Concerts

NXNE Review: Hayes Carll, June 13, Sunrise Records

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Paul in Concerts, North By Northeast | Leave a comment

Shows in record stores can be kind of a weird thing at times. They can most often be very cool things as well, but yeah, also definitely weird at times. I’ve written before about how it can be a bit of an odd experience from the viewpoint of an attendee, but as Texan singer-songwriter Hayes Carll can attest, it’s probably even stranger from the perspective of the performer.

Carll was made acutely aware of the strangeness of his situation when one store patron began browsing the DVD shelves during his set. Now this is nothing unusual in and of itself; it’s a record store, people are expected to be browsing and certainly no one who happens to be in the store is obligated to pay attention to the guy singing songs and playing guitar next to that Dexter collection that caught your eye, but when this guy went so far as to lean in closer to where Carll was standing to examine a particular title, that’s going a bit too far. “They’ve got a great selection here” mused Carll as DVD guy (who was also wearing big ass headphones) slinked back into the crowd.  To his credit, Carll didn’t seem fazed by this at all, nor did he even seem to notice the giant display of Doctor Who merchandise to his right.  I did though.  There are far more Who collectibles than I would have imagined, but I digress.

Carll, a natural storyteller, spoke further on his adventures in instores (which he said he rarely does) while describing one he did years ago in London (at “HMV or whatever,” as Carll put it) where the store hired both security guys and what seemed to Carll like paparazzi, actually photographers hired by the chain to shoot the show, which made Carll think he had a UK hit that he was previously unaware of. That story, along with tales of getting in trouble for smuggling a single orange back from Canada into the US and newspaper pieces that focused mostly on Carll’s opinions on Tim Horton’s (note: he was drinking Starbucks during his set) are part of what makes Carll an engaging and charming performer. That and his songs. Highlights included the Dylanesque “KMAG YOYO” and set ender “A Bad Liver And A Broken Heart,” which I believe may have been a request. So while not everyone in the store was there to see him, those who were likely walked away satisfied.

NXNE Review: Eternal Summers, June 13, Drake Underground

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Brent in Everything, North By Northeast | Leave a comment

What NXNE says: “A welcome addition to the barrages of late 80s andearly 90s-era lo-fi acts currently doing the rounds: the sound of a cohesive, hypercompressed imagination finding its way through US underground rock’s salad years with irresistible zeal.”

What PM says: Eternal Summers are a three-piece band hailing from Roanoke, Virginia that played a mix of ’80s high energy electro-pop ala Devo and Blondie but with more speedy guitar-driven hooks providedby front-woman Nicole Yun. They had just busted in from Ohio in the evening and busted out to play the Northside Festival in Brooklyn today so kudos to them for playing upwards of ten short and fast songs in their energetic half-hour set. A good number of supporters came out to see them play songs from their upcoming album “Correct Behavior,” which is being released on Kanine Records July 24th. My personal favourite song entitled “Girls in the City” had drummer Daniel Cundiff singing dark monotone vocals. They have been around since 2008 and have played with the likes of the Raveonettes and Cloud Nothings and will hopefully be back in Toronto touring on this new release.

NXNE Review: Beliefs, June 13, Drake Underground

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Brent in Everything, North By Northeast | 1 Comment

What NXNE says: “Very, very good local quintet falling somewhere between ‘Isn’t Anything’-era My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth’s art-grunge and Beach House’s stadium sized plaintives. Soon to deservedly be on every A&R person’s radar.”

What PM says: Purported to be “a new band from here” you wouldn’t know it. Beliefs played a tight half-hour set with an abundance of noisy, fuzz-filled guitars and loud bass. As far as I could tell, all three guitarists had Fender Jazzmasters which are best known for being used by shoegaze bands from years past. Vocals were shared between Jesse Crowe and her male counter-part Josh Korody. I spoke to a very humble and polite Josh at the burrito joint a few doors down after the show and he says he’s really excited about this project and is hoping for bigger things to come. They finished their polished set with “Gallows Bird” which you can hear below. No doubt you’ll be hearing about Beliefs in the future so why not catch them tonight at the El Mocambo (main floor) tonight at 9:00 PM instead before everyone else does?

TO Jazz 2012 Preview: June 22 to July 1

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Mark in Concerts, Toronto Jazz Festival | Leave a comment
Another summer is in full swing and that means festival season! The Toronto Jazz Festival is almost upon us, and this year marks the return of the main stage to Nathan Phillips Square’ renovated digs. I haven’t had a chance to check out the renovation, but my understanding is that it’s pretty awesome. More greenery, multiple viewing balconies, the flame in the Peace Garden will now burn 20 feet high, and free hoverboards are available to cross that pesky fountain! A welcome upgrade to the grey slabs of concrete, no doubt.

It’s time to reflect on the line-up. I would be remiss to mention that a great guide to the music featured is Artistic Director’s Josh Grossman’s own blog. He’s got all sorts of great articles like, “What’s so great about X” with a deep musical dive into the merits of the respective artists. It’s a great read for novice and pro alike to get a better understanding of the music coming to the city, and also get some reflections on jazz in today’s musical landscape.

That being said, this is my post, so now I’m going to give you my two cents on some of the notable acts, in order of appearance:

Janelle Monae – For those of you have grown accustomed to the absolutely ridiculous shows put on by the Roots in the last two years, might I suggest Janelle Monae? She’s an exciting young funk diva-to-be that has elements of pop and elements of fun (June 22).

Kurt Rosenwinkel – A lot of people think of jazz as music that was prominent in the 60’s and maybe just kind of stayed there. That couldn’t be farther from the truth, and you have only look to the new guard who have taken up the torch to see some truly amazing stuff happening. Names like Brad Mehldau, Roy Hargrove, and Kurt Rosenwinkel come to mind. Kurt is a guitarist par-exellence, and if you want to get a taste of what modern jazz guitar can do, go see this guy (June 22).

Hiromi – To establish her credentials, it’s enough to know that Hiromi has played with the likes of jazz legends Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke. Hiromi is one of the most exciting of the contemporary jazz pianists. Supremely talented with fire in reserve. She’s quick and thoughtful. Unfortunately I couldn’t catch her last jazz festival experience. This will not happen again. This time around, she’s playing with rock-jazz trio The Bad Plus and saxophonist Joshua Redman. I believe everyone on stage will be in flames from the start to the finish of this show (June 24).

Natalie Cole – Most people know her as the daughter of the late, great, Nat Cole. Her 1991 posthumous duet Unforgettable with her father put her on the musical map. From there, she’s continued to cement her place as a fantastic songstress in her own right. Her voice is captivating. Natalie is the real deal (June 25).

George Benson – A number of years ago, I discovered my old man’s collection of George Benson LP’s. I had always reached for the likes of Wes Montgomery when I wanted some jazz guitar; you like what you know. When I finally decided to reach for George, I was rewarded with some amazing soul jazz guitar that could swing like nobody’s business. This will be a fantastic and easy-to-enjoy show for old and new fans alike (June 26).

Esperanza Spalding – This young bassist has been garnering some serious attention since winning a Grammy for Best New Artist. That she clinched this award proves that she’s been able to make a mark on the music scene at large. This will be a fantastic opportunity to see this bright new star.

And there you have it, but there’s so much more. There are plenty of free shows, and venues throughout the city. I highly recommend exploring some of the smaller venues; it’s great way to discover new music in a more intimate experience. Check out the entire line-up here.

The Toronto Jazz Festival runs from June 22 – July 1.
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