Author: Steven Nadeau

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Music Quickspins

Neon Indian – VEGA INTL. Night School

Neon Indian – VEGA INTL. Night School (Transgressive/Mom + Pop; 2015)

If one were to pick an album which accurately translates retro neon signs into audio format, VEGA INTL. Night School would be that very album. Pushing aside the questionably offensive nature of the band’s name, this long-awaited LP is definitely worth listening to, though it’s hard to discern whether it will have much worth in a few years’ time; half the album is a nostalgic and chill ride, while the other half isn’t quite as remarkable. That being said, the album’s chillwave charm exposes timeworn, yet somehow fresh and inventive vibes, without a doubt exploring and bringing the electronic ‘80s aesthetic into the present. The album takes on a playful and lighthearted, albeit occasionally cheesy, vibe, especially in accordance with the almost whispered vocals reminiscent of teen-boy bands.

Trial Track: “Hit Parade”
7/10

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Quickspins

Follakzoid – III

Follakzoid – III (Sacred Bones Records; 2015)

The elusive Chilean space-rockers hit it off again with their EP-sized tracklist of an album that exceeds the 50 minute mark in thumping soundscapes, fit for trippers and study sessions alike. Follakzoid’s appropriately named third album, III, showcases their electro-psych prowess in creating trance-inducing rhythms that never fall under nine minutes in length. While its intensity is indisputable, its overwhelming repetitiveness might not be ideal for those not prepared to sit through a (mostly) lyric-less mind melt that is Follakzoid. While you can skip to any point of a chosen song and it sounds more or less exactly the same as the opening, it’s more about the foreplay than the orgasm. That being said, it is best listened to at high volume levels on a pair of decent headphones, lest the magnetic charisma they exude be lost.

Trial Track: “Piurre”
Rating: 7/10

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Quickspins

of Montreal – Aureate Gloom

of Montreal – Aureate Gloom (Polyvinyl Records; 2015)

Emerging from the ruins of a past relationship, Kevin Barnes, singer-songwriter behind of Montreal, released a new chapter of emotional turmoil in their 13th studio album, Aureate Gloom. Emitting waves of often paradoxical feelings from a single song, the record radiates an overall feel of inner conflict sprinkled with brief moments of relief. The lyricism matches this bi-polar feel, where the nonsensical boils into deeply sensual, blatant anxiety transforming into something oddly therapeutic.

Following up from their 2013 album, Lousy with Sylvianbriar, Aureate Gloom grows on the more matured, nuanced vibes that perhaps diverge almost completely from the eccentric glory days of Hissing Fauna and Skeletal Lamping, which in a way makes it difficult to compare the album to their older works. That being said, the record manages to convey its creator’s melancholic attitudes without ignoring the bumps of elation that renders the rather mellow labyrinth of emotion quite a pleasurable trip to listen to.

Trial Track: Empyrean Abattoir
Rating: 8/10

-Steven Nadeau

 

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Music

of Montreal’s modern aesthetic appeal

Of Montreal play at the Mohawk. Photo by Landry Edwards.

The band’s image and performances are enhanced with their wild aesthetic creativity

If he’s not covered in shaving cream emerging from a coffin or rockin’ a cute frilly skirt and fishnets, then chances are that of Montreal’s frontman, Kevin Barnes, might just be performing in nothing but a ribbon seductively wrapped around his body (leaving all the good parts exposed).

Originating from the depths of Athens, Georgia, this paragon of an artistic orgy goes beyond the goal of auditory magnificence to bring its listeners complete corporeal and transcendental liberation through the multiple forms of art they create.

Yet somehow, the band’s mastermind lives up to Lord Gunge’s (from hip-hop funk duo Grand Buffet) label of being “the kinkiest motherfucker I have ever seen in my

Of Montreal play at the Mohawk. Photo by Landry Edwards.

life” as said in an interview for the documentary of the band called The Past is a Grotesque Animal. This emphasis on their visual appearance is in no way a distraction from lazy song writing, nor are they trying to sell a lifestyle as many contemporary musicians attempt, but rather, their optical artistry is simply one piece of the overall brilliance they ooze.

