A few news-worthy items have sparked this article. Over the past two weeks I have witnessed a few pieces that have reinforced a problem that has been playing out for far too long: the Music Industry is still at war.

The New Enemy

RIAA Appeals 90% Reduction of Damages in File-Sharing Case

What I see here are the continued combative tactics of Music Industry professionals in both their terminology and their actions. While it should be said that I understand why these circumstances exist, I fail to understand why I — as a music consumer — am still forced to be caught in the middle of it all. Instead of putting 100% of their efforts into changing the musical marketplace for the better, the Purveyors Of Copyright insist on wasting enormous resources on putting up a fight against the new frontier. Need further proof? This indirectly involves music (in that YouTube is a common outlet for musical interests), but nonetheless stands as further evidence to my point:

Google Spent $100 Million Defending Viacom Copyright Suit

What a colossal waste of time and money. I could go on, but I feel that I have said my peace. Perhaps I will leave you with an excerpt from The Lefsetz Letter. This involves the problems being faced by the live music scene (ticket prices, attendance, scalpers etc.) and although this person’s viewpoint is painted perfectly, one might continue to ask: “Okay, so what are you doing to FIX this!?” Both sides are playing the blame-game and it all keeps spiralling downwards…

————————————————————————
from Bob Lefsetz
date Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 7:46 PM
subject Mailbag
hide details Jul 23 (1 day ago)

From: Ticket Queen Bee
Subject: Ticket Myths

Bob – as a Ticketing Professional, and yes we are hard working professionals, I would like to clear up a few persistent misconceptions that are oft repeated.

First, to the gentleman who took his son to Iron Maiden who was “shocked” to find that better locations had become available after he had purchased his tickets? Let me explain how this really works. As a promoter we are REQUIRED to withhold inventory from general public sales. These seats are held for the Artist, Support Artist(s), Management, Agents, labels, tour sponsors, and a slew of other “VIPS”. As you might imagine these are not back of the house seats. I have put shows on sale that had NO top price tickets available to the public. Now, Flash forward to a few days before the show and it occurs to the above mentioned folks that they really do not have 150 “friends and family” they only have 4. So then “suddenly” 146 pit tickets are available for sale to the public! Trust me on this, as the promoter we don’t want to sit on those tickets, we would be happy to sell them to you. We release seats as quickly as possible. Now the issue becomes when do these prime seats get released for sale so that the general public has a shot? Unfortunately it will mostly likely happen on a random weekday afternoon while you are hopefully at work. But guess who is there waiting for them…

Which brings me to my second point; addressing Nikki Vanasse and the “scams” we have been running for years. Honey you have no idea what you are up against. The secondary market brokers make their living by investing their time & money to make sure you NEVER have a chance to get the few prime seats that are for sale on Saturdays at 10am. These pros have back rooms filled with computers that are trawling Ticketmaster 24/7 for ticket releases. And their software is able to bypass every security point within a nanosecond. One local broker has at least 3 times as many computers as I do in my own Ticket Office. So you are completely out of touch if you think you can sit down with your MAC and a cup of Joe for a Saturday morning on sale and peruse the inventory. By the time you have finished typing in your first security check the brokers have transacted 6 orders with 8 tickets each. And these tickets are ON TOP of the seats they got first dibs on by being members of every fan club and having every credit card that has ever offered a presale. Now how can this be prevented?

That is my third point; which is to everyone kvetching about ticket prices. Hello, you folks set those prices!! If you would stop buying from brokers their business would collapse rather quickly. I’ll say it again they have invested HEAVILY in making sure you must buy from them. I hardly have the time to “enter” my seat release into the system and they are snapped up by the trawlers. Back 5 years ago when everyone had their H.E.L.O.C to dip into and pay $500 for a seat so their kid could sit in the second row and look up Beyonce’s skirt NO ONE was complaining. But now that your financial foolishness has gotten us into this mess you want do cry like a little girl about it. Give me a friggin break and quit acting like a victim of the business model you helped create.

And speaking about seats, would everyone please be honest with your selves. If this “was about the music man” you all would be clamoring to get seats around the front of house mix. You know the place where the professional engineers tune the sound directly to their board. If you want to hear the music, quit being a second row poser with your brokered tickets, ok?

My last point to the address all the anger being directed at us local folks who are making these shows happen. Please consider that we are fans also, in fact that is the driving force that guided most of us into our current job positions. The issues at the Gorge sound genuinely unfortunate but not knowing the specifics I can’t comment on the possible prevention. However, I will tell you this. When you have a problem, don’t come up to my window and spit your Live Nation venom at my $8/hr college student. We are the people trying to HELP YOU. And you would be shocked at how many of your problems are of your own doing. So remember while we are trying to undo the mess you spun, working within the system & technology in which we are bound, you will ALWAYS catch more bees’ with honey.

Say WHUT? I have no problems with allowing fans to raise money for an Artist’s efforts, but PE seems to have overshot on this one:

Public Enemy cut their SellaBand target to $75k

I’ve been following the Sellaband idea for some time now, and have been waiting for the right time to post on it. It’s a decent idea: find a new or favourite Artist attempting to launch a new project and donate money towards helping them reach their goal. Here are some more details on the premise. Sure, it sounds like a great idea…but $250,000!???

I remember this idea first cropping up with Amanda Palmer’s plea to her fans to raise capital. Her efforts (including utilizing Twitter) apparently merited literally tens of thousands of dollars in mere hours…seriously, Google it!

My favourite was that of Josh Freese (The Vandals, A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails). His pricing tiers were the talk of musical round circles for quite some time. Hey, if you want to hang out with a member of Tool, how much would you donate???

Since then, many outlets have cropped up in this vein. There’s even a Wikipedia page. Ok, but $250,000??? What if the record you helped fund turned out to be a giant turd? As the old Music Industry adage goes, you can’t polish a turd. Your money will be gone. What if you had funded MGMT’s latest record? Why not just light your money on fire? Ok, that’s harsh, but you get the point.

I can see the viability of this model in limited forms; I don’t see this model working on a lavish, month-long-studio-lockout budget. There are several low-to-mid level Artists that could benefit greatly from engaging fans and involving them in the process. Taking that in mind, do you REALLY want to toss money at Flava Flav?

If you haven’t checked out our New Vibes page yet this month, get over there!

One Artist that was posted, from our very own Sara-May, was Moderat (pronounced “Mode-Rat”?). This track BLEW my mind, and, made me appreciate our efforts here on this Site that much more…as well as the gang we’ve put together here.

A deeper look into this Artist reveals that this is a collaboration between Modeselektor and Apparat. I checked out some of the tracks from Modeselektor, and liked them, but it was really the Apparat tracks that knocked me over. I can’t begin to tell you how much I was floored by what I heard! I listened to numerous songs on loop, all afternoon.

This reminds me of when I stumbled upon Trifonic not too long ago. Same genre; same beyond-belief reaction from Yours-truly.

Here are some choice tracks, but you can really click on any “Related Video” by this Artist and be pleasantly surprised. Truly a great find!

“We are the bull, you are the china shop.” These are the words that greet you upon arrival to And So I Watch You From Afar’s MySpace page. Not coincidentally, these words also perfectly encapsulate the sound of this band.

One rainy spring day, while listening to my Last.fm-recommended radio station, And So I Watch You From Afar’s giant range of sound came hurdling through my tiny little ears buds, halting all productivity for the next five minutes. I was captivated. The concise, intense aspects of At the Drive-In, the grit of Death From Above 1979, the grandeur of Muse, even a hint of Tool’s ‘Undertow’ all mixed with the open emotional landscapes that only instrumental music can offer. Bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions In The Sky are called into relation, not only in terms of delivery but in how the freedom and emotion that a powerful band, without vocals, allows you to experience their music without being led in a pre-set emotional direction. This is the kind of music that is meant to be felt. It breathes, it flows, and it strikes when the time is right. Intricate guitar playing, beautiful melodic passages meld into arena-sized, furiously intense explosions on these amazing recordings.

You’ll even hear elements of Battles: big beats, sporadically-shouted vocals, and even a beautifully placed sing along. That being said, where Battles pulls off the pedal, And So I watch You From Afar guns it through the gate, flies off the mountain side and leaves you not unlike a helpless car – on your back, wheels still spinning and facing the sky. Elements of jazz, post-rock, metal, punk — even pop — have all been recorded here with the ease of a band jamming away in their rehearsal space.

To hear what I’m talking about, check out their feature page on the NME website and visit the band’s MySpace page for a taste of what they do.

A beautiful, stomach-wrenchingly good band: And So I Watch You From Afar. Enjoy.

http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2010/04/13/gao-piracy-report-questions-entertainment-industry039s-data

What is interesting here is the point alluding to the “potential positive economic effects of counterfeiting and piracy.” I read this as: opportunity.

