Top 10 Albums of 2013

What does it mean when a good portion of my favourite albums for 2013 were electo-pop and upbeat? Does this say something about trends in good music right now, or did I gravitate towards this type of music due to my state of mind and musical taste at this particular point in time? Perhaps 2014 will answer these questions for me, but what I do know about the ten albums below is that I didn't love many of them right away. Throughout the year I bought and downloaded a huge number of albums, and my digitization job enabled me to put in many hours of careful listening. This resulted in my returning to albums that I listened to cursorily early in the year, and eventually understanding and really enjoying them. I was an instant fan of Kveikur, Olympia, and If You Leave but only began to become obsessed with Empty Estate, Move in Spectrums, and Run the Jewels during the second half of 2013. Here are my faves in no particular order...except for Sigur Ros who hold the number one spot...because they are the best band of all time. Ever.

1) Sigur Ros - Kveikur

I have a friend who went to the Airwaves music festival in Iceland last winter. Sigur Ros was (logically) headlining this blustery event, and their show at the end of the five days was oversold, to say the least. My friend said that this group of Sigur Ros fans was particularly passionate about the music, and knew every word to every song. This is impressive since many Sigur Ros lyrics are derived from a made-up language. While the band was flawless and the crowd was in rapture for most of the performance, many people reacted when Sigur busted out 'Brennisteinn' and the title track of this album, as a special preview of the songs they were working on. Sigur Ros is soooo good, and their fans soooo loyal, that these reactions were by no means negative but were rather a result of confusion and uncertainty. Kveikur is the complete opposite of their last album, Valtari. While the latter is the band's slowest and most reflective album to date, the former is the band's fastest and most boisterous album to date. I saw Sigur Ros twice this year, in San Francisco and Vancouver, and was also unsure of this elfish group's newfound industrial edge, but it is now one of my favourite albums. Ever. Kveikur has cojones. Yes, even elves have balls.

2) El-P and Killer Mike - Run the Jewels

I really like half of this album, I really dislike half of this album, and I wholly respect El-P and Killer Mike for every song that they created here. The good songs - 'Run the Jewels', 'A Christmas Fucking Miracle', 'Job Well Done' - are tongue-in-cheek, raw, and packed with astoundingly literate rhyming. The bad songs - 'Ddfn', 'No Come Down', 'Get It' - are sapped by bland, dark beats and fall into the rap-traps of self-aggrandizing and sexism. I had a feeling this album was important when I kept coming back to it on my iPod, and continued to be impressed with the wordsmithing despite "disliking" certain songs on the whole. The friendship and chemistry between these two very different men and musicians is also adorable.

3) Daughter - If You Leave

I saw this London trio at the Doug Fir in Portland in May and was an instant fan. They are like a broody Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Elena Tonra - with her short, dark, banged hair - even resembles Karen O at times. Pretty much every song of this debut deals with the mindset of an insecure and angsty young woman, the lyrics rife with concerns revolving around reproduction and loneliness, and this can be wearing when you listen to If You Leave from beginning to end. The songs are so delicate and mysterious, however, that you often do want to listen to the complete album every time. Bonus points were given to Daughter when the lead guitarist whipped out a bow for 'Touch', in an effective homage to my favouite band, Sigur Ros. Daughter actually opened for Sigur Ros in Europe this year as well.

4) Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe

I dismissed Chvrches before I gave them a chance. I gave them an initial listen and thought the upbeat tempo of most songs and teenage vocals of Lauren Mayberry were twee and superficial, but then I revisited the album a few months later, influenced by all the hype I've read online. While I still find some songs obnoxious and poorly written (see: 'Gun' and 'Night Sky'), I find others (see: 'Tether' and 'Lies') carefully layered and perfectly composed. Mayberry's utterly charming brogue and the sheer danceability of most every song got under my skin and has made this a go-to album for me.

5) Atoms for Peace - Amok

I think Thom Yorke is a musical genius, in the true sense of the term, so basically everything he touches is ranked in my top albums each year. Atoms for Peace - whose songs are all propelled by Brazilian percussionist Mauro Refosco's forro rhythms and Flea's dancing basslines - is not Radiohead-like, and it takes a few listens to adjust to Thom's voice with a different band in the background. This album is full of laptop-generated breakbeats and glitches that at first sound facile when compared to rock elements found in Radiohead songs, but the depth of the loops and layers created by Atoms for Peace become apparent once you finally convince yourself that this is not Radiohead! I appreciate how the musicians on this album do not get completely absorbed by the complex textures that they are creating, like a jazz jam band at Minton's Playhouse, forgetting the fact that there is a passive audience trying to engage with the music being produced. Atoms for Peace walks the line between frenetic innovation and accessible rock without falling into either, and this is what makes Amok so awesome.

