Top Ten Ways to act like a jagweed at a concert.

The good time had by people at a concert can approach mythical levels. Sadly, there are those out there that seek to tarnish great things. Here is a list of the ten ways you could unknowingly be ruining a concert. If you do anything on this list: stop immediately as you suck.

       Drink your beer from a pint glass.

-          Beer makes anything better, especially a live concert. You know what doesn’t make things better? Having an open glass of beer while everyone else around you is flailing their limbs. You will spill your beer. You will have to shrug an apology and what’s worse: you will have wasted a beer. Get a bottle next time. They’re cheaper and their narrow opening makes liquid containment a breeze.

       Record the entire thing on your phone.

-          You are in the middle of what could be a transcendental experience. You more than likely paid a decent chunk of a paycheck on the night, and there isn’t a phone in the world that could take in the sounds and the sights the way your eyes and ears can. Put it down and enjoy the show. Youtube won’t miss your upload.

       Brag about how you just downloaded the bands last album – just a little too loudly.

-          There are two types of people. Those that download music and those that lie about it. Everyone snags an album every now and then, but bragging about it at the band’s show is a dick move. If you do this, proceed immediately to the merch table and buy an album. 

       Screaming the lyrics to the song you kind of, maybe know.

-          Enthusiasm: it’s a wonderful thing. Especially enthusiasm for your current favourite band. Q: What isn’t wonderful? A: Probably your singing voice. It’s why the band is up on the stage and you’re projecting your rockstar issues onto everyone around you. Singing along is awesome but when you’re wailing the lyrics like a banshee into the ear of the dude next to you, you aren’t being awesome; you are being a dill weed. No one likes dill weeds.

       Wearing the band’s t-shirt.

-          It’s a totally cliché, but there is something inherently douche-like about wearing a band’s t-shirt to a show. I can’t explain it aside from the redundancy of the endeavor. Acceptable exceptions: band t-shirt from an ancient tour, or rock festival in which you were present. By no means should this be taken as “don’t buy band t-shirts”. Do … just wait ‘til after the show to put it on.

       Not understanding the concept/social conventions of a mosh pit.

-          Moshing is fun. But, like Dr. Pepper, some folks just don’t like it. So when you and your buddies start messing about try not slamming into the 98 pound girl. And, if you are the 98 pound girl, when folks start slamming into each other try your best to move out of the way. Shit can get real in a mosh pit, be prepared. And, if you’re an overweight, overly sweaty dude, don’t take off your shirt to mosh. No one wants to get slimed by you.

       Creep on the opposite sex

-          Concerts are just like real life, and, just like in real life it’s not cool to be a creep. When the music gets wild and out of control it’s not an open invitation to thrust at the fairer sex. Or if said girl is crowd surfing, do unto her as you would do unto your sister.

       Shout out your favourite song in the hopes that the band plays it.

-          There are these magical pieces of scribe called “set lists”. These are generally set well before the show. The bands do not, generally, deviate from them. Relax; they’ll play their biggest single but probably after the new stuff’s been played. Don’t scream your favourite song over and over and over again. Take a breath and cool out, you might find yourself a new favourite. Oh, and don’t scream a request for a song the band just played. Not cool.

       Wear sandals or something equally ridiculous.

-          If you think wearing sandals to a show where a ton of peoples are jammed together, dancing like maniacs while accidentally dropping glass beer bottles, you go right ahead. Just like you shouldn’t wear a sheet metal pant suit in the middle of a thunderstorm, you shouldn’t wear your Sunday bests to a GWAR show. Dress appropriately.

   Act like you aren’t enjoying yourself.

-          If you’re standing around slugging back beer and not making the slightest effort, then maybe you should just stay at home. Seriously. Concerts are all about the experience, and no one is too cool to have a good time at one. Dance. Drink. Smile. No one is too cool to have a great time at a concert.

New Soundproof artice!