We have all whined at some point about the lack of response from the music industry to the new marketplace that got forced upon them by their consumers. Napster launched in 1998 and no one at the helm really did anything about it. Dire fiscal forecasts and gloomy outlooks were almost trumpeted in the face of this piracy, which amounted to no more than simply pissing into the wind. The iTunes Music Store was launched in 2003 and some light was poked through the veil of purported darkness in the form of increased digital sales. Now, those sales are tapering off. So, what now? Actually, that Bob Lefsetz article I just linked to brings me to my next point.

Many expected the same fate for the Film & Television industry once MP3s started ripping through the music industry. That doesn’t appear to be taking hold; after all, isn’t the source of all piracy simply a matter of content availability and distribution? Wouldn’t easing the consumption of digital music reduce piracy? If you doubt that, please take a moment to view what’s happening in the Film & Television industry on the subject, and then compare that with what’s available for music lovers (this is a good start):

Netflix Switches On Nintendo Wii Streaming
Studios, Cable Co.’s Launch $30M Movies on Demand Promotion
Mobile TV Demonstration to Launch in D.C. Next Month
Netflix, CBS, ABC to Offer iPad Streaming; Hulu Considering

The bottom line is that simple solutions need to be put in place for music fans. We need a select number of viable portals that we can visit — in a variety of formats and devices — to consume and enjoy music. Right now, we face a dwindling number of trusted sources, a lack of options and a lock-down on ingenuity and creativity — all in the name of monetary and content-control concerns. The real question is, when does it get easier for us? Sure, we have points of interest (Spotify, MOG, Rhapsody), but they are too far and few between and are taking too long to become commonplace.

It looks like Apple is going to attempt a streaming service with the purchase of Lala (after Warner’s failure to make it a success). The rumours have it that Apple is going to expand iTunes beyond the sale of individual tracks and digital albums. Could Apple revolutionize everything, all over again?

If you don’t know Erykah Badu’s music, you should enlighten yourself. This woman has been quietly at the forefront of R&B and Hip Hop culture for over a decade (quiet in the sense that she isn’t Lady Gaga or Britney Spears, nor has she aspired to be). She has released ground-breaking records (‘Baduizm’ & ‘Mama’s Gun’) and has constantly pushed the very meaning of the aforementioned musical genres. Her unique style of music, dress and even relationship with Andre 3000 of Outkast has always kept her present in our minds.

Now, the video that I just saw suggests that she isn’t done pushing boundaries. Please watch:

 
Aside from this being a great, chilled-out song with a fantastic melody, check that VIDEO. Apparently this was filmed in Dallas, Texas and the local authorities were none-too-pleased with her nudity. All controversy aside (since I don’t really care about surface-level controversy), the message of this video plays out on so many levels. This goes BEYOND nudity of the human body. She is obviously sending a message regarding the female form in society, but more importantly to me was Erykah’s spoken message at the end of the video:

“They play it safe…are quick to assassinate what they do not understand. They move in packs…ingesting more and more fear with every act of hate on one another. They feel most comfortable in groups, less guilt to swallow. They are us. This is what we have become: afraid to respect the individual. A single person within a circumstance can move one to change…to love herself…to evolve.”

That is a powerful message and you can take it any way you wish; personally, this made me think of Barack Obama’s struggle to bring change to the health care system in the United States. That being said, you can apply this message so many different ways.

I was thoroughly impressed with Erykah Badu today and I thought I would share this with you all. Here’s to evolution.

The band Fucked Up posted a blog post (on their only website: Blogger) about the pitfalls versus advantages of the South By South West festival. It’s a really interesting essay and I finally had the chance (read: time) to take it in. Here is the link (note, the lawsuit with Thriller Energy Drink was an April Fool’s Day hoax):

SXSW Why?

I’ve never been to this festival but many of my colleagues and peers go every year. Right after Canadian Music Week wraps up, hundreds of folk flock down to Austin, Texas. When someone is asked if they are heading to SXSW after CMW, their response is always an admission of excitement coupled with extreme anticipated exhaustion; if CMW wasn’t tiring enough, these people continually need to summon the energy to go through it all over again, albeit in a warmer climate.

I am also privy to some of the budgets that these bands and music industry professionals take on in order to get to Austin. Some of those budgets can be quite staggering when juxtaposed against the amount of revenue actually pulled in. Perhaps the same can also be said for CMW.

What I think is important to take away from both the Fucked Up essay as well as what I have said above is that bands have to be smart about what they do. I think too often a band lands a spot at one of these festivals and that battle, in itself, is declared a mountain now climbed. The true question is: Where do you go from there?

Something that is often said of the music business is that it is the business of music. This is a rather simple statement, right? Well, you wouldn’t believe how bad some bands are about handling their business. That being said, they can’t be entirely blamed as they are often more focused at being extremely talented at making remarkable music. The problem is that if great music could stand on its own, then we would all have an abundance of that great music in our lives; however, great music cannot stand on its own and the business of music often precludes that great music from ever reaching our ears. I suppose you can look at it as either a shame, or, survival of the fittest. Nobody wants to work with a band that can’t stand on its own two feet.

In my experience with bands, I think it comes down to being able to realize one’s own strengths and weaknesses. If you are bad at business, hire a manager. This is easier said than done though as I see bands working with bad managers all the time; but this comes back to realizing strengths and weaknesses — if someone on your team is dropping the ball, that member of that team needs to be traded. Your music is too important to be left to chance. It also comes down to being able to make the right decisions — which is something that this Fucked Up essay drives home. Of important note, to me, are the two passages from the essay that I have included below. The most important part of a band succeeding in the music business is to be able to extrapolate the overall message from such warnings, and to apply them in general practice. That is to say that bands need to rise above the great music they make and to be able to see the true nature of the climate they operate in. Once an understanding is achieved there, the ability to manipulate that climate to their advantage becomes paramount — with the end goal being the dissemination of the great music they have created to the masses.

“This is the crux of the matter – there is a big pool of money out there that everyone is trying to get – the music industry is panicking because a lot of the money that used to go from music consumers right to them, is now going to companies that are posted just on the periphery of music, letting bands and labels spend money making music, and then swooping in with music related marketing strategies aimed at getting some of that relatively free money.”

“Like every other part of the music industry, it’s musicians and artists that are the oil in the machines of this festival. But all too often artists are treated exactly like that – as a simple combustible energy source to keep something much larger afloat. Like any other industry, there are producers and owners. The reality of music can be the same on as any factory floor, and there are the same economic units that get spread around – if you are in a band, you have a miniscule amount of power, and if you are an owner (a record label, a corporation, the sxsw company), then you have a lot more power. Bands often try to deny that they are part of any economic system – and in some cases that’s true. But if your band has anything to do with sxsw, has released a record on any sort of record label, plays in any sort of club, then you are an economic unit just like any Walmart employee or Chase Executive, and at least a part of your energy as an artist should be spent trying to get more power.”

I finally got around to watching a movie last night that I had been meaning to watch for some time. The movie is entitled “Young At Heart” and I can honestly say that I have not been so moved by a piece of cinema in some time.

“Young At Heart” is a documentary focusing on a group of singing elders – from 70 to 92 years of age — who take a set list of contemporary songs to theatres around Europe to perform.

The movie forces us to take a close look at our own mortality, but keeps afloat the notion that there is happiness to be found as we reach our twilight years. Our passion, devotion and commitment to the things we care about need never diminish, even as our bodies begin to rust.

Music is the center of the film, and the reason why these people have come together and that people pay to watch them perform. The unifying power of music carries immense emotion in this film. What is further exemplified is how music can express what people sometimes have a hard time saying; that it can express exactly what we’re feeling; that when commerce is stripped from music, it is still the most powerful form of art that exists.

This group of signing elders is as true an expression of music as any band that you could see perform – maybe more. Because these people are choosing to spend what could be the last days of their lives coming together and signing songs for the sake of signing songs – and most importantly, signing them with the emotional weight that only a person who has experienced 80 years of life could.

For a quick taste, watch the trailer:

 
Like a BOMB going off, Them Crooked Vultures performed live at BBC’s Maida Vale Studios (look into the history of this place; it is truly remarkable). I dropped one performance video in above, but I can’t guarantee how long that will stay up. I had hoped that I could embed one of the performance videos straight off of the BBC Radio 1 website, but they’ve blocked the content in my country (Canada). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (and please excuse my language): copyright/content management is a motherfucker. Complete bullshit…just make it all WORK already. Sorry!

 
Still on TCV, at least they’ve unlocked the interview segment of the session. Follow this link to explore the full ”Behind The Scenes” portion of this session. If you don’t live in England, you’ll have to seek out the rest of the songs — try this YouTube channel and hit the “BBC”-titled tracks. These three musicians are complete MONSTERS and it was phenomenal to watch them in action. Long live BBC Radio 1!!!

 
STILL on Dave Grohl…have you seen “Fresh Pots”yet? Hilarious, yet stupefying. That is A LOT of caffeine at work!