It’s moderately impossible to describe the aesthetic madness within of Montreal’s wacky theatrics, save for maybe a kaleidoscopic mind-fuck that incorporates gender-bending, morphsuits and horse riding in nothing but gold booty shorts (yes, they actually had a live horse on stage back in 2008 at the Roseland Ballroom, NYC). Even the mere words that describe it seem like a watered down version of what actually goes on inside the venue walls at one of their concerts. Being not nearly as insignificant or unheard of as one might have presupposed, of Montreal has toured with artists such as Deerhoof and MGMT, borrowed a band member from Elf Power, collaborated with Foxygen, Solange Knowles, Janelle Monae, had a song featured in an episode of Weeds and even had Susan Sarandon perform at a few of their shows who explained, in the documentary: “the first time I met the band I was actually kind of [dressed up as] a teacher with a ruler and I sat on Kevin and spanked a man in a naked pig costume.”

The only thing weirder than their look might just be the music itself, ranging from Sesame Street-like echoes to glam-funk bursts of psychotic energy. Song titles that go from “Happy Yellow Bumblebee,”  to “Big Tittied Sluts,” each album exploring a different universe of style without sacrificing their ‘authenticity,’ whatever that may be. What’s even more impressive is how they’ve manage to pull this all off without insane amounts of money and professional designers that modern pop artists have access to: it’s Barnes’ brother David who directs the skits and costume designs they feature at their concerts. Back in 2013 during an interview with WKDU Philadelphia 91.7FM, Kevin described that “of Montreal has sort of become its own collective within itself with all of these people contributing ideas, and working together, [it’s] my brother and my wife that do a lot of the album artwork and animation that we have live. Everyone is performing different roles within the group.” This renders of Montreal one of the few unique ensembles that radiate complete sensory titillation through extremely personal and genuine lyricism: they simply take ‘art’ to a whole different level.

The band is releasing their 13th studio Album Aureate Gloom on March 3.

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Quickspins

Fall Out Boy – American Beauty/American Psycho (Island Records; 2015)

Maybe it’s because the whole idea of pop-rock seems like a self-contradictory disaster to me, but Fall Out Boy’s new studio album American Beauty/American Psycho appears to be a last attempt of high school anthem-writers to stay relevant. Mixing teen angst with dance pop, Patrick Stump’s annoyingly eccentric vocals coupled with a rushed lyricism really drives home the feeling that the band has made no progress over the last 10 years. The album offers a weird nostalgia for those who know Fall Out Boy’s older albums and even has the potential to be good, but on the whole, offers nothing new or exciting. As made clear by the lyrics of the album’s first single, “Centuries” (a reimagining of Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner”), the band is too focused on being remembered to create anything worth listening to.

Trial Track: American Beauty/ American Psycho

2.5/10

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Music

Electronic Dance Music is a passing craze

Unfortunately we can’t always choose what genres gain mass audiences

From the droning sound orgies of Skrillex and Zedd, to more digestible beats synergized by artists like Daft Punk, EDM (Electronic Dance Music) has found itself into the nightclubs, raves and in the ‘drops’ of tacky radio singles that seem to plague so many of our generation’s sound systems. Seldom listened to at low volumes and difficult to get really passionate about while not working out or being completely sober, distinctly mainstream EDM as a new and yet slowly dying fad (depending on who’s talking), covers a range of electronica sub-genres whose purpose is to induce intense dance fits in its users. For the time being, these mainstream branches including millionaire mixers and celebrity DJs will be the main target of this discussion (think late night radio club remixes without their corresponding Dr. Jekylls). Slithering its way into pop culture using catchy calculated beats, the unavoidable intrusiveness so characteristic of the genre is hardly a reflection of a capitalist-hedonist society obsessed with a vain sense of escapism. Cough. Too harsh?

Alright, so it is simply impossible to argue why a genre as a whole is good or bad based on how it sounds, and yet objectively speaking, EDM has been a hot topic on quite a few different levels. The genre has been under fire not only for its characteristic bass drops devoid of emotion, but also the amount (or lack) of knowledge and skill required to pull off a live performance. Critics often attack the alleged mental traffic that the genre induces, as well as the fact that EDM performances usually don’t require a band up on stage but rather a single button-pusher staring blankly out into the crowd (See “David Guetta Completely lost @ Tomorrowland 2014” on YouTube).

Back in 2012 on his Tumblr blog, Deadmau5 had written a short manifesto highlighting what exactly was needed for a live EDM concert to be successful: “It’s not about performance art, it’s not about talent either … I think given about one hour of instruction, anyone with minimal knowledge of ableton and music tech in general could DO what I’m doing at a Deadmau5 concert.” So there you have it, a genre that, as far as live performances go, simply requires a basic understanding of computers. However, according to Deadmau5, that’s not the point: his skills shine “in the goddamned studio, and on the fucking releases.” That being said, it would seem that for the consumers, while EDM studio tracks are the more frequented method of listening, raves and concerts are the real apex of the experience.

