Sound Salvation Army

The Perms are die-hards in the Canadian rock scene but there’s a very good chance you might not even realize it.

Since releasing their first album Tight Perm in 1998 (which boasts some of the best cover art OF ALL TIME) the trio has been plugging away, trying to break into the next level of musical recognition. Like most bands with day jobs they were issuing records every four or five years, honing their songwriting chops along the way in search of the perfect hook.

The release late last month of Sofia Nights marks a quicker turn-around for the group, having been just two years since the aptly-titled Keeps You Up When You’re Down. The push for rapidity seems to have served The Perms well; Sofia Nights sees them tweaking their sound in a not-too-subtle manner that really fits with their songs.

Let’s face it: a three-piece power pop band can only write the same song so many times. For their latest round of recordings, however, the group decided to embrace immediacy in the studio. They quickly threw out any ideas that weren’t working and pushed forward with a more “hard-edged sound.” If I’m being honest, though, just like an apple can only be so sour The Perms can only be so roughed-up; they aren’t Iggy and The Stooges. Think a little more C’mon and a little less Change Of Heart.

But a little aggression helps make the songs here a bit more memorable than some of their previous work. The guitars a bit grimier, more aggressive, and the tempos remain on the quicker side. “Live For Today” is a lyrically self-evident homily about carpe-ing the diem, backed up by a Big Star-like arrangement complete with a bend-heavy guitar solo. “Mannheim” is a straight-forward positive rocker (”We’re going down to Mannheim…now we’re gonna have a good time”) that may or may not be about the German city. It’s irrelevant, really; one suspects they just needed a city that rhymed with “time” to fit the scheme. “Make It Through” is a more muscular version of a song you might hear performed at a high school prom in a TV show or movie. “In No Time” bridges the gap between The Perms’ softer side and their more muscular rock sounds, a full-on duet about the pains of leaving a lover.

There are some ill-advised decisions here as well, however. Catchy though the music may be, throw-away first single “High School High” comes off like a Bowling For Soup b-side, the kind of arrested development anthem that university juniors were listening to in 2001.

But on the whole The Perms have crafted an undeniably catchy and enjoyable record with Sofia Nights. However, part of me worries about the viability of their product. Pop music simply isn’t what it used to be; Elvis Costello has put out more roots and jazz albums than rock and roll in the last decade or two. As well-constructed as The Perms songs are I’m concerned there just isn’t much of an audience for their sound. Bands that would’ve been considered contemporaries eight years ago (take past tour mates The Meligrove Band, for example) have headed in more indie/synth/dance directions on recent albums where The Perms have, for the most part, stayed true to their basic template. Of course, this is coming from someone who hasn’t listened to the last three or four Weezer albums, so maybe the pop rock community is just beyond my current realm of understanding.

Regardless, Sofia Nights will make for a great windows-down summer rock album for the next couple of weeks, should Saskatchewan’s unseasonably warm fall persist.

 

 The Perms - Mannheim: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can find iTunes and Amazon links to purchase all of The Perms’ albums through their website.

The band will also be hitting Saskatchewan for one show this month, apparently. Check them out at Lydia’s Pub on October 21st with openers Fur Eel.

Pat entries Canadian content, pop rock, power pop, the Perms, Winnipeg

What a weekend to not be in Regina.

I’m kicking myself, you guys. I’ll be in Winnipeg this weekend for a very important trip with my special lady to a city that’s not as bad as people (from Saskatchewan) think it is but I have an obligation (as a Saskatchewanian) to pretend like it stinks. But I’ll be missing SO MUCH good music, you guys!

It’s almost hard to keep it all straight but let’s start with Friday night.

Birds Are Dinosaurs are undoubtedly Regina’s most interesting group. The post-rock instrumental group frequently has a lot of members, including two drummers, and creates many-faceted songs that range from ominous to ecstatic, urgent to patient, bright to bleak, and everything in between. They also but on a downright entrancing live show, weaving textured arrangements with a studied expertise. They put out their first full-length back in 2009 and, word has it, they’re going to be working on another one. You’ll likely get a taste of that new material when they headline this month’s chapter of CJTR’s 10th Anniversary Showcase Series at the Exchange on Friday night at the Exchange. Also on the bill is the newly-renamed Sun Zoom Sparx, formerly known as Coelacanthdance. I promise, their music is better than their new name and easier to wrap your head around. Tickets, I believe, are $10 at the door.

