Not So Indie-rock

So - I have a love hate relationship with "Indie Rock." I love that people are out there and doing it on their own and making it work. Or that people are recording on small labels and producing what can be such incredible pieces of work. I hate that the sound that has become associated with it is things like Tokyo Police Club and Foster the People and what I would more often term as Whiny College Rock(tm) (I fully blame groups like Weezer for starting this).

There is a group that has caught my attention in a big way - July Talk. I came across them on the CBC afternoon radio show with Allan Neil - and Allan sadly has a fondness for many of the Whiny College Rock groups - often I have to end up changing the station - not this time however. This time I was so wrapped up in it that I came home and bought the album immediately. This was the song that grabbed me:

I have spun this disk just about every day since I bought it. I have yet to see them live, but I have heard very good things about the performance - need to make it happen. There is a little of everything in July Talk - gravelly Tom Waits-like male vocals (King of Saturday Night Tom Waits, not the later gruffer version) - there are boppy Metric-like electronic riffs, straight up rock-n-roll, heartbreak, happiness, longing and some other somewhat disturbing themes, but all in all, this is a brilliant album.

I guess many local acts (wherever that local may be) would be considered indie just because they are doing things like crowd-sourcing to fund the album, or are putting together local compilations via fundraisers etc, or indeed, just putting out their own music on their own blood sweat and tears. If they get lucky, their production gets noticed and they may or may not get signed by a major label - this can be a kiss of death, or the launch of a major career. Sometimes, there has to be a compromise to meet certain label standards, sometimes there is a loss of intellectual property. Sometimes there is a piece of magic that happens and you see a group go from underground and obscure to the major mainstream (Nirvana anyone?) which can bring about its own major difficulties.

Acts that I hope will make it big because I love them and I wish success for them would fall into the folk dynamo trio from Newfoundland called The Once. They started out small and have garnered some incredible success through the past few years. They had a right place, right time moment with current folk superstar, Passenger who invited them to be the backing band on his most recent album, as well as taken them on a round the world tour as his opening act. The cut several successful videos of covers as they toured the US, the best of which is:

Passenger, Stu Larsen and The Once, all provide magic on this track. One of those moments where I think the cover is by far greater than the original was. As brilliant as their series of cover tunes were, their own music is quite spectacular. Their Christmas album is just about as magical as a Christmas album can be. The latest release from The Once is called Departures and is a beautiful piece of work. The single, and video called "We Are All Running" (Video uploader does seem to want to find the official video - but the link will take you there).


I am going throw in one more of their covers - which is again in conjunction with Passenger and Stu Larsen. It is one of Stu Larsen's songs, entitled San Francisco

 

 After hearing this - I went and purchased the album it came from, Vagabond, and I was not even a little bit disappointed. Check it out, you won't be sorry.
I am going to wrap this one up with one of my current favorites and one long-time favorite. The first is Ben Caplan and the Occasional Smokers.  Ben mixes, folk, rock, and klezmer to a wonderful degree that brings out something fantastic. The track Beautiful is what first sold me on him, but it was quickly followed by Seed of Love.

The second is a long time favorite - sadly they only managed one album before they went in separate directions. I first (and only) time I saw Sunfish, they were the opening act for Change of Heart at the Loft in St. John's. They instantly became one of my favorite bands (everyone was a little taken aback that I didn't care much for the headline band, but definitely loved the curtain warmer!). They released one album - Mola Mola that was full of incredible track after incredible track. Starting with "Difference" (again - issues with the video uploader - link will get you there), carrying through "You, Me and MaryJane"

onto my favorite track on the album - "Angels Get the Blues" (video uploader is for shit!) and "Whiskey Don't Go Bad"

and many more, I love this album from start to finish. I wish there had been more - I got very excited when I started to write this piece, because I found what I thought was another album - however it was a metal band - not bad, but not what I was looking for.

As always - if you have suggestions, comments, etc. I would be happy to entertain them. If you enjoyed what you read, please share it out...

Fade to Black

I have been drawn to dark music for as long as I can really remember. This does not mean that I do not appreciate upbeat and positive music, but there is a part of my soul that screams for that darkness. I think the first time I can remember that feeling, that urge, had to do with yet another mixed tape, as provided by my cousin Bret - you might say much of this is your fault Bret :). On the tape was a collection of Alice Cooper - and we are talking circa 1980 - but the track that spoke most to me off that mixed tape, specifically, was "Cold Ethel."

It probably wouldn't have had the same impact, except Bret told me what the song was about. I am pretty sure had nightmares about that song for the rest of the vacation - but it spoke to me in a certain way.

To add some perspective, I had already out-read all of the library in my home room by the time that I was in grade 4. I managed, somehow to stumble upon Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" by the time I was nine, and it was as influential in my tastes in just about everything from that moment forward. I had my own darkness, and my own secrets by this point, but I had no idea of how to deal with them. I just knew that I understood the darkness inside of me. To discover that there were art forms out there that actually captured some of that dark, some of that pain, some of that.... well emo? long before emo was a thing? Well it was a bit of a revelation.

 There was a natural / unnatural progression to Black Sabbath (though it would be years before I really embraced this) and, believe it or not, AC/DC. For Sabbath, I think it was the eponymous album Black Sabbath and the self-titled song  (Paranoid would quickly replace this album in my favorites but for that point in time...)

From there, I am not exactly sure how that darkness manifested - Punk Rock came along, and there were many pieces that mixed the darkness with the political, or the angry or the emo... but suddenly, accidentally and thankfully, I discovered the Misfits. I am not alone in this influence. If you look at I can point to fifty different songs that embraced that moment in time for me, but I am not going to make you dive through the catalog.  You should, by all means, explore that catalog and find your own favorites, but my selection for this post is "Bullet."





I can rave about "Where Eagles Dare" or "I turned into a Martian" or "Ghoul's Night Out" but it is better that you discover those on your own.

From the Misfits, it is a really short leap to Alien Sex Fiend and Skinny Puppy. When, or perhaps before Industrial became a thing, I was immediately drawn into the two a fore mentioned bands. I first heard them on Augusta La Paix's  - Brave New Waves on late night CBC radio. For the young insomniac in me, it was a perfect fit - new music that I had zero exposure to, and something to fill the early morning hours before I had to get up and go to school.

My attraction to this style of music continues to this day - though I can always claim that it is healthy for me.  I remember my first room-mate Arthur coming home after work and finding me in the living room with no lights on, Skinny Puppy on blast, and just sort of huddled in the corner. However, it did nothing to dissuade me.

I am going to backtrack a little and talk to some of the new wave influences that captivated me in my quest for the darker side of life. With the exception of one, maybe two contemporary bands, nothing, I mean, nothing comes close to Tears For Fears - "The Hurting" - Dark, poignant, beautiful and still holds up today. I think my favourite back then - and probably due to my love of (melo)drama was "Watch Me Bleed"

Today, that track still holds true for me. But I am more likened towards Mad World, which has subsequently been covered by many people, but none so more masterfully than Gary Jules...

This album was pivotal to me in my teenage years. On top of the punk, the metal, and of course, Pink Floyd (who will rate their own post), this one touched deep inside, to the darker places that I couldn't really let anyone see. It was the first time I understood the concept of "Alone Together" (something that would later be tied to online correspondence and interaction in academic circles). 

I can't get through my teenage years - and in fact, I am not sure I could have gotten through my teenage years without Husker Du. Their co-founder, Bob Mould has continued to influence my life in many ways, with his band Sugar, and with his own solo work. I enjoyed all of the albums from Husker Du - but it was likely New Day Rising that sent them from an occasional listen to a regular rotation at my house. It is well worth your time to track down and listen to, but the very most influential, and perhaps the darkest of Husker Du, for me was Candy Apple Grey. With tracks such as "I don't want to know if you are lonely," "Sorry Somehow" and "No Promise Have I Made," it spoke to all the angst I had at the time, and indeed, have carried with me for decades now. But the double whammy of "Hardly Getting Over it"

and "Too Far Down" that really grabbed me, and that I turn too when I am feeling at my lowest. "Too Far Down" may even be the greatest heartbreak song ever written, at least in my humble opinion.

It is funny - I was never one to do much reading about the people who created the music that I love. I knew nothing about this band, I knew nothing about Bob Mould, even though he is somewhat of a demi-god in my universe. It was not until justa  few years ago that my friend Glenn pointed out that I should read See a Little Light - Bob's autobiography, that I actually learned about where this music, this genius, and this pain, all came from. Do yourself a favour and read his history.

I am going to jump forward a few years now - and speak specifically about Nine Inch Nails. The first thing I want to say is that in some ways, I am really glad I did not discover NIN until I was in my 20's. I think the intensity of raw emotion combined with the energy and dark edge of the music might have been too much for me when I was trying to figure out if I wanted to live or die as a teen. I have two first recollections of NIN - both very different, and I have no idea which one came first chronologically. I remember having flown to Toronto to audition for George Brown Theatre School. After the audition, I met up with my friend Katherine and her roomie Danica (or Dank) - We dropped acid and ended up at the Dance Cave above Lee's Palace. It was a Thursday night or something like that - and the club was pretty empty. There were these goth chicks scattered around the club, and every now and then someone would get up on the dance floor - no one seemed to be dancing with each other, they were just all in their own worlds dancing to the industrial music as it blasted out through the speakers. "Head Like a Hole" came on and I got up and became one of those people dancing with abandon, alone, but at the same time not alone. The music surged through me, it touched a core deep inside me and I let myself go completely into the song. For that moment in time I was transported and - pardon the corny reference - was one with the music.

And then, because I was on acid, in a strange city and was catching a flight home in the wee hours of the morning, I promptly forgot all about it.

The next "first" recollection I have was walking into the comic shop I co-owned with three of my friends, and Lisa was playing The Downward Spiral - I walked in, stopped moving, stopped talking - listened for two or three tracks, asked her what it was I was listening to, and once she replied, I turned around, walked across the street to Fred's Records and bought every different NIN release they had in stock. I have bought everything since and will continue to do so. Trent Reznor may not have the exact same edge that he had in those early days - and his anger may be different now, but the drive and the focus and the intensity have not shifted. By the time he released The Fragile (which I consider to be his finest work to date), I was in, hook line and sinker.

The Fragile was something of a departure, I think from his earlier work - it was weirdly optimistic - tracks like the title track "The Fragile" and "We're in this Together" looked at the darkness and shone a little light on the the possibilities of a way through this mess for some...

 


It was a double album of beautiful track after beautiful track, and yes, there was the less optimistic tracks - "Star Fuckers" and perhaps my favourite track on the album "The Wretched"

I could go on and on about NIN, and indeed, about my love of some of the darker sides of music, I mean, I have not even gotten to my fairly recent discovery and love of Psychobilly bands like The Creepshow or the HorrorPops. However, I am going to sign off here. I will close out just as Reznor closes out each of his concerts.

As always - if you liked what you have read and what you have heard, please feel free to share - if you have musical suggestions for me or thoughts and ideas - please don't hesitate to contact me. Til soon...

Overture

This is the beginning of what I hope turns into something a little more than what I have done before. I want this - experiment (thanks to Vivienne) - to be something that is about more directly about music. About music from the past and present and eventually, the future that becomes the present. I won't lie - this is an outlet for me - an outlet for expression. But I want it to be about musical expression. I have no musical talent of my own, but I have a vast appreciation of all types of music.

I hope to explore both the music that was formative to me, and the music that I discover as I go forward. Those that stumble this way, I would love to hear what you create, what you suggest, what you find essential in your own musical lives. The music will vary from classical to punk, from big band to pop, from formative country, blues and gospel to metal and just about everything in between. I am willing to give just about anything a try based on the interactions I may receive (except maybe Def Leppard - them I just do not get).

