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HEAVEN AND HELL - The Devil You Know
By R. Brian Hastie - Drive Home: Countdown To Armageddon - 04/28/2009
It is often hard to come up with the right words to describe heavy metal music. The words 'crushing', 'brutal' and 'dark' are often conjured up from the heads of writers… they are the go-to choices that evoke cheap imagery and simple cop-outs. Sometimes, though, these words are necessary evils that genuinely reflect the music, and in The Devil You Know's case, these words also manage to reflect the package as a whole. The word dark, in particular, matches the thematic qualities of the album.
Heaven and Hell (perhaps better known to the masses as Black Sabbath circa Mob Rules, substituting Ozzy Osbourne and drummer Bill Ward for the mighty Ronnie James Dio and skinman Vinnie Appice) have managed to put out 10-song set of semi-remarkable, though interchangeable tunes. From the very first beat of album opener Atom & Evil, the band chugs along at a medium pace, never speeding up or slowing down, moving as a singular, tired-sounding unit.
The big problem is the fact that H&H tread too deep into familiar waters, borrowing liberally from the three records put out while Dio fronted the band in order to make an album that is recognizable yet completely pedestrian, devoid of any true exploration that could make this release enjoyable. The comfort in the familiar is abundant, as drummer Appice's roomy drums and Tony Iommi's familiar guitar tone are immediately noticeable and identifiable to anyone who's spent 2 minutes with any of their prior records.
The theatricality of Dio's vocal delivery are in full force as he delivers the stories he's concocted, his favourite themes (mortality, the perils of the unknown and the questionning that comes with religious faith) humbly served up as if he were a priest in front of a jet black pulpit. The lyrics and Dio's delivery add a pseudo-mystical element to the music, a darkness that stands in stark contrast to Ozzy, the band's other longest-running singer. He and co-lyricist Bill Ward spoke of present problems through thinly-veiled metaphors, while Dio is head-over-heels steeped deep in the fantasy realm, a world of devils and magic, a world where stories are much more important than the facts they're based upon.
Iommi's seemingly given up on trying to re-find The Riff, the memorable and catchy piece of music that sets the tone for the rest of the song. He takes a backseat to Dio's vocal gymnastics, offering a musical counterpart that Dio's soaring vocals can match up with. Instead of anything truly original, Iommi instead serves up muscular slabs of sustaining chords and the occasional great solo. Workmanlike would be an apt description for his contribution to the album, far from the heights he achieved in the first 10 years of the band's existence, churning out riffs that defined a genre ('Paranoid', 'Iron Man', and 'Snowblind' are but a few) and instead resigns himself to hiding in the background, only coming out to shine during a few moments (the intro to '’Follow The Tears’' comes to mind).
It's not that this is a bad record, because it evidently isn't, it just has all of the markings of a band unsure on how to please themselves and their fans, so they stick to a familiar formula that doesn't deviate from prior material…creating a familiar yet boring release.
PETER, BJORN & JOHN + Chairlift @ Le National
By Lindsay Wood - Through Being Cool - 04/27/2009
In 1999, a very trendy, easy to listen to and easy to look at group was born. They even had a member named Bjorn…and Peter and John. On Monday, April 28th they came to Montreal with openers Chairlift.
The three piece electro rock group, based out of Brooklyn, New York, are best known for their song "Bruises" that was featured in a 2008 iPod Nano commercial. This was unknown to this writer prior to the show, but clearly someone told the rest of Montreal because the band did get a good 'sing-a-long" reaction from the crowd when they played the familiar tune.
Caroline Polachek, the female lead vocalist and synthesizer player crooned to the crowd with her sugary sweet voice. It wasn't overwhelming but still very powerful and soothing. Paired with some Morrisey-esque high notes and shouts here and there, she rocked out and seemed to have a blast singing and playing with her bandmates.
