Friday Five: Weekend Entertainment Edition

So, I was wracking my brain trying to come up with something original or interesting for the Friday Five; this is the result.  Feeling inspired by all the shows I'm going to see in the next few days I decided to feature a track from each artist, off their latest albums.  Here's my schedule for Thursday through Monday: 

Thursday, Oct. 2nd, Chad Vangaalen and Women at Zaphods in Ottawa.  This was an extremely inpressive show.  It's very hard to fill Zaphods on any day at 9:00, but this lineup was able to pull in a very good crowd.  Both acts responded well.   Women put on a lo-fi inspired set with excellent guitar harmonies.  Chad managed to silence the crowd with a banjo during the opening song "Willow Tree".  He proceded to play a headless guitar for the rest of the set.  Chad's live show screamed of Neil Young, who better to emulate than transplanted folk-rock extraordinaire.  By the way, Mr. Young will make his way across North America in the next few months.

Chad Vangaalen - Rabid Bits of Time

Women - Black Rice

Saturday, Oct. 4th, Wintersleep at Barrymore's in Ottawa SOLD OUT.  I like Wintersleep and everyone has told me to see them live.  Any past reviews would be greatly appreciated.  Their last album was solid, so here's a great track from Welcome to the Night Sky, no not THAT song that we have heard a million times.

Wintersleep -Laser Beams

Monday, Oct. 6th, Beck and MGMT at Theatre St. Denis in Montreal SOLD OUT.  I haven't been so excited for a show in AGES.  This anticipation is only intensified by the rumours that this may be Beck's last tour.  I have never seen Beck live, but I'm told that he is amazing.  MGMT produced one of my favourite albums of the past year, so I'm excited to see if MGMT can start the party right.

Beck - Volcano

MGMT - Pieces of What

With that, have a great weekend!  I know I will.

Inbox Wednesday: Delorean

While scoping the far reaches of the BTA email, I came across these guys from Spain who go by the name of my favourite time traveling car. Delorean remixed The Mystery Jets' "Half in Love With Elizabeth" and have turned it into a piano-banging, uplifting house anthem. The vocal loop even gives them shades of Animal Collective at their brightest sounding.

However, I did manage to find another Delorean remix that they did for The Teenagers earlier this year. These guys also have a pretty cool Spanish blog called Desparrame, which an online translator tells me means 'it scatters' and it is definately a scattering of random stuff from the internet.

The Mystery Jets - Half in Love With Elizabeth (Delorean remix)

The Teenagers - No Love (Delorean remix)

Enjoy.

New Music Monday: Green Go

I've never been to Guelph, Ontario as far as I can recall. But thankfully it's close enough to my city that us Torontonians get more than a healthy dose of the musical offerings of the hometown of Robert Munsch. Bands such as the D'Urbervilles, the Magic, and others have built an ever-growing fan base outside of their hometown, generally lead by us big city kids.

Next on the list of Guelphites with rising profiles is the sweaty dance party starters commonly known as Green Go. Lead by the shared keyboard/vocals of Fezz Stenton and Jess Tollefsen, the often-costumed 5-piece excels when the air conditioning caves to the demands of a house full of energetic young men and women with dance moves to spare. And while they're not exactly a brand new creation having released an EP on Burnt Oak records in 2007, only those in southwestern Ontario have had the pleasure of checking out their brand of Think About Life-meets-the Rapture disco-infused indie rock.

That is all until now, as the band is preparing tour plans on the heels of a limited-print 3-song teaser (available only at shows) which aptly demonstrates their energy, but also their range. While tunes like 'Cash Money Gremlins' and 'Ghosts of the Future' will certainly inject any party with all the dance opps it can dream of, my personal favourite 'Fool Me Once', which the band has decided to hold tight for a 2009 full-length release, showcases some of the strongest tools this talented bunch possess: Tollefsen's sultry vocals which touch on Emily Haines at her best set to a backdrop of grooves that snake through every crevice and build just to drop on a dime, and build back up again.

For those of you attending Pop Montreal next week, they'll be playing the Fuzzy Logic showcase on Thursday at O Patro Vys. Following that, they'll be doing what they do best in Ottawa on Saturday, at a sure-to-be-packed house show at 276 Nelson. As their bio suggests, you might want to bring a change of clothes.

