Tag: concert

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Concordia Student Union Music

The CSU Orientation: a night of total elation.

Photo by Mia Pearson.

Bands like Miracle Fortress, Suuns, and A Tribe Called Red served-up some great music that had show-goers dancing.

The CSU has always featured a variety of artists for their orientation concerts, but never has there been this much diversity in music genres. Friday’s show kicked off with shoegaze/dreampop band, Miracle Fortress, followed by the electronic  art-rock outfit Suuns, and finally the First Nations electronic dance act, A Tribe Called Red, who have been nominated for the Polaris music prize. The only thing these groups had in common were the pre-recorded backing tracks each band used on stage to fill the room with ambient noises, synth layering, or electronic drum samples.

Photo by Mia Pearson.

Miracle Fortress opened the show, and right off the bat, fans of their music would have noticed that the band that started as a four-piece now only had two musicians on stage: Graham Van Pelt on guitar, keys, and vocals, and Jessie Stein on drums. Their set started off with some exciting new material, but then suddenly the fire alarm went off which interrupted the band mid-song. The mics and the monitors had been cut off, leaving Graham Van Pelt in a state of confusion (almost resembling Ian Brown’s reaction during the Stone Roses’ first televised performance that ended in a power-outage in 1989—check that out!) The crowd was immediately evacuated from the venue. Students crowded the streets in front of The Corona theatre for a good 20 minutes before being let back in—apparently someone had been smoking backstage which triggered a fire alarm. Miracle Fortress ended up powering through their high energy set to people who did not seem too familiar with the group’s material. However, the crowd did not hesitate to grab their partners and start shaking about up close to the stage. This provided the band with some positive reinforcement and a boost of morale after being off map for couple of years since their last record, Was I a Wave?, in 2011.

Coming out from the woodworks, the mysterious Montreal based Krautrock band, Suuns, appeared on stage. They played a hypnotic, loud, and ambient set. It is talented bands like Suuns that somehow make Corona theatre one of the most revered and greatest live sounding venues in Montreal. Despite the various percussive and electronic instruments pouring out of the PAs, the band still sounded crystal clear and well-mixed on stage. On a more personal note, I was surprised by how far they could control their sound and volume. Their music was mixed so well that one could clearly discern between each channel of distorted noise, and the repetitive Jacki Liebezeit-style drumming. There is no doubt that they found their sound through groups like Kraftwerk, Can, Public Image Ltd., Swans and other progressive, industrial, or post-punk groups.

Finally, the aboriginal electronic dance act, A Tribe Called Red, came on stage with a lot of their newer dubstep and hip hop-influenced material. With an audiovisual set-up behind the three DJs, and a first-nations dancer who would occasionally appear on stage, A Tribe Called Red provided an exciting experience for eager show-goers. The group’s aboriginal music roots blended in nicely with contemporary hip-hop samples and dubstep. However, the group didn’t dive deep enough into their aboriginal-sounding material that night, and focused heavily on pleasing the crowd with more generic dance music.

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Music

Islands explore darker territory on Ski Mask

Islands released their fifth album Ski Mask back in September. The album explores a louder, more confrontational sound than what can be heard on their previous releases. Photo credit: Justin Kuo

Nick Thorburn discusses their latest album’s more aggressive sound

Formed in Montreal nearly a decade ago, indie-pop collective Islands released their fifth record Ski Mask back in September. The album showcases the band’s ability to juxtapose upbeat melodies with darker, more intuitive lyrics. Since the release of Ski Mask, the band has been extensively touring and will be stopping in Montreal on March 13 at La Sala Rossa with guests Escondido. We spoke to Islands frontman Nick Thorburn to discuss the band’s origins, musical inspirations and their latest record.

The Concordian: What prompted you guys to take up music? How did you all meet?

Nick Thorburn: Firstly, I can’t speak for the others. Evan and Geordie have a folk musician father and they grew up playing with him. I don’t think that there was any one prompt for any one of us to play. Music has always been near the creative center of my life.

Islands released their fifth album Ski Mask back in September. The album explores a louder, more confrontational sound than what can be heard on their previous releases. Photo credit: Justin Kuo

First it was in a passive sense, and as a teenager it took on a more active role. Evan and Geordie play[ed] in the Magic. I was a fan of their band and asked them to play with Islands.

C: How would you describe your sound? How would you describe the overall tone and feel of Ski Mask?

N: I am loathe to describe “my sound” as it seems like a bit of a red herring. I would let the music speak for itself, which in this case is of a more aggressive and confrontational nature than previous Islands record. It’s tuff [sic].

C: What/who inspired your latest album?

N: Me…and other stupid people in my life.

