Broken Social Scene is giving back to their fans yet again.  In support of their new album, Forgiveness Rock Record, Toronto’s favourite indie mega-band returns with 4 in-store performances in the 4 top Toronto indie record stores tomorrow.

What a great way to recognize some of the best record stores in the city, and show the fans how a accessible such a behemoth-sized orchestral indie band can really be.

Sunday May 9th
2pm – Criminal Records (493 Queen Street West) - crimedoesntpay.ca
4pm – Rotate This (801 Queen Street West) - rotate.com
6pm – Soundscapes (572 College Street) - soundscapesmusic.com
8pm – Sonic Boom (512 Bloor Street West) - sonicboommusic.com

Band of Skulls and the Whigs
Mod Club |04.28.10
7.5/10

It was a nice warm night in the city to check out one of my latest faves, Band of Skulls at the Mod Club on Thursday night.  I’ve had a heart-on for this trio ever since hearing their catchy, head boppy track ,”I Know What I Am” last year.  I can’t get enough of guy/girl vocal combos these days (ala The XX and Stars), and the blend of Russell Marsden’s raspy rocker and Emma Richardson’s warm sound is no exception.

Montreal’s Silver Starling opened the night with a short set of indie pop to warm the crowd.  They were troubled with some sound issues; the bass overdrive and subwoofer was set to sloppy nightclub, and vocals were washed out.  I also found lead vocalist Marcus Paquin’s voice wasn’t strong enough to carry the band, but it could have been the mixing issues (did you do a soundcheck?), which is a shocker as the Mod Club typically has great sound.  The best songs of the night were “Closer” and “Something for Nothing” – the rolling drums and pulsing melodic sound was quite infectious, showing essences of the Stills/Arcade Fire.

The Whigs exploded onto the stage with a high octane set of garage rock. Lead vocals/guitarist Parker Gispert was a real showman with his Liu Kang karate kicks and speaker jumping antics.  I was personally enthralled by the shag bopping stylings of drummer Julian Dorio, reminding of the Muppets’ Animal.  He was the true key in driving their gritty power chord rock, with his smash-happy crash symbols and heart stomping bass drums.  Their hit, “Like a Vibration” had a much stronger attack and grit than their recorded version, pumping up the crowd.

Once the Whigs left the stage, I was saddened to see about a quarter of the crowd bail before the Band of Skulls came on stage.  I realize that the Whigs are more more established, and perhaps should’ve closed the night, but at least give them a chance!

Band of Skulls was smart to begin with a few of their known and heavier tunes “Light of the Morning” and “Diamands and Pearls”.  Lead Marsden’s vocals were bang on and drew me right into their sound, even if the rest of the crowd was ready for bed.  Emma Richardson wasn’t as strong as I would’ve liked, at times going a little over zealous at times with her vocals, likely to keep up with Marsen.

But overall I did find their stage presence a little lack lustre, with at times facing their backs to the crowd for a little too long and stiff banter with the crowd.  To their defense, the crowd was quite drowsy and still coming down from the Whigs’ set.

What also didn’t help was playing their 7-minute rendition of “Cold Flame”, which happens to be one of my favourite tracks from their title album, “Baby Doll Face Honey”.  I’ve always equated this track to be a cathartic finishing piece to cap off a hard party night.  Placing it right in the middle of their set of wasn’t best choice in keeping the drowsy crowd awake.

Once they kicked it back up a notch with “I know what I am” and crowd favourite “Blood”, the energy did rise, but it never peaked.  Was it a little too late?  Thankfully, their encores “Hollywood Bowl” and “Honest” (see clip below) left on a good note, showing potential of what could have been.

Video: “Honest” by Band of Skulls (Clip)

Despite being overshadowed by The Whigs, overall The Band of Skulls did put on a decent show.  With such a great breakout album, I’m still amazed that they haven’t caught on yet.  After their tour this summer, they’ll back in the studios to recorded their follow up album.  Perhaps then, they’ll get the attention they deserve.