Green Go - Ghosts of the Future
Green Go - Fool Me Once

Disco Intelligence

And the lord said...let there be new wave electro pop for all.

If you put Crystal Castles and Mates of State together in some crazy experiment, you might get something resembling Perth's Voltaire Twins. Having performed a mere fifteen or so shows and only a few demo's to speak of, the wonder twin duo have caught the attention of several labels and are currently a featured group on Australian radio station, Triple J. Catchy hooks and synth heavy bass lines are what make "Disco Intelligent Light" a fun dance beat. Having already backed some big Australian names, and heading out to support Ladytron in October, you may start to hear more about James and Tegan Voltaire. I'm looking forward to hearing more from these guys once they've recorded their debut EP, currently in the works. This will probably eliminate any of the mic or pitch issues people have with these early recordings. It will be interesting to see where they take their sound. Wonder twin powers, Activate!

Voltaire Twins - Disco Intelligent Light
Voltaire Twins - London!

Polaris Music Prize Preview

Tonight is the annual gala to announce the winner of the Polaris Music Prize, the award given to the best Canadian album of the previous year, "judged solely on artistic merit". The winner tonight will leave with their record amongst the likes of previous winners Patrick Watson (Close to Paradise) and Final Fantasy (He Poos Clouds), the knowledge that a bunch of music journalists really dug their shit, and one of those gigantic cheques for $20,000.

This is when I go on record to proclaim my prediction for who that may be. And by tomorrow, if London, ON's MC extraordinaire Shad takes home the hardware, I'll look like I actually know what I'm talking about.

Shad's nominated record, 2007's The Old Prince is about as strong of a hip hop record as Canada has ever seen, and perhaps stronger than any we may see for years to come. Musically, his band (and yes, he plays live with one), fuse elements of jazz, soul, hip hop, and rock while Shad's rhymes are clever, intelligent, honest and just overall enjoyable even to those who balk at 98% of the urban music genre. His lyrics are distinctly Canadian, yet his widespread potential appeal leave us thinking that, unlike basically any Canadian MC's to date, his success may not be limited to within our own borders. Given that, the Polaris panel could (and should) recognize The Old Prince as an opportunity to acknowledge and encourage quality urban music in Canada.

By comparison, co-nominees such as the Weakerthans, Stars, and arguably Kathleen Edwards are riding their nomination on the back of records that are not only not the best album of the previous year, but aren't even close to the best albums in their own discography. Had the Polaris existed when Left and Leaving dropped, John K. Samson and co. would have had a strong case for the cheddar, but such just isn't the case as Reunion Tour is widely considered their most uninspired effort to date.

For the record, if it's not Shad, then my runner-up votes go to co-Londoner Basia Bulat's folk gem Oh My Darling, and Parc Avenue by Montrealers Plants & Animals.

Review - Archive "Live at the Zenith"

Live albums always present an interesting juxtaposition of pure, unbridled honesty and a certain level of fabrication within the context of the source environment. Take for example Live at the Zenith, the 'new' release from UK's Archive ('new' in that it has been out for some time in Europe, but just reached shelves in North America recently).

The album was recorded at Paris' sold-out Zenith Arena in January of 2007 and fully captures their building, epic throwback too-new-to-be-considered-classic rock sound that fills stadiums in many (mostly non-English dominated) countries across Europe. The crowd's response to tracks such as "Fuck U", "Pulse", and "Black" provide the listener with the context of a large, spanning audience completely enthralled by their Floyd-esque vibe. In listening to it, one can't be blamed for assuming that Archive is the biggest, most influential rock band on the planet.

The main problem with this listening experience across the Atlantic, however, is that it evokes an atmosphere with which us North Americans just can't relate. Even if we are Archive fans (which painfully few are compared to our European counterparts), our live experience with the band is far more likely to be taking place at the El Mocambo than the Air Canada Centre. Not to say that the show wouldn't be great at the El Mo (it would probably be better), but the overall experience of "Live at the Zenith" doesn't adequately represent the North American listener experience.

