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The Long Gun Registry
The Tories are facing a defeat on one of their most cherished issues, and they have been put on the defensive about a CBC report that alleges their campaign on this issue has ties to the NRA. The CBC has published documents to back up their claim that the NRA has been actively involved in trying to abolish the long gun registry for years now. To top it all off, David McGuinty accused Stephen Harper and the Conservatives of playing U.S. Republican-style wedge politics.
This week's developments regarding the bill to scrap the gun registry provide hope that the three opposition parties will not spend the year being pushed around and manipulated by Harper's Tories but instead be an effective counterweight. There were moments all year long when it looked as if the registry was doomed to voted out of existence but then things began to change. The Liberal leader Michael decided back in April he would whip the Liberal vote on the issue, the Bloc were always going to vote against the Conservative private members bill, but it looked like rural NDP MP's were going to vote along with the Tories and end the registry. Then something happened.
It's hard to say if Jack Layton didn't like being called out by the Liberals or the Bloc or if he just wanted to be on the right side of this issue. Maybe he, like the other leaders, is sensing that the Conservatives are vulnerable -- whatever the reason he came out this week and said he had the votes to save the registry and on the 22nd of this month if he' right, that will be that.
With a newly emboldened opposition one suspects that the ride for Harper and the gang will only get bumpier. I'm really looking forward to the kickoff of Parliament -- it promises to be full of surprises.
Chicks on Speed @ Club Soda
I cannot believe I was oblivious to this collective until last night! Chicks on Speed, who stem from Munich, stormed into Montreal, apparently much too late. Fans of this DIY/electroclash/punk group’s previous work told me that they were huge about 7 years ago with the hit “Wordy Rappinghood”, which just made me grin from ear to ear. The general opinion, though, seemed to be that going to see this show was more like caving in to a bout of nostalgia then being spurred on by knowledge of Chicks on Speed’s recent work.
The night was part of the little-known “Les Escales Improbable” festival, which runs in September of every year. This year it involved audio installations, theatre, performance art, opera, street art, and music, at the Old Port, Lion D’Or, Monument National, and Club Soda. It ended on the 10th of September.
Opening for Chicks on Speed was Montreal DJ Cherry Cola who slayed the room with bass-heavy beats and my own nostalgia trip new wave track, “Eisbar” (thanks for that!). The crowd was thin and ticket stubs showed that they were offering 2-for-1 tickets after a presumed lack of interest. The DJ set’s end cooled the steamy dance floor and, after two cigarettes, Chicks on Speed were still not on stage. After a few technical glitches with the projector, though, they appeared unassumingly on the stage. Being an international collective of artists, the members are disparate, and this show involved two of the Chicks, Nadine Jessen and Melissa Logan.
Jessen’s amazing dance moves on top of the DJ table with gratuitous use of jazz hands was one of the highlights of the show for me. The awkwardness of the entire setup, with Sharpied banners, shiny space-age homemade costumes, and grainy video of the Chicks dancing with their reggaeton friends, was beyond endearing.
The aforementioned reggaeton tracks left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The Chicks immediately rectified the situation with an audio-visual remix treat involving a LOT of ass-slapping. Each slap was on hyper-bass boost, and the kids in the crowd didn’t know whether to dance or to laugh.
Altogether, the Chicks on Speed were beautifully awkward, and their multi-media setup was crafted with expertise. Hopefully on their return to Montreal the dance floor will not be so under-populated.
Dragonette @ Cabaret Du Mile End
Tucked into the south end of the Mile End, just above the mountain, lies a nice little venue called Cabaret du Mile End. This was my first time in this venue, which used to be the Kola Note, and before that, Club Soda, so the sound system and lighting were impeccable. I arrived at the show way too early, but the door was already teeming with Dragonette superfans, which tended to be the indie “interesting sweater” crowd with money burning holes in their pockets. They were definitely digging the pre-show Cake soundtrack provided by the sound man.
Unfortunately, the crowd was dead through the opener, Silly Kissers, from Montreal. This new wave electro-pop outfit is a mainstay in the indie scene. In fact, you can catch them again during the Pop Montreal/Arbutus Showcase at the Rialto on the 30th of September. Their repertoire ranged from synth-pop tunes which smacked of The Cure to incredibly poppy tracks reminiscent of none other than the main act, Dragonette. Their instrumentation included two synthesizers, an incredibly tight drummer, and a guitarist. Their lead singers, Jane Penny and Bob Lamont, traded off to highlight their quite different vocal stylings. There was much tapping of feet, but no one seemed to feel quite moved enough to get up and shake their booties.
