3am Mixtapes: Episode Thirty Five: Car Chases

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 like top six fictional bands. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs That Sound Like They Should Be In a Gritty Western.

This week, picture yourself careening around corners, speeding down alleyways, and crashing through those giant panes of glass that are always being carried across the street, because it is the Top Six Songs To Play While in a Car Chase!

Featuring:

"Chase Scene" by Broken Social Scene
"Prytania" by Mutemath
"Trembling Hands" by Explosions in the Sky
"La Piqûre" by Karkwa
"Rooibos/Palm Wine Drinkard" by The Stills
"Made Up My Mind" by Mounties

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

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Twenty Three: Covers (that are not Hurt)

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 like best breakup songs. Or some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs With Opposite Titles.

This week is all about someone else's songs, it is the Top Six Cover Songs That Are Not Hurt By Johnny Cash! I always love me some cover songs, and here are just a few of the ones that have stuck with me over the years.

Hear these bands do versions of:

"Hoppipolla" by We Are Scientists, covering Sigur Rós
"Le Pyromane" by The Zolas, covering Karkwa
Take On Me" by A.C. Newman, covering A-Ha
"Ignition (Remix)" by Zeus, covering R. Kelly
"What You Waiting For" by Franz Ferdinand, covering Gwen Stefani
"Common People" by William Shatner, covering Pulp

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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Karkwa w/ Aidan Knight & The Belle Game @ Biltmore -- 09/20/11

Two and a half years ago, I went down to the Biltmore to hear this newfangled Vancouver band called Said The Whale. The show was some sort of pre-Olympics celebration, and as part of the "Cultural Olympiad", had a range of musicians, from Vancouver's STW to the Inuit Lucie Idlout to the band that played between the two, some French Canadian band I had vaguely heard of from CBC Radio 3. Turns out that night would be the beginning of my infatuation with Montréal's Karkwa. To this day I am still pretty sure that they blew out a speaker at the show, and from that night on I would rave about them to anyone that listened, and was definitely rooting for them for last year's Polaris Prize, and was thrilled when they won. And even though I had seen them once more since then, for a free show during the actual Olympics, I was more than ecstatic to see them in what was their first real Western Canadian tour. Especially because they had wrangled a couple opening acts that I would have seen on their own.

The first of which was The Belle Game, who I always enjoy seeing play, despite the fact that I've managed to see them four times in the last three months. Unfortunately I got in a couple songs late, but still caught the last half of their set, with "Shoulders & Turns" and their single, as part of the Peak Performance Project, the infectious "Sleep To Grow". They ended quite dynamically, as they are wont to do, with a newer song tentatively titled "We Left This Home", with Andrea pounding on the floor tom, front and centre, and guitarists Adam & Alex both almost getting right into the crowd for the finale.
There was also a neat moment where Katrina, who is originally from Montréal, addressed the crowd en français, to express how grateful they were to be sharing the stage with next two acts. (I think, at least. My French is limited to what I remember from Téléfrançais)

Second up was Aidan Knight, who is also a huge fan of Karkwa -- he even mentioned being at the same previous Biltmore show during his set -- and was visibly thrilled to be opening for them. It was a bit of a unique set for Aidan, as he had a bit of a different band backing him. Olivier and Julia were, as usual, on horns and keys, but they were only joined by Hannah Epperson on violin and Katie Schaan on cello. It gave the set a sound that was somehow both richer and more minimalistic.
Starting off with "Knitting Something Nice", the set also consisted of a few new songs, including one as-of-yet unnamed one with just Hannah (Aidan asked for suggestions as to the name, but I don't think he liked mine: "In Love With A Trumpet Major") and the heartbreakingly beautiful "Margaret Downe". And, of course, no Aidan Knight show is complete without his charmingly awkward stage banter. They ended, as per usual, with "Jasper", which had the crowd singing along, and some amazing strings to go along with it.

