The Montreal indie folk-rock band will be releasing their EP Part One on Feb. 3
Deep Rivers, a brand new Montreal indie band, will be performing their first EP, Part One, at La Vitrola on Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. The band will officially be releasing their EP on Bandcamp on Feb. 3. Deep Rivers’ sound can be described as indie folk-rock with a twist, as they combine the intimacy of folk music with the high energy of indie rock.
The band’s lineup consists of André Pelletier on guitar and lead vocals, Stéphane Lemieux on drums, Blaise Borboën-Léonard on violin, viola and synths, and Cédric Martel on bass and backing vocals. Originally, these bandmates played together in a different band called Hôtel Morphée, along with lead singer, Laurence Nerbonne, who sang and wrote songs in French. It was in 2015 that they decided to leave that band behind in search of new beginnings. Pelletier decided to take on the role of lead singer for his new group.“After Hôtel Morphée ended, I kept on writing songs as I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try something new,” Pelletier said. “I practiced with Stephan and we started playing some shows. It was fun and it went well, and that was when we decided to give it a name.”
Part One’s cover album. Graphic by Nicolas Dufour Laperrière
The name, Deep Rivers, has a personal connotation for Pelletier. “Our band’s name comes from a small town in Ontario called Deep River where I spent most of my time writing songs,” he said. Part One is a personal album for Pelletier. “I was going through a lot of changes in life when writing these songs,” Pelletier said. “The lyrics and emotions of the album are about getting older, about dreams that fall flat and expectations that are broken.That’s pretty much the words expressed through it.” According to Pelletier, Bob Dylan and Buddy Holly were some of the band’s musical influences. Their EP’s cover photo is a picturesque, mysterious image of a tiny island surrounded by water. Nicolas Dufour Laperrière, a graphic artist and friend of the band, designed it.
Feb. 2 will be the first time Deep Rivers performs their new album live in their home city. It will be a free show.“I have to say, the song we are most excited to play is ‘In the City.’ We have a lot of fun performing this song live,” said Pelletier. According to Pelletier and Lemieux, the band is hyped for this show. “There is just something about performing live and letting go of everything—it’s freedom,” said Pelletier. “Playing live is all about making good mistakes,” said Lemieux. While Part One only has four tracks, the band is thinking about releasing more songs in the near future. “We like the idea of putting new music out there,” Pelletier said. “We are all big fans of the LP format and would want to explore that eventually.”
Deep Rivers will be playing at the the Caribü Festival in Longueuil on Feb. 19 and at Le Verre Bouteille bar on Mont-Royal on March 19. For now, they are more than eager to launch their new album. “It’s going to be a lot of energy, a lot of passion on stage and a lot of brotherly love,” said Pelletier.
Agustin Mukdisi from the Montreal-based band Blank Sonna discusses new EP and future projects
After a year and a half of hard work performing at venues and local bars, such as Metropolis and Le Petit Campus, Montreal-based indie band Blank Sonna released their first self-titled EP on Dec 15. It is difficult to characterize this band’s genre, as their music combines a wide variety of beautifully executed sounds. From soft, acoustic rock to classic 80s background melodies, their sound is reminiscent of bands like Radiohead and Arcade Fire.
Blank Sonna’s lineup consists of singer-songwriter Agustin Nicolas Mukdisi, his sister Camila Mukdisi on vocals and keyboards, bassist Remi Baracat, guitarist Simon Tardif and drummer Jordan Markov. There is a strong sense of multiculturalism within the band, as they each come from different parts of the world. “We blend various influences such as Argentinian, Arabic, Bulgarian and Québécois music,” said Camila.
Agustin said travelling has always influenced the band’s music. As the songwriter of the quintet, he has written most of the song lyrics while on the road. “The landscapes I see when I travel, I hear them in the music,” Agustin said. “Travelling has played an important role in our music as it gave us experiences that are different from everyday life.”
Blank Sonna is a quintet indie band with members from around the world. Photo by Alex Dimitrovici
For instance, Agustin wrote the song “Rescuer” during a trip to Brazil to see Argentina play in the World Cup two years ago. “I went to Brazil with a friend to see the game but we didn’t have any money. All we had was an acoustic guitar and a Peruvian cajón,” a box-shaped percussion instrument, said Agustin. He and his friend decided to play on the streets of Brazil for money. “On the first few days, we started feeling low. We weren’t motivated because we weren’t making enough money and I got sick,” Agustin said. “Out of nowhere, a girl who was walking by stopped to hear us play and we became friends. She took us to a hostel and paid for everything and took us out to dinner.” She motivated them again, said Agustin. They continued to play on the streets and ended up making enough money to go to the game. “Based on this experience, I wrote the song ’Rescuer’ because I felt that she rescued us that day,” said Agustin.
