I often pass on giveaways I’m offered as they generally involve bands or artists I’m not really into. NOT THIS TIME. Jack White’s debut solo record Blunderbuss is a really, really great record.

When the White Stripes announced their split I was pretty bummed as they had been one of my favourite bands the last decade (and always killer live). And while a solo Jack White record was inevitable, I don’t think I really comprehended what that meant until I heard Blunderbuss for the first time. What does it mean? I expect this is just the beginning of an equally incredible solo career.

I’ll say more about the record another time because GIVEAWAY.

I have three copies (one vinyl copy, two CD copies) of the album to give away and if you’d like one of those copies to end up on your doorstep here’s what you need to do. Email me (sean at a-reminder dot org) telling me:

1. What your favourite White Stripes/Jack White/Dead Weather/or Raconteurs song is.
2. Whether you’d prefer vinyl or cd.

If you’d rather just leave a comment, you can do that instead. Just be sure to include your email.

Contest is open to Canadian residents only. Winners will be contacted on the weekend.

Check out the video for Sixteen Saltines…

And this killer take of Seven Nation Army performed with one of Jack’s two (!) touring bands.

Jack will be in Vancouver on May 27 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. It is, of course, sold out. Hopefully you were smarter than I was and got tickets.

Over the years my love of Dappled Cities has been well-documented on A Reminder so when I learned Dappled Tim was putting out a solo EP I was pretty excited. I’ve always loved the drama in Tim’s voice and he has a knack for enjoyably, slightly unorthodox (at times) arrangements.

His first solo outing, under the moniker Swimwear is a four song EP called The Kissing Machine. Both names are pretty indicative of the music found on the EP: it’s all bright sunshine and unbridled enthusiasm. While Swimwear’s homeland of Australia may be heading into “winter” here in North America the sun is finally out again and The Kissing Machine is a pretty great accompaniment.

You can buy The Kissing Machine here (“pay what you want”) and stream it over at Soundcloud. Below is my favourite track off the EP, Nowhere To Run.

Joe has an interesting post about the “loudness war” and the new Catcall record, The Warmest Place. Check it out here. Wonder when the last time was we both “blogged” in the same week?

Lost in the Radiohead trip a few weeks ago was Gotye’s impressive show at the Vogue Theatre here in Vancouver. I first wrote about Gotye back in June 2006 when Wally was still pretty unknown, even in Australia. During the years I spent in Sydney I got to know Wally a little bit so what has happened over the last six months or so has been kind of surreal. I mean Glee? A Billboard #1 single? Saturday Night Live? Just madness.

I saw Gotye a number of times while living in Sydney and while I definitely enjoyed those shows I always felt that Wally hadn’t quite managed to completely nail a Gotye live show – although this show came damn close. Translating sample-based music made at home to stages was never going to be easy but here in 2012 Gotye has the live show DOWN. Playing with four musicians (including Tim ‘Faux Pas’ Shiel) Gotye is now a full-fledged band on stage and it appeared as though they’d been playing together for ages.

Obviously, this review is a few weeks late so trying to pick out details ain’t gonna happen but needless to say Wally’s voice was bang on all night. Eyes Wide Open was a fabulous opener and hearing The Only Way live again was a real treat. I seriously never thought I’d be seeing a Gotye show in Vancouver, never mind at a completely sold out Vogue, but here I was in a room full of Canadians belting out Somebody That I Used To Know (in place of an absent Kimbra). It was weird. It made me miss Australia and my life and friends back in Sydney.

The visuals were a treat all night but they never took away from what Gotye was doing on stage. A number of the songs were stretched out a little bit in comparison to their recorded counterparts which made them feel more alive (this was particularly true of the songs off Making Mirrors).

By the time the show ended with a few uptempo numbers (you gotta after the slow burn genius of Hearts A Mess, right?) I was left not only missing Sydney but also incredibly impressed with what Wally’s done with Gotye over the past six years. While I was instantly impressed with Gotye, I never could have imagined this. And I’m sure Wally couldn’t have either.

