Toronto - Chromeo. This band is a consists of two people (some call this a duo .. I prefer calling them a Twople). One is from New York City, the other is from the New York City of Quebec aka Montreal. Together, they make catchy electro music that you can probably hear at the cool clubs in your city. Only the cool clubs though, none of those lame clubs that play 30 seconds of your song, then switch it to 30 seconds of another song and call that DJing. Nope. Ain’t Happenin.

They have an album coming out. According to the mp3’s ID3 information, its called Fancy Footwork. There’s an EP called by the same name, maybe I have the EP? but this thing has 11 songs. So I don’t know. Anyways, it catchy music. You will like it, specially if you like to shake your moneymaker. They play Opera House on March 22. I would say I’ll see you there, but I’ll be in Vancouver enjoying some BC bud…weisers.

The real reason for this post is this. While I was listening to the first song, I noticed a MASSIVE similarity between this song and a song from little known 1980s indie-underground-hip hop-pop band from Boston called New Kids On The Block. Yup. The song is Games. Listen to the song I have included, and then go to the 1:50 mark of the video. Tell me you don’t hear the same thing.

Ps. Don’t ask how I was able to pick this out of the blue.

Here is a link to the Indiana Jones movie.

I wonder how many times Shia will do his “no no no no no no no” schtick.

 

 Chromeo - Intro [1:09m]: Play Now

Here is all that you need to know about the current roster of Montreal based Secret City Records artists:

Miracle Fortress - Nominated for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize
Patrick Watson - Won the 2007 Polaris Music Prize
Plants And Animals - Will be nominated for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize

Taken from the Secret City website:
(regarding their logo)…as a façade, it’s also an affront to the posturing and empty branding behind so much of the music industry fixated on fabricating fleeting tastes rather than supporting or helping document sounds that will endure which is what we think a record label these days should do.”

Well put.

Next Release: Plants And Animals first full length Parc Avenue hits the shelves on February 26th.

Plants and Animals make good music that will get your heart going, slow it down, then jack it up again when you’re not expecting it. Remember when you used to get high in-between classes in high school and listen to OK Computer in the back seat of your best friends Geo Metro? Yah, Plants and Animals are kind of like that, but different. When Pitchfork reviews Parc Avenue in a few weeks, I suspect that it is going to be up there with the Panda Bears and Deerhoofs of the Pitchfork world. Plants and Animals make music with that art school, experimental feel that they get all hot and botherd by over there. As they should because I have really enjoyed their 25 minute EP over the past few months.

Next Show: You can catch Plants And Animals at the Drake here in Toronto on February 21st.

 

 Plants and Animals - Lola Who (2007): Play Now

Comes to Toronto on

May 16, With the Rosebuds @ Lees Palace

Here is them “Waving Flags” performing on Jools Hollland, via Chromewaves

I am pretty sure this is a concert y’all should go to.

Metacritic for DYLRM

Pretty good reviews all around, except for Pitchfork. But they are all jackasses over there anyway. For them to dismiss a good album that has a lot of praise all around is about as cliche as me making a racial remark on anything that has to do with asians.

Here is my song by song review of the album

PS. Holy crap, just found out Jarvis Cocker was one of the producers of this album. It all makes sense now.

 

 British Sea Power - Canvey Island [3:41m]: Play Now

Toronto - Man I feel like we write so much about this band we might as well be their press agents. Anyways, yes Feb 11 rolled around and it was time. I say it was time…to go to the Vampire Weekend show. The show took place at one of my favorite concern venues in Toronto - the Horseshoe. Especially since I found my sweet spot. Theres a spot thats about 12 - 15 feet back of the stage that ..nevermind don’t want to give it up.

So yes. Vampire Weekend. Crowd was packed. They were excited, everyone has probably downloaded the album and enjoyed it as much as I have. The Germans were the opening act, I caught the latter part of their show and they were something. I don’t know what, I wasn’t really paying attention. The band came on promptly at 11:15 pm, which was great since it’s Monday and they gotta show some ’spect to those who have to work tomorrow. Boy, these kids just came out of college I bet. A four piece set, consisted of a drummer, guitarist, keyboardist and a bassist. The keyboardist looked a bit like Pete Wentz. Probably not a good thing. The lead singer was wearing a type of cardigan or something that my grandma would probably enjoy.

How was the show? twas awesome. Vampire Weekend, they just play really pleasant poppy music, and you can never really have a bad time at feel good pleasant poppy music concert. The lead singer has quite a good voice and the band actually has okay lyrics. I’ve never really paid much attention to the lyrics before, but from what I made out .. it was alright. Banter was typical band stuff. How does the LP translate live? Nicely. as with most bands, they were a bit louder and faster paced live then on the album, but that’s always a positive. The music influences of this band wear strong, and some parts of the concert I could imagine that this will be the type of music you hear on a cruise ship going to Tuvalu or something. Not sure if thats a necessarily positive thing for the long run, but hey, it works.

