And now you do what we tell you

I planned to use this post to review Welsh experimental rockers Future of The Left's new album Travels with Myself and Another. Consistent with my theory about artists from secluded and relatively marginalized regions, Future of The Left have a sound that could only really be developed in their peripheral territory—Wales sits upon the English isle proper and certainly absorbs its fair share of popular Western culture, but being an often forgotten country, I believe it interprets this culture in a far different way from a more prominent nation. Future of The Left's sound is a fine example: it easily fits within the framework of current music, but stands out and is not easily typecast.

Significantly, within the first thirty seconds of opening track "Arming Eritrea," I was immediately reminded of a band that saw much mainstream success in the 90s. The sharp guitar and angry shout of vocalist Andy Falkous is reminiscent of the leftist rap-metal of Rage Against the Machine.

Rage Against The Machine instilled quasi-leftist values in a generation of politically illiterate young people. They provided late Gen-Xers with the language to discuss neo-Marxist beliefs and articulate unrest with Western governments. Yes, this disillusioned generation could now discuss politics and look convincing whilst sporting Che Guevara t-shirts, but they could not debate on the issues—it was more of a regurgitation of leftist ideals. They were literate in regards to politics, but not informed. You cannot debate simply by regurgitating rhyming couplets meant to be rapped atop a nu-metal backdrop. Moreover, this generation then made the misguided connection between their own unemployed plight and "evil" policies espoused by Western governments.

There is such a disconnect between the initial message Rage intended to spread through their music and the message that was interpreted and then misrepresented by their fans. People under the age of 30 tend to lean towards leftist ideals. In a quote often attributed to Sir Winston Churchill (though there is much debate as to whether he actually said it), he states that "Any man who is under 30 and is not a liberal has no heart; any man who is over 30 and is not a conservative has no brain." That being said, Rage appealed to a generation of youth who already were preconditioned towards certain leftist ideals. It helped their cause even more so that this generation was suffering through the recessive economy of the early 90s and a shortage of jobs due to a combination of the weak economy and the fact that the previous baby boom generation monopolized the job market. So, the disillusionment felt by these young men and women (mostly men though....how many female Rage fans have you met?) then morphed into a neo-Marxist political agenda—but a rather misinformed one at that. It is quite a leap to go from a general hatred of working at the GAP to espousing the invocations of class struggle and militaristic leftist revolution preached by a guerilla leader who has become a marketable symbol.

Let us not overlook the sad irony that Rage Against the Machine became a working mechanism within the greater machine that they took aim at. As anti-capitalist as Rage was, they themselves became a brand. Yes, this brand carried a message of left-wing ideals and bemoaned the actions of large corporations, but this brand also upheld much of what it crusaded against. By playing concerts promoted by Clear Channel, selling tickets through Ticketmaster, releasing albums through Epic Records (a subsidiary of Sony), selling albums at Best Buy, and packaging these albums in plastic cases made in China, Rage Against the Machine sit upon the apex of hypocrisy. In their defense, guitarist Tom Morello has argued that participation in the corporate realm of popular music is necessary to properly spread their message to the masses. Although I do agree to a certain extent, this ultimately proves that the machine cannot be stopped, let alone raged against. Ultimately, Rage's message is as misguided as that of their politically naïve fans.

Also, let us not forget that Rage paved the way for the rap-rock trend of the mid-to-late 90s, an unforgivable act that spawned the likes of Limp Bizkit, Crazy Town, Kid Rock (in his pre-country days), Head(pe), and even old KoRn. Nothing makes one more constipated than old corn.

What was I supposed to write about? Oh, right, Future of The Left. Ummm...enjoy.

Travels with Myself and Another

Wipe Your Tears Away

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Eastern European communism as a whole. As American sentiments would have you believe, The United States battled Eastern Bloc Communism and chipped away at its Iron Curtain propaganda machine and eventually won the Cold War, liberating Eastern Europeans. No single event sums up this freedom better than last week's MTV Europe Awards, which were held in Berlin.

Thanks to American-led liberation, Europe as a whole can freely hold an awards show that represents its ideals, musically anyway. Had the Iron Curtain never fallen, Europe would not have seen the likes of Katy Perry hosting its top music awards show. Nor would it have seen performances from Beyonce, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Jay-Z, and Shakira. Moreover, had America not freed Europe from the grips of Communism, there would not have been a Song of The Year award pitting the likes of The Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce, Lady GaGa, and Kings of Leon against each other.

Wait a second, none of the aforementioned artists are European. No, you're wrong, not Shakira either, she's from Columbia. You would think that Europe's top music awards show would aim to at least partially represent the continent for which it is named. I realize that American culture is renowned worldwide, but I do not believe that there are no European musicians who are equally as popular (in Europe anyway) as The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, and Kings of Leon (notice how I didn't mention Beyonce? I'm not going to even touch that one).

Well, at least Father Africa and The Kings of Ireland (otherwise known as U2) represented Europe with a historically sentimental performance in front of Brandenberg Gate, which served as a checkpoint along the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. Nothing says freedom like an aging band, who happens to be competing with Bon Jovi for a "Most Albums Released Far Past Their Prime" lifetime achievement award, playing a half-hearted rendition of one of their most powerful and politically cutting songs. Yes, a free performance by U2 of their 1983 hit "Sunday Bloody Sunday" in which Bono altered the emphasis on nearly every line in order to sound more like a diva had the streets of Berlin nearly as excited as when that famed politically divisive wall came down in 1989. If Bono's diva antics weren't enough to ruin the song and ultimately make you wish that the Berlin Wall had never fallen and you were caught on the Communist Eastern side where music, laughter, puppies, sole proprietorships, and bananas were outlawed, there was a special guest appearance during the song's bridge by self-proclaimed King of New York Jay-Z. That's right, Jay-Z tried to outdo Bono and actually make the song sound like audible excrement. He began a political freestyle that "name-dropped" election fraud in Iran and genocide in Rwanda among other worldwide political issues. Big-ups to Darfur, y'all. What up Israel apartheid.

I cannot even begin to address Bono's little rap near the end....

Once again, American culture managed to slither its way in and take credit for something in Berlin. The Iron Curtain fell because of a series of complex factors, the majority of which had very little to do with America. If anything, it was a softening of language by then-President Regan in regards to the USSR that was the main American contribution to the end of the Cold War. In contrast to the harsh words Regan had directed at the Soviets in the past, he adopted a more diplomatic and conciliatory tone in the late 80s. Beyond that, it was the revolutionary reforms in Soviet countries like Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia and the bloody revolution in Romania that set the stage for the fall of the Berlin Wall and the demise of the Eastern Bloc.

One thing the Americans can certainly take credit for in Berlin, however, is the erosion of popular music and the tarnishing of a classic song about Irish civil rights.

Municipal Misanthropy

The hot-button issue at City Hall this week is the proposal to levy a municipal sales tax to provide cash-strapped Toronto with a new source of revenue. Budget chief Shelly Carroll claims that Toronto is devoid of two key elements that other "global" cities possess: "A stable formula for sharing operating costs of public transit with the federal government, and revenue sources that grow with the economy." So, if the proposed municipal sales tax comes into effect, Toronto will at least possess the latter trait of Carroll's "global" city model.

Proponents of this initiative cite other world-class cities who long ago implemented a municipal tax. New York City levies a 4.5% tax on hotel rooms, restaurant bills, and admission charges. Chicago has an all-encompassing 1.25% sales tax as well as a 5-cent bottled water tax and a 9% fountain soft drink tax. These same proponents, one of them being former Winnipeg Mayor and potential Toronto Mayoral candidate for 2010, Glen Murray, claim that tourists should help support key parts of Toronto's infrastructure, like public transportation, through a municipal tax. Murray believes that otherwise, "Canadian cities end up subsidizing tourists’ transit rides without realizing any benefits."

Although I do support this notion to a certain extent, I find the timing of the proposal to be suspicious. Yes, a tax that only really targets tourists would be a wonderful source of revenue and would not affect Toronto residents. An additional 2%-or-so tax on a hotel bill will not dissuade travelers from coming to Toronto, but certainly will help fund municipal projects. Even something along the lines of Chicago's water bottle tax would be a great way to draw revenue from an unnecessary and environmentally damaging purchase. In fact, City Council missed a fine opportunity when it implemented the 5-cent fee for plastic bags this past Spring, as stores can use that extra revenue as they choose, rather than have it go directly to the city.

Ultimately, what draws my suspicion about this proposal is that it comes at the heels of another bold proposal by City Council: To take out a 30-year debenture for $600 million. Hmm. I'll let you make the connection and leave you with this...

