Start The Year With A Bang!

The Canadians strike again! Don't worry, I still have a fond place in my heart for all that is good and true with Canadian music-- and I'm making room especially for this new chanteuse, Jane Vain. Accompanied by her band, The Dark Matter, what they do for unrequited love is sort of like what Emily Haines and The Soft Skeleton do my mental well being. Which kinda makes sense: Soft Skeleton! Meet Dark Matter! Oh, mind, body, and spirit. We are aiming for anatomical correctness here.

Catchy name aside, it doesn't hurt that this group is really, really good. Jane Vain, whose real name is Jamie Fooks was initially dissuaded from singing because of a bad experience at an open mic night, but with some encouragement, Fook banded with The Dark Matter and recorded their debut EP, "Love Is Where The Smoke Is," in her basement apartment over the course of the year. The ethereal smokiness in her voice and her downright captivating lyrics lend a geek-chic sexiness to the music.

They are slated for a Canadian tour starting in January. Is it too early to suggest an American tour? Please? New York welcomes you with open arms.

Jane Vain & The Dark Matter- C’mon Baby Say Bang Bang
(Listen to another track or pre-order the album here)

Coincidentally, I just re-watched Kill Bill 1 and 2, which featured this Nancy Sinatra classic. This too, is bangin’--

Nancy Sinatra- Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
(Buy the Kill Bill vol 1 soundtrack)

Feist razzle dazzles McCarren Park

A tad late for the wrap up, but Wednesday night was the Feist show in McCarren Park. Wow, what can I say—I love Leslie Feist. Just after sunset, she took the stage, and draped her silver sequined arm band over the microphone. She proudly showed off her new acoustic guitar and asked the crowd to help her name it, and promised she’ll call her guitar this name for the rest of its time on earth. After she said she would take suggestions via paper airplanes, Sofiblu ended up relaying airplanes towards the front of the audience for a bit of the night. The best name someone recommended was “McCarren.” Of course, if you’re going to play in front of thousands of New Yorkers, you gotta show Brooklyn some love.

Although she didn’t play my two favorite songs, "One Evening", and "How My Heart Behaves", I really enjoyed “Limit to your love,” ‘Sea Lion Woman” (which really got the crowd going), and the demo version of “Leisure Suite.” She said she recently found the four track demos so she and the band re-taught themselves this version. Recordings don’t do her justice. She sounds so amazing live, and her charm just rolls off the stage lik ripples in a sea of cigarette smoke.

(links expired)

Feist- Leisure Suite (demo version)

Feist- Leisure Suite (album version)
(Buy Let It Die)








Feist did an interview with Index Magazine about two years ago. She discussed her songwriting, and mentions Canadian girls.

“I love how Canadian girls manage to look totally hot in their enormous parkas. In Canada, it’s not about fishnets and heels, or other fantasy female stuff. Canadian girls are stalwarts---ruddy and healthy.”

I’m sure she’s just itching to work her parka this winter.

I hear with my little ear...

On Wednesday, I'm going to McCarren Park Pool to see Feist, along with about a thousand of her other closest friends. The “pool” is this crazy huge swimming area that’s been drained to accommodate happy concert goers—like me.

Although I love the energy that comes from huge venues like this one, small and intimate shows are what I hold closest to my heart. It’s the same way I feel about dinner parties. Why have 20 people come to dinner and speak to each person for a few minutes, when you can have five people huddled around a table, deep in conversation, wine glasses emptied, and refilled by the people who make you laugh so hard your cheeks hurt?

So while I look forward to the show on Wednesday, I kind of wish I was in Toronto when Feist picked up her guitar, and probably a milk crate or something, and did a live, intimate street side performance for NXNE in 2004. It’s like you and Feist, and the random happenings of the city. I’m having fun figuring out the little noises in the background, but Mushaboom lets your imagination run a litlte.

What do you hear?

(link expired)
Feist- Mushaboom (live at NXNE, 2004)

Canadian-rific.

