The Band Who Stole 2009

I reviewed the year and after reflecting on it for a few days I realized I didn't mention...or failed to expand on the best story of the year. Thomas Mars, Deck D'Arcy, Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz played as a backing band for the great French duo known as Air. In 2000, Phoenix came to life on their own releasing United. Also in 2000, Air composed the soundtrack to a great movie The Virgin Suicides, which stars one of my biggest celebrity crushes Kirsten Dunst, in the soundtrack is an amazing track called "Playground Love" which is where I first heard about Phoenix after some research into the soundtrack.

The years past and Phoenix saw some commercial success hitting my radar again with the release of It's Never Been Like That with a great track "Long Distance Call". But, 2009...more specifically the latter half of the year Phoenix rose to startling fame into the mainstream and have now hit the media circuit like mad! In May, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was released and generated instant buzz, rightly so, it's an awesome album.

The album received high praise from Pitchfork, SPIN and NME, among others. As the year went on the album and the band began to steam roll along and saw the track "1901" played in car commercials which is as we all now know the arena where new music is discovered by the masses.

More recently the Grammy's gave the nod to Phoenix as a nominee for Best Alternative Music Album. They are in some tough competition against Brian Eno and David Bryne's album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz. With the media buzz around the band at the moment, they are great front runners to win.

The web has also been a buzz with the band with some great stripped down sets on La Blogothque's Les Concert A Emporter (The Take-Away Shows) which are amazing and have destroyed my sleeping patterns as I go through all the amazing videos. Sigur Ros, The Kooks, Jason Mraz and Grizzly Bear are some of my other favorites.

http://www.blogotheque.net/Phoenix,5176

As well, SPIN just posted an acoustic set by the band.

http://www.spin.com/articles/phoenix-unplugged-spin-hq

As many media sites have stated this is Phoenix's year. The guys have hit the mainstream and people have fallen in love with their up tempo sound. The albums that were released this year were stunning and it was probably one of the best years in recent memory with artists like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective all releasing brilliant albums. But, then Phoenix rose up right at the last to steal this year and finish it off as the most talked about band going into the new year. I expect good things from them in the future and from their current discography I don't think I will be disappointed.

Year in Review

2009 is almost over and I can't wait. Honestly, this year hasn't been a good year, probably one of the worst years I have ever had. I lost both my grandfathers (neither of which I was that close to), I moved to a city and immediately (and still kinda) hate. I left all my friends and immediate family and came to a city which I kinda knew, but wasn't prepared for the cultural impact and the isolation I encountered.

But, this year wasn't all bad. I discovered a lot of new things, grew closer to family and was able to step back and realize the appreciation I have for friends like Di and Nayyer who were my anchors in Toronto and put up with me while I went insane and was severely depressed. They were my regular escape, made me home cooked meals and listened to me rants.

My Aunt Esther and Uncle Brian who let me stay in there place, taking over their peaceful life and invaded there home. They welcomed me so warmly and supported and stood by me and helped me adjust to life in the big city. We grew closer and they are amazing people who I could never express into words how much I love them.

My work friends who became my friends as they left and those still there. Andrew, who gave me a social life in Toronto and became my running partner. Michelle, who I could share our mutual love of music with and experienced a magical concert with Dan Auerbach. Ashely, who is my partner in venting and support at work. Keays, who gave me a place to stay in Chicago and a smile on my face every day with her positive attitude. Candice, who is the realist person I have met in Toronto and was able to tell me when I was being an idiot from my freak outs. Christine, who is my partner to go to movies and frightening concert experiences. And of course Leslie, who gave me a great friend to drink with and who writes the best blog and who will eventually write a book that will be amazing.

All my friends and family mean a lot to me! If I didn't mention anyone specifically, don't get upset I love you all, I was just highlighting a few.

At the end of the year it is an amazing time to look back and too often those people that impact your life either positively or negatively are not given the credit they deserve and more often then not, it is so hard to say your thanks and appreciation to their face, so that's what blogs are for.

Another positive thing that came out of 2009 is the music. Oh the music! It has been a while since all those things I have looked for in my musical appetite have been satisfied. My music blog has suffered, not being updated as often as I would have liked, but a new site with some ambitious new elements is under development and I am hoping, once the site images are designed will launch in early 2010. I have few categories I will give my top picks in and give some brief write ups on those that had the most impact to me.

Best Concert
3. Dan Auerbach - Phoenix Concert Theatre
2. Camera Obscura - Lee's Palace/Phoenix Concert Theatre
1. Weezer - Molson Amphitheatre (Not the Blink-182 side of this show)

Best Pop/Rock Album
3. Fearless - Taylor Swift
2. Only By The Night - Kings of Leon
1. My Maudlin Career - Camera Obscura

I know, I know this is a odd top three for a dual genre category. And I know I have to explain why Taylor Swift is on my list. Quite frankly, it's a good album. Good melody, solid vocals and a genuine sound. There are thousands more who agree with me so shut up! Kings of Leon is pretty obvious, it was a great album although their earlier records are great as well. Finally, Camera Obscura who I saw live twice this year put out just an amazing album from start to finish.

Best Rap Album
3. Troubadour - K'Naan
2. Tounge N' Cheek - Dizee Rascal
1. Blueprint 3 - Jay-Z

Not much to say, these are just awesome albums.

Best Indie Album
3. Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective
2. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix
1. Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear

So hard to choose the top three, there was soooo much good music out this year. If you don't own these three albums you should.

Best Album Overall
3. My Maudlin Career - Camera Obscura
2. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix
1. Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear

Best Music Site
3. Stereogum (www.stereogum.com)
2. I am Fuel, You are Friends (www.fuelfriendsblog.com)
1. Pitchfork (www.pitchfork.com)

So many things happened in the music world this past year. We lost some amazing artists, many new bands released their debut albums and EP's that were amazing like Japandroids. Groups took time off to release stunning solo albums like Dan Auerbach's Keep It Hid and Pat Carney's group Drummer with their self-titled debut.