C: Is there a song that speaks to you most from the album?

N: I wrote them so they all “speak to me” as it were. But for the sake of the conversation, I’ll say “Death Drive.”

C: How do you think that being from Montreal has influenced your sound?

N: Musically speaking, I cut my teeth in Montreal. I’m from Vancouver Island though. Islands, though, it was conceived and birthed in Los Angeles, was raised in Montreal. I guess we had peers in Montreal during that time (around 2005) but it was mostly an insulated affair.

C: What is tour life like for the band?

N: Arrested development. Adolescent, hedonistic, and self-indulgent. If you’re not careful, it can turn you into a real asshole.

C: What do you do when you are not busy performing, touring and recording?

N: I’m writing!

C: How does this album compare to your previous releases?

N: It’s louder, violent and more aggressive. But still within pop music confines.

C: What are you listening to mostly nowadays?

N: Our drummer Adam has a great project called American Tomahawk. This Nigerian weirdo from the ‘70s called William Onyeabor. Arthur Russell. Curtis Mayfield. Margo Guryan. Kate & Anna McGarrigle.

C: What would you like listeners to think/feel when they hear your music?

N: Sadness and regret.

C: Is there a message you are trying to convey through your music?

N: You don’t exist. You’re a hologram. Don’t bother.

C: Is there a particular memory that stands out from your musical career thus far?

N: It’s all been stamped out with drugs and alcohol.

 

 

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Music

My Goodness carries on the Emerald City’s great rock tradition

My Goodness can sure make a lot of noise for a two-man band. This Seattle-based blues/garage rock duo consists of Joel Schneider on guitar and vocals and Andy Lum on drums.

Both Schneider and Lum grew up in the same neighbourhood. They played in rival bands until they reconnected in 2011 at SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, where Lum joined the band after their previous drummer left. Playing predominantly in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, the band has just embarked on their first major North American tour, even recently performing at the legendary Bowery Ballroom in New York City.

Schneider simply soaks it all in and relishes the experience of being on tour. He emphasizes that “when it comes down to it, it’s about having fun with the people you’re with. We bring it every night.”

As openers for fellow Seattle-based band,  Augustines, Schneider admits that “the majority of people who’ve seen us [on this tour] don’t know who we are, they’ve never heard our music until we hit that first note.”

“When we play at home, they know us. There’s a difference there,” he adds.

When asked about why he loves being onstage, Schneider replied “because it’s exhilarating. When the crowd is responding with energy, feeling it and getting involved, it’s the most rewarding thing. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

Schneider knows a thing or two about the long arduous road to success and acknowledges how far My Goodness and other Seattle natives have come. He looks back fondly and recalls watching Macklemore perform in relative obscurity for years before becoming the chart-topping success that he is today.

With a proud rock tradition including legendary groups such as the fathers of grunge, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains, it comes as no surprise that Seattle’s vibrant musical scene continues to breed successful bands. Schneider also credits the city’s influential public radio station KEXP with some of the band’s initial success.

“They played our record for weeks, just to have that outlet is pretty rare.”

Both Schneider and Lum also consider themselves blessed to have the opportunity to work with esteemed Seattle-based producer, Rick Parashar, who produced Pearl Jam’s groundbreaking debut album, Ten.

Schneider hasn’t forgotten when My Goodness were playing in front of crowds of under 50 people.

“I think it’s really important for bands to know how to play in front of small crowds.”

My Goodness will perform alongside Augustines at Le Belmont on March 9. Admission is $15. Their new album, Shiver and Shake, comes out June 24.

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Music

Yeezus gives us what we need

Photo by Keith Race

After denying Montreal fans a visit in October due to routing logistics (that somehow didn’t stop Toronto from getting two shows), megastar Kanye West finally brought his YEEZUS tour to the Bell Centre this past Monday night.

Kanye went back and forth between old and new songs from his catalogue, all while providing fans with outstanding and wild set changes, pyrotechnics, and a 25-minute sermon that was short of being considered one of Yeezy’s famous “rants.”

The Louis Vuitton Don divided his YEEZUS set into five sections: “fighting,” “rising,” “falling,” “searching,” and “finding.” It wasn’t totally clear if any of his song choices for each section were appropriate or purposefully selected for its respective section, but it did not seem to affect concert-goers’ enjoyment in the least.

Alas, the most disappointing facet of the concert was Ye’s energy level for the first few sections. West relied on the material of the opening sections to be the “espresso” of the faithful in attendance, all while wearing various lavish masks. It doesn’t take much to get people going when you’re playing songs like “Black Skinhead,” “On Sight,” “Power,” “I Don’t Like” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” as your opening songs.

