White Rabbits - Percussion Gun

perfect for magic tricks

It's about time to just go back to some good old-fashioned song-postin' fun. "Percussion Gun" by White Rabbits is something that combines a lot of different styles and a few different sounds that I'm a huge fan of. Much of my indie listening is influenced by what I liked early on tuning in to Indie 103.1, a station around Orange County, California that conveniently pops up on iTunes Radio.

"Percussion Gun" to me screams the kind of indie that station plays cuts of, and even more specifically, it has the local feel of the LA-alt-rock scene: a sound mined by the likes of the Smashing Pumpkins, Silversun Pickups, and even lesser-known groups like Darker My Love. When I heard "Percussion Gun" a few weeks ago, it sounded familiar. Now, I don't know if it's the fact I'd heard it on Indie 103.1 before, or if its LA-centric sound was just that strong.  However, the singer's voice echoes the impassioned and throaty shouts of groups like The Walkmen and The Rapture, groups more associated with the New York scene. Either way, there's a darkish tone to the song that doesn't really get fleshed out - and to pleasing results.

White Rabbits - Percussion Gun

The track could've been a sombre stroll through melancholy, but the steady strum of the bass, the gaudy piano stabs, and the glintzy guitar work jazz up your regular kiss-off tune. Add in the slightest sliver of a backing choir, and "Percussion Gun" really has everything going for it, as well as going on in it. But above all, it's the lead singer's delivery that really grabs the spotlight; he's standoffish without being specifically mean-spirited - even starting the song off with "Feel Good Inc."-reminiscent laughter - and the strains of "and iiiiiiii know/which way you run, you're a child my love/I feel the same" bely a sense of empathy for whomever the track's directed at.

There's a lot going on in this song, and multiple listens only help to understand and appreciate one of the better tunes this year.

I've immigrated

it was tough, but I made it safe

I moved the blog's address to www.ialreadytookthat.blogspot.com. It's easier to spell, more digestable...and whatsnottakenyet was already taken, so go figure. I also did it because I might have a chance to get on to hypem if I post actively enough. Dunno if it's gonna affect anything existing on the blog already, but I don't think it should. Cheers.

untitled (?)

el marqo de questiano

I'm writing this as I take my first listen to track 5 from Wolf Eyes & Black Dice's self-titled album. Two things off the bat: every one of the seven songs on this LP is titled "Untitled," with two of the tracks having "(rough mix)" attached to their non-names; secondly, Wolf Eyes and Black Dice are two separate noise bands who came together halfway through this decade to craft what some believe is the best noise compilation yet.

I've always been interested in noise rock, but not necessarily noise. Even as open-minded as I am, I'll admit I find it quite challenging to listen to, and although there's some variations I enjoy, they tend to be the more upbeat and - dare I say - conventional-sounding compositions. An example here, from the above-mentioned Black Dice:

Black Dice - Glazin'

You see? There's weird noises; blips, scratches, slides, abrupt snippets of real instruments, electro clashes and the chugging backbeat of leathery scale upon leathery scale of...noise. But there's that bouncy element of fun and light-heartedness overshadowing all of that, and I find that's what's really lacking from the Wolf Eyes & Black Dice album. So then, a few particular things I wanted to touch on concerning the Wolf Eyes and Black Dice combination:

1.) It sounds like Halloween. That's right. If you wanted to soundtrack one of those creepy displays the odd person sets up outside their house for that one all-unholy day of the year, there'd be nothing better to throw on than the otherworldy electronic grumblings of this album. 10 minutes into this 15:13 epic that is track 5, there's that perfect balance of old, creaky swingset and percussion tapped just lightly enough, just menacingly enough, that it would scare away any child even considering a candy grab from the front porch.

2.) Like I said, every track is untitled. Now this makes for a really, really interesting activity that it's a real shame more groups haven't thought of in this wholly-technological age, when everyone and their aunt has an iPod and iTunes. You can name the songs whatever the hell you want. I'm aware some bands do gimmicks like this once in a while, but an entire album? It's genius. So right from the start, I loaded the songs into my iTunes, and decided to name each one what I thought was most appropriate as I listened to it. Kind of like that game where you say the first thing that pops in your head when someone else says something. But with music. My results?

You can see there wasn't exactly Fall Out Boy-song-title-level thinking put into this. It's just what those songs sounded like to me. Some of them are quite obvious, as the tinkling noises in "Diamonds" easily lent themselves to that title, the laser sounds in "Spaceships" accenting that selection, the unnatural moans and groans of "Zombies" making that one an easy choice, and "Geese" approximating just well enough the vibe of track 6.

3.) I'm deleting the entire album from my iTunes and from my hard-drive the minute this song ends. Not to say I don't appreciate noise music, but let me put it this way: I wouldn't throw it on, in any situation really. It's too depressing for long drives. It's too discomforting to fall asleep to. There's much better albums to put on doing things around the apartment. All-in-all, this is something you'd have to be seriously tripped out on drugs to fully - I hesitate to say "enjoy" - tolerate.

Tolerate really is the operative word here. The music isn't danceable - some might not even call it "music" at that. It might even be a totally ear-grating experience for others to listen to, though I found it bearable for the most part. Creativity comes in all forms, but real beauty is obviously in the ear of the beholder. For me, noise still isn't really where it's at, at least done in this manner. But enjoy that Black Dice track, and take the Wolf Eyes & Black Dice LP for a spin if you're feeling experimental...and if you wanna try naming the tracks yourself any different.

the xx | album review

I really can't say anything that hasn't been said about these guys. They're the hottest new thing out of London. They've all only just turned 20 years old. They're seemingly the greatest indie wunderkinds since the Strokes almost a decade ago now. They've been featured everywhere from being named "Best New Music" on Pitchfork, to freakin' sports-centric ESPN. They're the xx (not "double x," just "ex ex").

So I'm not gonna bore you with details about the group. They're young, they're awesome, wise and talented beyond their years, blah blah blah. Guess what? It all comes down to sex appeal, believe it or not. I've been quite averse and wary of the hype surrounding the group for months now, so articles I've read on them are few and far between. The sex appeal may have very well been mentioned (I know for a fact it has on Pitchfork's review, with the site stating that the songs are "mostly about sex"), but maybe moreso as a side effect, than the actual cause of their overall appeal.

Romy Madley Croft, one half of the guy-girl vocalists in the xx, shines as an uninteresting (uninterested?) and disaffected vocalist, flipping between sorry and flirty. She's the mood-swinging girlfriend, who loves you and lusts for you one day, and she's an emotional and apologizing wreck the next. The songs are all so minimal that the vocals are predominant enough so as to give the impression you've simply got the TV turned on to "The OC," but you're in another room. Basically, all you're getting is the dialogue from the show, with some moody music. That's about the easiest way to sum the xx up.

