Everything

Concert Preview: Faust at Jam Factory

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faust
Photo credit: Jan Lankisch

Wavelength prior to this week has always been known to put on shows for eclectic Toronto bands, so it was a surprise to see them book German krautrock band faUSt this summer. Even more surprising was that it was booked at a place called the Jam Factory, which sounds like a place you would go in the ’90s to listen to Chris Shepard or something.

Nevertheless, here we are, one week away from from what should be a pretty interesting show in the east end. Formed in 1971, Faust released four albums in the ’70s full of experimental rock that eventually, along with a few other bands, become labelled as Kraut Rock. They then disappeared for twenty years before re-emerging in the ’90s and have been casually around since then.

They just released their Fresh Air album last year and are touring now in support of that. It’s an opportunity to see a unique band in a unique space, so go check it out!

faUst play Sunday, July 15 at the Jam Factory.

Field Trip Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Alvvays, Etc

Posted on by Ricky in Concerts, Everything | Leave a comment

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It was a dreary rainy Sunday for day 2 of Field Trip but that most certainly did not stop ANYONE from having an amazing time. The lineup for day 2 was stacked. At the top of that lineup was Yeah Yeah Yeahs, returning to Toronto for the first time in a few years. So let’s start with them.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Yeah Yeah Yeahs are awesome live and nothing you say can convince me otherwise. Karen O is a certified rock star that is maybe the most captivating person to watch on the stage to have emerged in the past twenty years. Dressed like a cross between the coolest Doctor Who or the fanciest luchadore, Karen O just put on a fantastic show. She’s got the rock pose down pat, her growls and dancing during the song energizes the crowd and just the way she will put one leg on the monitor, lean forward and urges you. You know you have the right captain. That’s not saying Brian or Nick Zinner didn’t do a terrifc job, they were equally great of course, but just not as mesmerizing.

It’s also great that the songs have aged very well. Not a single song of theirs sounds dated, even “Sacrilege,” a single off the mostly ignored fourth album, sounded strangely in place besides all the hits. “Zero,” “Heads Will Roll” and “Gold Lion” all got people moving. Then there was “Maps.” An absolutely beautiful track that had the entire festival crowd silent and singing along.

Set closers “Cheated Heart” and “Date With the Night” left the crowd all worked up, although if there’s one minor gripe, it’s that the part in “Cheated Hearts” where Karen O goes into the crowd and gets each person in the front to sing got a bit long (she did this the last show too). A minor complaint for what was otherwise an amazing show. Maybe the best headliner ever at Field Trip.

Allan Rayman

Not entirely sure who he is, or how he got the closing slot on the small stage, but apparently Allan Rayman is a mysterious singer from Toronto who looked like a cross between Jared Leto and Father John Misty. Moving around the stage in a half drunken manner (although that’s probably how he moved) Allan Rayman sang some stellar r&b tunes to a crowd that was really into his music. I’m not sure how I feel about his raspy voice but the man’s got a presence on stage and that goes a long way.

Alvvays

Alvvays are a perfectly fine band. They have put out two amazing records and I’ve seen them a few times live now but as of right now, their shows are just okay. I guess it’s a byproduct of their music, which has that soft dreamy pop like sound, but also has a very limited range in terms of tempo. They just don’t do that much on stage and with two albums sounding somewhat similar the music kind of blends together after forty or so minutes. Still, I loved their second album and hearing “Dreams Tonight” live was a treat. I do wish it was sunny and warm outside for their set, as that is the perfect environment to hear them live.

Cuco

My favorite discovery from Field Trip, Cuco plays this kind of stoner synth experimental slacker rock-rap music that’s hard to describe. Just 19, the band shows a wide range of musical influence in their music. I think if Animal Collective grew up in 2010 in Southern California and had a bunch of diversity, they would make this type of music. Even though they were somewhat all over the place, it all worked magically well. I’m definitely checking them out in the future.

