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By Mikey B - The Lonesome Stranger - 01/22/2005

6:45 in the pm on Saturday night, I busted my ass to catch the 211 to get downtown. A few days earlier, I was ecstatic to be going to see Bright Eyes at the Spectrum. My spirits were still high, even though the cold was a motherfucker. This time, I didn’t wear my regular concert attire, which by the way usually consists of my black Converse High Tops, a various rock concert T-shirt, and my Saran Wrap leather jacket… ohhh noo… tonight, it was all about layering.

Underneath my Saran Wrap leather jacket was a hoodie…
Under the hoodie was my Cure T-shirt…
Under the t-shirt was a long-sleeved undergarment…

Underneath that, was a heart that was yearning for closure and yada yada yadda… all that bullshit. I had seen Bright Eyes earlier this year at Indio, California’s Coachella Festival which featured the likes of The Cure, The Pixies and Radiohead among others. Although they put on an impressive show, it lacked the personal appeal of, say, a show in a small venue with 1,500 people huddled together for warmth, enjoying some good tunes. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know what kind of audience a band like Bright Eyes might attract. I thought I’d be surrounded by doe-eyed teenagers with store-bought used clothes… y’know, those kids are always at shows. They slick their hair to the side, and usually wear scarves… even when it’s warm outside. But no, there was a good buzz for Bright Eyes. For once, I didn’t feel like the oldest person at the show, next to some kid’s parents. It was nice to see the overall audience being mostly from Generation X, Y, and a few from Z. There were a few prosti-tots here and there, but I wasn’t really counting. Now, to get to the music… ahhh yesss.

There’s a first for everything and that night, I actually decided to come to a show earlier enough to see the opening acts (after all, I am writing a review… RIGHT?). Anyways, this band Tilly and the Wall (Ed’s note: previously reviewed here) were supposed to open, but they got snowed in in Toronto. I can lie and tell you that I’ve heard of them before, but I haven’t. I’ve never been the kind of guy to namedrop bands I don’t even know (ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN!) just for indie rock cred.

So the first thing I saw under the twinkly lights of the Spectrum was a gentleman doing some sort of spoken word performance on the stage. He was speaking, and rhyming, and boring as all hell. I really didn’t know what was going on. Who was this guy? Did he just wander onstage? Later I realized that he was part of the band CocoRosie which was opening. I’ll try to focus squarely on the positive here: the spoken word guy (whose name escapes me) provided some impressive beat-boxing, as well as basslines with only his microphone. I think that’s about it. Really didn’t care much for Rosie. I would’ve enjoyed them a lot more had I listened to their CD, or if I had been high while tapping a bongo and reciting poetry. The two female singers of the band sounded like Fran Drescher and Macy Gray speaking in Tongues. Mix in some slide-whistles, some avant-garde art slide shows, some whistling solos and that pretty much sums up their performance in my eyes. Whistling solos should never be attempted unless you’re in a band called The Scorpions (jerks…). Their set was pretty painful.

Thankfully Bright Eyes was set to come on stage within around a half-hour. Now, although I’ve seen them before, I was still surprised with the amount of people in the band. Whenever you hear of Bright Eyes or you read about ‘em, you usually see a picture of a seemingly malnourished Conor Oberst about to cry. SURPRISE! There ARE other members in Bright Eyes, six of them! It is with that entire group of musicians that Bright Eyes offers up insightful melancholic folk rock tunes. Because Oberst’s vocals sound so emotionally fragile, you keep getting caught off-guard when you hear songs with a more upbeat tempo such as "At The Bottom Of Everything", "Loose Leaves" or "Another Traveling Song". The narrative taking place in these songs has reminded many critics of Bob Dylan, which might be saying a lot. I can see why there is a comparison, but I don’t think many people are going to be comparing Fevers & Mirrors to Blonde On Blonde 20 years from now. If I were to compare them to another band from the same decade and genre, it would have to be Canada’s own folk-punkers, the Weakerthans.

Personal highlights of the the show would have to be when they played one of my personal favorite songs, "Bowl Of Oranges" which they dubbed as an old song (the album came out in 02’). It received the biggest applause of the night until the encore came on, and they played "When The President Talks To God", a harsh critique of the Bush presidency. Each line of the song seemed better and more memorable than the last more cynical line.

