3am Mixtapes: Episode Ninety Eight: Dance Songs

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 musical team-ups. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs About Death. 

This week we take a look at the Top Six Dance Songs! But maybe not quite what you think...

Shake it to:

"Keep on Dancing" by We Are The City
"Dancefloors" by My Morning Jacket
"Song and Dance Man" by Jason Collett
"Fire on the Dancefloor" by C & C Surf Factory
"Dance Card" by Ciseaux
"Faerie Dance" by Plants & Animals

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

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Ninety Three: White After Labour Day

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 European bands. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs With Curse Words In The Title. 

As summer draws to a close, we have to remember that old rule to NOT wear white after Labour Day. And then we have to take that rule and say "Screw you, rules, I'll wear white whenever I want, you can't tell me what to do!"
And that's why this week is the Top Six Songs Wearing White After Labour Day!

Try these on for size:

"White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes
"Black & White Mountains" by Snowblink
"White Out" by Jets Overhead
"White Bread" by Buck 65
"Too Much To Handle" by Hollerado (from the album White Paint)
"Angel in White" by We Are The City

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

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Seventy Seven: Aquatic

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 songs for Spring. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs About Video Games. 


This week, it's a bunch of bodies of water with the Top Six Aquatic Songs!

Dive in to:

"Lake Song" by The Decemberists
"The City With No Rivers" by Basia Bulat
"Like A River" by My Morning Jacket
"Bottom of the Lake" by We Are The City
"Ocean Song" by High Ends
"Pacific Blue" by Jason Collett

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

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Fifty Seven: Questions?

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 rainy day songs. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs That Have Been Parodied On The Simpsons.

This week is all about the songs that ask tge tough questions, the Top Six Inquisitive Songs?

Query these:

You Man? Human?? by The Flaming Lips (feat. Nick Cave)
Are We Gonna Die? by MeatDraw
I Am, Are You? by We Are The City
Who Are You? by Kathryn Calder
What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way) by Wolf Parade
Question Mark? by Ryan Dahle

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

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Forty Three: Polaris Prize

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 like best drum solos. Some might be a little more... specific. Top six bands that sound nothing like their name implies.

Since the Polaris Music Prize announced their Long List was announced last week, I figure this episode I would take a look at that. And while I am not a part of that jury, why let that stop me from picking my top five from the short list, as well as one overlooked album, on the Top Six Albums I'd Pick Were I A Polaris Juror!

With cuts from nominated albums:

"Julia With Blue Jeans" On by Moonface
"#4" by AroarA
"Itchy Blood" by The Darcys
"Pretty Respectable" by Mounties
"Hall of Mirrors" by YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN
"King David" by We Are The City

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

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Three: Lying on a Hillside

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 Duets, or they can be as obscure and specific as Best Ukulele Songs.

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 Lying on a Hill in the Middle of Summer While Staring Up At The Stars. They're the "songs of the summer", but not the ones about getting lucky or lines that are blurred. Ones that are more introspective; thoughtful songs.

Featured on this week's podcast is:

"Baptism" by We Are The City
"Family Tree" by Evening Hymns
"A Soft Place to Land" by Kathleen Edwards
"Sometimes I Forget You’ve Gone" by Dirty Three
"Lazarus" by Porcupine Tree
"Dondante" by My Morning Jacket

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



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We Are The City @ Vogue -- 07/04/13

Sometimes a lineup comes along that is almost too good to be true, which was the case for We Are The City's album release part. Celebrating their new album, Violet, they stacked the bill with local favourites for an incredible showcase of the city's talent.


Starting the night was an all-too-short set from the violin looping Hannah Epperson. She came out on stage, alone and barefoot, to create beautiful sonic soundscapes using masterful loops of nothing but her violin, sometimes plucking, sometimes tapping on it to get percussive beats.
A couple of the songs were just instrumental, but she added fragile yet captivating vocals to a new song, "Shadowless" and "We Will Host A Party", which ended the set.


After a short turnaround, Jordan Klassen took the stage, alone at first launching in to a song that started soft and tender before the band slowly joined him one by one and the song swelled to a rich ending. It's a formula that a lot of his songs follow, the quiet start with the slow build and climactic finale, and he pulls it off well.
Klassen also has a great energy on stage, full of enthusiasm with his pure joy infecting the audience, and he clearly has fun on stage; as demonstrated when he introduced his bandmates with a rap.
A few old members joined him for "The Horses Are Stuck", which was a very fitting song for a venue like the Vogue. "Sweet Chariot" started with a very impressive vocal display from Jordan and Jocelyn Price, and they wrapped up the set with another high energy ending on "Where Is Your Sound".