Video: “Cold Fame”

-REVIEWED BY: ROBB ENG

Tallest Man on Earth
El Mocombo
04.17.10
9/10

Undivided.  That was the attention Kristian Matsson aka Tallest Man on Earth commanded from the well-dressed folk/indie crowd  this cold Saturday night.  It was a sold out show and highly anticipated return from this unassumingly sweet Swedish singer/songwriter.  His intense scrawl stopped even the peanut gallery from the back bar to have a listen.

It can be tough for any solo act to fill out a half drunk crowd on any night, not to mention at the Elmo.  Nurses opened the night with an unmemorable set of yowls, tambourines, singalongs and tings that I could have personally lived without.

TMOE ran though his repetoire effortlessly with a powerful voice distinctly familiar to Dylan, Gutherie, Bon Iver, among others.  As blatant a similarity to the similarities to the great folk songwriters from the past, TMOE still maintained his own unique European sound that make it his own.  Highlights included his passionate “The Gardner”, “Honey won’t you let me in”, “King of Spain” and “Where do my bluebird fly”.  Matsson has great energy and movement during his intricate fingerpicking interludes, bouncing back and forth around the stage and making mysterious eye contact with whatever random crowd-folk he’d come across.

What stunned me most was the silence throughout most of the the set. Granted, there were still a few balks and clinks from empties from the back bar, but overall the crowd was here to really listen to TMOE..and I mean listen. This included minimal use of flash photography and blurry cell phone snapshots, or even beer runs. The aggressive shushing and the odd “shut the fuck up” only further demonstrated the miliant attention the crowd demanded.  This undivided attention only amplified his music, lyrics and stage presence.

TMOE even ended with a quiet love song, rather than a Dylan-esque power strum finale for his encore.  It was a gutsy move, but it paid off in spades.  The crowd stayed with him until the very end, uncovering how tall this little man’s music really is.

-REVIEWED BY: ROBB ENG

Sweden’s latest folk singer/songwriter Kristian Matsson from Tallest Man on Earth comes to Toronto this Saturday.  Matsson has an immediately stark resemblance folk rasp of Bob Dylan but with intricate acoustic finger stylings that balance this scruffy voice.  Although his lyrics don’t match up to the D-man, he brings it all to life on stage.  With the show already sold out at the El mocombo, and a 8.3/10 Pitchfork rating on his “Shallow Grave” release, he’s doing something right.

Tallest Man on Earth w/Nurses
04.17.10
El Mocombo
SOLD OUT

VIDEO: The Tallest Man on Earth: Where Do My Bluebird Fly

When Ondi Timoner’s explosive documentary Dig! came out in 2004, I was hooked.  Everybody had heard of the Dandy Warhols, having been flung into mainstream success with the poppy anthem “Bohemian Like You”.  If you weren’t listening to the radio anymore, any trip to your favourite watering hole with a relatively current juke-box selection and at least one or two inebriated patrons with too many coins in their pocket would ensure you didn’t survive the evening without hearing this little ditty.  Probably more than twice.  In short, this song was everywhere.

But who the hell were these other guys?

The documentary: drawing the line between genious and bat-shit insane

The critically acclaimed documentary follows the developing careers of two bands, the Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre and the bands’ respective frontmen Courtney Taylor-Taylor and Anton Newcombe.  On the one hand, the Dandys come across as a fairly vanilla outfit, interested in sealing a record deal and “making it big” in the way every suburban kid in a band dreams to come true.  On the other, comes a portrait of Anton as an uncompromising and decidedly bat-shit insane musical genius who is notoriously hard to work with and takes no prisoners.  While the Dandys concern themselves with navigating the record business and attempting to get a deal, the BJM seem more preoccupied with just keeping the whole damn thing together.  With an ever revolving door of members (allegedly over 40 in a ten year span), the constant in-fighting, the drug fuelled jam sessions and chaotic live appearances, it was nothing short of a miracle that these characters could keep anything together let alone release three (!!)  albums in one year.  If the Dandy Warhols were making Rock ‘n Roll, the Brian Jonestown Massacre were living it.

