Sound Salvation Army

It’s a fine line between theme and gimmick. One has to wonder if/when the Library Voices literary bent will come back to bite the group.

The Regina band’s latest album, Summer of Lust, is out today. Like their previous releases it pairs immense pop hooks with wry lyrics stuffed full of literary name-drops, references, and allusions. Roughly equal amounts of press has been given to the band for its catchy musical arrangements and its willingness to play up their apparent bookworminess, be it in song titles (”Things We Stole From Vonnegut’s Grave,” “Reluctant Readers Make Reluctant Lovers,” “If Raymond Carver Was Born In The 90s,” “Bodies Of Fiction,” etc) or in lyrics (authors like Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Joseph Heller and Richard Yates are mentioned in just one single song). It’s a device that plays to a decidedly hipster fan base, but while it might be seen as charming by some it can also be interpreted as pretention, having the potential to drive away listeners before they even push the play button.

That would be a shame, now more than ever. The band has hit a stride, paring down this year to its smallest line-up yet (six people) and quickly recording an album that overtakes its predecessors in nearly every way.

Like their previous albums, the band leads off Summer of Lust with an unimpeachably rock-solid lead track. “If Raymond Carver Was Born In The 90’s” is a terrific piece of pop that is also emblematic of the album as a whole. Awash in keyboard and synth sounds (I’m pretty sure there’s some theremin in there as well), it’s an upbeat rock song that simultaneously laments and celebrates the road-weary life of touring musicians trying to live their dream. I will admit to not being familiar enough with the American short story author referenced in the title to know if the song’s theme echo his work but either way the song starts the album out on a high note, introducing new listeners to the swirling synths and Carl Johnson’s desperate tenor that are the hallmarks of their sound.

From back to front this record is extremely upbeat, taking on galloping rhythms and elements of classic early-era pop and rock songs to give the tracks some backbone. Take for example the early-release track “The Prime Minister’s Daughter,” a song deftly released a month before Canada’s federal election (nearly five months before the album release date). The group’s first blatant protest song, singer Carl Johnson shimmies his way through another pointedly synth-drenched track whose lyric condemns the Tory government for rolling back arts funding. It’s a pretty damn perfect song, an incredibly catchy number that pleads with Stephen Harper’s daughter by name to realize that there are young musicians in Canada that have to work double shifts tending bar just to be able to afford to live while making music. The wryly disingenuous line, “Ordinary people don’t care about art,” is a perfectly back-handed swipe at the Harper government (or any government for that matter) that uses the idea of imaginary “meat and potatoes,” blue-collar citizens who demand to see less “frivolous” spending as a justification for reducing support to areas they don’t like or understand.

The plight of the beleaguered musician is here in full force, but there are other thematic arcs on the record as well. “Anthem For A New Canadia” isn’t as geographically centered as its title may suggest; like single “Generation Handclap” it uses modern technology as a jumping-off point to express something between criticism, concern, and observation about the current state of adults who aren’t quite adults; they’re the people approaching their thirties who don’t have a home, aren’t settling down and having babies, or even have what’s typically considered a “career.” They’re the people who, as lyricist Mike Dawson puts it, “write letters to home and then send them by phone.” It’s a succinct encapsulation of how the times, they are a-changin’.

Like any good poet, Dawson also tends to over-romanticize his sexual dalliances. “Be My Juliette Gréco, Paris 1949″ is a great example in which he compares a lover he is “always coming back to” to Miles Davis and the titular French singer. How a 30 year-old Saskatchewanian has an intimate knowledge of the age “before Photoshopped hips and collagen smiles” is beyond me but it makes for a good, obscure reference (akin to the average John K. Samson song) that will send listeners running for their Google search bar (see what I did there?).

Lyrics aside the album’s production helps feed the more immediate sound the band has cultivated, the studio less of a presence than on their previous full-length. The tracks have a “live from the floor” feel that scrapes off the polish of the last album that glossed up the songs to an almost absurd degree. While synths and keys are the most prominent musical force here Brennan Ross’ guitar also shines with creative leads soaked in reverb that help fill out the arrangements in a wonderful way. Paul Gutheil’s saxophone also continues to be a delightful break from the norm, although it seems to have been used more sparingly this time around.