Among the first few highlights of the show was a heart-wrenching performance of “Coldest Winter,” a song written in memoriam of his late mother, Donda West. West laid down on the stage, which had risen a couple metres into the air, and crooned with Auto-Tune as fake snow and a spotlight adorned him.

Later on in the show, Kanye played another showstopper, “Blood On The Leaves,” whose first beat drop brought the first use of pyrotechnics in the show.

After playing “Lost In The World” and “Runaway,” Yeezus began addressing the crowd about the quality of life, the importance of treating people right, his ideas outside of the musical realm, and even mentioned why “Blood On The Leaves” wasn’t the opening track of YEEZUS, all the while singing opening tracks from his previous albums to the tune of “Runaway.” Kanye continued to address the crowd with a mask on, complimenting the Montreal crowd for not asking him to remove it.

In the show’s homestretch, Kanye unearthed classics from College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and brought the house down, playing old favourites like “Stronger,” “Diamonds From Sierra Leone,” “All Falls Down” and even “Get ‘Em High,” a cut from Ye’s debut album, The College Dropout, a song that few expected would appear on the setlist.

In addition, a very special guest paid a special visit to Kanye just before West’s performance of “Jesus Walks” — a Jesus Christ-like figure himself. A surreal experience for all involved.

Kanye, fittingly, ended the show with “Bound 2,” minus the underwhelming visuals with Kim Kardashian, sending a crowd of Yeezus fans home happy. Yeezus gave the crowd what it needed, perhaps not when we wanted it.

 

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Music

The Flatliners find their pulse on their latest record

Loud, aggressive and energetic—these are the three pillars of punk rock and Toronto’s The Flatliners have mastered these. Placing a particular importance on their live shows, this hard-hitting four-piece has toured extensively over the past decade. With the recent release of the band’s fourth studio album, Dead Language, these vets prove that there certainly is no rest for the wicked.

While many bands routinely see changes in their line-up, The Flatliners have remained undivided since their formation, a feature that has allowed them to become a tightly knit musical unit. Chris Cresswell, vocalist and guitarist for the group, recently spoke to The Concordian and discussed the band’s journey from the suburbs to center stage.

The Flatliners’ story is that of a group of tight knit, lifelong friends coming together to play the music that they love. These four musicians, so close that they share multiple tattoos including a beer can and Autobahn sign, rose through the ranks and ultimately came to share the stage with the very bands that inspired them in the first place. The band officially formed in 2002, but as Cresswell pointed out, the seeds of the group were sown years earlier. Cresswell’s mother introduced him to Scott Brigham, the band’s future lead guitarist, at a young age.

“This is Scott, he’s your new friend,” Cresswell recollected.

The duo met Jon Darbey, the group’s bassist, while in second grade and later percussionist Paul Ramirez. Cresswell grew up listening to a variety of music including Weezer, The Foo Fighters and Oasis, but he attributes his punk education to his older brother.

“He got me into grunge. Nirvana, Pearl Jam and punk like NOFX and No Use For a Name. One of the first bands I got into was Rancid,” the frontman recalled, “I got my mom to drive me into town to get [Rancid’s 1995 platinum album]… And Out Come The Wolves. I got it on cassette, I still have it somewhere.”

Darbey, previously a guitarist, was forced to play bass because as Cresswell stated “we already had two of them.”  With the release of the band’s second album, The Great Awake in 2007, The Flatliners joined their heroes Rancid, No Use For a Name and NOFX as label mates, at Fat Wreck Chords.

“ We’re proud to have been able to tour with some of the bands that we have,” he said.

Their most recent album’s name is a nod to both the fact that the band “released [their] first album in 2003 on CD and the format was already pretty dead,” as well as a connection to the lyrical themes of the album.

“A lot of songs on the album are about screwing up and starting over,” Cresswell stated.“Its like Latin, it’s a dead language but a lot of other languages use it as a base. They used the parts of it that worked and they made the parts that didn’t work, better.”

This long awaited album, the follow-up to the group’s highest charting album to date, 2010’s Cavalcade, was recorded in two large sessions.

“We recorded all the instruments for the album at the same time live in studio, with no click track, and did the vocals last,” said Cresswell. “We felt that we tour and play together enough to do that, we’re more of a live band than a studio band anyways.”

The band also recently contributed to The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute. This compilation album was released Oct.29 in dedication to the former frontman of No Use For a Name, Tony Sly, who passed away unexpectedly in August of 2012.

The album has songs by a variety of punk stars such as NOFX, Bad Religion and Rise Against, among others, covering the songs of Tony Sly with profits going to the Tony Sly Memorial fund.