Timing is everything

A very unreliable source told me that in between The Strokes' 2003 album Room on Fire and 2006 album First Impressions of Earth, vocalist Julian Casablancas "quit drugs and alcohol" and that this lifestyle change accounts for how disappointing the third album is. I did not necessarily believe this theory, especially as it came from a college dropout Urban Outfitters lifer, but it did remind me why I should not work in retail, especially Urban Outfitters, and motivated me to work towards another degree (university lifer!). Furthermore, I do not find First Impressions to be a bad album nor do I believe it greatly differs stylistically from anything else in The Strokes catalogue, save opening track "You Only Live Once," which belongs in a commercial for GAP khakis.

Having only heard an instrumental snippet of Casablancas' solo album prior to its release, I concluded that the album would sound like a more electronic version of The Strokes. Considering that Casablancas is actually the primary songwriter in the band, this is not surprising. The majority of the songs in The Strokes' catalogue were originally written on keyboard by Casablancas and then brought to the rest of the band who would write their own individual parts based on the original structure. So essentially, Casablancas' solo album, Phrazes For The Young, simply avoids that second step in the songwriting process and takes a slightly different path. Every track on Phrazes is keyboard driven, often incorporating electronic drums and some subtle background guitar work.

Although Phrazes allows me to better appreciate Casablancas' ability as a songwriter, it still disappoints me overall. Without the extra elements added by the wealth of musical talent the Strokes possess, Casablancas' songs fall a little flat, with the exception of two tracks: opener "Out of The Blue" ultimately sounds like a typical Strokes song with its jangly treble-fueled guitar chords and jumpy bass; "River of Brake Lights" is a richly layered song, with noteworthy key changes, multiple arpeggio guitar riffs, and a heightened ending that allows Casablancas to wail the final few stanzas.

Although Julian Casablancas does have talent as a songwriter, he should stick to the formula that worked so well with The Strokes. Without the rest of the band his songs are undeveloped and forgettable overall.

Phrazes For The Young

Tough-Love Style

It is an understatement to say that twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin are underrated. Although they have seen some mild success in Canada, scoring a fair amount of airplay with 2004's “Walking with a Ghost” (not to mention a cover by the White Stripes) and 2007's "Back in Your Head," they have received little mainstream attention where, let's be honest, it really counts: America, fuck yeah. I could go ahead and hypothesize that it is because, in the pre-Obama days of intolerance and financial affluence, the music industry simply could not fathom a couple of folk-rock twin lesbians. They're lesbians, dammit! All those lyrics about love refer to the sacrilegious love between two vaginas!

However, I do not believe this to be the case. A listen to 2004's So Jealous is a hook-filled, pop-happy experience. Considering that those with the main purchasing power in the music industry are teenage girls (apparently they still buy albums), there is no reason why they would not have devoured Tegan and Sara at the time. Songs like "Speak Slow" actually are akin to a Kelly Clarkson number. Also, after perusing the myspace profiles of numerous (thousands?) American teenage females, I can safely say that they are open to dabbling in homosexuality (or at least some attention-grabbing form thereof). What really has stood in the way of their success is the difference between them and Kelly Clarkson.

Kelly Clarkson can write a solid empowering pop-rock number. Even I enjoy "Since U Been Gone," despite the text message-trendy spelling of its title. Even Pitchfork digs the song, considering it to be one of the top tracks of the decade. Oh wait, Clarkson didn't write the song. It was in fact written by Max Martin and the ominous Dr. Luke, two men who are responsible for writing some of the greatest songs in history, rivaling only this song. Suddenly a song about triumphantly overcoming your ex-boyfriend and then going shopping or something is less empowering.

Tegan and Sara write their own songs. Yes, they are lesbians. They won a competition in their native Calgary, unfortunately entitled Band Warz (what, no Mountain Dew sponsorhip?), at the age of 17 and received considerable attention as a result, eventually leading to a stint opening for Neil Young. On that Neil Young tour, the twins traveled to each gig by Greyhound bus. Now that's empowering.

The twins certainly could have toured opening for Avril Lavigne or a similar pop-punk tinged star, but instead opted to open for the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, The Killers, Ryan Adams, and Gogol Bordello. Yes, these are all highly reputable acts that certainly gained more notoriety for the Quin sisters, but keeping in mind that these opening slots were in support of the more pop-rock oriented So Jealous, they could have easily been propelled to stardom had they opened for someone more like Lavigne or even the aforementioned Clarkson.

So, I believe the real reason that Tegan and Sara have not had too much mainstream success is not a matter of their sexual orientation, but simply because they did not want to achieve that type of success—or at least not on any one's terms but their own.

After 2007's magnificent album The Con, Tegan and Sara have become more of a household name, especially in indie-rock circles. The album marks a great leap forward in regards to their sound, undoubtedly at the behest of producer and Death Cab for Cutie member Chris Walla. Many of the tracks are layered with multiple keyboards, guitars, and complex percussion. On top of that, the songs themselves are well-written, well-constructed, and well-delivered, which can only be credited to the sisters themselves.

I had high hopes for recently released album Sainthood. Although I repressed a doubt in regards to whether Tegan and Sara could repeat the bliss of The Con, I did not expect Sainthood to stray so far from the sound of its predecessor. Opening track "Arrow," with its layers of synth, distorted guitar, acoustic guitar, and start-stop rhythm actually acts to bridge the gap from The Con to Sainthood. As I initially listened to this track, I was pacified by the premature belief that Sainthood would stay the course.

Unfortunately, second track "Don't Rush" quashed that belief. Ditto for third track and lead single "Hell." Though I do recognize the obvious traits that make "Hell" a good song and an excellent single, it is the type of jumpy pop-rock that I associate with earlier T&S releases that simply do not appeal to me. From this point on, the album lacks any song I would consider notable, perhaps with the exception of "Northshore," which still possesses the aforementioned pop-rock jump, but the accelerated vocal delivery causes it to stand out, and "Night Watch," with its scale-splicing synth line.

The album is still an enjoyable listen, but a less thought-provoking and emotive one than The Con.

Sainthood

Hogtown Harmonics Volume VI

Confession: Post-rock bores me. Yes, there is redundant beauty in the slow-building, moody melodies of definitive post-rock bands like Explosions in The Sky, Mogwai, Pelican, Mono, and even Sigur Rós, but at a certain point it is lost on me. Especially in the case of Sigur Rós, I feel as though not every track on a post-rock album needs to sound like it the soundtrack to a tragic, bittersweet film in which someone loses everything, but then realizes the true beauty of life and love at the very bleakest of moments (by the way, I am copyrighting that tagline.....).

The same goes for Toronto's own definitive post-rockers Do Make Say Think. I will admit, their music can be a good background while you clean your bedroom on a Sunday afternoon, but there is only so much I can take before feeling like I'm in a dramatic film whose plot does not progress fast enough. Will he ever put all those socks away? Is that a metaphor for the human condition? You're always left with one sock too many or one sock too little.

I rather prefer Do Make Say Think guitarist Justin Small's side project, Lullabye Arkestra, in which he plays drums and his wife Kat Taylor-Small plays bass. Beyond the obvious aw-shucks factor that they are married Toronto music scenesters who thrash together in holy matrimony, the band actually has musical merit. I suppose one could sum up Lullabye Arkestra's sound as a cross between two other prominent two-member bands, The White Stripes and Death From Above 1979. The bluesy garage rock of The White Stripes certainly is prevalent in LA's music, but so is the R&B-informed dance-punk riffage of DFA1979. However, beyond the obvious parallels to those two bands, LA also get pretty damn heavy and take cues from classic metal. The first track on recently-released album Threats/Worship, "Get Nervous," is far closer to a head-banging Judas Priest track than a comparatively candy-coated White Stripes track or a non-threateningly sexy DFA1979 track.

Furthermore, Kat's snarlish yet feminine wail contrasts well with Justin's more straightforward holler. The dual vocals blend well into the band's sound and make up for the fact that every song is a bass and drums number. Opening track "Son The Father" on Fucked Up's fabulous (and Polaris prize-winning) 2008 album The Chemistry of Common Life has the Smalls shout the chorus alongside vocalist Damian Abraham to excellent effect.

I must say, Vice Records has mildly impressed me with the release of Katie Stelmanis' Believe Me EP and now Lullabye Arkestra's Threats/Worship. Maybe those post-ironic pricks aren't so bad afterall.