The liner notes for Summer of Lust feature (surprise!) a quote from Pablo Neruda that sums up the album for me, although probably not in the way the band intended. “I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too,” it reads. That accurately describes my relationship with the band because, while I could not have enjoyed a handful of the songs on their previous records more, they haven’t stuck with me in a very big way. As much as the songs on Denim on Denim were archetypal pop songs of the highest order the album as a whole had no staying power with me; it isn’t something I frequently seek out, something that I crave. Summer of Lust is a different creature altogether, an album that is delightfully cohesive and decidedly memorable. It’s another accomplishment for Regina’s music scene that should have an impact far and wide.

Here’s hoping that unlike Dickinson, Plath, and Thoreau they’re appreciated in their own time. I promise you, reluctant readers, if you can get past their occasionally-cloying literary crutches there’s plenty for you here.

 

 Library Voices - The Prime Minister's Daughter: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Library Voices - If Raymond Carver Were Born In The 90's: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can buy Library Voices albums through their website or via iTunes. They’re also touring like the dickens with a ton of Canadian dates already booked.

Pat entries Canadian content, hipsters, indie pop, Library Voices, local flavour, local music, Regina

An acquaintance of mine once insisted she didn’t “get” Stars. Namely, why two vocalists she insisted weren’t that talented were pushed so prominently forward in the mix on their records, why the songs were always centered around some kind of melodramatic romanticism.

But it’s those two elements that are so central to what makes Stars Stars. It also serves to both elevate their new album, the Five Ghosts, and simultaneously drag it down.

It takes only a cursory listen to any Stars song to realize that, yes, Amy Milan and Torquil Campbell are not the most showy singers; they don’t have Roy Orbison’s range (a suspected four octaves; respect) or Peabo Bryson’s bombast (huh?) or Susan Boyle’s dynamism (what?). Their performances are generally breathy, low-key, sometimes thin, all but whispers. But it’s less the singing than the devastating melodies those voices carry across to the listener that really count.

The one-two punch of “Dead Hearts” and “Wasted Daylight” is without a doubt the strongest album opening the band has ever had in that respect. Where other records have begun with drawn-out, meandering introductory pieces the Five Ghosts cuts right to the chase with one of the most memorable vocal melodies the group has ever produced. “Wasted Daylight,” one of the album’s more propulsive, building musical numbers is also boosted by a lilting and plaintive vocal melody. While much of the album doesn’t share the same lightness or brightness, the melodies remain the most prominent feature of Stars’ work.

And say what you will about the weight and gravitas of their voices, but Milan and Campbell have rarely sounded as versatile and, well, GOOD before. Their parts are clear, impassioned, and distinct and they continue to reach a new plateau every time out.

But it’s the other half of the songwriting equation where this album fails to capture my imagination. While the band did strike it big with “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” (their most organic, orchestral songs to date) the vast majority of their career outside of the Set Yourself On Fire album has been based in electronic and keyboard sounds. The Five Ghosts might be their most thoroughly synthesized album since their earliest EPs, a fact which I’m not really that fond of. A band with this much pomp and drama, both lyrically and musically, comes across as seriously maudlin over the course of 40 chilly minutes of down-beat keyboards. I’m sure a lot of it has to do with personal preference, though; to me heartbreak is so much more tangible on a song like “Personal” (from the previous LP, In Our Bedroom After The War) that’s built around guitar and piano than the distant drum machining and swirling, atmospheric synths of a track like “He Dreams He’s Awake.” Again, maybe that’s just me.