6) Half Moon Run - Dark Eyes

Is this folk? Is this indie? Is this Sixties-inspired harmony rock? The first few times I listed to this album in its entirety I found the twinkly keyboard-driven tracks 'She Wants to Know' and 'Judgement' frothy and irksome, especially in contrast to the album's serious and evocative tracks. The songs 'Full Circle', 'Need It', and (my favourite) '21 Gun Salute' perfectly blend harmony, foreboding bass, poignant lyrics, and driving percussion, and help to counteract the jangly superficiality of the album's lighter compositions. I have read reviews of Dark Eyes that draw attention to the overworked sound and congested musicality of the album. I too agree that many of the songs sound busy and overly ambitious, but I chalk this up to the band's enthusiasm and immense skill. These Canadian guys are in their early twenties, are experiencing great early success, and are incredibly creative...I will forgive them for sounding too talented on their debut.

7) Au Revoir Simone - Move in Spectrums

I liked this album the first time I heard it, but I didn't love it. It is safe, pleasing, electro made by Brooklyn hipsterettes. Then the songs 'We Both Know' and 'Let the Night Win' caught my attention after a few full-length listens. These songs are long and very well balanced. Drawn out yet engaging. I have never been a fan of dream pop per se, but in my mind these two songs epitomize this genre. I appreciate how Au Revoir Simone has pop songs but counterbalance the naive toe-tappers on the album with thoughtful and complex songscapes that push six minutes in length. This was on heavy rotation between September and November. I also like them just that much more after finding out that their name comes from a line spoken near the end of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, one of my favourite movies as a kid.

8) Austra - Olympia

The more I learn about Katie Stelmanis the less I like her. But the more I hear of Austra the more I like them. Yes, her crazy range and powerful vibrato drive this Canadian electropop outfit, but the band is super tight and is coming up with some really unique backdrops for Queen Katie. The layering of synth and keyboards is even more dynamic on Olympia than it was on the band's 2011 debut Feel it Break, and - shock! - the other members of the band were actually allowed to contribute to this album. Their backing vocals on many of the tracks contrast nicely with Katie's operatic leanings and provide this album with a more eclectic feel than their debut. I think one of Austra's problems is that they are better than they know they are. I have seen them live twice now, and their performances did not reflect the polished quality or gravitas of their recorded material. I am not saying that Austra is a studio band - their concerts were good - but I do think that when their persona catches up with their talent we will all be in for a treat.

9) Wild Nothing - Empty Estate

I thought this EP was just good until I started focusing on the transitions between songs 'Ocean Repeating' and 'On Guyot', and 'A Dancing Shell' and 'Hachiko'. Most of the songs on this album, and Jack Tatum's last album Nocturne, would not be as vital and energizing were it not for his inclusion of long and atmospheric interludes such as 'On Guyot' and 'Hachiko'. It is always a bit risky recording instrumental, long, meandering tracks, but this is especially true when one specializes in New Wave pop. However, these instrumental, long, meandering songs make this album, on the whole. I don't like Jack Tatum, and feel bad for the musicians who tour with this ego maniac, but his music is very well composed and appealing. Separate the art from the artist, as the saying goes. 

10) Bleached - Ride Your Heart

The Pitchfork review of this album states that most songs are "unimaginative" and based upon "generic declarations of love". But you don't listen to Bleached for insightful lyrics or sophisticated instrumentation. This is a band comprised of two sisters - Jennifer and Jessica Clavin - who fronted a popular underground punk group called Mika Miko in LA between 2007-2010. While the Clavins have taken a Sixties surf approach with Bleached, their basic formula of genuine and unpolished rock - with a generous dousing of Americana and grit - remains constant across both bands. I also agree with Pitchfork's observation that while over half of these songs are well balanced and really fun, some are just boring fillers. But I suppose it wouldn't be a record made by the Clavin sisters if it was ambitious and carefully created...that ain't them. But the good songs on here are really, really good.


Keywords: "Top Albums 2013", "Pitchfork Top 2013", "Alex Dawkins Vancouver"

Spring Concert Highlights

Can't make it to Coachella or Sasquatch? Don't have any exotic travel plans for this spring? You're in luck! While it really does feel like Vancouver is 'No Fun City' in the middle of summer, the shoulder seasons offer unique events (such as the Vancouver Film Festival and the Khatsahlano Music + Art Festival) and awesome live music. It's the time to catch those bands as they are arriving and departing North America after touring all June, July, and August. 

These are three shows that you should go and see. They are cheap, they will be entertaining, and they are all underrated!

