The Interwebs have been buzzing with a video of a young bgirl named Terra. Not to say that I'm not impressed with her serious style, but why is no one talking about the music?
I really can't tell you much about London-based band Jungle. My mad academic research skills are failing me in the search for meaningful biographical information. Yes, the vocals remind you of TV on the Radio (in the best way) but that sound is uniquely urban animal sexy. You can listen to their 2013 debut sounds here.
I am the busiest I have ever been in my young life. That being the situation, I am letting you know I am alive and leaving you with an adorable photo of Kurt Cobain and a fun fact: Kurt Cobain loved drinking Quik.
In high school, I read a biography on Cobain written by Charles Cross called Heavier Than Heaven. I would highly recommend it. I have re-read it numerous times. In fact, maybe I will pull it out again over Christmas. And maybe I will put on some Nirvana now since Bleach is obviously the perfect paper-writing soundtrack (maybe).
I go back and forth on whether I prefer female or male lead vocals. In the case of Let's Buy Happiness, Sarah Hall's vocals make a pretty strong case for the ladies. The band is British but when I listen (just listen, no video), the atmosphere feels presque français.
Generally, this is far too lovely and calm for a Friday but forgive me.
A few weeks ago, Mary suggested a collage music post in the vein of the collage photo posts I compile each week. I liked the idea but, if you do not already know, I am not in charge of the music in my household. Connor is. I am pretty sure he has been since we met. His research skills are impressive and he knows me so well that now he is this amazing resource that I totally abuse.
"Connor, what should I listen to?"
"I want something with a girl singer, no actually a boy that sounds like a girl."
"Something new please by someone who is friends with someone I like."
"What was that album you put on four days ago when I was making dinner? I don't remember the name or any useful information but I do remember I liked it."
So here are some songs that Con picked out for y'all.
TY SEGALL BAND - Wave Goodbye
FLATBRUSH ZOMBIES - Face-off
NIGHT BEATS - They Came in through the Window
alt-J - Tessellate (Con's alt-J pick)
alt-J - Breezeblocks (my alt-J pick)
KING KRULE - The Noose of Jah City
PURITY RING - Fineshrine
THE GROWLERS - "People Don't Change Blues"
TAME IMPALA - Apocalypse Dreams
and I am also going to include TWIN SHADOW - Five Seconds because
If the past few weeks were to be any indication, last Saturday should have been uneventful, but lucky me - I managed to escape the dubcon study fortress not just for one event but TWO! (Always the multi-tasker, right here. Just ask Halloween).
I also managed to be both an academic and a hipster in the same night although I must admit my outfit did not transition so well... Oh well, someone had to class the place up (besides Mary, of course). Con's engineering faculty/grad student thing was more of a cocktail dress and red lipstick event discussing conspiracy in the publishing world, the value of the internet and energy options for Japan while tank tops and cheetah leggings were out in full force at the Biltmore drinking almost warm beer and dancing like white people.
Con and I managed to roll into the Biltmore just in time for his uncle's show with this band, Tyranahorse. Neither of us had seen them live before (shameful) and it was a really fun show. The keyboardist, Max, was especially dramatic. Probably partially due to the fact that his keyboard was not-so-strategically placed far too low. But mostly due to the elegant method of punching and elbowing the keys.
My favourite songs off the album, ghostwolfmotherhawk were "Keep It Together" and "Joy Wolf". Apparently these guys really like grocery stores. Here is a video that does not take place at all in a grocery store.
And Connor's uncle, Brent, is the drummer. Because I know you were wondering.
I had a FML moment today. Yep, I brought tech-savvy child-slang into my blog. DMY. Allow me to explain...
I have not been to the dentist in over a year and a half. I used to use "going to the dentist" as excuse to visit my mum in the suburbs and so you are correct in guessing my dentist's office is also in the 'burbs.
Being the child that I am, I asked my mother to make a dentist appointment for me "any monday this month". She did and I figured it wouldn't be too big of an ordeal getting from home to the dentist and back. I'd get a ride from the skytrain to the dentist officeand back, like usual. Heck I might even get lunch out of it. However it was Monday and my mother was at work (in Vancouver, I might add) and, oh yeah, none of my friends live there anymore.
