AWmusic

So yeah, Mogwai has cancelled their US/Canada tour due to problems with Martin Bolluch’s (drummer) pacemaker (get well soon!), so instead of reviewing what would’ve been a pretty awesome show, I shall review their new release, The Hawk is Howling. I often feel too intimidated to review the more popular bands of post-rock, but I figure I owe Mogwai that much for formally introducing me into the post-rock world (although they hate being labeled that). Anyway, The Hawk is Howling was released on Monday, marking it as the band’s sixth album release to date. It’s been a long wait since Mr Beast was released in 2006. I was getting weary waiting for something new, but as it turns out, it’s well worth the wait.

A lot of reviewers have mentioned that Mogwai have again defied their previous albums to create a “newer” sound, but I just can’t hear it. Perhaps it’s in the more apparent use of an electronic-based sound (i.e. synthesizers), but this can only be said for a couple of tracks, and not the album in its entirety. To me, it still sounds as if Mogwai are keeping it real by sticking to their guns. Stuff you liked in Mr Beast (2006) is very apparent in The Hawk is Howling, and if you preferred the older Mogwai stuff, well, you’ll still hear it. It’s nothing like the critical changes of Pink Floyd, whose sound kept changing as different members took hold of the band. This particular factor doesn’t change my own views on the quality of this album, but I just thought I’d mention it.

This album is pretty much all over the place, rather than being consistently orchestrated. This is very usual of a Mogwai album, however, so it comes to no surprise that you get your mix of mellowed out, serious tunes, your happy-go-lucky pop, and your darker, harder rock songs. Although it’s expected, it does get out of hand sometimes. Some tracks seem very out of place, which ruins the overall feeling in this album. Not that you can really get an overall feeling for this album, but anyways. The album is also entirely instrumental-based, so you won’t hear any incomprehensible vocals this time. That aspect isn’t to be missed, though, because the tracks are still very strong without any type of vocals.

I’ve always liked the mellow Mogwai stuff. You can never go wrong with low-key, pleasant sounds, after all. Triggers the pleasure senses. Often the mellow Mogwai stuff is similar in structure—main riff played by guitar, synth chords played right underneath…everything just moves together in one fluid motion. That’s probably the best I can define it as: one fluid motion.

The harder rock songs are definitely defined by “Batcat.” If there’s one thing consistent about Mogwai, it’s that they always feature one bad ass track in the midst of all the mellowness. The feeling you get from “Batcat” is very similar to that of “Glasgow Mega-Snake” off of Mr Beast. It starts off hard and rough, and ends so abruptly you feel like you just got used. So bad ass.

“The Sun Smells Too Loud” is probably the only poppy song in the entire album—and thank goodness for that. I don’t really like this song…in fact, I loathe it. This is probably the only reason why I hate the fact that Mogwai albums lack consistency. It comes right after a very soft, slow track (“Local Authority”), rampaging your brain with an annoying riff that goes on and on and on, with no real retreat or change in its seven minutes of life. Not to mention the instrumentation also seems to lack consistency, as the twinkling synths just seem to be playing for no reason other than some kind of crappy filler. If this is supposed to be the “new sound” of Mogwai, I definitely don’t like it.

Overall, I have to give this album a 3.4 out of 5. It’s good, but it’s just that—good. It doesn’t set itself apart from previous albums, and being one of the most influential post-rock bands out there, people begin to expect increasing level of standards with each album release, for fear of the band becoming a has-been. I don’t have to even recommend this to Mogwai fans; of course this is an obligatory listen. And for those who haven’t heard of Mogwai and are confused by this review (not very detailed, I understand), just take a couple of minutes of your time to listen to the tracks below.

MP3s:
Removed by request.

Get this album through: Amazon/Insound/CD Universe

A humorous and upbeat follow up to their last album “Word Is Bond”, which takes a whole new direction while keeping up to their old antics at the same time. Definatley worth the couple bucks.

The Good – Great price, could be the cure for depression, amazing vocals, clear and crisp sound, awesome cover of “Lump”, hilarious lyrics, great variety of instruments used, awesome follow up, bonus track

The Bad – Really short, tracks may sound repetitive, album makes band come off as arrogant and womanizing

Lets talk about SEX. No, not about the action shared between a man and woman or however else you may do it. I’m talking about The Johnstones latest album, which was a must buy for me after seeing them for the first time at Cutting Edge Fest this year. Trust me, this is an album you will definatley want in your collection if you’re a huge ska fan.

The Johnstones have outdone themselves with this album. A whole lot cleaner and even more estatic than the last, they have proven that they can go over and beyond to make an even bigger name for themselves. The two songs that stand out the most on this album for me would be “Bank”,”Tonight”, and “Bring It Back Around”. But there in lies one of the first problems I found with the album because I basically just named off every track on the album right there. It’s actually that short of an album.