Lullabye Arkestra - Threats/Worship

Rather than write one of my holier-than-thou (or at least holier-than-Pitchfork) reviews upon immediate download of the leak, replete with fairly obvious observations and criticisms, I have waited until now to write about Brand New’s Daisy. They deserve better than a simple knee-jerk reaction of a write-up.

Here is a brief summary of my initial thoughts upon first listening to the album over a month ago:

• Yes, the album is abound with twangy nods to early 90s grunge
• Yes, it is some of the band’s “hardest” music to date
• Yes, it is an album that begs to be played live
• No, Jesse Lacey does not sound like Isaac Brock
• No, this is not Brand New’s In Utero
• No, Brand New does not sound like The Jesus Lizard, but the influence certainly is there

After reading a few interviews with both Lacey and guitarist Vincent Accardi (who wrote much of the album), I am no closer to solving the mystery of the country-fried vocal chords. What a caper! The album was not recorded in a woodshed emblazoned with the confederate flag, nor did the band listen to bluegrass albums during the writing and recording processes. Rather, Daisy was recorded in long-time collaborator/producer Mike Sappone’s Long Island, NY house and the band listened to an eclectic mix of music (including gospel singer Bertrand Brown, whose hymn “On Life’s Highway” bookends the album) that was available to them in Sappone’s basement. So, I am not quite sure what accounts for Lacey’s country cook-off vocal style throughout the album.

Although Daisy certainly is a hard-hitting album and arguably Brand New’s most aggressive one to date, it also features some of their softest songs. Whereas “Vices,” “Gasoline,” and “Sink” are relentlessly vicious tracks that find Lacey screaming the choruses, tracks like “Bed,” “Daisy,” and “Be Gone” are some of the band’s softest. The more subdued tracks on Daisy avoid the “classic” Brand New formula of building into a climactic, loud, crescendo of an ending and instead stay the course of remaining a more gentle song throughout.

The only typically Brand New track on the album, I suppose, is “You Stole.” Its slow building, palm muted verse is reminiscent of “Okay I believe you but my tommy gun don’t” from Deja Entendu. However, it does not have that deliberate, “this is the climax! Right….NOW!” aspect that the Brand New songs from days of yore posses. Yes, the drums kick in a minute or so into the song and eventually there is a more intense instrumental break, but the song travels along a specific trajectory that does not emphasize any one part too much more than any other.

In regards to the overall grunginess of the album, anyone who has seen Brand New live over the past few years should not be too surprised. The band has always tended to get quite heavy live and Lacey would always scream far more than on record. As I noted upon initially listening to Daisy, this album begs to be played live, especially by a band that puts on an intense live show to begin with. Lacey confirmed in interviews that one of the goals the band had in mind while recording the album was to craft an album that will translate well live.

Both Deja Entendu and The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me are emotionally draining albums, both lyrically and musically. The latter especially deals with dark, solemn subject matter (not to suggest that Daisy does not). Both of these albums are just that, albums—a unified collection of songs that have a cohesive, carefully thought-out order, structure, and flow. I do not find Daisy to be as much of an album as it is a collection of songs. I do not suggest that the track order was not carefully considered, nor do I suggest that it is not in fact a fairly unified collection of songs that are aesthetically and thematically similar. Furthermore, I do not suggest that one should not listen to Daisy in its entirety from start to finish. Finally, I do not suggest that the split apart hymn that bookends the album is irrelevant or not a type of unifying concept. However, Vincent Accardi (who, I remind you, wrote most of the album) is not quite the auteur that Jesse Lacey is. I mean this in both the lyrical and musical sense.

The Devil and God… has a narrative flow both in subject matter and musical arrangement (with the exception of “The Archers Bows Have Broken,” which I find to be oddly out of place). Ditto for Deja Entendu. I find Daisy to lack that narrative and thus lack in terms of its completeness as a true album. It is still a finely crafted collection of songs that is far better than most of the music that receives acclaim and success in the industry, written by a band that challenges itself with each subsequent album. One must appreciate the fact that Brand New aims to reach a different aesthetic with this album even if Lacey’s twangy vocals are not your cup of whiskey-spiked tea.

Daisy

Come have at me, I am strong

Perhaps I have softened in my old age. I still stand by the adage that if you tossed a handful of Joy Division songs and a handful of Interpol songs in a burlap sack, shook it, and listened to said tracks in the random order you remove them, it would be difficult to tell one band from the other (I suppose you could also make a random mix of the two bands on iTunes by utilizing the shuffle option and setting specific parameters). However, the more Pitchfork turns its back on the band it once heralded as "incredibly powerful and affecting," I find myself developing a peculiar (yet still fairly small) fondness for INTRPL, OMG, NYC.

Interpol vocalist Paul Banks, one of the dreariest sounding men in modern rock, has released, yes, you guessed it, a self-indulgent solo album. What makes it self-indulgent? Well, for a start, it's not too far off musically from anything from Interpol's catalogue. So, why put out a solo album at all? The inclusion of nonsensical foreign-tongued rambling on closing track "H" is an attempt by Banks to disguise a brain fart as avant-garde dabbling and ultimately feels forced and, yes, self-indulgent. Another aspect of this album that points towards self-indulgence is the fact that Banks adopts a somewhat Eurocentric and off-puttingly punny pseudonym under which to release the album: Julian Plenti. Har har har. Despite adopting this pseudonym, Banks has made no effort to conceal the fact that it is an album by the lead singer of Interpol. He is in full view on the cover, all the press regarding the album has been sure to mention that he is the lead singer of Interpol, and, in case I have yet to mention it, the album sounds like Interpol. Or Joy Division. Or both.

What really eats at me about this album is that, gasp!, I kind of like it. With the exception of a few excruciatingly banal tracks, like "Girl On The Sporting News," it is a fine collection of sombre post-punk tracks. A good listen on a Sunday evening as you sip a glass of scotch and bemoan the dampness of your parents' basement. Yes, Banks channels Ian Curtis to the point that sometimes I think he believes he is Ian Curtis, but he does it so damn well.

Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper

Revisionist History

In a misguided attempt to bolster Russian national pride, Prime Minister Vladamir Putin ordered Russian educators to rewrite history textbooks to now refer to former dictator Josef Stalin as "one of the most successful leaders of the USSR." The new history textbooks avoid any mention of the mass killings Stalin was responsible for, the forced labour camps he sent millions to, and justify his non-aggression pact with Hitler and his occupation of Eastern Poland and invasion of Finland as "rational responses to a complex security situation." A false portrait is painted of Stalin that depicts him as a great national leader (not a totalitarian dictator) who defeated the Nazis and thereby saved Europe.

Well, this act of national pride building has got me thinking: why don't more nations enact this type of propagan—I mean, tasteful revision to boost nationalism? The following is my attempt to set the wheels in motion....

Mao Zedong

Great Leader Chairman Mao sent China into the future, making it an industrialized nation. He chased out those pesky Japanese and established a socialist state with a long-winded name, The People's Republic of China. He is said to have preferred to do much of his work while in bed (not unlike Silvio Berlusconi...hey-oh!) and essentially created what is commonly known as "casual friday," as he preferred to work in comfortable slacks.

Mao even listened to the opinions of the opposition, as was demonstrated during the Hundred Flowers Campaign, where citizens were encouraged to suggest how the government should operate (oddly, nearly three months later, 500, 000 of those who criticized the government during this campaign disappeared...but, with a population in the billions, I suppose it is common to lose track of a few citizens). Mao's Great Leap Forward set the groundwork for the American hippie movement (who doesn't love hippies?!) as small farms were merged into people's communes. Sure, a few (million) peasants died during the Great Leap Forward, but at least they died doing what they loved: working endlessly to harvest grain that would be distributed in urban centres and exported overseas, thereby leaving the peasants with nothing.

Beyond his triumphs in politics, Mao has come to be an endearing pop culture figure. Without him we would not have all those stylish graphic tshirts emblazoned with his handsome face, nor would we have the famed Chinese acrobatic trick "Chair, Man, Wow!"

Benito Mussolini

His Excellency Benito Mussolini, Head of Government, Duce of Fascism, and Founder of Empire--or, simply Mussolini, is credited with being one of the key figures in creating fascism. Without fascism, the European studies courses at university would be rather bland, so political science majors the world over should be thankful for Il Duce's contributions. Mussolini created the ideal model of a political flip flopper that many politicians strive towards to this day, as he turned a complete 180 from being a determined socialist to the father of fascism.

Mussolini also greatly influenced university studies for years to come as he invoked the works of Plato as the cornerstone of fascism. Like many students, professors and TAs in philosophy programs the world-over, Mussolini misinterpreted The Republic to serve his grand thesis: that Italy was in need of an undemocratic system of governance, run by a core group of elites, whereby citizens were expected to put the militaristic interests of the state above all else.