HOWEVER, friends, conflict abounds on Friday night as well! Also playing tomorrow at the delightful Creative City Center are Surrey’s Sumner Brothers. Described by our friends over at Herohill as a roots act that even the most ardent Willie Nelson fans would have trouble finding fault in, the west coasters have toured Canada multiple times on the strength of a few criminally underrated albums (so underrated we haven’t even covered them before, in fact). Thankfully they continue to traipse across the country, guitars in tow, playing to ever-larger audiences. If a more traditional type of songcraft is your thing I highly recommend checking them out. Local musical mainstay Cam Wensel’s latest effort Black Drink Crier opens as well! Tickets are just $8 at the door (1843 Hamilton Street above Loggie’s Shoes).

Montreal by way of Calgary act Braids (mentioned all too briefly in our round-up of Regina Folk Festival’s first day) are also visiting the Exchange this weekend. They’re playing Saturday night with Pepper Rabbit and Painted Palms, two bands I literally know nothing about. I mean it; literally nothing. Braids, however, are tearing up the indie rock world right now. Their album Native Speaker has been short-listed for the Polaris Prize and is, according to some, an odds-on favourite to win. It’s layered, twisted versions of pop and rock songs are enough of a head trip to set them apart. Just take the Winnipeg Free Press’ word for it. This one is going to be jam-packed, so get your tickets at Vintage Vinyl if you don’t already.

Sunday is also going to be VERY exciting, as Hollerado roll into the Queen City on their “Meet The Mayor” tour. The concept has been so successful even the band has been surprised by it, but it goes like this: a month or so ago when they announced the show dates for their latest cross-Canada trek, the pop rock band joked on Twitter that they would endeavor to meet the mayor of every city they played. CJTR’s own Indie Insider and I relayed the message to Regina’s own Pat Fiacco and, being the amiable and eager politician that he is, he agreed to greet the group when they arrive in the city. From there, the idea spiraled, as Mayor Nenshi in Calgary also got on board. Odds are good they’ll talk about that meeting during their set, but even if they don’t you still get some of the finest pop rock happening in Canada these days. Young Rival and Wildlife open this one.

So there you have it folks. Way more amazing music than Regina is used to seeing in a month, let alone a week, crammed into a three day span. Please, miss as little of this line-up as you can.

 

 Birds Are Dinosaurs - Tragedy: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Sumner Brothers - Going Out West: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Braids - Lemonade [6:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hollerado - Americanarama: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Links!:
Birds are dinosaurs Facebook is here, because I can’t find anything else.
Sumner Brothers are on iTunes and they also have a web store.
Braids’ album is pretty cheap on iTunes and they also have a web store.
Hollerado are also iTunes fans, I guess or you can attempt to navigate their, um, unique website for physical purchase links. I sure as hell am not.

Pat entries acoustic, Birds Are Dinosaurs, Braids, Hollerado, instrumental, live music, pop rock, Regina, rock, roots, Sumner Brothers, Surrey, Toronto

I’m sure going solo is a harrowing experience for band members. Stepping away from your comfort zone to do something very different from what your audience is used to/expects from you must be a difficult decision. That’s why Graham Wright’s new solo record is kind of a pleasant surprise: it isn’t all about willfully subverting expectation. It feels more like having some extra songs and not knowing what to do with them.

The keyboardist and vocalist with the acclaimed fuzz-pop combo Tokyo Police Club doesn’t make a point of casting off his full-time band’s youthful exuberence or the sense of joy that permeates their songs. It’s more a shifting of gears, a chance for Wright to showcase his guitar-centric compositions instead of hiding behind his Roland.

The songs run the gamut, with driving pop-rock numbers that aren’t terribly far removed from TPC’s usual fare popping up every few tracks. Wright also hits a few melancholy notes as well, leaning on his acoustic guitar on a majority of these numbers.

But if you’re worried it’s more of the tired, mopey acoustic singer-songwriter fare that two out of every three rockers who put out solo albums these days are throwing at us, take heart! Wright hews closer to a Jonathan Richman than a Greg Graffin. “Something Stupid” is the opposite of the old standard break-up song, with Wright not wanting to hear the uncomfortable details of how his brand new ex-girlfriend has been getting around since they broke up. Colourful details about how it’s “raining cats and dogs” and his former lady getting drunk and falling down on the grass outside a bar flesh out the story as cathartic banjo and double-bass betray the slightly melancholy tenor of the song with a bluegrassy backbeat. It helps to downplay the sadness while maintaining the emotion.