I kid you not, it took me 5 (five!) hours round-trip on transit today to accomplish one visit to the dentist. All the compliments in the world on my stellar pearly whites are not enough to make me feel like it was worthwhile. Standing in the drizzle (no benches or covers for bus stops here, oh no) and waiting a full hour for a bus to take me to another bus to take me to the skytrain, a small thought bubble appeared over my head containing 3 lonely letters "fml".
Moving on, with my life and this blog post, have you heard of Odd Future (OFWGKTA)? They are an LA hip-hop collective that are performing in VanGritty as I type this. I am consistently lost for sensical words when attempting to describe them, so checkthemout for yourself. And think about this while you listen to them... they are basically babies (ages 16-20). Why am I talking about a show I couldn't even be bothered to attend, you ask? I bought tickets as a gift for Connor and, as an extra gift, I let his bff Clinton go in my place. I am such a good girlfriend.
Hi! I've been a bad blogger, I know. The key to a blog is updating and I have been sick and then off in Washington for our annual Sasquatch Music Festival trek. Forgive me. I am home and healthy now. I essentially work every day this month but I will try to be more available for you so you have something to peruse when eating your cheerios with your laptop on the kitchen table in the morning. Just so you know, !!! stole the show, the day and, really, the whole festival. The Decemberists are always a spine-tingling pleasure, Surfer Blood is better live, Yeasayer was tight and professional as always, Wavves was an early morning delight (11:30 am), the sound on DFA was not great on the hill but, still, fantastic energy and Sleigh Bells has no new material but it is always fun to watch that banshee onstage.
Top photo by Gorrman, van art by Connor. All other photos are mine.
Tomorrow I will not be going to the Little Dragon concert at Fortune for $15. Because I am closing at work and even if it is slow, I won't get out in time for the show.
On Thursday I went to the ManMan show with Connor and some of his cohorts. All of whom happened to be men. All the members of ManMan are also men. And the crowd at the Rickshaw was overwhelmingly composed of men.
I had listened to an album or two before but ManMan is much better live.
All the live videos I find have annoying "woo"-ers dominating the sound feed so have a listen but not a look at ManMan with "Ballad of the Butter Beans" here or "Hurly Burly" here or my personal favourite "Easy Eats or Dirty Doctor Galapagos" here or find a take-away show on LA BLOGOTHEQUE here.
Regan John Farquhar is also known as Busdriver. You've probably never heard of him but you're missing out. I would never have found him on my own because I tend to abstain from hiphop, finding mainstream hiphop boring, senseless and superficial and honestly when is a white hipster like me living in Vancouver going to stumble upon underground hiphop in any sort of organic fashion? So thanks again Connor. Much love.
"Imaginary Places" (Temporary Forever, 2002) is probably his only song that flirted with any sort of mainstream popularity. Check it out here.
While you're at it, might as well give "Avantcore" (Fear of a Black Tangeant, 2005) a listen here as well as "Casting Agents and Cowgirls (RoadKillOvercoat, 2007) here.
His most recent album is Jhelli Beam (2009) so this post is not so much hyping a new release but more just appreciating an artist.
I read somewhere that he can be a dick at shows but what else is to be expected when you have intelligent things to say in a stylish way and some wankster is trying to hand you his "demo"?
For three years now I have donated a weekend of my life to Sasquatch Music Festival. I always hear good music, spend time with good friends and try to eat as little of the terrible festival food as possible. I thoroughly enjoyed this year's line-up despite a few timing conflicts. Honestly, who schedules LCD SoundSystem, Girls and YACHT at the same time? Anyway... Vampire Weekend were surprisingly good, Passion Pit dramatically improved their live show, MGMT's new album is gold, the XX were creepy as all hell live, Caribou was scheduled super early and everyone who made it in the gates for noon had a real treat (myself included), I missed Camera Obscura, the Seattle Rock Orchestra's tribute to the Arcade Fire's Funeral album was invigorating, I was introduced to a cool band called Fool's Gold and Massive Attack actually rocked my world.