2010 will be a great year. There are albums coming out that I can't wait for like She and Him Volume 2. The White Stripes box set of their cross Canada tour comes out in March. It is going to be a great year!!!!

Till next year. I will announce on here when the new site goes live and I hope everyone has a great holiday season. Thanks for reading.

-- Dave

Camra Obscura - Phoenix Concert Theatre

I logged in today to write a blog entry regarding the amazing Camera Obscura concert last Thursday. I noticed I had a lot of saved drafts...8 to be exact...all incomplete. So! First assignment is to finish this one, gotta keep you current. Then I will go through the lost archive blogs and finish those.


Back in June, Camera Obscura was my first concert I saw since moving to Toronto, went by myself to Lee's Palace and it was great. So when they announced another Toronto show in November I thought "should I see this band twice in one year...is it overkill?" the answer was "no..no it's not overkill". With the release of My Maudlin Career this year I have listened to this album virtually everyday and many times two or three times in the day.

So on November 24th, I headed down to meet my friend Christine for dinner at Mercatto, which not to give a full review of the restaurant. Mercatto was fantastic! The service was great, our waitress was prompt, helpful and friendly. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, I had a great ravioli with a Fantinel Pino Grigio, it was just great! I highly suggest it.

After dinner we wandered down to the Phoenix, got in a little early and enjoyed a beer. The venue is good. It has a lot of space, decent acoustics and reasonable prices for beer. The only complaint I would have it that it gets incredibly hot...like insane, which when it is cold outside it is hard to dress appropriately. Christine wanted to go to the front, closer to the stage. Now, this is important. I am one more for hanging near the back and I like to have some space, this would play a role later on in the night.


The opening band Papercuts took the stage. They sounded pretty good, Jason the lead singer had a great voice. What really stood out about Papercuts was the fact that on the third track Jason was having some technical difficulties, his cord kept falling out and not working. The band did not miss a beat, Jason handled these issues like a professional and provided a great opening act for Camera Obscura. Post concert I had a chance to chat with Frankie and Graham from the band and picked up their 7" which is great. I encourage you to check out their Myspace and listen to some tracks.

Camera Obscura took the stage and began with "Sweetest Thing" and mainly stuck to tracks from My Maudlin Career. The band was great, Tracyanne, the lead singer was amazing as always. Carey (Who I have a crush on) was jammin' away on the keyboards and is really hot...something about girls in bands, don't know. The most fun though is watching Tim, their touring percussionist who plays the trumpet, wood blocks, xylophone and occasionally jumps up plays the drums as well.

About seven songs in, Christine all of a sudden rests her head on my shoulder and says "Dave, I don't feel good", so I think "Alright, let's get out of the crowd so we can breathe"...nope, no time Christine faints. Holy crap this was insanely scary. She comes to a few seconds later as I am trying to get her to her feet. We start walking out of the crowd and she drops again and goes straight to the floor. Security joins us a few seconds later and is helping me get her to the side. After a break and some fresh air, we figure the fainting spell was due to the heat and crowd, so Christine says she is okay so we chill out at the back and hear them finish off the concert. As they lead up to "Forest and Sands", Tim (who is American) comes out wearing a turkey hat....that's right a turkey HAT!! It was awesome, as those who know I am an expert on turkey hats and although this was not a homemade turkey hat, it still was impressive.


As the crowd is pouring out, we decide to wait until the place clears out as to not have to stand in the line up. As we are waiting Carey passes by...my heart stops for a second and I think "Crap..missed my chance" then we start walking out and I look behind me and there is she again. So I say "You guys were awesome"... in her state of clearly looking for someone gives a very nice "Oh...Thank you" in a great Scottish accent. So, although I missed a few songs while we went outside, it was a great show again. A lot of memories (not all great ones), but had a great dinner and a great show.

I am looking forward to the 2010 stop and I will certainly go see Camera Obscura again, and if Papercuts comes back I would go see their show too, they were a pretty good opening band.

Well, that's the concert update. Many updates from the lost blogs coming.

Till next time

--Dave

"Oh it feels like none of this is real, I pretend that my heart and my head are well, But if the blood pumping through my veins could freeze, Like a river in Toronto I'd be pleased, You said I made you feel warm, Said I made you feel warm inside" -- Camera Obscura - "Forest and Sands"

So much to say!

It's been a long time since I posted anything. I have been working on the new site which I hope to have up before the new year. There is so much I want to write about lately. I just returned from the Aretha Franklin concert and it was good, not great but good. Aretha Franklin is a legend, the Queen of Soul. She was having some vocal issues during the concert, missed a few notes had a few coughs but overall she was still amazing to listen to. Tomorrow I get to go see Dan Auerbach and later this month, I am going to check out Camera Obscura for the second time this year.

I love listening to music, it makes me happy the only other thing that makes me happier is great food. As I was sitting in Roy Thompson Hall listening to Aretha belt out "Chain of Fools" I thought to myself what a great mash-up it would be if Jamie Lidell jumped on stage right now. It would be great if I could DJ and create the mash-ups in my mind. I wonder what other great mash-ups are out there. What two artists would you like to see?

Mash-ups of legendary artists don't always work. The other day U2 took the stage in Berlin where MTV made a huge mistake in constructing a wall to prevent those who did not receive free tickets to the concert from viewing it....Okay this is just stupid!! (I'm getting to the mash-up, pardon my rant) What person at MTV who was figuring out the logistics for this free show thought to themselves, let's construct a WALL in BERLIN to prevent people from seeing a FREE show!! This person or group of people were not thinking clearly. But, on to the mash-up, U2 takes the stage and does what they do performing a great set from all accounts I have read. During "Sunday Bloody Sunday" the one and only Jay-Z takes the stage to contribute his part. This was the most awkward on stage partnership I have seen. Bono and Jay-Z just look uncomfortable and it doesn't flow properly. You can check out the performance over at Stereogum http://stereogum.com/archives/photo/jayz_joins_u2_in_berlin_099681.html

The mash-ups don't end there. Recently the ever aging Weezer has done even more to make their fans scratch their heads. First their initial singles off Ratitude sound like teen pop songs. Now they partner up with the likes of Chamillionaire (didn't realize he still was around), Kenny G...seriously Kenny G?! and Sara Bareilles who is actually quite terrific. I can appreciate Weezer exploring new musical avenues but really Kenny G??? Ridiculous!!

