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By Josh Mocle - The Kids are So-So - 01/27/2009

I won’t lie, as I made my way over to Club Soda for this particular round of performances; I made a somewhat mischievous promise to myself that I would hear no Ska music that evening. A lofty goal, given that the show was headlined by none other than Streetlight Manifesto, one of the most popular bands left in the floundering North American Ska scene. However, my interest in the show had absolutely nothing to do with upward guitar strumming or horn sections and had everything to do with the monstrous Bad Religion meets Dillinger Escape Plan sound of New Bedford, Massachusetts’ A Wilhelm Scream. I discovered the band almost four years ago with the release of their sophomore record as AWS, Ruiner (though it was their fourth as a band since they released two full lengths under the name Smackin’ Isaiah.) However, after a while they kinda fell under the radar both due to a long string of inactivity before their newest effort, 2007’s Career Suicide and their tendency to not only not headline very often, but end up as the token aggressive band on mainstream Ska tours like this one (the last time they were in Montreal they were opening for Less Than Jake in 2006.) However, after their riotous and highly distributed performance at The Fest VII in October, the band re-entered my life with a vengeance and I didn’t want to pass on yet another opportunity to see them, even if it meant having to deal with obnoxious Montreal Ska Kids…and oh, were their many of them…so many, in fact, that the show sold out in advance. I’ll never understand just how Ska has remained so popular specifically in Montreal when it pretty much lost face everywhere else in…well, the world (though I suspect local heroes The Planet Smashers and Montreal-based Stomp Records have something to do with it.) Now, while I love Big D and the Kids Table as much as the next guy, they’re pretty much the only Ska band I can still listen to without wanting to claw my ears off these days (and that probably has more to do with A) The City of Boston and B) Operation Ivy, than anything else.) 

Upon entering the packed show space I realized, to my chagrin, that the typical formula of “mainstream ska band with punk openers” wasn’t adhered to as much as I suspected with this tour, as openers The Stitch-Up were very much a young, three piece ska band (who, prior to the show, I was confusing with Ontario Emo quintet The Stick-Up who I now realize broke up three years ago.) Mercifully, since I showed up late, I was only subjected to about five minutes of upward guitar strumming and ironic ballads about the KKK adopting highways before their set ended…and at least there were no horns…so it was only a half-fail really.

Next up was Flint, Michigan’s The Swellers, an overly melodic hardcore act I’d been somewhat familiar with but had never actually seen. In short, I hadn’t missed much. While the band was relatively tight in terms of their musicianship, they were boring as all hell. It was almost as if the only records they ever heard with Thrice’s The Artist in the Ambulance and Lifetime’s Jersey’s Best Dancers, except they failed to understand what really made both those records so good and subsequently combined all of the annoying parts of both to form a band entirely dependent on unnecessary blast beats and overly melodic vocals. Not as terrible as I just made it sound, but not compelling in the least either. 

Which leads us to A Wilhelm Scream, who after their first song (a riotous rendition of the first single off Career Suicide, “The Horse”) made it clear that they are huge sufferers of “big venue syndrome.” Some bands really do not come across well in venues with a capacity larger than 500 (or in this case 400, really) and AWS are most certainly one of them. The intensity and drive is ultimately diluted by all the empty space, so while the dedicated fans beating the shit out of themselves in front of the stage certainly had a great time, my perch from just in front of the sound booth left much to be desired and I’m sure everyone behind me and on the balcony got even less of why the band was so good (though given the sea of Streetlight Manifesto shirts, I don’t think they cared either.)

Despite the space concerns, the band was still tight as all hell. I don’t think I’ve ever seen two guitarists employ so much finger tapping, to the point that the majority of the guitar parts involved very little actual strumming, though their bassist’s attempt to playfully do the same on his own instrument fell flat for me. While I strongly support bassists stepping out of the shadows and holding their own on stage (mostly since I am also a bassist), you gotta recognize the limitations of your instrument and work with it goddamnit! Stop trying to LOOK cool and BE cool. Hitting tracks off their last three records (the aforementioned Ruiner and Career Suicide as well as 2004’s Mute Print) like fan favorites (and by fan favorites I mean my favorites) “Killing It,” “Jaws 3 People 0” and “The Rip”, they managed to easily blow away most bands in the admittedly flimsy post-hardcore scene (Paint It Black and Converge notwithstanding.) If anything, they need to embrace that scene a little more instead of constantly opening for ska crowds who view them as a token act at best or just ignore them entirely, though playing The Fest for the first time was a step in the right direction. As much as I hate to admit it, a big part of being a successful musician is placement…if you’re playing for the wrong crowd in the wrong place then you just aren’t gonna live up to your full potential, but they’ve done pretty well for themselves up until now and will probably continue to do so, so more power to ‘em I guess.

When their set ended I briefly flirted with the idea of at least sticking around for Streetlight Manifesto’s first song just to see what the fuss was about, but as the crowd around me got drunker and even more obnoxious I realized that they were actually making me hate the band and the genre even more by association…and I have just a little too much hate in my life already, ya know?

Tune into The Kids Are So-So with Josh every Thursday from 6PM - 8PM

By Jess V. and Jake W. - The Incinerator - 09/26/2008

With three previous studio albums already under their belts, Australian death metal giants Psycroptic released their fourth this year on Nuclear Blast Records to a fan base that had a pretty good idea of what to expect from them: extremely high caliber musicianship and a certain captivating energy that set the band apart from many of their less dynamic contemporaries. On the first account, this year’s Ob(Servant) certainly isn’t lacking; on the second, however, it leaves fans to wonder what exactly happened to the inspiration behind the band’s tech death masterpiece, The Scepter of the Ancients.

With the release of Ob(Servant), Psycroptic seems to be paying the price for being a technical death metal band that has consistently raised the bar with their previous efforts. Fans of the genre have gotten a taste of the kind of musical ability that is extremely rare and difficult to attain, and they are no longer satisfied with anything that falls short.

It’s unfortunate, really, because there are a lot of great things to be said about this release.

In the album’s accompanying DVD, the band expresses a wish to branch out and reach a wider audience, and there is certainly no dearth of groovy riffing or catchy melodies on the part of guitarist Joe Haley. Furthermore with this undertaking his brother, Dave Haley, has only increased his reputation as one of the most skilled drummers in all of death metal. Jason Peppiatt, who joined the band on vocals for Psycroptic’s previous release Symbols of Failure, delivers another solid performance with a few new vocal styles, including one somewhat in the vein of Meshuggah frontman Jens Kidman’s rhythmic rasp.

So what’s the problem? Well, here’s something new for you: for the first time ever, we have a Psycroptic album that you can put on only to forget that it’s playing. That’s right - Ob(Servant) simply does not grab your attention. Sure, the individual parts sound great- when you actually remember that you’re listening to them- the overall effect just lacks cohesion and, in the end, simply isn’t satisfying. The dynamic structures that have characterized Psycroptic’s songwriting in the past seem to wander aimlessly with this latest effort, making an erstwhile high energy, directed yet fluid listening experience fall generally somewhere between confusing and utterly forgettable. Indeed, even after repeated listens, it is difficult to recall any memorable songs- or even riffs, for that matter. One gets the impression that the songs all sound very similar to each other, but it’s impossible to say for certain–– we keep forgetting what they sound like.

Tune into The Incinerator with Jess and Jake every Sunday from 4PM - 6PM

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