And then, it was time for Karkwa. Every once in a while I worry that I have psyched myself up for a show too much, and that the only possible outcome would be disappointment. But Karkwa hit the stage, double drummers and all, and my fears were immediately quashed when they launched into "Le Pyromane" to begin the set. The band has an absolutely incredible intensity as their wall of sound washes over you with driving guitars -- including some incredible solos -- and dual drummers who play off each other perfectly. Highlights of the set included the upbeat "Marie Tu Pleures", which had everyone clapping along, the somewhat dark "Le Bon Sens" and definitely "La Façade", which is up there as one of my favourite songs. After "Le Compteur" drove home their main set, they were back for another pair, ending the night with "Oublie Pas", and leaving the crowd drained, with faces melted off.

It was a show that will absolutely end up as one of my favourites of the year, and cemented Karkwa as one of my favourite bands; especially to see live. Connecting with an audience is hard enough without a language barrier, and it is a testament to the band, and Louis-Jean, that they were able to keep the crowd completely enthralled throughout the set. Earlier in the evening Aidan Knight mentioned that, cheesy as it sounded, Karkwa's music transcends the boundaries of language, and I couldn't agree more. I just hope that the packed venue (on a Tuesday night, no less) showed Karkwa that they have more then enough of fans in the west, and that they'll be back soon.

setlist
Le Pyromane, L'Acouphène, Échapper au sort, L'épaule Froide, Les Chemins De Verre, Dormir Le Jour, Le Bon Sens, La Façade, Marie Tu Pleures, Le Compteur.
[encore] Moi-léger, Oublie Pas.

Shows of September

I'm going to try a new thing here, where on or around the first of every month, I'll do a little blurb about the upcoming shows I am stoked about that month.
So for September, the top three shows I am most looking forward to are:

Explosions in the Sky.
These guys are firmly in my top three must see live bands, and I am so very excited by their impending show, on the 9th at the Vogue Theatre. Words can not express how much I want to see them, so instead, see this video. If you don't even have an inkling to see them live after that... I don't even know what to say.


Karkwa with Aidan Knight & The Belle Game.
 I am so glad the Polaris Prize winning band is back, as both times I have seen them have been incredible. They're at the Biltmore (where I am pretty sure they blew a speaker the first time I saw them) on the 20th, and supporting them will be none other than Victoria's Aidan Knight, who is always great live, and whose Karkwa-love rivals mine. And if that wasn't a stupendous enough double bill, The Belle Game will also playing.

Broken Social Scene.
I've seen them in a small venue during the Olympics and a large outdoor part co-headlining with Sam Roberts, and places in between, and they always put on a mind-blowing show. Now they're hitting up Malkin Bowl -- which is one of my favourite venues here -- on the 24th. You may never know who, exactly, is going to show up to be in the band; but you always know it's going to be one hell of a show.

Other shows going down I am excited about are the back to back Hollerado and Library Voices shows -- 21st at Venue and 22nd at the Biltmore, respectively. Been too long since either has been here, and both are incredibly fun and lively bands with great live shows.

And then, of course, there are the Peak Performance Project showcases. Running every Thursday for the next five weeks, they're a chance for each of the top 20 bands to show what they have. Each show is at the Red Room, and the lineups consist of:
8 - The Never Surprise, Hilary Grist, Jasper Sloan Yip, The Belle Game.
15 - Avairis, Fields of Green, Acres of Lions, Current Swell.
22 -The Oh Wells, Ashleigh Eymann, Sex With Strangers, The Boom Booms.
29 -The Matinee, Redgy Blackout, Behind Sapphire, Treelines.
With Lindsay Bryan, Maurice, 41st and Home and Rococode taking place October 10th.

So that's it. That's what I am looking forward to. See you there?

The 2010 Polaris Music Prize goes to...