I am busy going through a lot of music I have received recently. I will post reviews on: The xx, Elvis Costello, Julian Casablancas, Sally Shapiro and a few more. As well as some re-visiting of albums from Wyclef Jean and in preparation for their new album some Dashboard Confessional.

Till next time, let me know what artists you would like to see mash it up. I think a dueling piano's album with Alicia Keys and John Legend still tops my list.

--Dave

Ladies are Killin' It!

Okay, it's been a while since I have written about music and there is a lot I want to write like have you heard the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack? It's great. What are you listening to right now? What song can't you stop listening to?

In the past year I have heard two songs that have had just amazing hooks in them both by very talented female artists who I enjoy. In both track I feel the hook is better then the rapper's lyrics. Let's chat about the first one, we will start with the one that has been out the longest.

"Life is Better" - Q-Tip feat. Norah Jones

This track is a homage to the creators of hip hop and the strong artists that exist in the present. The track starts and Norah Jones voice is just so light and fits so well with the back beat that it causes this track to play in my head for days after I hear it. Q-Tip's lyrics are basically him reciting the names of some of the best hip hop/rap artists to ever exist. But there are only two parts of this song I feel are necessary, the simple back beat and Norah Jones. WOW! She makes this song come alive and when she cuts back in after the initial rap by Q-Tip it just brings the track around and back to life. Kudos Norah Jones you made this song amazing!

Check it out, I would embed it but it's just gonna get yanked off in a bit anyway so check out the video through the link and let me know your thoughts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLoscbxjcwU

The next track is probably the best track out right now. Many artists have been tweeting about this track as their favorite tracks.

Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys

WOW! Listen to this track over and over again. Alicia Keys is this song, every moment of this song is truly just waiting for her to start singing again. She nails every part of her hook, every single part. Jay-Z is solid on this track, he has a good flow and compliments Alicia Key's hook well. The hook though builds this song up and makes it what I think should be used by the New York City Tourism Board as their theme song. It speaks to the fact that New York is the greatest city in the world. I don't even feel I need to write that much about this song. Listen to it, again and again and again. The video has been shot for this track, expect it to be good, I am.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm61weFrK4c

That's it for now. I gotta get back to work, but let me know what is new and great out there and expect some good things I am working on the new site for the blog and will hopefully have it up and running in the next few months. If you want to see something on the new site drop me a line.

Till next time, enjoy the music.

--Dave

NMT - Where have I gone?

Hey!

To all those who read my blog and check for updates, I apologize for my lengthy absence. However, I have been working on a new version of New Music Tuesday. The new evolution of NMT will hopefully be ready to be released in late October to early November.

A little sneak peek the new NMT will include:

- Local artist spotlights
- Streaming music
- Concert listings
- Reviews
- News
- It's own website!!

Stay tuned!

-- Dave

New Music Tuesday

Hello NMT'ers

It's been a while...quite a while. I have a few moments now that I am starting to fall into a routine here in the BIG city, so I thought I would take the time and write up on three of my favorite new albums, which I want to share with you all.

CD Review:











Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career

A strong candidate for album of the year, the latest offering by the Glasgewian indie-pop group is...well Amazing! It has been on constant rotation on my iPod since I picked up the disc. I also picked up the 7" single of "French Navy" during Record Store Day. The entire disc from start to finish is exceptional, the vocals of Tracyanne Campbell are warm and inviting, her lyrics are filled with a sarcastic and ironic personality. I perhaps connect with the songs because of the pessimistic look at relationships Camera Obscura so delightfully sings about. This album is amazing, with songs that you will hum throughout the day and not be able to get out of your head. My Maudlin Career is a vital album to add to your collection - Buy it.











Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Described as chamber-pop, Grizzly Bear's album Yellow House was when I was introduced to the band. At first I couldn't help but think, what are these guys doing? In the world of indie music, where it is cool to play off key and for young, skinny guys to dress in the tightest jeans to showcase just how skinny they are, here is this band that has arranged their music to a beautiful collection of tracks and have obviously taken each note and lyric to heart. Veckatimest takes a slight turn from Yellow House and creates an album with a pop feel to it, but don't think indie-pop style or heaven forbid "Britney Spears" style pop. It creates a album that is easier to listen to any day of the week, where as Yellow House I only listen to on occasions when the mood is exactly right. Tracks like "Two Weeks" and "About Face" are just simply great tracks that have an incredible arrangement and stunning vocals. Buy It! You need this album, EVERYONE needs this album.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

From the first track and carried through, this album makes you want to dance a little... maybe it's just me, but I can't help tap my foot along to the songs as listen. I imagine if I were walking around the city on the weekend and listening to this album, I would burst into sudden moments of dancing. The band is straight outta France, which is where a lot of great dancey indie-pop/rock styles come out of. What I love most about this album is it doesn't rely heavily on deep synth beats which a lot of albums have been in this genre of late. Thomas Mars the lead vocals has a voice that compliments the beats so perfectly. It is very hard to pick out any specific track that stands out above the rest. It is an album that should be listened to in it's entirety as the tracks just flow seamlessly into each other. I'm gonna make a bold statement and call this the album of the summer Buy it and play it at BBQs.

Music I Don't Like:

I like a lot of music and most of what I review is positive, so it may be hard to imagine that there is anything I won't listen to. However, there are certain artists that get a lot of attention and hyped, yet I just can't get into them and don't really have too many good things to say regarding them. Leading the charge this year is Asher Roth. He has been getting a ton of hype and admittedly some bad press as well, he comes across arrogant in his interviews, which given the fact that he is a white rapper, he kinda has to. But I just don't feel he's strong and lyrically nothing I have listened to has impressed me.

Music I Want:

Warp Records is releasing a 20th anniversary box set and it looks AMAZING! This is one of the box sets I would like!