Currently, Agustin is in the mountain village Villa General Belgrano in Córdoba, Argentina. It is the hometown of Sofia Bursi, the artist who drew Blank Sonna’s EP cover album. “We spoke together about the album cover, I told her about the idea we had of having a mirror, because one of our songs is called “Reflection” and we wanted a reflection of a soul on the cover,” said Agustin. The reflection is staring at a mirror that leads the way to a colourful forest in contrast to the black and white background. Agustin said what he loves most about the drawing is that it represents all four songs of the album.
When it comes to songwriting, for Blank Sonna, the instrumentation comes first. “The music is always more important to me,” he said. “The words must fit the music, not the other way around. The song lyrics and titles come last.” Agustin said he will not force himself to write a song. He will start off by playing around with an instrument and naturally sing along.“There is no formula for songwriting,” he said. “Do whatever works best for you, but never try to imitate anyone.” To remain original, he said it’s important to forget everyone’s music and to do whatever your voice wants to do. “Get carried away and just go with it.”
Agustin Mukdisi performing live. Photo by Pedro Luiz Freire Cardadeiro
Blank Sonna performed at Metropolis last spring as part of the Emergenza Battles of the Bands Festival. From now on, however, the band has decided to avoid competitive shows and only perform for fun. “It was great to play at Metropolis but we didn’t enjoy the competitive aspect of the Emergenza Festival, where we had pressure to sell many tickets to get to the next round. I felt it got in the way of the performance,” said Agustin. Blank Sonna then performed at Le Petit Campus, along with another band from the Emergenza Festival, North of the Border. “The show was completely free of any pressure. We realized how much more fun we had by ourselves and that’s how we will do our next show,” said Agustin. Agustin said he believes Blank Sonna’s chemistry has improved thanks to all the live performances. “The shows helped us grow as a band,” he said. “There is a definite stronger feeling of togetherness. We’re more on the same page and have a defined sense as to where we are all headed musically.”
Agustin will be heading to Buenos Aires at the end of January to start recording his first solo album. “I have songs that I didn’t think would work with the sound of Blank Sonna,” Agustin said. “I do not want it to sound like the band. I want it to be different. It’s going to be much more electronic and it won’t have an acoustic drum set.” He will be working alongside music producer Shaw, who also worked on mastering Blank Sonna’s EP. Agustin said he will return to Montreal by the end of February. “We want to do a show to promote the EP upon my return, and our goal as a band would be to add new songs to our album to eventually release an LP when we are ready,” said Agustin.
Alexandre and David’s love of music has turned Rust Eden into a five-piece rock band
At the heart of the Montreal rock band Rust Eden are two long-time friends who have a deep and profound love for music. They are vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Alexandre Larin and bassist David Bastien. These musicians met each other in Saint-Eustache a decade ago, where both of them grew up. Their shared passion and drive made it natural for them to combine their music and start jamming together right away. They started off with the band name Gregon Ciel, which involved a progressive music style. “We made a lot of music before. Did some recording, just the two of us at my parent’s house,” said Larin.
However, by only making music alone in Larin’s basement, they began building a bubble around themselves. It got to the point that they were shy to go out and share their music with the world. Although they have built up their confidence over the years, the shyness still exists for both musicians. “It’s still a big deal,” said Larin. “It’s better than it was, but there’s mood swings in the process. There’s a lot of, ‘Oh is it okay? Do I suck?'”
They believe that this lack of confidence comes from putting a lot of pressure on themselves, but they say it can be a positive thing as well. “I think it’s a good thing because we are [creating] so much music. We are doing two or three songs a week,” said Larin. The band said focusing more on the creative process and less on gaining popularity through their music helps them build their confidence as well. It was around this time four years ago that they decided to create the band Rust Eden. They then grew their musical duo into a five-piece band, with Marc-Antoine Sévégny on drums, Étienne Broué on guitar and Benoît Parent on keyboards.
Larin and Bastien performing at the M bar on St-André in 2015. Photo by Camille St-Jacques.
They wanted to add more musicians to their band in order to bring a new dimension to the sound of their live performances. “I think that playing with other musicians is pretty cool because you’re playing with different mindsets,” said Larin. “I think it’s really positive to hear other musician’s ideas.” The band released their latest album, Apartment Green, in May, and will be releasing an EP in the upcoming year. Apartment Green was recorded in Parent’s studio, Studio B. “It was a no-brainer to record there because it’s a good studio with expensive stuff,” said Larin.
