Stars: Part of the Indie Galaxy

Whoever you are, whatever your style, you will like the music of Stars: a shining supernova in the vast expanse of Canadian music. Part of the Broken Social Scene family tree, the Stars hail from Toronto with members Torquil Campbell, Chris Seligman, Amy Milan, Evan Cranley, and Pat McGee. Their music is hip. That’s the easiest way to put it. Their blend of indie rock and artistic mediums (synth, old film audio clips, respirators) is accompanied by incredible lyrics and tonal texture that is met by no other. The timbre of Amy Milan’s voice is rich and round, and capable of making your heart sing along. Out of their six albums, the latest one has received the most acclaim. Set Yourself On Fire has had tracks featured on The O.C. and Degrassi: The Next Generation, and is making it’s way around the globe as an original sound with accessible nuances. Heart, their fifth release is one of my favourites. It’s a killer album with all the quaint indie poetry anyone could need. It’s the kind of album that suits a soundtrack for a trek around the city on a sunny Spring day.
Another notable feat that the Stars have undertaken is the all-time greatest Smiths cover of rockingness. The Smiths are pretty much the godfathers of indie, and the power of their music can never be replicated… but the Stars came pretty darn close with their astounding cover of ‘This Charming Man’. They slow down the tempo, and bring so much texture to the tune. You need to check it out. You can find it on their first album, Nightsongs.
Amy Milan has recently released a solo album titled Honey From The Tombs. I haven't heart it yet, but there's no doubt in my mind that it will go down in Canadian indie rock history.



Technorati Tags: Stars, Broken Social Scene, Amy Milan, Set Yourself on Fire, The O.C., Degrassi, Heart, Nightsongs, The Smiths, This Charming Man

Broken Social Scene: A Community of Rock

The time has come to discover Broken Social Scene. Just know that once you discover the remarkable spacious art-house indie-pop post-rock organic and elegantly complex sound of this breakthrough, forward-thinking super group, all else will fall to the wayside. Broken Social Scene is music. That’s all you need to know.

Now, where to start with this multifaceted band? Their history and genealogy is intricate and interesting, and it’s difficult to weed through the maze of their amazingness. Somewhere in Toronto in 1999 Broken Social Scene formed around Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. And now the adventure begins. As a band, Broken Social Scene is most certainly a super-group, an indie-rock orchestra of prodigious music-makers. Separately, each member is independently and extraordinarily talented, with side projects that are equally phenomenal (and which I will address in time). Together, the band of prodigies is invincible.

In 2001 Justin Peroff, Charles Spearin and Bill Priddle joined Drew and Canning in the making of Broken Social Scene’s first album Feel Good Lost. This largely instrumental debut hit it big with hipsters. The unabashed vocal stylings and over driven guitar riffs meld and layer experiments in beautiful musical vulnerability, revealing the splendor of complexity and order found in chaos. After this endeavor, a few more music-architects from the Toronto indie-scene joined the party. Andrew Whiteman, Jason Collett, Emily Haines and Leslie Feist brought lyrics and vocals to reinforce the band’s live shows. Later contributions were made by James Shaw, Evan Cranley, Josh Crosssingham and Amy Millan. Phew. That’s quite the attendance list. So, in 2002 this community of rock made the acclaimed album You Forgot It In People on the Arts label. This album will rock your socks off, and then some. It is eclectic and experimental, but accessible and hum-able. It will blow your mind how music that is so complex and intricate can worm its way into your head and have you humming all day. Here lies their critical penetration into the commercial world, but not to worry, it has not corrupted them. This album and following tours also featured the supporting musical talents of Jessica Moss, Brodie West, Susannah Brady and Ohad Benchetrit, with help on tour from Gentlemen Reg.

To a captive and faithful audience, a 2003 b-sides album Beehives was released amidst the bustle of tours and other projects.

Fame grew, friends grew, and maybe even talents grew. Broken Social Scene took over many peoples’ worlds. Mine included. In 2005 they released their self-titled album, their third full-length record, with contributions from artists such as k-os, Jason Tait and Murray Lightburn. Inside the album was a wee EP, EP To You And Me which lists David Newfield, a producer of Broken Social Scene’s previous albums, as a band member.