"When the President talks to God, I wonder which one plays the better cop
We should find some jobs. The ghetto's broke
No, they're lazy, George, I say we don't, just give 'em more liquor stores and dirty coke
That's what God recommends"

All in all, Bright Eyes put on a terrific show. I, myself, would’ve liked to hear a few more solo acoustic songs. After all, that’s what I had first heard when I started listening to them two years ago. Songs like "If Winter Ends" and "I’ve Been Eating For You" are the kind of songs that’ll give you chills so high up your spine that you’ll have to jump out a window. Fine, that last comment makes no sense, so just understand what great songs they are. The song "Poison Oak" did satisfy my need for acoustic tearjerking goodness, but several people I talked to were left wondering why they didn’t play one of their bigger hits "Lover I Don’t Have To Love". Whatever, it’s not one of my faves, so I don’t really care.

Asides from that and a few technical glitches with the microphones early on, the "Conor Oberst Seven" (formerly known as Bright Eyes) left most of the audience going home satisfied from a great evening of music.

[Tune in every Tuesday 12pm – 2pm to The Lonesome Stranger]

By Katie The K. - Katie the K - 02/05/2005

The Indie Show sometimes feels like a trip outside the classroom into the library. While it may be enjoyable because it is an opportunity to zone out, the library, like the Indie Show, isn't exactly recess and therefore falls short of providing a truly rewarding time. Despite efforts to be zany and irreverent, (with lifesize Lindsay Lohan cutouts in the audience), most indie performances make me feel more like I am participating in the token youth subculture event than actually having fun.

As CJLO's RPM director, I like to dance, which is not something that you usually get at the Indie Show. More form than content, indie shows require a level of patience: waiting to be entertained, but not expecting much, for things rarely take off at these concerts. Pony Up!'s CD launch on Saturday night at Le Local was an exception. The venue was packed with everyone from my hairdresser Yannick to Ben Lee. None of the acts (Beaver, the Smittens or Donkey Heart) were taking themselves too seriously and that led to a lovely atmosphere. People wanted to laugh and that they did. Sure, there were no cramps from jumping up and down, no sore calves the next day, but that is not what Pony Up! is about. I found myself smiling at these young women, thinking "girls are good".

You may recognize the keyboardist and lead singer, Laura Wills, from her Monday Slowdance nights at Blizzarts. Those evenings are characterized by a high school gym rêverie that can soften even the sulkiest ado. Pony Up!, with their buoyant giggles and diffident chord structure, seem to be somewhat of an extension of this.

There are those who claim that Pony Up!'s success is based on the gimmick of them being an all-girl band, that they have no stage presence and that they need to practice more, but these are all lies. Writing songs where the chorus is "you were onstage crying/you got me wet" is talent and whoever says otherwise can bugger off. The girls were all humble smiles, with cute hairstyles and little boys' blazers. They played like they knew what they were doing and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

The acts preceding Pony Up! were increasingly better. Beaver, the poet/MC's voice shimmered like a New Foundland iceburg. The Smittens, a "synth-driven quartet who believed too much in the fifties-saturated pop aesthetic" (according to my friend, Peter), played like a more upbeat version of Belle and Sebastian and succeeded in shaking the crowd. Donkey Heart, in particular, were amiable, with songs that chant, "you can't play tuba when you've got braces" and something about a "Jewish Girl". Half of Donkey Heart were playing plastic yellow instrument toys and their Genexxa keyboardist, with her short hair, keyboard scarf, thick glasses and T-shirt that read "War is Bogus", was such a VICE DO it hurt.

The night was not only celebrating Pony Up!'s CD, but also perhaps their new fame in Spin. Does Pony Up! have that "Montreal sound" that Spin has tried to quantify? It's hard to say. Because each of their songs experiments with different styles, perhaps they have not yet found their own sound. Whatever their jingle, Pony Up! know how to work it. My days as a skeptical wet blanket against indie are over. There will be no more efforts to inject the indie audience with an energy they seem to lack. I have seen the Pony Up! light and it is as enchanting as a lice check on a grey day.

[Katie the K. hosts her electronic show Fridays from 2-4 p.m. She is looking forward to her upcoming interview with DJ Hell in the weeks to come.]

