Category: Music

Categories
Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: BRIGHTSIDE – The Lumineers

The Americana band explores their bittersweet ‘Brightside’ with their fourth LP 

The Lumineers are back with their latest album BRIGHTSIDE. The indie/folk band released their sophomore record last week, three years after their last album III, which was a gripping tale of addiction. BRIGHTSIDE takes a similar turn.  

The album starts off with the self-titled track (can you guess the name?) — naturally one of the album’s singles. The leading track deals with substance abuse, as lead singer Wesley Schultz belts out “I could barely see your eyes, psilocybin in a hotel room. […] Losing every other friend, finding nothing in the afterlife.” Based on the lyrics, the substance happens to be mainly psychedelics and is a continual theme in the discography of The Lumineers.

The theme of substance abuse follows throughout the span of the album. The next song that falls on the topic is “WHERE WE ARE.” It compares life with years of addiction to drugs to the dazed and confused aftermath of a car crash, saying “Holding on a steering wheel and coming up for air…Driving in the rain…Calling out your name, where were are, I don’t know where we are, but it will be okay.” It’s bittersweet, delving more into the bitter than the latter, and this trope follows into the rest of the album.    

While the majority of the album stays true to the roots of the band (some might even call it being safe), they have been keen to branch out and use hardware such as drum machines and synthesizers. A notable song is the penultimate track called “REMINGTON.” It starts off with a drum machine sequence that is reminiscent of Hall & Oates’s “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” and Tears for Fears’ “Mad World,” which would most likely be a CR-78. 

The finale of the album ends with “REPRISE”, a heartbreaking tale about an individual (hopefully not one of the band members), who is headed for their final chapter, most likely due to an overdose. The song’s protagonist is “headed for the lights” at the end of the tunnel, “headed for the brightside, baby, tonight.” Clearly, the lifecycle of this album is saddening but we can see a light at the end of the road, so we settle for a tragically bittersweet ending as the individual is at peace with their outcome.   

As of now, BRIGHTSIDE’s songs have been collectively streamed nearly forty million times on Spotify in less than two weeks, which is no mean feat, considering The Lumineers have more than fourteen million monthly listeners. Clearly, the album’s bittersweet themes are ringing true to others as well. Unfortunately, they had to postpone a good chunk of their 2022 tour, which was originally intended to commence on Feb. 1. Currently, their tour is set to kick off on Feb. 24 in Nottingham, UK. 

 

Score: 7/10

Trial track: “REMINGTON”

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/track/55ERG6MH2HdUCfUgI1aqVi?si=8024b96a8eee4400″]
Categories
Music

My emotions need “breakup” songs

Reflecting on why breakup songs are the best — even if you didn’t have a recent breakup

Music has gotten me through nearly every part of my life. While I listen to many genres, “breakup songs” is the category I gravitate to the most. This was hard to accept because I am happily married with a baby, so why in the world is breakup music what I listen to the most? The answer ended up being that these songs span different emotions that I feel, despite not being breakup-related. These songs are filled with so much rawness that no matter what, they lend themselves to a fantastic sing-along. So in my private time, with a sound bar, I let the tunes fill my mind and my room. 

Anger is an emotion I wish I could avoid. When I use music to help, song choice is crucial. I don’t want anything slow and melodic, I want the neighbours to know I am pissed. My current choice is “abcdefu” by GAYLE. I came across this song when scrolling through TikTok. Instantly, I needed to listen to it in full. When I did, specifically the angrier version, it was instant love. I ended up playing it five times on repeat in one sitting.

This song has now become my anger anthem. Whenever I am pissed, be it because I am thinking about my awful ex, or because my essay sucks, this is my go-to track. Why? Because I get to say “abcde fuck you” so many times, and throw up my middle finger and sing it with all my heart. I feel so much better after singing this. If I am mad at the world in general, the closing line of the song helps too. “Everybody, but your dog, you can all fuck off” is just perfect and saying that as a final release makes me feel good again. 

Whenever I play this song in front of my husband, he will jokingly say “Wow, I didn’t think you hated me that much.” To which I laugh, and then explain that this song is my anger anthem. Honestly still not sure he really understands, but at least he knows I am not thinking about him when this song plays.

Breakup songs can even fuel up my happiness. It might sound odd to most, but to me, it works. Sometimes the music just has an upbeat feeling and it makes me smile. Sometimes, I feel a little smug when I smile at a breakup song, but I run with it, because I feel good. 

Adele’s “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” is the perfect example. The song opens with “This was all you, none of it me.” Right away, I am put in the mindset that I am on top of the world. She also sings “I’m giving you up, I’ve forgiven it all, you set me free.” The word “free” in her lyrics is what solidifies the happiness I feel listening to the song. When I am happy, I feel free from all the negative things going on and this song just gets me to feel thrilled that I am in a position where I can send the negativity elsewhere. Also, the music video of Adele simply looking stunning in that dress and singing against a plain background makes me want to reenact the video in my room. She looks so empowered and watching her makes me happy because I love seeing an empowered woman owning her badass nature. 

I never thought that breakup music would be my go-to when feeling emotions not related to breakups. Also, I haven’t had a breakup in four years, so it is still odd for me. That being said, I have decided to embrace my unusual choice and let this music guide my life. 

So, if ever you are trying to deal with varied emotions, just find the best breakup song that fits your mood and you will feel great! 

 

Graphic by James Fay

 

 

Categories
Music

Mercury Messiah is Starbound with their new single

Mercury Messiah, a young up and coming rock band from Montreal, Canada. Saro Hartounian/The Concordian

The Laval band has released their third single, “Starbound”

Mercury Messiah has just released their latest single “Starbound” on Friday, Jan. 7. The release kicks off 2022 for the group and is their third overall song released. Originating from Chomedey, Laval, the band released two singles: ”Sunlight Surfing” and “Mercury Messiah” last year. 

The track “Starbound” starts off with a punchy four-chord riff delivered by Mano Diles, the lead guitarist and backup singer of the band. Diles wrote the riff when he was just fifteen years old so he felt an immense sense of accomplishment when the band finished writing the song in 2019. Johnny Dims, lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and tambourine player wrote the lyrics and cites his mother as a major influence.  