“We’ve been at Fat Wreck Chords for a long time so when Fat Mike (owner of Fat Wreck Chords and NOFX frontman) asked us to play we wanted to do it” said Cresswell.  “We narrowed it down to “Fireball” because it was the one song we all agreed to.”

Cresswell added that while it was a terrible event, he was glad to have been a part of the album and was happy that the funds were going to a good cause.

The Flatliners will be playing at Cabaret Underworld on Dec.21.

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Music

James Blake takes over Metropolis

Flickr photo by Craig Cloutier
Flickr photo by Craig Cloutier

The electronic scene took over Montreal this past Saturday night, as the city was host to a few concerts from electronic DJs and producers, including Alesso, and Kavinsky. There’s a good chance those venues were rocking with loud, booming party tunes, sending everyone into a tizzy, and leaving bodies dripping with sweat from jumping around and wilding out.

Meanwhile, another electronic act, critically-acclaimed English producer and singer-songwriter James Blake stopped by Metropolis on his recent tour, accompanied by yet another electronic musician, Nosaj Thing. In comparison to the aforementioned DJs, Blake’s set was calmer, warmer and filled with bliss. This isn’t to say that Alesso and Kavinsky’s sets weren’t as good, but there’s a good chance one’s deodorant had to do less work on the human body after Blake’s show.

For those unfamiliar with Blake, the London-born triple-threat producer, singer, and songwriter has been making the rounds in the music scene since 2009. One of Blake’s first EP’s CMYK, consisted of samples from artists like Kelis and Aaliyah over his own rhythms. Sampling and looping are necessities for Blake, whether he fiddles with his own or other musicians’ voices.

Blake began to achieve recognition and success with his cover of Feist’s “Limit To Your Love” that appeared on his self-titled debut album in 2011. This year, Blake released his second album, Overgrown, an album that recently won the Mercury Music Prize for best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. Blake has collaborated with artists such as Bon Iver, Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, up-and-coming rap sensation Chance the Rapper, and has even worked in the studio with Drake.

Blake’s set was a mixture of old and new songs from his repertoire, going as far back as “CMYK”, the title track from his CMYK EP, mixed with favourites from his last two albums. Blake’s soothing and tantalizing vocals over his tracks were on point, and enhanced the intimacy of the show. The emotion that poured over from his vocals and lyrics even got into the crowd, as a lot of couples started cuddling and dancing together.

Among the highlights of the show were  “Voyeur,” track off Overgrown. This live version sounded more intense than its studio counterpart, and was probably one more beat drop away from getting the crowd to jump around and dance. The live version could easily fit in a house producer or DJ’s setlist. But of course, Blake’s charm comes through on his quieter and more quaint songs, where his vocals intertwine beautifully with his samples and beats.

Blake drew a lot of applause for songs like “A Case Of You,” mostly because of a particular lyric where he references Canada. Others included two old favourites from his self-titled album, “Wilhelms Scream” and “Limit To Your Love,” as well as “Retrograde,” where most of the ladies in the house swooned at his looped hums throughout the song. Finally, for Blake’s encore, he played another old tune, “Measurements,” from his debut.

Blake was a delight to the standing-room crowd at Metropolis, thanks to his warm  and beautiful vocals, minimal but outstanding beats and his fan favourites. Blake is a talent, who should be on your playlist if he isn’t already. His warmth and emotion is heart-melting, and will tug at the heartstrings, or at the very least come up in a sampled beat from your favourite artist.

 

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Music

Bringing classical music to the forefront

The instrumental concert series Orgue Avenir is officially underway. Every Sunday of November, at 3 p.m., a different musician will perform at the Church of St. John the Evangelist. The entry fee is a voluntary contribution with all proceeds funding the first step of the restoration of the church’s organ.

The artists, some of the best performers in the city, and arguably the province, will present musical pieces from diverse backgrounds and with different themes.

The first week will showcase Austrian and German music from the 18th century to the 1960s, as interpreted by Jonathan Oldengarm. Oldengram is a five-time decorated artist with national and international titles. He has performed in Asia, Europe and North America and is currently the musical director at the Presbyterian Church of St. Andrews since 2008.

In the second week, Patrick Wedd will be presenting a concert on the theme of Toccata, a popular piece of Italian music. Wedd’s passion for music began at the age of 12 when he joined the local church choir. He then earned diplomas in organ performance at both the Universities of British Columbia and Toronto and has played throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and England. The international performer is also the founder of the Musica Orbium choral ensemble. Since 1996, Wedd has served as the music director at the Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal.