What it lacks in length, it sure does make up in value. The album is priced at only 5$ and is an incredible deal for an album that bursts fourth with so much attitude and zazz. First time listening to the album I remembered I was smiling the whole way through it. Their music is just so happy and upbeat that you can’t help but crack a smile. Even looking at the lyrics, you’ll get a huge kick and a laugh from what some of the songs are actually about. This especially includes the secret bonus track at the end of the album entitled “The Governator” where the two lead singers, Ryan Long and Jarek Hardy, verbally attack each other throughout the song, which I can’t help but laugh any time I hear it played.

Looking at the lyrics also shines another side on the band. If you read over the lyrics for some of the songs, the band comes off as way too womanizing and arrogant. Then again it’s all part of the fun of being in a band thats continually getting more attention every year.

Now if you listen to the album long enough you’ll find that tracks do start sounding repetitive but what I find is that you just have to find something in each song to differentiate it from the last or at least within the vocals or guitar and you’ll remember that each song is unique in its own perspective ways.

I don’t know what it is about The Johnstones but I just love the harmonizing vocals between Jarek and Ryan. There’s just something about them that makes their two vocals work and there’s a perfect chemistry between them where if any other one of them left the band and was replaced by someone new, I just think the entire band would fall apart. There vocals intertwine and mix in such a fashion where they create a sound that’s nothing like anyone else and their voices just have this effect of putting a smile on your face no matter what.

The number of instruments used within the album is incredible, but then again when you’re a ska band, it’s bound to happen. It’s just amazing to hear all these instruments being played so well and working great on each track coming in as crisp and as clear as on the last. Each member of the band knows his instruments like the back of their hand and it shows throughout. Their last album which was also their first sounded a lot less professional in my opinion, but hearing SEX I’m comfortable enough to say that they have proven that they can improve and have practised and worked hard at bringing out this excellent piece of work. Hopefully they continue on with this and if they do I can see more great hit albums for them down the line.

Overall SEX is truly a great album which I wholly recommend to most everyone even if you’ve been under a rock the last couple years and haven’t heard an ounce of their music. For 5$ this album is truly a steal and hopefully they’ll have more great releases for us in the future.

8.5/10

Bring It Back Around by The Johnstones

Tonight by The Johnstones

Bank by The Johnstones

It was premiered live in April, leaked onto the internet in May and a MediaShare folder was pillaged for the bonus Weird Era Cont. disc (due to be released with Microcastle as a release date surprise) in August. Now it’s been made available on i-Tunes, before the official, old-fashioned album launch on October the 28th. Whether you prefer your albums in your hand, as type on an electronic device or even just on a CD shelf looking pretty with all the others, you should really just be listening to Microcastle with whatever contraption you normally use to get music into your ears.
Deerhunter’s third album is appropriately divided into three different four-song sections. The beginning portion begins with the reverb saturated waves of “Cover Me Slowly” an intro and companion piece to the following, “Agoraphobia”, a paean to the comfort of enclosed spaces. Feedback effects howl like bitter winter winds on “Never Stops” a song aptly addressing winter despair and “Little Kids” with Bradford Cox’s lyrical mortality mantra, “To get older, still” is carried as a repeated refrain until the instruments behind the voice reach critical mass and the re-statement becomes a recurring reminder of decline set to a chiming guitar zenith.
The middle section, a blended four-song suite, slows the tempo down to a meditative pace. Built around the masterful “Calvary Scars” this segment furnishes the album with a halfway breather before the last third opens and the guitars build momentum again with the motorik/krautrock final of “Nothing Ever Happened” and the circular Byrdsian jangle of “Saved By Old Times”.
With layers of now crystalline guitars and vocal harmonising it’s clear that Deerhunter are working with a cleaner sonic palette and a focussed pop sensibility. Gone is the distorted ambience and the blissed out drone rock that divided the previous album, Cryptograms, into two (rather than Microcastle’s three) and on this record, the fusion of riotous guitar noise is contained within compacted and immediate song structures that climax, switch tone and are stimulated forward without stumbling into uncharted psychedelic territories. Like the segments of the album, each song has a definite beginning, middle and end, prompted by an attention grabbing instrument or an arresting vocal melody sung by Bradford Cox or Lockett Pundt. .
After October, when Microcastle is finally released by legitimate means, it will probably remain on the stereos, electronic devices and off the CD shelf, for a very long time. At least long enough to make its pre-release internet dramas become the postscripts they were meant to be; mentioned as an afterthought and resigned to be found at the bottom of a Wikipedia page.