Wright’s quirk goes a long way, with the very next track showcasing his sense of humour. The 50’s-rock sax underpinnings and distorted power chords of “Potassium Blast” fade into the background when he starts singing about his various women and their various maladies. “My baby’s a gimp, oh yeah/she walks with a limp,” the song begins, Wright flirting with the PC police. “My girlfriend’s so hip/you know she talks with a lisp/she makes a real mess of her words,” he continues later in the song. It’s the playful descriptions of his quirky ladies and the irrepressibly-catchy synth flourishes that take the dark edge off his admission that, “I’m sick of drinking my breakfast, baby.”

Indeed, the poppiest tracks here are also the ones that make your eyebrows go up. Brilliant single “Soviet Race” is the most immediate example. It’s dynamic drum beat, insistent rock guitar, and a vocal melody a young Elvis Costello would be proud of make it easily the catchiest song here. A tale of a young boy witnessing his father’s Cold War paranoia spins into…I don’t know, a story of star-crossed lovers? It doesn’t really matter, this song is too fucking catchy. I just lost my train of thought. What were we talking about again?

Right, love songs. There are some of those, like “Leftovers.” On the surface, it’s roughly the sweetest little love song this side of The Beatles catalogue, at least until Wright admits at the end that he doesn’t know if the girl actually likes him.

Anyway, there’s a lot going on here. Wright brings everything from found sounds to ukulele to glockenspiel to a fragile falsetto into these tracks. One might consider that unnecessary, given the fact that these 12 songs clock in at just 27 minutes. It’s a collection of adorable, amiable pop songs that seems to be over almost immediately after it starts. That might suggest a bare-bones approach or — heaven forbid — imply that the songs on Shirts vs Skins are more like sketches than fully fleshed-out tunes. But that’s simply not the case.

In the end it’s Wright’s adventurous spirit, his willingness to throw whatever he can at the wall to see what works, that gives the album its spirit and verve. It’s how often it all works that makes the album a success.

 

 Graham Wright - Soviet Race [2:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Graham Wright - Birds of a Feather: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Check out Wright’s website for links to purchase Shirts vs Skins and more info and stuff.

Pat entries Canadian content, going solo, Graham Wright, indie rock, pop rock, Tokyo Police Club, Toronto

It seems like every punk in the world is setting aside their power chords and picking up an acoustic guitar these days. I have to say, it’s getting a bit tired.

Too often there’s some kind of affectation to it, like the only kind of non-punk music punks feel comfortable playing is something akin to old outlaw country: songs about booze, bottles, women, and hard times. Fun at first you guys, but you’ll never be as good as Drag The River so why bother trying (Greg Graffin of Bad Religion being one of the worst purveyors of warmed-over country and Americana on albums so bad even the Weakerthans couldn’t save them)?

Chris Wollard’s solo work has proven much more satisfying to me, an example of what can happen when a truly gifted musician follows whatever muse captures him. While the first solo track he put out was acoustic it had much more of a straightforward rock or pop feel. His surprisingly flawless debut full-length, recorded with his band The Ship Thieves, spanned a ridiculous amount of rock niches from 90’s alternative to power pop to sensitive ballad.

No one would ever mistake Wollard’s previous full-time gig in Hot Water Music as immature, so it sounds not-quite-accurate to call his solo/Ship Thieves work more mature. It’s a different kind of mature, with tracks on the self-titled LP carrying a decidedly grown-up tone. “All The Same” is about a couple who fall asleep on the couch watching a movie, foregoing a night out for a night of rest. “Oh, Whatever” sounds like an apathetic anthem on the surface but it’s informed by enough age and experience to feel genuine and reasoned in its misanthropy. “Hey B” resonates with the endless weariness that only decades on the road can create.

Which brings us to Wollard and the Ship Thieves 2010 release, an untitled 7″ with two songs that showcase how much further the band has moved ahead of that first album. Both songs are considerably more up-tempo; A-side cut “Anybody Else” is the most rocking song they’ve committed to tape yet. The song has an insistent, bouncy bass line and a simple pop-rock guitar chord progression that doesn’t even bother to try taking center-stage. The constant snare strikes push the song along with every beat and you can see the smile on Wollard’s face despite his consistently-gruff singing.

“Left To Lose” is slightly reminiscent to the LP’s “You Always Leave,” thanks to it’s brushed-snare drumbeat, vaguely recalling country the latter’s country leanings. Wollard’s acoustic guitar, world’s away from the damaged back-porch sound of he and fellow HWM frontman Chuck Ragan’s Rumbleseat recordings, takes the lead once again with a bright set of open chords and a sprightly-picked lead. The catchy chorus may be short on words but it’s long on hooks, the falsetto sections bringing Wollard closer to genuine crooning than he’s come before.