The third week will showcase a chronology of German music, from the early Baroque period to the Romantic era, presented by Julie Pinsonneault. Pinsonneault graduated from the Gatineau Conservatory of Music and is currently finishing her Bachelor’s degree in music performance at McGill University.

Despite being only 21 years old, she has acquired experience by participating in the organ marathon Les 24 heures du Banc, The Canadian Music Contest, The Orgue et Couleurs music festival, Lynnwood Farnam Organ Competition, and has taken part in the Mikael Tariverdiev International Organ Competition in Russia. Pinsonneault has even founded her own concert series, Piacevole, in 2010 and is currently working as an organ scholar at the Church of St-John the Evangelist.

During the fourth and final week, organist Yves Préfontaine will perform anniversary selections as tributes to Jean Titelouze, Johann Ludwig Krebs and Robert Alexander Schumann, some of the great classical composers. The tribute will be in honour of the composers’ 450th, 300th, and 350th anniversaries respectively. Préfontaine studied organ and harpsichord at the Montreal Music Conservatory, where he was awarded first prize for both instruments. He continued his musical studies in Amsterdam.

This talented musician also founded the music department at the Marie-Victorin CEGEP, of which he was the director for ten years. To this day, he is the titular organist at the Grand Séminaire and the Marie-Reine-des-Coeurs Sanctuary. He is also the co-leader of Orgues et Cimes, a summer academy in Switzerland.

The amount of variety in the series is astonishing because of the different backgrounds of the artists.

After the one-hour show, music director Federico Andreoni invites everyone to meet the artists with snacks and drinks.

The goal of these concerts is to dissociate the instrument from liturgical ceremonies and to have people appreciate the organ as an instrument. It is also an opportunity to experience the unique acoustic sound and architecture of the church.

There are many other events upcoming at the church of St. John the Evangelist. The second edition of the Bach series will be taking place in January. There will also be a professional choir festival in May.

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Music

Crystal Antlers believe in the beauty of ambiguity

Crystal Antlers released their latest album Nothing is Real on Oct.15 Photo by Pixie Mol

Somewhere in North Carolina, Crystal Antlers are driving down a long stretch of road in their vegetable oil-powered diesel van, jamming to Link Wray’s self-titled album.

The California-based trio released their latest album Nothing Is Real earlier in October and have been steadily touring since then to promote it. Instead of their usual studio set up in San Francisco, Calif., Crystal Antlers recorded at vocalist and bassist Jonny Bell’s Southern California in-home studio.

“We got to spend a little bit more time [on the album]; we weren’t like, under any pressure,” said drummer Kevin Stuart, “we were hanging out, working on the record, having a good time.”

Although the general vibe of the production process was a relaxed one, Stuart admitted that him and Bell, along with guitarist Andrew King, did encounter some creative differences.

“It can be pretty hard, you know, to come to a consensus on things when you’re working in a group,” he said.

Crystal Antlers released their latest album Nothing is Real on Oct.15 Photo by Pixie Mol

Despite any garage punk, neo-psychedelia classifications or comparisons to artists like Cornets on Fire, Crystal Antlers pride themselves on not actually knowing how they would describe their own sound.

“We’re always drawing inspiration from different places,” said Stuart. “All we’re trying to do is just make some new interesting music rather than just trying to do what’s already been done a million times before.”

Since the band’s inception in the mid 2000s, they have wanted to allow their listeners the opportunity to make up their own minds about the music. “I’d rather just say ‘give a listen’ and come to your own conclusions,” said Stuart about the latest record. “What we’re trying to do is not really like, rehash what has been done before.”

In the true spirit of this outlook, the band released the video for their latest single off the album, “Licorice Pizza.” With a pizza -layered in what appears to be Fruit Loops and American bills spinning on a turntable as the opening sequence, the video, directed by their longtime friend Michael Reich, displays some pretty ambiguous images.

“We were trying to do literal imagery from the lyrics,” said Stuart. “I don’t think we’re trying to make the listener think or feel anything in particular as a whole.”

The idea for the video and song came from the American record store aptly named Licorice Pizza. The store’s namesake is actually a clever designation for a vinyl record.

“A lot of people didn’t know what it meant,” said Stuart of the nickname.

No strangers to slick word choice, the trio chose their band’s name based on aesthetics and acoustics.

“For me, I liked that it was two words of similar length […] it doesn’t really make people think of something specific in general, I thought it was like a non-sequitur,” said Stuart. “I like the way it looks and sounds.”

While Nothing Is Real was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, Stuart admits that it does get difficult to balance tour life with their personal lives.

“We normally wake up at like, noon, go get some breakfast and then sit in the van all day driving until we get to the venue and then check in, do our sound check, play the show, and then you know, whatever might happen after that,” said Stuart.

