3am Mixtapes: Episode Eighty: Sixes

Each week on the 3am Mixtapes podcast, I will share with you the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as general as best love songs. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs For Chilling On A Patio On A Sunny Summer Day.

This past Sunday was a milestone for this blog, the sixth anniversary of 3am Revelations! So to celebrate, how about the Top Six Six Songs.

Tune in for:

"Song for Five or Six" by Owen Pallett
"Sixes and Sevens" by Ryan Dahle
"Six Toes" by Brasstronaut
"Deep Six" by Matthew Good Band
"The Six Strings That Drew Blood" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
"Untitled #6" by Sigur Rós

Any questions or comments or waffles or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Two: Driving at Dusk

Hey look, it's another episode of 3am Revelations' very own podcast!

Each week on 3am Mixtapes, I will present to you, in my dulcet tones, the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as broad and vague and Best Drinking Songs, or they can be as obscure and specific as Best Songs by People Named Matt.

This week, I was thinking about driving songs. There are plenty of "roadtrip mixes", for speeding down a highway on bright and sunny days, but what about other times? So this week, I give you the Top Six Songs To Listen To While Driving at Dusk. You know, when the sun is just setting, but it's still warm enough for your window to be rolled down, and you are just cruisin' along.

Featured on this weeks podcast is:

"Welcome Ghost" by Explosions in the Sky
"La Façade" by Karkwa
"Bring It On" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
"Come and See" by Young Galaxy
"Hearts Trompet" by Brasstronaut
"Chasing the Sunset" by Imaginary Cities


Any questions or comments or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!



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Brasstronaut @ Rio Theatre -- 06/02/12

The first time I saw Brasstronaut live, I knew that one day I wanted to see them at a soft seat theatre venue. Something about their dense, orchestral sound just seemed like it would be a perfect fit. Last year I got a tease of that when they opened for Mother Mother at the Vogue, but I was very excited when they announced that their hometown show, in support of their new album Mean Sun, would be at the Rio Theatre.

Opening the show was Útidúr all the way from Iceland. The eight piece band was deeper and more eclectic that the usual orchestral folk-pop sound, with numerous influences, including a hint of gypsy-rock and even a bit of a Spanish flair in a song. But it never seemed like a jumble; it all came together beautifully. Even the vocal styles of the two lead singers, Gunnar Örn and Rakel Mjöll, were quite different, but meshed together very well.
The set had a great "flow" to it, with the band starting with some of their softer, lighter songs and then building in energy, until they reached a cacophonous ending. Highlights included "Words Are Moving Slow" and the lilting "Fisherman's Friend" in which they urged people to get out of their theatre-seats and dance, and got a growing crowd up at the front of the stage to do just that.
The band also had a great presence and infectious energy. With broken, but understandable English, they seemed genuinely excited to be playing, mentioning that it was one of the biggest shows they had played so far, and even pausing to get a picture of the crowd.

Not long after, the the six members of Brasstronaut took the stage, their name emblazoned on the curtain behind them. The stage was dimly lit, with the band often in silhouette as they made good use of the movie screen behind them, projecting imagery throughout the show; sometimes random patterns, sometimes a little more elaborate, like a sunset over an ocean for "Mean Sun" or space imagery for "Moonwalker".
Starting the set off with the upbeat and aptly named "Bounce", they hit on a lot from their new album Mean Sun, with Edo Van Breeman's haunting vocals and the band's intense, layered sound filling the theatre.
They had a bit of a technical snag early on, but it was soon solved and their hour-and-a-half long set went off without a hitch, with highlights including the deceptively heartbreaking "Slow Knots", the punchy "Falkland", and guitarist Tariq Hussain taking over vocals for the soft and eerily-beautiful "Moonwalker".
Rakel from Útidúr was out to help out the vocals for "Mixtape", which built to an intense ending, and was followed by one my my favourite songs, "Hearts Trompet", also starting soft but building to a grand climax, with drummer Brennan Saul showing off his immense talent by the end.
They finished the main set with "The Grove" and were joined by the members of  Útidúr for the first song of the encore, "Opportunity", before Edo asked to bring the lights down for a sleepy time, lullaby song to end the night. The lights dimmed as much as they could as they launched into "Old World Lies", and Sam Davidson quietly leaving the stage part way through, only to reappear in the back of the theatre, softly playing his clarinet and slowly making his way back to the stage for a beautiful ending.

It was a magnificent show, probably the best I have seen from the band, and they were incredibly appreciative of the support of the sold out crowd. I can not wait until the day when Brasstronaut headlines the Vogue, or even the Orpheum -- two venues the band's sound deserves.

setlist
Bounce, Mean Sun, Falkland, Moonwalker, Slow Knots, Francisco, Mixtape, Hearts Trompet, Requiem for a Scene, Fossil, The Grove.
(encore) Opportunity, Revelstoke Dam, Old World Lies.