It’s clear Wollard and the band have come into their own as a cohesive unit, operating under a hive mind that is producing songs that are as dense, brief, and catchy as possible. The body of work he’s released under his own name is definitely more full-realized than The Draft, the band he formed after HWM’s collapse with HWM’s bassist and drummer. That project seemed like it was still aiming for HWM territory but was unable to reconcile the fact that that previous outlet simply didn’t exist anymore, that the dynamic had shifted. This 7″ may only be two songs that end far too quickly but it’s enough to make it clear that this band is a living, breathing entity, that is fully realized and has its best work ahead of it.

Oh yeah…and then there’s this thing.

Or more specifically these things. It was a busy year for Hot Water Music, just like it was for Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves. His reunited band continued to play gigs all over the world and No Idea Records, HWM’s long-time home, continued to issue new volumes in their Live In Chicago 7″ series. We’re up to four now and it’s a magnificent collection, especially for die-hard fans like me who haven’t yet been able to find their way to one of those shows.

Captured at a reunion date at Chicago’s legendary Metro theatre, each record contains four songs from what was a speedy, lively, and furious set. Some of the records are mostly old songs, some are split, some have mostly new songs, but all see the band firing on all cylinders and not missing a single intricate note.

The packaging is terrific. Each record is on its own colour of vinyl, corresponding with the coloured insert in the record, and the covers are die-cut with the band’s classic logo.

Just for fun, here’s a few of those tracks for fans like me. I’ve been lucky enough to be on top of the order rushes when they go on sale, but each of the four volumes is now completely sold out. Var, No Idea’s mastermind, has indicated that we’ll get up to at least six chapters so make sure you keep your eye peeled.

 

 Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves - Left To Lose [2:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves - The Same To You: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hot Water Music - It's Hard To Know (live at the Metro) [3:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hot Water Music - Rooftops (live at the Metro) [2:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hot Water Music - A Flight and A Crash [2:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hot Water Music - Alachua (live at the Metro) [3:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can get the second pressing of the Anybody Else 7″ from Sound Study Recordings in their web store. It’s a limited run of 500! On lavender vinyl! The always-amazing No Idea Records also has them for sale in their distro catalog. No digital for this little number, but iTunes has the eponymous LP.

Pat entries 7" singles, Best of, Best of 2010, Chris Wollard, Chris Wollard and the Ship Theives, Hot Water Music, indie rock, live music, No Idea Records, pop rock, reunings, rock

Punk rock is a foreboding place.

For all its overtures of inclusiveness and its posturing as a home where all misfits can be accepted and find a community it’s often the home of severely critical “fans” who will turn on a group at the drop of a hat for any perceived slight from “selling out” to “changing their sound.” In other words, growth and individuality, setting oneself apart, can be all too frequently punished if it doesn’t fit within the acceptable norms. The Satanic Surfers, a punk band from Sweden, wrote a great song about this very topic on Fragments and Fractions. I’d post a link to it, but you’re unlikely to find it on YouTube or most free music downloading services. That’s because the group was mostly written off by the majority of “punk rockers” after their 1999 album Going Nowhere Fast because their songs got slower.

Maybe that temperament is changing. There seems to be nothing but love right now for Connecticut band Hostage Calm. After an album of mostly by-the-numbers melodic hardcore the band abruptly shifted gears, seemingly devouring a glut of disparate musical influences and taking a hard left turn into pop alchemy for 2010’s self-titled record. While still based in punk rock structures, there are a ton of 80’s pop and rock influences manifesting inside of their tunes. They cite influences like early Beatles, Ted Leo, the Smiths, and more as having shaped the album. Think tambourines, cooing Brian Wilson-inspired backing vocals, acoustic guitars, bright piano chords, and calculated time signature shifts all surrounded by power chord riffing. And that’s just “Rebel Fatigues.”

The closest analog to the band’s new-found sound, and perhaps to some extent an explanation for its popularity, is the once-defunct and in-the-midst-of-reuniting Gatsbys American Dream. A band that was always ahead of its time, I can’t help but hear shades of Gatsbys’ unnervingly deft musical interplay at work on tracks like “Ballots/Stones” and “Jerry Rumspringer.” The pervasiveness of the harmonies is also something Gatsby had in spades. I’m not suggesting Hostage Calm is appropriating elements of their sound, but I’m perfectly willing to admit that some level of nostalgia for GAD has played a big part in my enjoyment of Hostage Calm.