Seriously considering renaming this blog to the "Might Emigrate To Canada Blog." It seems like every other post is about a Canadian band or musician. Or is it because the majority of good indie acts are coming from Canada? Rest assured, as long as there is poutine, and maple syrup, there will be hot Canadian shit here. (Whether I am aware of it or not, apparently.)

Anyhoo, I was thinking about this because a pal of mine in L.A. suggested that we spend a few weeks trekking across Canada from one coast to the other. Let's sweeten the pot, I said, and go concert hopping along the way. Wouldn't that be fantastic? The downside is, being that we are both native New Yorkers, driving through Canada will be sorta tough. Avoiding pedestrians will look like a game of Mario Kart. Maybe we'll do it the old fashion way-- throw our possessions in a couple of sacks, catch a ride on a freight train, and listen to Dirty Jim Harry play the banjo while we subsist on canned fish and jarred tomatoes.

Thoughts? Advice on proper canning techniques?

In case you were hoping for Tegan and Sara tickets...

Yeah they've sold out Webster Hall for November 19th. Check their myspace for tour dates and cross your fingers that there are still tickets available in your city. Austin, TX is on the tour by the way. You know, for you Texan Tegan and Sara fans out there.

For the disenchanted listeners who need a song for their mixed tape--

Tegan and Sara- The Con (link expired)
(Buy it- The Con)

All I do is fold

Y'all know my pechant for origami. It's a hobby of mine. This old Japanese tale says that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes you are granted one wish. I feel weird about this because like Santa Clause, if I fold 1,000 and nothing happens, it would be as much a let down as spoiled milk and stale cookies (Santa? I'm talkin' to you).

What I think I will do is fold 999, and just sit on the brink of knowing that something spectacular could or could not happen. I would have to retire from folding and live on the thrill of the unknown. These birds have history. They make me ache. Alcoholics can't touch liquor.... Origamists can't square pieces of paper.

The Paper Cranes- I'll love you till... (link expired)

This song is spiffy as hell. It sounds like the weight of 999 paper cranes. I discovered them while sitting at work thinking, "If I had a band, I would probably call us, THE PAPER CRANES." But dang, these guys beat me to it. No worries though, they're making good on the name. In the era of TV soundtrack promos, I think it won't be long before they're featured on the next O.C./Grey's Anatomy type show. And double props because they're from Vancouver! If you are in the area, their myspace says they are playing a show at Richards on Richard on August 17th.

The Cribs- 7.29.07 @ Richard's on Richards

Here are some photos from The Cribs concert in Vancouver, with special guest, Sean Na Na.

Sean Na Na

The Cribs join in and....

show them some love

Men's needs? Women's needs? Whatever.

Boozed up, flys open

Hot drums, a crowd swoons.

And New York fans, The Cribs will play Bowery Ballroom August 9th. Promises to be a great show, for sure.

The Cribs- Hey Scenesters! (link expired)

(Buy the album: Hey Fellas)

Needed: Vacation #2

(View from Stanley Park, Vancouver B.C.)

I'm back, but I would much rather be in Vancouver. The city is beautiful and it's such a contrast from the stressful nature of New York. My time in Vancouver felt like one deep breath.

Funny Vancouver story--- my friends and I were walking down the street when a group of people were coming towards us. When I looked up, I thought one of the guys looked a lot like Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab). I yanked my friend's arm, "Oh my god, that's Ben Gibbard!" So as the guys turned the corner, another friend turned around and shouted, "DEATH CAB RULES!" I thought I must have been mistaken. Who knows if they heard us. Later that night, when we went to see The Cribs at Richards on Richards, someone one in the band mentioned that his guitar was gift from Ben Gibbard. Coincidence? I think not... then again, my druken-English-accent-into-a microphone deciphering skills are pretty poor. Don't know if it was a recent gift or not.

Full concert update tomorrow

The Stills- Interview with NPR

I'm still riding off the high from Saturday's concert. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed some of the songs from Without Feathers, which, when played live, has just a completely different sound and energy. It's starting to grow on me.