Is that meant disparagingly? Not in the least. I love these guys. Just absolutely head over heels for them. Yes, I was totally wary of the hype in the beginning. Didn't even bother reading the whole review on Pitchfork I don't think. I was sick of hearing that a bunch of minimalist teens were the big thing right now, especially after a summer plagued by minimalist crap being hyped far beyond its expiry date. The problem with all that crap though? The lo-fi aesthetic that seems so necessary nowadays. Barely-heard lyrics. Fuzzed-out guitars. Short and spurt-ish blasts that are gone before you can truly squeeze all the joy out of them.

The greatest thing about the xx? You guessed it: none of the above. When I finally got on their good side, it was from listening to "Heart Skips A Beat" on hypem's Top 20, and then going to the blog featuring that one and hearing "Islands" and "VCR," loving all three. The songs are unequivocally crisp-sounding, the lyrics almost-whispered in many instances, but clearly heard. The guitars and bass are by turns jangling and mood-setting. Aside from the instrumental intro, not a song below 2:30. It's just an impossibly and impeccably good album, especially for a debut, and especially for the age of the curators and performers.

Back to that sex appeal though. It's just oozing here, and it's not in the subtle and sultry ways that older and more mature bands dabble in. This foursome is all about getting it right now, in the most direct way possible. "If you want me/Let me know" is the sentiment echoed so straightforwardly on the most back-and-forth exchange on the disc, "Stars." I read that the xx are influenced by R&B. I unfailingly am unable to pick out hip-hop and R&B when it comes to any form of rock; it all just sounds like good rock music to me, so hell if I think the xx sound like R&B. But I do know nothing makes for betting make-out sessions than throwing on some heartfelt R&B ballads. These kids seem to take that one step further, fleshing out the physical experience over 11 tracks and 38 minutes. It's bedroom rock, if ever such a thing existed.

It's going to be extremely interesting to see where these guys take it from here. They could implode from the pressures and hype and never make another album, let alone one approaching the likable qualities of their eponymous debut. They could add more members, a string section, some industry all-stars, and end up playing the kind of all-encompassing and seizing music that a collective like Broken Social Scene does so effectively. They certainly have the right mindset for that kind of music, and their current tracks certainly have enough quiet space for that kind of arrangement to bring out that little extra in the music.

Final verdict? This may not be a completely awe-inspiring album, or even on the level of some of my favorites. But it's a fun album, in more ways than one. You can throw it on at any time during the day...though it works best at night, whether by yourself and feeling a little lonesome and appreciative of the night, or for those fun nights when you might have someone else with you filling up that lonely space.

Song recommendations? Too many to make. I already mentioned attention-getters "Islands," "VCR" and "Heart Skipped A Beat," but there is actually not one bad song on the album. I mean that. "Basic Space" and "Crystalised" are actually the xx's two singles out right now, and I didn't even mention them yet. That's five really solid tracks up front. I'm on my ninth listen of the album in three days, and nothing's lost its replay value. I mean, just get out and get the whole thing, you can't go wrong. If you're not convinced though, here's the track I initially fell in love with, alongside another standout:

The xx - Islands

The xx - Heart Skips A Beat

what is that song?

Hopefully the post's title doesn't become a long-running gimmick - I hate not knowing what a piece of music is if I like it. This post however stems from a shopping trip to American Eagle (don't worry, I didn't buy anything) last weekend. It really serves two purposes that I'll elaborate on: 1.) the commercialization of indie music 2.) Wolf Parade

We'll get to Wolf Parade first, as it's ostensibly the easier issue to tackle. The Montreal group, fronted by now-one half of Handsome Furs (looked at here on WNTY here, here and here), Dan Boeckner, and now-Sunset Rubdown band leader (featured here), Spencer Krug, has been around long enough that it's one of those other groups I regret not getting into earlier. I've certainly tried to keep abreast of Handsome Furs and Sunset Rubdown since discovering them, but Wolf Parade's back-catalog is only something I've dabbled in conservatively. Again: mistake.

Wolf Parade is evidently the more exciting, engaging, alt-rock-centric precursor to both (major) offshoot groups it spawned. They mix Spencer and Dan's vocals interchangeably, and it's amazing how two people who are so outwardly different can have two similar and equally pained-sounding voices. When listening to a Handsome Furs or Sunset Rubdown album, it can get tiresome listening to each guy holding his own for a full length, but interspersed with each other, it becomes much more bearable, and even inviting to listen to. It's also striking how aside from slow marches like "Dinner Bells," Wolf Parade is able to consistently contrast the guys' dullish voices with such upbeat instrumentation.

Anyways, I've known about Wolf Parade for over a year now, but I have to admit to just listening to their debut album, Apologies To The Queen Mary this morning. How I got around to that however is where the story lies. Chilling at American Eagle on a shopping trip, I was greeted with the sounds of Spoon and other indie legends, as well as a few up-and-comers I all recognized. That is, until a certain song came on, and the voice sounded extremely familiar, though the song did not. I knew it wasn't Interpol, though the sadness in the voice echoed lead singer Paul Banks' delivery - and of course Joy Division's Ian Curtis if we're playing that game.

Now, most people who I really like, I can pick out their music quite adeptly if I've heard enough of it. Given that I've heard three album's worth of Dan and Spencer's music away from Wolf Parade, it was a bit disheartening that I had to wait for the TV screen announcing American Eagle's playlist to tell me that I was, in fact, listening to "Shine A Light" by Wolf Parade. Upon realizing it was a Wolf Parade song, I was instantly struck by the catchiness and pure feeling captured in the song, even over the speakers at a retail outlet. Now, Handsome Furs and Sunset Rubdown both feature their own share of emotion, but it's sometimes convoluted, and in Sunset Rubdown's case, downright weird and indecipherable. Wolf Parade offered something more palatable, accessible, and ultimately, pop-ish.

(This is the part where I post my own mp3 link, or one from hypem, but as luck would have it, basically every single one of Wolf Parade's songs has been removed from hypem's database, which means Wolf Parade really doesn't want their music being shared that way...regardless, below is a link I got through hypem from a post on hearya.com, so credit goes to them)

Wolf Parade - Shine A Light

Now the second issue at hand. The commercialization and mainstreaming of indie. I'll keep this as short and sweet as possible, though an entire essay could easily be written about the topic. Kids, teens, young adults, and even twentysomethings tend to love indie music. They also tend to shop at the same stores. Maybe it's just that I heard Wolf Parade playing in an American Eagle, which is the poster-store for largely dressing like a trust-fund douchebag, even though you may not be anywhere near that well-off. (Full disclosure: Yes, I have pieces of clothing from American Eagle. I certainly don't shop there regularly though, and I have a certain self-consciousness about me when I am looking for clothes there.)