Perhaps its North America's general apathy for the band which has caused this release (and 2006's Lights) to take so long to reach shelves here, or rather its that they seem to not mark us on their map of priority that has caused them to not fully take off over here; regardless of cause, all Live at the Zenith does for American and Canadian Archive fans is remind us that short of hopping a plane, we'll never experience the ethereal magic of seeing the band amongst thousands of others who actually give a shit.

Remix Sunday: Justice on the Radio Weekend

Tomorrow I start my adventure to become a studio engineer. I'm so excited that I'm at a loss for words for pretty much any conversation. After a year and a half of straight working my bawls off I'm going back to learn how to record your favorite bands and maybe win a Grammy. Yeah, that's my ultimate goal in life accept an award from the awards show that is just basically a circle jerk for industry hot heads. I wanna be one of those hot heads. Money, power, women, sold out arenas, music videos with naked bitches and champagne. That's the life for me. Oh wait, this is a music blog not my stoner dreams blog.

Theres a few remix's that I've been listening to non-stop this week. I thought I was tired of all this remixing and jive talking but I guess there are still some quality ones out there. First off there is obviously huge hype surrounding anything TV on the Radio these days. There new album 'Dear Science' is a strong candidate for album of the year already and really, who expected any less. Every TotR record put out so far has been an almost instant classic. Here's a remix to every ones favorite TotR song;

Staring At The Sun (Byran Hyde Remix) - TV on the Radio

Next remix? Justice. OH EM GEE! JUSTICE DID A REMIX?!!! HOW SURPRISING!!! It even sounds like a Justice remix. Who woulda thunk it? Still good...

As Above, So Below (Justice Remix) - Klaxons

Last on the docket comes a remix from a record that I consider to be the best of the year. Vampire Weekends' self titled debut has been played over a thousand times in my car and is probably gonna get spun a few more times before I throw it in the discount bin in my basement.

Oxford Comma (Burntpiano Edit) - Vampire Weekend

Thanks to The Mixtape Podcast for these lovely remixes and, by the way, when I'm inside Jessica Alba, I'll let you all know.

Keep it to myself, no way.

No, it's not your speakers. That buzzing, lo-fi romp resonating from the speakers is meant to sound that way. Vivian Girls are a recent find for me, labelmates of Jay Reatard, Black Lips, King Khan and other In the Red bands I don't know but deserve mention for moniker alone: Lamps, Sonic Chicken 4, Pussy Galore.

These Brooklynite plain janes play quick, reverb-heavy rock with nods towards mod and shoegaze acts of the past. If you like The Raveonettes, Sonic Youth, Palomar, or anything similar, you'll enjoy the emotionally distant wall of sound. Their music skips along to foot tapping drums and layered vocals overlapping and decaying into one muddled mess. If that doesn't sound like an affectionate description, it's meant to be. "Tell the World" is a prime example:



Their Myspace says their album is sold out, but I'd venture a guess that it can be picked up on tour, so catch them at Pop Montreal on the 5th if you can. Mates overseas will have to wait until December 2nd when they begin their UK stint at Brixton Windmill in London.

Vivian Girls - Tell the World
Vivian Girls - I Believe in Nothing
Vivian Girls - Where Do You Run To

Friday Five!

The Tunics – Cost of Living
Utterly thrilling, anthemic rock ‘n’ roll with obvious echoes of The Libertines, Oasis and Artic Monkeys. Lyrically centered on a frustration with the rise of knife and gang culture in London, but given a duel dimension by the deteriorating state of the world economy. The most culturally vital music I’ve heard all year.

White Lies – Death
Intense, haunting, gothic power pop, for fans of Interpol, Editors, The Killers and all the bands who inspired them. Tension is adeptly built throughout leading to a pulsting conclusion where they repeat the chilling "Yes This Fear's Got Hold On Me" line until the music fades into the distance, evocating images of life's final fleeting moments.

Stricken City – Tak o Tak
Compulsive drum beats, heavy reverb and a dash of synths perfectly complement the female singer's sultry, gravelly female voice. Yet another Moshi Moshi band of exceptional promise.