But yes, this second album was a huge shift in tone from their previous album, Logic Will Break Your Heart. I hate change, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I came across this interview The Stills did last year on NPR's World Music Cafe, and they explained their desire to make "epic" music, which can span many genres, not just what Dave Hamlin calls, the "post-Radiohead" sound.

I think what I needed was an explaination for the change. Interpol has been rocking the same sound since they first broke out, but I can understand if a band decides to test new waters and go in a different direction. It didn't work for The Killers, but I hope it works for The Stills because I think they're immensely talented, AND... they don't seem to take themselves too seriously!

On the difference in media attention between Canada and the States:

Dave: The difference is like, in Canada we'll be on the Entertainment Tonight of Canada.
Tim: Right, they don't have much to talk about though.
Dave: No, they don't.

I laughed out loud.

Celebrating Canada in Brooklyn

I made the trek from Queens to Brooklyn today to celebrate Canada Day with three of bands from Montreal: Malajube, Sam Roberts Band, and one of my favorite bands, The Stills.

Malajube in their adorable Franco-accented English wished us all a “Happy Brooklyn.” I still don’t know that significance of lead singer Julien Mineau’s furry rat hat thing, but it’s a good thing it wasn’t a particularly hot day, otherwise he would have been baking.

(Malajube)

(Sam Roberts Band)

When The Stills came on, I was ecstatic. I was busting out my best moves, dancing to the music and singing along. I haven’t seen them perform live since college. They really have tightened up the performance aspect of their concert in a few years. Their first album is hands down better than the second, but the second does have its gems—like Oh Shoplifter, and Halo the Harpoon. Then again, I could probably listen to Tim Fletcher sing the phone book. Oh Tim… how I heart thee. One of the songs they performed for the encore was my favorite Stills song, Killer Bees, from the Rememberese EP.

Tim Fletcher & Dave Hamlin

of....

(The Stills)

Happy Canada Day, and…… “Happy Brooklyn!”

Malajube- Étienne d'août (link expired)
(Buy the album: Trompe L’Oeil)

Sam Roberts Band- Bridge to Nowhere (link expired)
(Buy the album: Chemical City)

The Stills- Killer Bees (link expired)
(Buy the EP: Rememberese)

The music made me do it #1

I wake up with my eyes
semi glued together
with night time eye crust.
My hair a mess. But I am
Stunning, beautiful, I know and I
smile in wonderment with my
arm draped over your body.

We are a sea of sheets and
I am half opened staring
into your back, drilling holes.
You are a tree and I am taking samples.
Your soul is sturdy and sweet like maple wood.
I know we will have pancakes for breakfast.

Sigh... the music made me do it. Written at home.

Inspired by...

Broken Social Scene- Swimmers (link expired)
(Buy Album: Broken Social Scene)

Feeling kind of FEISTY

In my first attempt to bring you this video, I fell asleep at my computer and woke up to 300 pages of ddddddddddd. I’m thinking this means I need an assistant. If interested, please send me your resumes. I can only afford to pay you with gratitude and cashews, so if you are nuts about nuts, let me know!

Sometimes it takes time for me to warm up to an artist. Everyone had been raving about Feist for awhile, but I wasn’t completely sold. But after I saw this spectacularly cheesy video for “One Evening,” I was floored. This is storytelling at its finest, using the art of interpretive dance and a low-budget lightshow. Just goes to show you that you don’t need a ton of money to make a great music video. For the past several days I’ve been suppressing the urge to do this dance everywhere: At the office, waiting for the light to change at the corner, while in line at a movie, buying tomatoes… the list goes on. Featured in this video with Leslie Feist is Buck 65, a Canadian rapper whom you may remember from the song “Wicked and Weird.” I think it was one of those songs that caused a blip on the radar, and then was destined for eternal airplay at the Abercrombie & Fitch. So here's Buck busting a move with Feist: