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Music

Random Recipe cook up a unique musical infusion

Montreal-based quartet Random Recipe launch their new album Kill The Hook on Oct.8. Photo Jerome Nadeau

For Random Recipe, the ‘90s represented a time where the love of vinyls and the appreciation for physically and culturally diverse music reigned supreme in Quebec. It was also a period where the standards and qualifications to be considered a Quebecois artist were not as important as the spirit of the music itself. Musicians have always felt a certain attraction to the city of Montreal, a city that prides itself on being a colourful tapestry woven together by innumerable cultural heritages. As of late, questions of cultural identity have caused tension, and in some cases, full-blown outrage not only in minority communities, but in the artistic community as well. For Random Recipe, the matter—literally—hits close to home.

Montreal-based quartet Random Recipe launch their new album Kill The Hook on Oct.8. Photo Jerome Nadeau

“For most people I know 2012 was shit, you know, it was horrible,” said Frannie Holder, one of the vocalists and guitarists for the Montreal band, “The Mayans had predicted the end of the world but it was actually an end of a cycle.”

After doing close to 200 shows to promote their first album, the band was unsure of the direction in which they were headed.

“We just kind of wondered if we would do another album or not just because we’re so, so, so different. [We] have different personalities, characters and ambitions and influences and writing this album was so difficult and there was a big ball of tension in the air and in society in general,”said Holder.

In order to proceed as a group, Random Recipe allowed themselves a brief period of personal, and social reflection before heading to the studio to produce their latest work Kill The Hook, out Oct. 8. “It’s more grounded and focused and just more bold […] we knew what we were doing this time around compared to last time,” said Holder.

With a sound that is nearly impossible to classify, Random Recipe drew inspiration from almost every genre under the sun. Influences for the album ranged from The Flaming Lips to Santigold, to create a unique sound.

“It’s a mix of everything that we like at the moment. Definitely a little bit of hip-hop, a lot of pop with indie in it, indie sound, a lot of references to the ‘90s from the grunge aspect of it to the boy band aspect of it,” she said. “I’d like to say it’s like CocoRosie meets the Beastie Boys or Santigold and I don’t know, SBTRKT [pronounced Subtract].”

A self-proclaimed fan of Swedish ‘90s band Ace of Base, Holder claims that the band “was a huge influence throughout this album.”

All four members of the band have such distinct styles and personalities that it was difficult for them to reach collective decisions at times. Despite any artistic differences, the band agree on the fact that their style will never be stagnant allowing their sound to be an amalgamation of multiple genres.

Being based out of Montreal since the band’s inception back in 2007, the city has had an enormous influence on Random Recipe. “Montreal is just such an interesting city,” said Holder.

After indulging her wanderlust by venturing off to South America and Asia, travelling “really puts into perspective where Montreal fits in the whole world in a way,” she said.

“I think Montreal is just one of the most interesting, and flamboyant and effervescent cities in the world for its art and its attitude, its music scene, its restaurants, whatever, at the same time we’re just so stuck in this stupid identity discourse and we’re lost in it.”

For the past year, Montreal and Quebec as a province have been struggling with what it means to be a Quebecois. And for Holder, a Quebecois musician, feels that instead of wasting time and money trying to get rid of individual identity and culture, Holder believes we should be investing it in the education of cultural and religious tolerance and acceptance.

Since the band does not have strictly French lyrics in their songs, they are not technically eligible to receive specific government grants and funding for their art.

“It’s not Anglos versus Francos, that’s just so, so, so sad,” said Holder.

Despite recent attempts by the government to improve funding for the arts in Canada, many limitations still exist.

“It’s beautiful that they want to focus on arts, that they want to put arts ahead, they want to put culture ahead. That’s how you feel a culture, through its music, its arts, its literature, its how you feel what the province or a nation is,” said Holder.

Instead of just throwing money at the arts, the government should be finding ways to put long term plans into action.

“I’m a true believer of long time change; you can’t do anything short term.”

Having toured countless countries with the band, Holder has noticed just how universal music really can be. A performance in Iceland sticks out in the Montrealer’s mind: “You literally felt like you were on another planet,” she said. “It’s just a very intriguing and beautiful culture.”

Being a Louisiana native, Holder enjoys going back down to the U.S. to perform. Recently, Random Recipe played the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas and were completely blown away by the city. For Holder, the festival and the city were like another world of cultural and musical freedom within the more traditional, conservative Texas state lines.

Whenever she feels it will be time to hang up her guitar, Holder would love to take all of her musical knowledge and impart it on younger generations by being a high school teacher. “I really want to teach in high school one day when I’m sick of touring and being an asshole on stage,” she laughs.

Technology has allowed consumers to get their latest musical fix instantaneously with the Internet.

“Everyone has such small attention spans,” said Holder. Because of this, “music doesn’t get to live as long as it should because we are so distracted.”

With this in mind, Random Recipe will be offering their latest release Kill The Hook on vinyl as well as through electronic purchasing.

“There’s depth in it […] you’re closer to the feeling that the band really wanted to give, and you spent so much time trying to choose what sound and what EQ and what distortion and what reverb, then it just gets lost in your speakers of your stupid iMac and it has no bass and no this and no that,” she said.