Les Chemins De Verre by Karkwa!
Anyone who follows the blog closely (both of you), or people who follow me on the twitters, or see my ramblings on the CBC Radio 3 blog should have an idea of how ecstatic I am right now. This has been one of my favourite albums so far this year, and I have been a huge fan of Karkwa in general since I first saw them live. I fell in love with this album immediately, and it has done nothing but grown on me.
The last few years of Polaris had, to be frank, left me wanting. So even though I very much wanted Karkwa to walk away with the prize (the only person I would be okay beating them would be the Nice, Nice, Very Nice Mr. Dan Mangan), I did not think in the least that they would be the recipients of the $20,000 prize. I have never been so glad to be proven wrong. But I feel that I am just fanboy-rambling now, so I'll wrap it up.
The best thing about this? Now people outside of Quebec know who they are. And deservedly so.
Oh, that, and hopefully now they'll tour a little more, and come back to Vancouver for a show.

For previous blog posts about Karkwa, see:
Review of the album.
Initial impressions of the title track.
A free live show during the Olympics.

Thank you, Polaris Music Prize. You and your grand jury have chosen, what is in my humble opinion, the best album.

The 2010 Polaris Short List

About a month after releasing the long list, the people at the Polaris Music Prize have announced the short list of the ten albums in contention for the $20,000 prize. The award is annually given to the "best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label" and any album (more than 30 minutes/8 tracks long) out from June 1st 2009 to May 31 2010 is eligible. Past winners are Final Fantasy, He Poos Clouds (2006) Patrick Watson, Close to Paradise (2007) Caribou, Andorra (2008) Fucked Up, The Chemistry of Common Life (2009)
The winner will be announced at a gala on September 20th.

So let's see how this year stacks up, shall we? Here they are, in a vague order of the ones I want to win least to most, with some comments by me. Mostly just snap-judgments, so I may revisit this post closer to the date when I have more time to digest the list and listen more to the albums in question.

Sainthood by Tegan & Sera
I fully admit, I was disappointed when this one was announced. I have never been a fan of Tegan & Sera. I don't find anything remarkable about them, and I think there are many other artists on the list that are more deserving. They're not bad, just... bland.


TSOL by Shad
One day soon I am going to get around to listening to this album; I have it sitting next to me, on my desk. I've never really gotten into his music that much. He is certainly talented, but I guess just not my thing. Perhaps that will change after giving the album a spin, but for now this is low my want-to-win list. Which, given the Polaris track record, means it will win this year.

Belmundo Regal by Radio Radio
There are a few albums on the list that I am woefully unfamiliar with, and Radio Radio is one of them. What little I have heard of them, I have been on the fence about, but I'll have to listen to the full album before forming a better opinion.



Darker Circles by The Sadies
Another one I am not as familiar with as I should be. Again, I have nothing against them, and I have been meaning to pick up the album based on the few songs I've heard, and word of mouth.



The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night by The Besnard Lakes
This is a band that I should like. In theory. They are good, for sure, but for whatever reason, I have just never gotten in to them. Nothing has ever jumped out at me. Maybe I just need to listen to them more. I guess I am completely neutral about this pick. There are better albums on the list, but there are worse.


Swim by Caribou
One of two previous winners to make the list again. There has been chatter of saying that if a band has one once before, they should not be able to qualify. But that is crazy talk. Imagine if any other award did that. Anyway, the album itself is really well done, and while I don't think that Caribou will repeat, I wouldn't be too disappointed if they do.


Heartland by Owen Pallett
The second of the previous-winners, and one of my top picks. Though, as brilliant as it is, the one thing that nagged me about the album that it was a lot what you'd expect from an Owen Pallett album. Nothing too out of left field. That being said, still amazingly good and deserving to win.


Forgiveness Rock Record by Broken Social Scene
No surprise here. They were not just nominated for their name, but because this was a fantastic album. Too soon, perhaps, to say better than their others, but definitely worthy of the seemingly endless praise BSS seems to get. I will be more than happy if this one wins.


Nice, Nice, Very Nice by Dan Mangan
One of my hopeful picks from the start, Dan has had a stellar year since the album came out. I don't think anyone was surprised by this, and I don't think anyone will be surprised if he wins. Some naysayers claim he's "just a singer/songwriter" and nothing innovative. Well I say it doesn't have to be innovative to be brilliant, and that they are missing the raw emotion Dam pours into his music.

