Remembering Jay Smith with Matt Mays, Dustin Bentall, Adam Baldwin, and Odds @ Imperial -- 04/01/15

It is hard to preface an event like this, so I am just going to quote was the organiser Dustin Bentall said in the facebook post:

"In March of 2013 I lost a great friend, Jay Smith. He took his life while out on the road. In an effort to celebrate his beautiful songs and spirit we're throwing a party at The Imperial Vancouver. All proceeds from this show will benefit Unison Benevolent Fund. 

Unison Benevolent Fund is a non-profit organization that provides counselling, emergency relief, and benefit programs for the Canadian music community who face personal or professional challenges due to hardship, illness, unemployment or economic difficulties."

I was actually in attendance for the Matt Mays show in Vancouver, only days after it happened, and it was the most emotionally intense shows I have ever seen. So this night, with a great lineup, paying tribute to Jay Smith, was something that was easy to support.


Starting off the night was "Vancouver's official house band", Odds. They played a quick set of a half-dozen songs from old favourites like the the deceptively upbeat "It Falls Apart" to newer tunes, "He Thinks He Owns You", which is either about a jealous boyfriend, or a jealous dog owner.
As usual, the band was full of energy, lead singer Craig Northy effortlessly chatting between their ridiculously catchy songs. They wrapped up by inviting the first (of many) special guests on stage, Barney Bentall to join in on "Someone Who Is Cool", as well as Cary Pratt (aka Prairie Cat) on percussion.


Next up was Adam Baldwin, a long time member of Matt Mays band with Jay Smith, to play his own material. He started off on stage alone (joking that he opted to drink rum instead of teaching the band his songs) with a couple heartfelt songs off his EP, "Bonnie Raitt" and the single "Love You With My Eyes Closed". After that, he was joined by what was essentially the "house band" of the night, which included Odds' drummer Pat Stewart (who actually played with every single band that night), Rick James Baker, and Brad Ferguson, and later on both Dustin Bentall and Kendel Carson. The full band setup was quite a bit more rockin', and included a cover of "Tush" by ZZ Top, with vocals from Christine Campbell.

At the end of the set, Baldwin invited up a Vancouver band to play one of his favourite songs with him. Which was The Matinée as they played the eternal 'song of the summer' "Young & Lazy" with Adam.


Not long after, the man who organised the whole night (with a fair amount of help as he was quick to point out) Dustin Bentall, with a bit of a dark roots-rock sound. He played a few songs, mostly songs from his recent album You Are An Island, with highlights being the title track and "Shine", both featuring the incredible fiddle of Kendal Carson -- I mean, how many times have you seen someone absolutely shred on the fiddle in a rock show?

After his own set, he quickly brought out a few more musicians, including Shaun Verreault and Jay's sister Chelle Fraser to for a set of some of Jay Smith's songs. It was a rockin' set with songs like "Romantic Fool" and "Hurts Like Hell", as well as a gorgeous song with just Chelle and Kendal on stage called "LA Postcard"


And finally, after a round of raffle draws, prizes donated by some of the night's sponsors, it was time for Matt Mays. He came out with Adam Baldwin for a song that they decided to play just two minutes before hitting the stage, a cover of "May the Wind Take Your Troubles Away".
They were quickly joined by the rest of the band, including, once again, Pat on the drums, and Kendal Carson on the fiddle, as they launched in to a couple songs off his latest, Coyote, both "Indio" and "Take It On Faith" which had the crowd singing along unprovoked.

Carson's fiddle really added a nice depth to the songs, especially on the softer and heartfelt "Loveless", and one of my favourite songs "On The Hood", which got the whole place jumping during the chorus, and once again singing along to lyrics that just seemed perfect for the moment. It was clearly a night that meant a lot to Mays, to see a packed crowd singing along, and that was channelled into the music and his passion while playing.

But the single most emotional moment of the night came as the band took a break, for Matt Mays & Chelle Fraser to share a microphone for an acoustic version of "Chase the Light". It is a song that was written before Smith passed, but has since turned into a perfect tribute to Mays friend. It was an incredible, tearjerking performance, and I doubt there was a single person in the audience without a tear in their eye.

And that wasn't even the end of it; Mays invited everyone back on stage, every person that had played that night, for Adam Baldwin to take over vocals on a cover of The Boss' "Glory Days", the whole venue joining in for one last song.


I have long been a fan of Matt Mays, but without hyperbole or exaggeration, this was the best show I have seen so far this year. It was an incredible night, full of so many talented individuals on stage, remembering their friend and celebrating a good cause.

And if you want to donate to the Unison Benevolent Fund, you can do that right here.


setlist
May the Wind Take Your Troubles Away, Indio, Take It On Faith, Loveless, Tall Trees, On The Hood, Cocaine Cowgirl, Chase the Light, Glory Days [Bruce Springsteen cover].

3am Mixtapes: Episode Sixty Seven: Opening Riffs

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 French songs, but some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Interconnected Bands. 

This week we take a look listen at some songs that grab you right away, with the Top Six Opening Riffs!

Kick into gear with:

"One Big Holiday" by My Morning Jacket
"Gold Guns Girls" by Metric
"3000 Flowers" by Destroyer
"I Love Not Loving You" by Wide Mouth Mason
"Rock Ranger Record" by Matt Mays + El Torpedo
"Hold Your Fire" by Gay Nineties

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

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Forty Nine: Campfires

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 one hit wonders. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Sexy Saxaphone Songs.

This week it's not about the Songs of the Summer, but the Songs of the Summer Nights. Yes, those songs where you can sit under the stars, with some friends, around a roaring fire, the Top Six Campfire Songs!

Sing along with:

"Never Thought That This Would Happen" by Arkells
"Lindsay" by Elliott BROOD
"North Star" by Joel Plaskett Emergency
"Ishmael and Maggie (acoustic)" by The Trews
"Queen of Portland Street" by Matt Mays
"Good Morning Sunshine" by Portage & Main

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

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Twenty Six: Matthews

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 international bands. Or some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Bands That Sounds Nothing Like Their Names Imply.

This week, it's the Top Six Matthews! Even though Matthew is a common name, there seems to be an unnatural amount of Matts in music. Want examples? Here are six (well, actually, nine!)

These are the Matts I know I know:

"Young & Lazy" (acoustic) by The Matinée
"Ode to the Prairies" by Treelines
"Hold on to the Metal" by Royal Canoe
"On the Hood" by Matt Mays & El Torpedo
"Dust On My Collar" by Matthew Barber
"Via Dolorosa" by Matthew Good

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

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Matt Mays @ Imperial -- 11/12/13

Relentlessly touring his latest album, 2012's Coyote, Matt Mays wrapped up his solo acoustic tour at a fairly new Vancouver venue, the Imperial. The last time he was here, Mays sold out the Commodore, so seeing him in a room with less than half the capacity was certainly a treat.

Starting the night was Adam Baldwin, a longtime friend and bandmate of Mays. Baldwin played a short set of about half a dozen songs from his newly recorded EP. It was pretty standard singer/songwriter fare, but Baldwin is a great musician, and his funny and charming banter between his heartfelt songs helped sell it.