Studio B’s label, Chivy Chivy, has also given them a lot of funding for their music. “They paid for radio tracking in the States and Canada, and they helped us with money and with promotions,” said Larin. According to Bastien and Larin, as reserved people, it is hard to make contacts, so they are thankful to have Chivy Chivy as a record label. “We took a huge step with them just to promote our band. We have no contacts in Montreal, so they just know how to do it,” said Bastien. “We tried, but we’re not good at it.”
Although they are both very happy with how the album turned out, they’re ready to move on with their new music. “We’re the kind of guys who just… We’re doing music and once it’s released, we say to ourselves: ‘Okay, what’s the next thing?… What’s the next step? How can we make something different?’” said Larin.Bastien and Larin have always been focused on creating unique music they’re proud of—something that will never change throughout their musical careers. “We just wanted to make music from scratch,” said Larin. “We don’t want to sound like anything else. The final goal is to [compose] original music.”
Rust Eden jamming at Studio B in 2015. Photo by Camille St-Jacques.
The band is now experimenting with sound and adding more glam rock influences to their upcoming EP. “It will have the groovy kind of stuff, because we’ve always been more down-tempo, kind of stoner type of music, but we’re trying to do more up-tempo and upper music,” said Larin. Both Larin and Bastien’s mindsets and points of view will be equally featured in the upcoming EP. “In terms of lyrics, for the next album it’s pretty 50/50,” said Larin.
They are simply happy to be playing together and compose my original music that they are proud of. “That’s the best high we can get. It’s just so much fun,” said Larin. The most important thing for these two friends is to be true to themselves and to their music. “We just try to keep the roots of two guys who are doing music and tripping and… trying to explore things and just satisfy ourselves in that kind of trip. It’s really a trip for us,” said Larin.
Rust Eden will be performing at Casa Del Popolo on Nov. 17th. The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $7 at the door.
Getting to know the singer-songwriter and guitarist, Matthew Hills
Music isn’t only a life-long career for Matthew Hills: it has changed his entire life. The singer, guitar player, song-writer and sound engineer of the Montreal-based band, Give Me Something Beautiful, has always been heavily involved in music.
In fact, he has been in several different bands over the past 20 years. “I started doing music because music saved my life through some rough times,” he said. These difficult times for Hills began at a young age. “I was a big loner in high school. I find it difficult to relate to people—I just get nervous around people. So my best friend was music. I just felt like I could talk to it or it talked to me.”
While Hills turned to music as a refuge, he has always suffered from severe performance anxiety, which makes playing shows a huge obstacle for him. He said it has gotten progressively worse over the past couple of years—to the point that he sometimes dreads being on a stage. The performance anxiety, he said, may stem from a lot of different factors. “I’ve been doing this a long time, that’s probably mostly it,” he said. “I think, when I was younger, I was more confident because I was certain that success was around the corner. But now I’m more aware that success is really an illusion and that it’s something that you create for yourself.”
It was Concordia vocal professor, Irene Feher, who made a very big impact on Hills’ life and musical career. While Hills was studying electroacoustics a few years ago, Feher was there for him—not only to improve his vocal skills, but to mentor him as well.“[Feher] very much focuses on trying to get to that place where you’re not in your own way,” Hills said. “She’s spent [so] much of her time with me trying to dissolve that sort of egotism that sort of drives that [performance anxiety].” Hills said that Feher is a really fantastic human being, and really opened his eyes on how to improve himself, not only musically but as an individual. While that anxiety on stage hasn’t completely dissolved, Hills’ passion for music propels him forward. He strives to reach people in a way that will change their lives as much as music has changed his.
“I think that great music expresses something that hasn’t been expressed before,” he said. “The really interesting part is when you get really articulate sentiments from emotional, honest artists, and it really describes something about your life that maybe you didn’t really think about before.”
Hills continuously strives to reach people on a deep and emotional level, yet he feels like he keeps failing to do so. He claims that, for the past 10 years, he has struggled with writing relatable lyrics. “I just think that I’m a cryptic, and that the meaning is obscured a lot of the time. The lyrics are sort of coded, I guess,” he said. “There are songs that I wrote specifically about certain things in my life that happened that I don’t think, as an outside listener, you could actually reconstruct.”
Photo by Adrian Villagomez.
Hills began Give Me Something Beautiful six years ago with Raphaël Pellerin, the drummer and back-up singer of the band. Étienne Dextrase-Monast came in two years later as the bass guitar player and back-up singer, replacing the previous bass guitar player. Hills believes that both of his bandmates make the sound of their band more than he does. “I would say that, really, what makes the sound of our band is our rhythm section. I think it’s the drums, and particularly the drums, because Raph is a really unique, imaginative and sensitive player,” he said.
