Sunday Playlist #21
Ghost Trees - From London with Love
Sunday Playlist is a semi-regular feature that brings back some of this blog's previously-posted original live recordings for an encore. You can always click the tags below to see what I originally wrote about the shows these songs came from.
Artist: Germans
Song: Same Old Things
Recorded at Wavelength 494, The Garrison, December 20, 2009.
Germans - Same Old ThingsMy notes for this set can be found here.
Wavelength 494 (feat. Murder Ford Monument / P.S. I Love You / Germans)
The Garrison. Sunday, December 20, 2009.
Ah, Wavelength. Although I do love it so, and try to take in their special events, I pretty much never make it to the Sunday night show. Truth be told, most weekends, by the time that first band hits the stage, I'm usually already in bed, trying to charge my batteries up as much as possible for the week ahead. So, the imminent ending of the weekly series doesn't directly affect me so much. But I guess I do feel about Wavelength like some people feel about churches when they drive by — y'might not be going there on Sunday, but it's a solid institution and it means something that it's there, like its very existence brings a vague sort of comfort.1
Well, with a nicely-aligned xmas holiday lining things up so's that I didn't have to be up early on Monday, I figured I could make my first trip out for a "regular" Wavelength at The Garrison, and it didn't hurt that there was a fairly appealing lineup. When I stepped in, I got that sense of comfort seeing General Chaos Visuals' smeary crawling lava lamp projections, and witnessing Doc Pickles work his emcee-as-performance-art mojo on stage in between the acts. Yeah, even if I'm rarely here, I'm glad this has been going on every Sunday.2
In the first slot on this night was Murder Ford Monument, a band I saw at Pitter Patter this spring when they were still operating under their previous moniker, Archipelagos. An interesting chance, I suppose, to reflect on the power of names to shape our perspective of a band, this lot shifting from something connoting cartographic abstraction to something that would wear well on an Americana act. Or, a shift from the tinny to the woody, if you will. Which is an inneresting act of positioning, as the band's music remains as tinny as all get out. With their National covering Joy Division sound, vocalist Jesse LeGallais' man-on-the-verge-of-panic vocals suggest not so much the idea of an emotional crisis as Apollonian terror of an existential void. In fact, perhaps as a worthy epigram for the band, we might pass along A.C.'s observation: "We all carry within us our places of exile, our crimes and our ravages. But our task is not to unleash them on the world; it is to fight them in ourselves and in others." LeGallais certainly manages to act the part of a man fighting off demons, and the band's sound — not just musically tight, which they are — feels rigourously screwed down in a well-befitting manner. Appropriate, then, that this is a band that I can appreciate on a rational level, even if they haven't yet touched my heart with their icy fingers. But sometimes a handshake matters more than a hug.
Listen to a track from this set here.
After some excitement for the somewhat protracted announcement of the Wavelength 500 line-up by Doc Pickles3, the two-piece P.S. I Love You took the stage. Out of Kingston, the duo feature Benjamin Nelson on drums backing singer/guitarist Paul Saulnier.4 Based on the sight of the band and the initial couple songs, I thought we were in for shred-y flannel rock with an upbeat edge — like listening to TAD on ecstasy, perhaps. Maybe that came to mind as Saulnier presented like a lumberjack caught in a transmogrifier with Ziggy Stardust, wearing a torn plaid shirt and made up with a thundercloud on his forehead and lightning bolts below his eyes. But in the manner of a sneak attack unit, the band used its hard rock accoutrements as a backdrop to slip in all sorts of ideas while staying shrouded in the riffs. Saulnier's vocals also worked against the grain of the sound, something of a decentered quiver from a frame that might have suggested macho gruffness. John O'Regan, in his Diamond Rings guise5, joined him on single "Facelove", which happens to be one-half the pair's split 7". Fun without being frothy, there's a unique mix of elements on display here and it was pleasing to experience while leaving something to ponder over after the fact.
Listen to a track from this set here.
Last up on the night was Germans, a crew that I reserved judgment on when I saw them play a short set a few months ago. This time, they burst out of the gate with the catchy, dance-y "Same Old Things" which had me tapping my toes in appreciation. The next number was more guitar-rock-oriented and engaged me a bit less, which'd basically establish a pattern for the set — I enjoyed the bits that sounded like they might turn into a Platinum Blonde cover more than the bits that sounded like they might turn into an Archers of Loaf cover. To their credit, the band seemed to be trying to find their own fusion of 90's-vintage alt.rock and 80's synth pop, and I liked the cross-cutting vocal styles, but some of the songs sort of just went by in a sort of pleasant/generic haze. Given their connections to the local scene, I'm sure I'll plenty chances to see 'em again — esp. with an album due out by the Spring — so I think for now they're in that category of bands that I'll neither go out of my way to see nor out of my way to avoid.