“Sometimes we go out and do something fun afterwards, or sometimes we just hang out at the club all night. Either way, we don’t get home until around 3 o’clock in the morning […] then you know we kind of fall asleep, take a shower and do it all over again.”

Despite the long drives and limited days off, the boys in the band would not trade it for anything else.

“There’s a very delicate balance to be able to do all this stuff,” said Stuart. “We’re doing what we love.”

This leg of their tour will have them rolling through Montreal where they are happy to report they have played several memorable shows.

“We stay out late and drink a lot,” said Stuart. “Montreal’s the best…especially around Halloween time.”

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Music

Drake had Montreal fans eating out of his hand

Whether it’s through his music, Twitter account parodies, or memes, Canadian rapper Drake is present in pop culture and his aura is felt throughout the Internet. Those who did not attend the show on Monday Oct. 21 might have been tired of seeing the constant posts on social media that night, but those in attendance can attest to the fact that the show was stellar.

Drake, better known to Degrassi: The Next Generation diehard fans as Jimmy (or Wheelchair Jimmy), grabbed the attention of the tens of thousands in attendance at the Bell Centre from the moment he appeared onstage, opening with only the first verse from “Tuscan Leather,” the opening track from his most recent album, Nothing Was The Same.

Drake then played some old favourites, namely “Headlines” and “Crew Love” both from his sophomore effort, Take Care, before rapping the second verse of “Tuscan Leather.” Drake’s setlist featured the entire track list from Nothing Was The Same, with sprinkles of Take Care, and verses from some of his noteworthy collaborations, including his verse in “F**kin Problem” with A$AP Rocky, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar, “Pop That” with French Montana, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne, and “Versace” with Migos, as well as “The Motion” featuring Sampha.

In between songs, Toronto native Drake would praise the city of Montreal, calling it his second home, and reminiscing about days where he would drive down to take advantage of the city’s drinking age—Ontario’s drinking age is 19 while Quebec’s is 18. Drake simply had the crowd eating out of his hand, whether it was through his singing and rapping, or showing love to fans by singling them out in the crowd. Drake acted like the ultimate showman and appealed to everyone.

In between his songs, Drake brought out opening act Future, to accompany him on select tracks, including “Same Damn Time” and “Love Me.” Drake also referred to Future as his “brother,” a week after reports surfaced that Future wouldn’t be on the tour after he mentioned comments that were perceived as negative over Drake’s latest album. Drake also brought out Jhene Aiko for her to perform her part on “From Time” and “Come Thru.”

Drake’s opening acts, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Future and Miguel, set the tone for Drake’s act. While PARTYNEXTDOOR couldn’t completely take advantage of the crowd—many people were still trying to get into the building—Future and Miguel captivated the crowd with theirs. Future’s set was heavy with club bangers and hooks, including “Turn On The Lights” and his hook from the Ace Hood hit “Bugatti.” Miguel crooned, rocked, and almost stole the show with hits like “Adorn,” “Do You,” and “How Many Drinks.”

The entire concert, from the openers to the main event, was meant to be a party, and Drake ensured that everyone had a good time—with mass Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts to prove it.

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Music

Krewella climbs to the top of the electronic music charts

Krewella press photo

In today’s rapidly evolving pop culture, artists need to be versatile in order to make it big. It isn’t about being solely a musician, a painter, or a singer anymore; today, you need to be perfect. Electronic trio Krewella has seized that mentality with a perfect score.

Krewella press photo

Climbing to the number one spot last week on Billboard’s Dance/Club Play Songs list, the eclectic electro-punk trio has been surprising the world on all fronts. Known best for their singles, “Alive” and “Live For The Night,” Krewella has flowed through the mainstream airwaves and has generated over 18 million views on Youtube and garnered well over 175,000 subscribers.

With Columbia Records backing them they have ventured on numerous world tours and have played at some of the most prominent music festivals, such as Electric Daisy Carnival in Los Angeles, Ultra Music Festival in Miami as well as the infamous Tomorrowland festival in Belgium.

The Chicago-based team has also collaborated with a variety of producers and DJs such as Montreal electronic duo Adventure Club, as well as other big name players like Hardwell, Nicky Romero, Skrillex, Zedd, and Knife Party. With their brand new top-charting album Get Wet, the trio have embarked on a completely sold out 55-day world tour.

The band itself consists of three members, Jahan Yousaf, Yasmine Yousaf, and Kris Trindl. All three play a crucial role to the success of the “Krew.” Yasmine and Jahan are the lead vocalists as well as the DJs for the live performances, whereas Kris is the “behind-the-scenes” producer.