Booty shaking ensued, however, when Dragonette, from Toronto, finally made it onto stage. Within seconds of Martina Sorbara saying “Why are you all sitting down?!”, the entire crowd was up on their feet. I have to admit this show was much too pop-centric for my jaded old ears, but the 20-somethings definitely dug it. A synth master was at left, with an impressive rack of four versatile keyboards. Lead singer Martina at center wowed the crowd with her ultra skinny physique yet super rad haircut, and the bassist and drummer gratefully followed their leads. I would suggest this group to anyone who wants a mindless pop tune to dance naked around their living room to. Dragonette is one of those groups that even shamelessly delves into country-like remixes of their own tunes, which is appropriate considering the vocals sounded to me like Shania Twain rediscovering a new genre. Look up their videos on Youtube if you don’t believe me.
In any case, Dragonette definitely makes a point of making people dance just for the hell of it, no brains needed. Sometimes that’s okay. They won’t be coming back this way for awhile, though, so if you need a fix, here you go.
Climate Science News Update
"The northern polar ice cap has been showing the effects of global warming more rapidly than any other place on earth." So begins this video report that features NASA's Tom Wagner and a convincing eye-witness account of what's happening to Arctic sea ice from Arctic researcher David Barber. You can witness for yourself that there is little left to doubt as to whether or not the climate has changed and continues to do so in exactly the manner in which climate scientists long ago predicted. This week NASA reported that we've just experienced the hottest January to August period on record. And if you're the kind that's been paying attention you already know that in June NASA reported he 12-month running mean global temperature had reached a new record in 2010 — despite recent minimum of solar irradiance. That means that the deniers claims that the warming we're experiencing is all the sun's fault are hogwash.
I understand why producers and profiteers of fossil fuels deny Anthropogenic Climate Change (ACC) and their efforts to muddy the science behind it and why they'll even fight anti-pollution laws. I don't get why right wingers go along though. I don't see how it profits them and why they wouldn't want to err on the side of caution. There's a report just today that hundreds of thousands of walruses pack Alaskan shores to get some rest, as the sea ice in the region has been reduced to near-record lows.
What's most troubling in all this anti-science nonsense is the lack of appreciation for the real impacts that this kind of rapid climate change will have on national security and international stability. Take a hard look at what's happening in Pakistan (seems nobody in the western press really wants to), the devastation this one in a thousand year flood has wrought and you'll begin to realize some of the untold consequences that await us if we do not act.
CJLO News September 13th 2010
News Read by Emily Brass, Produced by Drew Pascoe
Stories written by Chris Hanna, Emily Brass, and Marcin Wisniewski
Kele @ Sala Rossa
Embarking upon his first solo tour across three continents, Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke performed solo in Montréal at La Salla Rosa on the 4th of September, 2010. Being his seventh overall stop and second in a majority francophone city, Kele strutted onstage with a well-traveled divinity that hinted towards modesty. The females within the first ten meters immediately shot glances towards upstage while the men opened their ears and loosened their dancing feet; Kele’s presence alone made the measly cost of the concert ticket forgettable to all now tuned-in to his music. His goal was seeking converts to his style.
While the first gulps of alcoholic drinks were taken and the fanfare gravitated from the bar to the stage, Kele began his set with "Walk Tall", the first song off his 2010 solo album The Boxer. The hyperactive single began in usual Bloc Party rhythm, before breaking into the new electronic hybrid genre that Kele now represents. Those mostly filling Sala Rossa were long-term fans of Kele, drawn to him from his beginning in the alternative/indie rock group Bloc Party and excited to hear what his new-found autonomy would produce. Capitalizing on fan-loyalty, the show spawned a new Kele never before presented, though just as equally esteemed as Bloc Party (on hiatus as of October 31st of last year).
Tighter, sharper beats kept the audience extremely active, from cuts "On The Lam" to "The Other Side" to the now-popular single "Everything You Wanted". Kele’s use of electronic acoustics and sounds placed him more as a showman than a lead singer, as his voice and direction appealed directly to the music, rather than seeking to overpower and dominate it. This new sound magically arranged itself out of chaos, inventing a New Spontaneous Order that easily convinced show goers to stay until the last chord was struck.
Not wanting to disappoint those most loyal to him, Kele (his first name, as well as his solo moniker) hammered out a continuous string of Bloc Party favorites: "Blue Light", "The Prayer" and "One More Chance". While the show goers forewent using their voices for the sake of dancing at the beginning of the show, the Bloc Party hits evoked harmonic cries, amazingly useful for more than just ordering drinks at the bar. This part of the show converged Group Member Kele with Solo Artist Kele, and the moment and audience did seem to favor the latter. The energy emitted from the stage disseminated among the crowd, from the hip-hopper to the head banger to the quiet couple, one standing in front of the other.