The band’s music is not easily definable, as they take their influences from almost everywhere—from folk music and electronic music, to hip hop and rock. “I guess it’s mostly rock and roll. I would say there’s a lot of straight-up influences [in our music] that maybe get obscured by the fact that we tend to go in a lot of different directions.” He said there are some jazz undercurrents in the music, world influences can be heard in the percussions, and a folk and rock vibe is present. “I don’t think we can say this is a folk band, or this is a rock band, but I think we have moments of all of those things from song to song.”
While their sound is rather complex, the band maintains that, no matter what, they are being genuine and honest through their music. “[Our goal is] to continuously find new ways of expressing ourselves, and to try and be more honest about it every time. I think sincerity is the only reason anybody should be making music. If it’s not sincere, then you shouldn’t be recording it,” Hills said. “I don’t have a choice—I don’t think I could sing it if I didn’t mean it.”
The songs on their latest album, Ghost on a Throne, released in January 2016, reflect this completely. The themes stem from genuine experiences the band has gone through. “The songs are about relationships, the self, in the Buddhist sense… addiction, our need for religion, safety, and the constant destruction of all our constructs in favour of the ego.”
Hills and his former band-mate Rob Helsten, from the Montreal band Forgotten Fix, have just finished building a recording studio in Montreal North. They are using it both as a commercial space for artists to record their music at a low rate, as well as a rehearsal space to record their own music. “Right now, we’re recording various versions of some new songs, essentially. We’ve got four that are in various pieces. […] I’m happy with the process.”
The studio has allowed the band to explore their sound without worrying about the cost of renting out a studio, which have set them back a lot in the past. “[We envision] a funner time of making a record, and more flexibility, and particularly artistic flexibility. Just being able to take anything, as weird as it is or as stupid as it is, and record it because it doesn’t cost any money to do it, and see what happens when it’s finished.”
The band is currently working on their next EP, but the release date has yet to be determined. Give Me Something Beautiful’s upcoming Montreal show is on Nov. 26 at Le Cagibi. They will also be performing in Quebec City at Pantoum on Dec. 2. “We’re ready to play new stuff. We should very well have half a set of new music at Cagibi,” said Hills.
Carmen Rachiteanu, host of the radio show, looks to introduce listeners to bands passing through Montreal
What does being a music plebeian mean? Ask Carmen Rachiteanu, host of Plebeian Pleasures on CJLO, who mindfully describes the distinction between plebeians and patricians in Ancient Rome.
“The patricians are like the upper class, the most knowledgeable ones—the plebes were like the mainstream noobs who like mainstream stuff,” Rachiteanu explained.
That’s the audience that Rachiteanu wants to play music for: the people who like a bit of everything but not to the point of diving into an abyss of obscurity. The show’s genres run the gamut from pop, electronic, hip-hop to metal—she plays a bit of everything, wanting everyone to enjoy a part of her show. The most often played genre is indie rock.
“Everyone kind of likes indie rock somewhere deep inside,” Rachiteanu said.
She is an English major who finds the time between classes to run to CJLO at the Loyola campus and host her show. Immersed in spreading the good sounds, she even found herself DJ-ing at the Loyola Luncheon a few weeks ago. She laughed when she recalled that she received as many compliments about the cat stickers decorating her laptop as her music choices.
“I am a cat person,” she declared, never apologetic for what she likes.
Inspired by her music patrician friends poking fun at her “common” tastes, Rachiteanu embraced her plebeian identity and plays paradoxically hard-to-find music that would be mainstream if only more people knew about it.
The playlists are based on bands and musicians who are passing through Montreal that week, allowing listeners to get interested in and excited about upcoming live shows.
“When I moved to Montreal, there were always like six bands that I wanted to see every week and I just freaked out,” said Rachiteanu. “No one knows about this! No one told me about this! So I’m telling people as much as I can.”
Coming from a “noob” music background, she knows what it’s like to not have a lot of information. To help listeners along, Rachiteanu arms herself with notes on every band she plays in order to give details on concerts, venues and trivia.
“I feel like if you don’t know a lot about music, [my show] kind of directs you to something. You could go see the bands live to complete your knowledge of music.”
Rachiteanu’s ultimate goal is to get listeners out to support their new favourite artists.
“Live music is the purest sound you will ever get, so if you like music, the best thing is to go encourage the band’s tour,” she said.
Until then, Rachiteanu wants you to listen to her show and discover a new pleasure that you might never have discovered otherwise.