“My mom is a writer and ever since I was a young kid, I was always surrounded by books and words and developed an affinity for it, and that’s where I developed a love for the arts,” said the Concordia graduate.

Corrado Johnston, the bassist, laid down two layers for the bass guitar section of the song, one for the low end and the other to cut through the mix. This is reminiscent of classic rock groups, who often used similar techniques to maximize space in their songs to make them sound more full. Bands like The Who with “Eminence Front,” or Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” both showcase double-tracking of the bass. The majority of the mixing and mastering comes not only from Johnston but Alex Brunel as well, the band’s drummer.  

Mercury Messiah’s main influences are Rush, a progressive Canadian national treasure, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin, but they’re not afraid to step out of their comfort zone. “We don’t want to box ourselves in,” said Johnston. They will write songs that are rock, sing-along, and anthem-poppy, like “Sunlight Surfing” and “Starbound,” but then write very prog-induced psychedelia and heavier singles like “Mercury Messiah.” “I’m gonna throw myself under the bus dude, my number one played artist of 2021 was Dua Lipa,” said Diles.

The last verse of “Starbound” includes the lyrics “It’s clear that her life is starbound, the simple life’s now got her down, my baby’s stuck in her hometown,” with the last line repeating for five more times. This line took an ironic turn when the Omicron variant made everyone stuck in their hometown.

“The timing was kind of perfect but in a bad way, all of the shows got cancelled again and we literally released the song as we were stuck in our hometowns so it was appropriate,” said Brunel.  

For now, they are currently working on releasing their upcoming EP and LP. The band is set to perform on the third of June at Petit Campus! See you then? 

 

Photograph by Peter Tsoraidis             

 

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/track/1QsJUMQ7g0QJQWHsgXEuHa?si=40cce70d5c844947″]

         

 

 

Categories
Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: The Weeknd – Dawn FM

Dawn FM proves once again that this ’80s synth-heavy sound feels extremely natural for The Weeknd

Arguably one of, if not the biggest popstar in the world, The Weeknd is fresh off the release of his fifth studio album Dawn FM. The Toronto native is back after a massively successful last two years. He most notably released the biggest album of 2020: After Hours, which received an incredible reception, both commercially and critically. Despite getting snubbed by the Grammys in 2021 (don’t get me started on this) he headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show, a feat only few artists have the chance to achieve. 

Dawn FM is a continuation of the sound The Weeknd was popularizing on After Hours, with its ’80s inspired instrumentals, synth-pop infused melodies and some of the catchiest songs he has ever put out. 

Dawn FM is a radio station themed album narrated by none other than Jim Carrey, the radio announcer of “the number one station to free your soul: Dawn 103.5,” as The Weeknd mentions at the end of “Here We Go… Again” featuring Tyler, The Creator. Carrey appears on multiple occasions, whether he is making advertisements on “Every Angel Is Terrifying” or having his own closing monologue on “Phantom Regret by Jim,” his presence on the record really reinforces its radio themes.

Since Dawn FM is presented as a radio show, it flows exceptionally well together and is filled with flawless transitions between songs. The transitions are so immaculate that someone who doesn’t look at the song titles could easily think it’s one long song; for instance, the progression between the energetic “How Do I Make You Love Me?” to the Daft Punk influenced “Take My Breath.” It even took me at least seven listens to realize “Starry Eyes’” is a song on its own and not the outro to “Is There Someone Else?” For all of those reasons, it is significantly better to listen to this record in one sitting, rather than listening to certain tracks on their own.

Despite some songs not quite hitting the mark, like the bland “Gasoline” and “Don’t Break My Heart,” The Weeknd still manages to provide some ridiculously infectious tunes. Songs like “Out of Time,” “Less Than Zero” and “Best Friends” are key tracks that are a big reason why Dawn FM is so accessible. This album is perfect to dance to, but is also perfect to cook and clean to. Whether you’re nine or 99, it is hard to resist the captivating nostalgic electronic sound of Dawn FM.

Days after the release, The Weeknd announced that there was going to be a trilogy and if After Hours and Dawn FM are the first two installments, I simply cannot wait for the third one.

Score : 7.5/10

Trial track: “Out of Time”

 

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/track/2SLwbpExuoBDZBpjfefCtV?si=6d5b13b062e64ca9″] 

 

Categories
Music

The Concordian’s albums of the year

The Concordian staff delve into their 2021 favourites.

 

Silk Sonic – An Evening with Silk Sonic

Guillaume Laberge – Music Editor

With life returning to more or less normal, 2021 was an incredible year for music that saw the release of countless quality records that I will be coming back to in the upcoming years. While Tyler, The Creator and Kanye West dropped some of the best albums of the year, it is Silk Sonic that takes the cake with An Evening with Silk Sonic. Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak team up to deliver nine ‘70s R&B/soul and funk infused tracks that make you want to put on the tightest pants possible, a silky shirt, and go dance all night at your local club. The nostalgic, sexy, and luxurious sound it provides is unmatched and this album has been assembled meticulously to near perfection.

 

The War On Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore 

Saro Hartounian – Assistant Music Editor

Four years after their release of A Deeper Understanding, Philadelphia-based rock band The War On Drugs came out with their fifth and latest LP I Don’t Live Here Anymore. Frontman Adam Granduciel stays true to his writing style filled with melancholic lyrics of grief and the epic quest for love that, during COVID, sounds nigh impossible. The influence of shoegaze bands like Slowdive and Cocteau Twins explains the record’s tragically bittersweet undertones. Adam and his band are revitalizing the ‘80s genre of yacht rock with their Bruce Hornsby-esque lyrical stories and Christopher Cross-like rhythm. Heck, even the intro of their fourth track “I Don’t Wanna Wait” sounds like Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.”   

 

Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever

Maggie Morris – Managing Editor

Sorry not sorry, this album was everything I needed in 2021. While some fans were disappointed by the change of vibe from Eilish’s last album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, I found it to be the perfect next step for the artist. As Eilish matures, so does her voice, and this album showcases the vocalist at her best. The title track is probably my favourite off the album, but shoutout to “Billie Bossa Nova” and “Getting Older” (I mentioned that she’s maturing before our eyes right?).