The Pixies is also releasing a box set and is also looks AMAZING!

These are two box sets I would love to have added to my collection, if any kind souls out there feel like getting me a kick ass present, feel free, I won't complain. Both of these box sets can be viewed in all their awesomeness at pitchfork.com.

Living in Toronto:

So many stories to tell of the odd things I have seen in the city, from guys dress in completely lilac suits with matching pimp cane...that's right a matching lilac coloured pimp cane. Girls in leather vests with fur shoulder pads. And neighbours who have great taste in music who asked me to crank the Black Keys on vinyl so they could chill out in the courtyard and smoke.

I hope I can get back on track with some regular updates, but I make no promises. If any of the readers have heard anything great lately, let me know.

Till next time.

--Dave

Calgary Folk Fest

Hey NMT'ers!

It's been a long hiatus, I know. But I will soon have internet at home again...just a few more weeks. But, news of the Calgary Folk Fest line up was announced today and the line-up is good...like pretty darn good.

This year at the 30th Calgary Folk Fest, you can check out such great bands as:

The Decemberists
Gomez
Iron & Wine
DJ Kid Koala
Chad Van Gaalen
Sarah Harmer
Apostle of Hustle
Michael Franti and Spearhead

and...

Esthero...remember her? from the 90's?...huh it's amazing the artists that are actually still around.

and of course!

Glen Campbell...yeah...

Looking forward to filling all your new music needs soon, in the mean time follow me on twitter for quick music news and personal news updates. Username is sopossible.

--Dave

Record Store Day!!

Taking a brief break from work to remind all those readers to make sure you check out your local record stores this Saturday April 18th! It is Record Store Day and many local stores will have tons of fun and excitement happening.

Those in Calgary:

Sloth Records - these guys will have something happening I am sure so make sure to go down and check it out.

Melodiya Records - website sucks and I have no idea if they are doing any shows, but support them they have nice staff.

Inner Sleeve - My favorite Calgary Record Store! They will probably have a sale and may have a show, who knows go check it out they are the best!

Those in Toronto:

Sonic Boom Records - Will be having a show starting at 4pm with prizes and giveaways and all sorts of good stuff. Here is the line up from the website:

Little Girls
Steamboat
Hooded Fang
Green Go
Gentleman Reg
SunParlour Players
Lullabye Arkestra
Slim Twig
and DJ Shit La Merde

Criminal Records - Will be also give free stuff away and having a great show with Rock Plaza Central and the Great Bloomers playing. Shows will be starting around 6.

Penguin Music and Soundscape will also be doing stuff, just not sure what.

Record Store Day supports the independent record stores and is a wonderful celebration of music and the enjoyment it brings us all. Support your local record store and check out some amazing local artists this weekend!!!!!

-Dave

On Hiatus!

Due to the lack of internet in my apartment for the next little while NMT will be on Hiatus! In the mean time check out the free download from Del the Funky Homosapien, Metric and Bat for Lashes. Till I have internet again.......

- Dave

New Music Tuesday - The Catch Up

Life in the T-Dot has been hectic, just as they talk about. Thankfully, I don't have the feeling I am in the centre of the universe. Although, I do sometimes feel like I am being sucked into a Super Massive Black Hole. If you didn't catch the reference it is a Muse song and speaking of Muse they are opening for U2. I am probably going to the show when it rolls through Toronto which would be a great concert experience. But, all of this is not the issue at hand! How can a fine young fellow such as myself keep just a good pace on updating this blog, but then fall off the face of the earth...well moving, life, moving again and work have all prevented such updates. But as always I am back! Some new music to chat about as always, so more stuff from the every evolving story that is the Toronto Subway and a brief catch up on music news. So kids, get out your subway tokens and lets get on the train.

CD Review:

Swan Lake - Enemy Mine:

The Canadian Indie Super group Swan Lake brings together members of Destroyer (Daniel Bejar), Frog Eyes (Carey Mercer) and Wolf Parade (Spencer Krug). There first album was released in 2006 entitled Beast Moans which contains one of my favortie songs of 2006 which was "All Fires". So, for the last three years the members of the ever expansive Canadian indie scene were doing as they do best, making great tunes. Daniel Bejar released a captivating album last year under his band Destroyer, Trouble in Dreams. Carey Mercer released a couple albums under his band Frog Eyes. And of course Spencer Krug released a very very solid album with Wolf Parade, At Mount Zoomer an absolutely fantastic album from start to finish!

Well with such raw talent, I was expecting big things from Swan Lake. My expectations were mostly met, a few tracks I wasn't sold on and would probably skip as I listen to the album. Seriously, it is difficult to make albums that are great from start to finish and when those ones come along well they become classic. Overall, this album has everything a good indie album has, amazing vocals and raw musical power. With each of the members contributing vocals to a variety of tracks on what is a somewhat disappointingly short album, they each bring their own unique and amazing qualities to the tracks.

The album starts with the powerful "Spanish Gold, 2044", big sound and stunning vocals leads you into a beautiful album. "Settle on Your Skin" showcases Spencer Krug's vocal prowess as he puts such passion behind his lyrics...terrific. The track I really could have done without is "Warlock Psychologist" it just did nothing for me and seemed to carry on forever. Overall, this album puts you into a hurricane of indie goodness. Buy it - If you like any of the bands that these members are from you will enjoy this album!!!

Music News:

It's that time of year where people go on tour, here's the list so far....also if you live in Calgary you won't see many of them, but you're more then welcome at my place in Toronto if you want to come visit and catch a show.

Bands on Tour:
The Doves
TV On The Radio
Jay Reatard
Art Brut
Jenny Lewis
The Shins
Camera Obscura (I am for SURE going to this one!!)
Yo La Tengo

T.I is going to jail...shocker! After being arrested for trying to illegally purchase firearms, he's going to jail for a year and a day which means he will release two albums this year and make millions and millions of dollars.

Wilco is releasing a new album this year and Feist is adding some vocals to the tracks...should be good.