Soon after that, Matt Mays slowly took the stage, aided by a pair of crutches, with his only explanation a bit later in the show with a succinct "hot tub party".
Taking a seat, he pulled out his acoustic guitar and harmonica and launched into "Plan" from the self titled Matt Mays & El Torpedo album. He played the first couple of songs alone, the heartbreaking "Loveless" and "Season to Leave" from his old band The Guthries, flubbing a bit of the lyrics on the latter. Any other show it would have been detrimental, but the very loose and laid back atmosphere of the show was forgiving. He jokingly blamed his codeine and T3s, and as the set went on, it just got more and more relaxed. Mays joked with both the crowd and with Adam Baldwin, who came out to join him for the rest of the set. The two needled each other like only old friends could, making the show feel less like a sold out venue, and more like a friend's living room.
Baldwin backed up Mays, going between guitar for songs like a nice rendition of the usually dark "The Past" and keys, for the more upbeat "Digital Eyes". Other highlights included "Queen of Portland Street" and the final song of the main set, "Terminal Romance"; usually an intense and passionate song, the acoustic version really emphasised the heartache of the lyrics.
But after a standing ovation, Mays hobbled back on stage for a few more; starting with a very moving performance of "Chase the Light", essentially dedicated to Jay Smith, that ended in a beautiful sing along.  He brought Baldwin back on stage so he could take over vocals on a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm Going Down", and they wrapped up the night with a quintessential campfire song, "On The Hood".

Mays has long been one of my favourite performers; his full band shows are raw and emotional and intense, and while the acoustic show was a lot more toned down, it was much more intimate, and no less emotional.

setlist
The Plan, Loveless, Season to Leave [The Guthries], The Past, Indio, Take It On Faith, [unknown song], Digital Eyes, Spoonful of Sugar, Tall Trees, Queen of Portland Street, City of Lakes, Terminal Romance.
(encore) Chase the Light, I'm Going Down [Bruce Springsteen cover], On The Hood.

3am Mixtapes: Episode Eight: Songelgängers

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 like Best Duos, or they can be as obscure and specific as Best Septets.

This week, we take a look at the strange phenomenon where two musicians, completely independent of each other, come up with songs that happen to have the exact same name. And I don't mean song titles like "Home" or "Run" or "Tonight", but ones that are a little less common. So here it is, your Top Six Doppelgänger Songs, or Songelgängers!

Featured on this week's podcast is:

"Pledge of Allegiance" by Matthew Good
"Pledge of Allegiance" by Louis XIV
"Phantom Limb" by The Shins
"Phantom Limb" by Wide Mouth Mason
"Loveless" by Said the Whale

"Loveless" by Matt Mays

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



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Matt Mays @ Commodore -- 03/28/13

To say it was an emotional show would be a massive understatement. Only a couple days before Matt Mays was set to return to the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, his longtime friend and guitarist Jay Smith was found dead in a hotel room in Edmonton.
With what I can only imagine to be a heavy heart, Mays announced that they would finish up the last couple dates of the tour, with all proceeds going into a trust fund set up for Smith's family.
There is also a paypal link on the front page of Mays' website, which you can also donate to, if you missed the show.

I got to the Commodore part way through the first band of the night, Vancouver's We Hunt Buffalo. They were in the top three of the 2102 Fox Seeds competition, and they were pretty much exactly what you would expect from a "Fox Rocks" band. Loud, heavy guitars, hard drumming, and gruff vocals, they were very much a grungy, garage rawk band. And while they certainly were not bad at what they did, it was just not my thing.

Next up was July Talk. I had heard one song from them in rotation on CBC Radio 3, but didn't know what to expect, but they impressed me almost right away. Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay share vocals, with a huge contrast between his whiskey and cigarette fuelled rasp and her soft yet powerful voice; the two voices shouldn't mix, and yet they do so very well. The pair also had a great energy and playfulness on stage, constantly moving around and interacting with other members of the band, a few times Peter getting in Leah's face, and her teasingly shoving him away. And the playfulness didn't end on stage, Leah at one point borrowed the sunglasses of a fan up front for a song, and tossed her scarf to someone else mid-way through the set.
Their obvious passion for playing was infectious, and their blues-twinged rock, from the incendiary stomper, "The Garden" to the final song of the night, the catchy "Paper Girl". The band definitely gained a fan that night (me), and I would love to see them again next time they're in town.