Back to the music however. It makes perfect sense to play music that your shoppers would like. But when you think about the kind of aesthetic and corporate image American Eagle has, it would seem that getting played there would fulfill every criteria of "selling out," whether by the band's design or not. Where, especially in a realm like indie culture, selling out and authenticity are always at the helm of current issues, you have to consider being irked a little bit by the whole thing. "Indie" itself is derived from "independent," as in the record labels that went their own way and did their own thing, instead of following suit (and suits) with the major record labels. Such a fierce and ingrained sense of independence breeds a mistrust for mainstreaming and selling out, while maintaining an undeniable emphasis on authenticity. Plainly and simply, it just doesn't feel authentic for American Eagle to play Wolf Parade.

Whether or not that's a harsh criticism of American Eagle is up to the individual, but take it for what you will. But like any other company, it will cater to what the majority wants, and that requires constantly changing your stance on something. Indie is "in" right now. If country somehow made a huge leap to the mainstream and dominated in sectors like indie is doing currently, I'm sure American Eagle would be playing the hell out of that too. But for now, indie feels like it's mine and ours, so when you see corporations pimping it out, you have to take it a little personally.

That being said, all thanks to American Eagle for playing that Wolf Parade track and igniting an interest in me for them. So what am I trying to say here? I don't know.

get a drink, have a good time now, welcome to paradise

I'm just as lost as you

The only reason I even discovered this song was because of Pitchfork's list of the Top 50 Videos of the last decade, where you'll conveniently find "Since I Left You" as the 4th greatest video on that list. I'd greatly recommend watching the video first, because every time after that, whenever you hear this song, you'll be reminded of what goes on in it (I'm not gonna describe it...just go watch it). Usually, a music video would ruin my mental image of a song, and I'm not exactly the biggest fan of music videos in the first place. So "Since I Left You" is definitely an exception.

The song itself is - like the entirety of The Avalanches' work - a combination of dozens of samples, both musical and vocal. Whereas Girl Talk pieces them together while quite obviously keeping the originals intact (mashing if you will), The Avalanches masterfully craft entire new songs using just snippets of ones they'd spent many an hour digging through crates for to find. Eventually, I'm going to get around to listening to the full album of the same name as the single, but I'm a little hesitant right now, given that "Frontier Psychiatry," their only other song I've heard, is basically a mindfuck of juxtaposed vocal samples straight out of 1940's and 50's television and radio ads and shows.

"Since I Left You" is then a weird juxtaposition in itself. It's a song where I gladly let the music video "ruin" my impression of it, while I won't chance listening to the rest of the (highly-regarded) album it's featured on, for fear it might sully what's left of my impression of The Avalanches. It's certainly an amazing song in its own right, dream pop mixing tinkling bells, flute, female vocals, an unashamedly disco groove, bouncy keyboards, and even an intro consisting of guitar and shouting you'd expect to hear from an afternoon at a South American weekend market. I just don't know if the rest of the album will be filled with similarly stunning material, or something that just degrades my already fragile impression of the group - this song not withstanding of course.

a pictorial analogy of how I feel about music at the moment

By my estimation, it's been two weeks and a day since I posted anything. That's just way too long, but in my defense, I just moved out, got a job, and university started, so I've had my hands full with classes, work and getting settled. Obviously music's been a big part of that, but I've found my habits have changed a little bit, and I'm no longer able to keep daily track of what's new on Pitchfork or what's hot on the hypemachine. I've had peeks here and there of both, but with a shoddy wi-fi connection in the new place, even that's been tough.

So with all of that in mind, I may as well clear out old inventory first. I promised some record reviews earlier in the summer, but really only delivered on my take of Jackson Square from Arkells. In that time, I've literally added 214 songs to my iTunes library, many of which are from albums by Joel Plaskett, Black Mountain, Ladyhawk (not Ladyhawke), Radiohead, Death From Above 1979, Broken Social Scene, Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains, Lightning Dust, Arcade Fire, and my much-loved collection of New Pornographers tunes.

Within this post, I'll actually have quick little run-downs of each one of those albums, but first, I'll get to what I promised earlier, and do some short reviews of previous albums. A foreword though: if I'm passionate about something, I'll be more likely to follow through with it - the following few albums didn't make as big an impression on me as Jackson Square did, so that's why I didn't have quite the same initiative to review them.

Sunset Rubdown | Dragonslayer | I liked this album. I really did. But when the majority of the songs are around 5 minutes and there's a 10 minute epic like "Dragon's Lair," it can be a hard thing to throw on and listen to in its entirety. "Idiot Heart" is certainly the standout, and the rest of the album's songs have much the same structure and sound, but overall, that tends to be a dense and disorganized one, right down to lead singer Spencer Krug's voice and lyrics.

There's some sentences he utters that'll surely make you question his sanity, and that's after you wrap your head around what was actually just half-shouted/half-sung at you. Again, it's good music - but I stress music. It's really an album that's more to be appreciated than truly enjoyed; more like attending a symphony in a church than a rock concert in an arena. Before moving on though, I do want to add that "Apollo And The Buffalo And Anna Anna Anna Oh!" is on the shortlist for this year's "Best Song With A Song Title That's Long Yet Still Ties In To What's Actually Sung." - and that's to take nothing away from a song that's actually still good regardless.

The Most Serene Republic | ...And The Ever-Expanding Universe | Yet again, another good album, but another that I didn't truly enjoy or play too often. To approximate their sound would be to compare them to Broken Social Scene, albeit on a smaller and happier scale. Again, it's largely orchestral music, and some of the songs border on modern classical music, with some truly great strings and piano arrangements. There's a joyous and uplifting tilt to most of the songs, and "Heavens To Purgatory" will be most people's favorite, but it's simply one of those things that's not totally my cup of tea.

Speaking of that though, The Most Serene Republic actually seems like a good band to just sit outside in the garden while drinking tea and listen to. It's that kind of music I guess; relaxing and modest, with just enough pep to not be boring or dragging on your ears. They're playing here in Halifax in November, and I may yet check them out, just to see if there's any added pizzaz to their live shows that may not come through in the recorded versions of the songs.

Handsome Furs | Plague Park | I remember I was going to review this one simply with more recent album Face Control in mind. To be honest, I barely listen to this album, and I've actually taken more of a liking to Face Control in recent days, so there's little to compare I guess. Suffice it to say that in my earlier stipulation that Handsome Furs would sound better with some live drums...I guess they utilize them on Plague Park, though with the decidedly slower and more deliberate sound of the latter album, they don't have quite the same effect I'd intended when I made that recommendation.

