob Haag. The Spires were short lived, only putting out three albums over their 5 year existence. Their best known song "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?" appeared on their debut album, Songs of the Spires, in 1981. It's also featured in the Lambda/Mu party scenes in Revenge of the Nerds.

So, where's the Devo connection. Well, after Alan Myers left Devo, the band recruited Spires member David Kendrick in the late 80s to replace him. Kendrick spent three albums with the band, ending in 1991's Smooth Noodle Maps, after which Devo broke up for 20 years. Kendrick was replaced with Josh Freese for Devo's comeback, Something for Everybody.

Covers Courageous #6: 1000 Homo DJs - Supernaut

In the most popular era of industrial music, the late 80s, it was the style to form side projects and super groups. All too often, collaborators would come together and form other groups for one off projects, or outlets for what they couldn't do with their main groups, due to pressure from record labels or the dynamics within their own groups. cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy was famous for this forming groups like Hilt, Download, Doubting Thomas and the Tear Garden. Bill Leeb had Intermix, Conjure One and Delerium. And Al Jorgenson of Ministry had 1000 Homo DJs, along with PTP, Pailhead, Acid Horse and Lard.

1000 Homo DJs just put out one EP, Supernaut, in 1990 on the powerhouse Wax Trax Records. The band was Jorgenson along with other Ministry cohorts like Bill Reiflin and Paul Barker. The album was recorded under pseudonyms, so it's difficult to tell who was playing on the album. The album had four songs and the best on the album was their cover of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut"

The original version appeared on Black Sabbath's 1972 album Vol. 4. The song was typical of Sabbath's style of metal at the time: loud, sludgy, drugged out psychedelic metal:




Jorgenson's version was much more bombastic and aggressive. Using samples to introduce the song turned it into a potent statement on counter culture. Jorgenson's own daliances with drugs only enhanced the other-worldly feel of the song. The 1000 Homo DJs version is industrial metal swagger, brutal, rhythmic and confrontrational.


The song got a lot of attention after appearing on the 1994 Nativity in Black compilation, featuring covers of Black Sabbath songs, featuring a nice selection of the days alt-metal bands paying tribute to Black Sabbath. Since then, the song has often been credited to Ministry themselves, adding some confusion to the mix.

One of industrial's enduring mysteries was a rumoured version of the song featuring Trent Reznor on vocals instead of Jorgenson. The rumour was that Reznor's label, TVT, had heard about the collaboration and refused to let Reznor's version be released, forcing a re-recording of the song. This was one of the many reasons Reznor broke his contract with TVT Records and went on to form Nothing Records, in order to have more creative control over his musical career. The Reznor version languished for years, only heard on obscure bootlegs, before being formally released in the massive Black Box box set put out by Wax Trax in 1994.


PS if any enterprising fan of this blog would like to get me a copy of Black Box as a gift, I would appreciate much! It's a highly sought after collector's item now!

RIP Alan Myers

Alan Myers wasn't the first drummer that DEVO had, but he's the one most associated with the band. Myers joined the band in 1976 as the third drummer for the band, and went on to record and served with them for five albums, from 1978's Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO! to 1984's Shout. He left the band after Shout, citing that he felt creatively uninspired. He continued to created music, with Babooska, a band founded by his girlfriend, then later with his own band Skyline Electric. He worked full time as an electrician in Los Angeles since leaving DEVO. He passed away on June 24 at the age of 58 from complications from brain cancer.

Myers was called "The Human Metronome" due to his precision at drumming. His drumming always struck me as pitch perfect. Some songs he did almost sounds like a drum machine, not a human being. He was a drumming robot. Check out the perfect timing on his early recording of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction":


Later in DEVO's career, the band went more electronic and they began experimenting with electronic percussion. Myers' work on "That's Good" was especially inspired during this time.


One of my favourite bits from Alan Myers was from the disastrous 3DEVO tour, in which a backstage tech messed up the click track the band was using, thinking it was out of sync. This messed up the bands performance so much they had to stop, but Alan kept right on drumming like the pro he was.


In my opinion, DEVO wouldn't have been as successful as they were without Alan behind the drum kit. RIP Alan Myers.

Quick Top 40 Charts Update

I used to recap the Top 40 Charts here every week or so, then dropped out of the habit, mostly due to lack of material. Today, I feel the urge to comment on a few things...

- The Twitter revolution is on it's last legs, I feel. There are two songs in the American Top 40 with a hashtag in them (Mariah Carey's "#Beautiful" and will.i.am's "#thatPOWER"). Once the mainstream gets a hold something, it stops being cool.

- Robin Thicke looks like the mutant pompadoured offspring of Alan Thicke and Kirk Cameron. Creepy...