Finally, Mussolini inspired future generations of bandwagon New York Yankees and Manchester United supporters by joining WWII on the side of the Nazis when in 1939 a German victory appeared to be imminent. Let's be honest, who doesn't like to play the favourites?

Adolf Hitler

If nothing else, Hitler was at least the inspiration for a few hilarious gags in mainstream movies whereby a dark haired male somehow ends up with what appears to be a Hitler mustache and ends up at--get this!--a neo-Nazi convention or a Holocaust survivor gathering-type event (they have "we beat the Holocaust" parties, right?) and the resulting hilarity wins over even those do-gooders who still believe it is insensitive and politically incorrect to make Hitler jokes. The only movie that comes to mind presently that enacts that type of gag is the 2001 Jerry Zucker directed masterpiece Rat Race. With its all-star cast featuring the likes of Dean Cain (the Superman of my heart), Amy Smart (I can still picture what her boobs look like thanks to another cinematic masterpiece, Road Trip), Whoopi Goldberg (I wish I could picture her boobs!), Seth Green (everyone's favourite little pesky Jew...even Hitler would like him), Cuba Gooding Jr. (one day Morgan Freeman will pass the torch), the Mr. Bean guy, the Newman guy, and perhaps the greatest actor of our generation (and any other for that matter), Breckin Meyer. Heck, Rat Race even features an appearance by world-conquering superband Smash Mouth.

Anyway, I'm fairly certain that that (not a typo, two "that"s, you smartass) is Hitler's only contribution to history.

Hogtown Harmonics Volume V

I briefly mentioned Blocks Recording Club in my post about no-wavers Brides, theorizing that the band's upcoming proper LP may be released by the Toronto co-op label. My half-baked conspiracy theory (based entirely on the fact that Brides are set to play Blocks' showcase at Pop Montreal in a few weeks) may have provided some with the misguided notion that Blocks is a record label that signs artists and releases, distributes, and promotes their albums. This is not quite the case. Blocks Recording Club is a co-op. The artists who release albums through Blocks in fact are part owners of Blocks. How does that work? Honestly, I don't really know. How does one get involved with Blocks? Yet again, I don't know. Believe me, I've tried to find out. Regardless of the cloak of magical musical mystery that Blocks is covered in, it is one of the more novel musical collectives in Toronto—not just in terms of organization, but the artists that are involved. Blocks has released albums from such notable Toronto avant-garde artists as Final Fantasy, The Creeping Nobodies, Fucked Up, and Nifty (Nif-D, Nifdee, Puff Dee Dee?) to name a few. To date, 57 albums have been released under the Blocks banner. This post shall focus on a few of those artists.

Ninja High School

I hate to be a standard middle-class caucasian (or do I?), but when it comes to hip-hop, I find myself with a rather limited knowledge and opinion. Sure, I can recognize that most mainstream hip-hop is awful, insincere, and part of a larger viral marketing campaign, but the same goes for mainstream music of all genres. However, even when it comes to more alternative hip-hop, I still cannot get my head around much of it. Upon my first listen to Ninja High School's We Win! EP, I could recognize the sincerity and the uniqueness of it, but dismissed it to an extent as "party music."

Subsequent listens have provided me with a better appreciation and understanding of the aesthetic NHS strove towards (I use past tense as the group broke up in 2007). The delivery of the vocals on We Win! are like a hip-hop version of Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Magnum. They are not particularly pleasant simply for what they are, rather they are enjoyable because they are so raw and sloppy.

The EP is quite a contrast to the group's initial release, Young Adults Against Suicide, which incorporates multiple vocalists, more intricate and varied samples, and more of a feel-good "party" vibe. The group chanting gets a little repetitive at times, but it still brings a smile to my face and that is one of the goals NHS had in mind, as they strove to create positive hip-hop music.

Young Adults Against Suicide

We Win!

Katie Stelmanis

At Fucked Up's most recent 4-day stint at Sneaky Dee's (last October), I neglected to pay close attention to the openers of the Thursday night show. I mildly enjoyed Final Fantasy's looped violin dittys, avoided One Hundred Dollars completely, and seem to recall heading downstairs for nachos during Katie Stelmanis' set. Well, after having seen a full Stelmanis set last week, I regret opting to punish my bowels rather than reward my ears last October.

Stelmanis was a member of now-defunct gritty girl group Galaxy and indie-gospel collective Bruce Peninsula. On her own, Stelmanis employs an idiosyncratic, almost conflicting style that pits computer-based instrumentation against operatic vocals. However, rather than battle, the two find a middle ground to work together and complement each other in a quirky and satisfying way.

In a live setting, Stelmanis performs as a three-piece band, with her on vocals and keyboards, and friends Carmen Elle on guitar/backup vocals and Maya Postepski (another fellow Galaxy alum) on drums/xylophone/backup vocals. This live setup allows Stelmanis' songs to possess an intensity that is not present on record, primarily due to the usage of triple vocals and Postepski's impressive multitasking on drums and xylophone (arguably stealing the show as she simultaneously drummed with her left hand and played xylophone with her right).

Stelmanis' debut album Join Us was released on Blocks, but her recent Believe Me EP was put out on, gasp!, Vice Records. Feast your eyes on the charming video for "Believe Me":

Hogtown Harmonics Volume IV

In this edition I will share two rare albums, both related to Toronto weirdo rock heroes DD/MM/YYYY.

DD/MM/YYYY

Last Friday, August 21st, a momentous musical occasion took place as Toronto's own math-rock synth-spazzers DD/MM/YYYY played a "secret" set consisting entirely of songs from their first ever release, the very limited (150 copies) EP, The Real World Is So Unreal, which actually was a split with now-defunct hardcore/noise outfit Panserbjorne.

2004 saw a far different version of DD/MM/YYYY. This was before they played with Blood Brothers. This was before they toured North America and Europe. This was before they graced the cover of NOW. In fact, The Real World Is So Unreal features a lead vocalist who is no longer even in the band, Jonathan Macias (his current band, Revolution Love, makes me chuckle a little...get a load of that promo shot). Although DD/MM/YYYY has never been a band to hide behind subtleties, this first EP is quite a kick in the pants in comparison to later releases. It is an abrasive blending of shouting/screaming vocals, hypnotic riffs, and spiky synth.

Yes, the production is pretty bad, so you'll have to turn up your volume and ignore the graininess. However, it is a charming, quick listen and was both a literal and figurative blast from the (not too distant) past when performed last week.

The Real World is So Unreal

A Newfound Interest In Connecticut

Although a close listen to The Real World Is So Unreal reveals the groundwork for the evolution of DD/MM/YYYY we hear on this year's Black Square (which, I believe will stand as one of the best releases of the year), current DD/MM/YYYY members Matt King and Mike Rozenberg were once in a band that some might label (for better or worse) as emo.

No, A Newfound Interest in Connecticut were not the type of emo The OC popularized (and turned into a stereotype....and an insult for that matter). Newfound Interest wrote moody, melodic, bittersweet songs. They have a depressing, "emo" undertone, but songs generally are slow building and crescendo in an uplifting, triumphant way. They take cues from post-rock, post-hardcore, and yes, emo—but in this case I am referring to pre-OC emo, like The Promise Ring, Jawbreaker (before their Pete Wentzification), and The Appleseed Cast. Like The Real World is So Unreal, Newfound Interest is a blast from the not-too-distant past as well and reminds me of my first days of University, when I was a little cocky to cover up for how morally conflicted I was at the time. I shall stop there, though—I'm starting to sound a little emo.

Tell Me About The Long, Dark Path Home

Your self-serving words are arresting compliments

You've imprisoned yourself with inflated ego,

Filled with embellished adjectives

Self-description; self-deception

We all waited with baited breath—

You seemed like such a catch

Treading just beneath the surface

Flaunting your fins

Now you live within a box,

Perched high as it may be,

Light will only shine on you

Once someone pries you free

Jaguar Starship

I have found myself lamenting as of late over the state of music. This year has been a disappointment overall in terms of releases. Bands I used to enjoy and respect have put out lackluster albums (Taking Back Sunday, Thrice, Manchester Orchestra, Cursive, Thursday) and the current musical trends (I'm sure you're quite familiar with my mixed feelings about lo-fi, but what is this emotronic shit?) confuse and scare me. I feel like an old man who is afraid to leave his front porch because sinister looking kids are playing hacky sack on the corner.

