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By DJ Solespin - Eclectricity - 10/28/2008

I learned about The Knux weeks before their debut CD Remind Me in 3 Days was to be released in October 2008.
 
When I interviewed them hours before they would take the stage at Club Coda during Pop Montreal, one of my first questions (to break the ice and to get an understanding of where the brothers were coming from musically) was what they thought was a criminally underrated album. Unanimously, they replied with The Fugees The Score. That answer floored me because I did not believe that the album that launched the careers of Wyclef Jean & Lauryn Hill and was a commercial and critical success would ever be considered underrated. This would be the beginning of a series of bafflements for me during my listening of Remind.
 
The record is by no means your typical hip-hop album. It defies classification, which works both for and against them. Almost none of the average expectations of a hip hop album are met.  Knux present a unique style and sound that hip hop has not experienced since Outkast at their most experimental.
 
The inside photos of Remind help prepare the listener for what they are headed for. The mentality behind Knux's debut must have been "party like a rock star" because the photos of the duo lounging with two lovely ladies in what looks to be a VIP section applies completely to the music on the CD.
 
There is a very Hollywood sound to the album that makes one think they created it to be part of a playlist on "The Hills.” There has not been so much glam pop/rock guitar on a hip-hop album to date. Over half the album has a rock guitar undertone. In this sense, the Knux aim to distinguish themselves from their contemporaries and succeed.
 
Another issue that needs to be addressed are the vocals. The lyrics are so indistinguishable that one is disappointed to learn the lyrics do not accompany the glossy photos. In one case, a second listening of a track gave a better sense of what Krispy & Al were saying. The choruses are so sing-songy that one feels the Knux were aiming for pre-teen audiences or, again, the limelight seeking Hollywood club heads. 
 
The pre-album internet publicity almost gave the impression that The Knux were serious hip-hop contenders. It is up to the listener to determine whether Knux will be around in the future or just flashes in the pan. Between the Hollywood soundtrack, VIP lounge photos and inaudible lyrics, the listener will have to decide if they need to be reminded in three days to listen to it again.

Tune into Eclectricty with DJ Solespin every Saturday from 6PM - 8PM

By Döc Holidæ - Phantastiq Cypha - 12/17/2008

What do you get when you cross Jah Cutta, Trevor Hall, K’Naan and Matisyahu? Answer: One of the most energetic shows of 2008. On December 17th I attended the Matisyahu concert at Metropolis; this was only the 2nd time I decided not to stand in the front but to grab a seat up in the balcony while at that venue. I could try and explain how a different point of sound can change the whole experience of a concert but that gets really boring. I can however discuss how much I enjoyed getting a good seat and taking in a great show. I got to the venue really early for once and caught the tail end of the Jah Cutta performance, which was actually really good. It’s unfortunate more people don’t come to the openers because Jah Cutta had all the energy needed to hype up a crowd before the main act. I may not know the songs but I was singing along like everyone else who was there.

After a short intermission Trevor Hall took the stage with his percussionist Chris Steele. Their performance was as stripped down as I’ve ever seen. Trevor was playing on a guitar and Chris Steele was playing a small drum and sitting on another box drum.  It was simple compared to Jah Cutta’s performance, but just as energetic. I had never heard of Trevor Hall, so I looked him up before I went to the show. He listed Bob Marley and Bjork as some of his inspirations, which you can understand if you listen to his music. He would sing with a type of reggae twang and yodel all in one. It’s unique but I could get into that type of sound. This was his first visit to Montreal and I’m hoping he’ll come back sometime soon. I do however hope his set is longer and he wears shoes when performing next time.

As for our last opener, well what can we say about K’Naan other than he delivers. A few of my friends who saw the show say K’naan stole the show. I can say he was a solid performer and could have easily been the headliner but I don’t think he stole the show from Matisyahu. K’Naan was an obvious crowd pleaser; he sang “Soobax” and did a new song called “America.” The track was solid and if it’s any indication of what the new album will sound like it’s going to be a good one. It was a little slow to start when he performed “America” because the audience didn’t know the song, but you could see the them catching on. The last song he did was “Freedom” and I think this song alone is the reason so many people are saying K’Naan stole the show. “Freedom” has such a powerful hook that when you sing along you can’t help but feel the energy coursing through every single person in the crowd. “When I get older/ I will be stronger/ They’ll call me freedom/ Just like a waving flag.” Those lyrics are the stuff that national anthems are made of. I’m looking forward to K’Naan’s new album, Troubadour (out February 10th, 2009.) I hope you all check it out too.

Obviously the last artist to take the stage was Matisyahu. By this point I had been sitting in my seat for 3 hours but the time just flew by. I hadn’t even noticed how long I’d been there when Matisyahu took the stage and that speaks volumes of a well prepared lineup. He was in very good company and the energy that had been built up by all the previous performers had only one place left to go, straight to Matisyahu. He took the stage and started out strong, which I thought would be hard to keep up but he never let it die. Sure some of the songs went on a little long with the keyboard or guitar solos, but the solos were really good. When he started doing new material like “So Hi So Lo,” I saw a lot of people lighting up in the crowd below me. I found it ironic that his messages were mostly about being clean and true to you but for some the messages fell on deaf ears. The absolute highlight for me was the beat boxing; I never knew how well Matisyahu could beat box. I had heard he was good but that was a complete understatement. Perhaps this is why K’Naan didn’t steal the show for me, because each performer that night did something great. Jah Cutta was great with the small crowd, Trevor Hall was great with his simple 2 man performance, K’Naan was great with his showmanship and Matisyahu was great because of his confidence. You could see that even after all those other artists, it wasn’t about reclaiming the headliner title instead it was about giving a great show. His performance was solid; those long interludes seemed to be a period for us to think about what his lyrics just told us. Let the message sink in and then go on to the next song. I’ve heard his songs performed but I never listened to them before then. The difference in taking in everything is important.

