Wig Out At Jagbags is the sixth album released by Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, and while this LP doesn't necessarily push any musical boundaries, it's a fun and playful ride. It's indie music without the dour sensibilities. It's the kind of attitude frequently attributed to youthful exuberance but is often, as in this case, expressed through longevity and maturity.
The lyrics are humorous and witty. Malkmus' vocals are clean and crisp, which enables him to pull you in to the stories he's telling; he often seems as if he's talking rather than singing to you. The music touches on elements of hazy psychedelia, alt-country and soul, often leaving room for improvisation. This room is created even though the album works in a tighter confine than their previous material.
"Planetary Motion" fuzzes and wails along as the simplistic rhythms of the drums and bass punch the track forward, creating a vast space for exploration.
"J Smoov" is just that, smoov. Horns softly billow out as the strings snake along, the vocals croon while the guitar guides you through an ethereal experience taking you to that good place. "Chartjunk", my favourite track, also serves up a smooth feel, with a horn section and a groove that really gets the body shaking. It's the kind of track you crave for in a live setting, because you know a part of you will melt during the crescendo.
"Cinnamon & Lesbians" unapologetically borrows from the Grateful Dead's "St. Stephen", the riff sending us in to a kind of Dead-like jam potential only to be reigned in at the three-minute mark.
Malkmus has been doing this for a long time and he seems to be having fun, and that fun transcends into the music and songs on this album. And like he sings in "Lariat" (you're not what you aren't, you aren't what you're not), Malkmus is what he is. All you have to do is join him in the wig out.
Final rating: 4/5
--Fredy M. Iuni hosts Hiway 1, Sundays at 1:00 pm on CJLO
Hosted by Jocelyn Beaudet
Stories written by Marilla Steuter-Martin and Saturn De Los Angeles
Produced by Saturn De Los Angeles
To introduce this week's Commonwealth Conundrum show, we'll take you back to 2011... It was a Wednesday, and a then-redheaded Rebecca was flying solo at Canuck's Kick It when she interviewed this chap about his band's new album Tantale!
Now Rebecca is welcoming back Jean-Michel Pigeon, lead singer of Monogrenade, to talk about their new album Composite, which is going to be released next Tuesday. Time flies when you are having fun, especially on The Commonwealth Conundrum show.
Tune in this Friday at 4pm.
Hosted by Saturn De Los Angeles
Stories by John Toohey, Alexa Everett and Marilla Steuter-Martin
Produced by Marilla Steuter-Martin
I feel like I've not been doing my sovereign duty as a "Guy who-listens to rad new metal (preferably-Canadian) and then shares it with the world," a GWLTRNM(PC)ATSIWTW if you will. Here we are knuckle-deep in 2014 and I'm still listening to last year's music! As a grown-ass adult, however, I have long ago mastered the art of deflection, so here goes...
The audacity of these bastards, releasing albums promptly in January! The nerve! The gall! Give us a break will you? I only got around to giving The Doomstar Requiem – A Klok Opera Soundtrack a listen fu**en yesterday! And I've got laundry to do. It was all right, by the way. Dethklok, not laundry. Some parts make me giggle 'n' jiggle, but I'm a fan and therefore my opinion is worth somewhere around zero. Speaking of being dismissive of popular franchises I'm emotionally invested in, GWAR's latest... thingy, Battle Maximus, is also satisfactory, and that's all I'm going to say. This stuff is months old and I'm digressing like a motherfu**er.
So where to start? Well it's winter, and even though the days are getting longer at this point, it's still black metal season, so let's see what we have here...
From the grim and frostbitten kingdom of Winnipeg (earlier in the season they were colder than Mars, look it up) we have Culted with their third release Oblique to All Paths. I guess I should say mostly from Winnipeg, as these guys are that band you've heard of whose vocalist is Swedish and has never met the rest of the band face to face, what with living in Sweden and all. This has some upsides and downsides with regard to their overall effect. On the one hand, the man is screaming across the Atlantic, which is pretty kvlt right there. On the other hand, the fact that they can't record together on an 8-track in somebody's sound-killing basement means we're going to have fidelity issues. The issue being that there is any. Call me old-fashioned, but if you can distinguish individual tones you might as well be listening to Dimmu. I'm more of a Nattefrost, Behexen, rusty auger to the eardrum kind of guy, and hey look I can be elitist too! These guys do a good job simulating it, though, opting for a doomy sound replete with ambient meandering and sound bites from old movies and other media, which they're pretty sure no-one could identify. It was tell whether I was actually comprehending what was going on.
Long story short, you're looking at some quality sludgy blackened doom with Culted, provided you also like a crisp sound (or don't care, like a reasonable person might). Ponderous and ambient, not quite enough chaos for my tastes, yet still with a modicum of energy. But look at you, you bad-ass. You just don't give a sh*t one way or another, do you?
Rating: 7.4/10
--DJ Spacepirate hosts Burnt Offerings, Sundays 6-8PM
Hosted by: Catlin Spencer
Stories by: Danny Aubry, Catlin Spencer & Saturn De Los Angeles
Produced by: Jenna Monney-Lupert
On February 2nd at 2PM FunkShui will be welcoming special guest Melissa Smith: the owner of Chase No Face!
Chase No Face is a popular internet cat whose cute face (or lack thereof) has gained the admiration of cat lovers worldwide. With more than 42 000 likes on Facebook, Chase No Face teaches everyone that perseverance is the key to living life to the fullest.
After a horrible car accident when Chase was four weeks old, Melissa Smith took her in and has loved her ever since! Chase has no eyelids and lost a leg in the tragedy, but survived and feels no pain because of the help of her wonderful vets.
If you would like to help with Chase's medical bills (to cover for her medication and checkups) feel free to donate to her and read more about Melissa and Chase No Face, through Melissa's blog!
Justin Bieber was arrested Thursday morning for driving under the influence in Florida.
According to CBC News, police stopped the 19-year-old singer as he was reportedly drag racing down the street.
Bieber was released on bail set at $2,500 Thursday afternoon.
Under Florida law, anyone under the legal drinking age can be arrested for having a blood-alcohol content of 0.02 or higher.
There is no minimum jail sentencing for first-time DUI offenders but there is an automatic six-month license suspension.
Bieber was also cited by police as having resisted arrest.
CJLO and TVA Films are giving away tickets to the premiere of "Three Night Stand," a new film starring Emmanuelle Chriqui, Meaghan Rath, and Sam Huntington.
The premiere takes place at Cinema Du Parc on February 3rd at 7:00 PM and will be attended by the cast of the movie and the lucky winners!
Tune in to At The Movies on Tuesday from 8:00 to 9:00 AM on CJLO!
We will also be giving away tickets on our Twitter and Facebook sites, so make sure you follow those too!
Hosted by Jocelyn Beaudet
Stories written by Marilla Steuter-Martin and Saturn De Los Angeles
Produced by Saturn De Los Angeles