The last time I saw The Belle Game, I mused that the Vogue would be a perfect venue for their rich, dark, orchestral pop, and that was certainly the case. The six-piece was at their best, despite a brief microphone issue during "Blame Fiction", as they filled the room with huge songs like "Bruise To Ash", a bit of a sexy slow-jam, and Andrea Lo's incredibly powerful voice captured the crowd, most evident on "River".
The band had a strong energy and stage presence, too, including Katrina sharing a story, confessing their disastrous first show with We Are The City years ago.
They wrapped up the set, as they usually do, with "Wait Up For You", getting people moving and building to an intense ending.
It seems like The Belle Game has been a go-to "opening band" for a lot of local heavyweights recently, and they are always in danger of stealing the show. Soon enough, they'll be the ones headlining the Vogue.


That alone would have been a satisfying show, but of course we still had We Are The City to come. The stage was adorned with a couple video screens, linked to cameras perched on Cayne's keyboards and Andrew's drums, which they moved around throughout the set.
When they took the stage, they launched right into "Bottom Of The Lake", the first song on the new album, exploding with a cacophony of drums. Their dense sound was intricate and layered, creating a much bigger sound than should come from just three musicians.
With a mix of old and new songs, the trio went back to their debut album for "Time, Wasted" and the gorgeous "Astronomers", and played most of their High School EP. "Happy New Year" started only for Cayne to pause the band and urge everyone to "lose it", and restarted with the floor section around the stage jumping wildly, and the entire Vogue singing along.
The trio was in awe of the support of the fans, expressing how they were incredibly grateful to be there a few times, and they were feeding off their crowd's energy with their own amazing and intense energy, backing their gratitude.
Among the new songs, highlights were the emotion-filled "King David", the calm and hypnotic "Friends Hurt" -- during which Andy dove into the crowd to surf a little -- and "Baptism", a beautiful song that bursts into a massive ending.
And the ending seemed like a definitive one -- the band even choosing "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House as the first song to play over the PA after they walked off stage -- but in what may have been a rare "actual encore", Cayne came back out alone to play one more song, "Mourning Song" after someone in the crowd shouted it out (unless he was calling for the similarly named "Morning Song")

We Are The City has been one of my favourite local bands since just about the first time I saw them live, when I knew they were going to be big, and it was incredible to see them perform in a venue like the Vogue. They've more than earned it.

setlist
Bottom Of The Lake; Legs Give Out; Get Happy; Time, Wasted; King David; That's It, That's All; Astronomers; An Angel in White; Happy New Year; Friends Hurt; Dark/Warm Air; Baptism. 
(encore) Mourning Song.

Toque Sessions: We Are The City @ CBC Vancouver -- 02/15/13

Now in their fourth year, the CBC Toque Sessions is a series of free shows at the CBC Vancouver building, featuring some great local talent, and recorded for later broadcast on CBC Radio 2 and CBC Music.


One of the Sessions I was most looking forward to this season was We Are The City. Andy, Cayne, and David (back after a brief sabbatical front the band) have just put the finishing touches on their new album, and they decided to debut it for the crowd in Studio 1 of CBC Vancouver. Rolling out the new album front-to-back, it was the first time most of these songs were being performed for an audience.

Bursting to life with a chaotic cacophony of drums, the album was far more rich and layered than you would expect from just three musicians, with the intricate songs ranging from soft and slow to energetic and rocking -- sometimes even within the same song. It was as far a leap ahead of the High School EP as that was from their debut, In A Quiet World.

Some songs that stood out were a spacey and nostalgic (lyrically, not musically) song possibly called "Home Videos" and another possibly called "Shooting Star" which saw Cayne on a grand piano. But the last couple songs were my favourites; first "Baptism" which wove from great three part harmonies to dense and breathtaking guitar riffs, and then the final song, "Punch My Face" which starts with just Cayne on the piano -- absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking -- before building to an intense wall of sound to close out the album.