Anberlin - Venue - April 29th

There is a stigma (pun intended) attached to the music genre Christian Rock. I have had to defend this genre in the past because I happen to really like some of the music produced by people who go to church. Sufjan Stevens, Hopesfall, and Low are all considered to be "Christian" acts, but these three are actually all in my Top 30 Favourite Bands! No good, Jesus-denying atheist wants to hear song after song about Nebuchadnezzar's Captivity or what awesome goddamn fishermen Jesus and Peter were, but sometimes bands are lumped into the Christian Rock category just because of their beliefs. Often, there are very very few references to religion in the lyrics of Christian Rock bands. Anberlin is one of these bands. I became a fan of this band after adding some of the songs from their breakout album Cities to my jogging playlist. They have come out with a few albums since this solid LP, and it's time for me to catch up with this catchy pop-metal band.

Daughter - Venue - May 15th 
As soon as I heard Daughter will be opening for Sigur Ros in the UK, I started listening to this London trio. Sigur Ros is my favourite band, so I pay attention to their opening acts and recommendations. Daughter is super new on the scene with two EPs and one full-length album, but their singles Youth and Smother have already been used in several European commercials and UK shows. Leadsinger Elena Tonra looks like Karen O and sounds like Florence Welch. I YouTubed Elena and didn't much care for her solo work, but the drummer and bassist she recruited provide her delicate delivery with an engaging backbone. In fact, they do kind of remind me of a folky Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I advise you see them now, on the cheap!  

 
The Brothers Comatose - The Roost - May 18th

You should go to this show for the venue alone. As a converted house in a residential neighbourhood, which prides itself on being unknown and affordable, The Roost is a gem of the Northwest. I saw a show there last year and wrote about the venue not so long ago. I know of The Brothers Comatose through two friends in Bellingham who saw them last year at this same venue and said it was super fun. As a bluegrass-punk band, The Brothers (two of them are, in fact, siblings) are focused on including the crowd, which results in a raucous recital. Go for Bellingham craft beer and Trader Joe's...and stay for the concert.

Keywords: "Alex Dawkins", "The Roost Bellingham", "Daughter band"

 

The Roost Venue in Bellingham

Many who live on the West Coast know Bellingham as "that town between Vancouver and Seattle" but B'ham is quickly becoming a Portland-of-the-North. With its blossoming craft beer industry, its scads of college kids, and its improving live music scene, Bellingham is now worth visiting in its own right. While the town is still pretty small and quiet, The Roost is one example of how Bellingham is becoming a cooler and more creative city than Vancouver. It is a house, in a residential neighbourhood, that has been gutted and transformed into a teeny tiny live music venue. The venue is eco-friendly, powered by solar and renovated with reclaimed timber, and it holds between 100-140 people. Max. The founders are four young guys from Washington who want to create a space dedicated to art and community building. Yes, the musicians brought in are the focus of this enterprise; and yes, both tickets and beer are sold to generate some capital...but the overarching goal is to create a comfortable, unique arts space for the city. The Roost hasn't been open for very long, and there are only one or two shows a month here. Plus, the owners don't really want their venue to be super well known, mainly for practical reasons. The best way to hear about upcoming gigs is to join their mailing list or follow them on Facebook.

Keywords: "Alex Dawkins", "The Green Frog", "The Roost Bellingham"

Top 10 Albums of 2012

It is very possible that the music from 2012 was much better than the music released last year, or I may just perceive this to be true due to the fact that I was traveling around the world in 2011 and simply wasn't on the ball. My praise for the music of this year is also connected to the bands that released new work. That is, they are amongst my favourites: Hot Water Music, Sigur Ros, and Bloc Party are all in my Top Ten Favourite Bands of All Time...so this bias would make it pretty much impossible for 2011 to compete. Here are my favourites from 2012, in no particular order. 

1) Alt-J - An Awesome Wave

I placed the Wild Beasts' Smother on my Top Ten of 2011 and Alt-J actually has a lot in common with this band: both are led by troubadour-like vocalists, both contain folktronica elements, both use unconventional instruments (Alt-J's drummer often uses a saucepan), and both produce songs rife with obscure historical references. In fact, Alt-J supported the Wild Beasts main tour this year. I also reacted to both of these albums in the same way; initial dismissal sparked by arcane compositions transforming into incrementally-earned admiration and appreciation. It's hard not to respect a band that can make a catchy song about doomed photojournalists Gerda Taro and Robert Capa. Already got tickets to their show at Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom this coming April!