One last little note, always be prepared for when he performs “King Without a Crown.” Young, old, it doesn’t matter what you are because once that song is performed the crowd will go slightly insane. People will start to crowd surf much to the cries of security and EVERYONE will start going crazy (as I learned sitting next to an old married couple.)

K’Naan might have the kids, but Matisyahu’s performance at Metropolis had every single person standing up. We’ll have to see how both their albums do after the tour.

Tune into The Phantastiq Cypha with Doc Holidae every Friday from 10AM - 12PM

By Abby Elizabeth Schachter - The Reaktor - 07/11/2008

I’ve put off writing this review for what feel’s like centuries, during which time we’ve gotten a new magazine editor, I have my own show, CJLO is on 1690 AM and Barack Obama has been elected president, oh yeah and it’s snowing outside! 

Usually when you see a band perform it’s a thrilling experience, you sway or dance and if you’re really having fun you shed a few tears of happiness. Not in this case, the show was unwatchable and at times painful! The only thing crying in the venue were my ears and I’m pretty sure that’s anatomically incorrect.

In my defense I usually grab any reviews I can get my hands on and had never heard of The Bravery before. I know it’s a gamble but I’ve  gotten to see some really great performances in the past and didn’t think this particular show would be any different…I was very wrong. The venue was nice. The crowd seemed alright, except for that drunken, rhythmically impaired dancing couple who looked too old to move like that (Editor’s Note: there seems to be one of these at EVERY show…ever.)

The Bravery is a band that was formed in good ol’ New York, NY so you’d think they’d be cooler than a typical hipster crew… but you would be wrong. However if the music was good they could have been a drooling forty-something –year old man dressed in a pink dress eating a lollipop for all I care. The band was decked in matching tight black pants, equally tight black dress shirts and elf boots that had pointed toes. They looked like a bunch of tall, evil leprechauns hopping around onstage. The reason I was and still am so unimpressed by these guys is because they seemed so “affected.”  There was absolutely no sincerity, even when they were talking with the crowd, it seemed as though they  were emanating the ‘rock star’ persona. I just wanted the night to be over!

I would list the set of songs played, but unfortunately I couldn’t tell any of the songs apart, every single one sounded the same and I only knew when one ended and another began by the undeserved rounds of applause.

The lead singer… why? WHY??? Why did you prance onstage twisting and turning the mic as though it were an unconscious, GHB affected date? The best part of the night (and by ‘best part’ I mean the worst) is when the bassist decided to make his singing debut. The crowd literally (no exaggeration) stopped swaying to the beat and stood in place, watching this poor guy sing his way to poverty. Maybe these synth-pop one hit wonders were having an off night, but I still left after the fifth song.

This was one concert I wished I had not seen alone because I don’t think anyone can understand my anger. There is so much good music out there…artists that create songs that have meaning and depth…and then there’s The Bravery. These guys need to dissipate, find themselves and graduate high school before they can establish a long-lasting musical career. Oh yeah, and a few music lessons couldn’t hurt either.

Tune into The Reaktor with Abby every Friday from 2PM – 4PM

By Christine Lariviere - The Lonesome Strangers - 11/19/2008

The backdrop of the stage at Cabaret Juste Pour Rire was draped with a 10-foot long graphic of a boy wearing a skeleton shirt, the bottom of the poster bearing the word “M83.”  The stage itself was lit with electric blue lights emanating from over-elaborate, futuristic looking equipment.  There was a synthesizer, a Mac laptop, guitars, and drums, which were quartered off by transparent sheets of plastic.  The entire setup looked as though the crowd, mainly clustered by the front of the stage, was in for an intense laser light show, along with a musical performance. 

While there were no streaks of light darting about the venue, the music itself seemed at times to resemble the tones one would hear when watching a Star Wars lightsaber battle.  Actually, more like several lightsaber battles occurring simultaneously (the thought warms my geeky heart).  Such is the style of M83’s music, an eclectic mix of low lyrics, with loud, climbing layers of electronic instrumentals. M83’s forte is arguably their ability to layer music, and increase tempo in such a way that it builds towards an anticipated, climactic moment.  These moments in songs such as, “Moonchild,” “Highway of Endless Dreams” and opener “Run Into Flowers” often inspired the audience to burst into dance.       

M83 played additional crowd favorites including “Kim & Jessie,” a hit off their latest album, Saturdays = Youth, released in April of this year, and “Don’t Save Us From the Flames,” a song about a car crash, which was ironically used in a Pontiac commercial. 

When the show was coming to a close, M83 founder Anthony Gonzalez graciously thanked the crowd and played an encore.  The group, formed in France almost eight years ago by Gonzalez and former member Nicholas Fromageau, now includes several new members, contributing skills on the drums, vocals, guitar and synth.        

Brooklyn-based School of Seven Bells, a three-member band formed in 2006, opened the show. Consisting of two guitarists and one keyboardist, School of Seven Bells played songs off their recently released, first full-length album Alpinisms.  Their music is similar to M83 because of the use of layered, reverb-drenched instrumentals, but with a much more low-key vibe.