Pushing aside the genre’s aesthetic squabbles, it’s important to note that drug use is inherently interwoven with EDM culture, where the genre’s primary focus on mindless pleasure might be to blame. And while drug use in and of itself is a matter of personal decision, EDM festivals are notorious for their frequent overdoses and death counts that never fail to attract the attention of the media. While it’s not always bad to enhance a listening experience with illegal substances, being able to appreciate the genre only when high or drunk might be an indication of its artistic scope.

Whilst on the topic of drug use and music, head-banging on ‘Molly’ with all the ‘cool’ kids seems almost flat and self-defeating especially in contrast with using similar drugs (or not) with a friend or two.

Even on the outskirts of the genre itself artists like Flying Lotus have managed to transcend monotony by incorporating a distinct jazz feel, even MGMT’s 2013 self-titled album is a perfect example of a band that merges with electronic elements to amplify a more well-defined and exploratory sound. So while EDM is considered to be a part of electronica, other subcategories that fall into the electronica field are in no way limited to the dull predictability that’s found within the excessive pulses typical of mainstream EDM. It’s hard to believe people are dropping Lucy and shrooms with Skrillex being blasted into their skulls.

Whether one is searching for meaning and catharsis or looking for a distraction from the horrors of reality (why can’t we have both?), EDM is diving headfirst into the bland vanity of the mainstream. It will inevitably result in its swift self-destruction, while the underground scene of musicians and artists will effervesce and rise up from the mud of EDM as a past pop-culture mishap, (seriously though, is there, and will there ever be anyone over fifty who genuinely enjoys EDM?), only to result in new genres finding themselves in the same mainstream cul-de-sac.

At any rate, it simply boils down to individual taste and in this case maybe even philosophical point of view. EDM is just one of many art forms which has a brilliant effect on some and can be the instigator of a bad trip for others. It’s hard to say whether the more popular streams of EDM are a hallmark of capitalism that is harming the music industry, or if it actually is the glorious product of pampered artists meant to inspire a generation to ‘party hard.’

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Music

A Tribe Called Red Bring Kick-up Beats in the Street

POP Montreal’s free show featuring A Tribe Called Red attracted many bystanders and livened-up otherwise dull Wednesday night

On Aug. 27, POP Montreal and Monster Energy presented a free concert at Place Emilie-Gamelin, right outside the Berri-UQAM metro station on Ste. Catherine Street. The concert, starting at 4 p.m. and lasting roughly six hours, featured an all Canadian line up including Pierre Kwenders, AroarA, and ended with the First Nations DJ trio, A Tribe Called Red. The culturally diverse mini-festival included hip-hop, indie and electro/dance music that seemed to fit together nicely and create a relaxing yet beat-filled atmosphere.

The night began slowly with a light drizzle of rain, but as the sun went down the assorted crowd seemed to grow with both fans and curious bystanders, some of whom would appear to be there only for their favorite Juno award winning DJ crew, A Tribe Called Red (for Breakthrough Group of the Year, 2014). The band consists of DJ NDN (Anishnabe), Bear Witness (Cayuga) and DJ Shub (Cayuga), all originating from Ottawa, Ontario. Their sound can be best described as the artists put it themselves: ‘Pow Wow Step’, a hybrid genre of traditional Native chanting and drumming and puts it up against the head bobbing beats of modern dance, electronica, and dubstep. The culturally dense and spiritually deep sound that is unique to the trio was heard through fan favorites such as “Red Skinned Girl”, written and performed by Northern Cree and remixed by A Tribe Called Red and “Electric Pow Wow Drum”.  The group is often associated with activism. Their lyrics bring attention to the many issues and discrimination that First Nations people face. One of their songs from their self-titled album called “Woodcarver” is a mosaic of news reports highlighting the injustice of police brutality against indigenous people.

One of the biggest attractions of the performance was the hoop dancer dressed in traditional attire that would come out and perform on stage, doing handstands and flipping as the trio mixed their records. What seemed to attract most of the crowd was the Tribe’s uniquely Native sounding take on club music, which their studio recordings emphasized a lot more than the live show did. This became obvious through the crowds reactions to their favorite songs, which focused on chants and drum beats, whereas the mood seemed to calm down when the group sounded more like regular club music. They played remixes of pop song such as Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and the “Cantina song” from Star Wars.

Despite the small hiccups of relaxation, the people kept the rave-like atmosphere up for the whole night The performance seemed to really bring the ethnically diverse audience together through redefining club dance music by adding a new cultural dimension.

Overall it was great night–a free and memorable way to end the summer.

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