Monthly Archives: April 2010

Young Rival

Young Rival (Sonic Unyon)

Review By Miné Salkin

Hailing from Hamilton, the industrial armpit of Ontario [ed. Gross.], Young Rival is an unlikely gem to surface in the Canadian alternative rock scene. Their debut, self-titled album is riddled with powerful electric twang and unusually astute melodies.

With a sprawling, distorted aesthetic that brings Franz Ferdinand and the Hives to mind, the trio’s formula is much like a collage of punk-infused, three-part melody-heavy anthems that are catchy, progressive and infectious.

The album opens up aggressively with “Got What You Need,” a throwback to ’60s garage rock with a singer/guitarist Aron D’Alesio sounding a bit like Interpol’s Paul Banks.

Another standout track is “Ghost In The Park,” a fast, crashing tune that alludes to selling drugs in a shady neighbourhood. With lyrics like “You know I got nothing to sell / But you still come around” the album is nostalgic for the simpler, dirtier times of teenage rebellion.

With a gritty aesthetic that only could have been properly cultivated by playing years of gigs in grimy bars, Young Rival’s debut is the best album of the summer to drain your beer to.

Liars

Sisterworld (Mute)

Review By Slavko Bucifal

The Liars are one of those bands you feel intimidated by because when you listen to their albums, you know you are in the presence of musical geniuses. From the opening haunting melodies of Sisterworld, their fifth studio album, the Liars continue the tradition of carefully crafting every note to evoke intense emotions and keep you on edge for explosions. There are far fewer explosive moments in this album than the anticipation would have you believe, but the intensity and rawness is tortuously beautiful. There are moments when the album sounds like it could be a darker sequel to a Joy Division effort. There are times when the band plays with noises and generates order out of chaos. The guitars and drums are punchy and sound as if they were played in a giant empty slaughterhouse. When the band isn’t tinkering with moods, they appear to have no remorse for the abuse placed on their instruments. “Scissor,” the opening track, is an outstanding piece which begins melodically then erupts with a violent fury that rubs off on you. “Here Comes All the People” is one of those pieces that plays with your head as you wait for the big bang. Instead, the song seamlessly blends into “Drip,” a dark and demonic punk electronica that makes you jump at strange noises in the night. “Scarecrows on a Killer Slant” is one of the best angry songs ever. If you like more of the classic punk sound, “The Overachievers” will satisfy that craving nicely.

It appears that the Liars’ Sister-world is plagued by deep psychological issues and you will be the benefactor of an album created from raw emotions. As a result, Sisterworld should be on the watch list for the album of the year.

Plants & Animals

La La Land (Secret City Records)

Review By Mark PaulHus

What do you get if you lock two Maritimers and a French Canadian in a room with a tape recorder? A darn good indie rock album, that’s what! La La Land, Plants & Animals follow up to their much loved Parc Avenue, is sure to be one this summers most acclaimed albums.

The slow lulling of “Tom Cruz” rolls in at a steady pace, pulling you into the grips of this album and steadying you for a trip through its hazy analog atmosphere. This cohesive collection of songs sounds like modern indie rock produced in the ’70’s. The combination of traditional recording methods combined with a contemporary song writing style allows Plants & Animals to create a very familiar, yet unique sound. This is the kind of album that begs to be played of a nice shiny slab of 180-gram vinyl. Songs like “Swinging Bells” and “Celebration” beg for you to put on a big pair of headphones, kick back on your bed and drift, but not for long, because “American Idol” is sure to make you rip out the cord and spike the volume knob and sing along. This jangling rocker (complete with saxophone solos from the Arcade Fire’s Colin Stenson) is sure to be a staple on summer play lists, just as La La Land is sure to put Plants & Animals on the map once and for all.

The Jessica Stuart Few

Kid Dream (Independent)

Review By Miranda Martini

Someone should have a conversation with whoever made “Midgey Ponchey,” the first track of the Jessica Stuart Few’s new album, because he or she owes the band an apology. The song doesn’t grab you like the first track of an album should and it would be best suited buried somewhere in the middle of the album. As it is, it starts Kid Dream—the JSF’s first full-length album—off on the wrong foot, and the album never quite recovers after this stumble.

The first problem with the album is Stuart’s vocals. On its own, her voice isn’t unpleasant, but it does the album a disservice, its crisp breathiness failing to mesh with anyone else in the band. These songs need a voice with slightly higher calorie content that will draw out the rich textures of the other instruments.
There are some charming moments on Kid Dream. “(Don’t Live Just For The) Weekend” a cheery polemic against getting sucked into the nine-to-five mentality, is pleasant and hooky, if it doesn’t bring much to the table in the way of depth. The title track makes use of Stuart’s much-touted skill on the koto, a traditional Japanese instrument with 13 strings, to some effect. The opening instrumental bars are appropriately dream-like and luxurious. But, once again, the vocals chafe against the instrumental line.

There’s potential here, but it usually gets derailed when the JSF get lost in their songs and lose sight of what makes music stick to the brain. They could use a refresher on the difference between music that’s a pleasure to play and music that’s a pleasure to listen to.

International Record Store Day Show

with The Evaporators, Thee Manipulators, Petroleum By-Product & Brain Bolt, April 17 @ Neptoon Records

Review By Angela Yen

Neptoon Records hosted a whopping nine bands this year. The Vicious Cycles got the early crowd bobbing their heads with frequent nods of approval and dancing thanks to their brilliant use of the theremin in the ever so catchy “I Love My Bike.”