“The dynamic is really important for the infrastructure of Krewella,” said Jahan. “There was a point when we knew we needed to drop everything for the band. At the time, we were working simple jobs and my sister was in college. When we knew that this is what we wanted to do with our lives, we dropped the entire world in order to devote our time.”

Two years later, their single “Alive” hit mainstream airwaves.

When asked about how underground artists should attack the world in order to get exposure, Jahan advised not to “follow in anyone’s footsteps. Maybe analyze them to better yourself, but your path needs to be unique and organic.”

She added, “the infrastructure that you build over years of being an artist is what makes you who you are artistically and that is unique for all [artists] who have made it big. Just be you and people will follow.”

Their latest album truly exemplifies this concept, especially with tracks like “Human.”

Although the band is known for their upbeat and positive music, this song is very deep and emotional, unlike the rest of the album. For artists, it is necessary to be versatile and Krewella has truly shown that through Get Wet; the album invokes a wide spectrum of emotions and energy and is definitely worth a listen.

Krewella has been touring on their Get Wet Live Tour since the album was released on Sept. 24. They will be touring partially in Canada with Seven Lions, an electro-dubstep group signed to Skrillex’s OWSLA Records.

From their two EPs, Play Hard and Play Harder, to their new album, Get Wet, we can definitely expect some more Krewella masterpieces in the future. If ever you should feel like your life has been missing some excitement and adventure, a healthy dose of Krewella is definitely recommended as soon as possible.

Krewella will be at the Telus Theatre on Oct.24.

photo caption: Electronic trio Krewella released their latest album Get Wet on Sept. 24.

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Music

Embracing now, track by track

The Zolas - Press photo.
The Zolas – Press photo.

Nostalgia comes in different forms. There exists the nostalgia filled with warmth that takes us back to a particular blissful moment in our lives, but there also exists the kind of nostalgia that leaves us feeling lonely and longing for the past. The latter form can often disable us from moving forward. Instead of dwelling on a moment or waiting for new ones to arrive, The Zolas have decided to seize the now and release their music as it comes to them without the restrictions and obligations of a full-length album.

“We started really enjoying the idea of writing songs, recording them and releasing them immediately,” said Zachary Gray, vocalist and guitarist for The Zolas. “We as people in our culture, or in all cultures, I don’t know, we only seem to really appreciate a really great moment when it’s sort of in the rear view mirror when we’re looking back at it,” said Gray, “you only feel it really all the way when it’s not with you anymore.”

After releasing two studio albums since 2010, Gray and bandmate Tom Dobrzanski have decided to put the release of a full-length album on hold—at least for the time being—despite having booked studio time for some point in December.

“For people who like, really want to hear cohesive albums from us, they might be waiting a little bit. But for people who just want to hear what is exciting to us right now, what we want to say at this very moment, it could not be a better time,” said Gray.

While their previous albums Tic Toc Tic and Ancient Mars had a more dreamy, psychedelic, alternative feel, their latest single “Invisible” offers listeners a catchier pop tune. “It’s weird; we’re getting at the same time more pop-y and more experimental. With this band, I just wanna write catchy songs,” said Gray, “I guess “Invisible” is a good example of that because that is just, like, straight up pop,” he said.

Gray maintained that The Zolas are not overly concerned with having their sound be classified under any specific genre. “I’m okay being a pop-rock band. That’s the niche, that’s the kind of music we play well together,” he said. “We set a precedent where we can be pretty crazy if we want to be, but we also could write just like a three minute pop song.”

“I don’t think people are going to notice too big of a transition, except we’re a lot more interested in rhythm and about writing that comes out of drum and percussion and I think that’s sort of the way music feels right now. If you listen to any act, it’s all very rhythm based, more so than ever before.”

Initially a two piece band, the Vancouver natives have recently been veering off into new creative territory with fellow musicians James Younger and Cody Hiles, who is deemed by Gray to be “the best drummer in Vancouver.” While Gray and Dobrzanski met at the early age of 13 at choir, Younger and Hiles were introduced to the duo later in their musical careers through other bands.

“This is the first time the four of us have ever really been writing as a team. It’s always been either me, or me and Tom […] we’re having a really good time,” said Gray. “It’s a real blessing to be working with people who have better taste than you,” he laughs.

 

Despite all the flowing creativity that came along with their first album Tic Toc Tic, Gray and Dobrzanski were at a stand-still when it came to picking the name of the album, or the name of the band for that matter.

“We came up with it because Tom and I never agree on anything,” said Gray, “and when we recorded the album before the band even existed, like our first album, we didn’t have an album title or a band name.”