Deerhunter – Never Stops
Deerhunter – Nothing Ever Happened

Come Around features many of the songs from the original EP which I have raved to be a fantastic listen. This includes No One Can Touch Us and Come Around, two of my favourites off the album. But I was really interested in what new material Sing It Loud could offer me. We’re Not Afraid the second track, is a new and delightfully pleasant song. Blending synthetic melodies with classic power pop lines, a fusion of catchy pop and rocking punk. The vocals are nice and they fit the mood of the music completely. Not just upbeat sounds, there is a lot more substance to Sing It Loud. Finally, the most rewarding thing about We’re Not Afraid is the featured vocals of Justin Pierre, lead singer of Motion City Soundtrack. As a side note, Justin Pierre has one of the most addictive vocals I’ve ever heard, and it’s always a pleasure to hear him sing.

The fourth track, Don’t Save Me, has an unusual aura behind it. With clever upbeat placements, and really catchy vocals, it shows off the positive mechanics that Sing It Loud has mastered. The chorus takes the role of a nursery rhyme in a way, and this song places emphasis on good honest pop music. There’s nothing aggressive about this song, save for a couple guitar riffs, and everything is subtly placed to maintain a very calming pace throughout. I enjoyed the use of the xylophone mixed with distorted but cheerful guitar melodies. The sounds combine well, and this is another track that I completely fell for (but at this pace, aren’t they all).

Alas I must admit that I had previously lied, Sing It Loud does venture outside of their classic cheerful comfort zone. Marionettes is a pretty serious song that is highlighted by aggressive vocals and sombre lyrics. That isn’t to say that Marionettes is not charming in its own right. By changing the pace of the album, it is a very nice track that only furthers my belief that Sing It Loud is an incredible band.

Finally one last song I want to mention before this review comes to a close is Over You. Over You incorporates both the affectionate pop and emotional drive that Sing It Loud has really unleashed in this album. With incredibly addictive verses, it takes elements of a great pop song and fuses it with the serious undertone that they displayed in Marionettes. This creates a dramatic but never over the top track, which not surprisingly, is another amazing song. With that said, Sing It Loud’s debut album has fully impressed me. And with the hype of the CD release out of the way, it’s time for me to get excited over the Toronto date of their October tour.

Check out their Myspace for official tour dates and album info.

Sing It Loud – We’re Not Afraid

Sing It Loud – Over You

I first would like to point out, sometimes I get an album too early before the actual release date. Sometimes I choose to respect these release dates, other times not so much. It all depends on the preference of the artist, in this case I got Donovan Quinn and The 13 month’s self titled disc almost 2 months early. You can call this ample time to review an album but it ended up on the shelf until this weekend as I’m a chronic procrastinator.

I did really enjoy listening to the tracks on Quinn’s myspace at one point but that magic was hard to rejuvenate two months down the road. I’ll try to do my best on a review, as I’m in the middle of a busy week.

The album starts off with October Bride which has a little country-style riff throughout with Quinn’s rough vocals. I do like Quinn’s vocals but not for a long period of time. It isn’t so much annoying but I guess I wish for more quality on his tracks, that it couldn’t hurt to be better in the vocal section.

My favorite song from the beginning is Sister Alchemy. I think I just enjoy the simplicity and it song doesn’t contrast with Quinn’s singing. The rest of the album is one of those “subtle” types – a word I may be throwing all too much, with the use of a piano and simplicity guitar work.

Nothing about this album is bad but at times I wish I could get more out of Quinn himself, he is effortless in his singing but it’s almost like he disappears in the background. Musically it isn’t strong per se, though it does have it flashes, like on Dark Motel where it seems to experiment for the first time, otherwise musically it refuses to stand out and also stay in the background.

The one problem of this album is after the 6 or 7th listen, my interest started to stagnate. It’s not that the album is bad, it just feels passable and I get a little weary by the 14th track.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5
I may have made a mistake asking for a promo-release…but that’s how it is sometimes. I can’t like everything I request.

Sister Alchemy by Donovan Quinn And The 13th Month

Dark Angle by Donovan Quinn and the 13th Month

The Past and The Pending by The Shins (for Hiro)
I’m Your Villain by Franz Ferdinand (for Sylar/title of Season 3 is “Villains”)
TouchIt_Technologic by Daft Punk (for Micah Sanders)
Cries of The Dead by Chad VanGaalen (for the follow up of who’s dead)
Read My Mind by The Killers (for Matt Parkman)
Morning Bell/Amnesiac by Radiohead (for the wuss Peter Petrelli who can’t remember a goddamn thing)
Electric Feel by MGMT (for Elle Bishop… mmm Kristin Bell)
Muscle’n Flo by Menomena (for Monica Dawson and her muscle memory)
Play Your Part (Pt. 2) by Girl Talk (for Ando and Mohinder playing their part)
Secrets by Oh! Custer (for Claire who ’s secret plagues her, and I can’t find many other songs for her)

Ghost Town Review:

I had the chance to see Ghost Town on opening weekend. Box office success was mild playing 8th. I think for the most part it’s because the storyline isn’t that appealing or original. With a character who develops the 6th sense (same as the movie as the Sixth Sense) he begins seeing ghosts after a near-death experience.