And finally, it was time for Matt Mays. The band came out carrying a single lit candle, and immediately launched into "Indio", the first song from his most recent album Coyote. Mays has always been raw and passionate when performing, but his emotion really came through tonight. Songs like "Loveless" just oozed raw emotion, and lyrics became much more poignant. In "Dull Knife" Mays crooned "In this vicious life we lead / give us grace / give us speed" and later in the set, during "City of Lakes", he took special care with the suddenly heartbreaking line "I lost a friend in this past year / I miss his guitar playing in my ear"
But the most emotional moment was part way through the set when the band took a brief break and Mays introduced the sombre "Chase the Light" as a song for anyone feeling lost. By the end, the entire crowd was singing along, followed by at least a full minute of the most heartfelt applause imaginable. Mays was visibly moved, taking a moment to compose himself before moving on to "Travellin'", the band slowly joining him before it burst into another big sing-along.
He ended the main set with "Cocaine Cowgirl", building into a massive ending, but was back out for the usual encore with one of my all time favourite songs, the heartwrenching and epic "Terminal Romance", and brought the night -- and the tour -- to an end with July Talk joining the band on stage for "On The Hood".

And as the band was leaving the stage, Matt Mays and his band stopped in the middle of the stage, picked up the still burning candle and huddled around it for a moment, before going.

setlist
Indio, Stoned, Take it on Faith, Loveless, 13 Days [JJ Cale cover], Tall Trees, Dull Knife, Chase the Light, Travellin', Move Your Mind, City of Lakes, Cocaine Cowgirl.
(encore) Terminal Romance, On The Hood.

Matt Mays @ Commodore -- 10/24/12

I was lucky enough to catch Matt Mays during NXNE -- his set being a highlight of the festival -- but it's been a while since the shaggy Dartmouth rocker has visited Vancouver. But fresh off the release of his first album in four years, Mays embarked on a cross country tour that finally brought him  back to the west coast.

Opening the night was PEI's The Meds. Their self-titled debut EP was produced by Matt Mays, and his influence was pretty evident on their east coast rock sound. The band had a rocking sound and a good energy on stage, getting the slowly building crowd to clap along, and lead singer Kyle Drake came right up to the edge of the stage a few times. One song that stood out was the catchy "Dial Tones of the Earth", but while they were a solid band, there wasn't much to set them apart.

Up next was a late addition to the show, Vancouver's own The Matinée. The five piece roots rock band started, as they usually do, with "L'Absinthe" and it wasn't long before they got the crowd stomping along to "Sweet Water". Another highlight was their brand new single, the anthemic "Young & Lazy" and they managed to top the energy from the rest of the set as they ended with "The Road", with its giant percussion breakdown.
I been able to see them a ridiculous amount of times in the last year, but I never get tired of seeing them play live. All five members always have a great energy on stage, especially Layzell, who is a great frontman; not only does he have a fantastic stage presence, and charisma to spare, but he knows when to fade into the background and let the focus shift to someone else -- usually Matt Rose shredding on the guitar -- which is sometimes a rare skill for lead singers.

And finally, it was back to the east coast for Nova Scotia's Matt Mays. The band took the stage and exploded with the first track off of the new album Coyote, "Indio", going into a few more from the album. As always, Mays had an amazing energy. Hardly standing still for a moment through the whole set, he did a great job at getting the crowd into it right off the bat. A couple other highlights from the new album were the twangy "Loveless" and the more rockin' "Ain't That The Truth".
Part way through the set, the band took a brief break as Matt pulled out the Grestch White Falcon for a few solo songs, including "Queen of Portland Street" and "Travellin'" where the band to slowly join him and build to a huge ending with a giant sing along. He ramped the energy right back up with raucous "Rock Ranger Records", the funky "Madre Padre", and a pair of old songs that once again got everyone singing, "City of Lakes" and one of my favourites, "On The Hood" to end the set.
But of course, they were back for a couple more. Matt came out alone first, getting behind the keys for the soft and beautiful "Your Heart" before the band to rejoin him for one of my absolute favourite songs, the incredibly powerful "Terminal Romance", with Mays dripping raw emotion and heartache as he spat out the words. And as if that wasn't enough, they wrapped up nearly two hours after the start of the set with "Cocaine Cowgirl", and one last big sing along.