Broken Social Scene albums are the kind of records you can drown in. You can rock around town with them blasting on your iPod and evade your surroundings. Seriously, the music gets into your head and makes you different. Give yourself up to it.
The only thing more amazing than a Broken Social Scene album is a Broken Social Scene show. Their charisma and connection with the audience is dazzling, and the rock that they exude seeps into your soul. I’ve seen many-a BSS show, and each one has been refreshingly different, but always satisfying in the way I hoped it would be. In 2004 I drove down to California with some friends for the Coachella Music Festival (which including bands like Radiohead, Cure, Pixies, Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie, Rapture, Sparta, !!!, The Thrills, Beck, and many others). Broken Social Scene also played, and wouldn’t you know it, but ALL the California kids dug them hardcore. We couldn’t believe it when, during a rockingly superb rendition of ‘Stars and Suns’ the entire mob of concert-goers raised their hands and clapped at the appropriate moment without being prompted. They knew. We Canadian didn’t know that they would know… figuring that Broken Social Scene’s rare and independent style of indie-pop-post-rock had made so far south. But we were wrong. If you know good music, then you know Broken Social Scene. That’s just the way it works.



Technorati Tags: Broken Social Scene, Toronto, indie, post-rock, Feel Good Lost, You Forgot It In People, Beehives, Coachella Music Festival

The Arcade Fire, no introductions needed

The Arcade Fire. Whoa. Wow. Run for your rock. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a revolution in Canadian rock.  These dudes and dudettes have made it, and they’ve made it their own. Success across the board, internationally speaking.  The Arcade Fire make a kind of music impossible not to hear with your heart of hearts.

Hailing from the “it” city of Canada, Montreal, The Arcade Fire is Win Butler, Regine Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, William Butler, Tim Kingsbury, Sarah Neufeld, and Jeremy Gara. Newly added are members Pietro Amato and Owen Pallett. Talk about an orchestra of rockfull proporations! Seriously, their tracks often include strings like violins and violas, xylophones, French Horn, accordian, and a harp… and obviously the mainstays guitar, bass, and drums. Diversity chimes together to create a monster sound.
The Arcade Fore formed around husband and wife Win Butler and Regine Chassagne in mid 2003, and their reputation grew quickly around them. I remember hearing them at small pub in Kingston at Queen’s University. They blew my mind; I think I reached enlightenment. Anyway, they were signed to the independent label Merge Records. In 2004 their first album, Funeral, was released. And then the rock started rolling for The Arcade Fire. Their indie success was obviously popular among the hipsters who are always ‘in the know’. Beyond the hipster and university crowds of Canada, a hum could be heard… and it was the tune of The Arcade Fire. Small club venues got increasingly bigger, and success was happening all around them throughout Canada, Europe, and the USA.  And the charts abound. Funeral won Album of the Year from MTV in 2005, as well as hitting the number 2 slot in NME’s list of best albums and tracks.

In 2005 The Arcade Fire graced the cover of Time Magazine as a band who “helped put Canadian music on the world map.” And the recognition, not only from Canadian hipsters, kept on coming. They put a track on the HBO series Six Feet Under soundtrack. They rocked out on Letterman. They opened for U2. And they’ve made a couple appearances on the BBC live show Jools Holland. The Arcade Fire is still on the go, rising up and rocking on. I don’t think they’ve reached their full potential yet, and still have a lot to teach us. Even their side projects are beautiful, like Bell Orchestre, an indie instrumental experience in rocking. Neo-neo-post-classical maybe? Genres elude me.
Talk about rock. The Arcade Fire is definitely the “it” band right now. If you don’t know them, you should. Their music has the ability to find solace in shared human experience, but not dwell in sorrow since the title of the album was inspired by death becoming prevalent in several of the band members’ lives. Tracks like ‘Une Annee Sans Lumiere’ (A Year Without Light) suggest this theme, but the melodic beauty transcends it. And titles like ‘Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)’ , ‘Neighborhood #2 (Laika)’, and ‘Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)’ suggest the support system and familial communities we all need and share. That’s nice, isn’t it? Out Montreal they have emerged, like so many hot indie rockers right now. Don’t you worry, I’ll get to the rest of ‘em soon.