Patrick Wimberly and Aaron Pfenning happily played in what appeared to be their underwear, an ode to the hot weather the city was greeted with that day. Wimberly gave the audience a wonderful side profile of his drum kit/bass guitar. It was a great set-up visually as there were a million different things going on for the audience to register audibly and visually.
As they said goodbye to the audience after a charming opening set, they gave a heads up about the charming banter we were about to hear.
After a quick set change I watched Peter Morén come into the spotlight and my curiosity grew about the other members of the band. A whole five minutes passed during the first song while I waited for the lights to pass on the other members.
It was well worth the wait. These were three impeccably dressed Swedes with class and presence. As the show began, they went with an excellent set list of the new, the old and some classics. Though Peter, Bjorn & John have been a band for ten years, they only started charting over the past two and a half. Their single Young Folks can now be heard on the soundtrack of many popular TV shows as well as a few popular commercials. When played live, they were joined by their friend Ross because apparently the crew was celebrating Ross Day. He joined them on stage for an excellent rendition accompanied by the perfect combination of energy and bongos. The band took a short break and after they returned; Peter wearing a new, trendier outfit, they continued to break out a few more of their catchy, knee jerking, indie dancing tunes.
After a few tracks off their newest album Living Thing, the kids were dancing and tromping the closer and closer to the stage for a touch of Peter's outreached hand. The boys of PB&J know how to charm and entertain their audience without a hitch. Though it may not have been the most earth shattering show, it was certainly one that holds few complaints. It seemed short, being just under two hours for the main act, however there weren't any dull or drab moments. It was easy to see how this band was chosen to back up Kanye West for his live performance.
It was a good night in all, ending with all the kids from backstage on stage, with cowbells and bongos rocking out with Peter, Bjorn and John. It was the kind of ending to a show that makes anyone that plays an instrument, writes about music, or even takes pictures of music want to go on tour, rock out and have a blast every single time they play.
Tune into Through Being Cool with Lindsay every Wednesday from 1PM - 2PM
MURDER BY DEATH @ Petit Campus
By Josh Mocle - The Kids are So-So - 04/17/2009
Oh Murder by Death, I don’t get to see you that often but when I do it’s just like coming home (or it would be if my father was a bootlegger during prohibition and my mother worked at a bordello…which is decidedly NOT the case… but you catch my meaning.) A good friend of mine once described the band as incredibly competent musicians who are obsessively engrossed in a very specific genre fiction (in this case the classic western but if John Wayne fought zombies instead of stereotyped Native Americans.) While I completely agree with this, I would take it one step further and say that this obsession makes watching their live performance so much more than just your average alt-rock/country show… it becomes an almost living, breathing folktale. That is to say that if the show had taken place around a campfire in the middle of some lightly populated region of the Rocky Mountains as opposed to the red velvet backdrop of the Petit Campus on a suspiciously warm spring night in Montreal then it would come across even better than it did.
The Indiana four piece: guitarist/vocalist Adam Turla, bassist Matt Armstrong, cellist/pianist Sarah Balliet and drummer Dagan Thogerson took the stage with giant grins on their faces that hid an almost sinister guise. You see, their love of Montreal could not be stifled and for the first time in their nine year history they were finally headlining the city. It was around that time that I knew I was in for something special.
For those unfamiliar with the band, they cut their teeth and developed their country-tinged rock n’ roll sound deep within the trenches of the United States punk scene. Putting out their first two records (2002’s Like the Exorcist but More Breakdancing and 2003’s Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them) on New Jersey punk-staple Eyeball Records before self releasing 2006’s In Bocca Al Lupo on their own Tent Show Records (an imprint of East/West) and finally moving to their current home Vagrant Records for 2008’s Red of Tooth and Claw, the band always stood out from their compatriots (not many punk bands have cellos and pianos that are used for more than stage decorations and faux legitimacy.) While they may have been “the token art band” opening for bands like Thursday, Braid, The Reverend Horton Heat and, oddly enough, Clutch, the band eventually succeeded in developing a dedicated following in their own right, as evidenced by the packed house that came together to hear the gospel as told by Turla that night. It’s hard to imagine anyone left disappointed.