Amidst all the insanity came some pretty cool neo-psychedelia and 60s garage punk revival—sounds from an era where the vibe matched the unhinged methods of the band.  It became obvious that while Taylor-Taylor was noticeably more level-headed than his counterpart, he was, in fact, a dweeb.  More interesting was the story of the BJM.  While both came across as complete egomaniacs, Anton’s insanity gave him legitimacy while Courtney seemed just plain old pretentious.  With sales representing the barometer of success, the Dandys, in the end “make it” while the BJM are left to toil in relative obscurity.  The film concludes, without a hint of irony, that the Dandys “made it” as they are really Big In Japan.  Or was it Greece?  In other words, besides a few singles, it’s hard to really quantify what that level of success is.  The BJM, with minimal radio play, garnered more of a cult status among fans.

Post show mortems

It became apparent from anyone who had seen the film, that it wasn’t enough to just hear BJM, at the time offering all their music free to download online. You needed to see these bastards live.  And seeing them live cannot be described as a concert; it must be described as spectacle.  With the BJM it was never just about the music, it was about the method, and at the live show the music takes a back seat to the madness.  As an experience, the audience is integral to the process.  It’s an exercise in sadomasochism.  The audience hopes, given the reputation of the band, for the price of a ticket, they will witness the final collapse the Brian Jonestown Massacre.  The audience hoots and hollars, hurling creative verbal missives such as “you suck” and “fuck you” at the band and Anton specifically.  He is goaded, prodded and abused by the audience in the hopes of evoking a final and destructive reaction from the singer.  In turn, the audience may be treated to an argument among band members, a refusal to continue playing, a nine-minute “solo” comprised only of  the sound of a lonely kick-drum while the band goes outside for a cigarette.  Anton takes his abuse and the audience delights in their respective punishment. The ultimate reward, one supposes, would include a John Lydonesque spitfest, a swift boot to the head from the legend himself, or at absolute best, an epic meltdown marking the band’s Final Show.

So what should we expect after all these years? Who cares.

Five years later, the band is returning to Toronto to play a show at the Phoenix on June 2.  The once prolific band seems to have slowed down considerably.  With only two major releases in 6 years, where has the band’s time and energy been directed?  Perhaps uncomfortable with his portrayal in the film, something which has been well-documented elsewhere, Anton seems to have taken a less visible role in the band.  As noted, the last two albums have featured several guest singers, putting less emphasis on Anton and placing more focus on the music itself.  Anton has taken a Step Back, if you will.  Is it for the better?  With the return of founding member Matt Hollywood, and a new record that sounds more Thievery Corporation than it does Rock ‘n Roll, one question still haunts:  Are the BJM dead, and if so, does anyone really care  anymore?  You decide.

Brian Jonestown Massacre returns to the Phoenix Concert Theatre on Wednesday June 2.  Tickets $21.50 +Taxes and SC.

BY: JAMES O’SULLIVAN

The 5th Annual Bob Marley Birthday Bash is here, raising vital funds for charity.  This year’s charity if choice is Yonge St. Mission and its food bank.  The legendary reggae icon’s birthday is officially Feb. 6th, the night of the event.   If you’ve ever been to Jamaica, you’ll know how colossal an event Marley’s birthday is.

Indie Reggae bands will be entertaining everyone throughout the evening, with raffles for prizes.  One other reason will be seeing some b/w photos of Bob Marley in the 70s, from the Analogue Gallery.

Bob Marley Birthday
The Great Hall (1087 Queen St. West)
Saturday, Feb 6th
Doors 9pm
Saturday, February 6th
$15 at the door w/non-perishable food item

Thunderheist w/Everything All the Time
Mod Club
12.03.09

It’s been quite an electric 3 years for Thunderheist’s power duo, Isus and DJ/producer Grahm Zilla.  This was their final show before they take some time to pursue their own solo projects.  It comes at a good time for them, riding the heels of their wildly successful self titled release in March 2009.

Up-and-coming electro-pop band Everything All the Time began the night.  They’re quite a peculiar bunch, with some members looking more like they were heading straight from the set of the O.C. to a rock show.