Hostage Calm is, however, much more up-front about the political nature of what they have to say politically. Their sound might trend towards the timelessness but their words are very much in the here-and-now. “Ballots/Stones” is an indictment of California’s Proposition 8, a referendum vote that banned same-sex marriage in the state (which was overturned in 2010). “Rebel Fatigues” offers a look at the on-going wars in Afghanistan and Iraq from the perspective of the people in those countries and how they live their lives with a constant military presence, regardless of the status of combat or training missions.

As an aging punk rocker I often find myself really not caring at all about the glut of mySpace/screamo/pseudo-metal-posturing bands that have overrun the genre these days. Hostage Calm is proof positive that some of the younger cats still in the game still like to think outside the box and mix it up, to keep things interesting. I may still feel like an aged punk but sometimes I’m okay with less screaming and more melody.

That having been said, readers of the site are well aware that when I do feel like some throat-ravaging shouting to go along with my melodies I usually look no farther than the delightful O Pioneers!!!. With an injection of new camaraderie and creativity thanks to his partnership with the members of Toronto’s pop-punk proletariat in Junior Battles the plucky Eric Solomon is forging on with a band that has had its share of rocky moments.

The new year promises to be a big one for O Pioneers!!!, as they’ve already booked a small tour with Hostage Calm and are preparing to release a 9″ vinyl split with Andrew Jackson Jihad on famed Florida label No Idea Records (one of the few labels in modern punk O Pioneers!!! has yet to issue release a record with). It’s going to melt your face, if new track “Oak Island” is any indication. A perennial favourite every year, 2011 promises to be a good one; hopefully the year that Solomon deserves after working so hard to keep this band afloat.

 

 Hostage Calm - Ballots/Stones [2:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hostage Calm - Rebel Fatigues [2:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 O Pioneers!!! - Oak Island [3:10m]: Download

Hostage Calm’s self-titled album can be purchased from Run For Cover Records. Digital through iTunes (why fight it?).

O Pioneers!!! albums are all over the place, so a distro like No Idea or InterPunk are probably your best bet. Some digital is on iTunes as well.

Pat entries Amurrica, Best of 2010, best ofs, genre mash, Hostage Calm, O Pioneers!!!, pop rock, punk rock

Sometimes it’s okay to listen to pop for pop’s sake. That’s something I’ve been working on this year.

After fighting with my co-writer extensively on the Twitter machine about Lady Gaga I found myself in a period of intense introspection, concerned that I was everything I was being accused of: closed-minded, snooty, more concerned with substance over style, a genre racist. Having considered it, I obviously don’t think that’s true (and I still don’t like Lady Gaga, despite listening to her album more than 15 times in an attempt to ‘get it’) and my sheer, unabashed enjoyment of Makeout Party is one reason why.

Like the first time I heard Ghost Town Trio it didn’t take much for the band to get the point across. From the first up-tempo track, “Clock Radio” (like GTT’s “Cold Machine” before it) I was hooked. The New Jersians/Philadelphinoids know how to craft an all-encompassing pop hook, add another five or six to the mix, and make an instantly-catchy song out of it. Warm textures, yearning vocals, bright guitar, downright cuddly harmonized back-up vocals, and flourishes of bells, keyboards, and strings all mesh into dizzying examples of everything that can be done right in the guitar pop genre. This is a fine slice of pop rock that concerns itself with heartache and all those sentimental feelings that classic pop rockers have tread upon before.

The EP is a teaser in the most literal sense. They admit it’s been a while since they put out any new material so they’ve dropped the 3-song set onto the web in a ‘donate-what-you-want’ page in order to remind folks they’re still hanging around and working on a new full-length, their second, due in 2011.

It’s rare that a release this short seems so familiar and comfortable while still being exciting. I’ll be eagerly anticipating that release while I attempt to track down their older material, that’s for sure.

 

 Makeout Party - Clock Radio [3:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Get the EP from the band’s download page
Older releases from Amazon and iTunes.

Pat entries EP, guitar pop, Makeout Party, New Jersey, Philadelphia, pop, pop rock

Being a musician is an impossible, thankless task. Find popularity with a certain sound or element and you’re set for a while, at least; but after that it’s often a case of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” If you deviate from what gained you approval from your fans then you risk alienating your base, but if you stick with what you know works then you chance your sound getting stale and people becoming bored with you.