Setlist
Eyes Wide Open
The Only Way
Easy Way Out
Smoke And Mirrors
State Of The Art
Thanks For Your Time
Don’t Worry, We’ll Be Watching You
Somebody That I Used To Know
Save Me
Bronte
Hearts A Mess
In Your Light
I Feel Better
———
Learnalilgivinanlovin

On Easter Monday, we loaded up the car and headed down to Seattle to see Radiohead kick off the second leg of their 2012 King Of Limbs tour. Expectations were high. I hadn’t seen the band since August of 2008 – the longest gap between Radiohead shows I’ve quietly endured in my 14 years of seeing them live. Setlists so far this year promised lots of new material and, like the band, I was keen to look forward not back over their career.

While I still love The Bends and OK Computer tremendously, everything I was most excited to hear was from The King Of Limbs, the subsequent “singles,” and the few new songs the band had been playing so far this year. Well, that’s a little bit of a lie. I was also really hoping to hear the old b-sides the band has resurrected for their first ever live performances this year: Meeting In The Aisle and The Amazing Sounds Of Orgy. I’d have to settle for hearing Meeting In The Aisle during soundcheck, with my head pressed up against the Key Arena glass prior to the show.

The band took the stage around 8:45 and kicked off with a stunning performance of Bloom. Featuring three drummers (Jonny on a mini-kit plus new touring man Clive Deamer accompanying Phil), the song is drastically different from its recorded counterpart but no less enthralling. As Thom sang the first line, “Open your mouth wiiiiiiiiiide” the crowd screamed back…mouths wide open. We were lucky to be up very close on the floor so we were instantly overwhelmed by the sheer size of Radiohead’s lights and visuals. The entire back wall, constructed out of old plastic bottles, lit up in greens and blues, evoking the marine imagery of Bloom.

From there the band tore through a couple other album openers in 15 Step and Airbag. The former, perhaps due to the presence of an extra drummer, is even a better live song now than it was back on the In Rainbows tour. Thom, not saddled with a guitar, also used 15 Step to dance all over the stage, engaging the crowd with a mischievous smile and occasional preening.

Little By Little and Morning Mr Magpie, two of TKOL‘s more guitar-y songs, were even more so live. Magpie in particular was all forward momentum until the fantastic breakdown before the final push to its endpoint. The Daily Mail, released digitally late last year, was one of the songs I was most hoping to hear and it followed a beautiful performance of Pyramid Song. What began with just Thom on the piano exploded to life as both Ed and Jonny crush the song with guitars. In many ways, it’s the closest the band have come to a sound close to The Bends or OK Computer in a very long time.

These Are My Twisted Words followed that and was another I was really hoping to hear (wasn’t very optimistic we’d get it though). The long intro required Thom and Jonny to watch each other (and a cheat sheet on stage) to nail all the chord changes. The song isn’t the most dynamic song in Radiohead’s catalogue but it’s one that has really grown on me since it was released in 2009 and it was one of the night’s highlights for me. A beautiful, beautiful version of Nude followed and provided a moment of stillness (even the lights were static for the duration of its performance) before the final push to the show’s climax.

Identikit, one of three new songs the band are playing live so far this year (the others: Cut A Hole and Skirting On The Surface), continues to improve with every performance. The song’s middle section, which features Thom on a synth, is really incredible and I can’t wait to hear how they tackle this one in the studio. It’s also a great spotlight for Ed’s vocals as his counterpoint to Thom’s voice is unlike anything the band has done before. Lotus Flower followed and, predictably, was the new song that the crowd responded to with the most enthusiasm. Jonny really boosts the power of this one on stage.

The main set then ended with a thunderous There There and a manic performance of Feral before closing with Idioteque. I’m not sure if Idioteque has ever sounded better live and the bright lights really made this one stand out in a set full of great performances.

The band returned for the first encore. Up to this point, all shows but one had featured Separator as the first encore’s opening song, but, sadly for me (it’s one of my favourites) the band decided to replace it on Monday with How To Disappear Completely. Don’t get me wrong, I love that song (in fact, it’s the most played song in my iTunes library) but I’ve seen it plenty before. It was, admittedly, a beautiful performance. Three fan favourites then followed: Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, You And Whose Army? (which, thankfully, Thom still uses to vamp for the cameras on stage), and Lucky (just the second and final song from OKC).