Listen to a track from this set here.
In a, um, Wavelength-y ending to the night, Doc Pickles tried to call Germans back out for an encore, but the band didn't have any more material prepared, so they vamped away while D.P. improvised a musical version of the Wavelength Festival lineup — a bit of goofy fun that was amusing for its sheer unplannedness.
1 This sentence shouldn't be taken as any sort of advocacy for religion or cars.
2 I dunno exactly what Wavelength is going to do after the wrap-up of the weekly series, but maybe they should follow in the Master's footsteps and present WVLNT (Subtitle: "Wavelength for those who don't have the time").
3 The weekly series is going out in style in February with a five-night celebration including a few forward-looking selections as well as some much-anticipated reunion shows.
4 Saulnier also thickened up his sound his a foot-pedal bass unit.
5 On this occasion wearing zebra-striped tights and a parka.
Artist: Germans feat. Doc Pickles
Song: The Wavelength 500 Lineup Announcement Song
Recorded at Wavelength 494, The Garrison, December 20, 2009.
Germans feat. Doc Pickles - The Wavelength 500 Lineup Announcement SongI'll have some proper notes — and more soundz — from this show when I get caught up. Maybe a week Thursday or so. Until then, enjoy this madcap bit of impromptu collaboration. These notes can now be found here.
"Friends in Bellwoods 2" release party (Saturday) (Featuring: Bellewoods, Lisa Bozikovic, Kids On TV, Emma McKenna, Germans, Snowblink, The Acorn)
Tranzac. Saturday, August 29, 2009.
You can catch the first part of the day here.
Throughout the afternoon, the size of the crowd waxed and waned a bit, especially between acts, when many would head out for a smoke or duck out to the side to check out the action in the barbeque zone. There was a weirdly sedate late-late night vibe throughout the afternoon, a drowsy sense that it could be four in the morning and the end of a bender — until a bright shaft of light from outside from someone opening the side door suggested it was, indeed, actually four in the afternoon. Needing a bit of a jolt a couple times between acts I simply headed out the front door and went for brisk, short Annex-y walks to get some air in my lungs and clear the cobwebs.
As afternoon became evening, there was a quicker uptick in the size of the crowd, giving the impression of an actual Saturday night from about the time Germans were playing forward. But through it all, it should be noted, the busy organizers from the Ohbijou camp were always close at hand — James or Casey came up to introduce nearly every act as they took the stage, all day long.
Bellewoods: Chris White's foursome launched into their set with "Kneel On The Apron", just a sleepy acoustic guitar and voice for a couple minutes before the opening up from there. Impressed by the crowd's quiet attentiveness, he followed it up with an even quieter number. Hurtin' heart introverted mope-rock, I found it more likeable when the rhythm section tried to illustrate the sturm-und-drang a bit more proactively. Probably better suited for days with grey skies and mixed emotions about the world.
Lisa Bozikovic: Starting solo at the keyb, at first I thought I might be getting something similar to what I'd heard just the other day. But once James Bunton (drums) and Anissa Hart (cello) joined in, it turned out that even though I'd be hearing most of the same songs, this time they were more fleshed out, which certainly made a difference. Added background vox added even more pleasant texture. And a set-ending accordion cover of Ina unt Ina's "Teacher" — a techno song about a teenage crush on a teacher — was a fun wrap-up.
Kids On TV: With new stagewear and projector in tow, the KoTV crew took the stage. Absolutely the most visually interesting of the day's bands, they also managed to boost the energy in the room up a couple notches. Four songs from their current setlist, the aces were once again "Dazzler" and comp cut "Poison". This being the, what — fourth? — time I've seen them in not such a long stretch, I feel a bit like a scholar observing minute details within the songs. But for the less devoted, you merely have to show up and soak in the spectacle and the fun.1 Also nice to note that the crew wasn't plagued by any technical gremlins outside their control this time, just for jams in bang-bang fashion.