Tonally this album once again lays the melodrama on pretty thick. Drama is a central tenant to what makes this band tick, but the rays of sunshine are surprisingly few and far between. In a recent interview Campbell told Exclaim! he always saw Stars as a band that makes “sad dance music” and that’s definitely true here. But there is virtually nothing uplifting, nothing in the vein of a “Look Up,” “Take Me To The Riot,” or “Ageless Beauty.” Everything here is death, aversion to change, zombies (unless I’m reading something into “Dead Hearts” that isn’t there), unappealing potential paramours, and fistfights between lovers. The final coda of the album declares, “Winter lives in my bones/it’s all I’ve ever known.” That seems like an all too fitting way to end this record.

I suppose it was just a matter of time until Stars let me down. The trilogy of their last several full-length albums has been too perfect; the other shoe had to drop sooner or later. The first half of the Five Ghosts is very good, and “Changes” is a pleasant surprise tucked into the latter half. But the majority of this album feels too cold, too distant. It’s a moody piece of work that is either not fitting my current frame of mind or is just a little too detached and depressing. I’m still not entirely certain.

 

 Stars - Dead Hearts [3:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Stars - Wasted Daylight [3:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Pick up the Five Ghosts in every conceivable format from the band’s web store. They’re also touring for pretty much the rest of the year, but (as they did earlier) they appear to be skipping Saskatchewan entirely.

That’s one more rung you’re slipping, Stars.

Pat entries Canadian content, indie pop, keyboard-gasm, keyboards, pop, snubs, Stars

Sorry for the unexpected downtime, avid readers. I’m assuming one or two of you noticed, anyway. We’ll try to avoid that next year. Please accept my apology in the form of a short mix of some of the best songs you’re going to hear this year.

Library Voices
Call them local favourites if you will but Library Voices stands on their own merit. Their debut full-length came out this past Tuesday and managed to find it’s way to the fifth spot on the iTunes sales chart. Pretty fucking good for a bunch of fauxhemians from Regina. It isn’t hard to understand after setting your ears on the lead-off track and first single, “Drinking Games,” found below. Combining some Beach Boys-style harmonies and a copious amount of handclaps (underpinned by a quietly melancholic melody and lyric) it’s an engaging and infectious slice of pop perfection. And it’s got a fantastic video to go along with it.

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
Ted Leo is an all-time favourite of mine and it’s great to see him back on his game. Inspired by 80’s hardcore (more in tenor and aesthetic than sound), the Brutalist Bricks sees Leo and his latest batch of Pharmacists pounding out his most focused collection of songs since Shake The Sheets. Not only that but it also features what might be among his greatest songs ever. “Bottled In Cork” distills a wide range of international sentiment towards Americans in the light of Bush-era foreign policy into three minutes and fifteen seconds that’s jammed with a whole pile of wordiness. He doesn’t shy away from the song’s central melody for a moment, pushing it constantly to the forefront and leaving it out there until it sticks. And stick it will. The frantic, infectious drumming and a ripping guitar solo don’t hurt either.

Cursive
If there’s one thing Tim Kasher does well consistently it’s tension. This highlight from Mama, I’m Swollen (a bit of a WTF album title if ever there was one) has it in spades. Music and art have often been a stand-in or metaphor for sex in Kasher’s songs; consequently sex has often been a topic of much attention and contention in his writing. Needless to say, the underlying meaning here is as clear as day. Like the best intimate encounters it stars out quiet and subtly and builds to an energetic and unrestrained climax that only makes you anxious for the next one. If you caught the band’s amped-up performance of this track on a certain late night TV show (don’t worry if you didn’t, we’ve got you covered) you’re already sold, but a single listen to the track should do the job also.

Silver Starling
The slow-burner of the group, this track serves as the big, slow-moving hook that opens this Montreal band’s self-titled debut. Tanis has previously mentioned them and their ties to certain Canadian indie rock royalty, so we won’t re-tread that. Instead I’ll simply say that the coy, pained delivery of the vocals in this song tell all the story the lyrics forget to. The expressive, redolant vocals of Marcus Paquin might be their strongest weapon. I’m surprised I haven’t heard more people talk about this album. We might have to do more on this one in the near future.

So there you go, folks. Sorry for the two week lapse. Stay tuned for more of what you’re used to and maybe some new things here and there. We’re working on some pretty big projects for the summer and if my plans come to fruition it should be a busy but productive time.