Sweetheart Serenade @ Rio Theatre -- 02/14/12

To be honest, I don't usually pay much attention to Valentine's Day. I usually just let it slip by unnoticed, but when Hip City puts together a show like the Sweetheart Serenade, with a few local acts playing intimate acoustic sets at a venue as nice as the Rio? Well, I wasn't going to miss that.
There were five acts throughout the night, and they all had short sets, so I'll [try to] keep it brief. But first, one thing that bugged me was an incessant buzz or hum throughout the night. It wasn't that noticeable when songs were played, but it was pretty prominent otherwise; if the person on stage was transitioning or bantering. I noticed it last show at the Rio, too, but hopefully it was just a one-off thing. I usually like shows at the Rio, so I would hate for this to be a persistent problem.

But on to the show itself. First up was Hannah Epperson, armed only with her violin and looping pedals. Interestingly enough (probably not that interesting), every time I've seen her has been at a show involving Zach Gray. Her set was short, but she showed off her fantastic violin skills and masterful loops, with a voice that fit perfectly for a few of her own songs, and an instrumental cover of "Can't Buy me Love". She also has the best awkwardly-charming stage banter this side of Aidan Knight, joking with the crowd between songs.
But the short set wouldn't be the last we saw of Epperson, as she was without a doubt the hardest working musician of the night.

Next up was Sunny Pompeii, the solo project of Said the Whale drummer Spencer Schoening. At first he was out alone for a couple songs with a folky charm, both original -- one that started "Last night I dreamt I kissed Neko Case" which immediately became a favourite -- and covers, before being joined by Epperson for a song and bandmate Simon Marmorek for the second half of the set. The covers throughout included the likes of Akron/Family, Grizzley Bear and Animal Collective and while Spencer's voice was a little worse for wear thanks to recording earlier in the day, their original songs were quirky and entertaining.

Next up was Tariq, who was backed by his Brasstronaut bandmate Sam Davidson on clarinet and space clarinet EWI, but performing his own songs. In contrast to Brasstronaut's ethereal sound, Tariq was more straight forward folk, almost with an alt-country twinge to the songs. He kept the theme of love songs going, though had mostly sadder love songs, and the strength of them was definitely Tariq's lyrics; a perfect example being "Front Row Seat", a love songs related through concert seating, with some clever and poignant lyrics that was not just my favourite of his set, but one of my favourites of the night.

John Sponarski, Harold Donnelly and Georges Couling of Portage & Main took the stage next. They, too, were joined by Epperson for a song, "Rocky Mountain Wanderer", and Savannah Leigh Wellman of Redbird (and honourary Portage & Main member) was also out for most of the set providing backup vocals. After the building "I'd Never Climbed a Mountain", they brought their set to an end getting the mellow crowd a bit more energized to sing along to the two-word chorus of "Carolina".
Some of their songs are as good, if not better, when stripped down, so it's always nice to see them play a more intimate acoustic show.

And finally The Zolas wrapped up the night. Zach and Tom took the stage and, once again, Hannah Epperson was out to lend her violin. They played a couple new songs, starting with "Ancient Mars" that had Tom on the drum pad, before feigning leaving, but were of course out for more; a cover of Radiohead's "Codex" and another new(ish) song "Strange Girl", where Zach decided to spontaneously jump on the drum pad mid-song for hilarious (yet awesome) results.
That seemed to be the end of it but they were out one last time -- in what may have been a rare legitimate encore -- for the crowd favourite "You're Too Cool" before ending the show.

In all, it was a really nice night, and all the performers on stage looked like they were legitimately having fun and were all really loose on stage, creating a really nice and intimate feel. Perhaps appropriate for what day it was.

One Night Stand IV @ Media Club -- 12/31/11

For the fourth year in a row (and my third in attendance), some of Vancouver's finest musicians came together to ring in the new year with nearly three hours of great covers. The night saw many familiar faces from the last couple years, as well as some new additions to the one-off band, which rotated members throughout the night, seeing people on and off stage and everyone getting at least one song of their own -- even those who are not usually front and centre.

This year, the One Night Stand band consisted of Johnny Andrews (Rococode) Andrew Braun (Rococode, Hannah Georgas) Peter Carruthers (Siskiyou) Robbie Driscoll (Hannah Georgas) Hannah Georgas herself, Brian Healy (Elias) Tariq Hussain (Brasstronaut) Ali Milner, Jasmin Parkin (Mother Mother) Laura Smith (Rococode) Rob Tornroos (Elias), "plus surprise guests"

Starting at 10, they played three sets of covers, at the top of each hour, with the obligatory midnight countdown and free champagne.