As promised at the start of their set, the band hit tracks from all four of their releases. Further to this, they succeeded in melding all these tunes into one cohesive, flowing set. Now, given the interconnectedness the songs maintain on record, mixing and matching like they did and still creating a compelling whole is a feat in and of itself. Far be it from me to remember the ENTIRE setlist, but I can say that the likes of “Dynamite Mine”, “Fuego”, “Until Morale Improves the Beatings Will Continue”, “Brother”, “Those Who Stayed”, “Ash”, “Devil In Mexico” and my personal favorite “Shiola” were all run through with the requisite amount of wit, grace and intensity one would expect from a Murder by Death show.
Something I’ve noticed is that even throughout the time I’ve known of the band, Turla’s voice has gotten deeper and deeper from record to record. Even his stage banter is in that same “Johnny Cash meets Ben Stein” baritone that cuts you right to the core. Part of me wants to know if he actually talks like that or if it’s just another aspect of his stage persona along with the twirled moustache and the flame-shaped guitar body. I guess I’ll have to wait to find out…though hopefully not another three years. Despite the deceptively intense name (and by that I mean people who haven’t seen them and are idiots will probably think they’re a metal band), Murder by Death are truly one of those bands I have no qualms recommending to pretty much anyone, provided they like whiskey and are prone to hearing a good story. If that happens to be you, I suggest getting your ass over to your local record shop and hearing the gospel for yourself.
Tune into The Kids Are So-So With Josh Every Thursday from 6PM - 8PM or Catch the Rebroadcast Every Week at National Underground
THE WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY @ Petit Campus
By Josh Mocle - The Kids are So-So - 04/07/2009
Wasting no time on hyperbole, I’m just gonna jump right to the quotable: The World/Inferno Friendship Society skirt the line between innovation and outright inspiration and their entirely unique brand of orchestral, cabaret proto-punk may very well bring new life to a genre rife with cliché and stale personalities (and if you disagree you are wrong.)
Being an Inferno fan for quite some time now, I was more than a little stoked to hear they would be making the trip up to Montreal to finally play the city (and indeed Canada proper) for the first time in the band’s 13 year history. That having been said, I still did not know what to expect. Having seen the band three times before this (each time with a slightly different version of their constantly evolving lineup), I could safely make the claim that much of the magic of a World/Inferno show comes not just from what happens on stage, but the interplay between performer and audience. For those not in the know, there really is no such thing as a casual World/Inferno fan. If you don’t hate them then you fucking LOVE them and express that love by acting incredibly stupid (in the best meaning of the word possible) while in their presence. I would go so far as to say that the band not only encourages this, but bases their career on the unity and love shown by their fans (evident in, if nothing else, their name.) However, my worry going in was that Montreal, a city that loves their punk rock but at the same time doesn’t really allow for all that much innovation in said punk rock, might see a piano and a horn section and immediately call it “gay” (or worse, “ska”) and move on sight unseen and sound unheard. Without the intensity and backup of the crowd to compliment the intensity and creative energy of the band, would the Inferno translate as well live?
Turns out my worries were only half accurate: indeed, there were very few Montrealers present at Petit Campus that night (and a decent chunk of them were IN local openers, friends of CJLO and all around solid dudes Winslow or part of Team Winslow on the whole.) However, the true intensity and devotion of the average Inferno fan was a concept I had not considered in my predictions and by the time the band took the stage the dance floor was respectfully filled with some fine folk with entirely too much time on their hands from the band’s native New York (and a few unfortunate souls from Jersey), making the show itself seem just populated enough. Lead by the enigmatic Jack Terricloth, the slightly smaller than usual line-up (only seven members as opposed to the usual nine or ten, including new drummer and similarly solid dude Brian Viglione, formerly of The Dresden Dolls) took the stage and lead the audience in the traditional recitation of the band’s name before launching into long time Inferno set opener “Tattoos Fade.”