 

 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Bottled In Cork [3:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Library Voices - Drinking Games [4:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Cursive - From The Hips [3:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Silver Starling - Something Over Nothing [4:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Library Voices: Find Denim on Denim on iTunes or in stores. First EP can be found at Zunior as well.
Ted Leo: Physical albums through Matastore, merch is available through his webstore and albums are digital via iTunes (with bonus track)
Cursive: Albums are all available through this here webstore and digitally through the iTunes
Silver Starling: Digital purchases through Last Gang and the iTunes. Might have to check stores for physical purchases.

Pat entries Canadian content, Cursive, indie pop, indie rock, Library Voices, pop, pop rock, Silver Starling, singles, Ted Leo

Is this the next big L.A. indie-pop band? All signs seem to be pointing to yes, even if their home base is pretty much the diametric opposite of their name.

Great Northern have been getting a lot of attention in the short few weeks since the release of their second LP, Remind Me Where The Light Is, a slab o’ wax that offers a stately compendium of sounds previously captured by groups like Rilo Kiley, Metric, and Silversun Pickups. Like Great Northern, those bands have all spent at least some formative time in the greater Los Angeles area during their career.

The two principal band members have spent some time in other outfits, most notably (and sketchily) 30 Seconds To Mars. Since setting out on their own, Rachel Stolte and Solon Bixler have been trying to carve out their own niche with dreamy, sometimes atmospheric pop songs. Piano was the driving force on their first album, whereas rock guitars step up in a big way on this latest release.

Like Metric, some songs (”Story,” “Warning”) lock themselves into a groove to hammer home a riff or hook, attempting to elevate that section for the listener. Fuzzed-out guitar tones and noodly leads (”Houses,” the outro on “Snakes”) evince the guitar histrionics of Silversun Pickups, and on tracks like “Fingers,” “Snakes,” and “Stop” the duo recalls the more anthemic boy/girl tendencies of Rilo Kiley. Those songs build up on the back of pianos and well-arranged strings, soaring to some of the albums highest points. Rather unexpectedly, when Bixler plays the piano and takes over lead vocals, he occasionally ventures into a very Spencer Krug-type tenor that kind of catches you off guard.

Of course those comparisons aren’t meant to diminish the effort being put forth. Those elements are seamlessly integrated into the bands existing aesthetic, which on this album seems to be shifting to a motif that is at times brooding and melancholy. That’s most apparent in the early stages of my favourite track on the album, “Fingers.” Stotle’s vocal performance is downright menacing, especially when paired with creepy, Hitchcockian strings in those beginning moments.

If there’s any significant downside, I’d say its that the lyrics seem to be as random and enigmatic as some of the sounds. F’rinstance: a song with a title as succinct and evocative as “Warning” really ought to give you a sense of foreboding, put you on alert, get your hackles up. Instead the lyrics talk about missing and loving someone, and “This is a warning/calling” repeats roughly a thousand times.

Its a far more mature and complex group of songs than one might rightly expect from former members of 30 Seconds To Mars. If they keep it up I expect we could see them featured on CW and/or Fox shows, swooped up by a major level, and reaching Death Cab For Cutie/Rilo Kiley levels of fame.

 

 Great Northern - Fingers [3:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Great Northern albums are reasonably priced and available from Eenie Meenie Records. Check them out here. iTunes also is a thing that exists.

Pat entries 30 Seconds To Mars, Add new tag, Eenie Meenie Records, Great Northern, indie pop, rock

7. Drag the River - You Can’t Live This Way
There’s probably no other band I’ve discovered in the last three years that has made as enormous impact on me as Drag the River has. Having already been a big fan of most of the member’s previous bands, it was a short leap to make. The story of this band is astounding; they broke up for the second time before this album came out, but it proved to be such an incredible group of songs that caught on so quickly they came back and started touring again to support it. The division between the group’s two primary songwriters is clearer than its ever been compared to their previous releases. Where they previously evened each other out, now they’re following their own tangents: one focuses almost entirely on quiet, sombre back-porch acoustic strummers while the other’s tendency towards weird rock/country hybrids takes over. Despite it’s more scattered nature, the songs are still incredible and I’d take either of these fellows over most bands any day of the week. Luckily, they’ve got four or five releases and some vinyl reissues planned for this year (many of them in February) so it seems they aren’t going anywhere.