Random Stuff on the T-Dot Subway:

Well....as always the Toronto Subway is an amazing collection of human tapestry. Over the last few weeks I have been told that the end is near! Believe it people because no less then 4 people told me this and one guy spit while he talked to this was not fun....

I sat beside a lovely old lady who talked to her stuffed cat (not like taxidermy, but like a teddy bear) Other then being a little off her rocker she did seem to be having a very pleasant conversation with the cat.

Finally, as I was taking the subway to work Friday morning and we came to a stop at St. George station. I heard a commotion behind me and turned in my seat to look as I saw an arch of coffee flying in the air coming down on a poor soul how had fainted temporarily. After a minute or so they had the person up in a seat and they seemed to be fine and everything resumed back to normal after the TTC staff who were amazing and on the scene immediately came aboard and helped the person out.

Not so sadly, my regular transit trips will be far less frequent as I am moving within walking distance to work. SO! I will bring you interesting stories from the T-Dot, just more city wide.

Till...well, Tuesday hopefully. I hope you are all well and I hope you enjoy the tunes.

--Dave

Hello NMT Readers,

A slight hiatus on NMT. I will be back this weekend with some new tunes and more interesting things from the Toronto Subway....

New Music Tuesday - March 11, 2009

Have you ever experienced a wind so cutting and cold that it seems to suck a little bit of your soul out. No matter what your ambitions are that day, that wind hits you and all you want to do is crawl into bed and do nothing all day. That wind hit me today at a blustery 81kms/hr, it was unpleasant to say the least. 

Saying that, staying inside with a soul sapping wind outside makes for some good writing time and time to listen to some music. So that is what I did, I made myself a cup of tea and put on some music, two new albums and a few more that I felt like listening too. So this week, there will be two CD reviews, some music news and random sights from the Toronto subway system. 

CD Reviews:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

Karen O, Brian Chase and Nick Zinner return since their amazing album in 2006 Show Your Bones. Karen O is one of my favorite vocalists of all time, their lead off track "Zero" is exceptional track which showcases the beautiful range that Karen O possesses. Due to the leak of the album the release date was pushed up, with the digital release coming out yesterday and the physical CD coming out on April 6th. 

The album is more subtle and softer than some of their previous albums, it is a beautiful balance in the YYY's discography. The softer sounds exposes Karen O's softer side and the tracks flow together in a near perfect arrangement. This will certainly be very well received by critics and will go down as one of their best albums to date. 

With the now customary production credits to Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio a beautifully crafted album was created with highlight tracks such as "Skeletons", "Dragon Queen" and my favorite track on the album "Little Shadow" which is a great melancholy song which just fit the day so well it was an instant favorite for me, because nothing beats a song that can fit a moment or day perfectly. Buy It! You will want this album in your collection. 

Chris Cornell - Scream

Mr. Cornell has released another solo album which is usually pretty good. This one was a musical experiment for Chris Cornell as he decided to give his buddy Timbaland a call to produce it............................................................................................... that's right Timbaland of Missy Elliot and Justin Timberlake fame. I have listened to this album six times since I got it yesterday, there is something about Chris Cornell's voice that connects me with my youth and brings fond memories back. 

I can't decide if I dislike this album and it may grow on me as I listen to it more because it is not difficult to listen to (thanks to Cornell's vocals). But, the pop beats and guest vocals from Justin Timberlake and John Mayer make me wonder if I actually hate this album. HATE it, and I have never deeply hated an album I have review thus far. I have disliked a few of them, but this album is like a accident involving a truck carrying chocolate and another one carrying brussels sprouts, in the aftermath you have chocolate covered brussels sprouts which you might think "Hey, that might be good".... but you only think that because you like chocolate and let me tell you chocolate covered brussels sprouts are in fact not good... they are not good at all. 

DON'T Buy It...

Music News

Really not a lot of crazy news happening. But here are some clippings from the papers...

U2 is going on a world tour in support of their new album....

Miley Cyrus bashes Radiohead for not saying Hi.... (probably a good plan on Radiohead's part)

Billy Corgan some how became the voice of music in the US and spoke before Congress.......

That's really it. Hopefully something interesting happens this week.

Random Stuff on the T-Dot Subway:

Welcome to a new segment in NMT, as life in the big city is always very interesting nothing is more interesting in Toronto then the subway. Every day is better then television the things that can be seen. 

Monday I awoke in a sleepy state not having slept well the night before. Go through the regular morning routine I hopped on the bus and off to the subway I went. As I got on the subway there were no seats so I stood near the doors and was trying not to fall asleep when I looked up at the older gentleman standing beside me as he tore off half of the page in his magazine and popped it in his mouth like candy. He then proceed to chew on said paper for about 10 minutes before swallowing it. 

That folks is the oddest thing on the subway I have seen this week. I will keep you all posted on the ever evolving adventure known as my move to Toronto as the weeks go by...

Till next week

--Dave

New Music Tuesday - March 3, 2009

Hello from Toronto,

I have landed in the middle of Canada's music epicenter, the amount of music I have access to every week is staggering and let me tell you... I haven't seen any of it. Wow! Sorry for the anti-climax there, it will hopefully start to improve with the Canadian Music Fest 2009 taking place in the T-Dot next weekend. $50 gets you a 5-day pass to a Sled Island type festival. Headliner is oddly not Canadian, but they are Awesome! Bloc Party will be headlining playing two nights. Very exciting stuff. You know what else is exciting? New music! And well what a couple weeks of no new posts will naturally lead to some new music, the question is - "Dave, is that new music any food?" Well Kids! Let's find out!

CD REVIEW:

K'Naan - Troubadour

When I first heard K'Naan is was a refreshing voice in rap music, he wasn't so much a rapper as he was a very skilled storyteller. On his debut disc, he told us the story of how he grew up in Mogadishu, Somalia, he entrance into rap music and well as all rappers do why he is so much better then other rappers infamously calling out 50 Cent - "If I rapped about home and got descriptive, I'd make 50 Cent look like Limp Bizkit". His live performances are truly skillful as he flows flawlessly into talking to the crowd to beginning his songs seamlessly. 