What followed was a full hour and a half of new material peppered with Inferno classics. While the majority of the set was made up of this new material, the band still found the time for fan favorite “hits” such as “Just The Best Party”, “The Brother of the Mayor of Bridgewater”, “Zen and the Art of Breaking Everything In This Room” and “Heart Attack ‘64”. Worthy of note is the fact that the majority of the new stuff featured Terricloth on a rather beat up but still functional acoustic guitar, which brought a smile to the face of THIS Sticks and Stones fan (if you aren’t familiar with Sticks and Stones and Terricloth’s role in it than you have some homework to do…trust me, you won’t regret it.)
While the band very much functions as a unit and includes many powerful musical minds, it really is the Jack Terricloth show and as a front man he has no equal (except maybe Eugene Hutz and even then it’d be close with Jack ultimately coming out on top.) Dressed in his usual custom suit and swilling red wine, he drew his audience in and enthralled them with stories of his three favorite things: money, drugs and sex and his interactions with them over his deceptively long life (which is the nice way of saying he’s fucking old…but as he says, punks age incredibly well.) It’s really difficult to listen to his words and NOT be inspired by his sincerity and mystique. While introducing one of the aforementioned new tracks he pointed out that one should never let a silly thing like the truth get in the way of a good story and just like that I had a new mantra to base my life on.
More a family reunion than a concert, a cultic ceremonial performance than a punk rock show, the band left the stage that night promising this may have been their first show here, but it certainly would not be the last. I’d say I’ll wait with baited breath for their return, but having them come to me is simply a convenience and by no means a prerequisite…I’ll probably be “that guy from Montreal at the World/Inferno show decidedly NOT in Montreal” for years to come (and I wouldn’t have it any other way.)
Cheers.
Tune into The Kids Are So-So With Josh Every Thursday from 6PM - 8PM or Catch the Rebroadcast Every Week at National Underground
MATES OF STATE/BLACK KIDS + Sunbears @ Cabaret du Musée
By DJ Solespin - Eclectricity - 04/09/2009
April 9th was a night of firsts for me. I went to Cabaret Du Musee to see Mates of State and Black Kids, two acts that I had never heard music from. I got to the venue early enough to be surprised by Sunbears' performance. They were the opening act for the Mates and Kids. The Florida duo had an interesting set and prepared the audience for the night.
They say the third time is the charm. This was the third chance for me to see Black Kids in concert and it finally happened for me that night. They were a delight and worth the wait. I had been fascinated by the band for months and finally got an idea of their sound. I have heard it said they admire the Cure and after the performance, I am inclined to agree. Their energy was contagious and I was surprised at how receptive the crowd was to the band, who had been in Montreal not too long ago. I understand that with up to three Montreal dates in less than two years, the city loves the Florida band.
Reggie Youngblood is the band's most charismatic member and had the most interaction with the crowd. On many occasions during their set, audience members began inaudible conversations with him.
I am not sure if that night was a scaled down Black Kids show compared to the other visits, but if that was the case, the crowd got a short but sweet blast of Black Kids. I met with the band members afterwards and found out they have a new album in the works or soon to be released. I got a copy of Partie Traumatic that night and look forward to their next one.
After Black Kids was the husband and wife duo Mates of State. There was a steady increase of spectators as every act took the stage. By the time Mates of State began, the bottom floor of Cabaret was littered with people. In previous concert reviews, I've mentioned that I observe crowd reactions to songs to get an understanding of which songs are definitive by consensus. While up in the Cabaret balcony, I was seated next to a couple who appeared to be fans of the group. I did my best to not bother them too much, but informed them I would need their help in determining which album the songs were coming from.
The concert was a pleasant surprise and wonderful introduction to the band. They were the reason Cabaret was filled with people that night. The music was uplifting and peppy and the crowd responded in kind with creative and free-spirited dance moves.