8. the Lucksmiths - First Frost
Casual, acoustic-based pop songs from Down Under. After discovering this album a few months ago, I’ve since delved deep into their back catalogue, all the way to their first tape. It’s a bit astounding to me how one band can be so consistently good and still be completely unknown outside their native country, but I guess it happens. There really wasn’t a better album released this year to listen to while walking through a small town on a bright afternoon or sitting next to the window on a rainy day writing in your feelings journal.

9. Old Man Leudecke - Proof Of Love
Even when I thought this album was good, I didn’t realize how good it really was. I enjoyed a half dozen tracks immensely, but after his early set at the Folk Fest in Regina during the summer, seeing his awkward, hesitant charm in person, and realizing how much people I wouldn’t have expected to like him were enjoying his songs the rest really opened itself up to me. Effortless, friendly roots music that isn’t afraid to show its heart.

 

 Drag the River - Tobacco Fields: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 the Lucksmiths - Good Light [2:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Old Man Luedecke - Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier [2:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You Can’t Live This Way is on iTunes and hard copies are put out by Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective.
First Frost might be a bit harder. I mean, iTunes is easy enough. Physical releases may be available through Matinee Records, but we’ll have to see about that.
Proof of Love dominates iTunes and Black Hen Music has his physical releases.

Pat entries banjo music, Drag The River, First Frost, indie pop, Old Man Luedecke, pop, Proof Of Love, roots, the Lucksmiths, You Can't Live This Way

In the words of some over-rated musician, let’s not shit ourselves: Tegan and Sara write love songs. Even their first label-backed release, This Business of Art had more songs about love than about the music biz.But they don’t write love songs in the traditional sense – it’s more often what leads up to and what comes after falling in and out of love than it is the, “ooh baby we’re so in love” kind of love songs. Their latest, the Con, is no different.

Where their last record consisted of pure, unabashed pop songs (with a few oddities thrown in for good measure), the twin sisters have added a bit more “indie” to the mix this time around, whatever that means. The album is bookended by sparse, gorgeous beginnings and endings (“I Was Married” and “Call It Off”) built from piano and acoustic guitar foundations with layered vocal harmonies. The sisters don’t hesitate to inject their personal experiences into the lyrics over the course of 14 songs; Sara touches on gay marriage and settling down with someone, even using the name of her partner in “Knife Going In.” Tegan acts as the other half of the love game, expressing the restlessness of someone in their mid-20’s. She even goes so far as to warn her partner, “I’m not unfaithful, but I’ll stray,” during, “Back in Your Head.”

While nothing approaches punk rock, there are some very brief songs on here, although each of them is fully realized. Tegan gets a boost of energy on her songs from Hunter Bergen, bassist for AFI. Drums are handled for all tracks by Jason McGerr of Death Cab For Cutie, and he shines – especially during the track “Nineteen.” This song is so goddamn good it gives me chills, particularly when McGerr comes in after the bridge with a raucous fill followed by some fierce cymbal pounding. Dynamite.

As in the past (most notably the last record’s “Walking With A Ghost,” covered by the White Stripes and others) – some of the most interesting cuts are the ones that wander outside of their comfort zone. “Like O, Like H” is an electrifying peek into the background of Sara’s neuroses, using a cryptic lyric and a twitchy, echoing vocal line to reflect what might go on in her head.

The girls continue to expand their musical palette while remaining direct and personal lyricists. We’ll have to wait a little while to see if any more of their work ends up on “Grey’s Anatomy” but even if that’s not the case, this is a solid enough album that they should do just fine.

