Bitter Sweet Return

So today I ran in the Nike+ Human Race, not really a race as a mobilization of hundreds of thousands of runners around the world getting out and running in the biggest organized single day event ever. It was pouring rain, but I was able to run with people I have never run with and was able to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in a long time. It was a slow run coming in at 56mins but lucky for me during the shuffling of songs on my iPod I was getting a lot of Weezer and Cool Kids so it was certainly good tunage for the run. But, that's not what anyone who actually reads this thing cares about here is what I got for you this week; The Verve have returned, my vinyl collection has grown and bands I love have released some new songs.

CD REVIEW:

Ahh, Richard Ashcroft and the gang are back together. Perhaps another stone faced walk down the street being very cool and running into people along the way??? Well, perhaps they have grown up a little and have more to offer. It has been a decade since "Bittersweet Symphony" was released and marked the Verve into our lives forever, because seriously that song is great and people loved it and still do. Well after a long long hiatus the gang are back with a follow up to Urban Hymns titled Forth. The entire band worked on various degrees of successful side projects, most notable was Richard Ashcroft's fantastic release Keys to the World.

The songs on Forth are epic, not necessarily in the it's epic therefore it's great. I mean like Dave Matthews kind of epic in that the songs are long the shortest track is 5min 29 seconds long...come on. The average music listener nowadays does not have the patience to listen to long songs no matter how good they may be. I always like to read reviews that others have written before I write mine. Some inspire my own opinion and others make me think critics are idiots. With an established band like The Verve people will naturally compare their previous releases to this one and those that gave this album a poor or mediocre review did not hide the fact that they don't like Richard Ashcroft. Biased reviews are always going to occur, but for Forth I tried to be impartial and look at it from an new listeners point of view.

The first 6 tracks were great, a menacing, psychedelic guitar coupled with Ashcroft's non-caring British vocals made for some very enjoyable listening. Then we hit "Noise Epic"... what can I say - it's just not good. It is like reading Charles Dickens and halfway through "A Tale of Two Cities" he writes "I like cotton candy" and then continues an otherwise fantastic novel. This is what occurs in Forth because after this bizarre little track they go right back to having great songs. Maybe "Noise Epic" will somehow grow on me like some weird fungus, but to be honest I will listen to this album a fair amount over the next year and I will certain press skip to avoid that track. But, 9/10 tracks being good makes for a solid purchase - Buy It! If you liked their previous releases you will certainly enjoy this album.


MUSIC NEWS:

Stars - Canada's favorite indie pop band Stars created a website last week www.sadrobots.ca to announce their upcoming EP which is to be released tomorrow. It is an odd little website with no information other then an animated heart and the title of the website saying an EP will be released. Go figure they are doing something artsy...well, digital releases will be available tomorrow and if you go see them live word is as reported by Pitchfork is that a physical copy will be available. www.sadrobots.ca

The Streets - Mike Skinner is an quirky individual, I am pretty sure there are only two people in Canada who actually like this band, me and my friend Diana. The Streets spoken-word/rap is unorthodox style and can take a while to get used to. They have a new release prepped and ready to go, being released at the end of September they have already released two tracks and two videos. Check out Pitchfork's Forkcast section for their latest, sounds like it could possibly be their best release to date, from the singles they have released anyway. www.myspace.com/thestreets

Tilly and the Wall - One of my favorite new bands over the last few weeks, I just picked up their 2006 release Bottoms of Barrels on vinyl which is great. They will be appearing on an episode of Sesame Street in the coming weeks and for those eagerly waiting for the start of the new 90210 (don't kid yourselves I know there are a few of you out there who love that crap) keep your eyes peeled for Tilly and the Wall performing in an episode. I just hope this doesn't turn out to be an O.C link to fame for bands showcased on the show. www.tillyandthewall.com

Till Next Time

- Dave

Dark Shades of Blue

Hey-oh,

Well I am back with some new music, some concert announcements, some music news and a round up of the latest podcasts. So as you gear up for the long weekend, here is a new album to blast during that one last camping trip, last raft down the river or just while your kickin' it at a end of summer bbq.

CD REVIEWS:







Xavier Rudd - Dark Shades of Blue:

I recently saw Xavier Rudd in concert, it was amazing. A very gifted musician who falls under the general genre of Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, etc. For those who are unfamiliar with Mr. Rudd I will give you a bit of a background. He is from Australia, loves Canada and plays a multitude of instruments including the didgeridoo, banjo, and harmonica. He first start gaining popularity in Calgary at Mount Royal's Liberty Lounge. After gaining a strong following in Canada and Australia his albums began getting stronger and stronger. Dark Shades of Blue is Xavier Rudd's latest release, his fifth album. From his last album White Moth to his latest, his sounds has grown into a edgier, more vibrant sound.

From the opening track "Blackwater" you can hear the more aggressive guitar he has throughout the album. The songs transitions on the album are seamless and create an incredible flow. The blend of the stronger guitar sound and his vocals matching that closely recreate what his live show is like. Lyrically, he still creates a politically charged, environmental and aboriginal rights focused theme throughout the album. "Uncle" is the strongest socially conscious song on the album with a solid instrumental section closer to the end of the almost eight-minute track. This album is fantastic, it is going to be great to see him play these songs live and if this is the continued direction he is taking his music I certainly am looking forward to the follow up to Dark Shades of Blue. Buy this Album!

CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks w/ guest Blitzen Trapper - Oct 23rd @ The Warehouse - Tickets are on sale Now, $22. This is what I am doing for my birthday so if you care to join that would be cool.