Plague Park, funnily enough, sounds like Handsome Furs decided to record an album of them playing a small underground jazz club. Whereas Face Control sounded boxed-in, the earlier album is simply more rounded in its claustrophobic-ness, as if that jazz club was built in a small cave. "Hearts Of Iron" shows off the above analogy quite well, but tracks like "Cannot Get Started" show off more of the direction Handsome Furs took later on with Face Control, dominant drum machines, faster-paced choruses, reverbed guitar and all.

If you were to measure the albums against each other simply in terms of some abstract "excitedness," Face Control would score about an 8.2/10, while Plague Park clocks in around 5.3/10. Yes, totally random numbers, but that's what the albums sound and feel like to me. Dan Boeckner's voice is pretty forlorn on either compilation, but the instrumentation and pace of the two albums make a real difference. For one, it's like wife and bandmate Alexei Perry woke up and decided to take the obvious energy she has during live shows and transmit it to album form on Face Control. Sadly, you don't get that on their first effort.

-----

But good, that gets those out of the way. Because it may well be another few days before I get the free time/initiative to do another post, I'm also going to get a bunch of other reviews and musings off my chest right now, so another long post it is.

Like I alluded to earlier, I've been putting my room and the general apartment together since moving in, and much of this I've been doing while listening to entire albums on iTunes, something I very rarely did in the past, but which I became much more attuned to this summer. I owe much of this to my friend Laura, who chastised me for my singles-heavy listening, and kind of reintroduced me to the concept of listening to entire albums. It's certainly given me an affinity for hearing albums all the way through, instead of simply picking and choosing what I want to listen to out of them - although hand-in-hand with that, listen to an album enough, and it becomes easier and more justifiable to pick out some favorites you'll come back to again and again.

In light of all the above, a quick rundown of what I've been listening to for the last month plus, with a song to check out from each:

Arcade Fire | Funeral | It's no wonder to me now why this album was so well-received and so quite universally well-loved. In 10 songs, Arcade Fire show off how to make an album, make it work well together, and how to arrange the songs for the maximum impact. There are four or five legitimately great songs ("Tunnels," "Power Out," "Wake Up," "Rebellion (Lies)" spring to mind quickest) and the rest more than hold their own. It's an intensely listenable album and a favorite with many of my friends.

Arcade Fire - "Power Out"

Radiohead | OK Computer | I knew going in that this was the more rocking Radiohead album, and I really like it for that. Lots of classics in here, some of which I'd heard, and others which I'd never and which really surprised and pleased me. There's diversity and only the subtlest hints that Radiohead was going to unleash Kid A years down the line. It just blows me away that this album came out in 1997 - 12 years later it sounds just as great, and I can hear the precursors in their music to the likes of Keane and Coldplay in the decade following its release.

Radiohead - "Electioneering"

Radiohead | Kid A | Brutal honesty time: yes, I did cheat on my final exam. Oh wait, Radiohead. Yeah, not as big of a fan of Kid A as I am of OK Computer. If I'm simply one of those people who would have back then dismissed it as experimental trash, or if I'm just someone who favors straightforward rock over electronic hissing and concept-heavy material, so be it. I like to think I'm pretty open to experimental noise and music, and Kid A is supposedly epic in that regard. Maybe I don't fully appreciate it in that way, or I just don't have the same connection to it as people who heard it when it first came out.

Don't get me wrong, there's more than a few songs on there that I do truly enjoy listening to, but they're the more conventional Radiohead, and seemingly not the pieces that went together to make Kid A the sonic landmark that it so overwhelmingly happens to be. Maybe my view is reflected well enough in my choice of song from the album:

Radiohead - "The National Anthem"

Lightning Dust | Infinite Light | I went out and bought this album, and I'm actually very pleased that I did. Singer Amber Webber (of the to-be-reviewed-in-a-minute music collective Black Mountain) has a beautiful voice, one that sounds strong but damaged all at once. It seems ready to break at any time, but there's an underlying force driving her to keep the words coming out of her mouth. I read that the duo (Joshua Wells - also of Black Mountain - is in Lightning Dust) rented a Steinway piano for the album, and they put it to great use, clearly showing off the piano parts with skillful playing and clear acoustics. Lightning Dust may be getting a little more publicity right now, but nowhere near what it should be when they craft such good music.

Lightning Dust - "I Knew" (was to put "The Times" but couldn't find it on hypem...definitely check it out though if you can)

Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains | Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains | Similarly went out and bought this album, and I'm equally glad I did. Fun fact: Sebastien was actually one half of Death From Above 1979 before they broke up, and he's went on to lend guest vocals on some of my favorites like "Let's Make Out" by Does It Offend You, Yeah?. I didn't know the latter fact until after I bought this album, so it turns out I was more familiar with Grainger's work than I even thought. Quick and simple review though: my second favorite album on this list. Great variation between the songs, awesome backing band, great pace to the album, and really makes you wish that DFA1979 got back together for one more go at it - between Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains and MSTRKRFT, the boys have still got it.

Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains - "I Hate My Friends"

Black Mountain | Black Mountain | The aforementioned musical collective, hailing from Vancouver, BC. Of the two albums by them here, this is my favorite. It tends to longer songs, so it can be harder to digest, but to think of and compare it earnestly: The Rolling Stones do pysched-out, 70's-influenced, Canadian-rock - right down to this almost-rip-off/tribute:

Black Mountain - No Satisfaction

Black Mountain | In The Future/Bastards Of Light | The newer of the two albums, this go by Black Mountain is certainly more appropriate for their name, as the material is darker and almost gothic. Some of the care-free sentiments and delivery present on Black Mountain are done away with and replaced instead by frenzied classic-rock guitar playing and a grandeur that seems a little unbefitting of a group of musicians from Vancouver. With songs clocking in 7:07, 8:03, and 16:41, you also get the feeling that Black Mountain could have split a few tracks in two and still had quality tunes.

Black Mountain - "Wucan"

Ladyhawk | Ladyhawk | The initial offering from the also-Vancouverites, Ladyhawk lean a little more to the garage sound of rock, and do it admirably. There's a bit of a live sound mixed into the album, but it doesn't detract from the quality, instead adding an authentic quality to the compilation. Between some legit rockers and the perfectly suited voice of the lead singer, it's a wonder these guys aren't bigger either; I know they have a good Canadian following, but this album proved pretty well they've got all the tools to make it.

Ladyhawk - "The Dugout"

Ladyhawk | Shots | If I have any complaint about Ladyhawk though, it's their front-loading of albums. Ladyhawk starts with a great trio of "48 Hours," "The Dugout," and "My Old Jacknife," while Shots works a similar angle with standout "I Don't Always Know What You're Saying" and the impeccable "S.T.H.D." before tailing off a bit into death-obsessed songs like "Corpse Paint" and quite literally, "Faces Of Death." In light of the previous statement finishing out the Ladyhawk review: these guys certainly have all the elements of a band on the make; it may just be a matter of putting them all together for a consistently great effort to launch them a little higher in music fans' minds.