- Avril Lavigne's latest single is called "Here's to Never Growing Up". This sung by a pushing 30 faux-punker who is engaged to Chad Kroeger, favourite rock growler of balding 50s year old truck drivin' rockers everywhere!

- I'm quite surprised at Darius Rucker's reinvention as a country singer. He's miles away from his days in Hootie and the Blowfish and sounding great!

- Fall Out Boy are easily the most obnoxious band in existence right now. The only other band that is in contention is fun. and they're a very, very distant second.

Forgotten Music #16: The Wedding Present - Brassneck (1989)

Another trip down my memory lane of my first days in campus radio. The Wedding Present deeply resonated with my early days in radio. From England, The Wedding Present had an urgency and power to their music I hadn't ever heard before. At the time, when I thought about powerful guitar, I thought about heavy metal. The Wedding Present had a different kind of power: a jittery, manic wall of guitar noise.

From Leeds, The Wedding Present broke through into the UK scene in 1987 with their first major label album George Best. The album was full short, driving Britrock songs with a distinct and sneering sarcasm and paranoia behind them. David Gedge, the one constant in the band over the years, provided the vocals that signified the bands sound, along with the spastic guitar. Gedge's vocals were a lot like Mark E. Smith of The Fall, insistent, sneering and decidedly weird. His lyrics reminded me of an punk version of Morrissey.

By 1989, their second album, Bizarro, launched them into the US market with aplomb. College radio latched onto them. With bands like Jesus and Mary Chain already establishing the loud guitar noise-wall that the UK became known for at the time, The Wedding Present fit right in. The two singles from this album were the excellent "Kennedy" and "Brassneck". Both were driving Britrock tunes with a jittery, paranoid edge. "Brassneck" was my favourite of the two


Their next album, Seamonsters, continued the trend. The band allied themselves with noted noisemonger Steve Albini at the time. The band still continues to release music, with Gedge the only surviving original member. They released Valentina in 2012 and are touring this year around the world.

RIP George Jones

Lately, we've been losing a lot of fantastic musical talent. Stompin' Tom Connors, Magic Slim, Richie Havens, Christina Amphlette, Rita MacNeil. And on Friday, George Jones.

Simply put, George Jones was one of the finest singers ever to record music, in whatever genre. His ability to convey emotion in a very simple way was his hallmark, and lead to some devastatingly sad country songs. His accomplishments in music were huge. Over 150 hit songs, 14 of them #1s. He's in the Country Music Hall of Fame and in the Grammy Hall of Fame. He's the recipient of the US National Medal of Arts. Many, many awards for vocalist of the year, both for the CMA and Billboard. He's one of the best selling country artists of all time.

Jones' work has always been with me. My mother was a huge fan of classic country and George Jones seemed to always been on the turntable. Mind you, when I was growing up, I really disliked classic country, but, as it wont to happen, one's sensibilities change and mature as one ages. I grew to appreciate and even love some of George Jones' songs. His songs “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and “She Thinks I Still Care” can reduce me to a sobbing, blubbery mess on a good day.



After I discovered Elvis Costello, I found out about his affection for George Jones and my respect for his work grew even larger. Costello recorded an album called Almost Blue in 1981, a straight up country album which his label, Columbia, called “career suicide” and initally refused to release it. It was released anyway, and it didn't sell well. It's still a striking example of Costello's range as a performer, going from the “angry young man”, swaggering roots-punk of his first three albums to Almost Blue's tender and steel-guitar drenched country covers. Costello recorded Jones' “Good Year for the Roses” for this album, then wrote “Stranger in the House” for Jones.


One of my favourite stories was from the liner notes of one of Costello's Ryko re-releases. Back when Jones was young, he was famous for his drunken binges and missing concerts, so much that he was known as “No Show Jones” at one point. He's also famous for his ride into town on a riding lawn mower to buy more booze, since his wife had taken away his truck keys. Costello said he was playing a concert in Nashville, and Jones, a long time friend, couldn't make it, so Jones sent a basket with sparkling apple juice in it. A far cry from the boozing of his early years.

Another one of my favourite George Jones' tunes is “White Lightning”, an upbeat track about moonshining. One of my favourite strange cover is of The Fall doing this song:


George Jones was 81 years old at his time of passing. We won't soon see another singer of his calibre. RIP George Jones.

Earshot Reviews April 2013

My latest reviews for Earshot Online

Citadel - Aquarian

PVT - Homosapien

Post Junos post 2013

I much prefer the Junos to the Grammys, mostly because of the all Canadian focus (I'm a total sucker for Canadian music and culture), plus the Junos tend to be a lot more adventurous than the Grammys.