Lead singer Alanna Stuart sported a sharp business casual look as she sauntered onto the stage, looking a little reserved in her mannerisms; perhaps it was the nerves, or perhaps it was the fact that she could be roasting in her multi-layered “you aint seeing any of my skin” look.

Wardrobes aside, Everything All The Time executed their job well: getting the crowd moving and warmed up.  Stuart has a sharp soulful voice with some attitude, surprising us with her vocal range and use of dynamics.  I can see her voice only getting stronger as they grow.  Stuart executed her job was lead vocalist onstage  to promote the band, by naturally slipping their name into banter between songs.  No one in the crowd would leave without thinking “that opener was great.  What was their name again?”

Standout winners in their set were “Getting Higher,” a warm and uplifting indie-pop tune, and “Start. Stop,” an explosive closer that showcased Stuart’s vocal range and the bands’ ability to drive a solid beat.  Their losing song turned the crowd into Thundergear – the barely 19 year-olds at the front of the stage were ready party, with or without the band.

Isus rocked onthe stage with an incredible outfit made from seat belts, with her tiny body all wrapped in a corset.  As their final performance as Thunderheist before pursuing solo projects, it was clear the band was ready to go out with a bang.

Boy, did they deliver.  They played a great blend of old and new tracks, and worked the crowd like no other.  Isus even had the crowd waving to her parents, watching safely in the balcony.  The show felt more like a farewell party for friends, rather than a performance.  A few times during the show Isus would stop midway and yell cheekily, “ah fuck it.  I fucked up.  We need to do it RIGHT so let’s do THAT one again!”

They played all the crowd favourites including “Bubblegum,” “Suenos Dulces,” and the infamous “Jerk it”.  Mom was proud.

Although they were having a great time, there was a sense of passing for this project that started as an exchange of .mp3’s over myspace.  Rather than riding the wave to a faded wash on the beach, this band has decided to take a bow while the wave is crashing into the shore.  As much as I do appreciate their explosive electro-rap get your ass moving deal, this was a limited wave couldn’t sustain its tsunami dance level for too much longer.  Look out for what Isus and Zilla come out with in their own projects in the near future.

-REVIEWED BY: ROBB ENG

DJ Champion w/Madrid
Mod Club
11.27.09
Doors @7pm | $15

DJ Champion and his G-strings (guitar strings) from Montreal are making a triumphant return to the Mod Club on Friday.  Their highly entertaining blend of electro-beats and guitars, all orchestrated by master DJ Maxine Morin.  They hit the electronic dance scene when they released Chill ‘Em All in 2004, and a follow up remix in 2006.

So it’s really been 5 years since Morin has come up with a sophmore album – and you can definitely hear the evolution, most discernibly recruiting the talents of montreal raw-power singer Pilou Côté,  in replace of the signature soulful female vocals Betty Bonifassi that electrified their live show.  Let’s see how they do!

The Rural Alberta Advantage have exploded into the indie music scene after garnering some big thumbs up from CbcRadio 3, Exclaim! and X3 a few months ago.  I was lucky to see them at the Hillside Festival on July, instantly recognizing the insane drumming styling of Paul Banwatt from Woodhands.  They sing about (suprise) the life, love and laments of Alberta:  summers in the Rockies, oil boom, mine workers to name a few, in an indie-rock style that isn’t anything near Nickelback.

They have a completely SOLD OUT show at Lee’s Palace on Friday Nov 20, but here’s your chance to see them.  The band will be performing at Soundscapes (College and Manning) playing a FREE SHOW at 7pm tonight. Go early since the place is the size of your (Toronto) living room.

Check out J. Tillman (from the critically acclaimed Seattle band Fleet Foxes, self described as “Baroque harmonic pop jams”).  He’s currently on tour promoting some of his solo folk work, performing at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern tomorrow.

I’ve yet to hear much of his work, but from what I’ve heard he has taken a very delicate, melodic and lyrical direction.  Check out some of his work:

http://www.myspace.com/jtillman

J.Tillman w/Pearly Gates Music
Horseshoe Tavern
$15 at the door
SETS: J.Tillman @10:30p, PGM @9:30p