One of my favourite bands of all time, Brand New, is about to release their fourth album. I am nervous. Obviously I am anxious to hear said album, but I am also concerned that it will be a grand letdown. Based on the first single "At The Bottom," I am alarmed. The lyrics are disappointing. I'm not quite sure why Jesse Lacey is vocally insistent on affirming that he is from the backroads of Tennessee (as opposed to Long Island). The sing-song chorus leaves a bad taste in my mouth—something god-awful and sugary sweet like cream soda. I will wait until I hear the album in full before I make any concrete judgements, however. Also, I will wait until that point before I shell out 30 bucks on a ticket to their November show at Kool Haus.

I recently wrote about Gabe Saporta and his downward spiral into self-aggrandizing pop-hipster irrelevance. As I perused the myspace page of a band I had high hopes for, I was painfully reminded of Saporta.

The fellows in this photograph are Johnny Whitney and Cody Votolato, members of Jaguar Love and former members of another of my favourite bands of all time, Blood Brothers. Jaguar Love started as a project featuring Jay Clark, formerly of Pretty Girls Make Graves, on drums and a touring bassist and keyboardist. Clark departed around the new year and instead of replacing him and venturing on, Whitney and Votolato decided to refine the band's sound to a more electronic one and simply play as a duo.

Interestingly, when I saw the full-band version of Jaguar Love last summer I was rather underwhelmed. They lacked the wit and edge of Blood Brothers and it didn't help that they were playing with The Faint. Not my scene, to say the least. However, the idea of them now touring as an electronic duo and playing songs from the first album "a bit different....almost like we remixed them" makes me sick. Also, look at them. What self-indulgent douchebags.

In more positive news, the other half of Blood Brothers, Past Lives, are nearly done recording an album. If last summer's Strange Symmetry EP was any indication, this album will be just the ticket. Please don't let me down Blilie et al. Please.

Hogtown Harmonics Volume III

For this edition of Hogtown Harmonics I will focus on two bands I first saw play together last fall, but who have both been on the Toronto scene for more than a few years.

The Guest Bedroom

I have to say, when I first saw the The Guest Bedroom I was blown away. Vocaslist/guitarist Sandi Falconer has a powerful, almost intimidating voice (and a pretty badass name to match) that commands your attention. She also has awkward yet endearing stage antics and, just when you think you can let your mind drift, occasionally breaks out a saxophone solo. Yes, there is always a saxophone within an arms reach on stage. Whether deliberate or not (I suspect the latter), Falconer succumbs to robotic dancing during instrumental breaks that to the untrained eye appear to be mechanical spasms that happen to be on beat. Do not confuse this robotic dancing with the "way cool" robot dance that the rapping fellows do, Falconer's movements are as caucasian as can be.

Like in the majority of bands fronted by a female, the rest of the band is just filler. In this case I do not suggest so because Falconer has an overly strong, sexy stage presence. Besides the robodance and sax "shredding," Falconer does not say or do much on stage and generally dresses like "one of the boys" (tshirt and jeans). In TGB's case, the other members are filler because they don't do a whole hell of a lot. They do little to cause one to take notice—they barely even move.

Nearly five years have passed since TGB's first show and over the course of their career they have played with several notable Toronto bands: The Diableros, Spiral Beach, 10000 Watt Head, Creeping Nobodies, Huckleberry Friends, and Ancestors. Hell, they even made a video with medium-profile director Scott Cudmore.

As for on record, I do not have as many complimentary things to say about TGB. Last year's Treading Water/Blowing Smoke EP received lukewarm reviews from Toronto weeklies NOW and EYE. Each song has good intentions, from the indie roll-call intro of "Planted" to the waltzy jump of "Stranglehold," but I find that each track fails to build on the main hook put in place and loses me. Structurally, each song runs a touch too long (something I usually never say) and, especially in the case of "Planted," could do with one less verse or chorus.

Treading Water/Blowing Smoke EP

Ancestors

Not to be confused with the Ancestors from Los Angeles, Toronto's Ancestors pack a loaded fist of influences, primarily from 80s hardcore and 90s grunge. Yes, the Jesus Lizard comparisons are plentiful upon first listen. However, Ancestors' songs tend to be more concise than those of The Jesus Lizard, though I do understand the comparisons.

On the particular night I happened to see both The Guest Bedroom and Ancestors, I rather preferred the former. However, on record, I find the latter to be far superior. Perhaps I wasn't paying close enough attention or perhaps they simply were off that night, but I found Ancestors to be disappointing that evening at Sneaky Dee's. However, after seeing subsequent performances that faired far better and listening to their two EPs, Ancestors have won me over. Along with METZ, Ancestors are doing their part to ensure that early 90s musical aggression is alive and well in Toronto.

Nightfall 7" (2009)

Ancestors EP (2007)

I find it necessary to guilt my reader(s) a little with this disclaimer: The purpose of these Hogtown Harmonics posts is to highlight some of the finest (and some of the more mediocre) bands that are making waves in the Toronto scene. I am attempting to promote my fellow artists and introduce web-gazers to some fine bands, many of whom I know personally and consider to be honest, hard-working musicians. If you like what you hear, I urge you, come to a show, buy an album, a tshirt, a pin, something. As I know from my own musical experiences, every little bit goes a long way and there really is not much money in the music industry, especially for the bands I will be showcasing. The majority of these musicians also hold crumby dayjobs to supplement their income, live in shared housing, and can only afford price-brand beer.

health-related pun here

Los Angeles has churned out a handful of highly influential DIY bands over the course of the past couple of years: No Age, Abe Vigoda, Mika Miko, BARR, and Silver Daggers. Besides their punk-inspired, DIY aesthetic, something else all these bands share in common is that they got their start at LA's now-infamous The Smell. One band that stands out from The Smell pack is HEALTH. If they are not already, HEALTH is sure to become a household name by the end of 2009. They have toured with NIN (and are about to again on NIN's "final" tour), gained quite a bit of exposure opening for Crystal Castles last year, and are about to release a sophomore album that is quite a bit more accessible than their debut. What makes HEALTH stand out from their peers at The Smell is the fact that their recordings are far from lo-fi. You can hear the instrumentation, as it has not been soaked in reverb. Also, their songs are not particularly catchy and, as the new album demonstrates, often go above and beyond the 4-minute mark.

HEALTH's debut self-titled album had a few tracks that clocked in at under a minute and were droning noise soundscapes, as well as longer "proper" tracks that were often rather disjointed and involved a lot of stop-start time changes. All this makes the album difficult to follow for the more casual listener. Get Color has vocals on nearly every song, which makes a big difference to those who don't quite "get" instrumental music, and slightly more coherent sound structures. Essentially, HEALTH tend to create what could be a computer-generated loop, but with live instrumentation (not unlike Animal Collective or, dare I say, Holy Fuck). However, unlike other analog electronica-type bands, HEALTH have more of an edge, a more intense live show, and are ultimately more interesting. Sure, they look like your average "hipsters" (clad in v-neck Ts and white-stringed American Apparel hoodies), electro madman Pictureplane is the opener for their upcoming tour, and they've been mentioned in Vice, but HEALTH are more than just some disposable hipster sensation. For starters, the variance in rhythm is difficult to dance to. Songs often explode into heavy bursts of noise that may incite some pseudo-moshing. Other songs are subdued sound collages with barely audible, echoing vocals. My point is that HEALTH are too musically talented, experimental, and complex to simply be a hipster fad.

Hey, speaking of The Smell, No Age is releasing an EP this fall. It is quite a bit more subdued than their past efforts and, quite frankly, not that great. Not to suggest it is terrible, it is just somewhere in between, causing me to lack much of an opinion. Enjoy?

HEALTH - Get Color

No Age - Losing Feeling EP

Hogtown Harmonics Volume II

Before proceeding with volume II, I find it necessary to guilt my reader(s) a little with this disclaimer: The purpose of these Hogtown Harmonics posts is to highlight some of the finest (and some of the more mediocre) bands that are making waves in the Toronto scene. I am attempting to promote my fellow artists and introduce web-gazers to some fine bands, many of whom I know personally and consider to be honest, hard-working musicians. If you like what you hear, I urge you, come to a show, buy an album, a tshirt, a pin, something. As I know from my own musical experiences, every little bit goes a long way and there really is not much money in the music industry, especially for the bands I will be showcasing. The majority of these musicians also hold crumby dayjobs to supplement their income, live in shared housing, and can only afford price-brand beer.

