Sound Salvation Army

If music is indeed moving back towards shorter formats like vinyl and digital singles I think we’ll be just fine. While there’s something to be said for the mastery and majesty that goes into crafting a real back-to-front piece of art (ie OK Computer, Paul’s Boutique, or my favourite album of 2009, the Wheat Pool’s Hauntario) there is still the possibility of creating something transcendental on a smaller scale. Many notable bands (including Radiohead and hardcore punks Paint It Black) promised to move exclusively to single formats and why not; digital is king now, right? Well, maybe we won’t go that far.

07. Bon Iver - the Blood Bank EP
If we’re being honest this is really only on here because of the title track. That’s it. The rest of it is pretty much unnecessary. Especially that goddamn vocoder or auto-tune or whatever track. Pitchfork can talk about how it runs so contrary to his established aesthetic and how the coldness of the computery sound mirrors the tenor of same. But it sucks a big fat one and that’s all there is to it. But the title track is unimpeachably brilliant. Read more here.

06. Small Brown Bike - Composite, Vol. 1
In my round-up of the top five albums of the year I included a wonderful album called Chasing Hamburg by Polar Bear Club. I lot of why I liked that album has to do with both my and that band’s affection for Small Brown Bike. They were occasionally written-off as Hot Water Music devotees but as their career progressed they developed a more complex post-rock sound that really was unique. To see them reunited and creating new music after a few years apart is goddamn heart-warming. I love this band.

05. the Lazy MKs - A Field Guide To…
A local addition from a group of guys I hadn’t heard of prior to last summer. Their blend of roots and rock, combined with their instrumental aesthetic, is a very singular thing. It’s a purposeful step well outside of the boundaries Regina’s music scene is used to and that boldness should be rewarded, especially since their audience already has been with the release of this EP. Read more here.

04. the Lawrence Arms - Buttsweat and Tears
As long as these guys release something, I’ll include it on a year-end list. That doesn’t diminish the quality of this product, however. Hell, “The Slowest Drink At The Saddest Bar On The Snowiest Day In The Greatest City” alone could carry this EP onto this list, never mind the presence of four other great songs. Their melancholic sense of self-loathing shouldn’t lend itself to music this catchy, but somehow it does. Read more here.

03. A Wilhelm Scream - self-titled EP
Probably the most talented band in punk today takes their first stab at a short-form release in a very long time and make it work. “Fun Time” might be seen as a mis-step if you’re used to hearing them play the most complicated shit they can think of 24/7, but its straight-forward, no frills, pop rock arrangement is just another example of the level of skill these guys possess; they have so many talents they rarely if ever utilize some of them. Read more here.

02. Laura Stevenson & the Cans/Bomb The Music Industry! split 7″
While there are four very good songs on this 7″ one soars above the others (previously documented here). Laura Stevenson’s cover of BTMI!’s “It Ceases To Be ‘Whining’ If You’re Still ‘Shitting Blood’” (yes, gross) is one of most beautiful songs with multiple f-bombs in it I’ve ever heard. Rest assured, that’s an unnecessary qualifier. She can’t help but create slightly off-kilter yet ceaselessly gorgeous songs and here she proves as capable with interpretation as she does with creation.

01. Jon Snodgrass/Cory Branan split LP
Each of these two country-influenced singer-songwriters could’ve released their individual tracks from this release on their own and garnered a spot on this list, but the fact that they combined forces to put out an album of mind-boggling quality makes them a clear favourite for top spot. Snodgrass continues the dour acoustic arrangements that marked some of the high low points of his first solo LP, Visitor’s Band; the highlight here from him is “Wild One,” a tortured plea for a lost lover to come home. His deft chord changes propel a powerful vocal performance to a conclusion that comes way too soon. As for Branan, I’ve NEVER been as immediately and fully impressed by a musician as I was after my first listen to his tracks on this album. Never. I cannot pick a favourite from his songs here; “the Corner” is a meditation on lost love that falls somewhere in between absolute misery and whistful remembrance, “Walk Around” is a joyful romp that runs awfully close to being too clever by half, and “Yeah, So What?” is a shamelessly flirtatious cover that swaggers through its entire length. I swear I’ve listened to this EP 100 times at least since November. It is absolutely without peer.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Small Brown Bike - Hourglass: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 the Lazy MKs - Burgess Lake [3:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 the Lawrence Arms - The Slowest Drink In The Saddest Bar On The Snowiest Day In The Greatest City [3:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 A Wilhelm Scream - Australias [2:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Laura Stevenson & the Cans - It Ceases To Be "Whining" If You're Still "Shitting Blood" [2:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Cory Branan - Walk Around [3:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Bon Iver: Physical and iTunes
Small Brown Bike: Physical and iTunes
the Lazy MKs: Physical (although you could probably just go to a record store near you) and iTunes
Lawrence Arms: Physical and iTunes
A Wilhelm Scream: Physical and iTunes
Laura Stevenson/BTMI: Physical and iTunes (Bomb The Music Industry! only)
Jon Snodgrass/Cory Branan: Physical and iTunes (together, Branan solo, Snodgrass solo. Keep in mind, however, that Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective has their own digital download service that is cheaper than iTunes. That can be accessed through the first link.