Set One
Ready To Start (Arcade Fire) - Andrew Braun
Take On Me (A Ha) - Ali Milner
Rolling in the Deep (Adele) - Laura Smith
Suffragette City (David Bowie) - Brian Healy
Dreams (Fleetwood Mac) - Ali Milner
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (The Band) - Brasstronaut
Be My Baby (The Ronettes) - Jasmin Parkin
Born To Run (Bruce Springsteen) - Peter Carruthers
Common People (Pulp) - Tariq Hussain

They kicked off the night, appropriately enough, with Arcade Fire's "Ready To Start" and Braun on vocals (perhaps Rococode covering "Rococo" would have been too obvious) and from there Ali Milner did a great "Take On Me" and Laura Smith crushed the vocals for "Rolling in the Deep". Tariq brought out Brasstronaut band-mates Edo and Sam for a sing along toThe Band and in a rare vocal appearance, Carruthers took centre stage for "Born To Run". The first set wrapped up with a pretty cool cover of "Common People" (almost as good as Shatner's) from Tariq.

Set Two
Under Pressure (Queen) - 
You Make My Dreams (Hall & Oates) - Ali Milner
She Drives Me Crazy (Fine Young Cannibals) - Hannah Georgas
Gold Guns Girls (Metric) - Jasmin Parkin
I Might Be Wrong (Radiohead) - Laura Smith
Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel) - Brian Healy
Single Ladies (Beyoncé) - Smith/Milner/Parkin/Georgas

The second set [apparently] started with "Under Pressure", which I was a little crushed to learn I had missed, due to the photobooth being in the back room this year as opposed to next to the stage. The rest of the set was focused on the lovely ladies of One Night Stand, which was by no means a bad thing. Hannah took over for a great cover of one of my favourite songs from when I was a youngin', Fine Young Cannibals' "She Drives Me Crazy" and Jasmin Parkin's "Gold Guns Girls" was one of the more interesting covers to hear, by virtue of the fact that Mother Mother and Metric are fairly similar bands.
They capped off the set -- and the year -- with all four ladies; Smith, Milner, Parkin and Georgas, informing everyone that if you liked it, you should have put a ring on it.

Set Three
With Or Without You (U2) - Rob Tornroos
Live and Let Die (Paul McCartney & Wings) - Andrew Braun
Lust For Life (Iggy Pop) - Brian Healy
Dancing On My Own (Robyn) - Smith/Georgas
Use Me (Bill Withers) - Tariq Hussain
Once in a Lifetime (Talking Heads) - Robbie Driscoll
In My Place (Coldplay) - Rob Tornroos
Gz and Hustlas (Snoop Dogg) - Hannah Georgas
Say It Ain't So (Weezer) - Andrew Braun
Like A Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan) - Everyone

The first song of the year, the traditional slow dance song, saw Elias' Robbie T belting out "With or Without You", before a great sing along to "Live and Let Die" lead by Braun. Two big highlight of the night came close together, the first being Robbie Dee -- normally in the background of various bands -- channelling Taking Heads and proving he is a pretty damn energetic frontman in his own right, and the second was Gorgeous Gangsta' Hannah Georgas throwning down some Snoop Dog, which had to be seen to be believed.
And as with previous years, they ended the night with everyone coming back on stage for a giant sing along, with most of the room joining in for "Like a Rolling Stone".

I think one of the best things about this event is always how much fun is had in the room. Starting on stage, it's blatantly obvious how much the people love doing this; love playing some of their favourite songs with some of their favourite people, and that enthusiasm definitely bleeds into the crowd. Hopefully they'll keep it going for years to come -- and seeing as they always sell out well in advance, hopefully next year they can get an even bigger venue!

Live at Squamish: Day Two -- 08/21/11

The first day was down and a huge success, but second day of Live at Squamish was the one I was most looking forward to, packed with excellent bands all around. But before I get to it, I just wanted to make note that I love how the festival booked local bands. A good chunk of the people playing during the day were local independent artists, and when you have a festival that boasts 9000 people a day, that's some great exposure for people who deserve it.

The first act I was excited to see was Brasstronaut, playing the Stawamus Stage. They played a fairly short set, starting with "Slow Knots" and with a few new songs in there; one named "JT", which had a phenomenal and spacey instrumental ending, was dedicated to John Wah's year old kid, who was attending his first festival. They ended with an energetic "Lo Hi Hopes", giving the day a good start.

Panda Watch. And by Panda Watch, I mean Said the Whale

Bend Sinister was up next on the main stage, but I sadly missed them to head to the Giribaldi Stage to catch first Shane Koyczan doing some slam poetry – he was doing short in-between sets at various times all weekend – and then the enigmatic Panda Watch. For the weeks leading up to the festival the question Who Is Panda Watch? was on people's lips, and while there was some who figured it out, others had no idea that it was actually Said The Whale (I knew a month or so ago, and it was a tough secret to keep).
After setting up and coming out with creepy looking panda masks, they played an instrumental intro before ripping off the masks and revealing themselves to play a set of all new songs, which sounded pretty great.
A couple really stuck out, including the closing song which was a love letter to their fans, a "Ben-song" which may may or may not be called "True Love", and the aptly named "Hurricane Adele", as it was a complete force of nature. One of my favourite sets of the weekend, and I am definitely looking forward to the album.