Neil Young w/ Death Cab for Cutie and Everest - Oct 19th @ The Saddledome - This show will certainly be a good one and certainly an interesting mix of Neil Young and Death Cab. Tickets range from $50 to $250.

MUSIC NEWS:

In Weezer news, Brian Bell is launching his solo side project called Relationship. No worries to all us Weezer fans though, Weezer is still going strong with tour dates (none in Calgary) and plenty of positive news that Rivers isn't going into seclusion and disbanding the band.

The Arctic Monkeys are sticking to their side projects for now, as the drummer is releasing a mix disc. Taking the dance floor by storm Matt Helders takes that good drum sound and turns it into danceable tunes. With the other side projects going on in this band one has to start to wonder when we might see a new album from Arctic Monkeys. Hopefully, it's soon!

The Clientele has released an EP in what is hopefully a lead up to another full length release, following up their great release God Save The Clientele. Sadly as well they only have one live show with a wicked line up. They are playing with Camera Obscura and Frightened Rabbit.

Podcast Central is on a break for a while as I try and get caught up listening to all the ones I have missed over the last few weeks. Only so many hours in the day so if you have been looking for a new post, I will get caught up over the long weekend to provide you will all the music news you need.

Till next time.

-Dave

Three Elements

After an extended musically filled vacation from writing I am back at it, I sent New Music Tues - The Newsletter out this week and now it's time to update the blog. I have a few non-musical notes to make as well. Life is great out here right now, I have a job that keeps me busy, I am almost back to my running self and I have heard a lot of great bands and have some exciting concerts coming up to finish off the year. So, as I sit here reflecting on the year and life in general I thought of the old questions "If you were stranded on an island....?" Well as opposed to material things I thought of what elements in life I needed. One: Food - obvious choice but not just any food, I want good food. Two: Music - another obvious choice for me, I would need a constant source of new music and access to Pitchfork Media's website. Three: Sport: Watching the Olympics has been inspiring with great athletes bettering their own records and destroying others.

I wanted to have an Olympic theme to the blog this week. I have been glued to the TV watching and at work I have the Olympics streaming on-line. So I am going to take my three elements and award Gold, Silver and Bronze to three bands from this year, three restaurants that I feel deliver the goods, and finally three sports moments that have changed perhaps just my life, but maybe yours as well. I hope you enjoy and it would be great to know your Gold, Silver and Bronze choices as well.

First up we have food, only because I ate at a fantastic restaurant last night and want to share the experience. Food in Calgary isn't always the greatest and sometimes good restaurants fall off the podium faster then athletes in Beijing are being caught for doping. So I want to share my favorites.

Food Challenge:

Bronze - The Living Room takes bronze in the food challenge, their constantly innovative menu and great atmosphere create a great dining experience. Also, they are a great spot to enjoy some nice wine or other higher end drinks. 

Silver - Earls is a constant performer, a great atmosphere and a constant menu. Never a bad dining experience and it doesn't send you into debt to eat there. All the locations are great and it is the perfect restaurant when your not sure what you want as they have a bit of every thing. 

Gold - A new comer in Calgary but an amazing dining experience and a perfect atmosphere for almost any situation. Olives takes gold this year. A great menu with a mainly Italian influence, a great wine list and very solid desserts. The service is amazing and the vibe is relaxed but upscale. Certainly a pricey dinner but worth it for a special occasion. 

Sports Challenge:

Bronze - Deena Kastor winning the Chicago marathon. Here near perfect training schedule and her dealing with a near crippling injury (which finally got her this year at the Olympics very sadly). She battles through everything with a smile on her face and nothing but positive things to say which is very cool. A genuine athlete and Chicago was the first marathon she had won and it was very well deserved. 

Silver - Payne Stewart's US Open win in 1999. I was a junior golfer, his four amazing rounds on Pinehurst, one of my favorite golf course to watch being played (and of course a dream course for me to play), were very inspiring at the time. Coupled with his sudden death shortly after his US Open win, his final putt on the 18th on Sunday is forever engraved into my memory. 

Gold - Paula Radcliffe is along with Deena one of my running heroes. If any runner has dealt with adversity it is Paula. After dropping out at Athens the British media ripped her apart. Less then a year later she came back to run the London Marathon with the infamous "pit stop" on live tv and won the marathon. She is an inspiring athlete and she is synced up with my Nike + system to tell me how good I do on my runs. 

Music Challenge:

Bronze - Clearly I can't choose based on bands that formed this year. But I am going to award based on bands I only found out about this year. So bronze goes to Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. The release of  Real Emotional Trash is a great release from start to finish it is one of the CD's that have stayed on constant rotation since it's release. Check the band out on Oct. 23rd at the Warehouse. 

Silver - The Cool Kids take silver with ease, their throw back style of rap have been so infectious they have converted many white folk into rap fans. Their tracks are catchy and leave you boppin' your head long after the tracks are over. Their long awaited release of their EP  The Bake Sale has taken over on the hip hop scene and will continue to be played for years to come. 

Gold - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin for those who read my newsletter you all know this is my favorite new band. Their laid back indie pop sound has been fantastic, I have everything they have released on vinyl (just got their 7" green vinyl today). A great band, their great releases of Broom and Perishing will be on constant rotation for a long long time. 

Well, considering it has been almost a week I have been working on this blog post, I am going to forgo the rest of the usual Tuesday blog stuff and try to update you all tomorrow which is Tuesday!

-Dave