Allie X

One of my favorite underrated pop acts to emerge recently, Allie X gets the award for putting the most effort despite having a early time slot. The singer dressed like a star and played songs new and old to a mostly appreciative crowd. Songs like “Casanova” had people moving and it was a great way to start off the day.

All in all, a fun day in the rain.

Field Trip 2018 Preview! Bands we are excited to see

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Summer time means music festival time! This year sees Field Trip kick off the festivities with a weekend full of good tunes, good food and good times.

Here’s the bands we are most excited to see

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

No doubt the main eventer for this festival. Yeah Yeah Yeahs are returning to touring after a brief hiatus. Their last show at Echo Beach was amazing and there is no doubt in my mind that the trio will blow the proverbial roof off the place on Sunday. Surely by now, most people have read the NY music scene book Meet Me in the Bathroom and just hearing the story of the trio will lend a bit extra to the show. But let’s be real, we are all here to hear these songs live again

– Date with the Night
– Maps
– Y-Control
– Gold Lion
– Cheated Hearts
– Heads Will Roll
– Zero

It gonna be good.

Alvvays

I don’t know how they did it, but Alvvays released a second record that was even better then their first. Their songs are made for summertime festivals and this weekend will see that realized.

Japandroids

Speaking of bands with festival ready songs, the hard rockin duo that make up Japandroids are ready to bring their anthemic rock songs to the crowd at Fort York. Don’t miss the beginning of the set, as they seem to like starting with Near to the Wild Heart of Life

Allie X

Those who have been around the Toronto music scene have seen many different interpretations of Allie X and her music. A few years ago, she moved to LA I think, and developed the latest reinvention and it’s great. We’ll get a heavy dose of slick pop music to bop our heads to.

NoName

Noname gain famed a few years ago as part of Chance the Rapper’s track Lost but has since delivered a stellar debut album named Telefone. I saw her last year at SXSW and she put on a lovely show that will play as a nice chill contrast to whatever the heck is going on at the Metric stage.

These are some of the artists we are excited to see! See you there

Retro Song of the Day/Show Preview: Gomez – Get Myself Arrested

Posted on by Ricky in Everything, Song of the Day | Leave a comment

Gomez-Photo-3
Photo credit: Brantley Gutierrez

Gomez’s Bring It On might have been the first or only album I bought on the strength of an award.

You see, Bring It On came out around the time I started paying serious attention to music. I had fallen in love with Pulp’s Different Class a few years prior and was pretty content just letting Columbia House/BMG and MuchMusic guide me through the Britpop landscape. It was actually pretty easy to familiarize myself with the Blurs, Oasis’s and the Verves of the world since they were quite popular in the mid-’90s. Brits were the hot thing. Elastica, Supergrass and even Kula Shaker had mainstream hits.

However, as the late ’90s hit, the trends had changed and Britpop died a slow painful death. My heart had been set on British music already so as my favorite bands broke up or transformed their sound to a less favorable to radio aesthetic, it became harder and harder to find that type of music. Only then did I start looking at weekly mags and this strange thing called the internet for more of the music I loved.

So I discovered this thing called the Mercury Prize which went to the best record of the year and without hesitation bought Bring it On, which was the winner that year. It was my first exposure to Gomez.

What came next was a bit of confusion, I had thought it would be well … Britpoppy. To my surprise, I enjoyed it. Gomez has that bluesy-rock kind of sound, but not in that cheesy I’m wearing a fedora kind of way. I’ve always liked the strong contrast between Ian Ball and Ben Ottewell’s vocals, which adds a lot more depth to their tracks. “78 Stone Wobble” and “Get Myself Arrested” were the first of many singles that found success. My actual favorite song is “We Haven’t Turned Around,” off their second record Liquid Skin (which I think was also on the American Beauty soundtrack).

Anyways, it’s been 20 years since the release of that first record, and the band is touring in celebration. They will be at the Danforth Music Hall on Tuesday June 5th. The last time they were here, it was at the Mod Club and that show was a delight. I’m sure this one will be equally great.

Here’s “Get Myself Arrested,” and see you there.