Pat entries A Wilhelm Scream, acoustic, best ofs, Bomb The Music Industry!, Bon Iver, Canadian content, Cory Branan, indie rock, Jon Snodgrass, Laura Stevenson and the Cans, punk rock, Small Brown Bike, the Lawrence Arms, the Lazy MKs, year in review

Since changing the name of their band (probably the smartest move they’ve ever made), A Wilhelm Scream has issued a progressively more brilliant series of LPs that culminated in 2007’s Career Suicide. This EP is not their finest work, but it is the sound of the group and its newest member feeling each other out.

Last year Chris Levesque, one half of an impossibly-dynamic guitar duo, up and left the group. His replacement, Mike Supina, proves on this self-titled vinyl/digital release to have equally impressive chops. Fans can rest easy knowing that the incredibly technical nature of their songwriting remains intact, with jaw-dropping riffage and neck-snapping time changes littered throughout this five-song set. Opener “Australias” continues directly where Career Suicide left off, throwing Supina and founding guitarist Trevor Reilly front and center with some frantic riffing. Aside from the middle track, “Fun Times,” the tracks don’t deviate much from Wilhelm’s usual modus operandi: furious playing, melodic but gruff vocals, some occasional metal-ish riffs, and a somewhat pessimistic and bristly lyrical bent.

There are several sections where the band seems to be searching for the next area in which to expand their sound. In particular the outro of closer “Skid Rock” slows way down to provide what might be the closest thing to a “pretty” piece of music they’ve recorded (although Brian Robinson’s dextrous, fuzzed-out bass steps on that a bit) before turning full-circle to end on a more aggressive note. “Fun Times” is the biggest step outside their usual comfort zone, a down-right slow and much more straight-forward track that serves as their version of a pop-rock song. Its just as up-front lyrically, a song about the unifying camaraderie that comes with drinking and writing songs with your friends. While the tone is a bit downtrodden, it serves as a positive lyrical counterpoint to “Skid Rock”’s assertion that friends are merely, “enemies in the making.”

This is a great stop-gap release that should help make sure their next full-length has a unified and cohesive songwriting effort behind it. Hell, you could probably argue they’re pretty much the whole way there based on these few tracks. But these tracks pale in comparison to the dizzying highs of Ruiner and Career Suicide’s best cuts. I get the feeling there’s an even bigger next step in store for what is easily the most gifted band in punk rock today as long as they work their way carefully towards it.

In short, I wouldn’t start with this EP if you’re looking for a first exposure to the band but I think it will provide some important context in the future when we’re looking back on A Wilhelm Scream’s legacy.

 

 A Wilhelm Scream - Australias [2:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The self-titled EP is available from Paper + Plastick’s webstore, kind of. It looks like they only have mp3/flac purchases listed on there, there’s no vinyl option for it anywhere in there. Maybe it hasn’t been pressed yet. Or maybe their stores sucks. I don’t know. Other albums might be at Vinyl Collective or Interpunk.

Pat entries A Wilhelm Scream, EP, melodic hardcore, Paper + Plastick Records, punk rock

That charty-chart-chart-chart is the visual accompaniment to a very illuminating New York Times article that details the financial situation at Atlantic Records (now part of the Warner Music Group). For the first time ever in their or any other major label’s history, digital music sales have surpassed physical. That’s wild.

