Album #22: Soft Airplane by Chad VanGaalen
Despite winning Canada’s Hottest “Band” award, I still feel that Chad VanGaalen is criminally underrated. He is one of Canada’s more diverse and accomplished young songwriters as evidenced by the superb Soft Airplane. Each song is completely different from the song that precedes it and its only serious flaw is its superfluous and rather dull final track. Plus, any album with Willow Tree on it is going to rate highly.

Download:
Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree
Chad VanGaalen - City Of Electric Light

Song #22: Stay Free by Black Mountain
The fourth straight Canadian act to appear on the list, Black Mountain released a great album this year full of some pretty amazing songs but Stay Free is my favourite. It sounds so out of time. Whenever I hear it I have to remind myself it wasn’t recorded in the late 60s. No points deducted for its association with a Spiderman film.

Watch: Black Mountain - Stay Free (live at the Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver)

—> See the rest of the 25 for 2008 list here.

Album # 23: Missiles by The Dears
The Dears more or less imploded over the past couple years leaving only lead singer Murray Lightburn and his wife Natalia Yanchak soldiering on. Missiles is the first missive from this new version of the band and it definitely takes its time. As I said previously, the record is almost slow motion but once I let it wash over me a few times I emerged confident that The Dears will continue to make amazing music. And Disclaimer is one of the finest opening tracks of the year.

Watch: The Dears - Money Babies

Song #23: In The End It’s Your Friends by Shout Out Out Out Out
Last year’s unanimous Song of the Year was LCD Soundsystem’s All My Friends which extolled friendship and lamented getting older. I can’t help but feel that Edmonton’s Shout Out Out Out Out had that song in mind when writing In The End It’s Your Friends. But where James Murphy was wondering where his friends were, SO4 claim that it’s your friends that “will fuck you over.” Yet that beat, that heavy vocal treatment, and that huge finale make getting fucked over by your friends sound pretty awesome. Definitely worth the 6:52 running time.

Stream:
Shout Out Out Out - In The End It’s Your Friends

—> See the rest of the 25 for 2008 list here.

Album #24: Saturdays = Youth by M83
Earlier this year, Amanda and I trekked down to Melbourne and then drove the Great Ocean Road. Along the way, as we wound our way through sheep-dotted fields and along cliff-hugging curves, we played M83’s Saturdays = Youth. Whenever I hear the record now, I’m instantly taken back to that incredible drive. Beyond that, this is a big, beautiful pop record that sounds like it should be soundtracking some 1980s John Hughes film that was never made.

Watch: M83 - Kim & Jessie

Song #24: Milk Thistle by Conor Oberst
While I’m still not completely sold on the album, Conor Oberst’s self-titled record certainly ended on a high note. Milk Thistle features my favourite vocal on the record as well as lyrics that remind me Conor Oberst still has serious songwriting chops.

Newspaper, newspaper
Can’t take no more
You’re here every morning
Waiting at my door

And I’m not pretending that it’s all O.K.
Just let me have my coffee before you take away the day

—> See the rest of the 25 for 2008 list here.

Album #25: The Hawk Is Howling by Mogwai
Many other bands try, but few manage to create albums with the intensity and scope of Mogwai. The Hawk Is Howling is filled with the trademark Mogwai sounds: the lengthy instrumentals (I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead) and the short bursts of sonic assault (Batcat). It may be Mogwai-by-numbers but The Hawk Is Howling still manages to be an engaging and, at times, destructive listen.

Download:
Mogwai - The Sun Smells Too Loud

Song #25: Falling Down by Oasis
This is what Be Here Now should have sounded like (rather than this). And, for the record, Dig Out Your Soul is a pretty enjoyable album.

Watch: Oasis - Falling Down (live @ Electric Proms)

Alright, this is the fourth year I’ve counted down my 25 favourite albums/songs of the year on A Reminder. One album/song a day every day in December ’til Christmas, just like an advent calendar. All posts will be filed here for easy reference. Flame away.

—> See the rest of the 25 for 2008 list here.

There are some days when I wake up and I think that New Order’s Age of Consent is the greatest song ever written. Today might be one of those days. That bassline, the punchy guitars and synth lines, Stephen Morris going nuts on the drums…all the elements combine to create New Order’s finest minutes and sixteen seconds.

Watch: New Order - Age of Consent (live, 1983)

Age Of Consent has been getting some live love from a couple well known Canadian musical outfits in recent years.

Download:
Arcade Fire - Age of Consent (live)
Kevin Drew - Age of Consent (live)

If you don’t own New Order’s Power, Corruption & Lies (which Age of Consent opens) I suggest you get out there and pick it up. Probably New Order’s best record. Be warned, however: the recent reissues had major sound problems and are being recalled. I’d wait a while before buying them to make sure the new versions are on the shelves.

I had major issues getting to Spectrum last night. By the time I arrived, an hour late, I was in a foul mood which was compounded by the fact that I completely missed Ohana’s set. I was worried that I’d leave the venue in exactly the same mood as I arrived. Thankfully, that was not the case.

Die! Die! Die! absolutely slayed at Spectrum last night. Like their last visit to Sydney, the band absolutely tore through a set filled with tracks from Promises Promises while the crowd just lost themselves in the energy and chaos. The line between stage and crowd is completely blurred at a D!D!D! gig as the band welcome the madness to surround their tension-filled sound. One of the highlights of last night’s set was the inclusion of Blue Skies, my favourite song off the album, which was not played last time I saw them. I could listen to that song all day and the live version was even better.