Get introduced to Plebeian Pleasures by streaming past episodes on CJLO.com, or listening in on Mondays between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.
Dan Boeckner's fresh start into indie rock has a decidedly electro-twist to it. Photo by Kelly Castro
The pioneer of indie rock has teamed up with some talented musicians to release an electro-pop album.
“Don’t be a dick,” Dan Boeckner was told by his father before embarking on his first tour. This advice has cemented itself in Boeckner’s mind throughout his musical career. Propelled by luck, hard work, and pure talent, the songwriter has made a life of producing innovative music with bands like Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs, Divine Fits, and now with his latest electro-pop band, Operators.
Operators began as a quasi-secret band – their debut EP, entitled EP1, wasn’t released directly to the internet. Boeckner explains how this technique “avoids [the album] being shuffled into the colossal library data pile of the internet – at least at the beginning.”
So Operators’ music was exclusive to those who attended live shows instead of having their audience’s first listen stream out from a pair of headphones. He explains that he has “always assumed that seeing something in a live setting is the one thing that music has left. It’s real. You can’t download it, you can’t trade it with somebody, you can’t stream thirty seconds of it and get distracted. You go to the show and you experience, hopefully, some emotional communion with the band. You walk away from that feeling good.”
Dan Boeckner’s fresh start into indie rock has a decidedly electro-twist to it. Photo by Kelly Castro
Now having finally uploaded to the virtual music world, EP1’s poppy songs have got music lovers dancing. Operators marries Boeckner’s songwriting prowess obtained from years of writing songs, as well as his familiarity of synths and electronics. In other words, the music is tight. It draws from the catchy choruses of Divine Fits and the upbeat electro-pop of Handsome Furs, then delivers darkness and intensity, while also being infectiously danceable. The first track on the album, called “Truth”, is pure dance-pop and extremely rhythmic: the result of combining electronic beats with live drums. There’s an addictive liveliness to the music that’s better understood with a description of the band’s recording process.
When Montreal’s ruthless winter rolled around, Boeckner, synth specialist Devojka, and Divine Fits drummer Sam Brown saddled down in Montreal’s Hotel2Tango to record EP1. The songwriter cites urgency as being integral to a good recording.
“When you first write a song, and you rehearse it enough that you can make it all the way through without making a mistake, but you’re kind of hanging on by the skin of your teeth – that’s the best time to record something,” he says. “There’s this unquantifiable energy behind it that translates into recorded material.”
That unquantifiable energy is perhaps what has fans following Boeckner from band to band. The musician also identifies luck and hard work as primal movers of his success. Growing up in a small town in B.C., the young musician boarded a Greyhound bus to Montreal, his mind in a psychic fog, after living through the personal tragedy of the death of his mother. Boeckner built connections with rising bands in the ’00s, including Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse.
Wolf Parade blossomed in the Montreal music scene with the opening of concert venues like La Sala Rossa and Casa del Popolo, where Wolf Parade was given a shot at playing without any audition. The songwriter describes how essential the opening of these venues was to the development of the Montreal music scene.
“If it wasn’t for those people setting up those venues, there’d definitely be no Arcade Fire or Wolf Parade,” Boeckner says. “By proxy, I don’t think there’d be bands like Grimes, Doldrums, and Magical Clouds. [These venues] really sowed the seeds, [making Montreal] a great place to be young, play music, and get reasonably compensated for it.” He describes Montreal as a city that’s “beating creativity” through new bands putting out great music and holding up the legacy established by bands a decade ago.
Operators is the result of this fruitful Montreal music scene, and Boeckner lived here for twelve years before moving to California. Their music is more cheerful than anything Boeckner’s done with other bands, which is the product of a creative period in the songwriter’s life. The band is free to create without any constraints and “can set up a bunch of old synthesizers and track machines and just wail away live,” Boeckner says.
The musician has taken his father’s advice to heart – he’s definitely not a dick. More than that, the combination of luck, hard work, and pure talent, continue to pay off.
“I’m walking around in Los Angeles right now, it’s a beautiful day, and I’m going out for dinner with my friends here… I never would have imagined that I’d be walking down this street in L.A doing an interview about songs that I wrote.”
When B.C.-based singer-songwriter Jamison is not producing records under his other monikers, Teen Daze and Two Bicycles, he is churning out music as Little Chords, an ‘80s drum-based, lo-fi, indie pop project from Vancouver. His new record Afterlife was released for download on March 20 on Bandcamp.
Chiming guitars, bathed in reverb and delay effects, synths, drum machines and quiet, almost haunting vocals lead the listener through the journey of the record.