 
The biggest rumble this month in my musical Pangaea was definitely Trifonic. As soon as I got the chance to post on ATPOL, I raved about this find. This was, as George Costanza once said, like finding plutonium by accident. Above is a remix found on the ‘Remergence’ remix EP (make sure to listen with a decent system or headphones to get the bass!). Truly amazing music; I suggest picking up both the aforementioned EP and the ‘Emergence’ record.

 
We got a new Deftones track this month as well!!! Added to that, we also got a glimpse of the album artwork for ‘Diamond Eyes’ (found in the video above). I don’t think anybody was expecting THAT. What a wild choice! I think that this might be the new ‘Angel Dust’! This record cover and this track — along with the first single “Rocket Skates” — have me completely psyched for this new record. There has been a great deal of talk in the ATPOL camp (yes, we all talk to each other!) about Deftones this month, and it still amazes me that this band can keep not only relevant, but on the forefront of our collective minds after such a lengthy time in the game.

 
The new Wintersleep track dropped this past week. I still love this band — now soon to be four records deep. 2008’s ‘Welcome To The Night Sky’ made some substantial headway for the band (including getting spins on the Zane Lowe show on BBC Radio 1) and it’s my feeling that the record ‘New Inheritors’ has the potential to launch the band on the world stage.

 
Equally huge was the new track from The Gaslight Anthem. Not unlike Wintersleep, the band’s 2008 record ‘The ‘59 Sound’ took this band to new heights. If you don’t know the band and you want to find some honest, hard-working good music…then this is where you need to be. It’s difficult to pigeonhole them, but think Bruce Springsteen meets The Killers while infused with a punk ethos. This is a great band, straight up. My immediate point of interest in this track was the clean, clear and up-front vocals of Brian Fallon. If this track is any indication as to how the rest of the ‘American Slang’ album will sound, then this band is only going to continue to rise in my musical echelon.

 
I just heard this Jay Electronica track on the day of posting this. This is classic-sounding Hip Hop. This is real. This is the kind of track that gets the volume knob notched up and the world blocked out. I am admittedly new to this Artist, but I need to delve into this more! Just thought I would share

It doesn’t happen very often that I find music that completely takes me away as soon as it hits my ears. You know the feeling: you get knocked back; your attention gets piqued and your mind buzzes. That happened to me today, in a rather round-a-bout way.

I was listening to Bjork’s ‘Vespertine’ today. This is by far my favourite Bjork record. The trouble was that the final track on the record — “Unison” — didn’t rip off the CD properly and resulted in what equated to a skipping record, for all intents and purposes. This was unacceptable! I hopped on YouTube, dialed up what I thought was the video for the song and continued on with what I was doing at the time. Not so fast…the sound I was hearing wasn’t Bjork at all. I read the info on the video:

“Youtube removed the original Unison audio. so now you can just enjoy the video made by Alex Farfan with? another song named Good Enough (Trifonic – Emergence).”

The sound I was hearing was incredible. It just sounded so good — I had to delve deeper. I switched to Google and searched exactly what I read, above, and discovered that the track was “Good Enough” by Trifonic, from the record ‘Emergence’. MySpace was the next stop and what came next was a constant repeating of the tracks found there for the duration of the afternoon. iTunes followed soon thereafter. This was an instant classic, and an instant addition into my musical catalog.

If I were to describe this music, I would say that it blends Bjork, Nine Inch Nails (think “A Warm Place” or the ‘Ghosts’ record), Massive Attack and Boards Of Canada. If any of those Artists interest you, please take a listen. I have included a couple avenues for you below

http://www.myspace.com/trifonic
(Includes tracks from ‘Emergence’ and the remix EP ‘Remergence’)

Hey y’all. If you’re not down with it already — follow us on Twitter. I also have my DJ Station @ Blip.fm patched into our Twitter feed. I’ve Blipped a lot of these lately, but if you’re looking to catch some fresh tunes, here are a bunch to spin. These tunes have been keeping new music interesting for me lately! I hope you enjoy. These tracks flow across many genres, but, that’s just how I do!

 
NEW DEFTONES. NEW DEFTONES. A new Deftones single dropped this week. BOOYA. Like a BOMB. I am so psyched to hear this new record. ‘Diamond Eyes’ comes out in May and you had better get ready for it! I heard an interview with Chino Moreno (lead vocals) this week, describing the entire record they had in the can vs. this new one that they recorded. As you may or may not know, ‘Eros’ was ready to go, but the traffic accident and subsequent coma of bass player Chi Cheng forced the band to refocus. Fresh with former Quicksand bassist Sergio Vega locked-in on the low-end, the band recorded an entire additional record. Chino described ‘Eros’ as being more avant-garde as opposed to the straight-up, true-to-Deftones-form ‘Diamond Eyes’. To say that I’m interested to hear the new record is an understatement.

 
I’ve got this Zeus record coming to me next week (thanks Marcello!). I’m really looking forward to it! The long-time backing back for fellow Arts & Crafts label-mate Jason Collett has struck out on its own. This video is absolutely amazing. I’m glad to see such inspirational art coming out of Canada!

 
This is a really beautiful song from The Middle East. It really just takes on new life as it progresses, ending in brilliant fashion. I was at work when I first heard this song and it took me away to a really great place for a few minutes. It’s a really inspirational track. I’m on-board with this Australian act…interested to hear more!

 
The good ‘ol Cancer Bats are taking hold on the global music scene. Despite this video being shot in Toronto, the band has its sights set on global interest and respect. That being said, the *actual* Beastie Boys didn’t exactly get snagged for this video and cover of their tune (which would have been really quite funny to see at the end of the clip), but I think this is really clever. The idea? Take all the alter-egos The Beastie Boys have portrayed in their videos over the years, add the shots and angles from the B-Boys video for “Sabotage” and recreate it…all in a plot to try to get the B-Boys IN the video. Funny stuff.

 
Jay Malinowski from Bedouin Soundclash has just released a solo record. BSC is one of my favourite Canadian bands, so this obviously hit my radar. I got an advance copy from the band’s Manager and it really grabbed me in a way I hadn’t expected. Gone are the heavy reggae vibes found on the BSC records, and in that place is a really honest singer-songwriter record. Check it out. The first single though? A BSC song! “Santa Monica” first appeared on BSC’s first record ‘Root Fire’. That being said, the band hardly ever performed the song (if they even did *at all*) for reasons unknown. I was immediately struck when I saw this on the album’s track-listing. Very exciting. I can’t wait to see if performed live (hopefully next week at The Rivoli here in Toronto).

 
Okay okay, this isn’t *new* music. Weezer’s ‘Red Album’ came out in 2008…but, how many of you actually know this song? I don’t think that this track got the attention that it deserved. This is classic Weezer. My favourite part? The “arts and crafts” bit in the 2nd verse. I’m lovin’ this track right now!!!

 
This record came out late last year, but I don’t think a lot of people know it. The band is The Bronx — which I have been following since their first record. They’re a gritty punk/rock band (check the track “Knifeman”), but they decided to release an authentic, English-language Mariachi record entitled ‘Mariachi El Bronx’. I think it’s a phenomenal record, and is definitely worth your attention!

 
Out of Montreal, CFCF is really pushing some boundaries with regards to chilled out beats. If you’re into Junior Boys, check this track (and, if you don’t know Junior Boys…get on it!). When I first got this from Trevor @ Paper Bag Records, I was floored by this track. I just put it on loop. It’s BANGIN’!!! Bang it out.

 
Did you ever expect to hear Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” sampled? Sounds a little risky no? Well, I think that Toronto’s Shaun Boothe has done it quite well. I love this track. Very clever.

 
I have been hearing this Tinie Tempah track on BBC Radio 1 quite often and I always jack the volume when it hits my ears. This is just a crazy, crazy track. Only the Brits could make a Hip Hop track like this! Some have told me that they don’t like the swagger of the lyrics, but, I think the bragging is done in proper Hip Hop tradition, and, in a very smart way. Bumpin’ track with top-notch production.

 
Okay, last track. I’ll keep it rollin’ on the British tip. This M.J. Cole, Nero-remixed track is such a chill, chill track. I love how it’s just drenched in reverb. Chill beats to mellow you out and beat you up.

Here are a couple articles on what’s happening at EMI these days:

Terra Firma Seeks Another $160 Million for EMI

Report: EMI Plans ‘Radical’ Cost Cuts, More Layoffs

What the hell is going on at EMI??? How long has this song-and-dance been playing out? For many years in the past decade, a rumoured EMI/Warner merger was tossed around, but never went through. Now, I haven’t heard any rumours of this proposal being ramped up once again, but when $160M is being sought out to hedge off creditors, one can’t help but wonder if drastic measures are being tabled once again (of course, beyond laying off more employees!). I don’t see how the label will be better run if it’s taken-over by Citigroup. Anyone that knows the Music Industry knows that our business is unlike any other business. I suppose “private equity” will always be private equity…and will get spent accordingly.

Interesting stuff.