The major awards were pretty predictable, but they usually are. Carly Rae Jepsen runs away with it for her breakout single, Leonard Cohen tops a ho-hum group of solo artists, Rush takes group of the year. All pretty standard. It's in the less prestigious categories that fun happens.

I was surprised to see The Weeknd take Breakout Artist over Grimes, and even more surprised to see him take R&B album of the year over Shawn Desman and Jully Black. The Weeknd already has a good following in alt-rap circles in the US and his start is definitely rising here in Canada too!

Some interesting picks in the jazz categories too, Joel Miller for contemporary jazz album of the year, and Pugs and Crows for instrumental album. I like Joel Miller's work, tasteful and understated. Pugs and Crows I felt had a weak year with Fantastic Pictures, but the group is wildly talented and has a penchant for experimentation.

Grimes won electronic album of the year over a very strong crowd of nominees, including Crystal Castles, Daphni, Purity Ring and Trust. I loved all five of those albums this year. It speaks to the amazing talent we have in Canada for electronic music.

There are few Canadian musicians more deserving than k.d. lang for the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Her career has been wildly eclectic, from her early years as a oddball country singer, to her modern career as a torchy pop song crooner. Plus, she's an amazing spokesperson for Canada in general. We're lucky to have her representing Canadian music!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqaKhKJHQRc

Best of 2012 Honourable Mentions

Touching on three releases I really liked but didn't make my Top 10 for 2012:

Dirty Ghosts - Metal Moon (Last Gang)

Allyson Barker is Canadian born and bred, but has been based out of San Francisco lately. Their music is noisy rock, with some new wave and psychedelic influences. I liked this album a lot, I was impressed by the loose, noisy rock side of it paired with a more melodic, catchy end. It's a nice mix of offbeat and accessible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZQXmmHb920


Men Without Hats - Love in the Age of War (Independent)

Montreal's Men Without Hats will always have a special place in my heart. During high school,  Folk of the 80s (Part III) got my through some rough times, and it still stands up as one of the best synth-pop albums ever recorded. This is the band's first album since 2003's poorly received No Hats Beyond This Point, and it's a solid synth-pop album with a classic sound. Granted, this style of music hasn't aged well, but this is a fine effort. The title track was very evocative for me; when I first heard it, I was struggling through a confusing relationship break up. It resonated well for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7zYQQA1Cwk


Grimes - Visions (Arbutus)

I'd be very remiss to not mention Grimes' meteoric rise this past year. Grimes, the Montreal-based Claire Boucher, has a breakout year on the hot, hot, hot record label Arbutus this year. Her voice is babyish and naive, the music is creepy, deep and gothy. Montreal has been the centre of artsy and strange music in Canada, and Grimes fits into that scene well. She should explode internationally in the coming years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FH-q0I1fJY

Best of 2012: #1 - Eight and a Half - S/T (Arts and Crafts)

Yes, I suck at numbering these things.. I should go back and renumber the last one, I will... eventually.

My favourite album of 2012 was a super-group of sorts. Eight and a Half's debut album was actually an album by three veterans of the Canadian indy rock scene: Justin Peroff of Broken Social Scene, and Dave Hamelin gna Liam O'Neil of The Stills. You'd expect the band to do some accessible indy rock, but they go off in a different direction here. Eight and a Half are deeply rooted in oddball synth-pop. While there's an indy rock style to what they're doing, most of the album is loopy, playful synths. This album was a very pleasant surprise when I first heard it, and it continued to get better with repeated listens.

Next up, a couple of honourable mentions...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsywCBZ7myI

Best of 2012: #1 - PS I Love You - Death Dreams (Paper Bag)

PS I Love You really stepped up their game for their second album, Death Dreams. Their first, Meet Me at the Muster Station, was a solid piece of noise-pop. The follow up amped up the noise and fuzzed out the music, adding a solid vibe of psychedelics into the mix as well. And, importantly, this album is all Canadian. PS I Love You hail from my birth-town of Kingston, ON. I'd hard to believe such a full-sounding noise was made by just two people. No album was better at noise-rock this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcDLLRXDadQ

Guest blog: Foam Lake - Force and Matter

RMD Music Blog just posted my review of Canadian indy rock/new wave act Foam Lake's new album Force and Matter.

http://rmdmusicblog.com/2013/02/28/album-review-foam-lake-force-and-matter-indie-rock/#

 

Latest Earshot Reviews: Feb 2013

Ron Davis - Blue Modules

Claude Munson and the Storm Outside - The Storm Outside

Best of 2012 #3: Shrouded Strangers - Lost Forever (Izniz)