Vinyl records “are an art object for a lot of people,” said Holder. “Music, for a lot of people is entertainment, it’s a distraction.” The physicality of listening to music is disappearing because of the Internet, according to Holder. Now, with the resurgence in vinyl popularity, people are starting to appreciate it again for the act, and not making it just a background sound. For Holder, “the action and the ritual of taking out a vinyl and putting it on the turn table and sitting down,” should be the action or event all on its own.

“Try to go back to when you were teens or you were kids and you loved an album. And whatever the album is, try to listen to whatever you’re listening to these days and try listening to that, in that way, with that love.”

Random Recipe will be performing Oct. 8 at Cabaret la Tulipe.

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Music

Exploring an explosive instrumental sound

This Thursday night at the Bell Centre, the lights will dim and Explosions in the Sky will unleash their “cathartic mini-symphonies” to a crowd of thousands. The Austin based four-piece will open for industrial rock veterans Nine Inch Nails along the first leg of their Tension 2013 Tour to promote their latest album. In a recent interview with The Concordian, guitarist Mark Smith shared how four young aspiring musicians came to play alongside one of the biggest names in music.

Explosions in the Sky formed in Austin, Texas, back in 1999. Chris Hrasky, the band’s drummer, is an Illinois native while the remaining three members are from Texas.

“I moved to Austin to go to the University, but had dropped out,” said Smith.

As fate would have it, Hrasky had posted up a flyer to attract musicians with “Wanted: Sad Triumphant Rock Band” printed on it in hopes of forming a band. Because of the flyer, the three musicians answered the call, came together and have been playing as a band since. With such a crucial point in their genesis based entirely on luck, Smith claims that “It’s just weird to think if he had never put up that flyer or we had never seen it…I try not to think about it.”

If he were not part of Explosions in the Sky, Smith says he would have wanted to be the general manager of a professional basketball team. “I’m fairly certain that’s what I was born to do but got side tracked by music,” jokes Smith.

Being an almost purely instrumental band, Explosions in the Sky drew on a long list of musical influences including Metallica, Fugazi, Pavement -the creators of Smith’s favourite album, Slanted and Enchanted-, Jawbreaker, and The Cure, to churn out their first album, How Strange, Innocence, in 2000. “In the early years, it seemed like we wrote at a pretty ferocious pace, like it was just pouring out of us. We had found a sound and were just feverishly trying to develop it and explore it. Not to mention we were renting practice spaces by the hour,”said Smith. “We’ve never taken more than two weeks to record an album,” he added.

After being together for only a year, the band was already feverishly working on their second album, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever and it was clear to them that they had put together something special. The four members tattooed the angel depicted on their second album cover onto each of their left wrists. “It really solidified how serious we were. We’ve always referred to them as our wedding rings,” said Smith.

Having created the original score for the recent David Gordon Green film Prince Avalanche starring Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch, the band has been increasingly busy.While not new to scoring screen productions—having filled out most of the soundtrack for the TV series Friday Night Lights—this venture is a different beast from traditional album composition. The band had composed a song for Green’s previous film Snow Angel and with Green currently living in Austin, the matchup seemed like a natural fit.

While artist and director at times do not see eye to eye in scoring films, Smith stated,“this was kind of a dream project in that it just went extremely smoothly and we all ended up happy.” While the 15 song soundtrack is well composed, do not expect to hear any of the band’s newest material on stage.“We only get 40 minutes for our sets on these tours, so we’ll be playing four or five songs from our albums every night.” However, these songs might one day be played live: “I don’t think it’s out of the question that we’ll play a song from the movie the next time we do our own tour.”

As for their current tour with headliner Nine Inch Nails, Smith and the rest of the band are not feeling overly nervous about playing before such  large crowds. “We’ve been doing it long enough that we have confidence in what we’re doing,” Smith asserts. He added that even if the show goes south, their goal is only to “do our thing and hopefully it sparks something in some people.” While the band have been fans of Nine Inch Nails since their 1989 release Pretty Hate Machine, none of the members had previously ever seen the band live in concert.

Despite recording movie soundtracks and their ever expanding tour lineup, the band have not lost their sense of wonder and of humour. When asked what type of animal he would most likely be, Smith answered that he had once looked in the mirror and “thought (he) was a wolf”.

Explosions in the Sky open at the Bell Centre Oct.3 for Nine Inch Nails.

 

 

photo caption: Instrumental rock band Explosions in the Sky perform with Nine Inch Nails on the “Tension 2013” Tour.

 

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The Dodos celebrate life and loss on their new album

Press

The Dodo bird might be long extinct, but these guys are certainly not. Indie-rock duo The Dodos are here, happening, and have even sprouted some wings and taken flight to promote their new album Carrier. They’ve laid out some new songs that are brilliantly smooth, and even slightly exotic.

Meric Long’s exultant pop vocals and guitar picking are punctuated by Logan Kroeber’s kicking up-rhythms and fluid bass with lots of rim shots. The unfolding of any track on the album does not nest in one distinct sound, but will saunter from powerful pop, to sharp rock, and will often exit with dreamlike guitar melodies.

The key to The Dodos’ sound is in their rhythm, which flies out of your stereo so quick and sweet you hardly notice how often you’ve pressed repeat. “It’s a rhythm-driven music, that’s the distinct feature about a Dodos’ song,” said Long.

Long cites inspiration from dipping into the study of West African Ewe drumming and acoustic blues guitar. “Both broke down my understanding of rhythm. For a Western pop-culture suburban kid, they completely flipped my world, how I understood rhythm, and how I heard it,” said Long.