  

2) Sigur Ros - Valtari

Valtari means "steamroller" in Icelandic. This is ironic because Valtari is incredibly docile compared to their last three albums. In an act of delayed gratification, I did not listen to this album in its entirety until December 8th when I went to see the band's Mystery Film Project at Vancouver's VanCity Theatre. This project involved a wide range of directors creating music videos for every song on the album, with zero input from the band. This was indeed a strange way to enjoy and judge an album for the first time. While the videos varied a fair deal in terms of subject matter, I believe the recurring themes of water, rebirth in nature, and testosterone-driven angst say something about the tone of Valtari. This is a fairly melancholy and airy album that avoids the band's trademark crescendos and bouts of drum-fueled fervor. While it probably won't become my favourite Sigur Ros release, it is still a rich and mysterious collection of songs by a band that can do no wrong in my mind. Even if they teamed up with Timbaland or produced a rockabilly album, I'd still buy their albums and travel to see them live (have tickets for their show in San Fran on April 17th, 2012!!!)

3) El Ten Eleven - It's Still Like a Secret

A friend recently lent me the documentary Urbanized and I was floored when I heard El Ten Eleven playing as the soundtrack to this city-planning based film. This is not a well known movie, and El Ten Eleven are not a well known band. I saw this instrumental LA duo in November at Vancouver's Media Club and liked them a lot more live than recorded. I own two of their albums and bought them during a time when I needed lyricless music to study to, but I didn't realise how technical and complicated their compositions are until I saw them in person. The majority of their songs sound like just that...tracks to a film. This is not your typical John Williamsesque, Hans Zimmery instrumental music though. El Ten Eleven specializes in looped, upbeat, layered guitar pop that is the perfect match for cleaning the house, reading, or learning about the potential dynamism of urban river corridors.      


4) Beach House - Bloom

I've read reviews of Bloom that describe it as an improvement upon Teen Dream and definitely their best work to date. I really really liked Teen Dream, so you can imagine how excited I was to hear this new album. I like it - and am bordering on loving it - but think that it is very close in quality and character to their last effort. The dense instrumentation and dreamy layers that Beach House are known for are rich and encompassing here, but most tracks lack the hooks and fresh experimentation that were at the forefront of Teen Dream. I often play Bloom on iTunes and let Teen Dream follow. Personally, I think it is a testament to the band that I often forget which track belongs to which album. They are both so, so good.

5) Bloc Party - Four

This band is getting old. I find it really interesting how bands cope with the inevitability of aging. Some try to cling to their former selves (see: Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes), while others take unfortunate and unnatural paths to avoid predictability (see: Neil Young with Trans, Jack White). A large number of the better and more versatile bands out there face change head-on and incorporate issues like aging and altered band dynamics into their music.

 

Four has a great deal in common with Bloc Party's past releases in that it contains thoughtful pacing and the band's trademark juxtaposition of peppy riffs with emotional content. But it also contains a frustration and edge that the other albums lack, and this is most apparent in the brazen song intros and the tracks Coliseum and 3x3. Bloc Party has lost little momentum since Silent Alarm, but their songs are beginning to reveal an unprecedented maturity and grit.

6) The xx - Coexist

I found The xx's first album too simple and mopey to buy or listen to very much. While The xx still hangs its hat on the droning harmonies of guitarist Romy Croft and bassist Oliver Sim, DJ and producer Jamie xx has created angular song structures here that both engage with their programmed beats and grow in complexity as they progress. I have also found that this album, more so than their debut, can be played in a variety of settings. The clicks, pops, and synth percussion allow you to play it at parties, yet the atmospheric downtempo grooves of most tracks make it suitable as background/mood music. I'm finally a fan. Took me long enough.    

7) Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal

A friend of mine went to Airwaves, the big October music festival in Reykjavik, this year and was expecting several bands to be overwhelmingly popular. Sigur Ros, Phantogram, and Shearwater were all packed, but the band generating the most hype at the festival was Iceland's own Of Monsters and Men. This was a band that I had heard a few tracks from, but several people told me I really really needed to give them more of my attention. The Airwaves hype and personal recommendations really do reflect the quality of this debut album. And I know there may be some music dorks who claim this to be a 2011 release (in Ice, Ice, Iceland), but North America and Europe couldn't get their hands on this animal until 2012. 

8) Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city

Unlike his last album Section.80, this release is the first of Kendrick's with major label backing. I am not the biggest hiphop/rap fan in the world, but this is a moving and super stimulating genre when done well. Like OutKast, The Roots, Busdriver, and Lupe Fiasco, Kendrick Lamar blends intelligent lyrics, strife, and original beats which engage the listener on several levels. The concept of this album is by no means novel - the autobiographical format was used just last year with The Roots' Undun - but the story of a smart kid escaping from the ghetto has universal and lasting appeal. Unlike his last album, this release has a low-key, downbeat, narrative style that prompts you to listen from beginning to end...rather than track by track.