 

Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth

Evan Lindsay – Co-News Editor

I had never heard of Genesis Owusu before this album, and I don’t know if many people had, considering this is his debut record — and what a debut it was. Smiling with No Teeth successfully delivers an incredible mix of alternative hip hop, R&B, pop and rock in a way that feels entirely original and familiar at the same time. Wearing his influences (like The Talking Heads) on his sleeve in a way that’s entirely his own, Owusu’s sound is frantic and chaotic in all the best ways, with dark and hard-hitting bangers like “The Other Black Dog” and more soulful R&B tunes like “Waitin’ on Ya.” There’s a little something for everyone on this album (there is also a song about his love for fishing if that sounds like your bag). Constant stylistic changes and themes of racism and depression create an ambitious and engaging concept album that should not be missed. This album felt so fresh, new and exciting to me that it had to be my album of the year. Go listen to it, it’s sick. 

 

Feu! Chatterton – Palais d’argile 

Ashley Fish-Robertson – Arts Editor

I’m the type of person who, after finding a catchy album, will play it on loop every morning during my commute. When I first heard “Un Monde Nouveau,” Palais d’argile’s opening track, I was instantly hooked. Lead singer Arthur Teboul’s voice is absolutely haunting, especially on “Avant qu’il n’y ait le monde” and “La mer,” as he churns out surreal lyrics that sound as if they were plucked directly from a Louis Aragon poem. This album offers something for every mood, whether you feel like dancing or curling up in the fetal position while fretting over all the assignments you have yet to start.

 

Taylor Swift – Red (Taylor’s Version) 

Mélina Lévesque – Features Editor 

She’s happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time and I am living for it. Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) reminds listeners of the growing pains of getting older, falling in and out of love, and learning about who you are during this journey we call life. Yes, I absolutely adored Red in 2012, but Red (Taylor’s Version) radiates a different level of poetic perfection. 

Whether it’s the new badass breakup anthem “I Bet You Think About Me” featuring the one and only Chris Stapleton, or the tear-jerking “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” this album has both broken and filled my heart in more ways than I could have imagined. Swift’s superpower truly lies in her ability to reflect moments from her life through her music and unite listeners through the emotion in her songs. As a life-long Swiftie, I am incredibly grateful that this woman exists and continues to bless us with her passion for storytelling. 

 

Hans Zimmer – Dune (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Hunter Walwaski – Head Copy Editor

2021 saw my purveying love for music take somewhat of a backseat to my newfound interest in film, so it only made sense that my AOTY pick followed suit. While Denis Villeneuve’s masterful take on the Dune-iverse shouldn’t go unnoticed, Hans Zimmer’s accompanying score played a major role in the film’s enveloping atmosphere. From the Sahara-tinged operatic screams on “Gom Jabbar” and “Ripples in the Sand,” synonymous with the spiritual mysticality of the planet Arrakis, to the clockwork-like percussion on “Blood for Blood,” Zimmer helped bring chills to my (multiple) viewing experience of this film. Without a soundtrack as solid as this, it’s fair to say that one of 2021’s biggest flicks wouldn’t have been nearly as impactful, making the album deserving of a spot on this list.

 

Radiohead – Kid Amnesiae

Cris Derfel – Copy Editor

Bundled together with a double reissue of Kid A and Amnesiac is Kid Amnesiae, Radiohead’s love letter to their own most important albums. Not only have I had new tracks like “If You Say the Word” on repeat since release, I’ve rediscovered songs I’ve listened to hundreds of times — “Like Spinning Plates” reimagined as a haunting piano arrangement was an instant favourite, as was “How to Disappear into Strings.” The album somehow manages to evoke both the frigid emptiness of Kid A and the uncanny nostalgia of Amnesiac while simultaneously bringing something new to the table, and with each listen I notice something new. Radiohead continues to reinvent themselves, and I’m here for it every step of the way. 

 

Tyler, The Creator – CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST

Victor Vigas – Former Music Editor

Akin to 2020, 2021 was a great year for music; we as listeners got to reap all the creativity that was brewed over months and months of shutdowns. Thankfully, Tyler was there to headline it with CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. I know, I know, Tyler and album of the year have felt synonymous since Flower Boy, but I can’t think of another record that surprised me more than this, especially as a follow up to 2019’s Grammy-winning IGOR. There’s just something about DJ Drama making his voice heard from top to bottom alongside a Tyler that raps introspectively over beautifully executed samples that takes the cake for me. I do have to give credit to Little Simz, Young Thug, Twenty One Pilots, and Silk Sonic, though.

 

The Weather Station – Ignorance

Aviva Majerczyk – Former Commentary Editor

The Weather Station, a.k.a. Toronto-based singer-songwriter Tamara Lindeman, is at the peak of her form on her latest album, Ignorance. Backed by a jazzy band, Lindeman’s heartfelt singing feels painful and urgent. The instrumentation of this album is dissonant as fluttery melodies are overlaid by Lindeman’s themes of heartbreak and loss. However, it is more than just a breakup album, as Ignorance’s lyricism parallels the loss of a relationship to the existential loss of our planet to climate change. The perfect album for a crisp, moody fall day, Ignorance is A-tier folk rock. 

 

Graphic by James Fay

 

Categories
Music

J Mascis discusses Dinosaur Jr. and the Freakscene documentary

Godfather of grunge J Mascis talks about the release of his band’s latest documentary Freakscene

Off the recent premiere of Freakscene, Dinosaur Jr.’s legacy has come to light. The documentary was played in a number of festivals last year including Film Festival Cologne, Montreal’s Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, and the Munich International Documentary Film Festival. Freakscene is meant to give more insight into the band’s history and how they operate as a “dysfunctional family.”

Dinosaur Jr, an Americana suburban alternative rock band from Amherst Massachusetts, was formed in 1984 following the transition from J Mascis’ previous band Deep Wound. It featured Dinosaur Jr.’s initial members, J Mascis and Lou Barlow. Later, Emmett Jefferson Murphy (Murph) took the mantle of drummer and thus completed the trio. Mascis plays guitar and sings lead vocals while Barlow is the bassist and supports Mascis in vocals.

