Musicstar

1. October 21 – Ryan Adams, Massey Hall, Toronto
   

   The last time I saw Ryan Adams I walked out of his double set – to match a just released that day double disc Cold Roses – show at The Warehouse. I had even bought the new disc and listened to it all day before this concert so I could enjoy it. Adams, however, was being an absolute premadona prick to the audience and I left just as the second set start.

   Flash forward to this year and I reluctantly take an extra ticket from a friend. This time, however, the recipe is perfect: Adams is off booze, drugs and anything else illicit. His band is one sickingly tight set of musicians. Adams was upbeat and jovial. The set lasted nearly 2 hours. The range of material played included all the good stuff from now and then. Massey Hall equals indescribable magic.What more could a Ryan Adams fan want? How about the entire concert recorded directly from the board, post-mixed and made available for download with Ryan Adams blessing.

2. November 27 – Neil Young, Massey Hall, TorontoI really do not need to write much here. Watch the various YouTubes from any of the four night run Neil did at Massey Hall and you’ll know what I mean. I was very very lucky to be given a ticket front row balcony almost centre. He played two of four of my favourites “Heart of Gold” and “Cortez The Killer”. This is remarkable for me considering his own commented he made to a really annoying audience (one of the worst I’ve had to sit with) would not stop yelling out requests: “I don’t know that one but I 600 other songs that all sound the same.”
3. September 12 – Bill Callahan, Music Gallery, TorontoThe Music Gallery is one of those venues that every good musician should play one day. It’s small, intimate, has beautiful natural acoustics and makes me wish the church I went to as a kid was this cool. Bill brought a band with him. He dressed up nice and fancy. He played a great selection of songs from both his older Smog albums and his latest “solo” effort. His music is so earnest sometimes it hurts but when you see him play it live it’s honestly is comforting.

1. 
   Sleep Tonight – Stars (Junior Boys Remix)
   

   The Stars (technically) released two albums in 2008. The first was a remix of Set Yourself On Fire entitled Do You Trust Your Friends. The songs were preformed by a plethora of good Canadian bands including this one remixed by the Junior Boys. Other notable tracks were those coved by The Russian Futurists, Final Fantasy, Young Galaxy and Apostles of Hustle.

   Unfortunately, their second album, In The Bedroom After The War, was not nearly as good as both the original Set Yourself On Fire and it’s remix. Perhaps their next album should be produced by the Junior Boys based on the strength of this as the perfect blend of Stars-pop meets electro-bliss.

2. 1234 – Feist

   My relationship to Feist’s music has been an on and off soap opera. Years ago when I first met her, she left the bad first impression of a naive girl without originality or aloofness. As I got to know her, via her last album, she occasionally wooed and seduced me by her charms and wit. Now this year with the release of The Reminder I was initially in denial about my feelings but admittedly, after this song, the forever associated iPod commercial and quirky video, I believe I might be smitten.

3. Amsterdam – Peter, Bjorn & John

   Yeah, I know: “Hype, hype, hype!” But this song is damn catchy, it’s sickingly cute and it’s incessantly earnest… Not, of course, to downplay Peter, Bjorn & John’s main massively catchy song… or the fact that for three guys from Sweden they put on a solid live show (as I witnessed this year in Austin SXSW). I thought at first this album was a happy accident but expect these guys to grow out the hype and remain a solid pop band. This song is proof they will not be one hit!

4. Diamond Dancer – Bill Callahan

   Indie folk with a twist of pop. Bill Callahan (aka Smog) released Woke on a Whaleheart which featured a more upbeat perspective than his previous albums. Diamond Dancer combines Bill’s mysterious deep voice with a cheerful almost hoe-down melody in this song of infatuation.

5. Night at the Knight School – Thee More Shallows

   Slacker electro-pop at its best TMS’ latest album The Book of Bad Breaks is chock full of ridiculous lyrics and raunchy synth noises like this song. Night at the Knight School is a prefect example of TMS unique song structure paired with phat sounds and nonsensical lyrics. If you catch them live observe the curiousity of the big red suitcase!

Here is the long awaited SXSW blog entry (okay, long awaited for myself only). If I could summerise a typical day in SXSW it would go as follows: 9am wake up, 10am catch a panel or two, 2pm catch a day party, 4pm drink free beer, 6pm eat free BBQ, 8pm catch the first showcase show, 3am hunker into bed. Needless to say 5 days of that schedule is bound to take at least a couple years off my life.

Now for the fun stuff..

First off, the picture to the right is of Buck 65, Sage Francis and Skratch Bastid at Spirro's courtesy I my friend 2nd Floor Living Without A Yard.

And now for the highlights in nomination category form…

In the category of Biggest Surprise Rock Show…

Peter, Bjorn and John — I have been enjoying their latest CD Writer's Block since I returned from New Zeleand. It is fun, quirky and dancable. It is also though musically rough around the edges so I was wondering what type of a show would translate and although they were high on my list of must see, I wasn't expecting much. Suffice to say the band rocked it hard putting on the high energy one would expected from country mates The Hives.

In the category of Biggest Disappointment…

Kiwi rock bands — Sorry, I love the country but the show case, aside from the free food and wine was boring.