Take in the awesomeness that is the blues/cowpunk/new wave shenanigans that is The Gun Clubs debut album:


Link to: Soundproof and my article on The Gun Club's Fire of Love. 

Things I/You Will/Should Buy in 2011

While this is a little late, I don't care. Here are the ten albums that I am most looking forward to in 2011. 

My Morning Jacket:

I’ve been a fan of MMJ since I saw them open for Pearl Jam playing to a super dull (a.k.a typical Toronto) crowd shortly after Z was released. Jim James, the group’s primary songwriter/singer/beard grower, says the album, slated for a May release, will have a less polished, more "live" feel to it. This means only great things. 

Website: My Morning Jacket

DeVotchKa:

These guys got a huge boost during their festival travels over the last few year. March sees the release of 100 Lovers, the follow up to 2008’s A Mad and Faithful Retelling. Rich instrumentation, global influences and an ever increasing incursion into the world of film and TV will help boost the band’s profile even further. 

Website: DeVotchKa

Beastie Boys:

Delayed since 2009 so that MCA could focus on his cancer treatment, the two part Hot Sauce Committee sees a release in Spring 2011. What's odd and very Beastie Boy about the release is we're going to get Hot Sauce Committee part Two before we get part One. And as a bonus, the band will release a short film guest starring about half of Hollywood in honour of the anniversary of Fight For Your Right. 

Website: Beastie Boy's website

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds:

I’ve read a few interviews with Cave and he said that he is planning on writing and recording a new Bad Seeds album after the current Grinderman tour comes to an end. I’m hoping he’ll come through. Hopefully Nick has time to write in between crashing cars.

Website: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Death Cab For Cutie:

While it would probably be too much to ask for a Postal Service release, a Death Cab album could fill that void. Codes and Keys look to take the band in a new direction, relying less on their signature guitar style. As to what would replace it, one can only speculate. The album is slated for a spring 2011 release.       

Website: Death Cab for Cutie       

Okkervil River:

I love this band. Seriously. There’s something about Will Sheff’s work that I dig; the lyrics, the music, all of it are bang on. Okkervil is releasing I Am Very Far in May and have showcased their new material on Jimmy Fallon. 

Website: Okkervil River

Dr. Dre:

Hip-hop’s own Chinese Democracy is (maybe?) coming out this year. Dr. Dre’s Detox is almost a decade in the making, and while I’m not the biggest Dre as MC fan on the planet, I have to admit that I’m morbidly curious. Even if Dre pimps Dr. Pepper.

Website: Dr. Dre

The Low Anthem:

A recent find for me, thanks to Uncut magazine. This band is tough to peg into any real genre, while their quiet dulcet songs are classic indie/Americana, they are able to belt out a rollicking hybrid of dirty rock and blues just as easy. Their new album Smart Flesh is due tail end of February. 

Website: Low Anthem

Drive-By Truckers:

Not only did these guys have one of the best albums out last year (The Big To-Do), they’re releasing what’s sure to be another classic. The album’s called “Go-Go Boots” and is referred to as an “R&B Murder” album, which, in the hands of any other group  could inspire images of the so bad it’s good, but actually it is really, really bad “Trapped in the Closet” .

Website: Drive-By Truckers

Middle Brother:

One of my favourite albums last year was Deer Tick’s “Black Dirt Sessions”, and while I don’t think that there will a new Deer Tick release this year, there is a silver lining. Lead singer John McCauley has joined up with Taylor Goldsmith and Matt Vasquez, the lead singers of Dawes and Delta spirits, to form a pseudo super group “Middle Brother”. The band popped up unofficially during SXSW, played a few real shows after the fact and will be releasing their first album as a group this year. 

Website: Middle Brother

And just to whet your whistle, here is a selection of music from the aforementioned artists. It's a Youtube playlist, so simply skip the ones that you don't dig. But that shouldn't be an issue, they're all winners:

Check out my article at SoundProof Magazine

I interviewed Laura Regan from the band Bridget and the Squares as they embark on their first tour.