The musician’s unique ear for jolting out odd-tempo guitar riffs shapes the band’s songs in an inimitable way. “In the beginning guitar part of our song “Good”, most people would clap their hands in a different spot than where I’m hearing where the hand clapping should be,” he said. This still applies for those joining the band as touring members. Long explains how “there’s always this weird learning curve. There are certain things about learning our songs that they get twisted about and it’s always this sense of rhythm.”

Their distinct cadence is heard on Carrier, their fifth album released last month under Dine Alone Records. Carrier is an album fueled by the life and passing of former Dodos’ touring guitarist Christopher Reimer in February 2012. The album is both an accolade to the character and talent of their friend, and a medium for revitalizing what techniques and new sounds Long learned from Reimer, or the material Long had been eager to show him.

“[Reimer] was an awesome dude and an amazing musician. His influence would have been on the record whether he passed away or not. I wanted to write guitar parts and lyrics that he would be stoked on. “

Long and Reimer were brought together partially because of how distinctly different both musicians are in songwriting and guitar playing. It was Reimer’s ability to mimic styles and create a fierce wall of sound that complemented Long’s staccato chord playing and picking. Long was motivated to approach music from a new angle, greatly prompted by Reimer’s feel for music.

“Carrier feels like a step forward. I think in the past I started to develop habits or expectations of what I thought a Dodos song should be. Coming at it from a different angle was a way of getting more connected to it. The song is dictating what gets decided rather than expectations or habits or identity.”

Long focused on writing songs for Carrier by beginning with new elements, like starting with just words. This was a way of “feeling more connected to the song. Writing lyrics that I stand by and that actually mean something; I didn’t want to cut corners. I needed to tackle the things that I want to improve upon, or feel good about.”

The lyrics resulting from the band’s new musical approach and experience with hard-hitting tragedies are appropriately powerful, without delving too deeply into woefulness. The song “Confidence” begins with soft strumming and vocals, and eventually grows into a powerful electric chant of “Who has it all/ has nothing!”

“Confidence” is a mellow song from musicians who’ve been doing this for a while — they’ve shed the party-frenzied touring band persona as they head off on a jam-packed tour this fall.  Long no longer misbehaves like he did as a child, which then would have been followed by his mother telling him in French to “fait dodo” — go to sleep — words that would later inspire the band’s name. “She would either say that or say something in Chinese when I’d misbehave,” he added.

The San Francisco duo return to Montreal for this year’s edition of POP Montreal and recall fondly their time here in the city several years ago. “Everyone was super nice and super attractive. It seemed like Montreal was this paradise of really friendly, beautiful people,” said Long,  “J’espère que vous venez à notre concert!”

The Dodos play Sala Rossa Thursday, Sept. 26.

photo caption: The Dodos will be performing at this year’s edition of POP Montreal to promote their latest album Carrier.

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Music

Sampling the psychedelic 70s

Photo by Eliza Sohn.

Don’t let the charming decadence of the name Lilacs & Champagne seduce you into thinking that tuning in will be an easy listening experience – on the contrary, indulging in the sample-heavy duo’s product provides the listener with some of the dankest, impurest stuff on the market today.

Lilacs & Champagne play Il Motore on Sept. 17. Photo by Eliza Sohn.

“The friendliness of the name helped sell us on it, because that’s kind of what its not,” said Emil Amos, partner in crime of Alex Hall, who comprise the duo. “It’s trying to slip a pill into your drink – you’re drinking this saccharine thing, but there’s an insidious drug waiting behind it.”

Sure as shooting, Lilacs & Champagne tries – and succeeds – to crawl under your skin and stay there. Both their self-titled debut album as well as Danish & Blue, which dropped this past April, serve up the unlikely atmospheric mix of the sinister and the playful, which manage to coexist perfectly under the umbrella of influence that is ‘70s rock and psychedelica.

Harking back to the past and paying homage to its vibe, whether it be via their samples dating back decades or the availability of their albums as LP’s, is the group’s joie de vivre.

“You could say it’s almost a device,” said Amos. “Unfortunately, in the end of the ‘70s, when analog equipment was at its very height and records had never sounded as beautiful as they did, digital technology came in and destroyed this incredible language – this totally amazing, intricate, mysterious language that human beings had written and sculpted.”

In order to artfully resurrect what Lilacs & Champagne regard as a period of auditory mastery, Amos and Hall regularly make a sport of digging through record shop stock, looking for “the most embarrassing pieces of music that people have made in the last century, where they accidentally show a piece of their soul that they didn’t even understand they were revealing.”

These hand-picked samples then become both the sculptor and the sculpture itself as they are delicately worked into each and every track. Much like the limitations imposed by preconceived notions of what sounds good on piano, guitar, and drums in a regular recording environment, sample-based records dictate an entirely new cocktail of limitations that an artist must accommodate.

 “A lot of people assume it’s easier working with samples, but it’s that much harder to defy the initial purpose of what the sample was trying to do,” said Amos. “Trying to build smaller clips into a new tapestry and iron them out into a cohesive composition could very well take you more time than writing something on guitar and bashing it out.”

The resulting content is as impure as it is soothing, and as eerie as it is rewarding to figure out for yourself. From the unfamiliar sounds of obscure Scandinavian pornography, underground films from their preferred era, and the twangy, seductive remains of what may have once been a Bollywood track, samples make up the skeletal structure of Lilacs & Champagne.