My Sad Captains – All Hat and No Plans
I must have listened to this over 100 times in the last few weeks and still have no clue what it’s meant to be about, as each time I find myself equally lost and enchanted by it’s lush melodies and soothing vocals which bring back fond memories of The Delgados, Goldrush and many other Truck Record stablemates.

Apache Beat - Tropics
Pretty much what the names suggest, a mix of African bongo drums, synths and impressive amounts of distortion to create a droning tribal sound. Offering such an eclectic concoction, this is perfect for fellow sufferers of musical attention deficit disorder.

Still Staring At The Sun

Get over it, TV on the Radio are awesome. Without question, I hold these guys as one of the most innovative and captivating rock bands in operation today. Sure, everyone thinks that 2006's, Return to Cookie Mountain, was the cat's pyjamas and how can you beat powerhouse tracks such as "Wolf Like Me" and collaborations with Bowie. But newly released Dear Science is just as good - if not better.

The truth is that TV on the Radio have been making incredible music for the majority of my credible music listening years. Their sound is accessible in some aspects and totally abstract in others, sometimes I can understand the lyrics, sometimes I can't. Regardless, they make exciting music and it keeps me interested longer than a week. And I have ADD bad.

From Dear Science (2008):

TV on the Radio - Halfway Home
TV on the Radio - Crying
TV on the Radio - Family Tree

*The new disc in it's entirety is spinning over on the band's myspace.

What started it all for me, from Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004):

TV on the Radio - Staring at the Sun

Southern Discomfort.

Nothing like dirty rock to kick off a Thursday morning - semi hung-over, tired and oh-so-close to the weekend, I had been in my cubicle for mere minutes when "Wrecking Ball" by Dead Confederate came on the (online) radio.

So I immediately did a bit of research and jumped on here to share, because who knows how many of you are out there in the same situation, stuck at work and waiting to be distracted.

Hailing from Athens, Georgia, Dead Confederate is like a Nirvana / Kings of Leon hybrid. Grungy and whiny, these guys have an enjoyable heavy sound and include fun contractions like 'yer' in their song titles, clearly confirming their southern heritage.

Wrecking Ball is their first LP, and from what I've heard so far, it's solid. While I remain partial to the title track, it's not on their MySpace, but I'll try to find it by tonight. In the meantime, give them a go!

Inbox Wednesday - Good, Better, Best

Since we started the blog, the BTA inbox has become rich with track submissions from some incredible artists from all over the world. Given this, the BTA staff has decided (in a blaze of glory) to feature the best of these submissions regularly with Inbox Wednesdays.

There are three artists that made the cut this week, and I have decided to share each of them with you in a post called Good, Better, Best.

Good.
The Legends - Seconds Away

This upbeat electro track includes a catchy melody sung with a modest harmony backing. The hook is accompanied by an incredible amount of static-ey distortion that hits in a very original way. And it works.

Formed in Stockholm in January 2003, The Legends are made up of 9 energetic Swedes with varying degrees of musical talent (some picked up an instrument just to be in the group). They are signed to Labrador Records. Check out the track.


Better.
We Plants are Happy Plants - UITC (Up In The Clouds)
Anyone in the market for a Disco Banger should be ecstatic with We Plants are Happy Plants' Up In The Clouds. This victorious son-of-a-bitch leaves your head bobbing and your heart pounding. Plus, it's vaguely reminiscent of that Street Fighter dance track that kicked ass during jr. high.

We Plants are Happy Plants aka Peter Bergmann hails from Budapest Hungary an pulls influence from the trendiest of dance masters - Daft Punk, Justice, Sebastian Tellier, Hot Chip and more. Check out the myspace for more juiced up tracks.


Best
Nancy - Keep Cooler
Nancy - Keep Cooler (Born Ruffians Remix)
This was a great email to receive... thanks to Praxis from the band. The Born Ruffians Keep Cooler Remix is the first song which the Canadian indie kings have remixed, and they chose a great original track to start with.

Nancy is a five piece hailing from Brasília, Brazil that has been featured by the BBC, USA Today, and more. Keep Cooler is their flagship track; one that is highlighted by engaging vocals, a fun interplay of instruments, and an eclectic song structure that keeps you on your toes. The Ruffians remix is a quicky and peaceful take on the track, but I enjoy the original just as much. You decide which you prefer.