Troubadour came out after a lengthy delay, working with the Marley's and having guest vocals by Mos Def (white people love him...or so they say) and Adam Levine (Thanks K'Naan I feel like I am back in 2005 when anyone actually cared about this guy). This album doesn't flow the same way Dusty Foot Philosopher did. I like this album in a very different way, it still tells a story, naturally there is a progression to having main stream tracks. The storytelling is still done in a slightly different matter and other then a few tracks it is a wonderful sophomore release.  

Let's begin with the tracks you can avoid. "Bang Bang" is the track with Adam Levine, I don't think I have to go into this one too much should be pretty obvious what makes this song passable. Next is Kirk Hammett's guest appearance on the rock version of "If Rap Gets Jealous" this was one of the best tracks on K'Naan's debut, however this is the worst track on the album. 

Now let's finish with the positive. This album has amazing tracks that far out shadow the ones that should never have been put on this album. My highlight tracks are "Fatima" a gripping story of his days in Somalia. "Take a Minute" is by far my favorite track, it has a steady flow and amazing lyrics. The shocker for me is "15 Minutes" a song about getting money transfers from Western Union, more so getting support when you strike out on your own and the difficulties that are there, I can't help but cycling back to this song a least once a day. 

Buy It - It's a solid purchase for your music collection. 

Various Artists - Dark Was The Night

Red Hot Organization raises funds for HIV and AIDS through pop culture such as a bad-ass compilation. 31 Tracks from indie heavyweights such as Stuart Murdoch, Yo La Tengo, Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear & Feist, David Sitek and Sharon Jones. I could keep going, the line up would be a fairly amazing festival line up. The album starts off pretty typically indie with the Dirty Projectors and David Bryne with a great track "Knotty Pine". This album is fool proof, with the collection of talent on board it would be near impossible to not have a great album. The one downside to the album is that it doesn't have much up tempo and is mainly chill out music. 

There are some wonderful tracks laid down my bands that I haven't listen to much and other's that surprised me with their contribution such as "Feeling Good" by My Brightest Diamond, a wonderful jazz vocals, a tremendous song to relax with. I have a confession to tell my NMT readers....I am not a big Arcade Fire fan, they are alright but they never blew me away like they did to many others. Well, one of my other favorite tracks on this album is "Lenin" by...well Arcade Fire (that should have been pretty obvious I did after all set it up). 

This is a pretty big no-brainer when it comes a compilation disc, put all the biggest names in indie music on one disc, get them to perform some kick ass tracks and raise money for a charity, and...AND there is even the standard Death Cab track, well it's only Ben Gibbard (otherwise known as Mr. Zooey Deschanel.....) but still they are on almost every charity disc. 

For more information on the Red Hot Organization visit www.redhot.org

Buy It - It would be ridiculous not to, and don't illegally download this one as it's for charity and karma is bound to catch up with you and kick your ass for this one!

MUSIC NEWS

I know everyone has been waiting for this news for a long long time. Yes! Tom Jones still rocks!! Check out his small desk concert at www.npr.org.

That is really all I have. I haven't been able to keep as up to date as I normally am, but as I get settled I will be able to catch up. 

Hope those in Calgary are doing well and I miss you guys!

Till next time.

-- Dave

New Music Tuesday - February 10th, 2009

How did I miss a week??? I don't even remember last Tuesday... oh goodness! Well, prepare for the blog to be a little sporadic as I move soon and will be out of sorts for a little while. Which is a shame because there is some good music on it's way. This week we have two albums, one from Lily Allen and the other from Black Keys member Dan Auerbach with his solo release. There is some free (if you want it) music to tell you about and a little music news that I am sure most people know about, and which is a shame to hear about.

CD REVIEWS:

Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

I know that pop artists don't usually end up on the blog, but I like Lily Allen. She has great vocals, catchy tracks and with her latest release great albums. I went for a run listening to this album and it was perfect for the run. The album flows from faster beats starting with "Everyone's At It" and goes somewhat slower with "I Could Say" with a almost disco-like backing that you might hear on a Sally Shapiro album. 

It's Not Me, It's You is a wonderfully crafted album with solid lyrics and great dance backing. Expect to see this album to have tracks remixed and be hear in the clubs for  a while. "Back to the Start" doesn't need to remix to have people rushing to the dance floor, it's just a great track. 

Buy the Album!!! Everyone needs some good pop in their collection, this is it!

Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid

The Black Keys are an amazing band, that is pretty simple. Often though when a great band has someone release a solo album it tends to lack that certain element that makes them great. Dan Auerbach does a great job in keeping that Awesomeness going. Keep It Hid does a great job in separating The Black Keys from his solo work. The album still has the rawness and more soulful sound the bands albums. The open track provides a wonderful entry way into how the rest of the album will sound. "Trouble Weighs a Ton" has an almost gospel sound to it and his vocals are amazing. The gritty, rawness of the guitar and his voice is AMAZING@! 

"Whispered Words (Pretty Lies)" gets close to sounding like The Black Keys, but come on is that really a bad thing? This is a pretty simple review, the album is awesome you need to own it so get it. BUY IT NOW!

FREE MUSIC - KINDA

Exploding Edmonton Rapper Cadence Weapon has released a digital mixtape album available at his website www.cadenceweaponmusic.com It is along the latest trend that artists have of pay what you want. It's an alright album, I saw Cadence Weapon open for Jurassic 5 and it was a good opening act, he has since gone to play at Coachella and other major music festivals. Check it out!

MUSIC NEWS:

Alright, so everyone has heard that good guy Chris Brown was charged with assault on a woman most likely his girlfriend Rihanna. This is just sad, I know that celebrities have an image and we as the ever watching public will only know so much of the story, however abuse of any kind just isn't acceptable and the truly sad part is people will rush out to buy his next album. Disappointing and hopefully Rihanna is recovering from the assault. 

To end on a happier note, disco pop-star Sally Shapiro is working on a new album (YEAH!) but she is no longer going to be touring (BOO!). Looking forward to hearing the new album though, if it is half as good as Disco Romance it is still going to be a great album. 