 “It’s an attempt to recapture the spookiness that music can convey, the particular kinds of experiences that you’ve had in the past,” said Amos. “That music that you heard wafting out of your uncle’s porn den when you were a kid that was so soft and so cheesy, or the music that your neighbour was ODing to next door. We’re trying to reclaim these things you thought were scarring, strange, and slightly insidious. You have to go to the ‘70s for that feeling.”

 Revisiting fuzzy, dreamy memories of yore and throwing them back in everyone’s face decades later is Lilacs & Champagne’s way of gently nudging the modern music world towards a curiously surreal, oddly dreamlike time – and jogging willing listeners’ minds while they’re at it.

“We’re trying to create a discomfort in that little area where darkness and sense of humour meet in the middle,” said Amos, “and make it weirdly fun to listen to so that you want to hear it again and again.”

Lilacs & Champagne play Il Motore on Sept. 17.

 

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Auresia leaves no musical genre untouched

Press photo

For some artists finding the inspiration for new music is like trying to find a needle in a pile of needles. For Montreal-based musician Auresia, it’s as simple as stepping out the front door in the morning.

Auresia plays Club Espagnol de Quebec on Tuesday, Sept. 3 and l’Artère on Saturday, Sept. 28. Press photo

The Edmonton native moved to Montreal almost a decade ago after having visited the city just once before. “I travelled [to] here when I was 17 and completely fell in love with the city,” said Auresia. “I just felt at home instantly,” she added.

Since her self-titled debut album in 2008, Auresia has continuously indulged her sense of wanderlust. She has travelled extensively through North, Central and South America, absorbing all the diverse cultures along the way to create a sound that is not easily classifiable, however a fateful trip to California’s Reggae on the River festival prompted a stronger reggae influence in her music.

“I was just so happy. I danced for three days straight and I don’t even remember sleeping much,” said Auresia. “It was a turning point; it changed my life.”

As a result, her first album garnered much attention from the international music community, and even earned her nominations at the Indie Awards as well as the Canadian Reggae Music Awards. Auresia drew heavily from roots music and reggae and described the album as having “an old school feel and sound.”

For her upcoming album Risin’, out Sept. 3, the singer-songwriter explored new musical territory and drew inspiration not only from her travels, but from her own city as well. “Being around all the different cultures has definitely inspired me,” she said of Montreal. It is evident from the album’s first single “High”, that Auresia created a sound that is as unique and diverse as the city she lives in.

“This time around I just really wanted to express all the music that’s influenced me,” she said. “I wanted to express my whole self in this album. I really love folk music and strong melodies so it’s kind of a mix of all these styles and flavours like reggae, pop, salsa, dancehall, R&B, even some elements of flamenco, reggaeton and rock,” she added.

To add to the plethora of genres in the album, Auresia drew from her own cultural heritage as well. “I was actually born in the Ukraine and moved to Canada when I was a baby,” she said. “I grew up with a lot of Ukrainian music where there’s a lot of strong melodies, a lot of strong harmonies and I think it carried through to my album,” she added.

When she’s not busy touring or recording, Auresia seeks out the simple pleasures the city has to offer. “I hang out with my friends, have sangria, go to the park and walk on the mountain,” she said, referring to Mount Royal. Despite her busy schedule, Auresia tries to get out to the mountain several times a week. “It feels so good to just get out of the hussle-bussle even if for half an hour,” she said.

With most of her family still living back in Edmonton, she tries to get back out West as often as she can; the ambitious musician revels in the time she gets to spend with her family.  Despite her eternal fondness for her hometown, Auresia’s heart belongs to Montreal. “There’s no place like Montreal, and I’ve travelled a lot,” she laughs.

With no signs of slowing down, Auresia could not be more excited for the release of her upcoming album Risin’. It is a unique amalgamation of all the musical styles she’s encountered throughout her travels and carries an overarching empowering message. “Fuel up on love. It’s all about finding your power, your core, your energy,” she said. “This album is the evolution of my growth as a woman, and as a human being.”

Auresia plays Club Espagnol de Quebec on Tuesday, Sept. 3 and l’Artère on Saturday, Sept. 28.

 

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Music

Playing in two worlds

SISU plays Société des Arts Technologiques with Dirty Beaches Wednesday Sept. 4. Press photo

Dum Dum Girls’ drummer, Sandra “Sandy Beaches” Vu, has stepped out from behind the drums and shed the noise-pop band’s persona, as well as their signature ripped nylon and black leather look. Now fronting her own band, SISU, the musician described this transition as “a feeling of utter nakedness” as she stood before a crowd with only her voice and guitar.

SISU plays Société des Arts Technologiques with Dirty Beaches Wednesday Sept. 4. Press photo

“For SISU, I consider it more of a personal project and it’s very honest,” she explained. “I don’t have a set uniform, or a kind of look that Dum Dum Girls has where it’s a set aesthetic. SISU’s aesthetic is more loose and more me – exposed.”

SISU’s sound hovers in limbo over many genres like synth, shoegaze, electronic and dream without treading too deeply into any one. The band’s sound is “able to exist in that space [between subgenres] and have both exist at the same time.” A strong bass melody supports each diverse song, while a mix of light synth, guitar, and Vu’s dream-like voice work to build the shoegaze sound the frontwoman described as being “a wall of sound: maximum sound.”