***UPDATE:

Hard-up EMI seeks buyer for Abbey Road studios

Here’s a further development to this story. This isn’t, from a Record Label perspective, the most drastic thing that could happen to this company; but it sure is a sign of dumping assets. I think that this recording studio has far too much history to really worry about the future of the facility itself (Radiohead…The Beatles), so this is just another little “something” to keep in mind.

Even MORE interesting

Whether you’re a fan of the band Gallows or not, take a look at this interesting article:

Gallows’ Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle

The comparison to The Sex Pistols and EMI rings true. Truthfully, I had always wondered why Warner signed Gallows. That being said, I always thought that it was mighty fine of the label to do so — after all, here we are in a world of extreme transition for the Major Labels, and on the roster was a brutally-hard and gnarly punk band. I thought it was daring and worthy of respect.

I’m not entirely surprised that this is the end result for the two parties. On one hand, you have a band that refers to their former label as “paymasters”; while on the other hand you have a Label that didn’t really get the sales results out of their band. The sales figures quoted in the article (50k) are very low for a band on the world-stage signed to a Major Label, but are respectable for an indie band making a go of it on their own. Best of luck to both sides in the future. I’ll still be a Gallows fan!

Everyone’s worst nightmare has been fully realized:

DOJ Approves Merger of Ticketmaster, Live Nation

Great. Just when you thought Ticketmaster should have LESS power, two of North America’s biggest live-music powerhouses have combined — creating an *even more* powerful industry conglomerate. Expect more service fees on your tickets! Really, who is going to keep this company in check? We all know that Ticketmaster lacks transparency, so why would they be allowed to get in bed with one of the biggest concert promotion companies? How is that going to benefit the consumer?

Then again, maybe Live Nation will turn the TM legacy around on its head, making it more of a fan-friendly ticketing agency. Imagine: going to buy $20 tickets and NOT having them end up $40 tickets at check-out time! That would be quite the day indeed…

 
I felt the need to re-post this. I read this in Bob Lefsetz’ blog today and it’s too good to pass up — not only that, I feel compelled to lend a hand to the band!

Open Letter From OK Go, regarding non-embeddable YouTube videos

Summation: EMI owns OK GO’s copyrights (i.e. recordings), so they control where they are viewed and disseminated. This is done in the name of controlling revenue streams and appeasing shareholders. What is missing is a symbiosis with the Artist, and, a viable alternative to simply stifling a valuable medium — The Internet — and connecting with fans and, ultimately, their consumer base.

Perhaps only insiders know how truly messed up the nature of music-business really is (another example: why Spotify isn’t available in North America!???), so hopefully this will help start to clue people in.

Ok, I was listening to Mike Davies on the BBC Radio 1 Punk Show (as I do every week), and “Friends And Traitors” by Raised Fist hit the zeros and ones. I loved the track (Alexander Hagman’s voice hit me a little like Chino Moreno’s chaotic vocal chords in Deftones’ ‘Elite’) and I sought out the band’s MySpace page. Loaded up at the top of the page was the video to the track I had just heard, so I gave it a go:

 
That’s just completely amped up! Did I see someone get smashed with a beer bottle? Did that masked guy drop the lead singer to the ground, Karate style!? I also like the bald guitar player, feeling the lyrics to the tune. I know, it’s pretty brainless stuff, but I think that that’s a great music video right there.

Its predecessor? That would be Comeback Kid’s “Wake The Dead”:

 
Hmmm, tough call…still. That’s a great live-action music video! That’s a band at its purest right there. It actually makes me feel like I’m back at one of the band’s shows, every time I see it. When the gang-vocals come in at the end, I still get chills.

Yes, tough call indeed. I think that both embody what music videos originally set out to do — give you a feel for what the band is like live.

What’s YOUR favourite hardcore music video???

Hello all. Let’s get right into it. Here are my best records of 2009:

Propagandhi – ‘Supporting Caste’

Like a finely-aged wine, Propagandhi just keeps getting better with age. While their peers that came up on the scene with the Winnipeg foursome during the mid-90’s punk rock boom (see NOFX, Pennywise, etc ) have grown content to release renamed versions of the same album every couple years, Propagandhi strive — and reach — unimaginable heights. From the opening strikes of “Night Letters” through to the final, painfully-beautiful notes of “Last Will and Testament”, ‘Supporting Caste’never lets up — not for a moment. This record is lyrically stronger than ever before, evidenced by songs like “Without Love,” and the more satirical ”Human(e) Meat”  (where Chris, the vegan frontman, talks about skinning and preparing a human for dinner). There were times throughout the year where I literally had to force myself to listen to other records to hear what else was happening in the music world, but it never left for long. This is quite possibly the most powerful punk record of all time, and hands down my record of the year.

Thrice – ‘Beggars’

While listening to Thrice’s element-inspired releases, ‘The Alchemy Index: Volumes 1-4,’ I was more than a little curious to see where the band would land at the outset, and what would come of all the experimentation. Well now that we’re on the other side, Thrice not only survived the experimentation, but they’ve also released their most solid and cohesive record to date. The sound of ‘Beggars’ is what Thrice should always have been: soul-inspired heavy rock. Dustin Kensrue allows his voice to speak in ways never before heard and what was previously been hidden behind angst, now sounds impassioned and soulful. While maintaining their heavy edge, they’ve also dug up an organic sound, coming across as a band well beyond their years. Simply amazing.

Mew – ‘No More Stories…’

Mew did everything within their power to make this record as impenetrable as possible. From the absurdly long – 23 word (?) – album title, to the almost “non-song” of a song that opens the album (“New Terrain”), to the intro of the second song (“Introducing Palace Player”) that twists, turns, and contorts the brain in an attempt to follow along with rhythm. Yet, once that fog clears, what comes out of the speakers is the most beautiful collection of sounds put to tape in 2009. The first explosion of that sound on “Introducing Palace Player” is powerful and inspired, and carries through the entirety of the album. As hard as they tried to make it, the pull of this record is irresistible.

Best ‘09 shows

1. Constantines – December 11 – Lee’s Palace, 10yr Anniversary Show

Had it not been for the Cons placing a stake in the ground to mark their ten year anniversary, it may have flown right past me without taking notice. What a shame that would have been. The Cons have been a fixture in my life since I first heard them on London’s 94.7fm back in 2001. They have been one of my favourite bands through each of their records, from their self-titled record to ’Shine a Light,’  or from ‘Tournament Of Hearts’ to last year’s ‘Kensington Heights.’ This show touched on every one of their records, bringing out favourites like “Young Offenders” and rare gems like “On To You.”

While some of the shows over those 10 years may have lacked the enthusiasm of the band’s upstart years, this show’s significance definitely brought back a heightened sense of excitement for both the band and their fans in the room. Needless to say, I was happy to mark ten years with one of the greatest bands in Canada.

2. The Gaslight Anthem – Friday March 20th – Opera House

The Gaslight Anthem’s first headlining show in Canada sold out in a few short days. It seemed like over night, Gaslight went from being a little unknown punk band to being the most exciting band in punk rock. I remember when our good friend Serge first told me about the band – it was like a little void that I didn’t know existed had been filled – and Gaslight was the band I needed. At the Opera House on March 20th, I think that feeling was mutual between the 900 people in the room. Every fan knew every word to both new and old songs alike, and never before had the Opera House room felt so hot, sweaty, and joyful. There was a point early in the show when Gaslight’s main man, Brian Fallon, told a story about a friend’s death with enough sincerity and honesty as if to seem like it was his first time telling it, right before breaking into the title track “’59 Sound.” When the emotion of those first notes kicked in, I literally felt tears in his eyes. If that’s not the sign of a great show, then I don’t know what is.

3. Propagandhi – June 26, The Phoenix

There’s a line in Propagandhi’s song “The Banger’s Embrace” (which is a tribute to the band Sacrifice) that says “Returning kings back to reclaim lost disciples that remained to tend the flames.” Well let me say, if it was my place to write a song in tribute to a band’s show, Propagandhi would be the band, and this would be the show.

The previous Toronto show that Propagandhi played, in 2008, was a benefit show and a chance for old fans to come out and see one of their favourite bands. This show, however, was that of a band at the pinnacle of their career — supporting their strongest album to date, while still paying respect to the great albums that came before. It was typically Propagandhi; starting with a rally call against the Alberta Tar Sands, the band broke out three songs from their new record: “Supporting Caste,” “Tertium Non Datur” and “The Banger’s Embrace.” Every album had its due representation, and the band again, as they did is 2008, closed out the show with where it all started: the first song on their first record, ‘Anti-Manifesto.’

On “The Banger’s Embrace”Propagandhi may be out to sing praise for Sacrifice, but for my money this show marked Propagandhi as the kings back to tend the flames.

