Somethin’ about this song is particularly funky (it’s definitely the staccato guitar), but the video from this Brooklyn band is even funkier. This is some straight-up Sesame Street psychedelia meets Flashdance, slathered in so many soft filters that must be a self-conscious nod to Napoleon Dynamite glamour shots. Maybe not. Whatevs, this cool track from Twin Sister’s Colour Your Life EP was directed by Mike Luciano and animated by Andrea Estella, the lead singer of Twin Sister herself!
And man, check out their handjive! Also, check out Kyra Leib’s interview with the band which will be online soon, and is in the Dec/Jan issue of Stylus on stands now.
Review: Eskmo – Eskmo
Much is being made about the fact that Eskmo is the first release from venerable UK label Ninja Tune since marking their twentieth anniversary with a retrospective box set. But it may be placing too much on the shoulders of San Franciscan Brendan Angelides to say that his debut record sets the tone for the next chapter in the Ninja Tune book of electronic music. Eskmo certainly follows the lineage of trip/hip-hop and electronica that has come before him on Ninja Tune, but he has more in common with fellow Californians Baths and Flying Lotus than with Amon Tobin and Coldcut (however much of a debt he may owe the latter two). Eskmo is a glitched-out affair that blends hip-hop’s strutting beats with the left-field production elements that make it an album that rewards a good pair of headphones. The loping two-four beat of “Become Matter Soon, For You” is augmented by a menacing bass synth line that comes from behind the listener as skittery percussion hangs precariously at the outer edges of the left and then right channels – it’s the type of song that draws you in and strings you along in an entrancing way, and something that is repeated throughout the album. While opener “Cloudlight” is the first single (and a strong one at that), the album highlight is “Moving Glowstream” with its bottle and can percussion, insistent bass-line and the trance-y, sterile vocals that weave in and out.
Is it the sound of the future? Maybe. The sound of now? Most definitely. (Ninja Tune, www.ninjatune.net) Michael Elves
Review: Under Byen – Alt Er Tabt
There is something beautiful about the ambient sound of Denmark act Under Byen’s fourth full length studio release Alt Er Tabt. Their music does not merely reverberate, but instead seeps through the speakers like an eerie fog of sound. Front-woman Henriette Sennenvaldt’s haunting vocals calmly echo against the often relentless beat of bass, drums, panicky pianos and shrill violins to create a contrasting yet somehow balanced marriage of song that is both unsettling and mesmerizing. Like their name and album title, every lyric is in Danish adding to the English listeners experience by accentuating the emotion and unique shadowy aura of their music. That being said, this album is not for everyone or every occasion. It is by no means an easy listen and could certainly make or break a mood depending on the situation. For instance, putting on Alt Er Tabt would not be the best choice to get people dancing at a party or for doing anything that would require a high level of energy. A long, quiet car or bus ride, however, would suit Under Byen’s music nicely, especially on a rainy evening. For just a taste of the album try enchanting track “Kapitel 1.” (Paper Bag Records, www.paperbagrecords.com) Cindy Doyle
Review: Jason Collett – Pony Tricks
Fans of Toronto based singer-songwriter Jason Collett are likely familiar with his earlier 2010 release, Rat a Tat Tat – so, a new record a mere few months later? Sort of. Collett has decided to share yet another facet of his well-known folk sound with the release of Pony Tricks, an acoustic collection of songs from Collett’s back catalogue – in total, nine cuts were rebuilt. And for those fans longing for new material, two previously unreleased songs also make an appearance: “My Daddy Was a Rock ‘n Roller” and “Pulling The Sun Down”. For Collett, the motivation behind this record stems back to his live performances; he wanted fans to have an accurate representation of his solo shows. Pony Tricks also aims to satisfy the demand of those fans wanting to hear a more ‘stripped down’ version of his songs. The 38-minute compilation, recorded at Zeus’ Ill Eagle Studios in Toronto, was originally intended to be an EP and features such songs as “Motor Motel Love Song”, “Bitter Beauty” and “Hangover Days”. Collett has been riding the solo train for several years now, having previously toured alongside versatile indie darlings Broken Social Scene. He’s released a number of solo records, after deciding to take a break from touring with BSS to focus on family and his solo career. BSS’s Kevin Drew has even called him “the Tom Petty of Broken Social Scene,” and for good reason: Collett has managed to hone his ’70s pop/rock and country ballad twang. With Pony Tricks, you’re invited to a Jason Collett concert and don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home. Surely, fans won’t be disappointed. (Arts & Crafts, www.arts-crafts.ca) Sabrina Carnevale
Karkwa – Out of the bleu
By Sabrina Carnevale
If it seems as though Montreal is churning out hipster rock like it’s going out of style, it’s probably because it is. Between Arcade Fire (who recently had the highly coveted musician slot on Saturday Night Live), the Dears, the Unicorns and the Stills, Montreal has taken over as Canada’s indie rock capital. The city can now add a Polaris-prize winning band to its list of accomplished musicians – Francophone quintet Karkwa won Canada’s highest musical honour, along with a cool $20,000, this past September against some major heavyweights including Shad, Broken Social Scene, Radio Radio and The Besnard Lakes.