Massive Attack headlined at the Main Stage on the second night of the festival and their live show was unreal. Their new album features a lot of guest singers and many of them were present at the Gorge which was great. When the last song ended, Connor and I looked at each other without speaking, grabbed our gear and pretty much ran away from our friends. Although I bet you we couldn't even have said why. We walked back to camp discussing the show, corporate greed and the replacement of socializing with "media interaction". We were the first ones back at camp and sat on our bed in the van (1985 VW Westfalia named Carol) with the weight of the world on our shoulders. We could hear voices outside as people made their way back to campsites with beers in hands and drugs in bodies. I looked at Connor and said, "I'm going to wash my face, lay down, put ear plugs in and pretend we are all better people than we actually are." Con said, "Yeah."
Good news! My internet plea was heard by the music gods who clearly spend too much time lurking online and The Black Keys WILL be playing a show in Vancouver. Tickets are available already but the show isn't until October 3rd... I may have to suck it up and commit to something SIX MONTHS in advance. You can buy tickets here.
THE BLACK KEYS with NICOLE ATKINS
THE ORPHEUM (SMITHE @ SEYMOUR) in VANCOUVER BC
8PM SUNDAY 3 OCTOBER 2010
In other show-related news, it's time for Vanier Park's Shakespeare Festival, Bard on the Beach, again. It's almost cheap, it's fun and you can impress your date with your love of the arts. I went to my first Bard on the Beach show in grade twelve. It was Midsummer's Night Dream and Puck sat on my lap. I liked the attention and have been chasing that interactive theatre high ever since. Well, not really but I do enjoy the Bard shows annually. It's too bad you all missed Titus Andronicus two years ago (violent, gory and fabulous) but here's what's up for this summer:
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA
FALSTAFF (HENRY IV, PARTS I &II)
HENRY V
I can't decide between the comedy (Much Ado) or the war/love drama (Cleopatra). Comedies are usually the easiest to understand and digest if you aren't one with Shakespearian English but Cleo is the orginal uberbabe. Feel free to influence me.
If you want/need more information, click here. Tickets are available on their website. No ticketmaster fees.
May is a good month. It is that beautiful release from classes and exams. It is your favourite blazer with jean shorts. It is the sweet introduction to summer. May is when you properly dust off your camping gear (if you have a waterproof tent or a westie). May is the reason why I picked up a wickedcool (yes, one word) little bbq from Canadian Tire the other day. But most of all, May means Sasquatch Music Festival @ The Gorge in Washington.
Flipping through old Sasq photos makes me want more.
SASQUATCH MUSIC FESTIVAL IS SAT MAY 29TH - MON MAY 31ST THIS YEAR @ THE GORGE AMPHITHEATRE IN GEORGE, WA.
Can we talk about Benji Hughes?! His lengthy and diverse album A Love Extreme was released in 2008 and it makes me want to fall in love with him. Until I remember what he looks like. And that I already have a boyfriend who is rather musically talented although I am not sure if Connor making up songs about my vagina to Star Wars tunes in the shower is quite as adorable as Vibe So Hot (listen to a live performance here).
I was first introduced to Benji Hughes last summer with Tight Tee Shirt on a mix CD playing on repeat in the Westfalia while winding along the Hope-Princeton from Vancouver to Penticton.
You probably recognize You Stood Me Up (live)and Why do these Parties Always End the Same Way? But my favourites would have to be:
Unfortunately I cannot seem to find quality recordings for all the songs I've listed so you're just going to have to pick up/download the album yourself or visit his myspace here. Yeah, yeah life is so hard, I know.
Yesterday I put together the most excellent mini bbq I got from Canadian Tire and set it up on the fire escape. What? There was nowhere else to put it. I couldn't very well bbq indoors, now could I? I also managed to get it lit on the second attempt. Girl power. (Also, thank you Mel for making me read the instructions). And no neighbours called the fire department which was a legitimate concern of mine because it did sort of look like a cornor of the building was on fire in the beginning. So myself and a few cohorts enjoyed a mini bbq before the Yeasayer show. Beautiful.
The concert was great. Sleighbells opened which was not what I expected but they really killed it. The two-person dynamic reminded me of a less intense version of The Kills. Yeasayer was brillant. Loved the sound (and Anand Wilder's jumpsuit). Favourite performed song: O.N.E.
Here are some photos from my place and in the show before it got wild and I forgot I owned a camera. Which is what usually happens... Sigh.