In the category of Pregnant Dummers that Rock…

Imperial Teen — I was amazed that Lynn Perko, so obviously late in her term, was able to handle the kit with such gusto and energy. This was another high on the list to see band that did not disappoint (despite a bit of roughness from being out of practice). They played new stuff from an album coming out on Merge in the fall. This show also made it into the categories of Hipsters Not In Their 20s That Inspire As I Enter My 30s and Cute Boy/Girl Harmonies That Make You Dance.

In the category of What's in the Water in Montreal (aka The Next Big Thing)…
Kukai — I gives me great joy to see French Canadian bands, like Malajube, are coming out with a relevant sound to today and singing in their native language. Kukai were on the M Is For Montreal showcase and pretty much floored me. Their live show was tense and their hooks and melody indispensable. They will be the next big thing from Canada! As an aside apparently Malajube sold out their tour in the US!

In the category of I Wanted to Hate Them But Couldn't…

Tokyo Police Club &mdash Why? Hometown jealousy and nothing more! They are truly deserving of the hype they are receiving. It was 45 minutes of high-energy angular rock. They also proved to be the fasted band to setup and tear down at the entire festival. 10 minutes folks, seriously is all you need!

In the category of You Have To Be French Canadian To Understand…

Call Me Poupee — Entertaining, arousing and bizarre. Songs about beaches, long distance relationships and KY jelly. What is not to love? Makes me glad I took French immersion in grade school.

In the category of Who Needs to Understand the Words…

Asakusa Jinta &mdash Either described on MySpace sites as “Musical Gangsters from Tokyo” or “Pychobilly punk marching band”. Caught them at the Japan night showcase and was completely overwhelmed. I had no clue what they were signing about but the groove they formed was so intense I couldn't help but dance.

Other bands I saw that were worth the trip to Austin included: The Pipettes (cute, adorable Brit girl pop), Sparklehorse (somber and beautiful), Apples In Stereo (scattered and catchy), Skratch Bastid (rap theatrics) and Luc Doucet (cause I've missed him all this time).

Other bands to check out that I discovered: Dosh (solo, loop station madnesss), Thee More Shallows (music out of a suitcase) and Midnight Movies.

Phew, done…

A few friends of mine always bounce around emails this time of year with our favorite songs and albums of the year. Since I am travelling at the moment I cued up this list prior to my departure from Toronto.

Top Songs 2006

• White Collar Boy – Belle & Sebastian
  
  Positively the most poppy track released in 2006. Kitchen dance party must!
  
  

• Out of Your League – Henri Fabergé and The Adorables
  
  Brilliantly egotistical, deliciously addictive.
  
  

• Running with Your Eyes Closed – Mojave 3
  
  Another one to add to the pile of really, really good Brit music you can dance and sing to.
  
  

• Music is My Hot Hot Sex – Cansei De Ser Sexy (CSS)
  
  Brazilian rock that makes you feel dirty, gritty and sweaty just listening to it!
  
  

• Doctor Blind – Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
  
  The album was a disappointment but this track is erie and dramatic worthy of some recognition.
  
  

Top Albums 2006

• The Bicycles – The Good The Bad and The Cuddly
  
  No surprises here: 2006 was the year of The Bicycles with their locally long awaited debut. It will please anyone who loves pop music from the 50s until now.
  
  

• Sufjan Stevens – The Avalanche (and) Songs for Christmas
  
  This guy is way too prolific for his own good. The Avalance, outtakes from his 2005 Illinois album, and Songs for Christmans, a 5 disc holiday set accumulated over the past 5 years, is proof there is no stopping this machine!
  
  

• Kat Burns & Forest City Lovers – The Sun and The Wind
  
  Forest City Lovers is a backing band that meshes beautifully with Kat Burns' slightly dissident melodies and open-tuning music. Not overpowering just the right balance. For folkies looking for something more edgy and indie-rockers looking for something to woo their hearts.
  
  

• Joanna Newsom – Y's
  
  Perfectly orchestrated, whispy, elegant. A tangent of creativity that will require your undivided attention, although, offers great reward for your patronage.
  
  

• Calexico – Garden Ruin
  
  Inevitable for me to include this in my list. A departure from the usual Calexico fare and a move to pop music put together by some of the best musicians around.
  
  

There are of course many other albums missed worth mentioning: The Dears, The Flaming Lips, The Golden Dogs, Ohbijou, Grandaddy, Jon-Rae and The River to mention a few.

A couple of days ago Pitchfork posted a stream of the new Emily Haines video. I must say that this is a very creepy video that: a) reminds me of the Zellers from my home town and b) evokes the same curiousity as Radiohead's Just video.

This video also gave my roommate and I the opportunity to play our favorite game “scenster t-dot.” How many people do you know from the video?

As for Emily Haines this is the first song I've heard form her solo album. I must say I am very intrigued to check out the album Knives Don't Have Your Back after hearing the song. I know I read that if would be a different more introspective (i.e. quieter) sound than Metric but with fellow BSSer Amy Milan's solo album promising the same was a bust I became dubious.

Also, what is it about Emily that makes people either passionately love or hate her? In my case it wavers back and forth? After she totally blew off a loser MuchMusic VJ during the “red carpet” walk for the music awards earlier this year it went from hate back to love. Ah, rockstars so fickle!