Encore 2 began, as it usually does, with just Thom and Jonny performing Give Up The Ghost. As Thom looped his vocal, Jonny provided a gentle guitar accompaniment and it was another quiet, beautiful moment. Reckoner, one of the finest songs the band has ever written followed. Thom dedicated the song to Jonny who was playing through a very hurt hand in Seattle. The show then ended with Everything In Its Right Place, a perfect end to what was a very memorable night. I never tire of hearing that one live for some reason.

While I was hoping for some songs I didn’t get to hear, I have no complaints about the show. The band were in great spirits and played exceptionally all night. Clive Deamer’s addition has been completely seamless, and with Colin anchoring the rhythm section with his bass, every song was propulsive and deep. Jonny, as always, impressed with the guitar (still slaying Airbag, all these years later) while Thom’s vocals were pretty much perfect. Add to that the best lights/visuals the band has ever done and it all adds up to an incredible show.

Setlist
Bloom
15 Step
Airbag
Little By Little
Myxomatosis
The Gloaming
Morning Mr Magpie
Pyramid Song
The Daily Mail
These Are My Twisted Words
Nude
Identikit
Lotus Flower
There There
Feral
Idioteque
———
How To Disappear Completely
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
You And Whose Army?
Lucky
———
Give Up The Ghost
Reckoner
Everything In Its Right Place

• The band soundchecked Supercollider and Meeting In The Aisle earlier in the day (as well as 15 Step, Everything In Its Right Place, Identikit and a couple others). Meeting In The Aisle was actually soundchecked three times in a row so it seems like it will get back into setlists at some point. In fact, the first encore for last night’s gig was intended to go: Arpeggi/Meeting In The Aisle/Lucky/Bodysnatchers but the band changed it up at the last minute.
• Nothing from The Bends
• No live debuts or tour debuts for Seattle

The lateness of this post is no reflection on my lack of excitement about the gig. But writing for At Ease (here’s the Seattle report) has kept me pretty busy this week along with the arrival of my oldest friend’s first child. Let’s see if I can actually get some content up here over the next little while.

Album #1: Let England Shake by PJ Harvey
I’ve been a PJ Harvey fan for a long time and have loved nearly everything she’s done. But if you had told me in January that her record would be my favourite album in a year when Radiohead released a record, there’s no way I would have believed you or your hitler hairdo. But Let England Shake is such a brilliant record that it kind of forced its way here. In a year when some have argued there were no “important” albums, Let England Shake certainly comes closes. Documenting the horrors of war and the darkest side of humanity doesn’t make for easy listening but I find it to be essential listening. I pushed this album on more people than any other record this year and I will continue to do so in 2012. Just a stunning achievement from PJ Harvey.

Song #1: Bloom by Radiohead
Radiohead’s consolation prize (but I really do love this song). Floating in the ocean bloom never sounded so good. The song’s final movement was my very favourite piece of music in 2011.

So that’s it for 2011! The blog is totally fucked at the moment so finding permalinks to any of these is a lost cause at the moment but other than the technical issues I really enjoyed doing this list this year. Probably more than any other year, actually. I guess not writing much here in 2011 meant I had a backlog my brain needed to unload into the ether where it will float around bumping against all the other nonsense. I hope you have a merry Christmas (if that’s your thing) and a very safe New Year.

—> See the rest of the 25 For 2011 List here.

Album #2: The King Of Limbs by Radiohead
The King Of Limbs is not my favourite album of the year, apparently. I go back and forth. But I must admit to experiencing an existential crisis of sorts with placing TKOL at #2. While it is certainly a “minor” Radiohead album (short, little publicity, no tour, no commercial single, etc), I still find myself listening to TKOL a lot. It’s got a unique mood and feel and features some really great songs including the album’s bookends – Bloom is a majestic sonic experiment while Separator closes out the record on a beautiful, positive note. In between the band manage to be incredibly delicate (Give Up The Ghost) and slightly manic (Feral) and Thom’s lyrics continue the more direct and personal approach of In Rainbows. Another worthy addition to Radiohead’s daunting back catalogue.