9) Hot Water Music - Exister

I am not an extreme person. It is for this reason that I have never been able to relate to super fans. I could never put in the energy and investment required to memorize every lyric of a band's every song. I could never be a groupie, or one of those wack-jobs who get band tattoos. Having said this, I was genuinely upset when I heard Hot Water Music disbanded in 2006 due to Chuck's strained vocal cords and diverging musical interests amongst the members of the band. This is the only time I can remember getting emotional over a band...while I do truly love HWM's rhythm section, I also have very specific and valuable memories linked to this band's first five albums. So, you can imagine how excited I was to hear Exister, their reunion (and probably final) album. This album has a lot in common with the tone and heavy melodies of The New What Next, and Chris is handling more of the vocals than ever before, but songs such as Take No Prisoners and Drown in It carry all of the grit and dueling vocals that HWM fans mosh, drink, air punch, and run marathons to.

  

10) Hot Chip - In Our Heads

A great deal of the music I like requires some auditory attuning. I usually have to work towards appreciation and respect when listening to new music, but I loved In Our Heads from the first layered synth staccato of 'Motion Sickness'. I have seen Hot Chip twice live, and was a huge fan from the time my sister made my listen to 'Crap Kraft Dinner' in 2006, and this album proves that they are still amongst the best purveyors of indietronica on the market.


Keywords: "Top Albums 2012", "Alex Dawkins", "Zulu Records"

May Concert Highlights

May is looking good for shows in Vancouver this year. Hold the iPhone...May is always good for live music in Vancouver! I have selected a diverse trio of bands below: Brooklyn beach pop, a Finnish string quartet, and video game music about abortions and sexual angst. Hmmm, maybe my taste in music isn't so hot afterall.

The Drums - Venue - May 8

Though my sister and I are both avid music-listeners and like many of the same groups, my tastes are a bit melancholic when compared to hers. She has recommended a lot of groups to me - such as The Ting Tings, White Lies, and The Joy Formidable - that I have come to like over time, after adjusting to their poppy patinas. This same thing happened with The Drums. My very first exposure to them was the video for Let's Go Surfing and I hated the hollow hipness of both the song and appearance of the band members. I didn't give them another shot for a year or so after hearing this simple and repetitive throw-back to Sixties surf rock, but the band has grown since 2010 and can produce a catchy song. They are not amazing, and I would never buy one of their albums with real money, but this will be a fun and affordable live show. 

Apocalyptica - Commodore - May 22

Who wouldn't want to see a four-piece string quartet from Finland that specializes in instrumental covers of American heavy metal songs? I first heard Apocalyptica while using the 8tracks website to generate some background music while sorting through 6,000 cellulose acetate negatives at Touchstones Nelson. Not only are Mikko, Perttu, Paavo, and Eicca awesome cellists, their music has an edge...and edge that is not initially evident if you are not paying close attention to the tunes. There I was, appraising my fonds, enjoying the classical music emanating from my super-average Logitech computer speakers, when I realised that I was humming along to Enter Sandman. Double-you-tee-eff?

Xiu Xiu - The Biltmore - May 28 

Despite harbouring a strong dislike of Xiu Xiu's frontman, Jamie Stewart, and being thoroughly disturbed by their 'Dear God, I Hate Myself' video (seriously, don't watch it unless you have a vomit fetish...is that a thing?), I must admit that I am intrigued by this act. I wouldn't say that I  "enjoy" the music of Xiu Xiu, but novelty has the power to engage, so this will likely be an entertaining live show. Part art rock and part synth masturbation, Xiu Xiu creates music that often juxtaposes playful melodies with dark lyrics. Stewart has an effective delivery, but he doesn't have much range, so I find myself getting bored with his baritone weirdness after a few songs. If the Magnetic Fields created the score for a video game about a teenager in the midst of an existential crisis, whilst serving time in a Chinese laogai, it would sound very close to the music of Xiu Xiu. Very close. 

Keywords: "Alex Dawkins Vancouver", "Vancouver Concerts", "Biltmore Vancouver"

March Concert Highlights

Late spring and early fall are always good (if not the best) times for live music in Vancouver because bands are incoming and outgoing from summer festivals in the States. Many bands hop up to Vancouver and Seattle to make some extra cash, and we are sure glad they do. There are some solid bands coming this spring. When I write these previews, I try to avoid listing bands that everyone knows are good. I try to focus on groups that may fly under the radar, or are on their way up to widespread success. This is what I would be going to, were I not in Nelson sorting through 6,441 acetate negatives as part of a contract archival job:

Islands - The Rio - March 8

Many great albums, and artworks, have been created out of loss and pain. Break-ups must be one of the primary catalysts for songwriters, and while the subject matter has been done to death, musicians always find ways to package it in new and catchy ways. Islands is kind of like Spiritualized or Broken Social Scene in that the band is a rotating cast of performers, held together by a single creative force. With reference to Islands, this creative force is Nick Thorburn, and he is about to release his fourth studio album. It is titled A Sleep & A Forgetting, and it is based upon a break-up and Nick's subsequent move from Brooklyn to LA. So far I'm not doing much to sell this show, but it is probably a good one to see since the "band" has a catalogue to play from now and the music I have heard from A Sleep & A Forgetting thus far is soulful and mature. Despite the hype surrounding their first two albums, due to connections with Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade, I found them kitschy and retro-derivative. This album, on the other hand, seems more authentic and heart-felt...although it does come out on Valentine's Day (just puked in my mouth a little).