By Jo Satana - Umlauts and Powerchords - 01/08/2005

So on Saturday night, the 8th of January 2005, Slipknot was courteous enough to pay our meager city (Montreal) a visit. And guess what? They even brought along their friends: Unearth and Killswitch Engage! Seeing that this was an opportunity not to be missed, the boys at Umlauts and Powercordz grabbed their stuff and headed East to the show (actually, both Dangerous “I Don’t Need To Do A Show To Get Credit For It” Dave and Analytical “We’ll Patch It Up In Post Prod” Alex were not able to make it, so it was just me). Now I don’t normally mind going to shows by myself, but this little shindig happened to be at Stade Uniprix: a hangar-style venue that is located in just about the worst part of town. So after trekking across the city in both a snow and ice storm, I had the distinct pleasure of fighting for my life just to find parking in the industrial sector of the East End of Montreal. Ok, so transportation and social issues aside, I was surprised by the number of people who turned out to this thing. I remembered from a previous experience that Slipknot can attract quite a crowd, but mind you this was 4 years ago and the band hadn’t played Montreal since their self-titled “debut”. It is quite obvious that their popularity hasn’t diminished during their absence.

The show kicked off with Unearth hitting the stage. This was the first time I ever heard this band live and I was anxious to see these guys especially because of the buzz that seems to revolve around them in certain circles (Revolve? Circles? It’s imagery, people!). Unearth has been credited as being one of those bands that helped to revive the current hardcore scene. Not caring much for “scenes”, I was more impressed with the way in which they conducted themselves onstage than with their given “title”. From an “auditory” perspective, they sounded great for a hardcore band (you have to excuse me, being old-fashioned and all, I’m not really used to seeing hardcore on the “big stage”). They hammered their way through their 30-minute set like a well-oiled and rehearsed machine and while I was not completely enthralled with their tunes, I can definitely see why the kids love’em.

The second group to take the stage was the buzz worthy Killswitch Engage (say it in one breath, it rhymes!). I could not believe that these were the same Roadrunner guys from many years past. It was like comparing a caterpillar to a butterfly without taking into consideration the cocoon phase; I just could not put the two together. This was my first time seeing the group with its new singer and I was totally impressed. Their set list was solid (minus their lackluster single off of the Resident Evil: Apocalypse soundtrack. Man I hate that song) and they definitely had the audience’s complete attention. Naturally, their show basically consisted of their newer stuff, and I do not necessarily think this to be a bad thing since their current chemistry really seems to be working out for them. My only bone to pick with these guys is the obvious lust for attention that guitarist (and previous drummer) Adam Dutkiewitz seems to be cursed with. On several occasions he went out of his way to overshadow his band mates, and while at times it could have seemed comical, I personally thought that it supported my general impression of a band trying to keep their cool towards the group’s “wild card”. I must mention that ‘Engage is definitely blessed with dedicated fans, as flocks of kiddies actually left the venue as soon as their favorite band left the stage. Now, I’ve been guilty of paying full price for a ticket when I was just interested in the opening band, but I at least stayed to see the whole show! I can never understand people who are willing to pay 40$ for a 30-minute show. So in that respect, Killswitch should really consider itself lucky.

At first, I couldn’t really see the connection between Slipknot and the two bands that they were on tour with. It seemed that they were preaching to two different crowds. However, any doubt that I may have had was quickly erased as soon as Slipknot hit the stage. The sheer energy that these guys are capable of harvesting is reminiscent of old Slayer tapes I’ve seen. The show opened up with the intro to their third major label installment entitled Vol3: The Subliminal Verses. Right there and then, I knew there was going to be a problem. You see, the three last Slipknot albums reflected three distinct stages of the band and each album definitely stands on its own with little common ground. What’s the problem you ask? Simple, its lack of continuity. The show felt like a giant jigsaw puzzle which really hurt the flow of the show, for me anyway. The funky jungle of sound from the first album was met with the brutality of Iowa, which was then superimposed on top of the delicately arranged and extremely fragile Subliminal Verses. If this seems a bit confusing, I feel your pain… because that’s exactly how it sounded like.

