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.
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.