Ladyhawk - "S.T.H.D"

Broken Social Scene | Broken Social Scene | I said above that Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains was my second favorite album here. Well, this is my first. It's the one I've been going back to over and over: everything from cooking meals to doing the dishes to showering to getting to sleep - Broken Social Scene has everything you could ask for and then some. I didn't dive into the whole album when I initially got into BSS, opting only for You Forgot It In People and two or three songs off Broken Social Scene. On my recent album-hoarding spat though, I went for all 14 tracks off the latter, and could not have been more thoroughly impressed.

You Forgot It In People had some weirder moments and some lackadaisical instrumentals. This album has absolutely none of that - it may be the most perfect album on my iTunes in my regard. Just a stable of outstanding songs, paired with eight or nine other great tunes that make up the most easily digestible and fun-to-listen-to album I've heard, possibly in my life. I mean, yeah, there's great albums that come out all the time, and consensus may dictate which of those is "the best," but to me, right now, Broken Social Scene is probably my favorite album ever. There, I said it. And I only just figured that out as I've been writing these words.

It has everything. Exuberance ("Ibi Dreams of Pavement [A Better Day]"), sincerity ("Major Label Debut"), the sexiest song I've heard in a long time ("Hotel") and a song so damn good that I could care less that it's 9:55 long ("It's All Gonna Break"). I cannot say that about any other album I've heard, previous favorites In Rainbows and Post-Nothing included. That's what, four songs? There's another 10 amazing tracks, so think of it that way. Heck, K-OS even makes an appearance. Where was I in 2005 when this actually came out? I shudder to think that I've went four years without paying attention to this gem.

Broken Social Scene - "Hotel"

Joel Plaskett | Three | This thing really deserves its own separate post at 27 songs long, but with the Polaris Prize being presented tonight and Joel in the running, I may yet give it a proper one should it win/be slighted. Just a genre-spanning spat of tracks spread over three very-well-organized CD's, each one keeping a definitive tone. CD 1 contains most of the singles material and tends to Joel's folksy and rocking side. CD 2 without a doubt contains the real ballads of the compilation, and a few odes to Joel's Maritime (and maritime) connections. CD 3 has some country feel to it (old-country, not that new-country stuff) and the epic "On And On And On," 12 minutes of Joel self-consciously sing-speaking about almost anything that comes to his mind.

Three is just a superb effort, plays great in concert (I've seen three - coincidentally - shows since the album came out, and whether in a theatre setting, outdoors for Canada Day, or at a university concert, it sounds amazing) and is a great introduction for those new to Joel's music, and a special treat for career-long fans of possibly the most lovable guy in Canadian music.

Joel Plaskett - "Through And Through And Through"

Death From Above 1979 | You're A Woman, I'm A Machine | Have you noticed yet I'm extremely far behind on most relevant music, especially some select Canadian classics? Um, yeah. It's sad too, because ever since I really got into alternative music, I've had a great affinity for dance-punk/electro/rock, which nobody does better than DFA1979. I was really only slightly familiar with "Blood On Our Hands," and even then it was through my sister getting the track what must have been about four years ago.

What stuns me about DFA1979 is that they can craft such small and immediate-sounding songs; the majority of tracks clock in under even three minutes. Thank God for the remix economy though; DFA continue to live on through the expansion of their tiny tracks into danceable jaunts many minutes longer. I've already expressed my liking for MSTRKRFT and Sebastien Grainger, so it was nice for me to get into DFA and see where it all started for the two guys.

I can't really say much more about them or the album anyways: it's testosterone in music form and one of the truly great acts that combusted before it could put out any more truly awesome work.

One thing I do have to say though: why the hell did Death From Above Records (officially known as DFA Records after the Sept. 11th attacks since they were a NY-based record label) get mired in a legal dispute with DFA1979 over their original name when they could've put that money towards simply signing the act to their own label instead. I mean honestly, has a group ever been more fit for a label, both in name and musical style, than DFA1979 was for DFA Records? Another shame of a development when it comes to Jesse and Sebastien's adventure into duo-ship.

Death From Above 1979 - "Black History Month"

Sunday Night Spotlight | No. 2

I'm certainly not endearing anyone with this picture

Animal Collective is a group of guys from Baltimore. They're weird and strange in more ways than one, not to mention their music. It's dense and multi-layered and frankly, it's probably the kind of thing you'd have to have copious amounts of drugs to truly appreciate. However, the music is still good un-drug-aided, but you have to be in the right mindset for it, and not expect some radio-friendly jam to fill your ears when you spin an Animal Collective record.

Some people tout their 2009 album Merriweather Post Pavilion (which has the coolest album cover in the history of cool album covers...it's not moving either, it just looks like it) as possibly the best album of this year, if not the last few years, if not the last decade. I've given it quite a few spins since it came out, and I'm not nearly on the same wavelength, but I can appreciate what they've tried to do, and MPP certainly has its great points. It's just not the kind of thing you'd throw on for your friends to have a quick listen to.

With all that being said, I wanted to spotlight one of Animal Collective's more accessible and engaging tracks. Clocking in at 6:51, "Fireworks" never seems that long, as it just builds and builds on itself, and has a climax that never quite gets there - that's to say, the song itself is the climax.

Animal Collective - Fireworks

All four members of Animal Collective evidently do vocals, so I can't tell you exactly who it is singing, but I can tell you that part stands out the most for me. There's something visceral about the delivery, a quality that's largely absent from most of the tracks on MPP, and which is oddly refreshing to hear on "Fireworks." Visceral is only one way to describe the vocals as well - they alternate between laboured, desperate, joyful and even ecstatic during the interlude, and even animalistic when the monkey and jungle sounds make appearances throughout.

All the above are nice to hear on an Animal Collective track (aside from the fact actual animal noises are present on a song by a group with such a name), and show a more human side that's usually drowned out in watery noises and stuffed underneath multitudinal layers of sound. But don't just take my word for it; Pitchfork listed "Fireworks" as the 35th best single of the last 10 years. And there's nothing weird or strange about that to me.

The New Pornographers | Top 15 Songs

I feel kinda cheap, because I've only just gotten into The New Pornographers, but I have to say they're already one of my favorite bands ever. I've told many already that out of their 40+ song catalogue, there's only a handful I actually don't like, and their Mass Romantic and Twin Cinema albums are safely nestled in my list of all-time favorites.

Unfortunately, these guys never tour with the full complement of performers, because as a side project and "supergroup," the individual parts are so busy with their own primary musical ventures that they don't have the time to get on the road together. Add that to the fact that they haven't put anything out for two years, and count on the chance they probably won't ever again, I'm pretty bummed that I got in on the phenonmen that is The New Pornographers so late.