Emma McKenna: This was a name I've been hearing a fair amount lately, mostly in that, "Oh, you haven't heard her?" kind of tone people reserve for when they think they're the first on the block on to something new and special. Playing solo with electric guitar,2 McKenna played five quick songs that were definitely intriguing. Plainspoken yet declamatory, with a trilling voice that could occasionally twist a word into a little shiv of unexpectedly stretched syllables. The crowd, building up to its evening's fullness, was starting to get a bit chatter-y in the background, which was about the only blot on this set. Good stuff, and I'll definitely be on the lookout for more.
Listen to a track from this set here.
Germans: Another band that I missed out on when people were calling them one of the city's best a couple years ago, Germans are back together after some hiatus time.3 The band played a new wave-inflected sort of 90's alt. rock — which is to say their dominant tempo was "chugging", and the sound relied as much as keybs as squally guitars. This was generically okay, but it didn't leave a strong impression on me. Maybe the band's current lineup needs some more time to gel, or possibly not entirely my thing, I'll reserve judgment for now and see what I see if I encounter them again.
Snowblink: For a band that had more or less completely failed to impress me the first time I saw 'em, I was slightly surprised by the sense of reverence in the room as Snowblink prepared to play. Perhaps it was vocalist Daniela Gesundheit walking around the room, handing out bells for everyone to play or Casey Mecija introducing the band with a stern warning for those at the back to hush up and listen before going right down in front of the stage to claim a space on the floor but there was a palpably expectant vibe. So as I listened to the songs — performed by Gesundheit on antler-enhanced guit plus Dan Goldman on guit/vox/keyb/effects — I quickly concluded I'd been wrong the first time around. Wrong. An elegant voice and folk-songs embracing the subtle technological tweaks of the musicians — maybe the vibe in the room was infectious, but I was pretty captivated. The sets were stretching out a bit by this point in the evening, and the five songs in twenty-five minutes were quite fabulous.
Listen to a track from this set here.
The Acorn: Closing things out was probably the biggest "name" of the night in The Acorn out of Ottawa. Playing on this night as a bass-less trio, the band started out with the gentle "Slippery When Wet" and maintained a mellow vibe with a some new material, "Misplaced" particularly making an impression. The set ended with a cover of Gowan's "Strange Animal", which I must confess made me wince initially, but the band imbued it with a new-wave energy.4
Listen to a track from this set here.
And then, about quarter to midnight, the whole thing was over. There were some other good shows going on around town, but I was feeling way too punchy to even think I could be up for more. Time to head home. Not something you'd want to do every Saturday, it felt like a bit of an endurance test a few times,5 but it was quite a day, and a nice way to mark a special occasion. And also, I'm guessing, the sort of thing one will look back on with a satisfied sense of, "I was there!".
1 Excitingly, John mentioned that KoTV will be having an EP release party September 24th at the Gladstone, so that total might go up again.
2 Although for the first song, she was also stomping a ring of bells 'round her ankle as well.
3 Although they didn't get back together in time to place a track on the compilation.
4 Was that Police-like reggae shuffle always there in the verses? I don't really want to go back to the source to check on it.
5 And by about the third time through the compilation being played as between-set music, I think I started to feel like I was in a sort of Friends in Bellwoods 2 indoctrination camp.
"Friends in Bellwoods 2" release party (Friday) (Featuring: Ohbijou / Forest City Lovers / Evening Hymns / Bocce)
Lee's Palace. Friday, August 28, 2009.
Out to Lee's on a Friday night for the second of three release parties for the Ohbijou-curated Friends in Bellwoods 2 compilation.1 Given that this double-disc set, forty tracks deep, feels like a bit of a snapshot of one corner of the scene du jour, these events bringing many of these bands together lent a sense of occasion to the evening.
First up on the "big stage" show at Lee's was Jonas Bonnetta's Evening Hymns, who had left me with something of a middlin' feeling when I first encountered them at Ohbijou's CD release party back in June. A second dose served to improve my disposition somewhat.2 Figuring there'd be some quieter moments that I didn't want ruined by the chattering types, snagged myself a position right up front, and perhaps the unadulterated access to the music made it go down easier. For those keeping track of the inter-band crossovers, Evening Hymns on this night still included Gavin and Wyatt from The Wooden Sky, Ohbijou's James Bunton on drums plus Sylvie Smith's secret-ingredient vox. After leading with comp cut "Cedars" and a rollicking version of "Lanterns", Smith took the mike to sing lead for her own FiB feature, the sweetly country-tinged "On Our Own". "Mountain Song" featured some extra percussion by Leon from Germans, and following the bouncy pop of "Broken Rifle" were some more special guests, the hoodie-clad D'Urbervilles taking the stage to join Jonas for a run through their FiB cut, a lean and menacing cover of Timber Timbre's "Magic Arrow". Very exciting.3
Listen to a track from this set here.