Their stage show is exactly what it was 4 years ago: an onstage assault that featured the same old antics. Both percussionists are still relatively useless musically speaking (actually, they were given singing parts this time around) but their continued presence is appreciated because I find them both pretty entertaining. There were a couple of technical problems that took away from the overall experience: halfway through their second song (”SIC”, I believe), the clowns’ drum platform collapsed as both the clown boy and the DJ were trying to knock each other off. This sent them both flying to the floor and what followed was a humorous scrambling of the drum techs to the stage. Following this, the bassist seemed to have some problem of some sort as he disappeared for at least 30 minutes during the show (not that we were able to hear the difference).

Discontinuity and technical problems aside, these guys still managed to put on a really cool show which pretty much enforces the staying power that this band has. What would normally be unforgivable for another band, these guys get away with without a problem and the reason is simple: they work so damn hard! There is not one dull moment with these guys onstage. The fact that they put so much effort into their show just makes you forget about their overall sloppiness. Being someone who loved their new album, it was interesting to see the subtleties of the new songs translated into a live show. Since Subliminal Verses is a studio-heavy release (which does not always translate to a good live experience), I was convinced I was going to hear my favorite songs butchered onstage. Then I figured it all out: the sampling guy! Anyone who knows Slipknot knows that there is a little, previously thought useless, member of the band who wears a spiked mask, who sits at the back of the stage and who doesn’t really do anything except for play previously recorded stuff at opportunistic cue moments. Well, he actually came in handy this time around because the three tracks that they played from the new album came out beautifully and were totally the highlights of the evening (I’d go into set list details, but I’d rather keep people guessing).

Slipknot has shown that it no longer needs to demand respect from its critics or its peers as they have proven that internal conflicts aside, they are not going anywhere anytime soon. There is an accepted convention in the world of loud music: when scantily clad sex kittens outnumber angry self-conscious Goth girls, you’re mainstream baby! The strangest part of this evening was accepting this fact.

Jo “Where Are My Sex Kittens” Satana hosts Umlauts And Powerchordz Sundays from 8pm – 10pm.

By Alex Robot - No Sleep Til Bedtime

For the record, CJLO’s Korgull the Destroyer (from Metal for Supper, Thursdays 2-4pm) bought this album when it first came out. I mercilessly made fun of both him AND the three corpse-painted clowns on the cover, brandishing medieval weapons and spiky armor. I knew these guys had a killer rep, but I assumed it was similar to the praise lavished on the over-rated Burzums of the Black Metal world, guys who are more renowned for their gimmicks and criminal records than their music.

But damn, I gotta eat my words. After being blown away by the Grimfist album last year, I finally caved to Korgull and checked this album out. And now I’m ready for my membership in the ‘Bring Back Immortal’ fan club. Sons of Northern Darkness manages to put a somber Black Metal spin on the polyrhythmic crunchiness of Morbid Angel, and build songs that are both epic AND furious. The guitar playing is technical, but there are tons of breaks where you’d expect an over-the-top solo and instead get a battering nod to the simpler days of Thrash… which perhaps is what lures me in as a Grimfist fan.

But the real brilliance of the whole thing is that despite the straight-ahead old-school parts and the technical edge of both the guitar and the drums, there is an all-pervading atmosphere of DESPAIR in the riffs, even in the most brutal moments. On ‘In My Kingdom Cold’, Abbath (guitar and axe wielder… how non-ironically fitting) weaves a brilliant melancholy guitar line amidst all the smashy-smashy blasting of the drums and the thankfully NOT “true black metal” bass presence. The production on the album only adds to this, as the punchy sound on the bass lets the rhythms really duke it out with the leads, delivering some really hair-raising and unforgettable grooves. On ‘Tyrants’ and the short ambient intro to ‘Antarctica’, Immortal really goes all out into the territory of truly desolate riffs, crafting an atmosphere that is both soaring AND depressive with just a handful of trebly chords and some mid-paced crunch.

I could probably go on and on, but I guess I’ll get to the point: If you can ignore the gimmicks and the clunky Scand-glish (I hereby claim that term as being coined by me, and I defy you to do anything about it!) of the lyrics, you’re not going to find much flaw with Sons of Northern Darkness. Of all the bands I’ve heard from the “glorious” (and oh-so bloody) olden days of Norwegian Black Metal, this band and Enslaved are the only ones to live up to the hype. Emperor did its best, and Gorgoroth is pretty ferocious, but Immortal are the real deal when it comes to snowy wastelands and powerhouse metal.