All that aside however, there's still room to celebrate the absolute musical genius that is this band. Again, it's very hard for me to attach a genre to their music, because there's bits of folk, rock, pop, twee and damn near everything between that goes into every one of their four musical trips disguised as albums. In a tip of the hat to that, my Top 15 includes at least one song from each of those compilations, and not just out of necessity; The New Pornographers may have had one of the best debut albums ever with Mass Romantic, but the quality surely didn't stop after that, and every album has a slew of hits you can listen to again and again.

Just a couple notes before I get started on the list.

- The band evidently writes all the songs and only then decides who sings the vocals. When you consider that any of these brilliantly-written and eternally-poignant lyrics could have been sung by either the likes of Neko Case, AC Newman or Dan Bejar, it just adds to the happenstance aspect that goes to make The New Pornographers such a pleasant breath of fresh air and innovation.

- The New Pornographers have an astonishing knack for crafting almost perfect gems of songs. Nothing is too short, nothing is too long, and there's rarely ever a lull in a song let alone a full album. It's a shame more groups don't follow their example - but then again, they wouldn't be so special if everyone was as capable as they were.

- I'm not posting links to any of the songs in case I get another one of those annoying crackdowns/post deletes, but the majority should be easily accessible on hypem, and even moreso at your local record store. On to the list:

15. | "All For Swinging You Around" | Electric Version | With all the above being said, I do list Electric Version as my least favorite of the four NP albums. I don't know why that is, but they just didn't showcase all the same things on Electric Version that made me fall in love with their unique brand of music on the other three releases. That's not to say there isn't still good music; there most certainly is, and "All For Swinging You Around" is one of those highlights. Neko Case's voice is (as usual) put to good use, and the song starts with a flourish reminiscent of The Weakerthans' more upbeat numbers. A stranger track in that the chorus is where the music actually lets up a bit and gives you a rest to digest what's going on, but no less a great song.

14. | "My Rights Versus Yours" | Challengers | Challengers overall for me was a bit of a slower album, and a little more mature-sounding, so "My Rights Versus Yours" reflects that a little bit. As opposed to the previous tune, this one begins slowly and builds with the chugging guitar going at it bit-by-bit, the "oohs" picking up in the background, and Neko joining in to sing with who I think is AC Newman (I say that because I'm pretty sure Dan Bejar's voice is a little weirder - a bit nuanced and even lispy). There's a yearning to "My Rights Versus Yours" and almost a melancholy that's not there with the more excited-sounding Pornographers' tunes.

13. | "The Body Says No" | Mass Romantic | Part of this entire list, let alone the order I'm placing these songs in, is a bit haphazard. It's hard to say which of The New Pornographers' songs are really that much better than any of the others, so in going through my iTunes library, I picked the titles I knew I loved the most, and then threw them into a playlist of their own. I'm pretty sure I know what the top of the list is going to come out like, but in a testament to the overall quality of their work, "The Body Says No" could easily be in someone else's Top 5. It's insanely catchy (I've went entire days repeating "man, can you beliiiiieve?/that she didn't need meeee/any more than I, needed her too?"), inexplicably meshing given all of its differing instrumentation, and as up-and-down of a journey as the band can give you.

12. | "Sing Me Spanish Techno" | Twin Cinema | Never judge a song by its title. Even though the Pornographers are one of the very few "indie" bands that actually titles their songs based on actual lyrics in the songs (I'm looking at you Fall Out Boy/Panic At The Disco), I thought this track would be an exception. Go figure, it's not, and as one of the myriad hooks in "Sing Me Spanish Techno," it strangely works. In reference to those hooks though, there's everything from "listening too long/to one song" to the guitar itself providing rhythms that just latch onto your brain and won't let go. An easy example of how the group can craft something so likeable out of something so seemingly benign.

11. | "Challengers" | Challengers | One of the more restrained NP songs out there, Neko Case puts on probably her most underrated performance as a member of the group. Whereas she's usually yelping and eccentric (all in a good and likeable way of course), "Challengers" provides her with a chance to flex the more mellow pipes she went on to showcase in this year's acclaimed Middle Cyclone, her most recent solo effort. "Nah-nah-nah"s and "oohs" abound here, and the track is stripped down to a bit of guitar and an uncharacteristic lack of percussion, but the vocals more than make up for that void. It's heartfelt, and would've been the perfect album-ending number had they chosen to place it as such. Not just for Challengers, but if you listen closely enough, maybe even The New Pornographers career together as well.

10. | "The Fake Headlines" | Mass Romantic | As probably the third New Pornographers song I'd ever heard, I was suprised at how much this song spoke to me. And as one of the few in their catalogue with a false ending, it wasn't just the words themselves that appealed to me. As the shortest of these 15 tunes at 2:46, it does leave you wanting a little bit more - not desiring a little more, because its satiating enough - meaning you wouldn't mind it going a little longer. It's straightforward while still giving off the heartfelt vibe of someone left to linger in their sorrow. Though instead of wallowing in that sorrow, he decides to write "the catchiest words I could find." If only every break-up sounded so good.

9. | "Mutiny, I Promise You" | Challengers | This on the other hand was one of the first two songs I'd heard by NP - I can't say definitively which was the actual first one, but this could've been it. Though the rest of the song may not be quite as engaging as that chorus, the echoing going on once the latter hits makes me reminisce about elementary music class, and the guitar blasting away back there is as good as any modern rock song's. When it slows down for a moment around the 2:30 mark, it comes back and hits you at full-steam within a matter of seconds, and reprises itself with a new vigour. Though the lyrics may be a tad on the ridiculous side, it's certainly more fun to decipher into your own meaning than other more sparsely worded odes to abstraction.

8. | "All The Old Showstoppers" | Challengers | For as much as I didn't think I liked Challengers in context with the other NP albums, it's got just as many tracks on here as Twin Cinema - but that may be because it wouldn't make sense to create a Top 15 of just Twin Cinema and Mass Romantic tracks (just kidding, it's all great). There's a rustic quality to "All The Old Showstoppers" that harkens back to a traveling band at a country fair (maybe it's that jangling guitar), seemingly only lacking someone playing that classic jug. Though there's persevering reference to "numbers" throughout, there's everything else from princesses to paupers to grab your attention and make for a fun little jaunt through that yearly tri-country affair.

7. | "The Laws Have Changed" | Electric Version | As much as I love Neko Case and her otherworldy vocals, a surprising number of songs on my Top 15 don't feature her predominantly. I guess that speaks to the great balance of The New Pornographers, and proves that they're so multi-faceted that it doesn't really matter who's singing those lyrics, as mentioned at the outset of this list. Neko and AC split the duties on this one to my knowledge, and do a swimming job of it. Not only that, but AC's vocals seem to be drowned a bit, while Neko's are presented naked and without filter, a further testament to the myriad ways in which NP can present their perfectly crafted musical pieces.