Link to SoundProof

Enjoy!

Okkervil River are back

I'll start off 2011 with some good news!

Okkervil River, one of my favourite new bands, were on Jimmy Fallon to preform a new track off their forthcoming album "I Am Very Far".

Enjoy!

Women in New Music

I sometimes wonder if it is just me who notices.

There is a chasm. On one side, we have out tabloid queens, our Courtneys, Amys and to a lesser extent our Lilys and "Gagas". On this side of the chasm, we have scores of reporters, album sales in millions, or at the very least, hundred of thousands and an unshakable presence in pop culture. They exist, it would seem, to be news instead of the musicians they had once set out to be.

On the other side of this chasm there are the women that are truly remarkable. They do not go out on the town, vomit on something or someone and end up on page one, above the fold. They do not rely on PR for exposure. They do not wind up on TMZ. They are musicians who rely on word of mouth to get their music out there.

I’ve compiled a list of a few of my favourite women of new music. There are a few you may have heard of, a few you haven’t. My hope is that you go and give a listen to them. They are, after all, musicians, and they deserve our ears.

More deserving than the Britneys, at least.



Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine
One of the best debut album, if not best album period, to come out in 2009 was from a drop dead gorgeous ginger haired, art school dropout. “Lungs”, was both a critical and commercial smash. It managed number one in the U.K and continue to do exceedingly well in Europe and the States. Florence writes rich pop songs with lush instrumentation, with her vocals matching power with playfulness. While “Lung’s” subject matter is generally the standard dark, break up material, its presentation is what propels it above and beyond typical, boring pop garbage. She is currently recording a follow-up record, which is expected in 2011.



Joanna Newsom
Joanna is a classically trained musician with a several releases out already, most recently being “Have One On Me”, which was not surprisingly, a critical darling. She writes complex music consciously devoid of any particular genre. The complexity of her musical arrangements is constantly juxtaposed against her voice, which has been described as child-like and defies her training as a musician. She has appeared on several occasions on Jimmy Kimmel Live and appears to be gaining momentum to jump from indie darling to mainstream crossover success. While I wouldn’t suggest putting on one of her records on a long car trip, her voice compliments a lazy Sunday, heaps of coffee and a good read.



Lykke Li
Sweden, for some magical reason, has a knack for producing some of the greatest pop music out there. “Youth Novels” is Lykke’s first album and certainly sets the bar high for the eventual follow up. Her voice simmers through the album, letting the arrangements and sometimes thread bare, economical production carry her. She voice is constantly in the spotlight, never faltering, letting the clemency of her voice become her strength.



Kim Schifino of Matt & Kim
Drummers come in two shades, the wild frenetic time keeping of your Keith Moons or your restrained, Swiss timekeepers, like Charlie Watts. Kim prescribes to the former, and has helped the pair become one of the must see live acts. Kim embodies one of the greatest do it yourself mentalities out there. She, and Matt, produced their album “Grand” out of Matt’s bedroom. She also fearlessly appears in one of the greatest videos of last year, the viral “Lesson Learned”. Matt & Kim are currently recording their next album, so we’ll be seeing Kim Schifino real soon.



Melody Gardot
Melody is not only a wonderful new voice in Jazz music, she is also a remarkably strong woman. When she was 19 she was involved in a horrific car accident that left her confined to her bed recovering from head in spinal injuries. Years after the accident, she still needs the help of a cane and always wears sunglasses due to a sensitivity to light. It was this life-changing event that catapulted her into music as a means of therapy. Her paired down approach to music allows her to mix and mash a multitude of genres to create a unique sonic experience. She can be heard most recently only “My One And Only Thrill”.