Against Me! has been dancing along the edge of that particular razor blade for the entirety of its career. Forged in the “no sell-outs allowed” Florida folk-punk scene, they’ve been dogged by massive criticism every time they try to grow their band, audience, or sound. They were called sell-outs when they added electric guitars on Reinventing Axl Rose; they got their tires slashed for signing to Fat Wreck Chords; and the punk world more or less imploded when they signed to a major label (after releasing a DVD documentary about being courted by major labels that ended with them asserting it would essentially never happen). Having some significant success with their first major label release put them in an even more awkward position; what’s the next brass ring to grab for?

The immediate answer is arenas. It’s clear band leader Tom Gabel wants to make the group as big as possible, but for the first time in his career there seems to be some tangible growing pains involved in the process. Listening to White Crosses I feel like I’m being pulled in two different directions: on one side is the Gabel that has made no bones about his ambition to play music for a living and actually make some real money doing it and on the other is the now-antiquated vision of the young firebrand whose frenzied, acoustic-based folk-punk lit the underground on fire with scathing songs made of napalm, piss, and vinegar.

Gabel isn’t completely de-clawed on this record, but he’s definitely had his nails trimmed. He sets his sights most fiercely on himself on first single, “I Was A Teenage Anarchist,” an admission that his earlier years spent rabble-rousing in frustrated ideology were all but wasted. “High-Pressure Low” casts the United States’ current hopeless (in Gabel’s opinion), fractured state against that of the 1960’s, drawing comparisons between the Iraq and Afghanistan wars with the Bay of Pigs and, presumably, Vietnam. He outlines the campaign of misinformation that surrounded that incident and then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara’s eventual realization that, in Gabel’s words, “there was a mistake in going to war without first asking all the questions.” The obvious parallel is the insistence of the Bush administration that WMD’s were all over Iraq; to say the least, Gabel is concerned that his country is mired in dark times parallel to those that followed the Bay of Pigs.

For me this track might be the most striking on the album, if only for what it represents. Lyrically it serves as a bridge between what Against Me! used to be and their current arena-punk ambitions. While several songs on this album lead up to toothless sloganeering (”I have no judgement for you/come on and ache with me” on the track that follows it; the refrain of “White crosses on church lawns/I want to smash them all” on the opening cut is thrown out to the listener without giving the context: a church Gabel lives near that displays a white cross for every fetus estimated to be aborted in a day throughout the U.S.) this is a song that has some genuine thought behind it, but unfortunately it’s also one of the most bland musically they’ve produced. It’s a very pop-rock/radio rock backing track, years and miles away from the furious strumming of Reinventing Axl Rose. It’s one of several arching volleys for wider appeal offered up here.

Another highlight is the next track, “Ache With Me.” While the chorus seems kind of like a cop-out from an aging punk rocker, it’s musically brilliant. Gabel channels every Dylan-ism he’s ever felt (and there have been many) and produces an acoustic track equally as engaging as the cover of “Wagon Wheels” he recorded for a compilation five or six years ago, which has long been one of my absolute favourite Against Me! numbers. Better, perhaps, as the rest of the band offers some understated accompaniment that outlines the desperation of the lyric. The same goes for the mid-tempo closer, “Bamboo Bones.” Limber guitar lines and an inspirational one-line chorus, combined with one of Gabel’s most vivid vocal performances to date, close out the album proper in fine fashion. Also a treat is the splashy cymbal work from Hot Water Music drummer George Rebelo, an incredibly talented player who too often fades into the background without showing what he’s really capable of.

From there things sort of dwindle. “The Shame” is a very moving track lyrically, an ode do a dead lover that also sees Gabel condemn himself for his inability to cope with loss. The words and vocals are plainly-stated but weighty in a way few musicians are capable of, which makes it kind of a shame that the music is little more than the Springsteen-aping that has become so prevalent in a lot of independent music of late. “Breaking Up” comes off as a rote number as uninspired as its title, likely the most overt attempt to get the band onto teenager’s mix tapes. I’m not saying Gabel can’t or shouldn’t write a song about lost love. He’s already written one of the most perfect ones ever (”Pints Of Guinness Make You Strong”), but inspiration counts for a lot when you’re tackling the most prevalent topic in all of song. “Spanish Moss” could be the track most likely to cross over to mainstream rock radio, but if you’re reading this website you probably agree that isn’t a good thing. Four b-sides were tacked onto the CD version after a low-quality album leak hit the internet roughly six weeks before the release date but they’re mostly unremarkable (although the seemingly stream-of-consciousness descriptions in “Bob Dylan Dream” might say more about Gabel and where he’s at these days than any of the other accumulated tracks).