And that’s the Arcade Fire up till now. More updates to follow, if I can keep up with them! I like hipsters when they’re not too sad bastard, and then they believe that life is good… because it is. If you believe life is good, I suggest checking out The Arcade Fire. They are all things good.



Technorati Tags: Arcade Fire, indie, rock, pop, Montreal, Funeral, Merge Records, Time Magazine, Jools Holland, genre,

Indie-tastic: The Rheostatics

The strange thing about Canadian music is that most times we have no idea what to do with it. Perhaps it's just a marketing problem that we have, or perhaps we are just selfish and greedy and want to keep all of our brilliant music to ourselves. In the 1980s, when the Rheostatics emerged from the mess of southern Ontario 'burbs that cradle the T-dot, specifically Etobicoke, a good thing was on the go. A number of independent singles and demos later, they were popular among the university kids of the city, and quite popular on CNFY with one of their singles, an ode to a Maple Leaf great 'The Ballad of Wendel Clark, pts. 1 & 2'.  Things were looking up for this indie-pop-rock group of fellows: Dave Bidini, Tim Vesely, Dave Clark and Martin Tielli.

And then Canada got greedy.

In 1991 they signed to indie label Intrepid Records and released the album Melville. All hail Canadian music-makers. This album is a startling breakthrough of pure-bred Canadian brilliance, and includes a cover of the Gordon Lightfoot tune, nay hymn, 'Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'. How's that for celebrating Canadian artistry? It's like... double amazing.

And down a golden paved Bruce Trail they went. Several more albums, including a film soundtrack, gave way to one of their only Top 40 tracks, 'Claire' (found on the Whale Music soundtrack as well as the album Introducing Happiness). After this dance with the charts, Clark left the band to focus on his new project, the dinner is ruined, and was replaced by Don Kerr. And the boys kept on rocking and kept on being Canadian. Their music is distinctly different. It's impossible to hear the music of the Rheostatics and not feel different. They built themselves and their music into icons, and the artistic community recognized this.

The National Gallery of Canada asked the Rheostatics to cut them a favour in 1995. Boarders don't exist in art, and the Rheos are definitely artists, so it seemed appropriate that they write some music to accompany the 75th anniversary celebration of Canadian art icons The Group of Seven. Many similarities can be drawn between the musicians in the Rheostatics and the visual artists of the Group of Seven. Both are incredibly distinctive, yet widely accessible. Amazing.  So, that year, the Rheos worked with pianist Keven Hearn (who would go on to be one of the Barenaked Ladies) and created the album Music Inspired by the Group of Seven. Art Rock, indeed!

And then the Tragically Hip called, and the Rheostatics opened for their tour. And then more albums flowed from their instruments, and subtle political criticisms flowed through their lyrics ('Bad Time to be Poor' in reference to the state of Ontario during the government of Mike Harris).  In 1997 the boys released an album based on a children's book written by guitarist Bidini. This album is quite the art piece, with narration between tracks and accomopanying illustrations.  Beautiful. These indie rockers care about their art, and nurture its frontiers, especially on a Canadian front where definitions are hard to come by. And what do they think about it? Well, Dave Bedini thinks "People have painted us as being iconoclasts although, more often than not lately, I hear us described as Canadian icons. I think it's great to be iconoclastic icons. It means that people acknowledge you as being this force that represents constant change and constant challenge. Canada is recognized for being a cavalier place, culturally, always trying to push it harder, certainly in the audacity of Canadian film and literature. There's no reason music can't have that same reputation." Cheers, I say.