Till next time. Sorry for the short post, I will be able to have more time once I get settled in Toronto!

Dave

New Music Tuesday - January 27th, 2009

It was a rough week last week with a very big fall and a week of recovery, but with lots of help over the weekend I quickly forgot the pain and remembered the fun. I am not going to get all sappy on you, but I do have the best friends in the world as was proven on Saturday night. Don't worry the sappy blog is coming, but closer to my actual moving date later in February. Onto to this week, there was only one album I really want to review so I did. Other stuff is some confirmed bands at our favorite festivals and some new tracks to check out if you can. 

CD REVIEW:

Franz Ferdinand: Tonight

It has been a little while since we have heard from this power pop Scottish band. Their last release in 2005 was their sophomore album, which was okay. It lacked a lot of what their debut in 2004 had, which was catchy pop danceable tracks. So I was hoping that some time off would bring back that magic that made their debut such a great album. Their first track off the album "Lucid Dreams" has been out since the middle of last year and has been featured on the video game Madden 09. 

The album is a great improvement on their sophomore release and will certainly be heard in the clubs. With tracks like "What She Came For" and "No You Girls" will certainly be played often through the summer months so be prepared. The album isn't all catchy pop tracks though, "Katherine Kiss Me" is a acoustic delivery from lead singer Alex Kapranos. It is certainly a good track not the greatest. 

The album is good certainly, not sure how many people are going to become Franz Ferdinand fans if your not already. Buy it eventually it's a good album to have in the collection for the right moments.

FESTIVAL NEWS:

It has been confirmed that Peter Bjorn and John and Sun Kil Moon will be playing at this year's Sasquatch Music Festival. Rumored to be playing are Kings of Leon and Animal Collective. 

NEW STUFF!

The Cool Kids have released a new video for a new track called "Pennies" check it out on Pitchfork. 

Lady Sov. had to cancel her mini tour to the US due to some Visa issues. But expect a world tour once her new album drops later this year.

She & Him is working on the follow up to the great album Volume One, even though Zooey Deschanel is engaged now, got damn I still think she's wicked and I am looking forward to her and M. Ward's next album

Dan Deacon is going on tour with a backing band....this show is going to be insane!!!!!!! Trust me I was sober at his last show in Calgary and had my mind blown away, with a band to enhance his show...CRAZY! Check out shows in Canada on May 10th in Toronto (come visit) or in Montreal on May 11th. 

Finally, the Mae Shi are playing at Broken City this Friday. They are awesome and so is their show. Come down and check it out. It's not on the Broken City events calendar but it is still on the bands website, so it may not happen. If it doesn't it is still going to be a good time at Broken City. 

Till next Tuesday.

--Dave

Correction

Good Tuesday Everyone!

What a day! Obama is now President, and new music came out. However, due to a sprained wrist and busted up face, etc. New Music Tuesday is happening for one reason. I had a comment on my best of 2008 post from Andy Moor, whether or not it was the real Andy Moor, who really really knows as it's the Internet and I am a skeptic. However, Mr. Moor pointed me in the right direction as I made an error in my mention of Mia Clarke and Andy Moor's great album Guitargument. Andy Moor is not the DJ Andy Moor as I had previously mentioned but Andy Moor of the band The Ex. 

So two positives came out of this comment. 1) Andy Moor commented on my blog real or not pretty sweet, and he corrected my error so we can all have the correct knowledge. 2) I started listening to The Ex, and they are good!!! Check them out! http://www.theex.nl/home.html.

Well that is all I can really do as I am pretty sore from my fall, I'll write a good post when I heal up. 

--Dave

New Music Tuesday - January 13th, 2009

Good Evening NMT Readers!

Last week I told you all that I couldn't properly review the new Animal Collective album because it wasn't officially released and although the leak has been out for almost a month now, that's just not right. But the day has arrived and the review, well it's good... very good. I have some new FREE music for you again this week from an indie-pop band called Office. And....well that's pretty much it, probably some brief news clips of interesting music tidbits.

NEW MUSIC REVIEW:

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion:

This review has been waiting in the wings for a little while now, critics love Animal Collective and for good reason. They are a fresh band with a truly different take on music and their arrangements, the trouble with a new sound is that is can be hit and miss on whether or not it is good. So far though with albums like Strawberry Jam and Sung Tongs they haven't missed by much when they do miss. 

I am here to tell you that Merriweather Post Pavilion is not a miss at all! It is a hit straight to the bullseye.  From the first track to the last all the songs have a great melody to them and the two man band plays off each other so well that it is an album that can be listened to in it's entirety without having to skip tracks. One half of Animal Collective for those who don't know is the great artist known as Panda Bear aka Noah Lennox whose last solo album as Panda Bear was Fever Pitch was the 2007 album of the year for many many many critics. 

I was very happy with this album, I was introduced to Animal Collective a little later on in their musical journey with their 2007 release Strawberry Jam which I liked a lot! This album has some differences to what they created in Strawberry Jam but they did it so well. Tracks like "Also Frightened" and "Lion In A Coma" really highlight this album for me, they both just have a tremendous melody to them and can be put on repeat and enjoyed over and over again. - Buy It!! A great true start to the year of Album Reviews, please ignore the sub-par review from last week. 

FREE MUSIC!!:

Formed in 2000 indie pop band Office began to put albums out in 2001 with their debut release simply called Office. Well the band has seen some line up changes over the years and saw some success on good old iTunes and made the US festival tour appearing at SXSW, CMJ and Lollapalooza. Well, that should bring you up to speed to reach now 2009. Now, they have decided to put things on hold for a while and in doing so they decided to release their new album Mecca for free. Go here: http://ordinaryoffices.blogspot.com/2009/01/mecca.html follow the instructions, the download is kind of a pain as you can only download one track at a time. But the album is pretty solid. 

NEWS CLIPS:

Well the world of music has been buzzing since the beginning of the year. Here's new stuff that has happened in the last little while. 