In the end I’m ashamed to say it but I get the sense that I’d like this album a whole lot more if it wasn’t done by Against Me! I feel like it’s kind of a shitty thing to say, but I can’t really help it. This is a band that has exuded so much fury and passion over its career that it just feels wrong to have the edges sanded off in favour of Butch Vig’s antiseptic, pristine production. Anything that doesn’t fit with popular music is gone, right down to James Bowman’s distinctive backing vocals. They’ve either been banished or are buried so far under the severely multi-tracked Gabel as to be indistinguishable. It feels like a band that has done its own thing for so long is trying to force itself into a box that just wasn’t made for them.

But I don’t hate the album. It just isn’t what I expected from this band. I think what strikes me as most disappointing was that tracks like “White People For Peace” from their last record still had danger to them, a tenor that just isn’t present here. Moreover, the fact that New Wave ended with a track as brave and different as the phenomenal “Ocean” seemed to promise more growth and excitement in the future. To see them retreat to the blandishments of radio-ready rock and roll can’t help but feel like a step in the wrong direction.

 

 Against Me! - White Crosses [3:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Against Me! - Bamboo Bones [3:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dig on Against Me! material from their web store, No Idea Records’ web store and distro, or iTunes. Make it count.

Pat entries Against Me!, ch-ch-ch-changes, new-school, pop rock, rock

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

There was a number of artists that broke new ground this year after having come a long way already. Here are two singer/songwriters that really hit their stride with their latest albums, a French pop band that people finally started paying attention to after four albums, a punk rocker that underwent a total rebirth, and a Toronto band that actually became a band.

Away we go!

10. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
They’re so French! Have you seen their Take Away Shows episode? Its a brilliant, joyfully ecstatic set that perfectly encapsulates Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. The band shows up out of nowhere in front of the frigging Eiffel Tower after achieving fame around the world (several albums into their career) and at first people don’t even seem to believe it’s them. Much like their extremely slow and steady rise to prominence in the States, South America, and elsewhere a crowd starts to grow around them as the genius of their songs starts to become apparent. This band just continues to get better and better and its almost getting ridiculous. Read more here.

09. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Fox Confessor Brings The Flood be damned, this is Neko Case’s best album yet. That is a simple fact. From the first track (found below) Case and her collection of players meld the alt-country she’s best known for with a rock edge, pop hooks, and simply stunning songwriting. She’s completely unfettered here, the incredible singles interspersed with a pair of covers perfectly suited to her, all of it giving way to a final track comprised of nothing but a half hour of frog noises. What more could you ask for? Read more about Neko here.

08. Ohbijou - Beacons
This is an album of love songs for the sake of love songs. Songs filled with deliberate, frequently orchestral arrangements that swirl and sway through the speakers and surround the listener. Casey Mecija’s vocal melodies constantly yearn for weightier gravitas and a bigger emotional response, the warmth of her tone (as well as warmth of the very organic production) helping to counter the chill that pops up in the lyrics due to constant references to winter, snow, and ice. This band should be on soundtracks. Soundtracks to movies about knitting.

07. Chris Wollard and the Ship-Thieves - self-titled
This album is in a bit of a grey area. Some might argue it shouldn’t because a pre-release run of 500 or so copies was pressed on vinyl for a big festival in the states run by his label. But it was technically released in 2009, so I’m including it (incidentally the mp3 below is a vinyl rip of that pre-release version). Regardless, this record is far from what I would’ve expected from the other half of the Hot Water Music songwriting duo. At a time when every punk in North America is picking up an acoustic guitar for some country/folk-inspired solo performances Wollard embraces his inner 90’s alt-rock nerd and makes a nuanced and varied album that has a little bit of everything (including a couple acoustic-based tracks). This is pop rock for grown-ups, done extremely well.

06. Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
One might wonder what the need is for Dan Auerbach, half of the essentially-flawless Black Keys, to record a solo album. Why bother when you already contribute the majority of the writing in a two-man group? Well, regardless of motivation Auerbach made the right decision. He expands the bluesy stomp of the Keys to include a few more instruments and a modicum of funk, throws in a couple contemplative acoustic tracks, and then spends the rest of the album doing what he does best. This isn’t a sea change from the Black Keys sound but when your songs are as perfect as Auerbach’s they really don’t need to be. Just marvellous.