The shoegaze subgenre can be heard in bands like My Bloody Valentine which acted as an influence on SISU’s sound. Others include Silver Apples, Vashti Bunyan, Serge Gainsbourg and DJ Shadow.

Before starting SISU and joining the Dum Dum Girls, which launched Vu into a whole other adventure, the songwriter found herself at a dead end when her former band Midnight Movies broke up.

“It was like not really knowing what was going on with my life in general. Just imagine putting all your eggs in one basket, that’s kind of what I did at the time. I was having an identity crisis but I just took the time to myself. I started writing, not even with the goal of starting a band, I just wrote for myself. Having decided to really pursue it as a band, it really did take a lot of work to get to where I am now,” she said.

The workload continues to follow Vu as she highlights her struggle to perform as the vocalist for SISU, then rush to do a quick costume change and to resume her role as the noise/dream pop group’s feisty drummer.

“Playing drums, you’re usually in the back but I definitely don’t undervalue playing drums. SISU is more responsibility in the front, scarier because I’m not hiding behind anything or sitting down. It’s more difficult, but it’s more rewarding because it’s difficult. There’s way more responsibility, which can be more fun,” she said.

Nevertheless, being in both bands isn’t all work. Vu recounted a moment backstage at a European music festival, where “we were waiting for the Stone Roses to go on. We were all dorking-out’ and listening to them do their warm up with our ears to the wall.”

As for their name, the band had originally thought they’d come up with the word SISU but after a quick Google search, the word was discovered to have a very strong meaning associated with it. SISU is a Finnish term and means bravery, empowerment, and the ability to face head-on and overcome. The significance of the word worked so appropriately in the context of Vu’s moments of uneasiness between bands and her drive to step out from behind the comfortable cage of the drum-set to the front of the stage.

“Harpoons,” the first single off their debut album Blood Tears, which will be released on Sept. 17, kickstarts the album with its catchy rock/pop tune, heavy bass drum and fleeting synth melodies. Vu explains how the song is about sometimes “having to kind of kill part of yourself in order to move on and in order to grow.”

She continues to write songs in the tour van when she’s not feeling too queasy and plays two very different roles.

“From guitar to drums, I can just switch personalities,” she says. And with just a costume change in between.

SISU plays Société des Arts Technologiques with Dirty Beaches Wednesday Sept. 4.

 

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Music

Upcoming albums – Fall 2013

Fall 2013 has quite a few surprises in store for audiophiles this year. Amid the over-hyped releases by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, you’ll find quite a few under-publicized gems worth checking out.
1. AM – Arctic Monkeys
The Sheffield city quartet has come out with a new sound that old fans will either love or hate. Their first single off AM, “Do I Wanna Know?” about an unrequited love is impossible to resist. Lead singer Alex Turner’s vocals paired with Matt Helders’ drums – nicknamed the Rhythm Panther – make for an unforgettable fall hit that will leave you breathless. The follow-up single titled “Why Do You Only Call Me When You’re High?” is less about romance and more about lust but manages to deliver with an unexpectedly funky and hypnotic chorus. The rest of the album comes out on Sept. 9.
2. AHJ – Albert Hammond Jr.
Albert Hammond Jr, best known as the guitarist for the Strokes, is releasing his third solo album on his bandmate Julian Casablancas’ label Cult Records on Oct. 8. It is often said that quality trumps quantity and this is certainly the case with AHJ. With only five tracks on the album, Hammond Jr. gives it his all with songs such as “Carnal Cruise” and “Rude Customer.” Although a single has yet to be released, the fact that the album was produced by Gus Oberg, who has previously worked with The Strokes, should provide a clue as to what the songs will sound like.
3. MGMT – MGMT
The New York electronic duo is about to release their self-titled third album MGMT. “Your Life is a Lie” is the only song that has been released so far, and it is exactly the psychedelic other-worldly jam you would expect from them. With a loud cowbell clashing throughout, their single hints at the direction of the rest of the album. Andrew VanWyngarden and Benjamin Goldwasser have not strayed too far from their roots with MGMT and fans of their previous albums will not be disappointed on Sept. 17.
4.The Bones of What You Believe – CHVRCHES
Pronounced “Churches,” this Glasgow band is releasing their first album The Bones of What You Believe on Sept. 23. In “Gun,” lead singer Lauren Mayberry’s sugary sweet voice is laid over synthetic-heavy beats, making this song an original and an exciting listen. “Lies” packs a heavier punch but both songs are equally worth listening to. CHVRCHES is set to explode on the alternative music stage so grab your copies as soon as you can.
5. Days are Gone – Haim
Haim is relatively new to the game, with their first album Days are Gone coming out Sept. 27. Made up of three sisters from L.A, they have drawn inevitable comparisons to Fleetwood Mac, due to their folksy sound and flowing hair. If Stevie Nicks is not necessarily your cup of tea, do not be deterred because these girls are one-of-a-kind. The buzz surrounding their debut album should be more than enough to pique your interest. Their songs range from pop hits to more mellow tunes but they always provide a more than danceable beat.

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Music

Efterklang breathes new life into an old ghost town

Photo by Ramsus Weng Karlsen
Photo by Ramsus Weng Karlsen

It’s safe to say that Efterklang is the only band that eats instant oatmeal in the morning and then travels to an abandoned Russian coal mining town, all while wondering if they should have brought a shotgun along to protect themselves against the polar bears in the area.