     

Puscifer - Centre for Performing Arts - March 13 

As a multimedia project, stream-of-consciousness outlet, and southern gothic freak show led by Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan, Puscifer (eloquently pronounced "pussy-fur") will - at the very least - put on a great show. I have never been into Tool, and Puscifer isn't really my cup of murky faux-hillbilly tea, but I do seek creative works that are carefully crafted and challenge my aesthetic comfort zone. This incarnation of Keenan's psyche is more playful and rockabilly than Tool or A Perfect Circle, and relies heavily on theatrical elements and graphics. It is a good sign that the band decided to play at The Centre for Performing Arts too, as this venue is often used for big budget musicals and theatrical productions. If I was in Vancouver right now I would try to go to this, but I would be scared. Not going to lie.

The Ting Tings - Commodore - March 27

The Ting Tings became pretty well known after Apple used 'Shut Up and Let Me Go' for its iPod commercial, and the band appeared on SNL in 2010, so it's great that they are still playing at mid-sized venues like the Commodore. Tickets are reasonable at $27 before all that added bullpucky, and I know (from witness accounts and YouTube-surfing) that this English duo puts on a raucous show. They have been to Vancouver quite a bit, but this show should be especially gnar because the Ting Tings are Tout Touting their second studio album, Sounds from Nowheresville, which drops this month. I should also mention that if you like dancing, this is also the show for you since most of their music is 4/4, up-tempo. Aaaand the Commodore has a sprung dancefloor!




Keywords: "Puscifer Vancouver", "Alex Dawkins", "Vancouver Concert Listings"

Top 10 Albums of 2011

This list of 2011’s best albums, according to the baroque and diverse tastes of ABCD, comes with a disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I was on the road for much of the year and have not put in the hours and hours of listening that I usually complete. This list, which has been presented in random order, is based on albums that I was exposed to whilst traveling and the music that I have been obsessively catching up with over the past two weeks.

1) Austra - Feel it Break
With a Stevie Nicks vibrato and charging keyboard accompaniment, Katie Stelmanis' Austra creates songs that are melodramatic but catchy. Like The Organ and Beach House (who were on my list for 2010), Austra creates a distinctive sound by combining deep, commanding vocals with New Wave synth. While Stelmanis is tempted to wander into pop territory once in a while, this is essentially music of sacrifice and Gothic beauty. Darken Her Horse and The Choke will hook you on this kickass Canadian band.

2) The Jezabels - Prisoner
Boy, is this a good year if you are into bands led by women with deep, haunting, octave-hopping vocals. I saw The Jezabels in Adelaide this past November and was really impressed with the wall of sound created through the use of their chorused guitar strumming, the spacey keyboard backing, the steady syncopated drumming on most tracks, and Hayley Mary's "banshee" vocals (great description, Beardo). This is their first LP, and it is evident that The Jezabels need to explore new sounds. I don't think Hayley is really able to alter her singing style, so it will be up to the band to lead her away from her epic, Kate Bushesque tendencies. The following video is awesome for two reasons: first, it features the music of said band; and second, it contains some of the most jaw-dropping BMXing I've ever seen...

3) Gotye - Making Mirrors
With tickets still available for his Vancouver show on April 8, Wally (oh, sorry...Gotye) has been selling out mid-sized venues down under for over a year now. Man he's popular in Australia and New Zealand. With musical stylings echoing Sting and his fellow Melbournians Crowded House, Gotye produces eclectic pop-rock that borrows from many, many genres...he even busts out the Auto-Tune for one track. When I first heard Eyes Wide Open I pictured Gotye as a middle-aged, Irish, ex-member of a folk group from the early Nineties, who is making an effort to revitalise his career with help from a clever production team and primarily rock-based tracks. I was very, very wrong. One more thing I like about Gotye is that he was born in Bruges, one of my favourite cities!


4) Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Before seeing the Fleet Foxes in Paris this past May, I was indifferent towards the asymmetrical harmonising of this sextet from Portland. I found their flower power a cappella and heavy reliance upon ballads kind of passé, and I thought they needed to grow some balls, in general. When I saw them this spring, it was an incredibly warm evening and the venue's air conditioning just happened to break down an hour before the band hit the stage. There was no circulation, and the hundreds of bodies in La Bataclan began to drive the temperature into the nineties. Unlike The Kings of Leon, The Fleet Foxes did not cancel the show due to extreme heat. They stuck out a ninety-minute set, thanking us for tolerating the crappy conditions, and also exposed me to the excellence of Helplessness Blues. This album has a great mix of ballads, solo pieces, Sixties psych-folk, and indie rock. I also think that The Shrine/An Argument is one of the best songs I have heard all year. 


5) Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
I have a few favourite bands that always deliver (to my particular tastes, that is). Releases by Hot Water Music, Sigur Ros, Radiohead and Mogwai never fail(ed) to progress and contain a great deal of complexity. EITS also falls into this category. Ever since my sister bought me How Strange, Innocence ten years ago (wow...TEN years ago?!) this band has been on constant rotation on my computer, in my CD players, and on my various i-gadgets. With songs that often exceed six minutes in length and are composed of various transitions/movements, EITS albums can stand up to countless listens and are great to play when studying or reading. Fortunately, I still have a term to go before obtaining my MA!  

6) The Roots - undun
Dear Roots, 

There was really no need to make me like you even more than I already do. Your  unexpected collaboration with the amazing Sufjan Stevens, and your creation of a clever concept album - akin to Pedro the Lion's Winners Never Quit and The Who's Tommy - has elevated you to one of the most prolific and dynamic hiphop bands ever. If you continue to push the boundaries of jazz, rap, and urban music, and keep creating albums of this caliber, I may have to promote you to my Favourite Bands category. Don't make me do this, Roots. Once I do this, there is no going back.


Sincerely,


Alex


Postscriptum - the short film is just excessive...you have no right to be this productive while you are playing for Fallon every night:

 


7) M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
I am not a multi-instrumentalist, nor am I a musician! If I were, I could definitely imagine becoming obsessed with pushing my own skills and output, and becoming less in tune with the needs and desires of my audience. M83 is becoming more complex and epic, but the group is always accessible, and this is just one of the reasons why I really appreciate the astral electropop of Anthony Gonzalez and company. Since their first release in 2001, band members have come and gone, the group has switched from stellar instrumental work to lyric-based pop, and they have managed to remain relatively unknown despite recently touring with the Kings of Leon and Depeche Mode. This double album based on the fluidity of dream logic is the band's most epic effort to date, and I was very happy to hear Morgan Kibby on many of the tracks. I would have her babies.  


8) Kimbra - Vows
Holy cow, can this pint-sized Kiwi belt the tunes! I attended Adelaide's Parklife Festival this year to see another New Zealand outfit, The Naked and Famous, but Kimbra stood out as one of the best acts of the day. With the intensity of Florence + The Machine and lithe allure of Lykke Li,  Kimbra creates songs with clever mixing, numerous layers, and a soulful edge. I have heard comparisons to Amy Winehouse, but Kimbra's music is more playful and positive.  She recently collaborated with Gotye (see above) and won the New Zealand Critics' Choice Award, so I am sure you will be hearing about this one in no time.

9) Real Estate - Days
Music in this genre is usually too straightforward for me. While the Beach Boys and Weezer made careers out of producing peppy (yes, I just referred to Weezer's career in the past tense), carefree tunes that are perfectly suited to barbecuing and chino shopping at the Gap, their lyrics and compositions could often be unpackaged and understood after the first few listens. I have known about Real Estate for a few years but always thought their music was one-dimensional, vapid, and sloppily produced. With this album, Real Estate is still one-dimensional and fairly superficial, but they sound great and have produced some catchy songs that should accompany such mundane but enjoyable tasks as folding laundry or taking an afternoon drive to get ice cream on a warm summer day.    

10) Wild Beasts - Smother

It is easy to mock or dislike the Wild Beasts. The lead vocalist is often comically theatrical, they haughtily named themselves after the art-historical Fauves, and the band is from England's beautiful but backwards Lake District (I visited the band's home village in 2007 and can confidently state that the music reflects the quirky charm of Cumbria). I had heard bits of their past two albums, Limbo Panto and Two Dancers, but found their sound inconsistent and affected. This album is more thoughtful and kind of eerie, which actually suits Hayden Thorpe's vocals.   

 

"gotye vancouver", "austra canadian", "austra vancouver", "top albums 2011", "alex dawkins"

October Concert Highlights

Vancouverites are fortunate to have some great gigs coming to town this October; unfortunately, I am in Australia. While I was creating this entry I was perusing the Pollstar website and it really was painful to read about all of the awesome shows that I will be unable to attend. I knew what I was getting myself into when deciding to undertake an eight-month trip though, so I will have to settle for vicarious concert-going experiences, created through Georgia Straight reviews, You Tube clips, and descriptions from friends. Coincidentally, two of the bands that I am (highly) recommending are from Oceania!   