It’s a welcome excursion, as some of the songs, such as “Firsts,” seem as if they could come right off the soundtrack of an eighties flick—think The Karate Kid (no, not the one with Jaden Smith). Others, such as “Afterlife,” are quieter introspectives, giving the album balance and contrast.
The record runs just over 36 minutes long and treats listeners to a scenic, pop-psych drive. While it won’t bring back glam rock bands on cassettes, inline skates or Atari games, it will surprise listeners looking for a little something nostalgic.
Trial track: “Afterlife”
Rating: 8.5/10
– A.J. Cordeiro
Mark Stewart – The Politics of Envy (Future Noise Music; 2012)
Mark Stewart has burst back on the scene after a four-year break, with his raw and dangerously sexy album The Politics of Envy. I have a feeling Stewart would spit in my face if he knew what I’m about to say, but here it goes: This album is like TV on the Radio and Nine Inch Nails bonding at a dubstep-fuelled afterparty. Trust me, it’s a good thing. Stewart keeps alive the experimental, industrial, hip-hop sound that he’s been celebrated for since his first band, The Pop Group, split in the early ‘80s. The tunes are moody and rife with anti-“corporate cocksucker” messages and the album features a handful of punk’s and post-punk’s most respected pioneers such as Keith Levene of early Clash fame, Slits bassist Tessa Pollitt and The Raincoats’ Gina Birch. Birch’s deep, robotic voice makes “Stereotype” one of the most haunting pop songs I’ve heard this year.
What’s a better way to end the academic year than with something as overtly non-academic as Tanlines?
After years of teasing with endless singles and EPs, Brooklyn duo Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm have finally released their full-length debut album Mixed Emotions. Best described as electro-pop with a tropical flavour, this album is like a piña colada in a test tube: fun and refreshing, but completely synthetic.
At times influenced by Paul Simon’s Graceland, the production has a strong emphasis on dance floor beats and catchy pop melodies, with a heavy reliance on synthesizers and an afropop veneer. Emm’s muffled baritone vocals both accentuate and compliment the artificiality of the soundscape constructed entirely of relentlessly upbeat rhythms and repetitive drum patterns.
Like a coconut-wielding caricature imprisoned in a souvenir shop snowglobe, Mixed Emotions may ultimately be the desperate plea of a man trapped in a kitschy tropical dystopia.
Trial track: “Real Life”
Rating: 7.0/10
– Paul Traunero
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Axis: Bold As Love (Track Records; 1967)
Late legendary musician Jimi Hendrix has never failed to impress with any of his releases. Following the success of his debut album Are You Experienced?, Hendrix was keen on expanding his musical horizons. Axis: Bold as Love, recorded in 1967, combines elements of rock, blues, psychedelic and jazz, creating a beautiful hodgepodge of sound.
Out of the three albums Hendrix recorded, Axis is often the most underrated, largely due to the fact that it was released in between his two most commercially successful albums. With Axis, the late rock ‘n’ roll icon displayed remarkable growth as a tunesmith, asserting his position as a multifaceted and highly-skilled musician.
The album features one of Hendrix’s finest performances on the guitar, as well as his most emotional. “Little Wing,” a two-minute odyssey through sound, showcases his versatility and superior songwriting skills, forging a sound that no other artist could replicate.
All of Hendrix’s albums are definite must-haves for any music enthusiast, but Axis stands out as his most experimental and original record.
Plants and Animals play and sound like a band that has lived through decades together. But there is a good reason why a band with only three full-length albums, the first of which was released as recently as 2008, sounds so mature.
Bandmates Warren Spicer and Matthew ‘Woody’ Woodley first met as 12-year-olds in Halifax, N.S., but they found their missing piece, Quebec native Nic Basque, over 10 years ago in the depths of Concordia’s music department.
Combined, they bring a tight, red-hot gospel/soul sound that escaped rock somewhere between the ‘80s and today.
Woodley’s skittering, feet-flicking drum beat and Basque’s classic-rock-country trilling guitar provides the canvas for Spicer’s gargling, soulful voice and easy-to-relate-to tales of ecstasy, disappointment and growing older.
Since their debut album Parc Avenue got shortlisted for the 2008 Polaris Prize, Plants and Animals have toured Europe and North America extensively, played the summer music festival circuit, and opened for Grizzly Bear, Gnarls Barkley and The National—to name a few.
Despite hobnobbing with industry elites and dealing with the distractions of rock ‘n’ roll life on the road, Woodley claims that his bond with Spicer and Basque has only strengthened.
“The one thing that’s changed the most is we’re more comfortable being open with each other,” revealed Woodley. “We’re not afraid to say what we think to each other, not too shy and don’t take things too personally.”