Little Girls

When conducting a casual Google™ search for Toronto lo-fi bedroom project cum post-punk blog sensation Little Girls, I may have ended up on a Toronto Police Department "suspected pedophile" list. Thankfully, Google filters out child pornography and other smutty search results (though searches for porn staples like "black cocks" and "puffy nipples" bring up some excellent XXX sites). My point is that despite their blog buzz, it is hard to find very much info on Josh McIntyre's Blank Dogs-inspired project, at least through a simple Google search.

I find the band's name to be somewhat problematic for a few reasons:

1. It makes me feel a little strange to say it
2. When telling friends of the band, they are always initially skeptical or feel I have given them an opening to make a joke about pedophilia
3. There is not anything ironic about naming your band Little Girls—it does not make us rethink the naming process and/or the sociological implications of a name (I sincerely doubt that anyone, upon first hearing of Little Girls, expects the band to be comprised of little girls, nor will they find it very ironic that a band of grown men is called Little Girls)
4. Did I mention it makes me feel a little strange to say it?

Anyway, moving beyond my own hang-ups, as far as lo-fi goes, I find Little Girls to be rather unique. No, not because they actually stand out too much amongst their peers with sonic originality—the vocals are still drenched in reverb, the instrumentation is rather elementary, the songs rarely elapse the 3-minute mark. What makes Little Girls stand out is their live show. Generally, lo-fi bands are disappointing live. Wavves is a drunken temper tantrum-filled disappointment, Vivian Girls bore the shit out of me, No Age is always vocally off key. I find more often than not that the recorded vocals of these types of bands are buried beneath so much reverb because the vocalists simply aren't that good.

Little Girls actually are better live than recorded, which is a pleasant surprise. To begin with, the majority of the percussion on the two EPs I've heard consist of drum machine loops. Using real drums live (despite how mediocre the drummer is) gives the songs a new intensity. Furthermore, considering that Little Girls is entirely McIntyre's project and he wrote and played all the parts on record, it is nice to see a full band playing the songs so well and not looking too bored while doing so. What really makes Little Girls a solid live band, though, is McIntyre's stage presence. He bops around and lets the music take hold of him, even almost dancing on occasion.

Tambourine EP

Thrills EP

Like it? Buy it here.

Contempt: Gabe Saporta

The idea of starting a band based solely on the fact you have been asked to record a song for a movie soundtrack baffles me a little. What's worse is when the movie is Snakes on a Plane (fun fact: Did you know that Snakes on a Plane was originally going to be called Pacific Air 121 and star Benjamin McKenzie...you know, Ryan from The OC?). What's even worse is when you keep this band and its ridiculous name years after the fact and release god-awful "ironic" songs that really just latch onto current popular musical trends but pretend to be ripping this music a new one.

Gabe Saporta was once the vocalist/bassist for New Jersey pop-punk quartet Midtown. Over the course of their existence, Midtown put out three proper albums, an EP, and a couple of split 7"s. Nothing would compare to their final album, 2004's Forget What You Know, which broke away from their usual emo-inspired pop-punk (though not too far away). The album had a certain amount of depth, with songs not simply about relationships. The few songs on the album that are about relationships take on a darker, psycho-sexual tone that again stands out from what their contemporaries were singing about at the time.

By no means is Forget What You Know a masterpiece or one of the greatest albums of the 00's, but it marks a shift amongst a handful of bands from that period who attempted to transcend pop-punk and create more meaningful music—Deja Entendu, anyone?

That being said, what the fuck is Cobra Starship? Gabe Saporta's post-Midtown project practically nullifies everything Midtown accomplished with Forget What You Know and essentially sets humanity back about 75 years. Also, Gabe Saporta looks and acts like such a self-important hipster asshole in his new band.

Forget What You Know

Hogtown Harmonics

With the exception of Brand New and Radiohead (possibly Muse if the venue was right), I have no desire to ever attend a big-ticket concert again. During my teens and very early 20s (whoah, how old am I?) I must have spent nearly $1000 on concerts. At the time I enjoyed them, but in the last two years or so I have become quite disillusioned with and ultimately tired of large-scale concerts. There are too many sweaty assholes in polo shirts (no matter who the band is.... I can only guess that these concert bros all work for various cell phone companies and get the tickets for free), too many girls in tank tops who pre-drank a couple of bottles of Vex and thus belligerently shout out the band's most popular song (even after they've played it), too many sponsors trying to shove promotional products in your face (wow, a Rockstar Energy Drink rape whistle!), too many people in line for the washroom, too many dollars required for a beer ($7 for a poorly poured plastic cup-full of Molson Candian?!), and ultimately, too much hubbub.

As a result of this disillusionment and overall irritation, I have turned my focus primarily to smaller-scale shows that feature either under-the-radar touring acts or local bands. In fact, the last large concert I attended, sadly, was that Edge 102 Christmas-type one with Metric, Tokyo Police Club, Sebastien Grainger, and some other band I have completely forgotten. Needless to say (though I will say it anyway.....making "needless to say" rather needless to say), I did not particularly enjoy it and actually left after about three of Metric's songs (I fully missed Grainger's set....what kind of concert starts at 8pm?!), having only seen a yawn-inducing set by Tokyo Police Club.

In the spirit of my recent musical xenophobia, this "Hogtown Harmonics" feature will be a multi-volume cataloging of some of the finest (and some mediocre) Toronto-area bands I have seen and been associated with over the past year or so.

Brides

Originally hailing from Guelph, this six-piece avant-garde no-wave group appears to be the current feature flavour in Toronto. Their songs are heavy on musicianship, as the vocals generally are quite minimalist and turned down rather low in the mix. Dare I say, Brides even has a jam-band quality to them, as it feels like many of their songs foray into stretched out, somewhat repetitive instrumental breaks. In this case, "jam-band" is not to be associated with any of the following: hemp, ponchos, bare feet, dandelions, manic sexualized swaying, or Phil Lesh. The "jamming" in Brides is always tasteful and pretentious—the latter being what the Toronto indie community seems to eat up.

I first saw Brides last fall (after a failed attempt to see them at Extermination Music Night last summer.... the police shut it down literally as Brides were about to start their first song) at The Drake Underground with Tradition and Slim Twig. Then I saw them at Wavelength, open for METZ at Trash Palace, at 69 Vintage By The Pound with Gay Beast and Dead Wife, and possibly in a Doritos commercial. What I am trying to say is that they've gotten a lot of exposure as late. Some other notable shows they played: opening for Ponytail at Deleon White Gallery and opening for Abe Vigoda at El Mo. In fact, I am starting to feel as though this exposure morphing to overexposure. Come on, a show every other week? It's getting to be a bit much for me.

I suspect that they are being groomed for a signing with a record label in the near-future, hence their plethora of shows (perhaps with We Are Busy Bodies? They've played with METZ, are about to play a show with dd/mm/yyyy in a few weeks [shhhh, no one's supposed to know that dd/mm/yyyy are on the bill, it's a surprise], and have become a favourite of promoter-cum-art thing Primary Colours).

They only have one song on their myspace at the moment and have only one very limited release to date, so I would direct you to their CBC Radio 3 page to have a listen.

photo credit: Sombre Reptiles

EDIT: To begin with, Brides now have two new unmastered tracks from their upcoming full-length streaming on their myspace. As well, despite my speculation of the band releasing their full-length on We Are Busy Bodies, I will now speculate that said full-length may be released on Blocks Recording Club, as the band is playing Blocks' showcase at Pop Montreal in October.

World Map Forever!

After months of searching, I have finally found Abe Vigoda's first album, 2006's Sky Route/Star Roof. A well-deserved sigh of relief and a pat on the back. You see, this LP only saw two pressings: the first being 300 copies on grey vinyl, the second 350 copies on black vinyl. That means, as I'm sure most of you calculated, that there are only 650 copies of this album in existence. It is essentially impossible to find a physical copy of this album (especially now that Abe Vigoda are at least mildly popular) and it is rather difficult to find it online (the few links in existence are dead and you cannot even purchase it on iTunes).

As for the album itself, even a casual Abe Vigoda listener will notice how the band has progressed with each subsequent release to a more accessible sound. Whereas their most recent release Reviver is well-produced, dare I say, mainstream-sounding bit of post-punk, Sky Route/Star Roof is a poorly produced (though I suspect at least partially intentional) bit of noise rock obscurity. In fact, the album does not possess nearly as much of that tropical jumpiness later albums are replete with—what I have come to associate with the band with overall.

Juan Velazquez's vocals are buried beneath treble and light distortion, giving his voice an edge that later releases lack. In fact, the guitars are quite trebly as well, so much so that you can barely hear any bass whatsoever. Tracks like "Hilarious Glowing," with its repetitive, jagged guitar riff that nearly sounds out of tune, screechy vocals, and bombastic rhythm are somewhat reminiscent of AIDS Wolf—only somewhat, though, let's not get too wild with our comparisons.