The Zolas, with guest Ashleigh Ball

After the Whales, it was back to the Stawamus Stage for another Vancouver band, The Zolas – who actually started early (which was frustrating since I ended up missing half the set). They were as energetic as ever and looked like they felt right at home up on the main stage. Before they went into "Pyramid Scheme", Zach called up Hey Ocean's Ashleigh Ball for vocals, who was then seen sprinting through the field to leap (almost literally) on stage. "You're Too Cool" had a good sized sing-a-long going, and for the closing song, "Cab Driver", they brought their parents out for some backup vocals and dancing.

The Dudes were up next, though I only saw part of their set to recharge in the media tent and wander around to look at some of the other exhibits, like the artisans market and silent disco. The Dudes are a fun band live, no doubt, but I wouldn't say I'm too big a fan of them; a lot of their songs sounds kinda... samey.

Black Mountain did not run our hearts around.

It's weird to admit, but I almost forgot to be excited for Black Mountain; there was just so much going on. But as soon as "Old Fangs" hit, I remembered how absolutely amazing the band is live; Amber Weber's hauntingly powerful voice, and Steve McBean's incredible shredding – especially on "Tyrant" – which could only be described as "face-meltingly astonishing". From the fast and frantic "Let Spirits Ride" to the relatively mellow "Roller Coaster" and the building intensity of "Queens Will Play", Black Mountain was without a doubt my favourite set of the festival.

Though there was a strange and awkward moment near the end of their set. As they were wrapping up with "Don't Run Our Hearts Around", an overzealous stagehand walked in front of the band, mid-song, to tell them it was time to wrap it up. Definitely an unnecessary and unprofessional touch.

Soon enough it was time for a second dose of Metric, after their acoustic set the previous day. And it was definitely quite a contrast to that, especially in the level of intensity from Haines; she was back and forth and dancing, a ball of energy that hardly stood still for a minute. They kicked off with "Black Sheep" (which had me momentarily thinking "Envy Adams??") and blasted through a good chunk of their catalogue. Older songs were spiced up a bit, with "Empty" featured a few lines of Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)". "Sick Muse" and "Dead Disco" were a couple more highlights before they ended with "Stadium Love"

Shake your head it's Metric

And wrapping up the festival on the main stage was Weezer. I am not going to lie, I have never been that big of a fan of Weezer, so as far as I was concerned the festival ended with Metric. But I stayed to catch a few of their songs before heading out to beat the rush down the Sea to Sky. They started with "Surf Wax America" and a couple songs in played a cover of Foster The People's "Pumped Up Kicks". They certainly have their fans, but to me they seemed to be going through the motions a bit, and there wasn't much that compelled me to stay.

All in all, I would say it was a fantastic weekend. They streamlined a lot from the first year, and I love that they included the Green Couch stage, even though I didn't get a chance to see as much as I would have liked on it. And while I liked the headliners better last year, I think they had a stronger all-around lineup this year. One thing I did like better about last year that it was on the long weekend, giving people more time to decompress after, but aside from that, I would say the second year of Live at Squamish was a triumph, and I already can't wait to see what is in store for next year.

Brasstronaut @ Performance Works -- 06/27/11

It's that time of year when Vancouver International Jazz Festival is in full swing. And while I have missed more of the shows than I would have liked to, one of the two shows I knew I didn't want to miss Brasstronaut at Performance Works on Granville Island. (The other is The Tom Fun Orchestra at David Lam Park, this coming Sunday at 8:45. It's free, and you need to be there.)

They took the stage as the emcee asked us to "give a warm welcome to... the... brass-tronaut" and launched into "Requiem for a Scene". It was their second of two back-to-back shows of the night, but that just means the band had a longer chance to warm up. Any kinks they may have had were worked out, and they sounded better than ever. The songs were all very tight; the fast ones pounding through you, the slow washing over you, and everything in between. Some of them got longer and cooler intros, like "Hearts Trompet" which got a spacey, ethereal intro -- fitting since it was played on the Space Clarinet.
There were also a few new songs thrown in; one that they introduced as unnamed (but was "Hollow" on the setlist) sounded very dark, both musically and with the echoing vocals. They sounded really cool, and I am definitely looking forward to their next release.
The whole band also seemed a lot looser on stage, as there was more banter and joking around than any of their other shows, which was great. They engaged the audience (sometimes individually) and had a few funny stories. That, combined with the great sound at Performance Works, culminated to probably the best show I have seen them play yet.

setlist (as stolen from the scrap of paper on stage)
requiem for a scene, hand behind, six toes, hollow, hearts trompet, bounce, insects, lo hi hopes, Fan, JT.
(encore) old world lies, slow knots.