2009 was a great year for new music. I had to think long and hard about how I was going to compile this list and I’m sure there are a few records this year that certainly deserve some honourable mentions. But for one reason or another, these were the top ten records that really had an impact on me over the past calendar year. Without further ado, here are my top 10 records of 2009:

10. Dave Matthews Band – ‘Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King’

It’s no surprise that Dave Matthews Band is nominated for Album of the Year for the upcoming Grammy Awards with their latest album ‘Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King.’ This record is a solid listen from front-to-back. This record was marred with tragedy with the loss of saxophonist and founding member LeRoi Moore during the recording process. But his sound is certainly honoured and not forgotten on the introduction of “Shake Me Like A Monkey.” The reunion of the extremely talented guitarist Tim Reynolds with the band adds some spice on tracks on “Seven” and“Why I Am.” Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King also features a deeper string section to back up Boyd Tinsley — which really makes each song come alive. This album definitely ranks up there as one of Dave Matthews Band’s strongest to date.

9. Pearl Jam – ‘Backspacer’

This record is a bit of a bias pick for me since I am a huge Pearl Jam fan (and I think every record they come out with is great on some level). I think ‘Backspacer’ is a much stronger record than their preceding two releases: ‘Riot Act’ and‘Avacado.’  Pearl Jam returned to the studio with Brendan O’Brien to produce ‘Backspacer’ and right from the opening track of “Gonna See My Friend” I got the impression that this was a much different-sounding record. The vibe from track-to-track was more positive than any other Pearl Jam record and it appears that the band is in a really good place right now, with each member contributing input on songwriting and composition. It’s a great time for Pearl Jam and this record certainly shows it.

8. Mos Def – ‘The Ecstatic’

I have to give a nod to one of the best hip-hop records of 2009 in this list. Mos Def continues to pair clever rhymes with sophisticated beats on‘The Ecstatic.’ Mos Def is a legend and each track comes correct on this record, adopting a more global sound and energy. In hip-hop, it’s easy to just, for lack of a better phrase, “mail it in” to appease Labels; however, there is a ton of great production on this record as Mos Def utilized some of the most notable hip-hop producers in the business. Such producers include Madlib, Perservation, Mr. Flash, and the late J. Dilla. The Dilla-produced “History” featuring Talib Kweli is my favourite track on the album. This track has got such a soulful hook, and the rhymes of Kweli and Mos Def compliment each other nicely. All in, ‘The Estatic’ is a breath of fresh air in a congested and over-saturated hip-hop genre.

7. Yo La Tengo – ‘Popular Songs’

I had heard of Yo La Tengo for quite some time but they never really caught on for me until I heard ‘Popular Songs.’ This record sounds like it was made to be played on vinyl. I really dug it right from the first track. It’s psychedelic – harkening back to the sounds of 60’s rock and roll. It has soothing vocals and fuzz-driven guitar riffs. I really dig the surf-rock feel to tracks like “Avalon Or Someone Similar” and “Nothing To Hide.” The 15+ minute instrumental track “And The Glitter Is Gone” is especially compelling. If anything, this is a great record to get you through a long car ride or a rainy day. Let the music of ‘Popular Songs’ wash over you and forget the real world.

6. Japandroids – ‘Post-Nothing’

Vancouver’s Japandroids put out an amazing 8-song debut record entitled ‘Post Nothing’this year. It is fast, loud, and nothing short of brilliant! It has been a while since I’ve heard a record that sounds anything like this. Japandroids have a similar sound to that of the now-defunct Braid. It is very much a garage-rock album with witty and catchy lyrics to compliment distorted guitars and cymbal-crashing drum lines. “Young Hearts Spark Fire” is my favourite track from ‘Post Nothing.’ The chorus always gets me with the line “I don’t want to worry about dying. I just want to worry about those sunshine girls.” It makes me think at some point this life is going to end, but we shouldn’t spend our time worrying about it; instead, worry about the mindless fun things in life like chasing dreams…and girls (of course).

5. Silversun Pickups – ‘Swoon’

Silversun Pickups sophomore effort ‘Swoon’received a ton of accolades in 2009. This album luckily did not fall under that category of “sophomore jinx” after the release of their debut album ‘Carnavas.’ The band worked hard to enrich their unique sound this time around. On “The Royal We,” the addition of a string arrangement shows the band is continuing to work outside of their regular comfort zone, without abandoning the fuzzy guitar riffs that they are known for. The songwriting is on-point (making this record difficult to skip ahead) and every track is a banger. My favourite tracks include “Sort Of” and “Substitution” — which have phenomenal hooks in the chorus.

4. Animal Collective – ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion’

Animal Collective has been on my radar for a couple of years. With arguably one of the most unique sounds in recent memory, they have achieved new heights with the release of ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion.’ This record is budding with many elements of discovery in each song. They throw everything but the kitchen sink at each track on this album. “Girls” is far and away my favourite track on the record. It always reminds me of snowboarding since the first time I saw it in Sandbox’s snowboarding video Shine On. Whenever I have the ‘buds in my ears going up the chairlift, I kick off every session with “Girls.” It gets me so hyped. The rest of the record piles on epic tracks. “Bluish” could be one of the most compelling songs I’ve heard in a long time, with its deep bass line, rich keys, and smooth lyrics. This record might not be for everyone, but you certainly have to applaud the complexity of each track and the band’s willingness to push the indie-rock envelope further and further, despite heavy commercial success.

3. Metric – ‘Fantasies’

When ‘Fantasies’ dropped earlier this year, I had it on constant repeat. From the early leak of “Help I’m Alive” on the Internet, I was anxiously awaiting this follow up from the extremely successful ‘Live It Out.’ Metric put together a masterful track-listing, showing the band’s maturity. The great thing about ‘Fantasies’ is the fact that almost every song can be performed acoustically in its purest, stripped-down form. I had the opportunity to witness exactly that at a private show at The Media Club in Vancouver earlier this year. The following day, I made the trek up to Whistler to see the full-out, amped-up versions of the ‘Fantasies’ tracks. I really dug the polished feel to this record. Tracks like “Front Row,” “Stadium Love,” “Gold, Guns, Girls,” and “Satellite Mind” rock! On the mellower tip, “Twilight Galaxy” is a truly beautiful song, rounding out the record. In my opinion, this is Metric’s best studio effort yet.

2. The xx – The xx

Sometimes you put on a record and it has the ability to say all the things you can’t find the words for. This record is really simple, but says so much about the haunting pain and strife of a given relationship (not that I was going through one at the time). Frankly, I just discovered this band a mere month ago, but it shot up to number 2 on my top ten list because l was really intrigued by this mysterious band. This record focuses more on the haunting vocals of Romy Medley Croft and Oliver Sims versus the dark-yet-simple guitar riffs featured on the record. “VCR” sets the tone for the album right off the start as being a record about the relationship (or lack thereof) between man and woman. The ebb and flow of this record is honestly really hard to follow, and leaves me with more questions than answers. Questions such as “Are these two people singing as a couple?” or, “What has one person done to the other?” I’m extremely curious to see what staying power this band has ahead of them. If one thing is certain, the hype is real around this band and this record. I’m looking forward to seeing these songs performed live in 2010.

1. Grizzly Bear – ‘Veckatimest’

I saw Grizzly Bear when they were touring ‘Veckatimest.’ They played Vancouver on the day the record was released. Ironically that same day, Trent Reznor tweeted that ‘Veckatimest’ was the best record he had heard in a long time, and, I can certainly vouch for that. As a result, it is my number-one-with-a-bullet-pick for 2009’s record of the year. There isn’t quite another band like Grizzly Bear and ‘Veckatimest’ is Grizzly Bear at their finest and polished. Songs like “Two Weeks” are a throwback to the sound of the 50’s with the crooning vocals of Ed Droste (sounding a lot like Frankie Valli). Despite all I have said thus far, it’s their live show that makes this record come alive. It certainly helps having industry Moguls such as Jay-Z backing this record and claiming that Grizzly Bear can save hip-hop (not failing to mention, Michael McDonald collaborating with the band on the re-mix of “While You Wait For The Others”). ‘Veckatimest’ has its share of catchy songs such as “Southern Point” but also has a few darker, eclectic tracks such as “Dory.” This record has shown it has the ability to transcend not only the indie-rock genre, but all genres of music.

Okay, so these are always fun to do. We did ‘em last year andit’s always an interesting look back on the year that was the music in one’s life! I just took a trip out to Vancouver to visit SK and others, and was therefore afforded numerous hours to sit around in Airports to compile my thoughts. So, here they are…in no particular order :)

Thrice: ‘Beggars’

I still remember the first time I heard this record: I had stayed late at work one night and gleaned that Thrice had their new record available on the Internet for a free preview. With the office empty, I raised the volume on my computer without trepidation. I was ready to rock this one out.

I was immediately blown away by this record. Two Facebook status updates and one Tweet later, I was immersed in this new collection. I was “flipping out” (my own admission that day). This is the kind of record that, upon first listen, just couldn’t possibly be any better (meriting such prolific yet guttural statements as: “It’s just so good…SO good”). The first couple tracks had my ears piqued, but as soon as “Circles” clocked in at track #3, I was at full attention. “Doublespeak” followed that up and I immediately proclaimed this record the best of 2009. Luckily, the rest of the record didn’t disappoint – “In Exile” easily ranks as my favourite Thrice song in their impressive catalog.