 

 Tegan & Sara - Hop A Plane [1:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tegan & Sara - Like O, Like H [2:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tegan & Sara - Nineteen [2:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tegan & Sara’s fourth LP can be purchsed from: 
iTunes: Steve Jobs probably loves them
web store: should work for everyone; CD, vinyl, etc

Pat entries Canadian content, indie pop, pop rock, Tegan and Sara

The folks at Rankin Bass have given me so much. Particularly, the opportunity to get the Heat Miser song stuck in my head once a year and a paralyzing fear of dentists and elves.

There are only five sleeps left until Christmas! That means very many of you will likely be partying your brains out this weekend before you have to swallow Aunt Bertha’s fruitcake. So I wanted to send you out some of my favourite seasonal songs via a two (possibly three) part mix tape. This first half is all about the rockin’ tunes. You know. For when you want to get down and boogie to the elf dance. Except I don’t really care to post another Sufjan Stevens Christmas mix. You’ve probably heard those songs and yeah, they’re okay. But I wanted to give you a few you might not have. A few songs that will jingle your bells and stuff your stockings. You may want to include these on any party mix you make for the weekend when you go home and head out to that house party with all your high school friends.

Because if you’re going to do tequila shots while wearing a santa hat, you better do them while listening to the Ramones. On Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight) the Ramones appear to have mellowed with too much nog because they’re totally singing about my favourite holiday fantasy: A Christmas evening where I go home and don’t have a fight with my parents! Let us all bask in the warming, glowing glow of Joey Ramone’s voice.

Next, two of my favourite musical oddballs, Jens Lekman and Hawksley Workman compete in a Christmas weird-off. I’m not sure who wins. Canadian minstrel Hawksley wants to kiss you nice and deeply when you have a cold. Swedish troubadour Jens begs you not to spend Christmas Eve with your Mummy. I like both of these songs because they’re both very modern, but they’re not really conceding much artistic sensablity just to sell a Christmas album. In fact, if you don’t already have it, I heartily recommend Hawksley Workman’s Almost a Full Moon. You may doubt me, but once you hear Claire Fontaine, his ode to a pad of paper, you’ll change your mind.

The Staple Singers wonder Who Took the Merry out of Christmas? in this Stax-sanctioned groove that is oh so sweet. If you don’t like this song, you’re going on my naughty list. Which may or may not be a bad thing, depending on how you feel about handcuffs.

Speaking of leering entendres, AC/DC livens things up with their typical bluster on Mistress for Christmas. They, uh, can hear you “coming down their smokestacks” and would like to “ride your reindeer.” Hott. Not as hot, however, as the Heat Miser. Because if I have to sing the Heat Miser song in my head for the rest of the holidays, so do you!

Check in later and I’ll have some cool yule songs that you can chill out to. Oh, God. Somebody stop me from punning! Please?

 

 The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I don't want to fight tonight): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hawksley Workman - Common Cold: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Jens Lekman - Run Away With Me: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 The Staple Singers - Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas?: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 AC/DC - Mistress for Christmas: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 George S. Irving - Heat Miser: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tanis entries AC/DC, Christmas music, Hawksley Workman, indie pop, indie rock, Jens Lekman, mix tapes, pop, pop punk, Ramones, rock

(ed. Note: this is actually the first thing I wrote for the site – I’ve held off on posting it because I was considering it as a year-end entry, but we’ve shifted our year-end plans and I’ll be rolling out some potential best of 2007 material in our usual long-form)

Okay, this has to happen: let’s talk Challengers. A lot of people don’t seem to like this album at all. At least, critics don’t. The internets have been overflowing with middling to negative praise for the New Pornographers latest, but you won’t be getting that here.Challengers is a fantastic record. This band, more than any other in years, has suffered from inflated expectations due to what was an essentially flawless debut. Mass Romantic is a standard-bearer for this generation’s indie-pop/power-pop bands. It is a perfect album (and I said as much when I reviewed it back in 2001, before anyone knew who they were). But that New Pornographers is not the New Pornographers that stands before us today, performing on Letterman and offering “executive edition” box sets of its latest records.