Mays always puts on a fantastic show, so full of raw energy, and tonight was no different. Hopefully it won't be another couple years before he makes his way back.

setlist
Indio, Stoned, Take It On Faith, Loveless, Tall Trees, Dull Knife, Rochambo, Never Saw it Comin', Spoonful of Sugar, Queen of Portland Street, Chase the Light, Travellin', Ain't That The Truth, Rock Ranger Records, Madre Padre, City of Lakes, On The Hood.
(encore) Your Heart, Terminal Romance, Cocaine Cowgirl.

Shows of October

As the fall rolls along, the shows just keep coming. October looks to be another packed month, and here are the five(ish) shows I'm looking forward to most.
And I'm posting this a few days early to make sure enough people know about....



October 1st: Dirty Three at the Biltmore
You may know them from their work with Nick Cave, but Australian trio are back for their first album in seven years. The instrumental Towards The Low Sun is dense and chaotic and brilliant, and I can't wait to see how it translates live. 

October 19th: Big Sugar w/ Wide Mouth Mason at the Commodore
Reprising their Big & Wide tour from last year, the two iconic Canadian blues rock bands team up once again to storm the Commodore. They've also got Ontario's The Balconies in tow, who I've heard about for a while now and am looking forward to checking out.
It's their first of two shows, which is good because the second night conflicts with...

October 20th: Royal Wood at the Rio Theatre
I haven't had the chance too see Royal Wood live before, always missing the shows, and I can't think of a better venue for him than the Rio Theatre. 

October 24th: Matt Mays at the Commodore
It's been a few years since Mays has been through Vancouver, but I was lucky enough to catch him during NXNE in June, and he was better than ever. Now that his new album, Coyote, is out 
Of course, it's a tough call when on the same night is...

October 24th: Bahamas & Jason Collett at the Rio Theatre
This one is going to be hard to miss. Last time I saw the two together was during the Bonfire Ball with Zeus, which is still one of my favourite shows. I may yet try and figure out a way to at least see Jason, then run over and see Mays at the Commodore...

October 27th: Aidan Knight at the Rio Theatre

Much like Royal Wood, the Rio just seems like it will be the perfect venue for Mr. Knight. The show is just in time for his new album, Small Reveal, which is one of my most anticipated albums of the rest of the year. 

And of course, the Peak Performance Project is still running at the Red Room through the month. With three showcases left, we'll still hear from Maurice, Dominique Fricot, Portage & Main and many more. The first two showcases have been pretty swell, so don't miss them. 

North by North East: Saturday

Saturday was the day I was looking forward to most for NXNE. It was the day packed with seemingly everything I wanted to do, and while I had to sacrifice some things (missing Limblifter was a bit of a blow) it still ended up the best night of the festival.

It started off with the second annual CBC Radio 3 Listener Picnic, with R3 listeners descending upon Trinity Bellwood park to hang out and meet up -- many meeting for the first time outside the internet. Portage & Main, Zach Gray & Adrian Glynn (who prefer to be called "Emperor of the North, aka Murder on the Canadian, aka The Caboose Boys" for branding purposes and who climbed a tree to play above everyone), Jeremy Fisher, Ian Foster, and The Matinee all played short, acoustic sets to the gathering of R3 listeners and hosts Grant Lawrence and Craig Norris.