For the most part, the band stuck to playing, but they paused a couple times to chat with the crowd. In true WATC fashion, they rambled on entertainingly, interrupting and interjecting into each others stories. Their banter has never felt like practiced "stage banter", rather a couple friends just telling stories and joking around, making you feel that these are a bunch of guys you want to hang around and talk to about celebrity spottings or Community.

The first time I saw them a few years ago I was impressed, and they've only grown exponentially. If this performance was any indication (and why wouldn't it be?) their new album is going to be incredible, and it is definitely one of my most anticipated albums of the spring.

Sing It Forward @ Vogue -- 01/10/13

A year (and change) ago, David Vertesi & Ambrosia Humphrey brought together nearly a dozen of the finest musicians from the local scene for the first Sing It Forward, an evening benefiting the kids of the St James Music Academy. It was such a huge success that they decided to do it again this year, with a lineup no less impressive.

Trimmed to eight from last year's eleven -- which made the pacing of the show much nicer -- each act played a short acoustic or stripped down set, with quick turnovers. There were also a few videos playing between sets, usually showing the bands either interacting or playing songs with the kids from the academy, showing their effort to support the kids went deeper than just playing at the show.

Starting off the night was Andy Huculiak and Cayne McKenzie, two thirds of We Are The City. They played a couple new songs, teasing their upcoming album, which were amazing. Dark and moody, but quite catchy; definitely had me excited to hear the full thing. They ended with "That's All" from their most recent EP, High School.

Victoria's Aidan Knight was up next with part of his band, Julia Wakal & Olivier Clements (jokingly dubbing themselves "The Aidan Knight Chamber Trio Orchestra"). They played mostly newer songs, from last year's Small Reveal, starting with "A Mirror" and then the contemplative "Master's Call", and then getting everyone to hum along to the end of "Magic Cupboards".

Next up was the combined forces of Hannah Georgas and Mother Mother's Ryan Guldemond. Starting with Hannah's "Enemies" and then Ryan's "I Go Hungry", they traded off songs, backing each other up. They also brought out some help, first Hannah bringing out Shad to sing backup on "Waiting Game" and they wrapped up their portion with all the kids from the St James Music Academy coming out to join in on (a slightly cleaned up version of) Mother Mother's "Bit By Bit"

The first half of the night ended with a secret surprise guest, none other than Dan Mangan. He played a couple songs, first flanked by Vertesi and Knight for a cover of David Bazan's "Strange Negotiations" and then the SJMA kids joining him for "Oh Fortune", the line "nice to have the kids around" being especially poignant and heartwarming.

After an intermission, the SJMA kids came back for a song of their own, and then slam poet  C.R. Avery took the stage. First showing off his unique harmonica beat boxing, then taking a seat at the keyboard for a song. For his last song, he was joined by Hey Ocean's Andrew Rasmussen on the keys for more of a spoken word number.

Shad was up next with one of the best moments of the night; he was joined by Vertesi and Andy & Cayne as his backing band for a great remix of We Are The City's "Happy New Year". They stayed to back him up for his own song, "Exile", and then he ended his set alone, with the spoken word soliloquy from the end of "Live Forever"

An acoustic Yukon Blonde was up next, joined by Matt Kelly on keys. Their usually high energy set was calmed down, but no less impressive, especially their stellar harmonies. They played some of their mellower songs, "Loyal Man" and one they said they don't get to play too often, "Guns".

And finally, wrapping up the night was Hey Ocean! After starting with "Big Blue Wave", they kept the collaborative spirit of the night going, with Shad and Avery joining them for "Vagabond", then as they went into a cover of Arcade Fire's "Sprawl II", The Aidan Knight Chamber Trio Orchestra jumped on stage to join them joined them. Finally, they invited not only the kids, but all the musicians of the night back on stage for a cover of Annie Lennox's "Walking On Broken Glass" for a huge, heartwarming ending.

I said on my blog post for the last one "It would be cliché to call it a magical night, but there is hardly any better description", and that rings true to this year as well. It was an amazing night, with everyone from the musicians to the venue donating their time and effort, so all the proceeds could go towards the SJMA, and I can only imagine what it must have been like for the kids themselves who were involved.