I was so pleased with the Mates performance that they made me a fan that night, so much so that I decided to buy one of their vinyl records. Their entire discography was available for sale in the lobby. I saw a number of people walk away with compact discs and vinyls which speaks of their appeal and loyalty of the fan base. It could also be that the price was right!
The couple I sat with during the concert often told me that the tracks performed came mostly from the Team Boo or Re-Arrange Us albums. By the end of the concert, I decided to leave with Re-Arrange Us, which happened to be the album they were promoting that night. I hope to catch Mates of State again soon and maybe pick up Team Boo while I am there. That is unless I do not get a copy beforehand, of course.
Tune into Eclectricity with DJ Solespin every Saturday from 6PM to 8PM
FRIENDLY FIRES + White Lies @ Les Saints
By Christine Lariviere - The Lonesome Strangers - 03/30/2009
Late March is always a time for Montreal to shrug off the last of its winter blues, but this is always signaled by the odd day or two of freakishly cold weather…winter’s final death rattle. So it was in a cumbersome winter jacket, layered with a sweater and t-shirt for good measure that I bustled my way down into the hot, crowded depths of Les Saints on March 30th to catch Friendly Fires playing their first show in Montreal.
When one first hears a song by Friendly Fires, it’s easy to assume that they’ve jumped on the coattails of bands like !!! (Chk Chk Chk), churning out feel-good, danceable indie rock. But when you really give this Hertfordshire band a chance and listen to the entirety of their self-titled debut album, you’ll see that they have quite a versatile sound, with songs that have excellent, non-conformist structures.
Their unique sound translated well on-stage as drummer Jack Savidge relentlessly beat out surprisingly dynamic rhythms. Notable is the broken-down, eccentric circus beat (similar to the one in Battles’ “Atlas”) in “White Diamonds”. Ed MacFarlane’s vocals soared, bravely extending further than most singers do. MacFarlane is clearly talented, with a good range that he uses to its full advantage while never showing any signs of strain. His is an 80’s vocal style, recalling Brandon Flowers of The Killers (to which MacFarlane even bears a striking physical resemlance)during the more melodic parts. However, Friendly Fires dismantle the obvious comparisons to The Killers with some contemporary indie flair, splicing songs with twichy, rambly portions (this can be especially seen in “On Board”.)
Throughout the set, both the band and the crowd danced and clapped happily along. There was a sense of unity, as though the band was part of the crowd, assimilating the entertaining/entertained dymanic. The band members themselves were dressed simply and seemed extremely down-to-earth despite their immediate success. An earnest expression of “I can’t believe we’re overseas, playing for a large crowd” was plastered over their faces as they thanked the crowd for being there and proceeded to play an encore: “Ex-Lover”.
Supposedly headlining, London’s White Lies played before Friendly Fires, since their singer had an illness affecting his throat. However, they managed to play a respectible set nonetheless.
White Lies were originally called Fear of Flying, but decided to change their name in light of the different tone their music took. To Loose My Life… is indeed a departure from their previous work, as it has much darker undertones, despite a relatively upbeat, pop sound. This morbidity, not so subtly hinted at in the album’s title, can be mainly observed in their lyrics.
Tune into The Lonesome Strangers with Christine every Sunday from 4PM – 6PM
BIG DADDY KANE @ Les Saints
By DJ Solespin - Eclectricity - 03/27/2009
Big Daddy Kane came to Montreal, twenty years after his last visit, on my birthday. I nearly didn’t go. I’ve had my share of rap artists landing in Montreal decades past their prime. I won’t name them now, but in the last few years a slew of rappers have performed here way too long after their hottest material. I’ve gone because the prices have been right, the chances of getting autographs were high and the sheer nostalgia still had enough to lure me.
The stars were in alignment on March 27. BDK was supposed to have performed here last December, but it didn’t happen. I had been indecisive about going to the show for months since the cancelled date. My ticket was purchased hours before show time.
When I arrived at the venue, I recognized people I knew out front. Most of the people there were in my age range and some probably saw him in 1989.