Later on it was more free shows at Yonge-Dundas Square. One of the bands I was most interested to see was of Montreal, since I had never had the chance to see them live but heard many good things. They took the stage in costumes and a bit of makeup, starting off with "Suffer For Fashion", living up to their reputation of an eclectic live band with an incredible stage show that features not only the band in costumes, but random others as well, and even short "dramatic scenes" being played out on stage. And not only were the theatrics fun to watch, but the music was solid as well. Kevin Barnes' distinct vocals filled the square, and their energetic and psychedelic pop got the rapidly expanding crowd moving. The too-short-set wrapped up with the manic "She's A Rejecter" and a couple costumed people leaping into the crowd and surfing almost the entire way to the back.

Next up was a band I had heard a lot about, but not much from, Portugal. The Man. I don't know if they lived up to some of the buzz I had heard, but they were a solid and enjoyable live band. A little more subdued rock than the bombastic sounds of the bands that preceded and followed them, with a hint of southern rock in their sound. The set started out good, but by the end it got a little repetitive; they were all excellent musicians, but the set seemed to drag a little, the songs a little samey, and there wasn't much banter or talk between songs, just some mumbled thanks and muttering their name. Aside from their own songs, they had not one, but two Beatles covers in their set, with a pretty good cover of "Helter Skelter" and some of "Hey Jude" in their last song, to get the people in the square singing along. Maybe it's because they were sandwiched between two extremely memorable live bands, but nothing in the set really stood out for me.

Yonge-Dundas Square got more and more packed as it came time for The Flaming Lips. They went on almost half an hour late, which had me getting a little anxious, but as the band emerged from the screen and Wayne Coyne got in his giant zorb to crowd surf, the feeling was a little relieved, and as they released the huge balloons and shot loads of confetti into the air, it was like nothing else mattered.
Starting off, after the crowd surfing, with "Worm Mountain" and a massive sing along to "She Don't Use Jelly" and "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song", the show consisted of the usual amazing sights of a Flaming Lips show. Dancers on either side the the stage, Wayne Coyne shouting/singing through a megaphone, giant hands that shoot lasers and much more.
There was also a very emotional moment mid way through the set, when Wayne paused to speak sombrely about that days stage collapse, which caused the death of a Radiohead crew member and the ultimate cancellation of that show. In sign of respect and solidarity, they covered "Knives Out" and then dedicated a very, very emotional and beautiful "Waiting For A Superman" to the friends and family of the man who lost his life, with Wayne visibly tearing up during the song -- and I'm sure some others in the crowd as well.
There was, however, a bit of a disconnect as the show went on; the square was packed shoulder to shoulder, and the heat was clearly taking its toll on people as there was a span of about twenty minutes where five of six people were being pulled out of the crowd for fainting -- and that was just near me. As amazing as The Flaming Lips are live, you just can't get as into the show when you start to worry about your safety, and the safety of those around you. So while it was still an extremely difficult decision to make, I ended up leaving a couple songs early to make sure I got in to see the next show on my must-see list.

And that act next on my must see list was Matt Mays at Lee's Palace. Having not seen the shaggy Dartmouth rocker in over two years, this was one of the sets I was most excited about for the entire festival; and judging by the size of the crowd, I wasn't the only one. Mays and his band started off with a handful of new songs, which sounded amazing and made me incredibly excited about the new album -- which he didn't go in to detail about. They sounded like you'd expect from Mays, but fresh, not a rehashing of old material, with a couple really standing out. Unfortunately, I didn't get names of any of the new songs, but they got me very excited for the inevitable new album.
After jokingly apologizing about playing only new songs to start, he played a couple songs solo, including "Travellin'", which had a chill-inducing moment -- despite the heat of the venue -- when the rest of the band kicked back in and nearly the entire packed venue sang/yelled along to the chorus.
From there he played a good number of songs from all four of his albums, rocking out to songs like "Tall Trees" and "Rock Ranger Records" and lots more singing along, especially to the ode to his hometown, "City of Lakes", and "Cocaine Cowgirl", which ended the set. But of course, the crowd wasn't having any of it and they were out for the usual encore, first covering The Boss' "Glory Days" and then ending the night with not only one of my favourite Matt Mays songs, but one of my favourite songs period, "Terminal Romance". The raw emotion and heartbreak of the song poured out of Mays, and the emotion in the crowd was palpable. It was pretty much the perfect ending for the night, and as much as I love Matt Mays, I never would have thought on a day where I was seeing both of Montreal and The Flaming Lips as well that his show would be the best of the night.

songs of the indeterminate time period.