Many slot ‘Veissu’ and ‘The Artist In The Ambulance‘ as the band’s best records, but I have gone out on a limb in saying that this record is the perfect culmination of all Thrice’s previous work. In many ways, it is what Radiohead did with ‘In Rainbows’; you have the classic sound of the band mixed with the experimental side, resulting in a record sounding like a band well-versed in what *their* sound is and how it should be.

Patrick Watson: ‘Wooden Arms’

This record is absolutely brilliant. You can trust me when I tell you that there is no other record like this one; it is truly unique to this band and the individual performers that supply its nuances.

I have listened to this record in several different contexts, but it was the most recent that truly put it into my upper echelon of musical experience. I recently took a road trip to celebrate a loved one’s Birthday. With me on the voyage was my Uncle — who, bless his heart, is extremely finicky when it comes to music. Thus, I had to choose the trip’s listening material carefully. After the sun had set and a couple of records had prepared him for a musical odyssey, I put ‘Wooden Arms’ into the car’s CD player.

We both had our consciousness taken beyond that dark, winding, snowy country road that night. As if written as the soundtrack to a beautiful Winter landscape, the multi-instrument masterpiece took on a life of it’s own. My Uncle was taken aback by the power amongst the simplicity…the simple beauty amongst the complex intricacy. Songs like “Big Bird In A Small Cage” and “Beijing” elicited the word “Wow!” as the most common reaction, and was aptly put. This is an amazing record.

Weezer @ The Molson Amphitheatre

I had never seen Weezer before. It was a safe bet that they would deliver, considering that this is a band still carrying legions of fans on its shoulders after more than a dozen years in the game. Even if they had just played *one* song that I grew up with in my adolescence, I would have walked away happy. Instead, I got to behold that which was the Weezer party in Toronto that night. Fans were dancing in the aisles, hugging each other and generally having fun. Seeing all of this, I was not to miss out! I’m never one to avoid a clap-along or skip singing one of the classics as loud as I can. Luckily, Weezer pulled out many of those classics from their back pocket!

Rivers Cuomo was having a blast on-stage and the rest of the band followed suit. Patrick Wilson stepped off the kit (in exchange for a guitar) and I got to witness Josh Freese execute yet another mercenary-style mission on the drums. What a nice surprise! Freese is easily one of my favourite drummers (see Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, The Vandals).

Notch another monster of a band on my concert bedpost

Stone Temple Pilots @ Kool Haus

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this was the best *performance* I witnessed all year, but I have to add it here because this was simply some of the most fun I had at a show all year. Beer after beer got downed and one fist after another got pumped with enthusiasm. The setlist was stacked with singles and the crowd sang every word. Added to my enjoyment of those songs was the communal nature of that enjoyment; STP fans in attendance were *sharing* this concert together. There were few times when I looked around and didn’t share a mutual moment of rock. Sure, I high-fived people that I normally wouldn’t grant such access outside of these scenarios, but social rules didn’t apply that night; good-times were paramount. This concert was a complete blast.

Metric: ‘Fantasies’

I think that this is easily the best Metric record to date. I always run into trouble with hardcore fans when I say things like that; however, I truly feel that this was a ground-breaking record for the band.

This record has no “misses” for me (suggesting that all songs featured are…hits? Ok!). Beyond that, the songwriting is absolutely stellar. The songs flow perfectly into each other, yet remain remarkable gems unto themselves. Songs like “Stadium Love” showcase the band’s comfort for writing catchy songs, while “Gold Guns Girls” shows that Metric can still write monsters.

Added to my experience of their new record, I saw Metric twice this past year, and both were *fantastic* performances. This is still an extremely relevant and influential band. Get on board and stay on top of them.

Alexisonfire: ‘Old Crows/Young Cardinals’

I still remember when I first heard the lead single off this record, premiered on BBC Radio 1. When “Young Cardinals” hit the airwaves (more like zeros and ones for me) I was beside myself! The sound of George Pettit’s voice on the verse (which is much more refined and intelligible) and Dallas Green’s soaring vocal on the chorus had me in pure fits of AOF exaltation. Along with the other songs I had heard live in December 2008, I knew I was in for a treat with this record.

The riffs are tighter on this record. The BAND is tighter on this record. Hell, apparently they even recorded much of it live of the floor, as a cohesive unit. It definitely shows; the record is a blazing, blistering display of a band at its perfection. Sure, ‘Watch Out’ (the band’s 2nd record) reigns as my favourite AOF record, but this effort is undeniable in its earnest abandon from that record. This takes form in the grown-up vocal melodies and the risks taken in the songwriting as a whole. A perfect example of this is “The Northern”. This is a song based in the sound we have come to know and love from the band, yet, is a departure from anything laid to tape (or, again, zeros and ones) by the band in the past.

Propagandhi: ‘Supporting Caste’

What can I say…the band has numerous records under its belt, but this has to be their best. What’s to argue with? The insanely-tight, metal-worthy riffs mixed with catchy thrash-punk? The on-point songwriting? The ratcheted-up social commentary? It’s all where it should be.

“Night Letters” tears your ears apart at the start, while “Last Will And Testament” soothes them once again at the end. Despite what may appear to be disparity in sound between the tracks on the record, this is a formidable, stand-alone, perfected piece of art.

Nine Inch Nails @ Molson Amphitheatre

I saw what might be the last NIN show to roll through Toronto for many years! Enough said. Search out the post on the right of this site (the same goes for all other shows mentioned)!

NIN/JA2009

I also finally saw Jane’s Addiction (w/ NIN). Those guys know what they’re doing, plain and simple. Pure rockstars. Perry Farrell and Stephen Perkins were a blast to see again live (I had seen them perform as part of Porno For Pyros many years ago). Dave Navarro is a Guitar God, through and through. It’s what he was meant to do on this earth, for sure.

Brendan O’Brien

One of my favourite producers of all time. He has produced some of the best rock records of the past two decades. Well, after embracing ‘Light Grenades’ by Incubus for quite some time, Brendan’s work came back into my life in a BIG way. One: Killswitch Engage put out a self-titled record produced by Brendan. It kills. Given that, it doesn’t top what has been released by the band in the past but I still love it. Great record.

Two: Pearl Jam’s ‘Backspacer’ is a great, great record. Brendan returned to the helm to oversee a bang-up of a record. A definite return-to-form for the band. As soon as I heard “The Fixer” on the radio (really, Internet Radio), I knew that Brendan had worked his magic.

Honourable mentions:

-The Happiness Project @ The Music Gallery was such a positive experience. What a fantastic musical experiment.

-Frank Turner put out a really honest, gritty folk-rock record.‘Poetry Of The Deed’ at times seems safe enough to keep on in the background, but often brings itself right into the forefront with emotionally-charged lyrics. Great record.

-I saw Blink 182. Hey, it was fun

-Timber Timbre’s self-titled record is positively spooky, yet extremely vibey. I love it.

-Moneen put out a definite step-up of a record. If you don’t know this band, check out ‘The World I Want To Leave Behind’ — it will not disappoint!

-I was never the biggest Tegan & Sara fan, but ‘Sainthood’ sounded too good to pass up when I first heard it. I’m on board with this record.

-The Swell Season put out ‘Strict Joy’ and it features some really remarkable songs. Check “High Horses”and “The Verb” to get a feel. The former of the two honestly blows my mind with the sonic picture that it paints.

-We FINALLY got a new MuteMath record!!! ‘Armistice’ took forever to reach our ears, but it was worth the wait. I have been a champion of this band since the early days, and will continue to be one. This record is taking some time to warm up to my ears — possibly because I lived with their debut for so long — but it is definitely taking on its own life. Check this band out!!!

2009 has been a year of surprising findings for me. I have heard of bands in the most random of ways, and made an effort to follow up on recommendations — which has resulted in the discovery of genres I didn’t know existed, and bands that have been on repeat ever since. Here, in no particular order, are my top ten albums of 2009:

Alice in Chains: ‘Black Gives Way To Blue’

The only regret I have from living in Toronto for 2 years is that I passed up on seeing Alice In Chains not once… but twice. At the time — being a huge AIC fan from way back — I was in complete denial about the new lead singer, thinking that there was no way I could hear those songs I love so much be sung by someone else.

That all changed when I heard the opening chords of this new album; from the moment I heard that first riff, I knew I was wrong. This version of Alice In Chains — consisting of new lead singer/guitarist William DuVall, with existing members Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney and Mike Inez — has managed to create something fresh and strong while keeping their old school, heavy grunge sound alive.

At first I thought DuVall’s voice sounded eerily like Layne Staley’s (the original singer that passed away in 2002), but then I realised it’s the combination of DuVall and Cantrell’s vocals that still form the beautiful melodic harmonies that are classic Alice In Chains.