I finally made it through security and made my way to the stage. DJ Static from WeFunk was DJing at the time. A little later on, DJ Devious delivered a set he was born to play.
A. Pinks and DJ Prince were scheduled after Devious. The crowd appreciated hearing Mobb Deep’s Shook Ones, Pt. 2 and tolerated him rhyming Prodigy & Havoc’s lyrics over the infamous beat. They probably would have scored points had they rhymed their own lyrics over the beat. The reception after their performance was lukewarm.
BDK finally took the stage to an extremely receptive crowd. His body language and dare I write, swagger, made me realize what I missed at James Lyng. I realized a hip hop legend was onstage in front of me. One of the greatest lyricists in hip hop was in Montreal on my birthday! I wasn’t there at James Lyng, but I can at least say I saw BDK perform live.
Somewhere in the middle of the show, BDK took time to acknowledge the artists that have died in recent past. That tribute was nice, but in retrospect only served as padding to cushion the blow from his leaving the stage in under 45 minutes. All the classics like “Raw”, “Ain’t No Half Steppin’”, “Set it Off”, “I Get The Job Done” and “Warm it up Kane” were performed. The encore was the well appreciated verse from “Just Rhymin’ With Biz”.
I don’t have too much to complain about other than the show could maybe have been nearly 30 minutes longer. I enjoyed myself as did my friends and others in attendance. Thank you Kane for the classic hip hop and memorable birthday present.
BLOC PARTY + Holy Fuck @ Metropolis
By Abby Elizabeth Schachter - The Reaktor - 03/18/2009
I walked to the Metropolis. This is no normal feat, because springtime in Montreal is really February (a.k.a) icicle hell in disguise. However, March 18th was an exception, the weather was amazing. I took this as a sign from the musical Gods and automatically assumed that Bloc Party would put on a good show. Good old Apollo was working his magic that night because both Bloc Party and opening band Holy Fuck were out of this world.
My mythology reference has everything to do with Bloc Party’s most recent album, titled Intimate. Influenced by myth and astronomy, the songs all have metaphysical names like- "Ares", "Zephyrus", "Signs" and "Mercury" (just to name a few.) The record has a really different sound - acid pop rock fused with indie and hip-hop. Each song sounds completely unique but nothing compares to seeing these guys live!
I love Metropolis; it is the only venue that ever starts a show on time. At exactly 8:00pm, Holy Fuck hit the stage. Now I had heard from a few friends that they were a really good group but in all honesty, I wasn’t expecting much. They really proved me wrong. This electro synth, quartet has one electric guitarist, a drummer and two DJ’s who create beats on the spot. The vocals are bare minimum but the sounds and rhythms these guys come up with are seriously ethereal. Everything sounded awesome, it was really original and the entire audience went wild. Now I have to give credit the lighting guy that night (during both sets.) The colors and lighting made for a real live rock show, something you’d see at a major awards show on T.V… it was really impressive. The music was awesome but it wouldn’t have been the same without the added visual effects. Also, I still can not believe how great Holy Fuck was. They ended with the song "Lovely Allen" and the crowd didn’t want them to get off stage; in fact I started to think that maybe Bloc Party wouldn’t perform up to ‘fuck’ standard.
Luckily Bloc Party was amazing live…they sounded even better than their album. I had never seen this U.K based group perform before and they were real rock stars, in the most unaffected non-pretentious way. I even liked what they wore: t-shirts jeans and sneakers, nothing too flashy or hipster like. The cool laid back and ultra cute lead singer Kele Okereke had fun with the crowd as he and drummer Matt Tong had some witty repartee with the audience. They opened with the song "Zephyrus", a fast paced rock song that makes you want to upper torso dance. Then they played my favorite song on the record: "Signs". It was bloody amazing! The song opened with xylophone and chimes and the mystic sounds accompanied by the turquoise and violet lights made for a musical nirvana. People were mesmerized by the entire scene, even the usual angry and burly security guards looked as though they were enjoying themselves. In fact there were songs on their record that I had not liked all that much, but I changed my mind after hearing them performed live.