Mother Mother w/ Brasstronaut @ Vogue -- 05/04/11

Surprisingly, I had never seen Mother Mother headlining a show of their own. Of the handful of times I had seen them, it was always opening for someone or at a festival or something. So I was eager to catch their first of two sold out shows. The second is at the Commodore tonight (with the excellent Rococode opening), but last night was an all ages at the Vogue, with another band who is great live, and I haven't seen a while.

The first time I ever saw Brasstronaut, I knew I wanted to see them in a soft-seat theatre venue. I don't know why, it just seemed really appropriate. So I was definitely excited to see them opening. They played a decent length set, with (I think) a couple new songs; one I didn't get the name of and one possibly called "Prozak". Both were great, keeping with the bands rich and lush sound -- a sound that I am always impressed by, especially live. Among the older songs, "Six Toes" and "Requiem For a Scene" both sounded as great as usual, and they ended with one of my favourite songs of last year, "Hearts Trompet". It built until a grandiose climax, and as it ended, the members of the band left one by one until all that was left was Edo on keys and Brennan exploding on drums.

setlist
[new song?], Six Toes, Hands Behind, Requiem for a Scene, Prozak[?], Slow Knots, Hearts Trompet.

Shortly after (love those curfewed shows) Mother Mother hit the stage to piercing screams, kicking off with a couple older songs before getting into the new album, which made up the bulk of the set. The band had a fantastic energy and presence on stage, somehow managing to engage every single person in the sold out Vogue. And they seemed genuinely blown away from the support of the fans, with Ryan mentioned a couple of times how overwhelming it was to see everyone there.
The songs from the new album sounded great live, with highlights including the raucous "Problems", the almost eerie "Born in a Flash" and of course, "The Stand", which was one of the many songs to get recognition applause and have everyone singing along; a sold out crowd yelling "everybody's fucked and they don't even know". That led seamlessly into "Body of Years", which included a bit of Pixies slipped in, with "Gauge Away" -- appropriate, as Ryan and Jasmine covered the Pixies at One Night Stand, and since they were playing a show of their own across the street -- and the set ended with "Calm Me Down", a perfect song to go out on.
Though they were back for the customary encore, the whole crowd singing along to "Arms Tonight" and ending with an older one, "Verbatim", once more thanking everyone profusely for coming.

It was definitely the best show I have seen Mother Mother put on -- and probably the best for Brasstronaut as well -- for a great all around package of a show.

setlist
Ball Cap, Oh My Heart, Original Spin, Problems, Simply Simple, Oleander, Born in a Flash, Ghosting, Getaway, Baby Don't Dance, Polynesia, Chasing It Down, Angry Sea, The Stand, Body of Years (w/ Gauge Away Pixies cover), Hayloft, Wrecking Ball, Calm Me Down.
(encore) Arms Tonight, Verbatim.

Music BC 20th Anniversary w/ Bend Sinister, Brasstronaut & Treelines

Music BC sure knows how to throw a hell of a party. They are, of course, one of the forces behind the Peak Performance Project, and a great organization supporting local music. They celebrated their 20th anniversary last night with a show at the Biltmore featuring three great BC bands.

Kicking off the night was Treelines, the latest in a long line of bands to move down to Vancouver from Kelowna. All four members exuded energy on stage, and put on a very dynamic performance. They were joined a couple times by Andrew (not Adam) Lee -- formerly of 41st & Home and currently of Ruffled Feathers -- on trumpet for a couple songs, including their Bucky nominated "Summer Song". At one point they broke out their recently released rendition of "Little Drummer Boy", which was a very Sam Roberts-esque twist on the classic. A few new songs were thrown in, as well, "Cartographer" and one temporarily dubbed "Cowbell" (I'll let you guess why). Neither of which were really that much of a departure, musically, but still piqued my interest for more new material. Even when they brought the energy down, like with "Canadian Airlines", they were still engaging, and an incredibly fun band to watch live.

Brasstronaut was the second band of the night, and the last two times I had seen them I either had to leave early or there were conflicting bands, so it was great to finally be able to see a full, proper set again. Mount Chimaera is one of my favourite albums of the year, and I am always amazed that the band is able to pull off the rich, lush sound in a live performance. Started off with "Insects", a kind of darker and ominous song, they played a good amount of the album, as well as from the Old World Lies EP. "Slow Knots" and "Six Toes" were pretty incredible live, and I can't let a Brasstronaut performance go without mentioning me favourite [looking] instrument, the Space Clarinet. The set ended with one of my favourite songs of the year, the Echo Songwriting Prize winning "Hearts Trompet". As the song grew and grew to an epic finale, each member left the stage, one by one leaving only the drummer, going nuts, and Edo at the end. It was an insanely good set and just reminded me why I like Brasstronaut so.