Julie Greenwald, president of Atlantic Records states in the article that her label “gets it,” saying “It used to be that you could connect five dots and sell a million records. Now there are 20 dots you can connect to sell a million records.” That’s pretty great, aside from the fact that her label is still a member in a consortium group that continues to pursue completely unreasonable scare tactics/lawsuits against people and practices that either can’t pay, don’t exist, or haven’t harmed anyone’s bottom line.

It’ll be nice to some day see the archaic structure of the music industry bend and break once someone somewhere realizes that the digital age needs to be embraced. And that’s coming from a dude that owns more physical copies of music than some people have heard in their lifetime.

If you don’t feel informed about the RIAA, check out Gizmodo’s anti-RIAA manifesto. While this all might be a bit hypocritical seeing as though the vast majority of our posts link to itunes (a huge retailer for the major labels) that service has been one of the biggest digital success stories for a reason: they charge a fair, competitive rate, compensate smaller labels just as well as big ones, and offer anyone the opportunity to sell their product through their service. You’ll also notice that whenever possible we link to healthy alternatives like the wonderful Zunior site.

Anyway, I would never forsake an artist simple because of the label they’ve signed to, but I’m still surprised that some bands don’t know better. But again, I’m also an outsider with no real perspective of any kind, so please accept the grain of salt that comes with the downloads below.

 

 the Doers - Art For Dollars [1:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 A Wilhelm Scream - They Like Their Turtlenecks Ribbed [0:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Bridge and Tunnel - White Collar Crime Scene [3:38m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

the Doers: itunes or check these instructions on how to buy
A Wilhelm Scream: itunes or webstore
Bridge and Tunnel: itunes or no idea’s website
400 Strong: used to be a local Regina band, but they haven’t been around in like eight years
the Measure [SA]: the [SA] stands for “strictly analog” so you won’t see any itunes material, but check this list out for their vinyl releases.

Pat entries A Wilhelm Scream, Bridge and Tunnel, digital, RIAA, the Doers, the music business

On the drive home from the A Wilhelm Scream show (see previous post) I was, needless to say, tired as a hound dog. But an iced cappuccino and a packet of Skittles could only do so much and the seven or eight albums on the lone mp3 CD in the car was getting a bit rote after a couple of hours. Once we got close enough to Brandon (two hours from Winnipeg, three from Regina), I knew what would keep me at attention.

I went to school there for broadcast media training, and part of our course was hosting music and news blocks on the campus/community radio station that was conveniently housed on campus. Our first year there was the first year it even existed, actually, and that’s the impetus for this entry.

Our station’s mandate was non-hit music of any genre; if we played more than 10% hit music (anything that was on the Billboard Top 40 or comparable charting mechanisms in the last 40 years) we’d get fined or shut down. We got awfully close because of the laziness and poor taste of some of my classmates, so I spent a ton of my spare time in second year loading CD after CD from my personal library into the station’s music library. I’m talking daily for weeks and weeks on end, hours at a time.

This was when I wasn’t hosting the now-legendary (in our own minds) Pat n’ Henry Show with the very Henry behind the functionality and appearance of this site. We played whatever we want, spent a lot of time talking about the artists and whatever came into our heads (so much so that our future program director joked that the show was great because there was a lot of can/con and it was half spoken-word). I’m pretty sure our biggest demographic was people in a nearby prison facility, as we got more email, phone, and IM requests from there than from any other listeners (they just wanted to hear Slayer though).

Anyhow, whenever I drive through the area I flip on old CJJJ 106.5 fm and count the number of songs I’m directly responsible for. The number has diminished slightly in the five years since, as new students, PD’s, and staff members come and go, but there was still at least a half dozen during the 20 to 30 minute drive it takes to go in and out of the station’s minimal broadcast range.

This mix tape is a sampling of what popped up this trip. Not the greatest music in the world, but it certainly is representative of an important period of my life.

 

 Hot Water Music - Trusty Chords [2:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 the Unicorns - Tuff Ghost [2:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tenacious D - Tribute [4:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Against Me! - Pints of Guinness Make You Strong [2:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Thursday - War All The Time [4:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Jets To Brazil - Sweet Avenue [5:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Check out these artists if you want to, but you can also follow the development of a nascent community radio station here — now with streaming audio!