And if your band would like to be featured in an upcoming version of Inbox Wednesday, email us at bridgingtheatlantic@gmail.com. Thanks team.

New Music Monday: Chad VanGaalen

So maybe I’m lying a little and this isn’t entirely new. To be quite honest, this album came out earlier this month with rave reviews and I’m tardy aboard the buzz train. But we’ll go with the ‘better late than never’ mantra. So here it is – Chad VanGaalen’s Soft Airplane.

This Calgary artist and musician has certainly come a long way since his days of recording songs in his bedroom. His previous album Skelliconnection (2007) was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, and Soft Airplane (2008) is quickly gaining momentum. While this man’s work can only be described as eclectic, the electro-psychedelic-folk sound (uh...) found on this third LP is all kinds of wonderful. TMNT Mask waxes poetic about everyone’s favourite mutants while showing that electronica can mix with harmonica, the folk staple making an unexpectedly appropriate appearance. Poisonous Heads is a work of genius, pairing VanGaalen’s frail albeit haunting voice with deep gurgling beats. And Molten Light deserves a mention, if only for the fact that it inspired this acid-trip of a video (VanGaalen's own animation):

Chad VanGaalen - Poisonous Heads

Chad VanGaalen - Molten Light

Contest: Santogold/A-Trak/Lets Go To War - THIS WEDNESDAY

Wednesdays get absolutely no more exciting than this one upcoming.  Neither do contests, for the record.  Read on, young lads and lasses.

Philadelphia's Santogold, arguably the title-holder for most emergent artist of 2008 is coming to the Guvernment for her first headlining show in Toronto.  I first saw her at Osheaga in 2007, and have been spinning her s/t debut album constantly since it hit the streets this past April. 

Alongside Ms Gold (actually Ms White) comes Fool's Gold records founder and Kanye's former DJ A-Trak, and local electro-lites Lets Go to War.

In a very kind gesture from the ladies and gents at Live Nation, we've got 5 (yes 5!) pairs of tickets for this eye-popping lineup.  All you have to do is email us with the subject line "this is one Santo-Golden contest!" for your chance to get one of them.  But since the show is so soon, you best get on it.  Contest closes at noon on Wednesday, aka the day of the show.

But, since I'm sure we'll get a serious response and you basically need to be at this one, I won't take it personally if you were to run out to secure your pair just in case.  Last I heard, there were still a handful left at Rotate This and Ticketmaster.  Your $25 plus charges couldn't possibly be better spent.

Because I'm currently very sick of shitty electro remixes (gasp!), here are a couple tracks straight from what is a fantastic album.

Santogold - Say Aha 

Santogold - Shove It (ft Spank Rock) 

Herv & A-Trak ft Cadence Weapon - Roll With the Winners

Remix S-Monday - DATA feat. Sebastien Grainger

Due to technical difficulties with my house's wireless network, BTA presents Remix S-Monday!


My roommate and fellow BTA contributor, Matty B., showed me this track a week or so ago. Apparently, French producer DATA isn't anything new but I only recently got hooked on the different incarnations of his track "Rapture". The original track, and accompanying remixes, feature former Death from Above 1979 drummer/singer Sebastien Grainger singing about some girl "telling her lies again, running around with other men" reminding me of his DFA79 days.

The original is a dark, '80's-inspired, synth number with a little guitar wankery and Grainger's sexually fuelled vocals. This track could have been called "Nightdrive", but Kavinsky already penned that (in a good way).

DATA - Rapture feat. Sebastien Grainger

Then DatA apparently reworked the track into "Rapture Pt 2" by dropping a suspiciously Timbaland-influenced beat and putting some reverb on Grainger's vocal track to heighten the tension. Definitely a slow burner, but I'd go nuts if I heard this in da club.

DATA - Rapture Pt. 2

Finally, we have Edwin Van Cleef's remix of "Rapture" which cements the original even deeper in '80's nostalgia. Beginning with some menacing drum pounds and minor chords, it quickly gets washed in bright synths creating a more uplifting take on the original.