Like all good Canadian bands, the Horseshoe Tavern is a special place for the Rheostatics. Their 2001 release Night of the Shoot Stars was promoted and celebrated by 11 consecutive shows on 11 consecutive nights at the notorious pub on Queen St. W in Toronto. And what an event it was! Dubbed the Fall Nationals, the event became a yearly occurance with the band playing 12 nights in 2002 and 13 nights in 2003. Phew! That's a lot of rock.

Since then, Kerr has left the band and Michael Phillip Wojewoda has joined. The album 2067 was released in 2004. And they still tour, they still work on solo projects, other artistic mediums (film, for one), and they still keep up their merits as influential Canadian musicians.

Dave Bidini has released another book since his first, On a Cold Road. The Best Game You Can Name, rightly titled in reference to a Stompin' Tom tune, describes a single game of his team in Toronto's musicians' league.

Time Vesely has released a solo album, The End of Party One, with his Vancouver-based band The Violent Archers.

And in April, the Rheostatics are playing a ten-day, eight show tour in China. A special compilation album to follow. Check them out.
www.rheostatics.ca


Technorati Tags: Rheostatics, Etobicoke, Gordon Lightfoot, Edmund Fitzgerald, Whale Music, National Gallery, art rock, Group of Seven, iconoclastic, Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto,
 

Sloan: I raise my glass to the B-side.

There's no such thing as an uncool Sloan fan. Despite the fact that this Halifax quartet is credited with one of the single most self-referencial rock lyrics, "It's not the band I hate, it's their fans", it does not apply to them. You'll find that most Sloan fans have a quiet dignity about them, and can truly appreciate witty lyrics and subtle political references. And there isn't a hipster alive who doesn't adore the self-depricating irony that has been morphed into stoic confidence and creative genius in the four boys that make up Sloan.

Sloan is Chris Murphy, Andrew Scott, Patrick Pentland, and Jay Ferguson. They became Sloan in 1992 when Halifax became a Canadian "Seattle", pumping out some kick ass grunge-pseudo-pop inspired tunes like those belonging to Eric's Trip, Thrush Hermit, and The Super Friendz. Their first full-length album is the celebrated 'Smeared' featuring the sardonic anthem 'Underwhelmed' that can really give 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' a run for it's money. As well as 'I Am the Cancer', which is equally wonderful in its mid-90s disonant drone we call music.

True success came in 1994 with the release of their second album Twice Removed. This album changed my life. Featuring tracks like 'I Hate My Generation' and 'Bells On' which remarks "If you had a funeral, I'd be there with bells on. La la la la", this album is a perfect creation of fabulous songs. As a whole, it is one of the most effective and solid albums out there. I can't even express in words how brilliant it is, and it makes me sad to know that it just isn't as recognized as it should be. It is definitely in my top 5 albums of all time, and I'm not alone on this one. Spin Magaize named it one of the "Best Albums You Didn't Hear" in 1994, and that's as true today as it was then.

Since their plaid-wearing-fan-days of the mid to late 90s, Sloan has managed to maintain its Canadian fame with moderate American glory. It is their longevity that is truly admirable. Longevity isn't something that usually sticks to Canadian artists, or at least not the majority of them who don't sell their souls to American citizenship (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially when it pays the bills). Sloan has also managed to retain their association with indie pop rock... although, generally speaking, since the Canadian music scene is so tiny compared to the States, most artists, even though on a major label, appear as truly 'indie'. Sloan was indie at first, truly. They released their first EP, Peppermint, on their own label called Murderecords. And now they've got their own Best Of album. How do you like that? Claps for Canadians.