Pat entries A Wilhelm Scream, Brandon Manitoba, community radio, FM radio, mix tapes, nostalgia, road trip

Among my favourite bands working today is a stalwart group of incredibly talented young men from New Bedford, Massachusetts.  Long-time readers may remember that their 2007 missive Career Suicide was my eighth favourite album of the year, and for good reason. Like their previous two albums it focuses on anger-driven lyrics, extremely intricate melodic hardcore arrangements, and bucketloads of speed. Unlike the previous two, this one shreds harder than ever. It shreds so hard it could make a lot of nachos.

I had the privilege of seeing them live in Regina a while back, but it was in an opening capacity and left me wanting so much more (it also ended up being my favourite live set of the year despite that, as explained in the above link). They simply play like nobody else does, like punk bands used to play. They playing is mostly flawless despite the challenging arrangements and they just exude energy. I know the benchmark of a good performance is never how many consecutive jumps a guitar player can execute in rapid succession, but if it were these guys would be the biggest band in the world. The members are constantly moving, jumping, and thrashing all while jamming out some beautifully complicated solos and guitar figures. What’s more, it couldn’t be more obvious that they’re having the time of their life, even when playing to a maximum of 75 to 100 people in a small, sweaty club in Regina, Saskatchewan where their awful record label has yet to penetrate with their product. They continually expressed surprise and gratitude at both the number of and exuberance of the people that were there.

Last week they finally returned to Regina as headliners, and I prepared to have my face melted.

Used to the usual late starters, Jenny and I showed up at 9:45 or so, expecting to get in at least one beer before they took the stage. Little did we realize how early the band went on; we arrived about a third of the way through the damn set. We were so impressed, however, that we weren’t at all satisfied.

Which leads me to the point: we enjoyed it so damn much I took the next day off of work and we followed those bastards five hours up the road to Winnipeg. We had to speed like hell, as the show somehow started at 6:00pm (the fuck?) and we figured the band would go on at 9:00pm at the latest. We managed to get a beer in before they went on this time and took in the whole set. A post-set beer later and we were back on the road, basking in the glow of the single finest punk rock band working today. We may have only been in town for three hours (and on the road for 10) but I’ll be damned if I wouldn’t do it again in a second.

Of course, the drive back totally sucked balls, but that’s another story. This mixtape is a terrific primer on A Wilhelm Scream and will also help you stay up late at night on a long drive

 

 A Wilhelm Scream - the King Is Dead [3:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 A Wilhelm Scream - Me Vs. Morrissey In The Pretentiousness Contest (the Ladder Match) [1:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 A Wilhelm Scream - Get Mad You Son Of A Bitch [3:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 A Wilhelm Scream - Diver [3:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 A Wilhelm Scream - William Blake Overdrive [3:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 A Wilhelm Scream - We Built This City On Debts and Booze [5:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

A Wilhelm Scream unfortunately spent the last five or six years on the worst record label ever — and they’ll be the first to tell you that. Visit Interpunk to buy their music, even if they aren’t getting their royalty cheques.

Pat entries A Wilhelm Scream, beer, live music, mix tapes, road trip, Winnipeg Manitoba

I tend to enjoy Blender magazine on a pretty regular basis. I somehow missed this phenomenal experiment when/if it appeared in the magazine proper, and I’m kind of sad I did.

The premise is simple: take the song the magazine decided was the worst song ever (Jefferson Starship’s “We Built This City [On Rock n' Roll]” — which by the way they totally didn’t) and make a dude listen to it on repeat for 24 straight hours.

It doesn’t seem so bad. At least until you think about it.

 

 A Wilhelm Scream - We Built This City (On Debts and Booze) [5:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Music by Jefferson Starship should not be purchased by anyone, ever. EVER. A Wilhelm Scream, on the other hand, have a new record coming out that celebrates their fusion of punk song structure, metal riffage, and hilariously decadent cursing. Career Suicide and their other releases can be found from:
iTunes: Actually, it doesn’t have the new one yet.
Interpunk: go here and search for ‘a wilhelm scream’

Pat entries A Wilhelm Scream, Blender Magazine, experimental, Jefferson Starship