Next up were Forest City Lovers. Perhaps inspired by the "Family Band" configuration, conjoined with The D'Urbervilles, that they played in at their Summerworks gig, this was the rockingest FCL set I've seen. Part of that extra energy undoubtedly came from Tim Bruton of the D'Urbs, who sat in playing second guit for the bulk of the set. The extra energy undoubtedly pushed Kat Burns' vox down into the mix a bit, which is unfortunate, but the extra drive really added some zest to the proceedings. FiB track "Minneapolis" was followed by a cameo by Ohbijou's Jenny Mecija and Anissa Hart adding some extra strings. And then an amazing hat-trick of songs, with "Orphans" and "Watching the Streetlights Grow" — two of Burns' finest compositions — followed by an smoldering take of "Waiting By The Fence". I've seen FCL live in a variety of circumstances, and this was the finest set I have seen them deliver.
Listen to a track from this set here.
The club had filled in decently by the start of the Forest City Lovers set, but it was looking pretty much like a sell-out by the time Ohbijou took the stage. Still wanting to be in front of the talkers, I ended up right against the stage, in front of Casey's monitor, meaning I got to hear the set with plenty of Andrew Kinoshita's rhythm guit in front of me, but at least it was never overpowered by the crowd. The band helped in that regard, playing, like FCL before them a pretty peppy and upbeat set — Ohbijou in party mode. Which meant that a lot of the songs' usual nuance was left for the wayside in favour of a different kind of emotional connection. After a couple songs establishing this mood, the cavalcade of guest stars began with John O'Regan of The D'Urbervilles joining in on "The Otherside", swapping the melancholy for a jaunty edge. The stage was then filled full of even more friends for a singalong of "Staten Island Waltz", a song written by Sarah Creskey who contributed vox along with a crowd including Basia Bulat, Sylvie Smith, Jonas Bonnetta and quite a few more, all joining in as Casey passed around lyric sheets. Nils Edenloff then came on to trade verses on "To Rest in Peace on Righteous Tides", another track from the first album not aired out for a little while. And, after a couple more songs, Ohbijou pushed it to their disco-dancing zenith as Gentleman Reg and Kelly McMichael joined them for a cover of Annie's "Heartbeat", complete with extended wokkachikka riffing. Certainly different than a usual night out with Ohbijou, but a helluva party.
Listen to a track from this set here.
All of which set the mood well for Bocce, a Waterloo-based crew I knew only by reputation. With a drummer plus three guys up front on synths, effects and vox they created a frenzied dance party. It might not be totally inaccurate to assert that when it comes to evaluating the relative merits of DOR bands I'm a bit more of an uninterested observer than a disinterested one and also fair to note that someone without a slip in their hip isn't the right person to say if what the band was doing was working. Fair enough. But still, I stuck around to see what I could get out of it and found it to be a generally fun experience, if not strongly affecting me. The band, at least, knew what their job was and went about their business of catering chaos with a fair amount of enthusiasm. Tony Salomone4 was the most kinetic, moving around the stage and beyond into the crowd. The band was on for forty-five minutes, the set concluding with a pass-the-mic freestyle with a heap of guests that included Kat Burns quite credibly rapping a few verses5 and ended up with members of the audience dancing on stage. So, yeah, fun stuff and a good end to the night.
1 It's been a month or three since I've been to Lee's — when did they do that bit of interior design and straighten up the little jog at the entrance? Definitely a good idea.
2 Afterthought: Something in this set must've worked, since I've had "Cedars" stuck in my head for the past two or three days now.
3 So, back-to-back times I've seen the D'Urbervilles essentially storming the stage while another band was playing and taking over the gig — now I'm going to start expecting them to burst out of the the wings at, like, every show I go to, some sort of righteous vengeance force swooping down like KRS-One on P.M. Dawn.
4 Wearing a totally boss Thrush Hermit Smart Bomb t-shirt.
5 Not the first time I've seen her busting rhymes on stage, if you include her gangsta turn at the Rock Lottery.
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