Back then, the New Pornographers had nothing to lose. Their individual efforts (Zumpano, Destroyer, Neko Case’s existing solo work) were all critically acclaimed, but only a few people in Vancouver (and not that many outside of staffers at Mint Records) recognized that. The rest of the world had no idea who they were when they first emerged, and the spirit of collaboration that made that first record so enthralling and engaging has sort of been lost ever since. It was the only time Dan Bejar (the man that makes Destroyer) was ever assimilated into a sound; he’s been a lone wolf since then, essentially ignoring the group dynamic on the two or three songs he chooses to toss Carl Newman for each LP to go off on his own tangents. Neko Case back then was called “The Voice” for a reason: because at first her songwriting was merely okay, despite possessing a voice that makes you stop in your tracks and pay some fucking attention. At the time, she reached her zenith performing other people’s materials and the fact that she sings lead on the two best songs the band has produced (“Mass Romantic,” “Letter From An Occupant”) speaks to that.

Since then Destroyer has gotten five stars from everyone from Playboy to Chart to the New York Times and Neko Case has turned into one of alt-country’s premier songwriters, in addition to having That Voice. And all Carl newman is left with…is the New Pornographers. Hell, those other two almost never tour with the band anymore. Ninety-five per cent of the band’s fans only see the whole group when they’re performing on tv.So since Mass Romantic Newman has had to carry the bulk of the songwriting duties, trying to live up to the illustrious hooks of that first group effort. That’s why the follow-up, Electric Version, is widely considered a stumble – because A.C. was trying to figure out how to carry the load on his own. Which brings me to Challengers. What we have here is just another admirable effort, an album as equally solid as the (again) widely acclaimed Twin Cinema…but it’s also an album that makes a departure from the expected. That’s where the critics are getting it wrong – they’re too hung up on “Myriad Harbour” to give the whole work a fair shake.

Reading the reviews for this album is like listening to two wizened old men talk about how things used to be. People lament the fact that it isn’t Mass Romantic, that the sound is pared down, less cluttered, and marked by acoustic and organic instrumentation. They see it as a forced attempt to expand the playbook outside of the patterns the team is used to, calling foul on a lack of energy and a reduced tempo. All those things might be the case when put up against Mass Romantic, but again this isn’t the same band. It can’t be looked at in the same light. As a singular work, Challengers is not perfect. It could stand to lose a song or two (“Mutiny, I Promise You” treads water and “The Spirit of Giving” simply can’t follow up a track as strong as the one before it), there are less-obvious hooks, and it is a very mid- to low-tempo affair.

But like on Twin Cinema standout “the Bleeding Heart Show,” that allows for change in the dynamics of the songs, and allows the melodies to elevate to a sense of genuine beauty, not just catchiness. “Adventures In Solitude” may have a very fractured lyric, but it’s without a doubt the band’s loveliest melody yet. The whole song rides on that melody, which overpowers the senses and leaves you unable to explain why the song is so affecting. Melody also propels “My Rights Versus Yours,” which features a characteristically beautiful vocal performance. These two songs stand up against the best of the band’s catalogue, no matter which album you think is the best.

Is it a 10? No. But it’s an 8…if you take away the idea that every New Pornos album should ape Mass Romantic.

 

 New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour [4:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 New Pornographers - My Rights Versus Yours [4:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 New Pornographers - Adventures In Solitude [4:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Trust me; it’s worth your money.
iTunes: iTunes has plenty, including a new iTunes-only EP.
Matador Records: The big label has plenty, including a Europe-only b-side. Get on that, son. 

Pat entries A.C. Newman, Canadian content, Dan Bejar, indie pop, Neko Case, New Pornographers

So I had a week. During the span of seven days or so, I went to see two concerts: Stars at Regina’s the Distrikt and Tool at Saskatoon’s Credit Union Centre. Both are fine examples of excellent musical groups taking their live show to excess, but on very different levels.