Finally, rounding out the night was another band to originate from Kelowna, Bend Sinister. Even though I have been a fan of the band for a few years now, I have only seen them live a handful of times; I always seem to have bad luck when it comes to seeing them. Case in point: last time I only caught the last two of their songs, because I was coming from, interestingly enough, seeing Treelines play an acoustic set. But I digress.
As energetic Treelines was earlier in the night, they had nothing on Bend Sinister. Dan Moxon has always been intense live, and this night was no different, with him actually knocking over his keyboard and mic stand at one point. He also, at various points, played the keys with drumsticks and picked it up to play it, keytar style. And that's not even mentioning the rest of the band, who more than kept up. They played a good mix of their older and newer stuff, hitting things from all their albums. Another of my favourite songs of the year, from their Spring Romance EP, "Things Will Get Better" was definitely a highlight, as well as "CT" and the always great "Time Breaks Down".

The show was one of, if not the best all-around-lineup I have seen this year, as each of the three I would (and have) see a show with them headlining with no hesitation.
I talk a lot about the "Vancouver music scene" and such, and I have a feeling it would be a mere shadow of what it is without Music BC.

Brasstronaut (w/ Analog Bell Service) @ The China Cloud -- 08/13/10

Two great Vancouver bands teamed up for a show that took place at The China Cloud, which I had never even heard of before. It was a strange, nondescript door right on Main, near-ish to Hastings. It is apparently used as a jam space for a few bands, and is a really neat little place. Except for the fact that it didn't have much, or any, ventilation or airflow, causing it to get really hot and sweaty and stinky very fast. Especially when you have a room full of people shoulder to shoulder, dancing.

Which is exactly what the case was for Analog Bell Service! They had an insanely hyper energy, and despite some early technical difficulties -- blamed on it being Friday the 13th (even though it was after midnight at that point) -- they put on a pretty great show. Aside from their own songs, they also slipped in "I Can See Clearly Now" and a bit of "Sunglasses at Night". They closed their set out with "I Guess", which has been stuck in my head all day, but just before that was another cover, this time Dan Mangan's Road Regrets, turning it into an up tempo, almost punk rock-ish sound, which was pretty crazy and worked surprisingly well for the song.

Finally around 1:30, Brasstronaut hit the stage to play. They were as fantastic as usual, but I only managed to hear half their set, if that. The mugginess of the room was beginning to get to me, combined with the fact that I had to be at work seven hours from when they started playing meant I had to duck out after about half an hour or so. But I did manage to hear "Hearts Trompet", which is my favourite of theirs; it was superb live, and well worth the sleep deprivation. I even managed to catch the next song, "Lo Hi Hopes", as I stood outside on the street, next to my car, hearing them as clear as if I were in the room. Even though it wasn't the usual lineup -- Colin Cowan of ABS was subbing on the stand-up bass -- they sounded as good as ever, and I really hope I'll get to see them again soon. The worst feeling in the world is leaving a [good] show early, and I really hated to do so for Brasstronaut, whose album is one of my favourites so far this year.

An Intimate Night Of Piano Tunes With Daniel Moxon & Edo Van Breemen @ Library Square -- 08/12/10

Bend Sinister's Dan Moxon and Brasstronaut's Edo Van Breemen teamed up last night for an intimate night of piano tunes at Library Square. It was pretty much just a piano set up in the corner of the bar, with an area in front and an "upper level" (think four or five steps) with a "balcony" for people to watch from. Oh, and the place was playing the old Wonder Woman show all night on their TVs, so that got a little distracting at times.

First up was Edo, not quite doing a solo set since he had fellow Brasstronaut Tariq with him on guitar and lap steel. He played a pretty varied set, some Brasstronaut, some older stuff from his other band and also some brand new. At first, I was wondering how the Brasstronaut songs would sound stripped down like that, since the band has such a rich sound; but for the most part they were really cool and worked well. "Slow Knots" was an especially interesting version of the song, both stripped down and slowed a little.

After a short break Dan hopped up to the piano, playing about half his/Bend Sinister songs and half covers. He started with "Careless", and hit songs spanning all over his oeuvre, including the "In A Minute" song written for the Peak Performance Project (Bend Sinister took third last year). He had a couple covers in his "main" set, a McCartney and a Hall & Oates that were a bit lesser known, but the last half of his set consisted of the more sing-a-long hits like "American Pie", "The Logical Song", "The Boys Are Back In Town", "We Are The Champions" and doing somewhat of an encore with "Life on Mars".