Les chemins de verre by Karkwa
Yes, yes, yes! I have been rooting for Karkwa since before the long list was even posted. I was thrilled when they made that, and for some reason did not think they would ever make the long list. This is one of my favourite albums of the year, Canadian or not, and I am really, really hoping they win it -- even though my Polaris track record has been abysmal for the last four years.

The last four on the list there were in my hopeful top ten, and here are the rest that did not make it were: Mt Chimaera by Brasstronaut; Rat A Tat Tat by Jason Collett; Together by The New Pornographers; This Is Good by Hannah Georgas; Say Us by Zeus; Pink Strat by Bahamas.

Les Chemins De Verre by Karkwa

I admit, it can be somewhat strange to listen to music in a language you don't understand. As someone that pays attention to both music and lyrics, being cut off from half that experience can make it harder to really get into a band. Harder, but not always impossible (one of my favourite bands, for instance, sings both in a language I don't understand, and one that no one understands).

The band in question here is Montréal's Karkwa -- who amazed me away the minute I first saw them live, in a show where they blew out a speaker at the Biltmore -- and Les Chemins De Verre is their fourth album. From what I can piece together through my own (very limited and rusty) French and Google Translate (there are not a lot of English articles on the album, which is a great shame) it was recorded partially in Paris, with very little preproduction; a lot of it was based on spontaneity, improvisation and impulse. It was about capturing a moment, not recreating it, and the album somehow manages to be more complex, yet more accessible than their previous, Le Volume De Vent.

"Le pyromane" starts, appropriately enough, with a crackling fire before the band kicks in, gradually building to a roaring blaze, and introduces their rich and lush wall of sound which continues right into "L'acouphène". The gorgeous "Moi-léger" slows things down, at first driven solely by a piano, but one by one the full band joins in finally basting in full force, only to drop back out at the end. "Marie, tu pleurs" is a more upbeat and catchy track that is impossible not to join in on the handclaps, and it leads well into "Le bon sens", whose seemingly cheery beginning seems to hint at something darker, that kicks in midway through the song. The first single from the album, "Les chemins de verre" brings the high energy back as it races through, only pausing briefly to catch its breath before screeching to a halt.
"Dors dans mon sang" is breathtakingly beautiful, featuring a heartbreaking piano that melds first with Louis-Jean Cormier's haunting voice, then a chorus of ooh's as it swells and intertwines with well placed feedback, before suddenly dropping, ending again with Cormier over light piano.
This is juxtaposed by the frantic "La piqûre" which sees the layers voices and cacophony of noise adding to the frenzy, and segueing into "Les enfants de Beyrouth", keeping up the same level of intensity with its plinking piano keys. The moody "Au-dessus de la tête de Lili-June" is mostly spoken word, and the layered, repeating lines -- along with the sparse music, and even the tone of voice -- makes it sound creepy as hell. But "28 jours" comes in light and calm, melodic and almost reassuring and it, too, builds to a grand ending, though never shedding its optimism. "Le vrai bonheur" ends as the album began, with a cracking fire in the background, and a song that seems, thematically, the opposite of the opening track, and gives you a feeling that lives up to the title.

It is kind of amazing how something like this can instill so much emotion. No, I do not understand what he is singing, and yes, I am just hearing his voice as another instrument; but despite that, I am filled with a variety of emotions throughout the album. Maybe even more so that songs that I understand, as with these there is more room for interpretation. That is why I am afraid to find out the translations of the songs. Sure, part of me does wants to go through each song and find out what they mean, but I fear that this would ruin them for me. That it would be drastically different from what it is in my mind. And to say nothing of the poetry of the songs. No doubt the translations would never match up perfectly and would most likely come across clunky and awkward.
I may not ever fully understand the meaning behind the songs, but what I do know is that the five members of Karkwa are all brilliant, and that Les Chemins De Verre will no doubt end up being one of my favourite albums of the year.