As with any beginning, it is essential to define a starting point. My problem is I have too many staring points. There is no real way to do this in an actual chronological patter, so often this may work by way of a thematic vein. Tonight, that theme is going to centre around female artists. As a boy, I had the privilege of having parents who had an excellent music collection; there was an excellent mix of folk, rock, jazz, and classical. It was, largely male dominated, which would be a part of the nature of the industry at the time but there was still an excellent selection of female musicians in the house collection. Joan Baez, Nana Mouskouri, Peter, Paul and Mary, and many others. I don't remember specific songs from those days but I certainly remember my mother and her love of these powerful female singers and songwriters. 

The first real concrete recollection I have of discovering female driven musicianship was from a tape my cousin Bret made for me in - maybe 1979 or 1980 - Pat Benatar's In the Heat of the Night. In particular "My Clone Sleeps Alone." Truly a brilliant piece of music and one that I have revisited repeated over the past 30+ years. The slow haunting start that raised the hairs on my arms - that then turned into a a fairly rocking pop-song, combining science fiction with a strong female lead for the band was something I had not really encountered before. It fit in well with what I had already been taught - women can do anything they put their minds to. I just didn't have a lot of examples that I could point to in rock-n-roll.

This moment, along with the Ellen Foley portion of "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" (though not a female fronted musical moment - it was a powerful female vocalist that helped in my own sexual awakening). I won't feature that moment too much though, because Ms Foley also put out an album called Night Out. The song, "We Belong to the Night" is the one that stands out for me.

There were then a lot of other women who were suddenly on my radar. Gladys Night and the Pips, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Donna Summer, and many others - but it was really Debbie Harry that brought on my next musical awakening.

Blondie happened for me just before I discovered punk rock. I remember junior high school dances where "Call Me" and "Heart of Glass," but it was really Rapture that really took me away - because it was something new, something ridiculous and something exciting. Here was this brazen, beautiful, strong woman who seemed to just ooze sexuality and the promise of a life I had not yet discovered. This would be yet another new beginning for me, one that would lead me on a voyage of discovery through such bands as X, The Plasmatics, The Rezillos, The B52s and eventually to Siouxie Sioux.














I don't really know how to describe what Siouxie and the Banshees meant to me. By this time I had found punk rock and was pretty deeply immersed in anger and politics and aggression. It was, without a doubt, a major part of who I was as an individual. But there was something missing - and I don't think I really realized what it was until I heard the haunting sounds of "Christine." Not only was there a strong female lead, but there was finally a voice for the darkness that I felt inside.















I would be remiss if I did not mention a local St. John's artist who has pipes of pure gold. I first saw Liz Pickard ( often known as Liz Solo or Lizzie Dyke, or many other AKAs) perform at an audition for "A Christmas Carol" - she stood on the stage, and sang unaccompanied. I don't remember the song but it was stunning, the room went from buzzing with energy and conversation to instant silence as everyone turned to pay attention. Goosebumps arose on every arm in the theatre that afternoon, everyone was drawn to this seemingly diminutive young women in here army coat, combat boots and close cut hair. This angelic voice poured out and won over every heart within seconds. I was maybe 15? maybe - I am not sure exactly. But I know I began sneaking into the Graduate House to see her perform with Ed Kavanaugh every chance I could. Liz went on to front many different bands, write some amazing theatrical productions, embrace a wonderful world of multi-media, but the one thing that stands out for me is her work with her band The Liz Band. In particular, the very first EP that the band released, simply called Six Songs. I could choose one song from that EP, but I don't actually think I can. I think you should check out all of them, and indeed all of her work, because it is simply spectacular. A sampling can be found on LastFM. Do yourself the favour, and check it out.

For now, I am going to call that a decent Overture. I will pick up where I left off and move through something more recent than the early 90's. If you enjoyed what you read, or what you listened to, please, leave a comment or three, leave a suggestion or three or just share the link so others can enjoy it too.

Til soon....