6. | "Twin Cinema" | Twin Cinema | The title track does well to set the mood for a great NP album, all in a concise 2:59. The pitchy guitar right off the bat, the louder-than-usual percussion, and impassioned vocals all make their debut, laying down a tone that's carried out well throughout the rest of the compilation. There's a rare breakdown just about halfway through, where the singing and instruments both slow it down a tad, but don't let that fool you - they're right back at it in a minute, setting the table perfectly for probably the most critically acclaimed album offering from The New Pornographers.

5. | "The Bleeding Heart Show" | Twin Cinema | This is where it starts to get really hard, and the order starts to matter that much more. "The Bleeding Heart Show" hints strongly at how Challengers ended up being mood-wise, but it was a departure at that time for Twin Cinema I'd say. It's got a bit of that heartstring-tugging feeling that's so prominent on NP's final album, but which isn't really there on the more upbeat and outright fun Twin Cinema. Then at exactly 2:40 in, the whole song switches it up on you, and comes around with the most damned triumphant showing from not only The New Pornographers, but possibly any song within the last 10 years (since everyone seems to fond of doing those decade-ending lists right about now). It's no wonder the University of Phoenix uses "The Bleeding Heart Show" in their ads; I'd go to university in freakin' Chechnya if they blasted this song on campus every morning. For as much as I may have written, you really just have to hear this one. It's uplifting, moving, and everything you'd be pleasantly suprised to find out The New Pornographers are too.

4. | "Slow Descent Into Alcoholism" | Mass Romantic | It's quirky, it's fast-paced, it's about drinking. I could just finish this particular review with that singular blurb, but it deserves so much more. The vocals are dragged out in the catchiest of ways, there's the triad of choruses that NP does so well, I'm pretty sure there's some brass involved, and the harmony between the male and female singing is an underrated aspect that makes this ditty one of my favorite. Around 2:40 (again?) the song takes on a bit of a different flair, but this time becomes only more fervent and the instrumentation that much crunchier, before it stops for a split-second and proceeds to blow up in your ears. The vocals start to lean to the visceral side, and then it's over just as quick with a few "uh-huh"s. Uh-huh indeed.

3. | "Mass Romantic" | Mass Romantic | Who does great title tracks? The New Pornographers obviously do. "Mass Romantic" is like the mission statement for their careers. It's a bit unconventional, it's unmistakably Neko Case, the lyrics are as non-sensical and fun as they get, and the instruments are banged out in a garage band-ish way The Strokes popularized around the same time, albeit in a decidedly more lacksadasical and lo-fi way. "Mass Romantic" is bursting with exhuberance, and if there's any better track to get you in the mood for a good listening session with one of Canada's best supergroups (we do tend to have a lot), there may not be a better place to start than their first - discographically speaking that is.

2. | "Use It" | Twin Cinema | I lied earlier. "Use It" is in fact the first New Pornographers I remember hearing. As the theme song for the first few seasons of CBC Televison's The Hour pop culture show, I'd been unwittingly listening to one of the band's best tracks night in and night out, rapt by the feverish drumming, poignant piano and ever-so-distinct guitar. When "use it toniiii-iiii-iiiight" closed out the show's intro, little did I know just how great the rest of NP's songs were - I just knew that that song was some damn catchy. Unfortunately, I never really acted on those feelings until this summer, but I can say without hesitation that I was incredibly dumb to wait this long. Even when a friend played NP's stuff for me last summer, I kept going back to "Use It" over and over again. I think back then I thought they were almost too diverse and "all over the place" for me, but as my tastes have solidified a bit, and my thirst for Canadian music increased, I've had the hindsight to dive into a great catalogue that features "Use It" as one of its best tracks. By the way - any song that states "two sips from the cup of human kindness/and I'm shitfaced" in a totally un-ironic way, definitely has my stamp of approval.

1. | "Letter From An Occupant" | Mass Romantic | A brief riff, and you jump right into possibly the best Neko Case vocal performance ever. She has a brilliantly unique voice and delivery, and nowhere is it showcased any better than on "Letter From An Occupant." There's a shrill and campy quality to it that would make most other artists cringe to reach, let alone showcasing it on a song so well-crafted as this. I'm sure many listeners may even cringe at the quirkiness of Neko's voice here, but for anyone who truly likes her or any of the Pornographer's work, "Letter From An Occupant" has to be the epitome of the band firing on all cylinders. There's a bubbling guitar line through the break of the song, pinpoint drumming throughout, and even the infrequent and faint exclamations you can hear in the background sound so authentic you'd think it was those in the studio at the time whooping at how well the whole piece coalesces. There's virtually no weak points, and I'll be damned if this tune doesn't stick in your head for more than a day or two. As the best New Pornographers tune, you should expect no less.

this was one of the more normal photos of Camera Obscura

When I say "endearing Scottish pop music" what do you think of? I wouldn't blame you if you just drew a complete blank, but Camera Obscura, a group from Glasgow, probably has the market cornered. My Maudlin Career is their fourth proper-length album, and though it's been out for a bit and I've heard bits and pieces of it, I've really fallen in love with "French Navy."

Camera Obscura - French Navy

It receives a bit of airplay on CBC Radio 2, but it's far from anything you'd hear on any mainstream radio station. Sadly, there's not a very good reason for that, other than the fact there's no decent radio stations anywhere east of Montreal here in Canada. This is the kind of pop music that would thrive on a channel like that, full of shiny and lush instrumentation, picturesque lyrics, and the lead singer's flighty and extremely distinct voice.

The song screams "sunny day" to me, and when the chorus picks up, you can't help but imagine yourself standing in a grassy field, the girl of your dreams running into your arms. Why in the world much of modern radio insists on playing air-headed pop and empty, same-riffing rock when there's such evocative music out there is really beyond me. But thank God for the internet: where "endearing Scottish pop music" happens.

Arkells - Jackson Square album review

First things first. I'm breaking down this album old-school: track by track. Secondly, to give a bit of perspective on the band, I always tell people that Arkells sound like The Trews...if The Trews were better. Basically, they take all that catchy, in-your-face, two-guitar, bass, drums and keyboard assault, and subtract all the cock-rock and dumb lyrics. The final product ends up being a really pleasing and almost cathartic experience in modern "indie rock" music.

These guys have been playing shows all over Canada recently, and it's only a matter of time before they blow up on the national scene. Their live shows are packed with energy, and they play great sets full of songs off Jackson Square, along with some improvisations and crowd-involving gimmicks that just add to the fun that accompanies catching these guys in concert. On to the album though:

"Deadlines" | As inauspicious of an album-starter as you could pick. The slow drumming build-up, a few crashes, all the instruments coming in, and then Max's voice giving a little intro of what it's like to work the corporate life. This song actually sets the theme pretty well for the album, as it's a very working-class band putting together a very working-class album. "Deadlines" is fast and short, but if it doesn't pump you up for the rest of the album, you might want to check your pulse.