Despite the fact that the bar was a little noisy at times, it was a really cool environment for that type of thing. It seemed less of a "show" and more of "Hey friends, I am going to play you some tunes, cool?" I know Dan has done some solo piano shows before, but I hope this kind of thing becomes a regular occurrence.

Brasstronaut & We Are The City @ Surrey Fusion Fest -- 07/17/10

I am not sure how many years the Surrey Fusion Fest has been going on for, but this was my second year checking it out, for the music. Last year saw Said The Whale and Joel Plaskett Emergency there, and while it seems like an odd choice to hold it on the same weekend as the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, it is a nice alternative for people unable to attend, afforded an opportunity to see some great live music (for free!). This year they had a couple excellent BC bands playing, not the main stage, but a smaller one that I am pretty sure was not there last year. Which caused some... problems.

But first, We Are The City was up! Supposed to go on at 6:30, they got their set bumped back a little because some genius decided to put this stage too close to the main stage. It was good, though, that they planned to stagger the acts. At least, in theory. The set was a short one, only half an hour, so they only managed to play a half dozen songs. But as usual, they owned the stage, and I wouldn't be surprised if more than a few people there were now fans. They played a couple new songs, which seem to be a staple of their live set now, "The Birds" and "This Is A Bad Mistake". The latter I had misidentified as "Take It From Me" a couple times, based on the lyrics, which now makes me feel silly since I had actually heard them name the song before.
They wrapped up the set with "Astronomers", which got the "recognition whoo" when they said the name before playing it, and "April", as they seem to have been doing lately, which is fine by me, as it's a great pair to end off a show.
There was also an amusing moment where, just as a lull happened in one of the songs, a loud piano note came from the sound check on the other stage. It just happened to be perfect timing, and pretty funny... but also an omen of things to come.

setlist
There Are Very Tiny Beasts In The Ground; There Are Very, Very Big Lights In The Sky; This Was A Big Mistake; The Birds; Astronomers; April

As soon as they ended, the other stage played, but then as soon as the other stage ended... Brasstronaut was still sound checking and setting up. I don't know if they just took longer than expected or what, but then when they were about a song or so into their set... an act on the other stage started playing. As Edo put it, "it looks like we're part of an old fashioned ghetto blaster battle". And while they took it in stride and continued their set like pros, it was incredibly annoying and frustrating, having the sounds from the other stage bleed over. Major planning/scheduling/organizational failure on the part of the organizers, there. Why would you put two stages practically right next to each other?? Then schedule bands to play them at the same time??? But aside from that, the set was quite awesome. No lazers or video projection like they had last time I saw them, but that didn't detract from their rich and grandiose sound at all. They too only had about a half dozen songs, mostly from their new album, Mt. Chimaera, but also the older "Requiem for a Scene". They capped off the set with one of my favourites from it, "Slow Knots", which was fantastic live. The only disappointment was that they didn't play "Hearts Trompet", but given they had a short set, it didn't bother me that much. That, and it probably would have been overpowered anyway.

setlist
Six Toes, Requiem for a Scene, Hands Behind, Lo-Hi Hopes, Slow Knots.

Aside from the one small bit of shoddy planning, it turned out pretty damn good, and so long as the Fusion Fest keep getting top quality bands like they have for these last two years, I will keep checking it out.

Mt. Chimaera by Brasstronaut

Every once in a while something comes along that completely and totally takes you by surprise. For me, this was Mt. Chimaera, the full length debut from Brasstronaut. I am not quite sure why, but for some reason I was expecting them to sound completely different than they do -- which is funny in retrospect, as their name is a perfect indication of their sound. The Vancouver band is fronted by Edo Van Breemen on keyboards & vocals and he is joined by a roster of great musicians playing a wide range of instruments: Bryan Davies (trumpet/flugelhorn/glockenspiel), John Walsh (bass/guitar), Brennan Saul (percussion), Tariq Hussain (lap steel/electric guitar), & Sam Davidson (clarinet/EWI); the EWI being a great and underused instrument which looks like a Space Clarinet. Their website points out that while all play in a number of other projects, they are quick to profess that this is their one and only golden egg. And with the recent inclusion of the album on the Polaris Prize long list, it looks like "golden egg" may be an apt metaphor.