The band is from Copenhagen and since forming in 2000, they’ve been mixing a unique cocktail of sound by drawing from a bunch of different genres. These include indie rock, pop, classical and electronic, with hints of soul music thrown in for good measure.

When it came to creating their new album Piramida, hanging around the cobblestone streets of Europe wasn’t enough to tickle their sense of inspiration. The band members were approached by Danish director Andreas Koefoed and shown photographs of a ‘ghost town’ on the island of Svalbard in Norway.

“We were mesmerized and instantly knew it had to be that location,” said bassist Rasmus Stolberg. Fifteen years ago, the coal mining community called Piramida was hurriedly abandoned by its 1,000 inhabitants. All the buildings and equipment are still standing and the health hazards associated with the decaying town didn’t stop Efterklang from using the area as their own personal playground of sound.

Andreas Koefoed filmed the men for a movie they made about their experience in Piramida as they experimented with new sounds – stomping, banging and yelling in different locations in the dangerous area.

Lead Vocalist Casper Clausen is shown climbing into a narrow pipe and landing in an eight-meter-high empty gasoline tank. He begins to sing and project his voice to the small opening at the top of the tank; the ensuing sound is appropriately chilling. The band was especially fascinated by new mediums they could find on the island that could introduce “several notes with different pitches,” said Stolberg. Most of the album was recorded on the island and the sounds they created can’t be found in a typical recording studio.

The ghost town also offered the band a new atmosphere and feeling which they were able to capture and translate into music. The men were overwhelmed by the sensation that people didn’t belong on the island. By looking around at the lifeless buildings, “you realize how young our species is and how incredibly old and powerful our planet is.”

The area also holds the most Northern piano in the world. Once used by the Piramida inhabitants for concerts, the grand piano still remains in one of the rooms of the town. Upon hearing this, Stolberg remarked on how being able to see and play this piano excited his boyish sense of adventure.

For the premiere of Piramida, the band was accompanied by an orchestra of 50 people at the Sydney Opera House building, designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon. The band members barely slept between rehearsals for a month before the premiere; the resulting show was an experience that “was simply incredible,” Stolberg said.

During the first performance of their song “Ghosts”, the men had massive grins on their faces as the orchestra slowly built the foundation of the song. As the song progressed and Clausen gently jumped in with his unique voice, the band began to feel a sense of “community and focus [with] everyone present in the room.”

Clausen referred to these moments as being “magical,” and Stolberg described how he was overcome with the sensation that “time and energy flows differently.” The band was brought back to their time spent in Piramida as they revisited the sounds and lyrics inspired by the ethereal area.

With one listen of the album, you can hear Efterklang overturning all the boundaries placed on sound and bringing to life the ghostly feel of the abandoned town of Piramida.

 

Efterklang plays Il Motore with Nightlands on Friday, March 22 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.

 

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Student Life

Arti Gogna celebrates feminine curves on the runway

Her collection features an array of gowns in blues, greens, beiges, and reds in lace, chiffon and brocade.

In a city that houses approximately three million people, few have been given the gift of design; fewer are given the chance to explore it. Born and bred in Montreal, fashion designer Arti Gogna is one of the chosen few.

During her second year in the fashion design program at LaSalle College, Gogna put on a fashion show where one of her teachers attended.

“He really liked one of my skirts. He worked at ELLE Québec at the time and said that it would be perfect to feature in the magazine.

The Arti Gogna collection features an array of gowns in blues, greens, beiges, and reds in lace, chiffon and brocade. (Arti Gogna press photo)

That’s what triggered it,” said Gogna. “I knew that this was my calling, it’s what I’m meant to do for the rest of my life.”

Five years later, on Feb. 22, I found myself at Espaces des Arts waiting for the launch of the Arti Gogna summer 2013 collection to begin.

As people filled the room, wine glasses started to clink and the lights began to dim to signal the start of show. The first model strutted onto the runway in a beautiful lace and chiffon peek-a-boo turquoise and lime dress.

“This is the first time I work with chiffon, I’m really experimenting with it and so far I’ve gotten a good response,” explained Gogna. “I’ll be using it for the next collection as well.”

Her collection features an array of gowns in blues, greens, beiges, and reds in lace, chiffon and brocade. Each dress possesses a unique trait that’ll suit any occasion. My favourite look was a turquoise asymmetrical gown with a chiffon bunched-up skirt and a high-cut lace patterned top.

“My designs are glamorous yet practical. I want women to wear my dresses and feel comfortable but still look sexy. We [women] have curves and my fabrics compliment them. They’re tight and fitted but accentuate the female shape,” she said.

As the show came to a close, the last model rocked the catwalk in a form-fitting crimson red silk sweetheart cocktail dress with a black tiered lace peplum skirt.

Gogna’s collection is currently sold at both 1861 store locations as well as on her website.

“I walked into Razberry [1861’s sister store] one day and just thought that my dresses would look great in the store so I asked to speak to the owner. I showed her my samples and she liked what she saw and that was that, they’ve been carrying my garments ever since,” said the designer. “I was lucky. Most aspiring designers aren’t given that opportunity which is why I always tell people to fall in love with what they believe in. If you do that, you’ll always succeed.”

After a trip to India during the holidays, she admits that her perspective on life changed. “Everyone is so free there. They’re just in a different and better state of mind. It has inspired me to do the same.”

Her upcoming collection will showcase that newfound sense of freedom that was triggered in her native land.