Download L'acouphène

Download Moi-léger

Download Dors dans mon sang

Clicky to exchange monies for music

Les Chemins De Verre

Yes, yes, yes. I had heard rumblings of a new album from my favourite francophone band, Karkwa, but it was only today I found out it would be released so soon. Les Chemins De Verre will be released March 30 (yes, next week!) and their website has what I assume is the first single up. So here is the title track for your listening pleasure. And I do mean pleasure.



Download Les Chemins De Verre by Karkwa

Olympic Shenanigans: The Second Part

I wasn't going to post again so soon after yesterday, but last night was just so packed with awesome that it requires its own post. Again, I'll try to keep things brief, but I may not be able to contain my ravings.

Wednesday, Feb 17 - Evening

First up was a trip out to Granville Island for Karkwa at the Place de la Francophonie. Last time I saw Karkwa was about a year ago when I am still pretty sure they blew out a speaker at the Biltmore. That show absolutely amazed me and I've loved them ever since, but I was kind of afraid that I had built that show up so much in my mind that nothing would be able to compare. So when they hit the stage at 6, there was some trepidation. Especially since I convinced others to go based solely on my ravings.
They opened with "Le Computer", and halfway through the song any fears I had were promptly crushed by the dual drummers, masterful keys and intense wall of sound. They were every bit as good as I remember them, if not better.
The stage banter was there, but mostly en français (which made sense, since it was the "French Quarter"), however it wasn't too often; they mostly let the music speak for itself. And even though they have only five members, their sound is so layered and dense that you would almost expect there to be twice as many people on stage. In my previous review of them I described them as difficult to describe, and I stick by my made-up genre of: indie-prog-dream-pop-rock-awesome.
They closed with my favourite song of theirs, "La Façade", and cemented themselves as one of my favourite bands to see live. Pretty impressive after only two short shows.

From there, I had the option of staying on Granville Island and brave what was bound to be an insane line to attempt to see Two Hours Traffic; go down to Holland Park to catch Ryan Dahle and Bend Sinister; or head to the O Zone in Richmond for Jill Barber & Hawksley Workman. I figured because I had seen, and would be willing to pay to see, Two Hours Traffic & Bend Sinister I would give Barber & Workman the chance, since I wasn't sure if I would pay to see them. And also because someone is always raving about how good Workman is live.

Anyway, we got there just in time, as Jill Barber was just hitting the stage. I wasn't too familiar with her outside of a couple songs, but her sultry serenading and adorable stage presence kind of won me over (and don't tell Grant Lawrence, but I think I may be a little bit in love with her after the show). Aside from her own songs, she slipped in a cover of a Leonard Cohen song... that was not Hallelujah. I am as shocked as you! (it was "Dance Me To The End Of Love"). She ended off the show with a sing-a-long of "Oh My My", even changing it at the end, from "Oh my my" and "Please don't let me go" to "Ca-na-da" and "Please just go for gold" (Even though it did end up with a couple of mix-ups of "Please don't go for gold"). The only thing that hurt her was the setting. She managed to make it somewhat intimate, but her music was not meant to be played on a big, open air stage, but rather a small, dimly lit, vaguely smoky room, with a glass of scotch.

Finally was Hawksley Workman, and he was every bit the showman that I have been lead to believe. Even sick, as he mentioned at the start, he managed to put on one hell of a show. And although the only three songs I recognized were the last three he played, he grabbed my attention from the start and never let it go. With his on stage theatrics and engaging, hillarious and/or completely random stories, he had pretty much the whole crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. He even managed to slip in quick covers of other songs, mostly just a verse or chorus inserted into one of his own. Prince, Cheap Trick, Culture Club and A-Ha all got a quick "cover". And you could tell he was having a blast doing what he was doing. He, too, won me over, and I would seriously consider going to see him next time he's in town.

In all, an utterly fantastic night of music. And the best part? It was all for free.