Victoria LeGrand of the Beach House
Beach House is a dream pop duo straight out of the mean streets of Baltimore. France-born Victoria is their heir apparent of the throaty, laid back vocals of the divine Nico. Like Nico, Victoria’s voice is thick and lush and automatically adds depth to the production so it comes as no surprise that bands, such as Grizzly Bear, have approached her to sing background. Beach House has most recently released their third album, “Teen Dream” and it is an amazing leap forward stylistically. Like the Cocteau Twins before them, Victoria and Beach House seem poised to leap from the sub genre and into the main stream



Gabriela of Rodrigo y Gabriela
There are two things that might take some by surprise when reading about Mexico. One; is that they love Morrissey. Two; they also really, really love thrash metal. Rodrigo and Gabriela both started out in a thrash metal band in Mexico before moving to Ireland and finding a cult following that lead them to supporting several large acts on European tours. Gabriela and Rodrigo, play classical flamenco style guitar with flair and acres of personality. The excitement in each track is incredibly infectious. Gabriela plays one hell of a mean guitar. I can’t bring to mind a single female that can compete with her finger and fret work.



Laura Marling
There is a huge folk scene exploding out of London right now, and Laura Marling is one of the leading ladies of the scene. Prior to cutting it as a solo artist, Laura was a member of Noah and the Whale and sang background on tracks by The Rakes and Mystery Jets. Her voice is strong and feminine and at times is eerily similar to a young Joni Mitchell. Laura’s latest album, “I Speak Because I Can” is certified silver in the U.K and entered the charts at number four.



Regina Spektor
Regina is associated with the New York “anti-folk” scene, but she transcends that non-genre, especially in her later releases such as “Far”. Her songs are wonderfully constructed pieces; the music is undeniable pop but with a level of sophistication generally unheard of in what passes as pop today. Her voice has a versatile range, and she isn’t afraid of hitting the high notes. Her songs are wonderfully constructed and when combined with her lyrics are large scale, loose narratives a truly memorable experience is had.



Dee Dee, Jules, Sandy and Bambi of the Dum Dum Girls
Right off the mark these girls score huge points for Iggy Pop song reference in their name (“Dum Dum Boys” from Iggy’s brilliant “The Idiot”). These girls take The Ramones formula and apply it to lo-fi, indie and garage rock with surprising results. The Dum Dum Girls’ debut on SupPop sounds like a hipster Blondie album, or maybe a Siouxsie Sioux who grew up in the Portland in the 90’s. The band started out as a solo project from front woman Dee Dee and metamorphosed into a solid four piece just last year. And the best part about the group? On their debut, the last track is a cover of Sonny Bono’s “Baby Don’t Go”.

Review-a-palooza #8:

When The Wallflowers crashed the main stage with 1996’s “One Headlight”, I don’t think there was anyone out there that could've predicted that Bob Dylan’s kid, Jakob, would have been anything other than a one hit wonder.

Women + Country is a collection of alt. country, folk and dust bowl blues that attain for an instant timeless quality. The songs are home spun and warm and juxtapose nicely against the stark imagery of a hard life.

On his second outing as a solo artist, Jakob is produced by Grammy and Academy Award winner T-Bone Burnett. T-Bone does well recreating the magic from the last time they worked together when he produced the Wallflower’s breakout album “Bringing Down the Horse” and its giant single “One Headlight”. While this album doesn't have the million dollar single, it certainly is their most fulfilling pairing to date.

On several tracks Jakob marvelously employs Canadian New Pornographer and all around solid solo artist Neko Case. Neko adds her depth to the background vocals and comes close to out singing the airy vocals Jakob lays down. Also on the album is Neko's own background vocalist Kelly Hogan who shines just as bright. All three voices mesh wonderfully to add to the dreamlike, dust bowl tonality of the album.

Women + Country's best are found on "Everybody's Hurting" and the drifting horns of "Lend a Hand". The latter Jakob appears without his female driven backing vocals to wonderful effect.

Jakob’s persona cuts through each song as he comes into his own a solo artist. His songs are sepia toned and dreamy but confident. And even though it might not come to pass, he is one step closer to being referred to as Jakob Dylan, and not Bob’s kid.