Seeing Die! Die! Die! live is, as Jonny might say, the balls.

While disappointed in missing Ohana (whose record I still need to hear), I was pleased that I managed to arrive in time to see the Ripping Dylans. A bit sloppy but still engaging, the trio worked through their set in a manner that made me think, they just don’t care. Not in a bad way…just in the “We’re going to play these songs and you will like them or not we don’t give a shit” sense. And for that I think they’re on the right track. They ended their set by living up to their name and covering Dylan’s Ballad Of Hollis Brown. Fun times.

So thanks to Ripping Dylans and Die! Die! Die! for transforming a very pissed off me into a very pleased me last night. I owe you guys a beer or something.

A few of my photos are here.

Download:
Die! Die! Die! - Auckland is Burning
Die! Die! Die! - 155

Tim: “It wasn’t that good, but it wasn’t that shit. Or was it?”
Wally: “You’ve just written the review of this gig, Tim.”

The Basics have spent the past seven weeks touring the lethal, red heart of Australia. Playing schools and driving across deserts, the band that turned up at the Annandale on Thursday night appeared tired and a tad edgy with each other. At times the joking on stage seemed to be hiding some deeper frustrations within the band.

However, I really hope I’m wrong about that. If you read this blog regularly you’ll know I’m a huge fan of The Basics and I happen to think they are one of the best live bands in Australia; I really don’t want to them to disappear. Despite the exhaustion, Kris, Tim and Wally still put on an entertaining show. Mixing up some new songs with the “classics,” the band played for about an hour. As always, Wally was a machine on the drums all night long.

The new songs, which I’ve seen live a few times now, are growing on me more. One of them, She’s The Executioner, is a totally different style of song for the band and it’s great to see them taking chances on songs outside their comfort zone. Of the oldies, My Baby and Rattle My Chain were particularly killer. The band also threw in a few covers including a version of The Sonics’ Shot Down and closing the night with a Wally-led take on Roxanne by The Police.

Setlist
Yeah Yeah
Second Best
Have Love Will Travel
Hey There!
Just Hold On
Shot Down
What Do You See In Me?
Money (Gimme, Gimme)
Like A Brother
She’s The Executioner
My Baby
Rattle My Chain
Call It Rhythm And Blues
———
I Could Be Happy
Roxanne

Joining The Basics on this leg of the tour are The Bawdies who can most easily be described as a Japanese version of The Basics. Unlike The Basics who were suitless, the boys in The Bawdies took to the Annandale stage in style in matching Beatles-suits and Beatles-boots. Over the course of their set they managed to really endear themselves to the audience with their straight-up 1960s British Invasion hooks.

In contrast with The Basics, The Bawdies seemed to be having the night of their lives. They were constantly engaging with the audience, chucking coordinated guitar poses, and smiling throughout the entire set. Fairly unknown, I believe, back in Japan, The Bawdies seem to be finding a second home here in Australia as The Basics have taken them in under their wing.

All in all, a pretty enjoyable double-bill. Be sure to catch them on the remaining dates if you have the chance.

My photos from the gig.

“HalloweenHead” RA solo Bedroom from Wilson Wolf on Vimeo.

Being away from Vancouver for over three years now means I have really lost touch with the local music scene back home (not that I was ever that great at keeping up with it anyway). It seems lots of new Vancouver bands have been cropping up over the past couple years that, to me, signal a slight rebirth in the Vancouver scene. Maybe. Quinn?

Said The Whale are one of these newish bands that I’m pretty excited about. I’ve only heard a couple EPs (available for free on their website) and one song from their debut but I’m already clamouring for more (need to get that album!). Hearing their songs, which are drenched in west coast life, make me miss my hometown; but it’s great to hear some music so firmly borne of Vancouver’s soaking soil.

I’m really not sure how much of a following they have back in Vancouver or throughout Canada but just this week they were inducted (via online vote) into CBC Radio 3’s R-30 Hall Of Fame. They are the second band to be inducted (after The Weakerthans) and they beat out some pretty hefty competition to get there: Arcade Fire, New Pornographers, Stars, and someone else I can’t recall. Not bad, boys!

Download:
Said The Whale - This City’s A Mess

I’m getting my End Of Year albums list ready at the moment and I think Montreal’s Land Of Talk are just going to miss out making my Top 25 albums of 2008 with their record Some Are Lakes.

Some Are Lakes isn’t a record that I was immediately drawn to. I kind of slept on all the Land Of Talk hype a couple years ago and I was only familiar with a few songs from the EP before hearing the new album. I was aware that lead singer Elizabeth Powell is currently playing female lead in Broken Social Scene which, stupidly, had me a tad more excited for Some Are Lakes than anything else.

So how is the record? Well, it’s a damn good one. It’s not as immediately enjoyable as their earlier stuff but it’s a record of great maturity and depth. At the forefront of the whole package is Powell’s voice; she may not be Nina Simone but over the course of a few listens I’ve found her voice to be deceptively powerful and, at times, crushing. Not sure what it is really. I just love it.

Like many records I end up loving, every time I listen to Some Are Lakes I like it more and more. Unassuming opener Yuppy Flu has a guitar part I tap on my leg long after the song has ended while the title track has an infectious strum-along opening before Powell’s vocal takes you over in the chorus.

While it may not top many end of year lists, Some Are Lakes is a strong debut record. Word.

Download:
Land Of Talk - Some Are Lakes
Land Of Talk - Corner Phone