Haven't really done this in a while, so here is another instalment of my song(s) of the week month "whenever I feel like it" segment! These are three new songs which strike me and I just feel like sharing, so enjoy!

Nova Scotia's The Tom Fun Orchestra is back with a follow up to their debut full length, 2008's criminally underrated You Will Land With A Thud. While there doesn't seem to be any details on the album itself, the band has released a single to tide us over, entitled "Miles Davis". The song is a six minute ride through the bands style of a mish-mash folk, roots, blues, rock and punk, combined with the lead singers Tom Waits-isn rasp. You'd think something like that would end up a mess, especially with a nine member band of varying instruments, but they pull it together into a incredibly unique -- not to mention catchy -- sound. They're a hard band to describe, so you'll just have to listen to the track to see hear for yourself. If the upcoming album is even half as good as this track, we're in for a doozy.
They are also phenomenal live, and are about to kick off a tour. Here are the dates, and they'll be here in Vancouver August 12, so if you have the chance to see them... do it!

Download Miles Davis by The Tom Fun Orchestra
artists website where you may find out more and exchange monies for music


The awesomely named Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin has released the second song from their upcoming album, Let It Sway. Their third album, which was produced by Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie, is to be released August 17th. "Banned (By The Man)" is a high energy and joyous track that just begs to be sung-along to. Stereogum calls it "probably the most precious pop song ever to be called "Banned (By The Man)"." So sure, let's go with that!

Download Banned (By The Man) by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
artists website where you may find out more and exchange monies for music


Last but not least, another east coast, Nova Scotian rocker, Matt Mays. I swear, there are so many amazing artists who have come out of Nova Scotia... Whatever the case, Mays has alternately released albums under just his own name, and him and his backing band, El Torpedo. Well, now that the band has split, I assume Mays will just be continuing on under his own name. Recently, he recorded a song for radio station Q104 called "Queen of Portland Street" (though it was apparently previously titled "Hurricanes"). The song is immediately recognizable as a Matt Mays tune, which is not necessarily a bad thing, as it is a pretty damn good song.

Download Queen of Portland Street by Matt Mays
artists website where you may find out more and exchange monies for music

Olympic Shenanigans: The Big Finish.

Here it is,: the last few olympic shows. In the last two weeks I managed to see ten free olympic shows, one ticketed show and one CBC Radio 3 session. Sixteen different bands. As much as I wasn't a supporter of the olympics, I have to admit, the shows were unbelievable. Now, if only Vancouver could get a Rifflandia or SxSW type music festival going... Anyway, on to the last few shows:

Thursday, Feb 25
Backtracking a little before the Mangam/Fanshaw/R3 show, Two Hours Traffic was playing Thursday night at the Richmond O Zone. They were opening for Wintersleep, but I was going specifically to see them; especially because I missed the last time they were in town. Even though it was a short set, they managed to play a decent number of songs, kicking things off with the title track from the new album, "Territory". They played a good mix of songs from their oeuvre, though focusing on the newer material. There were a few I hadn't heard live before, like "Drop Alcohol" and "Happiness Burns", so those were especially great to hear. As usual, they were energetic, with a good stage presence, some other highlights were the infectious "Sure Can Start" and the always-fantastic "Heroes of the Sidewalk".
They capped off the set with "Jezebel", and I don't know how many people there knew them beforehand, but judging by the crowds reaction they gained more than a few fans that night. It was a pretty damn good set, and I can't wait until the next time they come through town for a proper show.
setlist:
Territory, Stolen Earrings, Drop Alcohol, Nighthawks, New Love, Wicked Side, Noisemaker, Stuck for the Summer, Sure Can Start, Painted Halo, Heroes of the Sidewalk, Back Seat Sweetheart, Weightless One, I Did What I Could, Happiness Burns, Jezebel.