The album starts out with "Slow Knots", which gives you a good idea of how the next 40 minutes are going to go. Cinematic, atmospheric, haunting and intense are all words that could describe the band, and they manage to exemplify all of those adjectives in this break-up song (Do you really think that I betrayed you / honey don't you know that I'm too dumb for that / you kept a list of all those bad nights / and we both know it got too long). "Hands Behind" shows off the bands jazz influence and weaves trumpet with acoustic and slide guitars together seamlessly. That leads in to "Lo Hi Hopes" which is more of a rocking, upbeat track, yet still finds time for woodwind solos, and almost grinds to a halt for the breakdown, before exploding again at the end. The energy isn't let up with the piano driven "Six toes", a song that is all over the map, but never in a sloppy way.
"Hearts Trompet" is my favourite track off the album, and quite possibly one of my favourite songs of the year thus far. It starts out with a laid back bass line and slowly adds things like horns and strings until it hits the midway point, and then just launches into a breathtaking symphonic climax, before stopping almost dead in its tracks, trickling it's way into "Ravan", which takes the opposite approach, as it slowly fades to a gentle ending. "Same Same" is given an ethereal quality with the echoing vocals and dramatic horns and well placed flourishes of guitar. The album draws to a close with the epic eight minute "Insects", the darkest track on the album, which also drips with emotion. This single song does more than I have heard some bands do in an entire album, flowing perfectly through what could almost be called separate movements within the song, encapsulating the band almost perfectly.

With the amount of stuff going on, it would be easy for a band like Brasstronaut to collapse under its own weight into a complete mess, but it a s testament to the musical abilities to all involved that it comes together as perfectly as it does. The more I listen to this album, the more it grows on me, and the less doubt I have that it will make it on to my "best of" list this year.


Download Lo Hi Hopes

Download Hearts Trompet

Download Same Same

Clicky to exchange monies for music

Brasstronaut w/ The Zolas @ St James Hall -- 05/06/10

What was it I said yesterday? That I've had the good fortune of seeing a fair number of shows this year where both/all acts have been great? Well, that continued last night at St James Hall.
Before I go on, though, a mini rant. I love St James Hall. I think it is an awesome place for a show... except for the fact that just about every time I've been there, it's turned really hot in the place. Maybe cos every one I've seen there has been sold out (or close to it) and it's not that big of a hall... but still, they really need to spring for some sort of cooling device.

Anyway! It was a nice early show (am I getting lame for liking the early-ending shows more and more?) so The Zolas hit the stage just before 8, and just wow, they tore the place down. They started off, of course, with "You're Too Cool" and went on to go through most of their album, Tic Toc Tic. As high energy and catchy as the record is, their live show is even more so. Songs like "No Talking" and "Marlaina Kamikaze" sound phenomenal live, and while all four of them on stage had a fantastic energy, Zach is a great & charismatic front man. For one song he hopped off stage and played most of it amongst the crowd up at the front, another he sat with Tom at the keyboard, and throughout the whole show he was just a ball of energy. They threw in a new song, "Guest", which is named for what Zach calls the worst rhyme ever (Guess/Guest, I think it was)... though is a great song despite it. The wrapped up with "Cab Driver", a song that somehow managed to top the rest of the set with its intensity, and a great way to end. And the crowd was just eating them up with every song. I am sure people were there for The Zolas as much as Brasstronaut, and those who weren't were no doubt won over.
Also, Hank Henry Alcock-White was with them on bass again, and I am now convinced that he has the absolute driest sense of humour.

setlist
You're Too Cool, Collapse, Guest, Body Ash, No Talking, Marionettes, These Days, Marlaina Kamikaze, Queen of Relax, Cab Driver.


After a quick turnaround, Brasstronaut came out, in one of the coolest ways a band can. As everyone was early anticipating them, all attention on the stage, faint horns started... but no one was on stage. Everyone soon realized where they were, though. Coming in through the back of the hall, forming a procession through the crowd up to the stage, with all the members of Brasstronaut as well as song extra help with the horns and such. They all crammed on the stage, almost a dozen of them, for the first song. They went into "Six Toes" next, as half the people left leaving only the main members up there to absolutely blow the crowds collective minds. They, too, are almost as (if not moreso) amazing than their album, which is incredibly rich and layered. One of my favourites on Mt. Chimera is "Hearts Trompet", and that was definitely one of the highlights of the show.
There was also a giant sheet acting as a projection screen behind them, which was really cool. Some songs there were video clips, some were just abstract designs, but it really added to the show. For "Insects", the last song of their main set, the screen alternated between venus fly traps and what looked like a 50's science film reel, and was superb emphasis to the dark and haunting mood of the song. For the encore, it really turned into a crazy multimedia experience, from the videos on screen, the lasers and lights all around the hall mimicking stars to the bubble wands being handed out and the monk manning a spotlight shining it all over the hall.
They also had the coolest thing, which I initially thought was a Space-Clarinet, but it turns out it is an EWI (or Electric Wind Instrument). It both looked and sounded awesome.
[and I almost forgot, in the middle of the show, they announced that one of the members, John Walsh (I believe) had just become a new father earlier that day, so much congratulations are in order]
In all, it was a pretty incredible spectacle, with excellent music to back it up, and even though I love seeing bands in smaller, more intimate venues, it is now one of my musical goals in life to see them play the Orpheum. That just seems like it would be the perfect setting for them.