DATA - Rapture (Edwin Van Cleef remix)

Friday Five!

The Walkmen - In the New Year

A wailing good time with organ-drenched choruses and all sorts of jangly goodness. One of, if not the best song from their latest, You and Me, which is terrific.

Jadakiss feat. Jay-Z - Who Run This

Jada, or Al Qaeda, his less than clever gangstaish tag (but why not, it rhymes) gets some help from Jiggaman on this track from Jada's new LP. Jay adlibs in place of any real hook, no verse from him either, but the beat makes up for that, rumbling with a murky east coast vibe.

Ra Ra Riot - Dying is Fine

Well written pop rock, bounces along, string backing, etc. Sounds like it could be many other bands but it's secretly a few notches above mediocre.

Thee More Shallows - Fly Paper

This album (Book of Bad Breaks) came out last year on Anticon and really didn't/doesn't seem to be on anybody's radar, at least where I'm at. A shame really, as it shares a lot of what makes Why? so compelling, with headphone-worthy production and tense and scatterbrained sing-speak lyrics.

The National - Santa Clara

This Virginia E.P. track continues to be a favorite from my favorite band of a while now. They can do no wrong with beautifully melancholic and tongue in cheek songs like this, and end it with some horns why don't you. This is the B-material from a band making so much A stuff they have to curve the grade somewhere.

Heartbreakers

I first discovered Metronomy several months ago when they opened for some band I now remember nothing about. Metronomy's set was all zany dance routines, strobe lights and outlandish outfits. I was hammered, they were awesome; it was love at first sight.

But what really stuck with me was just how good their music is. As it turns out, most of the tracks I was digging are from the group's second album, Nights Out, released last week. Genre-wise, it's all over the place (electro, funk, rock, and disco all feature) but the overall quality of the album's 12 tracks easily places it among my favourites of 2008.

First single 'Radio Ladio' (video below) was released in the UK way back in November 2007 and three other Nights Out tracks have subsequently been released as EPs, the most recent being the insanely catchy 'Heartbreaker'. 'The End Of You Too', albeit not one of the choices for a single, makes good on the promise that Foals made a while ago but never totally deliver on. It's real electro-fied indie rock, and it is awesome.

Metronomy - The End Of You Too
Metronomy - Heartbreaker

The band is about to embark on a European tour, returning to London for a show at ULU on October 31st.



Oh, and by the way: Metronomy don't yet have a North American label, so if any of you aspiring music-industry types are looking for a winner you might want to consider putting your money on this horse.

The Wednesday Mail Room: Young Lords

The BTA inbox has recently been a source of great musical discoveries, and one of the best arrived last week in the form of an email from New York City's Young Lords. These guys pump out grimy blues/rock numbers that bring to mind Beggars Banquet-era Rolling Stones with a little Strokes and Kinks thrown in for good measure. Check out "Rodeo Songs" and "Turn It Up" below to see what I'm trying to get at.

Young Lords - Rodeo Songs
Young Lords - Turn It Up

The debut album Rodeo Songs will be released on October 9th.

RIP Richard Wright

The man behind some of the most haunting sounds in rock and roll history has passed away today. Pink Floyd pianist and founding member Richard Wright died following a brief and sudden battle with cancer. He was 65 years young - a long life for a rock star, but a short stint for a legend.

Check out the full story here.

The news of this premature death has mobilized thousands of fans and has already resulted in a myriad of YouTube tributes in his honor. Not that YouTube is a measure of one's importance, but it's impressive nonetheless. Who am I kidding, YouTube is totally a fame barometer - the number and complexity of the photo montages people are creating for this man kind of blows my mind.

But I digress - sorry, grief makes me nervous. All this to say: Mr. Wright, it's now your turn to Shine On... RIP.

Lil Wanye Surprises Me Every Day

Really all you need to watch is after 3 minutes 30 seconds.

And in other news, whose sex is on fire? The new Kings of Leon record leaked about a week ago and it's a solid effort by the Followill boys. But as my good friend bbbykmbrly. put it, "There's alot of Knocked Up and not enough Charmer". I have to agree, but more Kings later; for now just continue laughing hysterically at the epic guitar solo provided by Mr. Lollipop.