Allow me to gush for a moment: I love this album. In many ways I wish Abe Vigoda was still the band I hear on this album, although I realize that if they were I would probably not even know of them because they would not reach a level of popularity that would carry them far from their home base. Guff.

Sky Route/Star Roof

I think I've heard this before. Oh, no, nevermind, he has an accent

This is Britain's answer to lo-fi. Pretty much every song sounds like the background music from an iPod commercial with a low production value. Regardless, it is mildly enjoyable in a small dose...which makes this EP just the ticket.

Is their name a reference to Wavves? Or, is it a reference to the AIDS Wolf album The Lovvers? Who cares, Lovvers probably won't matter in six months.

Think EP

Did E. Von Dahl killed The Matches?

Call me a teenage girl (or Ewelina....close enough....oh!), but I greatly enjoyed the Tim Burton-inspired pop-punk of The Matches. Sadly, they are about to go on one of those hiatuses that I believe will really just stand the test of time as a breakup. Seeing as they have never been a band as lucrative as...say...Blink-182, I do not see a multi-million dollar, heavily sponsored reunion tour taking place in the near future. Or any future for that matter.

The Matches were a little too smart, a little too talented, and a little too late to reach a level of measurable mainstream success. Their whole Beetlejuice-informed neo-gothic image unfortunately came after Good Charlotte monopolized the pop-punk market with their pseudo-goth punk branding in the early 2000s. Ultimately, Good Charlotte tainted such an image with ill-fitting bondage pants paired with black and white thick vertical striped blazers, relationships with Paris Hilton, temper tantrums on Punk'd (one of the finest pieces of investigative television of our generation, it makes 60 Minutes look like geezer tripe), and a sudden re-invention as a nu-new wave band riding the coattails, slim fitting dress pants, and skinny ties of Interpol, The Killers, and Franz Ferdinand.

What I find to be most unfortunate about The Matches "hiatus" is that what will now be their last album, 2008's A Band in Hope, was such a disappointment. Sophomore album Decomposer (2006) set the band apart from their Warped Tour peers and presented a new take on pop-punk—that is, dare I say, a type of avant-garde pop-punk. The tracks on Decomposer still posses the necessary elements to attract teen girls: songs about love, sing-along choruses, quotable lines that could be used on social networking websites to sound profound. However, the tracks also possess elements of left-of-centre musical experimentation: electronic flourishes, intricate guitar riffs, key changes, and the usage of more than 3 or 4 chords per song.

The follow-up, A Band in Hope, ultimately does not follow the model built by Decomposer. Most of the tracks on the album are more straightforward, accessible pop that do nothing to catch my interest. Unfortunately, The Matches fell victim to their own creativity—Decomposer did not sell particularly well. This caused the band to scrap most of their original follow-up album, The Mad Silentist, and opt to write a more accessible album. Apparently, only a few tracks from the original made it onto A Band in Hope, which I suspect are the few tracks on the album I actually enjoy ("From 24C," "Clouds Crash," "To Build a Mountain").

Now that the band is on "hiatus," solo projects have emerged from lead vocalist Shaun Harris and lead guitarist/backup vocalist Jon Devoto respectively. Thus far, each of these projects sound like they are shaping up to be similar sounding to The Matches. So why go on "hiatus" at all?

E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals

Decomposer

A Band in Hope

Paralleled Support

I started to read Adbusters in my last year of highschool. At the time I was in the midst of a period of political angst and my sheer ignorance on political events clouded my vision. On top of this, my father's newfound conservative religiosity further clouded my vision. I had a fair bit of trouble reconciling my Judaism Light (the low calorie alternative to Synagogue) upbringing with my father's insistence upon the unbreakable connection between Judaism and Israel--that is, any criticism of Israel is an abomination of one's Jewish faith. With my newfound interest in leftist ideals, I came upon a copy of Naomi Klein's No Logo, a book often referred to in leftist circles at the time as "the bible." Initially I found Klein's personal politics to be a bit of a conundrum: a young Jewish woman who is staunchly anti-Israel. It then took me years to make this startling realization: the entire left is anti-Israel. Only recently have I begun to understand why this is.

The recent comments by French President Nicholas Sarkozy regarding the burka, the sack-like head-to-toe covering worn by many Muslim women, may shape a new ideological war between the West and the Arab world. Sarkozy claims that the burka "is not a religious sign, it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement." Sarkozy's comments, although bordering on what many would consider discriminatory, actually are right on the money. Nowhere in the Koran does it explicitly state that women should cover any part of their bodies. Instead, the covering of women's heads and faces has been enshrined in the laws of Muslim countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia--countries where women are essentially second-class citizens. Both of these nations have laws that are completely based upon Islam, so many inside and outside the Arab world make the connection between the burka/hijab and actual Islamic law as written in the Koran.

So where does the Adbusters clan come about in this scenario? Following the comments by Sarkozy, I have come to realize that the far-left has morphed into apologists for all things Muslim. Rather than defending the individual rights of Muslims who wish to freely practice their religion, even if doing so may be a practice of male subservience, I find that more often than not the left allows its anti-American agenda to overpower any rational debate on the matter.

When I first began taking an interest in Adbusters, I remember seeing a photo series on the magazine's website of a suicide bomber being thwarted by the Israeli Defense Forces--which ultimately involved three IDF soldiers taking the would-be suicide bomber aside and killing him. What irked me about this series was that it was presented in a manner by which the expected reaction of viewers would be outrage. I was indeed outraged, but more-so at the caption that referred to the bomber as a "liberator."

Rather than criticizing the West for its anti-Arab practices and standing up to defend all things Muslim, including suicide bombers, the left should align itself with Muslims in a different way. The left should unite with liberal Muslims (who account for the majority of those living in Europe and North America) to defend the rights of those who wish to practice their religion. Moreover, the left should act to remove the negative stigma attached to all things Muslim in the West. By essentially acting as apologists for all things Muslim, whether it be a woman in a hijab, the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, or a suicide bomber in the Gaza strip, the left has made it easier for the West to classify everything Arab under the same category. A suicide bomber is not a liberator and a headscarf is not a threat to the liberty of the French Republic. Rather than counterbalancing vehement anti-Americanism with steadfast Arab support, the left should re-evaluate its ideals on a more situation-specific basis. Otherwise, they are just adding ammunition to the War on Terror's unfortunate offspring, the War on Islam.

Dead Idealistic Desperate Inventor Pioneer Philosophers

The Strokes popped onto the music scene during the "The" band craze of the early 00's. Remember that period? The White Stripes, The Hives, The Strokes, The Interpols. I paid them very little attention, though I did mildly enjoy their breakthrough hit "Last Night." Then they blew up and I looked the other way. Well apparently they put out two more albums after that and, quite frankly, they are pretty decent ones at that. Ultimately, The Strokes are the definitive band of the 00's whole garage rock thing. Sure, The White Stripes are pretty good at it too, but there is only so much you can do with one guitar and an awful drummer. What's more, check out this performance on Letterman from 2003:

I can only imagine that performing on a talk show in front of a studio audience of fat sweaty tourists must be at least a little challenging, but they more than pull it off here. Such nonchalant swagger and effortless attitude. Remember that episode of Flight of The Conchords entitled "New Fans" ? Good. I have a similar reaction to one of the groupies on that episode when I watch this video: Strokes, you are a rock and roll band. Not only do they have all the moves down-pat, but the musical ability to back it up.

That being said, what the hell is this:

Yes, quite a teaser. Although we are played for chumps and never actually get to hear Casablancas' voice on the track, I can only assume that his vocal style remains similar to his work with The Strokes. That being said, this really just sounds like a mildly electronic version of The Strokes. No thanks.

The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth

Wooden Body, Metal Face

The finalists for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize were just announced this week. The prize itself, established in 2006, claims to award the best full-length Canadian album of the year "based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label." Past winners have been artists who were slightly under the mainstream radar and not only crafted fantastic albums,  are slightly alternative in nature (though not to the extent to be inaccessible to mainstream audiences), but could actually use the $20 000 in prize money. 