"Pullin' Punches" | This one picks up right where "Deadlines" trails off, albeit with a much happier tilt. "Pullin' Punches" is a bit of a heartfelt rocker, a little ode to that truthful girl in your life, with a hint of sympathy in there for all she's been through. There's a few good break-downs of the song, a lot of pacing changes, and a sense of urgency throughout - which sums up Arkells pretty well in fact. This is a group that performs with a sense of urgency, like they know the spotlight could fade any minute, and they make the best of it while they can. Of course, that could also be because the last time I saw them, they only had a half-hour to belt out their set...

"Oh, The Boss Is Coming" | OTBIC veers off a darker road, but keeps that same fast pace and worker's mentality set out before it. This song is probably lead singer Max Kerman's most impassioned vocal performance, with his yelps and throaty singing conveying perfectly the very literal anxiousness of an office worker who's probably not up to much, and is constantly looking over their shoulder to make sure the boss isn't catching them doing so. OTBIC is one Arkells have taken and extended a bit live, with Max leading a neat call-and-response with the audience during the "punching in/punching out" lines.

"Ballad of Hugo Chavez" | I may have mentioned "Ballad" on here before, but it's certainly one of the stand-out tracks on Jackson Square. Arkells aren't one of those groups that put obscure names to their songs for art's sake; this is quite literally a lyrical re-telling of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's trials and tribulations preceding his rise to power...all told over the scat of a saxophone and pop-y piano chords. Again, I'm a sucker for piano, so this song can do no wrong by me - and between the "hey hey hey!"s and "in the niii-iiight/of the sun"s that establish the catchiest chorus these guys have, I don't see how it ever could.

"Tragic Flaw" | It's a debut album, so there's gonna be some filler in Jackson Square, but thankfully, they built the album so that it comes in after four rousing jams. Some people might like this song a little more than I do, but it just doesn't do anything for me. It's a bit of a downer in some parts, but what it does the worst is pander to a lot of what's out there already on the radio, in terms of Canadian rock groups who are trying just a tad too hard to make it. It still has some of the signature Arkells melodies, but it's certainly nothing special.

"No Champagne Socialist" | Still continuing the worker trend of the album, NCS starts with a great harmonica blast, and then slows down for Max to set the scene: "let the record show, it's 1964/in the city of New York." Another sympathetic song, but this time for the guy trying to live on "both sides of the track" - a well-to-do Jewish kid who doesn't want the same life his family's had for so long. You'd think the subject matter would certainly curtail the tune from being played at concerts with any amount of success, but between the impassioned harmonica playing, the well-done southern rock (these guys know their rock, and don't just stick to one kind of it), and the awesome guitar solo closing the song out, "No Champagne Socialist" is kind of Arkells' ace in the hole.

"Abigail" | I guess this is how a rock ballad like "Tragic Flaw" should've been done. Which is really saying something for Arkells - they may make mistakes as a young group, but within the span of one song, they've already corrected it. The instrumentality of all their tunes really keeps them going, even when the lyrics are busy painting a story or telling a cautionary tale. "Abigail" tinges with sorrow for a girl who doesn't quite understand why the guy in her life does the things he does, and may be feeling a little lost, as evidenced by "where did all the good plans go?" Add to the mix a bit of a heartstring-tugging go at the guitar, and Arkells save yet another sappy tune from coming off all too emo and self-pleasing. I can't really recall them playing "Abigail" live, but they certainly have the tools to turn it into something concert-worthy, even in its present form.

"Heart Of The City" | Probably not one of my favorite tracks off Jackson Square. A little too earnest and lyrically stuttering for my liking. It also veers off the path the rest of the album sets out, meaning it's a bit abstract and doesn't really follow the story-telling/workforce/down-trodden girl routine the rest of the album touts. "Heart Of The City" wouldn't be so bad if I actually knew what singer Max Kerman's trying to get at in the big picture, and also if the rest of the band was able to elevate the song to the level something with this kind of title deserves.

"I'm Not The Sun" | These few songs right here point out I guess, the, uh, "Tragic Flaw" of Jackson Square (sorry). Whereas most albums would just be hitting their stride around the mid-point, it becomes clear right about here that Arkells did that with the first half of the album, and sadly the second half suffers for that. "I'm Not The Sun" is too much of a slow-burner, coming down to a level even Kings Of Leon on painkillers might feel is a tad too lethargic. For anyone familiar with Only By The Night, this is Arkells' version of "Closer" or "Cold Desert," those largely instrumental and emotive jaunts into territory best reserved for groups who know how to do that better (think Coldplay). Otherwise, KoL and Arkells should just stick to the straightforward rock that got them to where they are in the first place.

"The Choir" | By this point, it's like they're slapping you in the face. You were really pumped up by the first half of the album, waiting to see where these rising stars were going to take it next...then they slow it down for "I'm Not The Sun" and keep it at that pace yet again. Max just sounds sad and forlorn here, and the track really only moves in fits and bursts. The sappy-sounding chorus is a zone Arkells should stay out of, and the church-and-death tinged lyrics don't do them much justice either. There may be great intention behind this song, but the execution is sadly lacking.

"John Lennon" | Just as it's all becoming a bit too much to bear, one of my favorite tracks of 2009 shows up to save the album. Like a lot of the songs I like the most, it's sometimes hard to put into words what it is that makes me love it so much. There's a bit of saxophone jumping in and adding the right amount of diversity, there's the rousing "I'm John Lennon/in '67" chorus, the persistent keyboard stabs, the pick-it-up-and-rock-it-out interludes, the slow-it-down "I'm so lost...and I live just around the corner!" right before the chorus, and the side-to-side sway of the band during the chorus itself. "John Lennon" is full of everything that's right about Arkells, and has the most diverse presentation of their skills on Jackson Square. In concert, the false ending is that much better, the actual ending is the high point of their shows, and Max looks like he's possibly having the most fun of anyone up there relaying the story of a drunken night on the town.

"Blueprint" | This along with "John Lennon" really dispells the bad taste in your mouth coming from the middle third of the album. Again, I don't think they play it live (probably because the sax is featured a little more prominently here, and they don't tour with a sax player) but there's no reason they couldn't. The stadium-rock ready chorus of "No I ain't/gonna fear/the new year!" and the chugging band behind Max make for a most optimistic end to a great debut album. With the catchy choruses, great musicianship, and attention-grabbing concerts they have going for them, Arkells certainly have no reason to fear anything, let alone a new year for the boys to prove themselves to rock fans all over Canada.

Arkells on MySpace

Jackson Square on Amazon