Lady Sovereign is releasing a new album finally this year in April. While she is doing that some dude from Degrassi: The Next Generation is rapping with Lil Wayne....what?!

Fleet Foxes is going to be on SNL this week. Obama's inauguration is going to be off the hook with Bono, Jay-Z and many others attending. 

Blitzen Trapper, Girl Talk and Bonnie "Prince" Billy are all announcing their tours and guess what...none of them are coming to Calgary. 

Finally, Dan Deacon is looking for interns and none of you will qualify. My Morning Jacket has released a new EP on iTunes and no one cares after their horrible release last year. Pavement might reunite which we have been hearing for a while now and Thom Yorke has allowed the Grammy's to use his face in their ad campaign...it's only a matter of time now for the sell-out callers to start being heard and I will silence them pretty quick by point back to the amazing...no that wasn't big enough...AMAZING release In Rainbows. 

Well till next week folks. 

--Dave

New Music News

Well we got some festival music news to tell today.

Pemberton Music Fest 2009

Sadly, but probably wisely it was announced today that the Pemberton Music Fest 2009 will not be going ahead. As the organizers pointed out they needed to meet many logistical changes regarding security, garbage and transportation. They did not have the time to secure acts and revamp their plans so they decided to postpone this year's event and build on their plan to bring a bigger and better Pemberton Music Fest 2010!!! Probably a smart choice and I look forward to seeing the 2010 line up. 

SXSW 2009

I couldn't find a free fancy photo for SXSW so use your imagination. For those not in the know, SXSW takes place down in Austin, Texas so bring your guns and 4 bys. But, today came the initial announcement of the first wave of confirmed bands for this years festival taking place on March 13-22. Some of the highlights are: Ra Ra Riot, Ben Harper, Primal Scream, Peter Bjorn and John, Dead Prez, Kid Sister, Killer Mike, Crystal Method, Shad and my personal favorite Buck 65. Pretty solid so far, looking forward to the usual great additions that SXSW always brings. 

It is that time of year where the best festivals are announced and those we care less about are announced later. Stay tuned for updates as they happen. 

--Dave

A New Year, Computer, Music and More!!!

Happy New Year NMT Readers! 

This year NMT is brought to you by a sweet ass new MacBook! Ahaha amazing. So I hope you all brought in the New Year with a good time and a smile on your face! There is a lot to look forward to this year. Changes in life both big and small, new bands to discover, old bands to rediscover, concerts to see, music festivals to go to  (Pemberton year 2? Reading? Sasquatch? CMJ?) and so much more. In this edition of NMT I will bring you some new music as always, some free music and a new website that I am very addicted too.... and get your mind out of the gutter. Also if anyone out there in NMT land would like to write a contributing article every now and then let me know as it would be nice for a different perspective every now and then. 

ALBUM REVIEW: 

Well....it's pretty early on in the new year.....not a lot of releases so far this year being only 6 days and one Tuesday in.....Well I am going to search something out to review to start the year off, I mean something half decent had to be released today right? RIGHT?! Ok, I am searching...searching....nothing yet. Wait! Well I think I found something. Here we go.

Glasvegas - Glasvegas

I enjoy Scottish bands, not sure why maybe the accent keeps me spellbound or maybe it's because those Scots that make music focus so hard on their music because well other than drinking and a caber toss or two what is there to do? So I checked out the self-titled album for Glasgow natives Glasvegas. New to me this band reminded me of a band I had heard before right away, but couldn't put my finger on it. This album has a pop element to it, and although it just got released in North America it has been out in the UK for a while and has received glowing reviews. But as with everything it can't last and now the band faces harsh criticisms much like Vampire Weekend did after everyone got sick of them. 

Glasvegas covers simple topics in the music. Death, despair, melancholy rather poppy emo stuff. "S.A.D Light" is the highlight track on the album with a great drum backing. Other then that, it is kind of bland. Fairly typical elements and sadly as I was researching the band I found a horrible cover of Nirvana's "Come As You Are". Sadly, this was not the best start to the year, but there are some great albums on the way. 

I was going to review Animal Collective's new album that was leaked at the end of December last year, but I didn't think it was right to listen to the leaked release. Although the vinyl came out today I didn't have the cash to grab it. But Pitchfork gave it a great review so we will see.

MUSIC NEWS:

So as most of you know I work at Apple and as many of you know Apple loves music. So today at Macworld a giant convention of a ton of Apple nerds, they held a regular keynote that happens every year. In this keynote they usually announce new products and stuff that is exciting for those of us who love them. Well, this year was no different. Today, for us music lovers Apple has made iTunes even better, yes it's possible. They announced today that they are going DRM-free! If you are not sure what DRM-free means, it means now when you buy an album or songs on iTunes you can burn it to a disc and it isn't protected. YEAH!!!!

Also, someone made a Jay-Z and Radiohead mash-up. It's not good.

FREE MUSIC:

Canadian Folk rockers The Acorn have released a holiday EP and another one of recordings that they did, obviously. Check out www.paperbagrecords.com and follow the links to download (legally) so free tunes. They are good so make sure to check it out. 

MUSIC WEBSITE:

Holy crap this website I am about to tell you about is amazing, seriously amazing. You won't believe it till you check it out. But, I need to give this a proper introduction. In Calgary we don't always get the bands we want to roll through town, which is why I am moving to Toronto. But, sometimes even Toronto doesn't get the bands we want. So how will you ever get to experience some great live tunes from some of the great indie bands. Thanks to Amsterdam for bringing us more goodness. At the famous Paradiso club, many live acts roll through and the amazing staff at Melkweg Amsterdam bring us full live concerts via the good old information super highway. 

Bands ranging from The Black Keys to Kate Nash have their full concerts on www.fabchannel.com. Fabchannel.com has brought me hours of entertainment, some great concerts and as I explore more I am sure some new bands will be discovered. 

Well, a rather poorly written NMT to start the year I must say. Not up to snuff, but I will get back to my regular ways soon enough. At least I got the blog updated on Tuesday so points for that. 

Hope have all enjoyed your holidays and I look forward to another year of bringing you new music. 

--Dave