Technorati Tags: Sloan, Halifax, indie pop, Twice Removed, Murderecords

A Nation of Rockers: The Tragically Hip

It seems appropriate that I begin this journey into Canadian Rockingness with The Tragically Hip. For one, they represent a lot more than music in many Canadians' eyes. They are a movement, a symbol, a manifestation of what it feels like to be Canadian. Their music and lyrics capture an essence of being that we Canadians can never seem to put into words, or even into showy practise. We ask ourselves what we are, how we are seen from an international perspective, but fail to articulate anything at all. We are so much, too much even, while being nothing at all as to allow any and every Canadian the freedom to be who they please (tossed salad syndrome? maybe). At any rate, The Hip have been able to surpass their beer-drinking tail-gating fan persona and get as close to defining what it means to be 'Canadian', with only a simple melody. What Canadian doesn't really truly feel Canadian when listening to 'Wheat Kings' off The Hip's third album Fully Completely? Their fame is also exclusively Canadian, as Wikipedia.com notes "They have never found great success in the United States, but have never specifically sought it". Moving on, now. Ahem. And secondly, it seems appropriate that I begin with The Hip because I lived in Kingston for four years and was neighbour to Hip guitarist Rob Baker (the one with the long hair). His house is small and humble, and very close to Queen's University (which I was attending at the time).

So. The Tragically Hip. Not so tragic, really. Fronted by Gord Downie (a poet who is known for shouting heavily political rants at his audiences), The Hip formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1983. Now consisting of Mr. Downie, Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair, and Johnny Fay, they retain their whole but extend to many solo projects. Like the rite of passage for most Canadian bands, The Hip found recognition while playing at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto as were signed to a major label. The Horseshoe Tavern was and is still a cornerstone in the evolution of Canadian music. It's such a seedy little pub, but the walls and ceiling drip with history (sometimes literally).

To see their discography, click here.

The thing I really admire about The Tragically Hip is how they really do celebrate being Canadian, and supporting Can Con. Apart from singing songs about Hockey, they have made cameos on CTV's new hit show 'Corner Gas'. They leant their faces and their music to the 2002 film 'Men With Brooms'. They performed at Live 8, of course, as well as played a huge show in their hometown Kingston the previous summer (such a huge band doesn't usually play such small venues that Kingston has to offer). They all still live in Canada, and have numerous tribute bands litering the country, such as The Practically Hip in southern Ontario.

Grace, too. Their music is multi-levelled... maybe even "deep". Gord Downie truly is a poet (published, in fact. Check out his book and accompanying album 'Coke Machine Glow'). His artistry flows through every lyric, making each song a tribute to his craft and an immense musical experience. His fellow band members offer equal talents. How do such talented people find one another? Perhaps we'll never know. But we do know for certain is that this group of men, these self-proclaimed tragic hipsters, have chemsitry. Their live shows rock a hard bargin. I highly recommend witnessing a Tragically Hip show once before you die.

No dress rehersal. This is our life. Their music is versatile, even in its raw truthfullness. I'm pretty sure that back before CD-burners were readily available and people made mixed-tapes like no tomorrow, every single compilation that I put together included a Hip tune. They seem to have captured every moment, every memory, every emotion of an entire nation and put it into song. Wow.

So what does it mean to be Canadian? It means to be tragically hip, as taught to us by the one and only Tragically Hip.

Technorati Tags: Tragically Hip, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Gord Downie, Wheat Kings, Men With Brooms, Corner Gas

Can Con Rock On

Canadian Content is important in Canada. Canadian Content, or 'Can Con' as the hipsters say, is all about Canadian artists getting their material played on Canadian broadcasting mediums. So, basically, radio stations and television networks like Much Music and any other form of broadcasting must air a certain amount of Canadian music/stories/images/whatever in every block of material. Apart from being culturally important in sharing experience between Canadians and further developing our artistic escapades, Can Con also creates tons of jobs for Canadians in production and distribution. Can Con is a good thing, and needs to be celebrated.
And so I have begun this little project in order to support Canadian Content and those who produce it. I am, as you have probably already guessed, a proud Canadian. And my interest in the Canadian music scene began at a very early age when I discovered the idol of pre-pre-pre-teen rock, the talented Mr. Fred Penner. I went to all his shows, and could belt out 'The Cat Came Back' like a champ. And I haven't changed. From driving to California to catch a Broken Social Scene show to writing secret love letters to Hawksley Workman, I support Canadians in all forms of rocking. And I will dispense this love to you here.


Technorati Tags: Canadian Content, Fred Penner, Broken Social Scene, Hawksley Workman