The undeniable apex of the show was the hit "Tenderoni", which has already garnered 25,000 plays on Last.fm and over 1.2 million views on Youtube at the moment of the writing of this review. It would be naïve to chronicle this song in any other way, as simply: Kele. This is the new Kele, the one that shall continue to load mp3 players, lag computers and excite audiences and dance clubs for ages to come. "Tenderoni"’s electronic stylings and excitable beat epitomizes the entire album and is certain to be Kele’s solo mark upon the world of music. Far from Kele’s only dance hit (he's already collaborated with The Chemical Brothers and Tiësto), "Tenderoni" will open an entire genre’s worth of audience and potential for future albums.
Seeking to test the limits of his voice, Kele’s next song was the calmer "Rise". Though less excitable, this song also proved energetic with a great mix of Kele’s singing. Ranging from high-melodies to low-digs, Kele proved his talent beyond expectation and began the slow transition to the end of the show. The next tune was "All The Things I Could Never Say", a less-vibrant song filled with much more emotion and empathetic swings than any other song performed that evening. The gentile atmosphere was quickly penetrated, however, by the Bloc Party classic "Flux", which Kele used to close out the show. This was enough to regenerate the loyal Bloc Partisans to his favor, and to leave all others awaiting more.
In closing, Kele had transformed an entire room of concert-goers to converts to his style. If he shall continue to pursue his musical dreams, than he shall surely have a following with the youth of this day.
Pennywise @ Metropolis
When I was in grade nine, Pennywise was the quintessential punk band. Not only did they give me instant cool cred when everyone else was listening to Nickelback, but their music soothed over the rough moments of early high school. When I heard that they were coming to Montreal, and I had the chance of reviewing the show, I jumped at the opportunity. Also, they were playing with pop punk legends Authority Zero and Riverboat Gamblers, as well as local band Fifty Stars Anger. It was the promise of a majorly great show.
First, I have to mention the venue, the Metropolis, a spacious space that once served as a theatre, located in the nitty gritty portion of St. Catherines street. There's a generous floor right in front of the stage, large enough to fit hundreds of people and screaming out for mosh antics. Behind that, nearer to where the entrance is, there's seating for those with either drinks or too much dignity to join in the sweaty floor scene. Looking out onto the floor, on the second level, is a sweeping balcony with enough of the original old theatre seats to fit at least another few hundred. Altogether, we're talking about a space with the potential to hold 2,300 people, bars scattered throughout, and what was obviously a sold- out show. We're talking a lot of great energy here.
The first band to come on was Montreal-based Fifty Stars Anger. I had never heard of this group until this show, but they did not disappoint. Although their stage antics could have used a little work, they delivered fast, driving songs that were perfect for a first set. They delivered their short songs back to back with almost no break, and by the third song the floor crowd was already starting to get worked up. However, the set was sadly very short, the band playing for only about 30 minutes before it was all over.
Next came Authority Zero, whose credit as a force on the punk scene became readily apparent as soon as their show started. Pulling from many other genres, including at times a healthy dose of ska rhythm, their music is infinitely catchy. They delivered high-energy anthems that had the crowd in a frenzy almost immediately. They played a lot of stuff from their new album, as well as old classics such as “No Hope” thrown in to compliment the mix. When they made their way off the stage, people were still screaming for an encore long after they were gone. Alas, we did not get one.
Riverboat Gamblers came on with their more pop-leaning punk songs, but because the crowd was still pining for Authority Zero, the first half of the set was met with a slightly dampened atmosphere. But the second half more than made up for the initial response. Once they started playing their hits, such as “Bad Reactor” and “Hey Hey Hey”, the energy picked right up. The best things about the Riverboat Gamblers is that, although they are a punk act, they are pop enough that the songs are easily danceable and have refrains that one can sing along to.
Then came Pennywise. I need to say here that I went into the concert totally unaware that Pennywise had a new lead singer. When someone told me of this fact, I was pretty upset. I was all ready to hear the original songs from my teen heroes, and felt affronted that there was someone else singing in the place of Jim Lindberg. The anticipation between sets as people waited for Pennywise was phenomenal, however, and within about fifteen minutes of picking up the vibe, I went from disappointed to excited at the prospect of a new lead singer. The lapse between sets was punctuated with screaming, shouting and spontaneous chants of ‘Olé!’. When Pennywise took the stage and launched into “Every Single Day”, the entire audience rose into a roar. While the other three bands before them really delivered, Pennywise dominated the stage. After over twenty years of music together, they knew just what to say and how to say it. Each song was accompanied by a small comment or story that really added to the melody, and their stage antics were fantastic.