Mascis’ efforts resulted in the band releasing their debut self-titled album within the first year of the band forming. Since then, the group has amassed a discography spanning over ten studio records and nine other records featuring live shows and extended editions. Known to be the godfather of grunge music, Dinosaur Jr. happens to be the precursor to bands such as Mudhoney, as well as the “Big Four” of grunge: Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and Nirvana.

Freakscene showcases never-before-seen footage of the band in their element, whether on stage or in their day-to-day tour lifestyle. Prominent figures in the music industry like Henry Rollins (Black Flag), Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), and Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü) make appearances throughout the documentary, shedding light on the hardships Dinosaur Jr. faced while on tour, from facing hippies from their hometown to struggling with internal conflict.

 

The Concordian chatted with J Mascis about the band’s history and the new documentary.

TC: I read something almost a decade ago that your initial concept of Dinosaur Jr. was “ear-bleeding country.” What sparked the idea of that concept? 

JM: I was just looking for a different form of music. I guess I thought I’d never heard anybody do that so it would be cool. By our second album, we had developed our sound, when during the first album we were just looking for that sound.

TC: Using that sound, did you take anything from your previous band Deep Wound to apply to Dino or did you start with a blank slate?

JM: While learning the guitar, I was trying to incorporate the drums, trying to transpose it to guitar. I played drums in Deep Wound. The guitar felt a lot different than the drums. I was playing [guitar] loud so I had room to have dynamics and use effects to try and get different textures too. Drumming is a lot more expressive with the dynamics and power of it, the guitar didn’t feel as powerful as the drums. I didn’t know much about guitar but I liked the distorted guitar and I said “guess I’ll get a fuzzbox” and I learnt to use the effects and playing the guitar at the same time.

TC: The wall of sound that you, Lou and Murph created, did it remind you of past bands? If so, which ones? 

JM: I remember seeing Motörhead and being impressed, it felt like the sound could hold you up. It was this all-encompassing kind of sound. That was definitely inspirational. [Lemmy] was shorter than we expected, I saw him walking around the club playing pinball.

TC: In the documentary, you were regarded as a “straight edge punk” by Murph who called himself a “hippie punk.” What were both of your influences and how did they differ in regard to you being straight edge? 

JM: Murph liked a lot of jazz fusion, like Allan Holdsworth, he really liked Frank Zappa [and] Billy Cobham. A little bit of punk mixed in like the Dead Kennedys. But I was more fully into punk and hardcore. We were in this hippie town and I saw a lot of acid tragedies and I was sick of hippies so not taking drugs was kind of a rebellion in my town. I then met other guys like Minor Threat who were also at the same conclusion on drugs. That was another level of relating to punk rock cause I thought that it was all junkies from England so discovering there were other people who were sick of drugs was a revelation. I liked the music of Sex Pistols but I couldn’t relate to Sex Pistols, I couldn’t relate to somebody shooting heroin.

TC: How were you able to gain traction despite being banned from venues in West Massachusetts?

JM: Playing in New York and Europe, and people from our town then liked us better cause they’d see we played in England. I guess that’s what happened to Hendrix, he went to England to sell it back to America.

TC: How do you feel when Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon calls Dino Jr. “the perfect band”? 

JM: That’s of course flattering to hear that. I guess we both have a certain sound together which I guess we all realize is valuable, we’re just trying to preserve, ‘cause we grew up playing together and worked hard at it we realized we got something cool so we’re just trying to stick with it.

TC: I remember watching the “Little Furry Things” music video when I was six and it freaked me out with all the transitions. What was your goal with it? 

JM: Oh, our friends made it. They were film students at the college we hung out at. That was them experimenting with film and we were just kinda, you know, their subjects. Yeah, this college, Hampshire, there’s five colleges in our town but that’s the one that didn’t have grades and had a lot of crazy people and hippies and rich kids whose parents wanted them to go to school but couldn’t fit into regular school. So especially in high school, it was more fun to hang out there.

TC: Picture your favourite tour and walk me through an average tour day, from a budding musician to another, what was it like?

JM: Our best tour was when we opened for Sonic Youth. We were in Lou’s parent’s car with our stuff crammed in there and followed Sonic Youth down the road. We had never been anywhere and we were going to Detroit and other midwestern towns. It was good to just get out of our town and see a little bit of the world and get to play and somehow that was the best time we’d had.

TC: Could you tell me how you could define your relationship with The Cure?

JM: I guess I liked them more on their earlier albums before they got as poppy. When we covered the song [“Just Like Heaven”] it had recently come out. That was a thing that bands would do in the ‘60s where they would cover recent hits and it hadn’t seemed like people had done that lately. I guess it was kind of a nod to that.

TC: In the documentary, you said that Dinosaur Jr. luckily was not “a Nirvana success.” What do you mean by that? 

JM: I guess the main thing is we’re not dead. I don’t know if we could handle it, they [Nirvana] couldn’t handle it. We’re just not built like these old rock stars who think Kurt Cobain’s a pussy like Ted Nugent or Keith Richards who don’t understand where we were at. They were all like, “Yeah we wanna be huge and big big big and it’s great, we’re coming out of the war!” We were all not thinking in those terms. We wanted to make great music but never thought about playing stadiums and stuff so I can see how it’s a bit much. I know how people can’t understand that. “If you got into music if you didn’t want to be huge, why are you playing at all?” It’s just frustrating not to be understood by this [older] generation.

TC: What was the song that you considered most fun to write?

JM: The song “Budge” from Bug, it’s two parts and before that, I was obsessed with having twenty parts in a song. To have a song with just two parts was revolutionary in my mind that could hold my interest; that was somehow fun to me.

TC: With Freakscene being released, what is your goal for the audience to experience? More insight into the story of Dinosaur Jr.?

JM: Just to have people see where we’re coming from, see a band from a different perspective. We definitely feel misunderstood half of the time and I feel that now I can now just show that movie and they’ll have a better understanding of where I was coming from. ‘Cause yeah a lot of people don’t get it.

I’ve heard people I know say “If you’d only talk between songs, you’d be huge,” that was kinda annoying and baffling to me. Just cause I feel too nervous on stage to just talk, I realize that’s an impressive skill but I didn’t really hone that skill.