“Montreal is a great community, there are a lot of dedicated fans and a great group of musicians that we are friends with,” says Karkwa vocalist and guitarist Louis-Jean Cormier. “The music comes very naturally, we’re influenced by many things, the weather, maybe even the winters; there is definitely a ‘Montreal’ sound.”
To make their Polaris win for their fourth album, Les Chemins De Verre, that much sweeter, they also managed to be the first Francophone act to take home the popular prize. “All the newspapers in Quebec and Montreal were talking about it, we were surprised just to make the short list and to be a part of it with many bands that we listen to and are fans of,” says Cormier. “We were so surprised to win, it was unbelievable, we had no expectations. But when we won, we had to speak in English in front of all those artists – that was pretty strange.”
Continue reading “Karkwa – Out of the bleu”
Dec/Jan Issue Preview: Diamond Rings
Hey folks! It’s the first Thursday of the month, which means there’s a shiny new issue of Stylus out on stands, and it’s a big one. In addition to our regular slew of reviews, we’ve got a whackload of features on folks from Jason Collett to John Waters. AND our annual rundown of the year’s best albums and shows.
To get you even more excited, here’s a preview of Stylus editor Taylor Burgess’s interview with the glam-tastic Diamond Rings. (Think a of a synthier, Canadian Patrick Wolf ,with occasional rapping.)
“I had this batch of songs written that I was performing, acoustically, for friends, at little hole-in-the-walls around town, just as something to do. You know, so [my make-up artist] was aware of the material, Colin Medley [my video director] was familiar with a lot of the work – just people who were really close to me, you know, they’d come and see the shows, and we just decided that we wanted to take it a step further. I had never done anything like that before – I remember the first time trying to put on mascara, I almost, like, passed out.”
Review: Kelley Stoltz – To Dreamers
Sub Pop might be my favorite label going today. In the two years that I have been writing for Stylus, an album from the Seattle label has finished high in my top ten albums of the year, with last year’s release from the Fruit Bats (The Ruminant Band) taking the number one spot. The quality of albums released through the label‘s history is very high, and as a result, my expectations get raised every time a new release enters my CD player. Kelley Stoltz, thankfully did not disappoint me. On his eighth album, Stoltz offers the listener more of his 1960’s inspired lo-fi sound. He is still a one man band for the most part, though he has help from others for the background instruments. For the majority of the album, I can picture Stoltz sitting on his living room floor playing the guitar. As mentioned earlier, Stoltz lets his influences shine throughout the album. There is a heavy heaping of Ray Davies, sprinkled in with some David Bowie esque glam, and some Brian Wilson inspired psychedelic music for good measure. A common criticism leveled at Stoltz is that he rarely feels original; he is more content to pay homage to his influences rather than showing what he can do as an artist. But, while I can see this criticism, Stoltz’s enthusiasm for his music is enough to make the familiar feel original. (Sub Pop) Charles Lefebvre
found: michael vs michael
from our friend Clint Enns again:
LIGHT IS WAITING from Michael Robinson on Vimeo.
and
Agamemnon Counterpart: Lo-Fi High Definition Pixel Stretch Deluxe Limited Special Edition Platinum Series With Bonus Material from Michael Robinson on Vimeo.
Review: Bad Religion – The Dissent of Man
Conflicted. That is the first word that comes to mind listening this newest Bad Religion record. It’s not a bad album and it’s not necessarily a good record either. The musicianship – topnotch. The hooks – abundant. The harmonies – straight out of Van Halen’s songbook (they’re awesome). Unfortunately, where the record falls apart is both its strength and its weakness. The songs that sound like old school Bad Religion -which could have easily blended into albums like No Control or Suffer – are fantastic. However, they sound exactly like those albums and that smells of formula and stagnation. Now Bad Religion have been around long enough to know that they need to throw some ‘experiments’ into the mix. This is a good thing, however for this record those ‘experiments’ reek of desperation. Pedal steel does not belong on a Bad Religion record. And, after multiple listens, it makes sense that Weezer is now on their label. (Epitaph, www.epitaph.com) c.frsn
Review: Grimes – Halfaxa
Some savvy bloggers are already declaring Halfaxa “album of the year.” Granted the leaps 2010 has taken in music, for 22-year-old Claire Boucher to emerge so close to the front of the pack suggests how astonishing her sound is. The often haunting, always experimental lo-fi-psych meets R&B-filtered through-one-hundred-graveyards Halfaxa is Grime’s second release, following January’s underground darling Geidi Primes (which, had Halfaxa not lapped it, would likely have had its own share of top spots on year-end lists). As organic and digital samples loop and twist from pure pop to supernatural, you can almost see Boucher’s hands rising to count the steps as her voice rises and sinks, hitting notes she’s trained herself to find and following melodies of only sometimes discernible lyrics. Boucher’s voice has matured, and to listen to Halfaxa is to listen to an artist who has completely submerged herself in a journey half drug-hazed Disney plot, half scenic climb through ancient Chinese mountains. Grimes is about sound and seamless blending of influence, and Halfaxa offers some new twist on every listen. While “Devon” stands as example of Boucher’s solid pop writing and vocal majesty, “Hallways” is a twisted, haunted house remix of every ’90s R&B song ever drilled through HOT103… and it feels so good. (Arbutus Records, www.arbutusrecords.com) Kristel Jax