Saturday, Feb 27
This day was supposed to be a great day of music, and it was... but there just seemed to be a bunch of non-music-related minor annoyances that dampened my enjoyment (no, not the rain).

First up was Matt Mays at Livecity Yaletown. According to both the internet and the radio, he was supposed to start at 6:30, so imagine my surprise when I am standing in line outside and I hear his name being hollered... followed by the familiar strains of "City of Lakes". Luckily, I had gotten there early-ish, so I managed to get in at about 10 after six, only missing a couple of songs. (Also, the guy at the gate was an incredible jerkass). I was disappointed to miss "City of Lakes", since that is one of my favourite songs of his (especially live) and "Tall Trees", but the rest of the set was pretty awesome. Both "What Are We Gonna Do Come The Month of September" and "On The Hood" (another favourite) got extended versions, with the latter including Mays adding some Olympic-hype to it, with the line "A whole lot of gold, for us, for us" repeated. He finished with "Cocaine Cowgirl", which ended with Mays soliciting applause for his band, the city, the athletes and even the people in the apartments overlooking the park, before jumping into the crowd and running off, leaving the band to bring the song to an awesome finish.
The other annoyance was that the set was way too short. Lasting only 40 minutes, he only got to play a handful of songs, so there was a lot I wished he had played. But still, Short-Mays is better than No-Mays, so I was still glad to have heard him. I kind of wish I was able to make it to Atlantic House for his show later that night, but I had other plans.

setlist:
City of Lakes, Tall Trees, Downtown, What Are We Gonna Do Come The Month of September, [mystery song], On The Hood, Cocaine Cowgirl.

Those other plans? The Stills at the O Zone. This marked my seventh time seeing them live, and they were as good as ever, but the annoyances this time were the crowd of obnoxious teenagers and the freaking camera guy, who thought the best possible spot that he could stand was in front of the band. I don't know what kind of idiot he was, but I hope he ends up in the very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theatre.
Anyway! They hit the stage decked out in various hockey jerseys and started off with a song that is always great live, "Snakecharming The Masses". The extra floor tom gives it the extra power, but I do miss the saxamaphone -- the first time I saw the song live it included Dave playing a sax solo, but it was cut out of the album version for some reason.
Playing mostly from their first and third albums (for some reason Without Feathers got no love...) they got through a good blend of hits and fan favourites. Though despite being the headliner of the night, there set was inexplicably only 45 minutes, so again, there were a bunch of songs I was sad they didn't play... but hey, it was free Stills, I can't complain.
setlist:
Snakecharming The Masses, Lola Stars & Stripes, Snow In California, Being Here, Of Montreal, Panic, Everything I Build, Hands On Fire, Gender Bombs, Don't Talk Down, I'm With You.

Now that the real world starts back up again tomorrow, I have a feeling I am going to be going some serious live music withdrawl.

have the time of your life til you're dead.

It was way back ought-four. November the tenth at the Commodore, opening for The Trews, when I first heard Matt Mays and his backing band El Torpedo. I have been a fan ever since.
Alas, it seems today El Torpedo is no more. After two members recently departed the band, one being drummer & producer Tim Jim Baker, Mays has decided to let the name El Torpedo go.
It is a sad, sad day in Canadian music indeed.
True, Matt Mays will continue making music. He has solo albums as well as with El Torpedo, and the new(ish) backing band will, no doubt, be pretty swell... but it's still sad to see any band dissolve, especially when a core member like Baker leaves.

In their honour, here is the title track to their release last year, Terminal Romance. It is almost definitely my favourite song of theirs.


Download Terminal Romance