When it comes to the fashion industry, Gogna admires anyone who strives for originality. Her newest obsession is Indian-born, American fashion designer Naeem Khan. With his elaborate patterns and accents, first lady Michelle Obama can’t even help but indulge.

Before expanding her eponymous brand to the United States, Gogna would like to establish herself in Montreal.

“This is my home, I can’t fathom leaving Montreal without really getting my name out there,” she said.

After such a successful show, there’s no denying her potential to expand and succeed across the border.

 

To purchase any pieces from the Arti Gogna summer collection, visit http://artigogna.myshopify.com/.

Simply want to browse around? Have a look at http://www.artigogna.com/summer2013.htm.

 

 

 

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Music

Wake Island is as organic and raw as they come

Wake Island plays Casa Del Popolo on Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10. (Press)

Peeking out of the ocean, sitting almost directly at the mid-point between Asia and North America, is a spec on the map called Wake Island.

In a “moment of despair” while aimlessly traveling the globe via Google Maps in search of inspiration for a new band name, guitarist

Wake Island plays Casa Del Popolo on Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10. (Press)

Nadim Maghzal happened upon the tiny landmass, deeming it worthy of becoming the group’s namesake. Symbolically, it was too perfect to leave behind.

Wake Island’s roots are split between Lebanon, Canada, and the U.S., making for a cultural soup of epic proportions. With vocalist Philippe Menasseh and Maghzal hailing from the East, bassist Derek Koziol from America, and drummer Evan Tighe from Canada, finding musical common ground was an ongoing challenge at the start of Intensive Care – the project that preceded Wake Island, with Jonathan Parsons on drums at the time.

“When we started writing music, it was all over the place, and that’s natural,” said Maghzal. “Everyone was trying to put in their own idea of what was cool and what was not. Being from such different cultural points, obviously, the result was a mess.”

Having spent the first 18 years of their lives in Lebanon, Maghzal and Menasseh were exposed almost exclusively to Britpop and European rock and roll, given the prevalence of MTV Europe as opposed to its Western counterpart. When those foreign influences paired with the other members’ backgrounds from the North American music scene, the result was friction and vexation.

“Those were the hard years,” said Maghzal, giving a nod to the days of Intensive Care. “Everything was difficult, from booking a show to writing a song. There was always head-butting. Everyone was so sensitive. Everything we said had to be calculated not to offend anyone.”

With the progression of time came closeness between the bandmates, newfound understandings, a new drummer, and the identity shift from Intensive Care to Wake Island. In the wake of Tighe’s induction, the band spent five months in the studio on hiatus from recording. Instead, they were jamming, finding their footing and establishing a cohesive sound.

“The word is compromise. That’s how you get closer to people,” explained Maghzal. “I love being wrong. It means that I’ve learned something.”

Thanks to its motley origins, Wake Island is naturally able to transcend and breathe new life into the often hackneyed sound of indie rock.

“We always have an outsider’s perspective,” he said. “We see [music] with fresh eyes – we’ve acquired this culture [by moving to Montreal], but we never make an effort to fit any mold. Everything we make, including the music, we’ve never made compromises to make the music sound like what it ‘should’ sound like.”

Regardless of the group’s detached perspective, their willingness to stay true to the ideologies behind the genre remains intact.

“Typical indie rock is this whole idea of doing everything yourself,” said Maghzal.

Currently putting out a record – It Takes Time to be Uncomfortable is being released on Feb. 16 – the band is taking care of all preparations, from hand-making the tickets, stickers and T-shirt designs to booking shows and manning the website. The organic, hands-on mentality that Wake Island has gladly adopted is not unique to indie rock, Maghzal noted, but a characteristic of rock music that has been prevalent since its inception.

“This genre has constantly kept defying its own classification,” he said. “There have been generations of musicians – if you listen to rock in the ’00s, its different than the ’90s, and the ’80s. It’s all rock: it’s the idea of, ‘We’re fucking unhappy with this, that’s shit, we’re going to do this instead’. I think all good rock bands are driven by this attitude: the do-what-you want, do-it-yourself attitude.”

It Takes Time to be Uncomfortable aims to reflect the volatile period that Wake Island worked through in its initial stages.

“If you don’t put yourself in an uncomfortable situation where there’s tension, you never learn,” said Maghzal. “There’s never any sense of reward. You never progress, you just stay where you are.”

Immersed in conversation touching on familiar ideas of discomfort while on tour in Koziol’s native Boston, the bandmates came across an old photo of him as a child while visiting his house.

“When we saw the picture, we were like, ‘This is the album cover, this makes total sense’,” said Maghzal. “You have a kid who’s clearly a kid from the ’80s or ’90s, where he had this promise that he was going to live in a serene world where everything was going to be nice and perfect.”

Enter the concept of discomfort. Nowadays, he explained, people are overwhelmed and confused, much unlike the idealistic vision of the future that people had at the time when the photo was taken. “That picture represented this illusion that people in [that era] had that the future was a place that would be better. We ask ourselves, is it really better, and how can life be improved? How can we fix things?”

Reflecting upon the trials and tribulations that riddled Wake Island’s past and drinking in present-day homegrown success, Maghzal is able to sum up his feelings in one simple phrase: “Wow. We made it.”

Wake Island plays Casa Del Popolo on Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Categories
Music

All Time Low reaching a high point

All Time Low plays Metropolis with Yellowcard on Wednesday, Jan. 16. Press photo

High school bands are common enough, but how often do they become household names? For All Time Low, that’s exactly what happened through ambition, talent and the love of music.