There isn’t much to the storyline other then a seemingly typical/predictable storyline. But all in all it is light hearted and the characters (including ghosts) do progress and show off a real quality about them.

Otherwise it’s just a mildly good movie, that isn’t bad nor great though a 87% RT score probably suggests that more people liked it then not.

My rating is: 3.25 out of 5. Just kind of average but worth your money I guess.

Here are this week’s posts:
Jess wrote a tribute to Pink Floyd’s Rick Wright.

Nancy did one mother fucking long post. Covering some key concerts happening this fall in the T-dot.

Kojo spread the word on Amanda Davids a Canadian soul artist.

Christian reviewed the not-yet released on this part of the world, Glasvegas’ self-titled disc.

I also sucked up the courage to listen to MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular.

The National’s Virginia EP is solid. At least I thought the Pitchfork review was not cool.

Joe reviewed Ray Garrison’s EP.

Adam reviewed Toronto ska/reggar band Rebel Emergency’s EP.

I just found out about Siberian’s break up last week and wrote on my sadness.

I shared my input on the critically acclaimed You & Me by The Walkmen.

We Landed On The Moon are an upcoming band with a frontwoman who sounds a great deal like Jenny Lewis.

Ghalib covered rica-review/”>The Wiper’s Youth of America. Ghalib also proves that he likes to go out a ton with another concert review.

News around the blogosphere:
Pitchfork dropped a 1.6 on The Airborne Toxic Event. The band apparently didn’t like that. One thing for sure though, it caused a lot of discussion between bloggers… because TATE’s open letter was sent through their PR firm (Big Hassle) in an effort to make the review a publicity stunt (it worked). I didn’t care before, I don’t care now.

I guess I’m done…

Intimate shows can be bad, we all know, due to one’s closeness to the performers. Each bum note or flubbed chord can be heard, the audience may see every sheepish expression on the performer’s face, what can pass as a joke in a crowded bar might fall flat, and so forth. Frankly, however, on a Saturday night with EMN soon to follow, I hardly cared, wanted just to have a drink, relax. I arrived at the prescribed time to the rooftop on which Isla Craig and Colin Fisher were to play, and found myself among three or four others. Thirty minutes passed, a few more people trickled in, on the adjacent roof lay scattered two guitars, a harmonium, a mixer, not much else, and I realized this would be a much smaller affair than I had imagined.

Colin Fisher was the first to take the stage, and he fed his guitar through echo, delay, and loops, creating a fabulous array of atmospheric sounds, effects, and harmonized melodies. I had heard good things about this pathological collaborator, who seemed to play with every musician in the city and manage to produce interesting works with all, and had a chance now to see him in person. For a good thirty minutes, he alone held a small audience (which never grew over twelve or fourteen) in the palm of his hands. Sometimes I heard shades of rockabilly in his inflections or choice of effects, on other occasions I was reminded more of Slowdive, in the long held notes, swooping and flanging. It made us forget another, sometimes louder party in the nearby alley, hosted by a group of rude boys (who weren’t so rude, actually).

But the sounds became much more interesting when Isla Craig joined the fray. Her first additions were wispy drifting vocals over Colin’s shoegazing guitar; due to superb choices in notes and phrasing, this sounded beautiful. Eventually, the noodling dwindled and the pair fell into an actual set, with the song “Marbles,” which is included below for your listening pleasure. It is a soulful melody. Three or four very long songs later, they finished with a rollicking rendition of “Birds in Flight,” with Colin chicken-picking his way through some lovely lines on the guitar.

The final act of the night was Emma McKenna, whom I had never heard of, but whose voice is “like Joanna Newsom’s,” someone echoed my thought with a whisper to his friend. Squealing like a cat (or Kate Bush), it would through jump up into the highest ranges before falling to careful, crashing chords, or a soothing melodic line. Though her set was the shortest, and her technical problems the greatest, her lyrics stood out best in some ways, were punchier, I thought. And yes, there were a few flubbed notes and sheepish faces on everyone’s part, but these only seemed to enhance the intimate quality of the show.

Isla Craig–Marbles
Colin Fisher–Olive
Emma McKenna–Shadows