When I listen to this album, I feel like I’ve been teleported back to 1995, wearing my flannel shirt and ripped jeans, blasting it on my tape player.

Favourite tracks: “All Secrets Known”, “Your Decision”, “Private Hell”

Bat For Lashes: ‘Two Suns’

I was a bit slow in hearing about Bat For Lashes; I didn’t hear of her until the first single of her second album ‘Two Suns‘ was released. I caught the second half of “Daniel” on the New Zealand music channel, and was as much captured by the beauty of Natasha Khan as I was by the enchanting beat of the song. I immediately listened to everything I could get my hands on, and became completely besotted with her.

‘Two Suns’ is a concept album that takes you on a journey with Khan and her alter-ego Pearl, who is the light to her darkness. A multi-instrumentalist, Khan plays the majority of the instruments on this album, including the harpsichord and the autoharp. Her breathy, velvety vocals are sometimes reminiscent of Bjork or Tori Amos, but with the tribal drums and native American undertones you could never mistake Bat For Lashes for anyone else.

Favourite tracks: “Daniel”, “Pearl’s Dream”, “Sleep Alone”

Motocade: ‘Tightrope Highway’

This album definitely wins the “stuck most in my head” award of the year. Seriously, I woke up with one of the songs in my head on countless mornings, even if I hadn’t listened to it for weeks. That’s how infectious it is.

This four-piece from Auckland have been around since 2003, releasing a few excellent EPs and getting some radio play with “My Friends”. They have honed and defined their sound over the last few years, and the much-anticipated 2009 release Tightrope Highway is a triumph of catchy, poppy rock songs that you feel like you’ve known for years. I love this album.

Favourite tracks: “Golden Light”, “Oldest Trick in the Book”, “Octopus”

The xx: ‘xx’

The debut from this trio (guitarist/keyboardist Baria Qureshi quit the band in November) of 20-year-olds from South-West London is simple, sophisticated, and amazing.

Moody, Cure-like guitars and drum machines combine to provide the basis for their stripped-back sound. Romy Medley Croft’s sexy/sweet vocals and Oliver Sims‘ nearly monotone voice bounce off each other, creating a balanced harmony that is so mature it’s hard to believe that this is their first effort.

Pitchfork’s review of the album states “it is so fully formed and thoughtful that it feels like three or four lesser, noisier records should have preceded it.” I completely agree.

I can’t wait to see what they do next, and especially can’t wait to catch them in February at Auckland’s Laneway Festival.

Favourite tracks: “Shelter”, “Islands”, “VCR”

Florence And The Machine: ‘Lungs’

Harps, strings, brass instruments and tribal drums come together in a variety of genres to create Florence And The Machine, a band consisting of Londoner Florence Welch and the collaboration of artists that provide her backing music. This is soulful, emotional, powerful stuff, with the lyrics to match; “Kiss With A Fist” comes with the announcement: “A kiss with a fist is better than none”. Welch’s voice reminds me a bit of Grace Slick’s — it can be a delicate as a feather, then build to a violent crescendo that makes you fear for any man in her path. With her mystical, theatrical look and feel, I can’t wait to see what she delivers live (she is also playing at the Laneway Festival in Auckland this February).

Favourite tracks: “Dog Days”, “The Drumming Song”, “You’ve Got The Love”

The Temper Trap: ‘Conditions’

2009 has been a big year for The Temper Trap: their first album ‘Conditions’ was met with success in numerous countries, they sold out shows everywhere and were one of the 15 bands chosen for the BBC’s Sound of 2009. Their soaring love song “Sweet Disposition” has appeared everywhere — from TV commercials, to sitcoms, to movies (I feel like I’ve heard it everywhere).

This is all well deserved attention — ‘Conditions’ is a beautiful, atmospheric album, with heart breaking guitars and the crisp falsetto of Dougy Mandagi’s vocals. While it’s a little mainstream, I’m impressed with these guys, and am looking forward to seeing them at the Big Day Out.

Favourite tracks: “Love Lost”, “Sweet Disposition”, “Science of Fear”

Kasabian: ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’

I can’t say that I was very enamoured with Kasabian’s first two albums; they didn’t capture me at all. Their third studio release, however, had my attention after a few listens — something about it seemed oddly familiar, yet like nothing I’d heard before. A few more plays, and I was hooked. Listen to the second track “Where Did All The Love Go” through headphones; there is the crackle of an old record, eastern strings and organs, all adding to the weird atmosphere created by the album title and cover. They have really been adventurous with this album, and the result is a psychedelic, thumping, rock’n'roll gem that is worth the perseverance.

Favourite tracks: “Take Aim”, “Fast Fuse”, “Where Did All The Love Go”

Camera Obscura: ‘My Maudlin Career’

Scottish indie pop band Camera Obscura have been plagued with member changes since forming in 1996; however, they have managed to record the stunning ‘My Maudlin Career’, and are currently touring in support of it (they’re in Auckland this month). I am so taken with this band; the sweet, feminine vocals, xylophone and backing harmonies form a melancholic-yet-captivating sound that is polished and charming.

Favourite tracks: “Swans”, “James”, “French Navy”

The Checks: ‘Alice By The Moon’

The sophomore effort from unsigned Auckland band The Checks shows that this young quintet are maturing nicely. Swaggering, bluesy riffs and distorted vocals build from soft laziness to a crazy intensity that catches your attention and makes you want to dance. There is some seriously talented song writing happening here; I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Favourite tracks: “You And Me”, “Bagheera”, “Ballroom Baby”

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks: ‘Real Emotional Trash’

I initially started listening to this album because the band was coming to New Zealand, and being a fan of Pavement (the ’90s indie band Stephen Malkmus fronted) I thought I should go check them out. I had not been too impressed with their third album, 2005’s ‘Face the Truth’, finding it a bit flighty and lacking direction, so I was pleasantly surprised when this album grabbed me straight away.

The opening track “Dragonfly Pie” is a multi-tiered, multi-genred masterpiece with poetic, story-telling lyrics that draw you into the song and take you on a journey. The rest of the album follows the same vein, jumping from poppy and melodic to thrashy and distorted. Fantastic.

Favourite tracks: “Cold Son”, “Real Emotional Trash”, “Baltimore”

Honourable mentions:

Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros: ‘Up From Below’

This American ensemble’s debut is folky, orchestral, psychedelic, and really, really fun.

Frightened Rabbit: ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’

Frightened Rabbit is Scotland’s answer to Dave Matthews; a haunting, beautiful record.

Music Guru and trusted aficionado Alan Cross has written about a piece of hush-hush copyright legislation: Music Fans Be Very Afraid. I think that Alan is over-reacting a little, but please read this article.

The ACTA. Really, this type of thinking — whether or not the wheels are in fact in motion on this — is no surprise to me. There has been a lot of talk for a long time about getting ISPs (Internet Service Providers) on board with the copyright police. I even attended a forum on this very topic some time ago.

On one hand, the logic behind the  argument can be understood; if you can’t control the media then you can control the delivery of the media. On the other hand, one can’t help but shake his or her head at the purveyors of a broken business model. I would like to shake the latter of the two hands. Really, how long have the giants of the music industry tried seemingly *everything* except something that people really want? What *do* people want anyway?

People want MP3s.
People want a lot of MP3s.
People don’t want expensive CDs.
People want A LOT for A LITTLE.

Take me for an example: I have roughly 500 CDs, yet, these are completely cumbersome to me at this point. I used to organize them in alphabetical order (seriously!). Now? I have an extra 200-disc piece of furniture (really, it is) that is now serving as a dumping ground for ripped CDs. Sure, there are times whereby I find myself in a car with no AUX jack for my iPod and I need some CDs, but…that’s nothing concrete. They’re also good to lend to people, but that’s a rather minimal point of argument. Why? I take my iPod with me on the way to work in the morning, I plug it in at work, it’s a part of me on my trip back home and then it gets plugged in when I get home. CDs are expensive and annoying in comparison.

So why is a business model of purchasing little bundles of music still being pushed upon us? I will have no problem with an ISP-based method of copyright control IF, and it’s a big if, there is an alternative business model that gets thrust into the mainstream. We need a different way of consuming music AND paying for it if we’re going to have to answer to our ISPs.

In that vein, why Spotify doesn’t exist in North America COMPLETELY BAFFLES ME. The Major Labels have given it a go in Europe, but not here? What is wrong with them!?

We need a method of paying “x” amount of dollars to obtain “y” amount of music, on a monthly basis. Just think about it: there is already an ENTIRE system set up that works on this very same model. What is it called? TELEVISION! Can you imagine having to pay $9.99 every time you wanted to watch the show LOST? No! It’s ridiculous.