Some interviewer in France I remember, the guy was like “I hear you’re boring and difficult so I bought some crayons I thought maybe you could draw a picture,” what an intro, oh geez, I’m really psyched to talk to him now. He literally brought magic markers and paper.

TC: Is there anything new in the works?

I finished a Heavy Blanket record which is my instrumental band… I’ve been recording a Witch album recently where I play drums. I’m also working on a new solo album!

 

Graphic by Miao

Categories
Music

Kid A and Amnesiac, 20 years later

Radiohead release KID A MNESIA, a double reissue album featuring previously unreleased material and B-sides.

Following the release of OKNOTOK in 2017 — a 20-year anniversary reissue of Radiohead’s most acclaimed album, OK Computer — fans expected similar treatment for Kid A. But 2020 came and went, and it wasn’t until this fall that it all began to come together. 

The first hint towards a new release came in the form of the band’s foray into TikTok on April 1. What followed was a series of unsettling videos featuring Radiohead’s longtime character Chieftain Mews, played by producer Nigel Godrich, which ultimately culminated in an announcement of the band’s new project.

On Sept. 6, the band announced KID A MNESIA as “a coming of age for Kid A & Amnesiac” that would also include unreleased material and B-sides from their Kid A era in a brand-new album, dubbed Kid Amnesiae. 

Considering both albums were recorded at the same time (2001’s Amnesiac consists of leftover songs from Kid A), it makes sense that the band waited until now to release a twentieth anniversary reissue.

The story behind these two seminal classic albums is intricate and slightly convoluted. At the end of the ‘90s, Radiohead were at the top of their game. After OK Computer came out in 1997 and won the band their first Grammy Award, fans excitedly anticipated what would follow; but the turn of the millennium marked a stark change in the sound that had come to define them.

Gone were the moody guitar riffs from The Bends and OK Computer’s anthemic rock ballads; instead of what seemed to be the logical next step, Kid A was the band’s electronic left turn. The record was Radiohead’s first real attempt at making electronic music, and was a quiet, hollow, and unsettling continuation from what was once considered their peak.

Now, it’s impossible to dissociate electronic music from Radiohead; Kid A and Amnesiac firmly cemented that production style into their repertoire, and have influenced all their albums since. In Kid Amnesiae, the band explores this sound once again and combines near-forgotten bits and pieces from two decades ago to form a brand-new record, proving they’re just as willing to experiment now as they were back then.

The new album opens with “Like Spinning Plates – ‘Why Us?’ Version,” a superb reimagining of the Amnesiac rendition as a piano arrangement. Amid a cacophony of otherworldly electronic flutters, frontman Thom Yorke opens the album on a strong note, asking “Why us? / Why not someone else, not us?” in his familiar falsetto as the piano comes in.

“Untitled v1” follows, featuring creepy and distorted vocals reminiscent of Kid A’s title track, and is the perfect lead up to the new album’s first single, “If You Say The Word.” As Yorke croons over an eerily comforting, drum-led backing track, the almost-forgotten song breathes new life into Kid Amnesiae and evokes both the frigid emptiness of Kid A and the uncanny nostalgia of Amnesiac. A music video accompanied it, complete with the unsettling and abstract visuals that always seem to accompany the band’s new releases. 

“Follow Me Around” is the album’s other single. An acoustic track, it’s a distinct departure in style from the rest of the album’s electronic sound, more akin to something from The Bends, but the lyrics are what make it fit with the rest of Kid Amnesiae: “I see you in the dark / Corner of the street / Calling after me, yeah.”

The rest of Kid Amnesiae is made up of other instrumental tracks and alternate versions of existing songs, but the most compelling of which is definitely “How to Disappear into Strings,” a hauntingly beautiful instrumental-only rendition of Kid A’s “How to Disappear Completely,” serving as the perfect ending for the album.

Unfortunately, unlike OKNOTOK, none of KID A MNESIA’s songs were remastered — Kid A and Amnesiac received no special treatment for their re-release. While the entire album clocks in at just over two hours, the new material spans only 34 minutes.

Listeners who are left wanting more out of this release can turn to the KID A MNESIA Exhibition, a fever dream of an interactive audiovisual experience, which was released Nov. 18. While not a replacement for new music, it allows fans to experience the albums in a completely new way. Players can explore virtual landscapes inspired by both albums while specific songs from Kid A and Amnesiac play, depending on which area the player finds themselves in. It can be downloaded for free on PC, Mac, and PS5 on the Epic Games store.

KID A MNESIA is a perfect celebration of Radiohead’s most unique albums. Longtime fans will appreciate the inclusion of reimagined existing songs and previously unreleased tracks in Kid Amnesiae, and any excuse to listen to Kid A and Amnesiac back-to-back is a good one.

Categories
Music Quickspins

Deep-diving into An Evening With Silk Sonic

An Evening With Silk Sonic surpassed every expectation

Consisting of accomplished pop star and ten-time Grammy winner Bruno Mars and eccentric genre-bending talent and four-time Grammy winner Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic shows two artists coming together to present their new collaboration to the world. The idea behind the duo came up during Mars’ 24K Magic tour back in 2017, in which .Paak was the opening act, and the name Silk Sonic came from none other than funk legend Bootsy Collins after hearing the album. They announced the group in February 2021 and released their first single “Leave The Door Open” in the beginning of March, which reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Mars and .Paak evolved in different corners of the music industry, with the former being more in the pop field while the latter is merging elements of rap and neo-soul. They might be playing in two different ballparks, but when you look at both artists’ solo careers, you can easily notice that both of them draw a lot of inspiration from the ‘70s R&B/soul and funk scene. Albums such as 24K Magic by Mars or Ventura by .Paak are both great examples of these artists trying to adopt this sound and giving it their all to approach it in a modern fashion.

Silk Sonic also released two other singles prior to the album’s release, “Skate” and “Smokin Out The Window,” the former being released at the tail end of July and the latter having seen the light of day a week before the album’s release. Both singles received critical acclaim and “Smokin Out The Window” even cracked the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, entering at No. 8.

