Sound Salvation Army

So last month, I saw the Murder Plans at the Horseshoe. I will always remember it as one of the last days I felt good before this god-forsaken cold set in and ruined my life.

First I got a regular wicked cold and flu, then bronchitis, now… who knows? Another nasty illness. This time with phlegm! It’s been three weeks and change since I’ve felt good. But today is a little less awful and I’m hopeful that by this evening, I’ll be feeling fine enough to bookend my illness with Murder Plans shows as they’re playing at Bread + Circus tonight for Toronto Indie Week. They go on at 10:45, plenty of time to get out to Kensington.

They’ve drawn comparisons to Wilco and The Constantines, but I also hear some Waits and Cohen influences. The songs are well-crafted, moody and deliberate. The songwriting is pretty stellar, too. They’re channeling Jarvis Cocker on Hurt Somebody, and the imagery on Hour Hands is nothing short of brilliant. They’ve captured a certain mood that I’ve been in for months now. Sort of malaise meets optimism. Like, I hope things get better, but I doubt they will. Sorry, Conan. Too late for me not to be cynical. I’m a jaded lady and sometimes, I just need a soundtrack for that.

Normally, when I go to a show for a band I’ve never heard of before, I pick up the album, give it a listen or two and forget about it. But Good Omens, the debut full-length from this Ottawa foursome, has been playing steadily on my iPod since their Horseshoe CD release show. High compliment in a world where very little music I hear holds my interest for very long.

Buy their album at their store or maple music or iTunes and definitely check them out live if you can.

 

 The Murder Plans - Hour Hands: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 The Murder Plans - Hurt Somebody: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tanis entries Canadian content, concerts, live music, mp3, the murder plans

Ola, amigos! I’m feeling festive cuz it’s so nice out here! I can finally run outside again, the arena isn’t freezing cold during derby practice and my cats are done shedding. Another sign of impending summer: Hillside tickets went on sale this past weekend.

Weekend passes sold out in record time, as usual. It’s been my experience that you can find some on craigslist or kijiji or some extremely last-minute options (like, day of, people putting signs up) at the Stone Health Store on Commercial St. You can also still gain entry via volunteerism.

Site favourites performing at Guelph’s big/little music festival include Basia Bulat, Calexico, Corb Lund, Shad, Stars, Sarah Harmer and local teens The Canned Goods — I’m super excited to see them score a spot because I know it was a big goal for this group. Don’t miss them!

As always, it’s a good, solid lineup worth the hassle of festival-going. If there’s one festival that might change your mind about festivals, this would be it. I’ve seen a lot of these acts before and they will inevitably put on a great show. Gord Downie is performing with his backing band and I know for a fact that Hillside organizer Sam Baijal is super excited about scoring Los Lobos. I’d love to see those performers play with Sarah Harmer and Calexico, respectively.

There are a host of other performers that you can check out on the official Hillside site. Hope to see you there!

 

 Calexico - Roka: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Sarah Harmer - Escarpment Blues: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 The Canned Goods - Julia: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tanis entries Calexico, Canadian content, concerts, Guelph, Hillside Festival, live music, mp3, Sarah Harmer, The Canned Goods

And that’s just fine with me.

They have never put out an album I have disliked. But it’s unlikely they’ll ever produce an album that so perfectly captured the mood of the times like 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. It was a high water mark in their career of being awesome, and this year’s Transference is much the same, if more of a grower.

There were songs on Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga that I immediately took to and loved and they’re now some of my favourite songs of all time. I’m really trying not to sound like a super fan, but I think I’m failing. Anyway, I like this new album. I’ve listened to it non-stop since I got it. But I’m having a hard time writing about it. I’m not sure why.

As a whole, Transference sounds a lot like their last album. And every Spoon album, really. There are moments of brilliance. Sheer genius. Jangly, discordant notes that somehow, in Spoon’s hands, sound right together. Jarring sounds — including Britt Daniel’s craggy, lonely voice — come together to make beautiful music. There are a lot of songs on Transference that remind me of other Spoon songs. And that’s not a bad thing, because they’re good. But they’re kinda interchangeable. So I picked one, “Trouble Comes Running” to play for you here.

Last time out, the listening experience felt extremely intimate and personal, but Transference feels slightly removed and chilly. It’s surprising, but beautiful in its own way. Like going to bed on a steamy, hot summer evening and waking up to frozen streets and trees covered in prickly hoarfrost.

And another thing I’ve noticed that seems different here is the percussion. It seems a little samey, a little drone-y. And it carries over on almost every song. There are things that break it up, but it can be a little much.

“Got Nuffin” is one of those songs where the drums just overwhelm you, but the scratchy, fuzzy guitar cuts through that drumming cleanly. Britt Daniel does his gravel-voiced falsetto to perfection and, in fact, on a few songs, like the slow, simple, quiet rightness of “Goodnight Laura” I think he sounds remarkably clear and smooth. Like he’s been taking vocal lessons or something. I can’t decide which version of his voice I like better, but I like that he made an effort to try something slightly different.

Really, this is a fantastic album and another fine addition to Spoon’s ever-expanding catalogue of fantastic albums. It’s going to be tough to beat Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and ultimately, I’m not sure they’ve done that with Transference. But I can’t wait to see them tonight in Toronto at Sound Academy.

Buy their stuff, including vinyl, on their online store or iTunes.

 

 Spoon - Trouble Comes Running : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Spoon - Goodnight Laura: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Spoon - Got Nuffin: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tanis entries Britt Daniel, concerts, live music, mp3, Spoon