As a band, they were completely in sync with each other and played a tight, comprehensive set. They mixed both old and new material, the newer definitely more pop than the old , but still most certainly Pennywise. When they played older songs such as “Same Old Story” and “Fuck Authority”, the crowd went crazy and sang along, word for word. The set ran for about an hour and a half. When the last note was played, we all filed out, some very happy people indeed. And, yeah, I have to admit Zoli Teglas, as the new lead singer, was great.
Overall, the concert was one of the best ones I've been to in a long time. The combo of these particular artists, each one worthy of a show alone, was awesome. Add to that the mix, the venue, and the crowd, and the result was a phenomenal show.
(Photos by MNJIVR. For the full gallery from the show, click here!)
Review Thursday: Comeback Kid / BXI / Run With The Hunted
Run With the Hunted
Destroy All Calendars
Panic Records
Phoenix, Arizona’s Run With The Hunted is a band to watch out for in so many ways. Upon first listening to this four-track album you can quickly hear a difference to all the other bands out there. The technical prowess of the band is a ridiculous amalgamation of heavy and beautiful. The change-ups are confounding and can sometimes switch into math-core effortlessly before the unified anthems resume. The vocalist lends a poignancy to the band to create a new but familiar form of hardcore that will soon devour the world. The sheer desperation, contempt and emotion of his voice is something that few people have mastered in any musical genre, and he seems to accomplish it all while screaming his guts out. Run With The Hunted have signed to Panic Records and will be releasing their full length debut album in the near future, your job is to love them now, before they blow the roof off of the music business.
BXI
BXI EP
Southern Lord
Rock music makes for some strange bedfellows. Case in point: The new BXI EP, a collaboration in-between The Cult's Ian Astbury and Japanese noiserock maestros Boris. A mutual admiration in-between the two acts led to the creation of this disc, an uneven collection of four by-the-numbers rock tunes, complete with a cover of The Cult's "Rain".
The consensus after repeated listens is that it's kind of like checking out a series of strange mash-ups. The vocals don't quite match the music, and even at its best (EP closer "Magickal Child") the music and the vocals don't quite mesh in the way that they're supposed to with this format of rather traditional tunes.
Perhaps the band and Astbury were aiming for this very effect when recording the EP, which wouldn't be surprising considering Boris' rather interesting discography. Still, such a strange pair-up is bound to be worth checking out for marquee value alone, although this is geared more towards Boris purists, and not necessarily to the casual Cult fan.
Comeback Kid
Symptoms and Cures
Distort Entertainment
Testicular fortitude, that’s what Comeback Kid have an over abundance of. Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba this five-piece hardcore act has broken into markets all over the world with their sing-along style. Since the departure of original vocalist Scott Wade, former guitarist Andrew Neufeld took the mic with an unimagined outcome. Neufeld had a voice that surpasses Wade in every way possible. The intensity, frustration, and call for unity coalesced to create this new CBK and fans everywhere collectively sighed. While most hardcore bands continue practicing and refining their abilities until they switch over to playing a more metal hybrid version of hardcore, CBK has gone another direction with the newest album Symptoms and Cures. The new incarnation has all the hardcore you could want with a return to the punk sounds that captivated and unified generations. This is such a perfectly balanced record, the heaviness, melodies, and pure artistry of CBK is one that every Canuck should support. You should buy this album because CBK chose not to sell out and give you the metal tinged HC that is so common lately, and that, kids, takes balls.
CJLO News September 8th 2010
News Read and Produced by Drew Pascoe
Stories written by Samah Fadil, Jonathan Moore, and Gareth Sloan
Quick Hitter
Hello there and hope you all had a brilliant summer and don't mind my sporadic posting of news stories here. For more regular post you can check out the New Media and Politics blog (it's a lot more opinionated -- these are news stories you shouldn't miss regardless of how busy school and life get).
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) study has found that Canada spends more and more on higher education, an increasing percentage of the cost is borne by students and their families. In financial terms, the benefits of a postsecondary education to individuals and Canadian society at large far outweigh the costs -- the OECD estimates that the average Canadian man with a college or university education makes more than three times what he put into getting such an education, both in terms of direct costs and lost wages. For the average woman, the gain is more than double the cost.
Findings contained in Education Indicators in Canada, a wide-ranging collection of data released by the Council of Education Ministers, that looks at education levels found Canadians are better educated than they were a decade ago and have some of the highest rates of post-secondary attendance in the developed world.
Sadly and incomprehensibly the report also shows that women are graduating from both high school and post-secondary in much higher numbers than men, but continued to earn far less in the workforce.
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