The shortlist for this year's prize:

Elliot Brood, Mountain Meadows

Fucked Up, The Chemistry of Common Life

Great Lake Swimmers, Lost Channels

Hey Rosetta!, Into Your Lungs

K'Naan, Troubadour 

Malajube, Labyrinthes 

Metric, Fantasies

Joel Plaskett, Three

Chad VanGaalen, Soft Airplane

Patrick Watson, Wooden Arms

Ultimately I find this list to be commendable, if not slightly pretentious. However, there are two specific albums that stand out to me. The first is Metric's Fantasies, which as I have previously mentioned, is not so much an artistic endeavour as it is an album of heartless pop. Also, Metric is far too much of a household name at this point, they certainly do not need another $20 000. The second album is Fucked Up's The Chemistry of Common Life. I ultimately associate the Polaris shortlist with many of my U of T arts & science undergrads. Fucked Up is the only band on this list I could not see my thick-framed glasses-sporting cohorts being able to comprehend, despite the album's seal of approval from Pitchfork. 

Montreal's Patrick Watson won the 2007 Polaris for his album Close to Paradise. Though I doubt the judges would allow a repeat winner of the prize, I would not contest another victory by Patrick Watson. Wooden Arms is another superbly crafted album of lush soundscapes, replete with dreamy vocals, subtle experimentation, and just the right amount of catchiness. 

Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms

Fuck you, triblend

Ignoring the fact that this advertisement blatantly admits the company's hiring policy (and ignoring the fact that I went on lookbook...), I know several people who have been "laid off" by American Apparel over the course of the last six months. How can a company that is laying employees off due to the dire economic repercussions of the "recession" subsequently be hiring new employees? It is not to save money (assuming that new hires would earn a lower wage than those who have been working for the company for a while), as all American Apparel employees make the same wage and the company does not give raises. So honestly, fuck off Dov. 

Biased Review: NXNE 2009

Rather than downplaying my numerous biases, this chronological review of nxne will hinge upon them. See if you can spot where they come about. The first five people to do so will win a Gwendolynn's Convivial Fête t-shirt, emblazoned with our corporate logo™. 

Thursday June 18th

Chang a Lang @ Silver Dollar

Generally I am not a fan of feel-good, cutesy indie dance-rock. However, Chang a Lang is just too darn cute. They have the proper elements to generate at least a certain level of success. Singer/guitarist Brian Okamoto has the moves down-pat--at one point during their set he hopped off stage while ripping into what I would otherwise consider to be a machismo-fueled cock-rocking solo. However, he is so sexually non-threatening that it was simply a musical acrobatic feat that fit in well with their overall image. Bassist Jeanette Downing is the right amount of quirk and beauty to once again be sexually non-threatening--sure she's pretty, but not in an intimidating or directly sexy way. Beyond their look, Chang a Lang are simply talented musicians who have perfected the whole indie dance genre. 

Pace The Stairs @ Silver Dollar

By far one of the most energetic and enigmatic performances at nxne. Are they post-rock? Are they noise rock? Are they post-hardcore? Are they post-grunge? The Toronto "post-everything" trio faced a few technical problems during their set, but always managed to recover. A broken cord resulted in the band having to cut their set one song short and enact some on-the-fly song alterations, but PTS pulled through and made enough noise to piss off the bouncers (whom I saw frowning and plugging their ears). However noisy the band gets, it is a type of controlled chaos with identifiable song structure and more musical hooks than one may initially realize--even the bartender was nodding her head to the chorus of "Petalogy."

Give Us The Daggers @ Silver Dollar

What's in a name? Not nearly enough. Give us the Daggers may have a good name, but musically they are as lively as Easter dinner at the Goldstein house, if you catch what I mean, you anti-semite. Frontman Scott Waring may have a good look with his flowing strawberry blonde hair, but there is only so much visual stimulation one can provide when he and the rest of his band just stand in one spot for 40 minutes while cranking out one dull 70s-inspired song after another. 

Japanther @ Sneaky Dee's

Excuse my language, but Japanther is simply just a couple of fucking assholes. I don't understand what all the fuss is about them. They are musically untalented. They can barely sing. They are not easy on the eyes. Plus, during their set at Sneaky Dee's, the Brooklyn duo told the crowd to "fucking get with it" and "fucking come on" about 200 times. They are essentially just the Ramones.....if you took the Ramones and funnelled them through some ironic hipsterized electro-tinged shit machine, complete with frizzy hair and a hypercolor tshirt. Further proving me right, they briefly played the intro to "Blitzkrieg Bop" halfway through their set. What a fucking waste of everything. 

Friday June 19th

Little Girls @ PreLoved

I certainly have lamented over minimalist lo-fi post-punk. It is a flavour of the....year, I suppose. It is difficult to actually determine if any of these bands have any musical merit when drenched in that much reverb. However, I will say that Little Girls put on a decent live show. Considering all the songs were basement concoctions of Josh McIntyre, wherein he played all the instruments and sang all the vocals, the songs have actually translated well live with a full band. Sure, the drumming of Anthony Gerace is juvenile (his drumkit: kick drum, snare, floor tom, high hat). Yes, the bass player always sports a polo shirt. And yes, the guitarist is really creepy, to the point that he makes me feel funny on the inside. However, this is McIntyre's show and he runs it with a surprising amount of stage presence. Furthermore, at an event sponsored by Steam Whistle, I was on my fifth beer by the time the band played, so everything sounded good to me at that point, including the raccoons fighting out back. 

AIDS Wolf @ Sneaky Dee's 

Unfortunately, this was AIDS Wolf at their worst. Not to suggest they actually played poorly, but the Montreal noise rockers suffered from a terrible sound mix. Vocalist Chloe Lum asked repeatedly for her vocals to be turned up, but to no avail. A band that is as loud and chaotic as AIDS Wolf needs the sound to be just right, otherwise they sound like a musical insane asylum (which, I realize, some may consider them to be regardless... oh, if only we were all as musically enlightened as I). I simply could not get into their set and by the looks of it, neither could they. 

Mika Miko @ Sneaky Dee's

Perhaps they were worn out from the set they played two hours prior at Lee's Palace, but Mika Miko simply did not have it during this particular performance. What I assumed was going to be a girl-powered post-punk rah rah session ended up being a lackluster middle school pep rally for a team that won bronze. Vocalist Jenna Thornhill didn't even have her trademarked red telephone receiver microphone. For shame. 

METZ @ Silver Dollar

The Silver Dollar does not always have the best vibe for a hard-hitting grunge/hardcore band. METZ overcame the venue and put on an intense show. Hardly taking a break between songs, the band cranked out one screaming number after another. Singer/guitarist Alex Edkins' convulsive shaking has become endearing to me after seeing them a few times now. In a city that has far too many djs and indie bands, METZ and Pace The Stairs are a refreshing (though incredibly loud) change. 

Saturday June 20th

DD/MM/YYYY @ Horseshoe Tavern

Moments before DD/MM/YYYY started their set at the Horseshoe, their friend/manager/record label owner Eric Warner brought a bushel of two dozen balloons onstage. I assumed they were going to cut the string that kept them together and scatter the balloons all over the stage. Instead they remained in a clump snagged on vocalist/percussionist/occasional synth player Matthew Lyon King's microphone for the entire set and looked ridiculous. What was more ridiculous than the balloons was the fact that the sound mix was so awful. King's vocals were turned down so low in the mix you could barely hear him and despite his pleading for them to be turned up (at one point screaming "pleeeeeeease" repeatedly), it was never done. The band played well, as always, relying mainly on material from Black Square during their 40 minute set. 

DD/MM/YYYY, METZ, Japanther, Spiral Beach@ secret location

Four hours later, DD/MM/YYYY more than made up for the botched sound of their Horseshoe set with a fantastic super-secret latenight show in front of friends and a couple of jerks who heard about it through the grapevine and spent most of their time sitting on a curb outside hating me for no apparent reason (yes, I'm talking about Ellyn). Once again, the bushel of balloons was present, but this time I didn't mind them, as those of us at the front of the stage were tossing them around. Despite the fact that this secret show was not overseen by a professional sound technician, the mix was far superior to that of the Horseshoe. Not having to impress critics or promote their new album like at the Horseshoe, DD/MM/YYYY played a set that was more diverse, with a good mixture of old and new songs. 

As always, METZ rocked the hell out of the place and left my ears ringing. Their set wasn't any different than the one they played a night prior, but it still was fantastic. Thankfully, I arrived just after Japanther finished playing and, I would assume, sufficiently made asses out of themselves. The final band of the night was Spiral Beach. The band has been around for a few years but I had never had the opportunity to see them....and it turns out that was for the best. They put on a decent show, but ultimately I feel as though they are too much of a gimmick, not enough of a band. After three songs I had heard enough. Each song bled into the next and did not sound any different. The band is not as quirky or novel as their appearance would make you believe, they are a pop rock band in sheep's clothing--and a rather typical one at that.