Let’s start with Stars. Stars and I have a long history. I fell in love with their album Heart while living in Brandon, Manitoba. I’ve seen them five times now, four times at the Distrikt and once at Amigo’s in Saskatoon and every time it’s to a slightly bigger audience. I remember the first time Jeremy and I saw them there was maybe 50 people there. This time the place was sold out, nerds crushed together on the “dance” floor, staring mouths-agape and bodies not moving at all (aside from a few people that were way over the top).

Anyhow, the band (like Tool) is completely flawless in their performances in a live setting and throw in a few somewhat unexpected flourishes for a lower-mid-level touring band. Other tours have seen them setting up house lamps in a string on the amps and keyboards across the stage, run through a dimmer so they could bring them up and down at their leisure. This time, it was paintings and flowers set up all over the stage, the latter of which the band continuously threw into the crowd for the fans. A nice touch and a very literal way for a band very concerned with “art” to physically express that. The unfortunate part is that the crowd was filled with lamewads who were content to just stand in front of the stage (or upstairs, for that matter) and just stare, unmoving. Worse, a handful of people upstairs were sitting on the floor looking pained for the whole set. What’s that about?

That was a problem at Tool as well. Granted, there were a great deal more seats in the hockey arena the show was held in than there was floor space. At least, that’s how it seemed. Some folks around us were sitting through the whole set, which kind of blows my mind but I can also understand why.

See, the problem with Tool these days is they’ve gone from writing brilliant songs to just being a really heavy jam band. They probably only played 10 songs in two hours, and the ones that weren’t initiated by 2-6 minutes of ambient keyboard noise began with the band just fucking off for 10 minutes before deciding to play the next song. Whatsmore, their stage is fucking enormous but there’s still only four dudes in the band that don’t move around at all when they’re playing. It’s great to be able to see firsthand such gifted musicians perform complex arrangements flawlessly (probably a big part of the reason Maynard sticks to the shadows beside the drum kit, where he’s constantly silhouetted by the video screens), but they seriously don’t move at all. The bassist sat for an entire song.

That’s where the bombast comes in. I thought I’d seen a ridiculously complex video screen arrangement when the Red Hot Chili Peppers passed through, but Tool has a very comparable set-up. Four or five video screens at least six feet across are set at the back of the stage at band-level; two more rear-projection screens that must have been at least 30 feet in diameter were suspended high above on either side. Throughout the set they played custom-made, often grotesque artsy video pieces (unless I’m mistaken, made by guitarist and visual artist Adam Jones who does all the band’s album art) on all the screens, often transitioning from one side to the other. The level of detail is insane — throughout most songs, the videos transition in time with the playing, changing scenes or motifs as the sections of the song change. It’s a very admirable device that has no doubt become necessary, given the relative dullness of the players.

While both sets on the whole were totally enjoyable and definitely not worth missing, there’s one thing I would’ve liked to see done differently: the set lists. I really had no problem on the whole with Stars’ song selection, their last few tours have gone through without them playing some of my favourite songs. Tool was an exercise in frustration — most of the songs were unrecognizable at first, given the jamming/extra instrumental sections tacked on to every one to double their running time. Even worse, we didn’t see a single song from either Undertow or Ænima, the albums I love most and frankly the reasons I was willing to pay for some pretty pricey tickets (which I swear I will soon, Jeremy). 

So yes, I’d recommend both tours if you’re a fan of the groups…but if you’re hoping to hear certain material don’t get your hopes up too high. Here’s a taste of some of the songs I was hoping for and was denied. 

 

 Tool - Sober [5:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Stars - Don't Be Afraid To Sing [4:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tool - H. [6:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Stars - Look Up [4:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Stars and Tool both have a healthy on-line presence, obviously.
iTunes: We’ll start with Stars at this link, but interestingly Tool is not on iTunes. So here’s a link to the Rockabye Baby “lullabye” renditions of Tool songs, which is the closest thing on there.
Stars/Arts & Crafts online store: has a ton of stuff; I recommend the vinyl version of “In Our Bedroom After The War.”
Tool’s online store: This is actually kind of useless for anything but clothes. I guess Tool wants to be as inaccessible as possible. You’re on your own with these guys I guess.

Pat entries indie pop, live music, metal, Stars, Tool