Fresh off the shelves, The End of That has already garnered significant commercial attention. The album was featured as CBC Music’s Album of the Week, its first single, “Lightshow,” was Amazon MP3’s Song of the Day on Feb. 29, and the band stole the cover of several Montreal publications in February alone.
While Parc Avenue was Plants and Animals’ love letter to Mile End, and La La Land (2010) revealed the gritty truth of touring around Los Angeles, The End of That is a therapeutic return home.
Vocalist Spicer dealt with some life issues through the lyrics. In “Crisis!” he returns home to find “everyone is getting married or breaking up / And the stroller situation on the sidewalk / is way out of control,” while on “The End of That” he reflects on his foray into cocaine.
“I don’t think that we wanted to be happy-go-lucky,” said Woodley, “but we wanted to put something out that hit people in the heart a little more quickly, not such a slow burn.”
Woodley and Basque often have their music charted out before Spicer brings the lyrics into the studio, which Woodley admits completely changes the way it plays out.
“It’s kind of an obtuse feeling when a song hits, and when you put words on top, they can really change the message of the music,” explained Woodley. “Sometimes I find it’s an adjustment, playing it, coming to grips with it.”
The band recorded the album at La Frette, a manor just outside Paris where they ate, slept and played while touring in France.
“We got there after playing a show at two in the morning, turned on the lights, and realized, ‘Oh man, we have to work here again, we’ve got to settle down and do it here,’” recounted Woodley.
“It isn’t the fact that it’s in France, the city close by, or even the river down the street. It’s the space itself and what it felt like that made it so special.”
With roots in improvisation, Plants and Animals are known for seducing crowds to the dance floor with their loud, jam-rocking live shows. They take their albums’ work to the stage on an entirely different level.
“There’s nothing like [playing] live,” professed Woodley. “It’s in the moment, it’s about the people.”
This time around, the Mile Enders wanted to produce an album that already reflected as much of their live material as possible.
“I think you might find the live show as close to the album as we have ever gotten,” said Woodley. “It’s still louder, and still rockier, but it’s closer in character.”
Plants and Animals play Le Cabaret du Mile End (5240 Parc Ave.) on March 10. Tickets are $17 in advance or $20 at the door.
Plants and Animals – The End of That (Secret City Records; 2012)
Montreal rockers Plants and Animals return with a more stripped-down sound on their third full-length album The End of That. Unlike their previous records, this album leaves behind the realm of orchestral psychedelia for a more mellowed out sound with hints of early 1970’s rock ‘n’ roll. Lyrically, the record finds the band dwelling on times past, loves lost and the difficulties of adulthood. From his Lou Reed-esque cadence in “The End of That,” to the no holds barred wail of “Lightshow,” vocalist Warren Spicer demonstrates his ability to use his voice as an extra instrument, greatly adding to the overall effect. Even so, while still featuring some solid tunes, it gets lost somewhere around the halfway mark with the last four tracks melding into one big rock anthem.
Rating: 6.0/10
Trial track: “The End of That”
– Cora Ballou
Field Music – Plumb (Memphis Industries; 2012)
I feel it is my duty to warn you that Plumb may possibly be too wacky for public consumption.
The fourth studio effort from Sunderland natives Peter and David Brewis is a progressive pop-rock frenzy. With 15 tracks crammed into 35 minutes, there is an indelible sense that these songs were constructed by someone with a seriously short attention span. Best described as a collection of half-congealed ideas piled on top of each other, with hooks that rise but then are quickly discarded, this album is nothing more than an unmemorable mess.
It’s a shame, because the Brewis brothers seem to have a real knack for writing quirky, hooky little numbers. There were moments when I decided that Field Music may, in fact, be Queen’s long-lost hipster nephew. With a little Ritalin and some production assistance, there may still be hope for these boys to become more than just a silly novelty.
Rating: 4.0/10
Trial track: “A New Town”
– Paul Traunero
Farewell Republic – Burn the Boats (Unsigned; 2012)
Farewell Republic’s debut brings a new addition to the post-punk scene. Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., the group has put out their 11-track record, Burn the Boats, available on Bandcamp.
Sivan Jacobovitz and Brian Trahan make up the permanent members, while a rotating cast of live and session musicians aid in creating the musical landscape that is illustrated on the album.
The music has an almost film-soundtrack quality in its composition. However, the sheer chaos, which would make an excellent backdrop to an art-house film, becomes quickly draining, almost numbing the senses. The listener’s ears bleed at times from the sound generated from the noise of layered guitar feedback. Even the dissonance is reflected in the album cover’s imagery.