I heard this album very early in the spring of 2012 and I immediately thought it would definitely be in my Top 10 albums of the year. And boy did it grow on me as the year went on. I've discovered that I have a solid love for noisy psychedelic rock and this album captured the sound I love very well. Shrouded Strangers are a relatively new and young band from California, with only one other album under their belts. This album was released pretty much as an independent release too. It was a good year for psychedelic rock, with Tame Impala and Ringo Deathstarr already on my list. This was  the best psychedelic album I heard this year.

http://youtu.be/IdvzcrF_rHo

Best of 2012 #4: Tanlines - Mixed Emotions (True Panther Sounds)

Brooklyn's Tanlines straddle the line between 80s synth-pop nostalgia and modern edgy indy rock. Not really staying in either world, the duo bounces back and forth between genres. Their latest album, Mixed Emotions, is just their second to date and their first for the highly influential True Panther Sounds label. Teh music is tense, edgy, paranoid and ultimately a lot of fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKJ3z9Pa7AU

 

Best of 2012 #6 : Purity Ring - Shrines (Last Gang)

2012 was an amazing year for Purity Ring. The duo had been kicking around Toronto under other names (Gobble Gobble, Born Gold) until landing their sound with the dark electro-rock of Purity Ring. The band has a nervous tension, plied into 2-3 minute pop gems. They exploded into prominence in Canada this year, and landed an international distribution contract with the lauded 4AD label. A stellar debut from Purity Ring with Shrines. I'm sure we'll see more of this great band in the near future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqw4wo8vdY8

Best of 2012 #6: David Byrne and St. Vincent - Love This Giant (4AD)

David Byrne is one of my favourite musicians of all time. From his seminal work in skewed pop and new wave in the Talking Heads, his solo work ranging from classical to world beat music, collaborations with Brian Eno and Fatboy Slim (amongst others), and running is own Luaka Bop record label, there's not much he hasn't done. Still, he finds ways to reinvent himself constantly. His recent collaboration with Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) has borne some wonderful musical fruit. Byrne's offbeat take on pop is all over this album. Annie Clark brings a lush pop and jazz sense to the songs on this album. Definitely one of the best pop albums of the year.

http://youtu.be/trIG9vQbVXA

Best of 2012: Daphni - Jiaolong (Merge)

Canadian electronic musician Dan Snaith is no stranger to my ears. I've been a fan of his Caribou project since before he was forced to change it's name from Manitoba to Caribou. Caribou is no stranger to my best of charts either. Back in 2010, I picked Swim as my #3 album and in 2003, I chose Manitoba's Up in Flames as my favourite album of the year. Whereas Caribou put a pop-sheen on his electronics, Snaith's latest project, Daphni, is more more glitchy and noisy. He bases this project around a strong dance groove, with less emphasis on the psychedelic pop swirls Caribou is known for, an adding more glitchy, unsettling and noisy bits. It's a great effort, a bit divorced from his usual fare, but enjoyable nonetheless. Recommended for someone looking different from their dancefloor grooves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpK5GltULXI

Best of 2012: Ringo Deathstarr - Mauve (Sonic Unyon)

Last year, I picked Ringo Deathstarr's debut full length Colour Trip as my favourite album of 2011. This year, the Austin band put out two releases: a four track EP called Shadow, and another full length called Mauve. Mauve continued the bands shoegazer sound, but they were a little bit more focus, a little bit less noisy and a little bit more psychedelic. The album is just as enjoyable as Colour Trip, but in a very different way. Spacier, more mind-altering, less unsettling. Great effort!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ187y5sH3E

Best of 2012: #9 Tame Impala - Lonerism (Modular)

Australia's Tame Impala are a young band, just a few years old, but have quickly become one of the more respected psychedelic revival bands in the world. They came into prominence with their 2010 debut album, Innerspeaker. Lonerism continues what they started in 2010. Their sound is drenched in the classic 60s psychedelic rock sound, but also sounds fresh in the 2010s with a healthy dose of indy rock and electronics. Psychedelic music is definitely on the upswing right now and you can't go wrong with Tame Imapala. Good enough for #9 for me this year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wycjnCCgUes

Best of 2012: #10 - Parallels - XII (Marigold)

We begin our review of my favourite albums of 2012.

Last year, I picked Parallels' debut album Visionairies at my favourite album of 2011. This year, their sophomore effort XII is #10 on my list. XII was very solid, but I feel the band suffered a bit with the departure of Cam Findlay back to Crystal Castles. The band is much more pop-oriented now, and much slicker, lacking the dark feel that Findlay brought to the synth-pop sound. Holly Dodson, nonetheless, stepped up as the front person for the band, and her vocals were silky smooth. This is one of the best snyth-pop releases of the past year. This is also the first of a crop of great Canadian albums to end up on my top 10 list.

Check out my Earshot review of the album here.

http://youtu.be/qu8Gbg1lxVE