Song #2: Written On The Forehead by PJ Harvey
Written On The Forehead isn’t the most immediate song on Let England Shake and it took a few listens before it grabbed me. But then it grabbed me and it has yet to let go. The lyrics are heartbreaking, detailing the slow death of a city at war. And the way PJ Harvey seamlessly weaves the sample into the song is pretty brilliant.

—> See the rest of the 25 For 2011 List here.

Album #3: Skying by The Horrors
Very rarely does a band so perfectly encapsulate the sound and vibe of a record through both the title and the album’s artwork, but The Horrors did just that with Skying. Much like M83′s Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, Skying is a big, beautiful dream-pop record that could soundtrack any scene in a 1985 John Hughes film. From the woozy opener Changing The Rain to the split personality of Endless Blue to the shimmery Oceans Burning, The Horrors have once again proven they’re the real deal.

Song #3: Still Life by The Horrors
And the best song off Skying is the album’s lead single, Still Life. Can you not picture a young Molly Ringwald contemplating life’s big questions in her bedroom surrounded by Smiths and Simple Minds posters while this song is playing?

—> See the rest of the 25 For 2011 List here.

Album #4: Absence by Snowman
I don’t think any other record so effectively created one mood like Snowman’s swan song Absence did in 2011. At times Absence‘s ethereal beauty is tempered with unnerving menace and a feeling of despair but it never ceases to be an engaging atmosphere in which you wish to remain. A powerful final statement from Snowman, a band who will be missed immensely.

Snowman – Hyena

Song #4: Midnight City by M83
You know how good Midnight City is? It’s so damn good I even like the saxophone solo. And I LOATHE saxophone solos. But seriously, this song is so ridiculously big and glorious that you can’t help but love it. And have you seen this guy?

M83 – Midnight City

—> See the rest of the 25 For 2011 List here.

Album #5: Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming by M83
M83′s Anthony Gonzalez has never shied away from ambition, but even by M83 standards Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is an extremely ambitious album. Beyond being a double album, Hurry Up is grandiose and bombastic and it constantly demands that the listener pay attention. And if you do you’re rewarded with a blissful electro-rock record. On a song by song basis, Hurry Up might be M83′s strongest record yet. The album opens with the amazing Intro – a duet with Zola Jesus – and then hits one of 2011′s finest singles, Midnight City. Seemingly with nowhere to go but down, Hurry Up manages to up the ante throughout with Reunion, Year One, One UFO and Steve McQueen all absolutely stratospheric. Oh, and there’s a song narrated by a kid about a frog that sounds like a high school buddy describing his recent trip to Shroomtown. Only cuter.

M83 – Intro (feat. Zola Jesus)

Song #5: Need You Now by Cut Copy
I’m a sucker for songs with slow builds that explode into glorious, optimistic anthems. Need You Now is a perfect example.

—> See the rest of the 25 For 2011 List here.

Album #6: Biophilia by Bjork
Bjork’s ambitious Biophilia project, highlighted by the release of an “app” album, was problematic on a number of levels. The most glaring of these issues is the fact that if you consider the “app” album the “definitive” version of Biophilia, well, then Bjork’s created an album you are encouraged to experience in solitude with headphones. And while that’s often the best way to listen to music, it totally kills any social element the music may inspire. Here’s why I found Biophilia to be such a great record: I bought it on vinyl and it sounds AMAZING. The scope and depth of some of the songs simply do not come across through the apps; this album needs speakers and space. Musically, Biophilia is an effective amalgamation of a few of Bjork’s more popular “styles” and while it never reaches the heights of Vespertine or Homogenic, it is one of the strongest collections of songs she’s released this decade. Opener Moon is a delicate harp piece while other songs like Mutual Core are more aggressive and feature heavy beats…and yet everything sits together nicely. I do wish she’d embrace melody again, however…

Song #6: Ego (feat. Thom Yorke) by Burial & Four Tet
Ego encapsulates why I love collaborations between Burial and Four Tet: it takes the gritty, urban darkness of Burial’s work and Four Tet brightens it up just enough to let it shine in the darkness. And having Thom Yorke singing over the top doesn’t hurt either.

—> See the rest of the 25 For 2011 List here.