Okereke was a madman; he leaped around the stage dancing and at some point literally attacked a stage hand who was fixing an amp. Rolling all over the poor middle aged guy while playing guitar, the audience went wild laughing and screaming. It was great; I love insanity… its proof of real talent. In all, it was probably the best concert I’ve been to in 2009 and I’ve seen some really great shows this year. Check out these guys live, it’s worth buying a ticket and I doubt anyone would ever leave feeling disappointed.
Tune into The Reaktor with Abby every Friday from 2PM to 4PM
TOKYO POLICE CLUB + Ruby Coast @ La Sala Rosa
By Rebecca Munroe - The Drive Home: Charts & Crafts - 03/27/2009
Tokyo Police Club’s concert last night… what can I say? Not much. Seriously the problem I had with them is one that I am finding I am having with most indie rock bands these days. The word I would use to sum it all up: generic.
The night started with Ruby Coast, the opening act. They put on an OK performance, meaning they were more or less pleasant, doing nothing to really stimulate or get anyone jumping or swaying for that matter. Their sound doesn’t differ that much from Tokyo Police Club…again, generic.
So, if you were busy chatting with someone by the bar or even reading a book, as I saw one chick doing, the bands did a quick switch and you might have wondered, I am still listening to the opening band? …but that guy at the front with the thick long messy hairdo looks different and…wait, it’s Dave Monks. To be honest, because of that discombobulating moment, I couldn’t even tell you what they opened with because it was the most boring opening I have ever seen. Monks didn’t yell at the crowd, or do anything to get them remotely excited to see them on stage. It actually could have been a cover band lip-syncing the band until you really took a gander at them. Actually not once did the band members ever address the crowd during their performance.
The crowd itself kept you intrigued because of the wild melange of people. You had your rich upper crust Ugg wearing kids, to the Plateau born and raised artsy kids, with some middle aged hyper cool dudes mixed in. The band managed to arouse the ‘every age imaginable’ crowd with their second tune of the night, which was “Nature of the Experiment.” Yet when they played “Tessellate” midway through the performance, no one seemed to even notice that they were playing one of their most popular hits. I blame this on their “hurry I need to get out of here” type of playing. It was quite curious to see how this band never stops to breathe. You really got the feeling that it was as if they were rushing to get it over with. It wasn’t until they played “Citizens of Tomorrow” that the crowd managed to belt out a “woohoo” and give a real round of applause.
The awesomely red walled, black curtained, antique chandeliered Sala Rossa was packed to the ceiling last night, however Tokyo Police Club did little to get give what they got.
THURSDAY - Common Existence
By R. Brian Hastie - Drive Home: Countdown To Armageddon - 02/17/2009
Common Existence finds New Jersey’s Thursday at a crossroads: having been ditched by major label Island after their less-than-stellar studio album (2006’s A City By The Light Divided) and ending back up on their former home Victory Records, the band released a b-sides/rarities compilation in late 2007 entitled Kill The House Lights, and then last year dropped an EP with Japanese band Envy. The b-sides release showcased the driving, urgent rhythm that ignited what is arguably their best album, War All The Time, while the split with Envy showed a pensive, adventurous side that was willing to let songs build up, crescendo and explore space.
Common Existence melds these two versions of Thursday quite well; “Resuscitation Of A Dead Man” serves as an awesomely powerful opener, kick-starting things and allowing the band to put the naysayers to rest. Conversely, “Time’s Arrow” brings out moody, slow-driving Thursday, incorporating an acoustic guitar, a slow midsection made up of a wall of backwards sound and singer Geoff Rickley’s most melodic performance in a while.
The record satisfies me in ways that their previous studio records couldn’t; it’s a “best of both worlds” scenario that caters to fans of all versions of Thursday that doesn’t sacrifice any of its potent musicality to please any fans of a particular version of the band.
Tune into Countdown to Armageddon with Brian every Thursday from 4PM to 6PM
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