In order to solve this situation, they engaged in what Gray calls a “no-compromise compromise.” Essentially, Gray would pick the band’s name, while Dobrzanski would pick the name of their first album. Gray decided to pay homage to French writer Émile Zola with their group name.

“The band name is good! It’s short, it’s got a ‘z’ in it which is an interesting letter to start with […] it’s phonetic.”

When they’re not recording or touring, each member is busy on other projects. Dobrzanski owns Monarch Records, a successful studio back in Vancouver, where a number of other bands have spent some time recording (Said The Whale, We Are The City). Gray spends his free days “thinking about music all the time and I travel, and I play as much sports as possible.”

While in school, Gray indulged his athletic side and played for the ultimate frisbee team.

“It’s a really fun sport,” he said, “it’s a total cult, if you’re not part of it you won’t hear about it.”

Given the chance, he would travel to Central Asia. “It’s a part of the world that’s the crossroads of three major civilizations,” he said, “it’s gonna get rough over there and I’d like to see it.”

If he ever decides to retire his guitar, Gray says he would go back to school and get a degree in education to become a high school guidance counselor. “I still might one day,” he said.

“Music is fun but it’s a really selfish thing to do,” he said. “I don’t know, you just travel around the world burning fossil fuels[…] it’s just very narcissistic.”

“I believe in the roller coaster of life where you take the crushing lows and the exhilarating highs and it averages out to about the same as a normal life…I like the extremes.”

No stranger to Montreal—his mother is an Outremont native and his brother went to Concordia—Gray has already compiled a list of things he would like to do while in town.

“I don’t want to say something super cliché like eat a smoked meat sandwich… but it’s actually something I want to do.”

The Zolas play le Cabaret du Mile End on Oct. 18.

Photo caption: Zachary Gray, Tom Dobrzanski, James Younger and Cody Hiles just released their latest single “Invisible”

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Music

Jadea Kelly finds optimism in the darkness

Photo Jen Squires

After spending most of last year writing in her Toronto apartment, Jadea Kelly is back on tour to promote her third album, Clover, after a hiatus caused by exhaustion, according to her website.

Jadea Kelly performed in Montreal on Oct. 9 at Upstairs to promote her latest album Clover. Photo Jen Squires

The album is a new direction for the Ontario-based singer-songwriter. Clover, named after her grandfather’s farm in Ontario, has a darker, more sombre and orchestral feel that lends itself perfectly to Kelly’s haunting vocals while her previous albums were rooted more deeply in country and folk.

This new sound emerged from a collaboration between Kelly and her producer Stew Crookes. Crookes, with the help of other musicians including Jason Sniderman and Tom Juhas, allowed for Kelly’s album to take on much more musically complex and interesting harmonies than on her previous albums, Second Spring and Eastbound Platform.

“We have jokingly coined a new genre name for this record, ‘fire folk’ or ‘spooky country.’ The instrumentation is a lot more adventurous that our last recordings — a lot darker and orchestrated,” said Kelly.

Clover is a much more emotionally charged album than Kelly’s previous releases. While the tone is darker than what her fans are used to, Kelly claims that the driving message behind it remains optimistic.

“With this present album, I am trying to convey a message of hope and strength to my audience. I wrote this album from a tender and emotional place and hope to extend my newfound passion and strength to those around me.”

Kelly has high hopes for Clover when it comes to her fans. She hopes that they will connect their experiences with hers while enjoying the music.

“I would like them to feel relaxed and entertained. Even though these lyrics come from my own emotional experiences, I want them to develop their own personal sentiments and feel connected to one another in the process,” she said.

In order to get the rich sound found on Kelly’s new album, Crookes took the recording back to basics. Instead of recording on a computer or any digital form that is typical of music production nowadays, Clover was recorded on analogue two-inch tapes, according to her website.

“This album had a bigger budget than the others, and therefore allowed for more time to develop the songs and marinate ideas. We recorded to tape, live off the floor as well over a short two week period. Instead of going back and forth on ideas for three months, we solidified them during pre, pro and recording,” said Kelly.

Kelly is most known for her work with the Canadian progressive metal band, Protest the Hero. She was featured on three songs from their 2005 concept album Kezia, playing the part of the eponymous main character and toured with the band to promote the album. She was also featured on their 2011 album, Scurrilous.

Her solo work has also garnered her much attention over the years and has won her a Toronto Independent Music Award in 2008 and a Canadian Folk Music Award in 2010.

When she’s not busy working or touring, the singer-songwriter takes time for the things she loves.

“I shop for stage dresses,” she laughs, “drink good coffee, writing songs, and sleep.”

Her latest album Clover was released in May and  is now available in stores and online.

 

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