An Evening With Silk Sonic is finally out and despite expectations being incredibly high, it did not disappoint at all. This record achieved everything it wanted to, which was to deliver a fun and modern take on ‘70s R&B/soul and funk music. The inclusion of Bootsy Collins as a “host” and narrator of the album helps solidify the foundations of the record. Whether he is introducing the band on “Silk Sonic Intro” or praising the sexual prowess of a girl on “After Last Night,” his multiple minor appearances on the album add so much to the overall experience.

An Evening With Silk Sonic is smooth, sexy, and exudes an astonishing amount of confidence. This record makes you wanna put on your nicest outfit and go walk in a crowded street, making finger guns and winking at everybody. It is also filled with nostalgia, whether through  the instrumentals, lyrics, or even vocal lines — making An Evening With Silk Sonic feel like it was recorded in another era.

Production wise, An Evening With Silk Sonic is amazing. Every sound is well thought out and makes sense. You can see that they paid attention to every little detail, giving this pristine and luxurious sound to the record. The fact that Anderson .Paak is drumming so precisely all throughout the entire thing adds so much to the organic aspect of the album. Whatever tune the duo hop on, whether it’s a funkier and more fast-paced track like “Fly As Me” or “777,” or a more R&B and soul cut where they sing their hearts out like on “Put On A Smile” or “Smokin Out The Window,” or even a hot and steamy love ballad like “Leave The Door Open” or “After Last Night,” every song is polished to near perfection.

Despite having two very distinct voices from one another, .Paak and Mars display an incredible amount of chemistry on the record. .Paak’s more raspy voice and his abilities as a rapper mixed with Mars’ angelic vocals capable of reaching extremely high notes mesh together unbelievably well. They often follow a formula on the record where .Paak will sing the verses and Mars will be in charge of the chorus, and it works like a charm. While .Paak is incredibly entertaining on the verses whether by rapping or by singing, it is Mars that undeniably steals the show on the chorus. The notes he is able to reach with his divine voice are mind-blowing. Tracks like “Put On A Smile” and “Smokin Out The Window” see the Hawaiian singer deliver some gut-wrenching performances that leave the listener breathless.

Overall, An Evening With Silk Sonic is a wonderful and well-executed attempt at the ‘70s R&B/soul and funk sound and it is truly a blast from the past. Everything these guys touch on this record turns into gold and this album can easily go toe-to-toe with some of the best work of the ‘70s in the genre, undoubtedly sounding like it came straight out of Motown Records.

 

Score: 9.5/10

Trial track : “Leave The Door Open”

Categories
Music

The Damn Truth and Po Lazarus revive Corona Theatre

The Damn Truth performing at the Coronto Theatre in Montreal on November 18 2021. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

It was the first show at the venue since the pandemic began

The Damn Truth and Po Lazarus breathed life into the Corona Theatre Thursday night, playing the venue’s first concert since the pandemic began.

The show was part one of a two-night headliner at home for The Damn Truth, who are currently wrapping up a small stint around Quebec before embarking on a European tour in December. The hard-rocking Montrealers have been inching towards greater stardom for nearly a decade now, opening for behemoths like ZZ Top, Styx, and the Sheepdogs, while also securing legendary Metallica and Mötley Crüe producer Bob Rock. However, before they hit the stage, folk-psychobilly rockers Po Lazarus, also from Montreal, had the pleasure of warming up the crowd.

While most attendees paid their fare to see the radio rock headliners, those who had the curiosity of showing up early to catch Po Lazarus’ set (which most did) were in for quite the surprise. Frontman Joshua Carey commanded the stage with what can only be described as an ominous vulture-like enthusiasm, as he mixed his softer melancholic vocal notes with animalistic yelps and shrieks.

“In the moment you’re like ‘Am I doing too much? Am I doing too little?’ but no, we’re having a good time and we’re just dancing to the music,” Carey said while reflecting on his performance after their set.

Po Lazarus are truly an act easier shown through a video than described over paper. The sextet pack their output with seemingly contradicting sounds; some tracks based around punky electric guitar riffs and others better described as folk ballads. However, the one consistent factor between all is Carey’s singing style; somewhat similar to the sporadic vocal nature of the Cramps frontman Lux Interior, or perhaps Sebastian Murphy, commander of the Viagra Boys. Through his meaningful yet nonsensical lyrics and sometimes soft, sometimes yelping vocal style, Carey adds a melancholic and satirical layer that permeates Po Lazarus’ sound — an aspect necessarily grounded by the five musicians who play with him.

“I know that the band behind me is the best it’s ever been and they’re just way better musicians than I am, way better people than I am,” the frontman said. “And thus it just makes me elevate.”

Carey’s phenomenal bursts of energy were equally met with more heartfelt moments, like on softer ballads with violinist Mackenzie Myatt, with the two interchanging vocal duties. These more subdued yet comfortably driving tracks contrasted nicely with off-the-top psychobilly anthems like “Despair, Too,” the band’s newest single.

“That was a huge risk to play some of the slower ones tonight because of the people who are coming to see The Damn Truth,” Carey said. “You gotta represent the band correctly on-stage.”

The headliners then followed, wafting burning incense around the stage before their set, presumably in an effort to cleanse the air of quirkiness left by the opening act. The Damn Truth showed their true colours as they walked on-stage, sporting flowers behind their ears and floral-patterned shirts as opening anthem “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane rumbled through the speakers. While The Damn Truth’s vibe screams nothing but late ‘60s psych rock, with frontwoman Lee-la Baum’s voice often compared to that of the talented Janis Joplin, their sound is much heavier than anything from the flower power era.

Lead guitarist Tom Shemer delivered repeated sonic attacks via an arsenal of interchanging guitars, quickly riffing on licks and wah-ing out in front of the crowd. These harder-edged solos, coupled with Pierre-Yves Letellier’s grounding bass playing, created a groove that got heads bobbing along for the ride. These elements were fused together in ultimate harmony by Baum, who delivered a driving vocal performance through the band’s back-to-back hard blues anthems. Baum sang with real soul, clearly bringing it all for the many fans in the audience who hadn’t been to a live show since April 2020.