However, there is still hope for the band, that once they mature, their narrative voice and artistic vision will no longer be lost in the white noise. Hopefully then it will enjoyable.
Rating: 3.0/10
Trial track: “Wake”
– A.J. Cordeiro
U2 – The Joshua Tree (Island Records; 1987)
When I think of the best rock album, I think of The Joshua Tree, U2’s fifth album that has earned itself a spot among the best albums ever made in the history of music, up there with Abbey Road and The Wall. The Joshua Tree was released in 1987 and was immediately acclaimed as the album that transformed U2 from great to superstars. Just naming the classics on this CD makes me shiver: “With or Without You,” “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and there are so many more. The songs on this album are what make thousands of people wait days to see U2. The Joshua Tree encompasses so many real emotions and it has touched many around the world.
Band of Skulls – Sweet Sour (Electric Blues Records; 2012)
Sweet Sour is the second studio album from British trio Band of Skulls. Their sophomore effort brings back the gritty guitar riffs and smooth vocal harmonies that put Baby Darling Doll Face Honey on the alt-rock map, but fails to fully live up to the debut’s promise. The first half of Sweet Sour groups together all the heavy songs, which results in a feeling of “where did the album go?” as the second half closes with one meandering, slow number after another. As a whole, the album lacks expected creativity and plays on the safe side of the music industry, seemingly vying for a single on MTV and a radio hit. But its shortcomings don’t mean that it isn’t an enjoyable album. Stomp rock track “The Devil Takes Care of His Own” easily steals the spotlight as the best showcase of Russell Marsden’s catchy, dirty guitar riffing. It just never finds the breakthrough originality it needs.
Rating: 7.0/10
Trial track: “Wanderluster”
– Lindsay Rempel
Young Liars – Homesick Future (Self-released; 2012)
Electro-indie group Young Liars will have you bobbing your head and swaying your hips along to their rhythmic tracks from their latest EP Homesick Future. The Vancouver-based band released their first EP in early 2011 and have plans to make their full-length album debut sometime in 2012, but have released both EPs to tide listeners over until then.
All seven songs on Homesick Future have lengthy instrumentals that encompass you in the music. In contrast to the verses, the choruses have simple, repetitive lyrics, allowing the listener to pick them up in no time.
Unfortunately, at times the music seems to overpower the vocals, creating a cacophony of sound that breaks the melodic flow. The songs on Homesick Future are catchy but easily forgotten, with the exception of the song “Colours” where the electronica background music, guitar riffs and fresh vocals mesh together perfectly.
Overall, Homesick Future is good without being great.
Rating: 6.8/10
Trial track: “Colours”
– Natasha Taggart
Tennis – Young & Old (Fat Possum; 2012)
A little over a year after disembarking from Cape Dory, husband-and-wife duo Tennis are landlocked and ready to release their sophomore album, Young & Old.
Teaming up with The Black Keys’ drummer Patrick Carney to oversee the production, the album reveals an obvious divergence from Tennis’ previous songwriting with a more polished sound. A welcomed addition, Carney seems to lend a much needed structure to the songs. He is likely also responsible for a tinge of sass in lead vocalist Alaina Moore’s crooning vocals, especially demonstrated in R&B-inspired “My Better Self” and “Petition.” Despite the occasional quirk, the 10 tracks follow the same brisk-paced urgency, rendering the album monotonous.
My main concern with Tennis is that they don’t seem to be able to find their voice. Remaining true to their kitschy sea-shanty act would become tiresome, but too big a change in any direction would cause fans to question their sincerity.
Rating: 6.0/10
Trail track: “My Better Self”
– Paul Traunero
The Grateful Dead – American Beauty (Warner Bros. Records; 1970)
There aren’t too many people who can say they’ve mastered composing, poetry, songwriting, piano, banjo, guitar, pedal steel guitar, painting and drawing, all while missing a key digit from their right hand, but The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia did, and American Beauty exemplifies his prowess. The classic jam band’s fifth studio album further cemented the Dead as one of America’s great, iconic jam bands with timeless hits like “Ripple,” “Box of Rain,” “Truckin’” and “Sugar Magnolia.” Building upon the country and folk styles of their previous albums, American Beauty epitomizes easy listening and pure audio delight. The album takes you on a voyage through 1960s America. All of the usual suspects are there: freedom, love, music, travel, luck, and of course, drugs. Anyone who hasn’t heard this album multiple times from beginning to end is doing a disservice to themselves, and possibly even the world.
So, go make yourself a headband out of daisies, put on your tie-dye, and let this album move you in ways you never knew possible.