So, you have a “cable bill” every month and you get hundreds of hours worth of programming for what you pay. It enriches your life. Thus, why can’t you have a “music bill” every month? You pay a certain amount, and you can listen to whatever you want! If you opt in to the system, you get the benefits; if you opt out of the system, the ISPs crack down on your internet traffic.

You can decide whether or not this is a good analogy, but if we are to get scrutinized by our ISPs under the current music business model, we had better keep moving forward. The old way of consuming music cannot prevail; it doesn’t even exist any longer, and there is no way to get back to it.

I was listening to ‘Thirteenth Step’ by A Perfect Circle the other day and I got to thinking. Well, I should say that I wasn’t *exactly* listening to ‘Thirteenth Step’ – I was listening to a modified version thereof; I was listening to MY version of the record. I’ll post the tracklisting in a moment, but I wanted to also post a few other tracklistings that I have come to know and love over the years — tracklistings that weren’t exactly found on the original release, but, in my opinion are much better. Give them a try! I’ll post some more in the future

A Perfect Circle
‘Thirteenth Step’
1. The Noose
2. Pet
3. Blue
4. Vanishing
5. Weak And Powerless
6. A Stranger
7. The Outsider
8. Crimes
9. Gravity
10. The Package

A much better order in my books. The energy of the record flows a whole hell of a lot better in this structure. Honestly, I was really disappointed when I first put the record on and got completely dragged down by “The Package”; however, I feel that the mellow track feels just right closing out the record. Also, there was some filler on the record that I thought could stand to be left off.

Nine Inch Nails
‘The Fragile’
1. “The Way Out Is Through”
2. “Into The Void”
3. “The Wretched”
4. “The Big Come Down”
5. “The Mark Has Been Made”
6. “Even Deeper”
7. “Please”
8. “Somewhat Damaged”
9. “Where Is Everybody”
10. “The Fragile”
11. “The Day The World Went Away”
12. “The Great Below”
13. “Just Like You Imagined”

Originally a double-record, I think that the boiled-down, single record carries much more weight. In this order, ‘The Fragile’ has actually become one of my favourite NIN records. Try this one!!! The way the tracks flow into each other makes you wonder how they WEREN’T put in this order in the first place!

Red Hot Chili Peppers
‘Stadium Arcadium’
1. “Hump De Bump
2. “Charlie
3. “She’s Only 18″
4. “Torture Me”
5. “Strip My Mind”
6. “Wet Sand”
7. “Hey”
8. “Tell Me Baby”
9. “Hard To Concentrate”
10. “Readymade”
11. “If”
12. “Make You Feel Better”
13. “Animal Bar”
14. “Storm In A Teacup”
15. “Turn It Again”
16. “Death Of A Martian”

Hey, again, a double-record boiled down to a more concise format. These are just my favourite tracks, put together. All of the fair-weather tracks have been left off (I still own the CD if I need the extras).

Happy playlisting

I caught Matt Mays at The Horseshoe Tavern last night. In the days leading up to the show, I posted Facebook status updates about the show, and, Mays in general. I wanted to test the waters of my immediate friends and acquaintances with respect to sharing my appreciation for his music. On top of this, I told anyone and everyone about the show and to my dismay, I realized that the majority of people I encountered are in the dark on this Canadian troubadour.

I suppose everyone knows at least one Artist that is held in high esteem by only a select few. I can understand this; however, I think that the tune needs to change for Mr. Mays! As I walked into “the ‘Shoe” last night, I quickly butted-up against a throng of people. This was good news; I was not alone.

Mays proceeded to deliver a bevy of classic tunes that spanned the length of his career thus far. The packed house made sure that Mays knew that they were fans — clapping along and singing so loud that Mays himself often extended the mic stand out over top of the crowd, letting them take a turn on lead vocals. In between songs, chants were strung together and song requests were shouted out. The crowd was so appreciative of Mays on this night that the band was demanded back for an encore. I don’t see a lot of encores at The Horseshoe.

Thus, at least I got to enjoy a stellar show with a few hundred like-minded Mays fans. I reveled in this fact. I also got to chat up a friend in Mays’ band, getting the inside scoop on where the band is heading creatively. It was a fun night! Still, I remain stuck on the fact that Mays is on the sidelines of the popular musical conscience in this country, and, across the world for that matter. He should be BIGGER.

Sure, I can go on and on about the man’s catalog, one full of fantastic songs. I can also tell tales of wild, spontaneous rock ‘n roll moments I have witnessed at his shows. The trouble is, I’ve been doing that for years! If you’re a fan of Neil Young, Tom Petty, Gordon Lightfoot (Mays covered “Early Mornin’ Rain” last night) and hell, even Bruce Springsteen and Joe Cocker…it’s ALL Mays. Get on board!

Setlist:
“Tall Trees”
“Shining Eyes”
“Loveless” (new)
“What Are We Gonna Do Come The Month Of September”
“Never Saw It Comin’”
“Spoonful Of Sugar”
“Early Mornin’ Rain” (Gordon Lightfoot)
“City Of Lakes”
“Digital Eyes”
“Rock Ranger Record”
“Cocaine Cowgirl”

Encore
“On The Hood”
“Terminal Romance”
 

Dinosaur Pile Up. I LOVE that band name! I just found about this band — I thought I would share.

http://www.myspace.com/dinosaurpileup

It has been some time since I got this psyched about hearing a fresh band. The last time I got really excited about a new discovery was with Rentokill or Torche (you should really check both of those bands out, by the way).

This music immediately grabbed me with its likeness to Weezer and Foo Fighters. It also has a Steve Albini, Nirvana ‘In Utero’ kind of vibe to me (with the open-sounding, roomy drums). It also reminds me of what Biffy Clyro sounds like live — raw and unbridled. I’m sure you’ll hear something different but regardless of who you think they sound like, nothing changes the fact that I had this pumping LOUD today! I think it rocks. Check it out.

g:

If that title looks like a combination of ‘OK Computer’ and ‘In Rainbows’ — two phenomenal recordings from the band Radiohead — well, you might just be on to something.

I came across this article over a year ago now. It was an interesting prospect that these records could really have been made to compliment each other. Even if they weren’t and this was a fabrication, how would this sound!?

For one reason or another I stowed this nugget away. I tend to do this sort of thing a lot: I come across a slew of interesting things that I try to make sure to follow-up on, but, I can never get to all of them. Perhaps I wait until the time is right to fully digest them…who knows. Regardless of the reason, I finally decided to DO THIS yesterday.

So what is it? Well, you can read the article above and see what you think but in the least, this is something fun to do — putting two records together to put them in a different light. Here is the tracklisting:

Radiohead – 01 and 10 playlist:
1. Airbag (OK Computer)
2. 15 Step (In Rainbows)
3. Paranoid Android (OK Computer)
4. Bodysnatchers (In Rainbows)
5. Subterranean Homesick Alien (OK Computer)
6. Nude (In Rainbows)
7. Exit Music (For A Film) (OK Computer)
8. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi (In Rainbows)
9. Let Down (OK Computer)
10. All I Need (In Rainbows)
11. Karma Police (OK Computer)
12. Fitter Happier (OK Computer)
13. Faust Arp (In Rainbows)
14. Electioneering (OK Computer)
15. Reckoner (In Rainbows)
16. Climbing Up The Walls (OK Computer)
17. House Of Cards (In Rainbows)
18. No Surprises (OK Computer)
19. Jigsaw Falling Into Place (In Rainbows)
20. Lucky (OK Computer)
21. Videotape (In Rainbows)
22. The Tourist (OK Computer)

I am an iPod user. I use iTunes. I could have done this easily in iTunes, Windows Media Player…or even WinAmp (yes — I still have that!) via a playlist; however, I wanted this on my iPod to listen to on the way to work, so, I copied the files on my computer into a new folder and re-added them into iTunes. This ended up confusing the hell out of iTunes no matter how I tried to tell the program that this was a new record — it just couldn’t sort it properly; as soon as I synced my iPod, the tracks were all jumbled once again.

I was beyond frustrated on my way to work today because I wanted to listen to this experiment en route. Flash of lightning: I ACTUALLY used the “On-The-Go” playlist feature on the iPod. Chances are, you have seen these words put together but didn’t know how the hell you created them. The way it works is: you select a track on your iPod and press and hold the middle button, then repeat with subsequent tracks. This creates the aforementioned playlist for whatever reason you might need it — I suppose you might need it on a car-trip? Whatever!

The point is: give this a shot any way you can figure it out! I no doubt chose the more difficult path (some of you are probably shaking your head at me lol) just to get this on my iPod, but I’m an Aries and this is what we do (we’re doggedly determined dammit!).

The result? I LOVED THIS. This was wild. The only drawback for me: I didn’t like the transition between “Exit Music…” and “Weird Fishes…” as well as the transition between “Climbing Up The Walls” and “House Of Cards.” The latter of the two was the bigger snag — I just love how the chaos of “Climbing” hits the eye-of-the-storm that is “No Surprises” on ‘OK Computer’ in its natural form. Hey, it is what it is.

:g