The chemistry between Baum and Shemer was arguably the fiery highlight of the group’s performance, as the two frequently enjoyed getting inches apart and locking eyes on centre stage, Baum chanting into the microphone and Shemer doodling on his guitar. At one point, the frontwoman even dropped to her knees in front of the guitarist during one of his passionate solos, inciting an audible reaction from the audience.

These pure human moments were a healthy reminder of what music fans lost as a result of the pandemic. While the crowd seemed somewhat more subdued than usual, perhaps due to the ever-present indoor mask mandate, seeing musicians get hot and sweaty on-stage and putting on passionate physical performances was immediately refreshing. Whether you’re more of a fan of Po Lazarus’ unique approach to songcraft, or if you’re more into The Damn Truth’s harder radio-geared rock, it doesn’t really matter. In the end, musicians got the chance to do their thing in front of a live in-person audience, and that’s a victory for everybody involved.

 

Photo by Catherine Reynolds

Categories
Music

Erin Marcellina is ready to take off

Musician and Concordia student Erin Tennant. JULIETTE CARPI/The Concordian

The second-year Concordia student is truly musically gifted

After a short conversation with her, it’s apparent that Erin Marcellina has proved a master of her craft. Her love and passion for the art is undeniable and her knowledge about the subject is truly impressive.

Originally from Ottawa, Marcellina moved to Montreal two months ago to study in the music department after one year of online classes. She is excited to face new challenges in a more arts-oriented city like Montreal, something that was lacking in Ottawa.

“There is not really anywhere that a musician could really go in Ottawa. There are not a lot of opportunities, but in Montreal, there are musicians everywhere and there are opportunities everywhere so that’s mostly why I’m here,” she said.

The 19-year-old has been submerged in the world of music since the age of three. Her mother taught her piano, an instrument she has been practicing ever since. She took a two-year break from music when she was 15 because she felt overwhelmed with how serious and competitive it was becoming. Later, she fell in love with it again. She taught herself the guitar, and began singing, writing, and composing. She comes from a musical family where both her parents are accomplished musicians: one in classical music, and the other in rock and metal.

“I was really lucky because I got introduced to both sides of the spectrum of music, literally like choral music and then heavy metal so then I was kind of able to explore within those genres and I am really grateful for what my parents showed me and I am super lucky that my family is so musically oriented,” said Marcellina.

Marcellina takes a singer-songwriter and folk approach to her music, and draws inspiration from artists such as Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, Men I Trust and Daniel Caesar. While she shares similarities with all of these artists in terms of style, she is also influenced by a multitude of different genres, from funk, to soul, to even metal. 

Whenever she is composing, she will approach it in a music theory kind of way where whatever genre she is listening to, she will try to identify certain notes and chord progressions. She becomes inspired by these and writes them down to play and interpret them in her own style.

“My inspiration for my music isn’t just within the genre that I listen to. As a musician you can kind of pick out things, it doesn’t matter what genre it is. Like, I can listen to a super metal song and then through that find elements that I can put into a folk piece,” she said.

Marcellina released an EP in 2020, Wait for You, which was all independently produced, mixed, and mastered. It borrowed singer-songwriter elements with touches of folk and indie music. Her music can be described as emotional with her gentle piano and guitar lead ballads, personal lyricism and mellow vocal lines. It all makes for an appealing listen that captivates the listener into the world she creates with her songs. It can also be quite sad with tones of nostalgia spread throughout, a sentiment she likes to incorporate into her music and play with. 

“I cry a lot when writing music. Composing is a very emotional process especially with the lyricism and the things that I write about. Everything that I write about and put out there is very important to me. […] Everything has an important backstory to it. It can be quite the emotional toll to write, especially an entire EP,” she said.

The Ontarian singer was supposed to release an album last year, but she felt differently about the love themes it explored. She then decided not to release it. 

However, she hasn’t ditched the album completely because even though she doesn’t feel that way anymore, it’s still something to hold on to and is a possibility for her to change some aspects of it in order to maybe release another version someday.

“I have been trying to revisit the album but it’s one of those things that when you put so much emotional value into your music or into your work it’s kind of hard to go back and revisit it. It’s kind of like when you smell a perfume that you used to wear years ago,” she said.

In the meantime, Marcellina is set to drop a single in the near future, which she hasn’t done in almost two years. The song is called “Couple Years,” and while it is a folk tune, it is inspired by Radiohead’s “Let Down.” The song doesn’t have a release date yet but while waiting for it to come out, you can always listen to her first EP Wait for You.

 

Photo by Juliette Carpi

Categories
Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Snail Mail – Valentine

With Valentine, Snail Mail’s Lindsey Jordan returns to form with heartfelt indie rock

On her sophomore album, Valentine, Snail Mail crafts beautifully simple and honest breakup songs.

Coming off her 2018 breakout debut, Lush, Snail Mail’s Lindsey Jordan had a lot to live up to, as the young singer and guitarist was launched to indie stardom seemingly overnight.

With that, Valentine does not disappoint. Fans of Lush will find Snail Mail’s beloved guitar-driven sound, as well as her typical lyrics of yearning and young love on Valentine — just a little more grown up.

Valentine kicks off with a title track, one of Snail Mail’s previously released singles. The synths starting out the song are a departure from Snail Mail’s typical garage style, yet as the track moves forward, the guitar-driven chorus bursts out, full of Jordan’s expressive, angsty singing style.

The next song, “Ben Franklin,” feels the most like a departure from Lush, with its bass-heavy instrumentation and Jordan’s tongue-in-cheek lyric delivery. In the song, she laments a broken relationship but is still self-reflective on her own shortcomings as well as her struggle with addiction, as she sings, “Sucker for the pain, huh, honey? But you said you’d die. You wanna leave a stain, like a relapse does when you really tried. And damn, this time, I really tried.”

“Headlock” is one of Snail Mail’s quieter tracks, where Jordan somberly discusses slowly losing herself in a dependent relationship. She sings, “Man enough to see this through, or is it one morе thing I won’t get to? Can’t go out, I’m tethered to another world where we’re together. Are you lost in it too?” Jordan, with rather simple imagery, is able to depict the fear of being too far gone in a one-sided relationship.