All Time Low plays Metropolis with Yellowcard on Wednesday, Jan. 16. Press photo.

Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Rian Dawson and Zack Merrick were still in high school when they established All Time Low in 2003. The pop-punk band started off covering songs, but progressed quickly – by their senior year, they were signed with Hopeless Records and had released their first studio album, The Party Scene.

In the 10 years since their founding, the band has been thriving: they tour almost constantly, and their fifth studio album, Don’t Panic, was released in October.

“This band has never really slowed down,” said Gaskarth, the band’s vocalist and rhythm guitarist. “We’re always shooting those new goals that we set for ourselves.”

As anyone with siblings or roommates knows, being with the same people for an extended period of time can create conflict regardless of how close you are. For these rockers, however, that’s never been a problem.

“We’re a band that functions primarily by being on the road and playing for our fans, so it’s easy to handle because it’s such a big part of what drives us,” said Gaskarth. “We grow every time we go on the road, and we get enough time off that we keep our sanity.”

Sanity-saving or not, time off doesn’t seem to be as essential to All Time Low as staying true to their roots. Their fourth album, Dirty Work, was produced by Interscope Records, and the experience wasn’t something the band wanted to define their work.

“There were a lot of cooks in the kitchen,” said Gaskarth. “People were giving suggestions where suggestions weren’t really needed. It made for a disjointed experience.”

After splitting with Interscope and heading back to Hopeless Records, they were determined to produce their next album their way. Gaskarth’s pride in the band’s integrity was palpable as he described the process of how their latest music came to be.

“We really prefer the approach we took with Don’t Panic – writing the album free of analysis from outsiders, working on it with one producer and not losing touch with what the album’s supposed to be,” he said. “The key point was getting back to the basics and making a true All Time Low record. It was the story that needed to be told about the band. There was definitely a moment when we could have been defeated, and we didn’t let it stop us.”

Their sense of loyalty isn’t limited to their band, though. They’ve also developed a strong relationship with their fans.

“The big thing for us is to really encourage people to be themselves and believe in who they are,” said Gaskarth. “We’ve been exposed to a lot of people who feel different or cast out, and a big message in this band is to know that you’re not alone and things will improve.”

With the new year in full swing, All Time Low is looking towards the future.

“We want to step up the live show in 2013. A big part of it will be playing the new albums and putting emphasis on songs that we haven’t focused on in the past – giving people that have seen us before something new.”

They also want to cover the world again – their music has spread as far as Southeast Asia, South America and Europe.

“Besides that,” said Gaskarth, “we want to put out something new that we can surprise people with. As long as people are there to listen, we’re going to keep making music.”

 

All Time Low plays Metropolis with Yellowcard on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $31.70.

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Music

A band that loves to play together, stays together

Good Old War - Press photo
Good Old War – Press photo

Founded in 2008 in Philadelphia, Good Old War members Keith Goodwin, Daniel Schwartz and Tim Arnold have already released three albums of very listenable indie-folk.

The term ‘listenable’ is often associated with the latest top 40 hits, but in this case it is a positive thing. Lead vocalist Schwartz’s clear, clean voice combined with a soft blend of guitar, accordion and keys produces the kind of music you can listen to anywhere, anytime.

It is hard to pinpoint what secret ingredient gives their music this kind of feel because there isn’t one instrument or sound that stands out. Their music is more of an amalgamation of sounds that work together to create a warm and consistently pleasant feeling.

“The kind of music we play doesn’t really have a genre,” said Schwartz. “We came from a desire to have a kind of positivity and enjoyment in our playing.”

And if you needed anything else to complete their resemblance to some of the great folk trios, Good Old War uses three-part harmonies in almost all their songs.

“When we started, we based ourselves off of mostly vocal bands like Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Kinks and the Zombies,” said Schwartz.

Good Old War has been on tour since the March 2012 release of their third album, Come Back As Rain.

“We’ve already played over 200 shows this year,” said Schwartz. “Sometimes it’s a little tiring because you don’t get any personal time whatsoever, but even when it’s at its worst, we’re happy to be here playing music.”

Before flying to Vancouver at the end of October, Good Old War was on tour with American rock band NEEDTOBREATHE.

“Every tour has it’s own feel because the fans are all different,” said Schwartz. “So far it’s been a totally different vibe with Xavier [Rudd]. The venues are a little smaller, but we like playing in giant places and tiny places. That and Canadian audiences are so much more polite.” Good Old War became good friends with Rudd when they played together in 2010.

And what should you expect if you choose to buy tickets to their Dec. 7 show at Metropolis? You can expect three very talented musicians who will play their hearts out.

“One thing people say all the time is that they can see how much fun we have on stage,” said Schwartz. “It’s not about, ‘Hey watch us,’ when we’re on stage. It’s about being together, singing together and being happy together. We always hope that the crowd will join in and sing along.”

It is the first time Good Old War will be performing in Montreal. It also happens to be the last city on this Canadian tour and potentially the last show for a while.

“We’re taking time off after this tour to work on the next album,” said Schwartz. So, if you need some encouragement for exams or just feel like absorbing some good vibes, give Good Old War a proper Montreal welcome when they come to Metropolis.

 

Good Old War plays Metropolis with Xavier Rudd on Friday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $37 to $41.70.

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