 

 Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You [3:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Phoenix - 1901 [3:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Ohbijou - Black Ice [3:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Chris Wollard - Oh, Whatever: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Dan Auerbach - I Want Some More [3:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Neko Case: Webstore and iTunes.
Phoenix: Webstore and iTunes.
Ohbijou: Doesn’t actually seem to have a place on the web you can buy their physical albums, but MapleMusic still has copies of their split LP with the Acorn available if you dig around. Go digital with iTunes and Zunior.
Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves: No Idea Records Webstore and iTunes.
Dan Auerbach: Webstore and iTunes.

Pat entries alt-rock, best ofs, blues rock, Canadian content, Chris Wollard, Dan Auerbach, indie, Neko Case, Ohbijou, orchestral, Phoenix, pop rock, rock, year in review

It was a long, long year of self-reflection. This portion of the best-of rundown has changed a lot even right up to the last minute. I had to re-jig a lot of stuff in the bottom top 10 to get the line-up just right. You’ll see a few rockers in this section that have been consistent for years and years and a couple that have gone in the literal opposite direction in 2009. But all remain very, very tasty.

Here we go, jerks!

15. O Pioneers!!! - Neon Creeps
If you haven’t figured it out by now I love this band. Neon Creeps finds Eric simultaneously getting more desperate and harrowed lyrically while taking a bit of the edge of what is normally his extremely acerbic guitar tone. His playing sounds more precise, less hack-and-slash, and while it shouldn’t make that big a difference the addition of bass to the mix really helps flesh out the arrangements and support Eric in the quieter bits. Lyrically it might be kind of a bummer, but these songs are real; the desperation and depression is genuine. This is the sound of a man working through everyday frustrations with dramatic results. Read more here.

14. the Bronx - Mariachi el Bronx
As I previously stated, I’m not the least bit qualified to critique mariachi music. I have zero qualifications. But to paraphrase some old dude, I may not know mariachi but I know what I like and I like this album. It has a relaxed rhythm, shamelessly full arrangements, some great singing, and huge hooks. That Prince cover was a perfect teaser and the album delivered on all of its promise and then some.

13. Chad Price - Smile Sweet Face
This is the opposite of ground-breaking but Smile Sweet Face is both impossibly heartbreaking and improbably beautiful. There’s nothing revolutionary about a sad white dude and his acoustic guitar but the simple fact that Price’s world-weary voice can carry such incredible melodies and devastating sentiments is worth celebrating. “This War” perfectly captures the crushing weight of infidelity and “Peachy Tuscadero” sounds like the opposite of what it is: a mash note to a misfit puppy. This album has everything.

12. Propagandhi - Supporting Cast(e)
Fat Wreck Chords who? The long-running Winnipeg anarcho-punks say goodbye to their long-time associations and deliver what is unequivocally their best album ever, How To Clean Everything be damned. A second guitarist has them sounding huge (the compression helps the loudness as well, of course) and they’re still highly aggressive, but Cast(e) is also their most melodically rich and complex work yet. Aside from the horrifying death knell that starts “Human(e) Meat (the Flensing of Sandor Katz)” they don’t strike a single wrong note.

11. the Thermals - Now We Can See
Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster still writes songs that consist of little more than four chords and a heartbeat, but they’re sounding more at home than ever on Now We Can See. Down-playing the aggression that marked The Body, The Blood, The Machine, these songs are 100% anthemic and still rather thought-provoking. I maintain my assertion that “When I Died” is the best pop song you didn’t hear on the radio in 2009. Read more here.

 

 O Pioneers!!! - Stressing The Fuck Out [2:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Mariachi el Bronx - Quinceniera [3:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Chad Price - With Bleeding Wrists: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Propagandhi - Dear Coach's Corner [4:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 the Thermals - I Let It Go [3:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

O Pioneers!!!: All music physical, some files digital.
Mariachi el Bronx: Get the album (and/or Mariachi el Bronx’s exclusive cologne) from their webstore. Here’s the iTunes.
Chad Price: Smile Sweet Face and a bevy of other Price-related albums can be foundin the Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective webstore. The album is on iTunes, but you’re better off getting it from Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective’s own digital store. It’s cheaper.
Propagandhi: CD/LP/download is available through the G7 Welcoming Committee site, which I didn’t even realize still existd. Surprisingly, they’re also on iTunes. A lot.
the Thermals: Physical purchases can be made through Kill Rock Stars’ website. Old releases are on Sub Pop. iTunes is a thing too.

Pat entries acoustic, best ofs, Canadian content, Chad Price, mariachi, Mariachi el Bronx, O Pioneers!!!, pop punk, pop rock, Propagandhi, punk rock, roots, the Thermals, year in review