“Forever (Sailing)” is another highlight of the album. Much slinkier and sexier than her past work, this song finds Jordan crooning to an ex-lover about how much she still loves them, despite the fact that they are taking home another woman. The cool and atmospheric “Forever (Sailing)”, despite its familiar premise of a love lost, feels like a step towards maturity for the 22-year-old singer.

Moving towards the end of the album, the song “Glory” finds Snail Mail in signature form with her sometimes-nasal voice and moody guitars. The song is straightforward, without the production bells and whistles of some of Valentine’s earlier tracks. But, in some ways, Jordan is best in her element, just her voice, her Fender guitar, and unadulterated emotions. 

Valentine has helped to cement Snail Mail as one of the best indie rockers of Generation Z. She is at once able to maintain a sound that is true to herself (a feat that eludes many of her indie and bedroom-pop peers) but is still moving forward, both lyrically and in her production.

Trial Track: “Glory”

Score: 8/10

Categories
Music

Meet Zack Sarkissian

The 33-year-old producer just released a collaborative debut album, The Art Of Vibe

Zack Sarkissian is an Armenian-Canadian music producer living in Laval and making his living in the music industry, notably sound engineering for artists like Yngwie Malmsteen, and Foghat, and festivals such as Osheaga and Jazzfest.

He frequents Marsonic Studios where he has a studio to write, record, and jam in. Zack doesn’t happen to be his first name, however. He said “Zack is my artist and brand name. Zohrab is my given name.”

Growing up in an Armenian household, one would find a smorgasbord of genres emanating from the speaker. The influence of traditional Greek, Armenian, and Arabic features only one side of the coin. The radio would introduce Sarkissian to a variety of pop artists such as Cher with “Believe,” and the phenomenon that was The Spice Girls. Rap, hip hop and R&B were other genres that made themselves known in his world in the shapes of Tupac, Biggie, and Nas, to name a few.

Over time, he started to notice patterns in the songs, igniting his interest to understand and develop music.“I’d hear the [musical] scales that they were using and I understood and started to speak the language more because these genres are all based on the blues.”

Metallica is the band that got him to pick up the guitar for the second time — his first time being by his parents, before Sarkissian declined their offer to pay for guitar lessons. “For eight years I never had the intention of picking up an instrument and playing, till I felt the instrument woke me up. I heard that initial ‘DUN, DUN DUN DUUUN’ of the guitar,” Sarkissian said, referring to the recognizable opening to one of Metallica’s fan-favourites.”

At 16, Sarkissian did not envision himself becoming a producer or a mixing engineer, or even working as a live soundman — that’s definitely not what he had in mind. Yet growing as a musician means evolving into something one would not have thought of before. “Being a guitarist is what I wanted, being on a big stage, playing in front of a hundred thousand people, touring the world, that’s definitely what called to me.”

As the internet became more prominent, Sarkissian quickly discovered that metal was just one thing that called to him. What drew him to metal was, “the sound and the freedom of expression to be able to talk to the guitar.” From metal, he changed his sights to classic rock and hard rock, inspired by guitarists like Joe Perry from Aerosmith to Saul Hudson (Slash) from Guns N’ Roses.

Through these genres he noticed that they all held a common thread: the blues. B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Eric Clapton all entranced him, but nobody did it better than Stevie Ray Vaughan.

“It was like thunder hit me. As a kid, I remember watching wrestling with my grandparents and I distinctly remember Hulk Hogan’s intro had SRV’s cover of ‘Voodoo Chile,’ and so when I heard it again all those years later it floored me.”

With this newfound passion for multiple genres of music, Sarkissian found himself in a five-piece band called Monroe. They released a five-song EP called “The Art of Marvelous” which was recorded at Wild Studios outside of Montreal.

Eventually though, he had tapped out Montreal in terms of the musicians that he worked with and the venues that he was playing at and wanted a change. The Sunset Strip called to him, just like it called the members of Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses and The Doors. But he didn’t just want to go there as a musician; more so as a sound engineer. 

While there were schools in Montreal that taught with the same music curriculum, they didn’t interest him for a number of reasons. “I can go to L.A., go to school there, not too far from the Sunset Strip, with amazing weather and the beach, or stay in Montreal and pay a little bit less but learn from last year’s students who have no credibility per se,” said Sarkissian. Instead, he described how it was fulfilling to work and learn from acclaimed sound engineers in L.A. like Barry Rudolf (Lynyrd Skynyrd), David Isaac (Michael Jackson), Jerry Christy who worked on a number of Chaka Khan albums, and Jim Morgan (Eddie Kramer’s understudy).

Since his graduation at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Sarkissian has done sound engineering for artists like The Winery Dogs (featuring Billy Sheehan from Mr. Big and Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater) and Gilby Clarke. Additionally, he has done sets at Ironman and Blues Festival.

Sarkissian advises upcoming bands and artists on the harsh realities of the music industry and how oversaturated it is. He added, “Learn social media. It’s your best tool. And learn the business, because you can easily get screwed.”

When asked about the longevity of bands nowadays compared to 20th-century groups and artists, he said, “It’s disheartening, not because the band is not good enough, it’s more of how the industry has made it out to be.” Nowadays anybody can make a single on a laptop, it’s easy, and the market itself wanting a specific sound and look has made the industry oversaturated.

Sarkissian and his old friend Jay, known by his stage name Jaay Noir, would dabble in their own genres; the former with rock and roll, and the latter with hip hop. In 2019 it clicked that they should mesh their styles and put out an album together after a series of successful singles. The style of music on the album ranges from country, R&B, reggae – with rock and hip hop being the predominant genres.

Sarkissian and Noir would learn to write songs together. Some songs were written within a week, while others would be spread out over months. The initial tracks took longer because they had to learn to collaborate, however, according to Sarkissian, “It all came naturally, an organic process.”

Sarkissian released the album in October this year, christening it The Art of Vibe, featuring songs like “Unde The Vermillion Sun,” and “Poison Ivy.” It is now available on all streaming platforms including YouTube and Spotify.

For now, he is keeping his future collaborations under wraps, but in the meantime, Sarkissian hopes to network with more musicians and continue to explore new horizons in the music industry.

 

Photo by Saro Hartounian

Exit mobile version