Cut Copy - Vogue - October 7

I am a runner, and a portion of my music harvesting is based around bands that produce complex, 150-bpm music. I am pretty picky when it comes to electronic, up-tempo music though because the repetition and laptop-reliance of most dance music becomes boring after a few minutes. My legs might like run-of-the-mill house music, but my brain needs to be doing something while my body is busy exercising. Bands like Block Party, Daft Punk and Cut Copy use a wide variety of instruments and effects to produce songs that are both stimulating and spirited. Hailing from Melbourne, Cut Copy has been around for more than a decade and are known for creating poppy tracks with clever synth/keyboard effects and smooth vocals. It is rare to find an electronic group that: plays actual instruments, produces great vocals, and walks the line between techno and pop. In Ghost Colours has been on my Shuffle for two years!    

The Naked and Famous - Commodore - October 11

My sister turned me onto this Kiwi group and there are three or four outstanding tracks on their debut album, Young Blood. Their sound is immature right now - some of their songs run out of steam mid-way through and some of the songs end awkwardly - but Alisa Xayalith's dynamic vocals and the band's dense synth-pop compositions are very promising. They are actually in the same category as Cut Copy, but they are not as electronic. This will be a good chance to see some up-and-coming kiwis at Vancouver's best venue.

  

Friendly Fires - Commodore - October 18

Like Cut Copy's In Ghost Colours, the Friendly Fires debut album from 2008 has been on my running playlist for two years. My favourite song from this debut is 'Jump in the Pool'. Like most of their songs, 'Jump in the Pool' is heavily mixed and super snappy, but all of the digital detailing and  effects cling to a rock nucleus. Unlike The Naked and Famous and Cut Copy, the  Friendly Fires are guitar driven, with synthed percussion often mixed over the band's tracks. The band members met in highschool (in St Albans...where my great grandparents were married!) and originally played dark post-rock. Post-rockers love guitars - especially screwing with them to produce unusual sounds - and this love is evident in the music of the Friendly Fires, despite the glossy production of their past two albums. Ed Macfarlane, the lead singer, started experimenting with keyboards and laptops in university, and then the band as a whole really embraced electronic elements in 2007. The band is currently touring to promote their new album, Pala. 

"A.B.C. Dawkins", "Alex Dawkins", "Vancouver concerts"

May and June Concert Highlights

Although I am on an 8-month backpacking trip around the world, I still have my finger tapping to the pulse of Vancouver's music scene. I have noted a few shows below that promise to be entertaining, if not immensely pleasurable (this sounds kinda dirty):

Mogwai - May 6th - The Commodore

I have seen Scotland's finest three times: in Glasgow, in Edinburgh, and in Vancouver. While these were not necessarily the "best" concerts I have been to, they were definitely the loudest concerts I have ever been too. Loudness has a negative connotation because it is often associated with discomfort, confusion, and the indeterminate. It can be a powerful force in music, however, when used in a calculated fashion to emphasize melody and communicate passion. I highly recommend that everyone experience Mogwai's great-wall-of-sound at least once. Oh ya...bring earplugs.

Atmosphere - May 10th - The Vogue

I am super selective when it comes to rap and hip-hop. I find it difficult to find rap that strikes a balance between grit, intelligent rhyming, and creative beats. Atmosphere, a duo comprised of MC Slug and DJ Ant, are incredibly open-minded and literate, yet they hold on to the intensity and aggression that provides good hip-hop with its engaging edge. I don't think rap translates very well to the stage, but I think this setting will be great for Atmosphere because of the clear acoustics and intimate, non-clubby setting. 

Man Man - May 17th - The Rickshaw

I am not going to pretend to possess an intimate knowledge of this band, but I will state that two people whose musical tastes I greatly respect have described Man Man shows as "off the hook". The kids these days use this colloquialism to describe something as exuberant and/or extremely enjoyable, so I suggest you "score" an affordable ticket to this "gig" which promises to be "dope". Mind you, Man Man is not for everyone. They are prone to hippie jam sets and psychedelic freak-outs, but I suppose these musical phenomena can be entertaining in and of themselves.

The Airborne Toxic Event - June 7th - The Venue

I wasn't a fan of ATE's first two albums, and I think their band name sucks, despite it being based on part of a Don DeLillo novel. As with many bands, it has taken ATE a few years to define their sound and to make necessary amendments. They were a shallow West Coast pop-rock outfit attempting to embellish their frothy music with strings and orchestral elements, which resulted in a sound that was discordant and pretentious...like a watered-down Arcade Fire. Their first album earned them a 1.6/10 from Pitchfork. While ATE's early work was (forgivably) derivative, they are beginning to produce an interesting and unique sound. This is probably the time to see them, as they are evolving...and still affordable.