The set list consisted of things on the album, and one not on the album. Everyone enjoyed themselves and I’m sure the next time they play Toronto it’ll be a much bigger venue. Honestly, one of the concerts I’ve been to where I don’t really have any complaints or anything. I got a good spot to view the concert, no one was blocking my view, the show was efficient, didn’t drag. The streetcar came quickly, and then the bus came quickly too. All in all, it was an enjoyable experience, although I had my ass whooped in Halo before going to the show… and the Raptors lost. But I think those things are out of context in terms of this review.

4.5/5

Ah Michael, despite all he’s allegedly done and what he’s been through, you have to give him credit, he has released some great music. I think everyone has their own story about when they first heard ‘Thriller’. I never owned the full album but instead got my hands on my uncle’s version, which was recorded on cassette with the majority of the tape being Thriller and the extra space being filled with the theme music from ‘3 Billy Goats Gruff’. The weird bit was that my uncle never actually gave us the tape, he accidentally left it at our place. You try and figure out the odd mix.

My props to Michael Jackson aside, The remixes of his re-release of ‘Thiller’ are disappointing. I understand the need to add a few extra tracks to appeal to the new generation, but to use artists du jour like WILL.I.Am and Akon limits the life of the songs. More specifically, ‘The Girl is Mine’, my favorite Michael Jackson song. I mean Paul McCartney is still alive, why not re-record it with him? Instead it’s an over-produced pile of poo squeezed out of Black Eyed Peas shitbox. I’m giving you loyal reader, the opportunity to listen to both versions so you can decide for yourself.

I’ve added the original version in video format. Some person did a great job of dubbing it over Japanese Anime and I had to share it. Skip to the 30 second mark.

Here’s the 2008 version with Will.I.Am:

 

 Michael Jackson feat. Will.I.Am - The Girl is Mine 2008: Play Now

Toronto - On a freaking cold winter day, all seems lost. Kind of like England in the 60s or the 70s. Well, maybe. Its only one day whereas back then, who knew when it was ending. Regardless, Sunday was one of those cold bitter, depressing days where stepping outside equated pain. So what better day to see the new documentary by Julian Temple on the late Joe Strummer. It is appropriately called “Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten“. It is playing at The Royal, currently. It’s not quite as close as Ricky Theatre 2000, but its close enough.

So yea, this is a documentary about Joe Strummer, the legendary front man of The Clash. It follows his life from the time he was a lil lad til the day he died, in 2002. As per documentary tradition, the film had many people instrumental (and also many people who had nothing to do with Joe Strummer..more on that later) to Strummers life commenting on his rise from a hippy living in squat houses to the leader of one of the biggest bands of all time. There is a lot of footage on Strummer that is probably previous unseen, including many from the early days of the Clash. Its pretty much a must see for anyone who followed the career of this band.

So was it good? Yea. Music documentaries are usually good, and it also reads like a VH1 Storyteller like most music documentaries. People rise from nothing, form a band, make really important music, let fame get to their head, sex,drugs, rock n roll, break up, let down period, rebirth (sometimes) and then death. This is a script that has been followed many times over, and will continue to do so from now til eternity. So I guess the question was, does the documentary show the person in different light? does it give you interesting tidbit or stories you might not have known? does it cover all the important points? This film seemed to. Mind you, I am not the most knowledgable person on the Clash, and I was not even born when they were popular so I can’t really reflect on how important they were to me when I was growing up or anything. From an outsider’s point of view, this was a well made documentary.

Gripes? There are a few. First of all, no one they interviewed had one of those name thingies on them. You know, like, the Joy Division documentary..it would say something like “Peter Hook - Bassist”. This was a big mistake. Obviously, some people you interview, you will recognize - Bono, for example needs no introduction. However, the director seemed to forget the 70s is 30 years ago, people age, you won’t recognize. So yea, a lot of people you won’t recognize unless you are a diehard fan. I think this made the film less accessible to the normal fan. Second gripe is.. there are a lot of people who were interviewed about Strummer that didn’t need to be interviewed. Martin scorcese, Courtney Love, Flea, Matt Dillon….JOHNNY DEPP. It looked like Johny Depp walked straight off the Pirates of the Caribbean set to do his lil tid bit. His appearance was a bit ridiculous, but I guess thats a pretty marquee name. Hell, I don’t really know why Bono was there, or why was he wearing sunglasses at night. Whatever.

Bottom line: Go see it if you are interested in the man or like The Clash. or Johnny Depp.

3/5

Here is Kylie Minogue doing “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”, which is a Mick Jones tune.

 

 Kylie Minogue - Should I Stay Or Should I Go [4:30m]: Play Now