Once Thee Manipulators took the stage, the store got packed. It was the band’s record release for Ease Up on the Break Downs and it was clear they wanted to impress. The band worked the crowd, tossing out little maracas to get everyone shakin’ and their ecstatic fans started on the “woo o-oos,” before the band got the chance to when they broke into “(It’s Gonna Be) Alright.” That infectious organ, heavy snare and an intensified cover of “Just a Little Misunderstanding” is all that was needed to get people moving towards the shelf packed with the band’s freshly pressed LP.

Up next were the Evaporators. Nardwuar the Human Serviette couldn’t sing if his life depended on it, but boy can he make the crowd hyper. The Evaporators are all about audience interaction. Chocolate was handed out, two frightened teens held Nardwuar up on their shoulders, and a half naked Nardwuar managed to get the entire store to crouch down and jump in the air. The store turned into a gong show and people were either thinking “What the fuck?” or grinning with excitement.

After the Evaporators, the crowd faded and unfortunately missed a nice set by trio Petroleum By-Product. Though their levels had to be adjusted and they seemed bored, their simplistic, ’80s New Wave tracks, proved that less is more. A lesson that the band that followed them, Brain Bolt, should note. They were no doubt the loudest, but it was like they were having a private jam session that went on way too long. People were either tired or Brain Bolt seriously cleared the place out.

It was obvious that the last two bands were fillers, but the energy from earlier on still made the show worth it. And who can complain when you also received a free lollipop and Neptoon button.

You Say Party! We Say Die!

April 16 @ Rickshaw Theatre

Review By Katherine Boothroyd

Photo by Marlis Funk

Photo by Marlis Funk

This was a hard review to write. Most of you will know by now that Devon Clifford, drummer of You Say Party! We Say Die! collapsed on stage during their performance at the Rickshaw and subsequently passed away. One of the most talented and hard working bands to ever come out of the Lower Mainland had just come home after an extensive North American tour. And those of us at the Rickshaw were glad to have them back.

Against the back drop of an old Twin Peaks episode YSP!WSD! played songs off their latest album XXXX. Vocalist Becky Ninkovic was charismatic as always. She didn’t miss a note and at various times expressed her delight at being home. Guitarist Derek Adam struck power chord after power chord. Bassist Stephen O’Shea cut a striking figure on stage, lost in each song. Krista Loewen provided the atmosphere that comes with every YSP!WSD! song. And Clifford belted the hell out of his drum kit. Read More »

Apollo Ghosts

with Shawn Mrazek Lives! & Dirty Beaches, April 10 @ Little Mountain

Review By Craig Turney

“Show begins at 8 p.m. Over at 11 p.m.” Rarely does a show’s description read so true. They say Mussolini made the trains run on time. Well, Little Mountain Gallery must be run by Mussolini. Unfortunately, due to this unexpected promptness this humble reviewer missed Dirty Beaches, but was told by another attendee that they were “pretty dope.” Shawn Mrazek, following this dope performance, took to the floor rather than the stage, surrounding himself in a tight throng of bobbing heads and appreciation. Listening to Shawn Mrazek play alone with nothing but his guitar and voice, one feels immersed by his yearning, honest lyrics and simple chords. Shawn Mrazek is not one for flair and his simplistic style strips him of the pretension of musician, allowing you to listen directly to his songs without the burden of flamboyant showmanship. [ed. Discorder would like to add our congratulations to Shawn Mrazek on the birth of his son Otis, who was born shortly before this show.]

When I returned from a brief smoke break, a thick crowd seemed to have magically appeared, filling the small room to capacity. The scent of anticipation for the night’s headliners was thick in the air. The show consisted mainly of songs from their new LP, Mount Benson, interspersed with a generous serving of crowd favourites. Despite a few difficulties and false starts, the band put on a truly memorable display complete with crowd surfing, guest lectures pertaining to the old western frontier and a costume contest culminating in a shirtless wrestling match between the singer, Adrian Teacher and a few eager moshers. And just as quickly as the night started, the clock struck 11 p.m. Suddenly the music stopped and the crowd was hurriedly rushed into the crisp spring night, giddy with the vibes of an awesome concert.

Gorillaz

Plastic Beach (Parlophone Records)

Review By Nathaniel Bryce

Even if you’re not the biggest fan of Gorillaz, Plastic Beach is worth a listen if for no other reason than its sheer brilliance of scope. Damon Albarn, who makes up one half of Gorillaz, cannot be blamed for offering a polymer-based recycled product, pun obviously intended. Plastic Beach is the third album by the world’s most successful virtual band, and much like the fleshy cartoon characters that make up this group, it is vibrant, colourful and a bit daft. With celebrity guest spots up the hooper and a decidedly lighter poppier feel to this album, Plastic Beach is a brash step forward, not so much in a new direction, but more in the same direction with new shoes on. Still present is the cartoony off the wall feel along with some great guest spots such as Lou Reed, Mick Jones, Mos Def, Snoop Dogg and other heavies. One of the best tracks here is “Stylo” featuring Mos Def and the legendary Bobby Womack. It’s a simple but driving little number that hangs loosely off a synth backing that smells so strongly of Miami Vice issue sport coats and slip on loafers that it surpasses cool three times before becoming even cooler. If you dig Gorillaz and fancy a bit of hip hop, funk, dubstep and driving ’80s synth jams, Plastic Beach will be the butter to your bread. Like a well put together DJ set or mix tape, it works really well and before you know it you’re basking under its brilliant plastic sun-like warmth.

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