We Are The City w/ Treelines & Fields of Green @ Rio Theatre -- 12/10/11

Two years ago -- to the day -- was the first time I saw We Are The City live. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. They quickly became one of my favourite "local" bands (being from Kelowna), and I have probably seen them a dozen times since. Even the brief departure of David Menzel didn't slow them down, but last night was the first Vancouver show with him back. And along with them was a couple other Kelowna transplants -- and Peak Performance Project alumni -- for a killer lineup at the Rio Theatre.

First up was Fields of Green, and right off the bat I noticed their energy, particularly that of drummer, who is almost a human analog of Animal from The Muppets, with wild arms flailing. They had a bit of a synthy, prog rock driven sound and some pretty catchy songs, with a few new ones in the set, as they had just finished recording a new album and part way through the set they switched things up with the keyboardist taking over on guitar for a few songs, and switching up lead vocals for another.
When I saw them earlier this year, I thought they were quite good, and really fun to watch, but a bit green, and I thought they have really improved in just the last couple months. I am definitely looking forward the the upcoming album, and their next show.

Treelines was up next, starting their set off with a bang by high-kicking right in to the rocking "Ghost Towns". As usual they, they had a great energy, especially lead singer Matt Lockhart, but especially his brother and bassist Steve, who never fails to amuse me by singing along to every word of the set, even though he rarely has a microphone in front of him.
Mid-way through the set they brought things down for a moment with the heartbreaking "When I Get Grown", which saw Matt Kelly on slide guitar, and the title track for their new digital EP, Courage, which starts slow but swells to a grand finish.  After a couple more they ended the set ended with catchy "Ode to the Prairies", and that awkward moment where someone in the front threw a bra at Steve, who didn't seem too amused by it (keep in mind, it was an all ages show). Treelines always put on a fun, rocking show and this was no exception.

And finally, We Are The City hit the stage to a bit of a haunting intro and kicked off with "Happy New Year", garnering a fair amount of singing along. The set was a mix of new and old, with Menzel nailing the guitar parts from the High School EP and the trio sounding better than ever. When I first saw them, I was amazed by how tight they were, and they have gotten exponentially better since then, with a great stage presence and an incredible energy; especially Andy who is up and down more than any drummer I've seen. They also have some of the best banter, which seems less like "stage banter" and more like three friends chatting with you, which is highlighted in the way Cayne & Andy play off each other and interact.
As for the set itself, highlights included the beautiful "April" and the intense "Astronomers", both from In A Quiet World, a newer, unreleased song called "The Birds" which ebbs and flows, and "Mourning Song" off their most recent 7", with an amazing outro/transition between that and "Dark/Warm Air", which saw Andy on vocals and has a bass line that thumps right to your core.
Early in the set I was ever so slightly disappointed that they did not play the entire High School EP in order, with the Amazing Factory video playing on the big screen behind them, but that disappointment was sated when they launched into "Dark/Warm Air" and the video came on screen. That was the "last" song, but they were back out for "Angel in White", with the video projected for that song as well.

My only squabble was that there was a slight buzzing for the entirety of We Are The City's set, and while it wasn't always noticeable, there were a few times during the softer parts of the song where it was; but aside from that, it was an incredible set, and an incredible night of three great bands.

Best of 2011: Albums: Haiku Edition

Okay, so I definitely fell behind this year when it came to album posts and reviews. But that's not going to stop me from subjecting you to yet another Best of 2011 list, which will be my favourite albums of 2011, in -- what else? -- haiku form. It's actually going to be less of a "best of" and more of a "personal favourite". I completely acknowledge that there may have been, technically, better albums this year; but some of those "better" ones I just couldn't get into for some reason *cough*Feist*cough*
So here it is. While the list is not numbered, it is in a vague order of "least-best" to "best", and I've included EPs as well as LPs because why not, that's why.

The King Is Dead by The Decemberists
Back down to basics
Strong songwriting from Meloy
As you would expect

Diaper Island by Chad VanGaalen

Refined and focused
Soaring vocals, instruments
On top of his game

Days Into Years by Elliott BROOD

Suitably toned down
War memorial inspired
Brilliant songwriting

Portage & Main by Portage & Main

A solid debut
Strong folk rock, heartfelt lyrics
Great blend of voices

Eureka by Mother Mother

Infectious and fun
But not without some darkness
Stellar shared vocals

Orchard by Jess Hill

Incredible voice
Beautiful and haunting songs
Mesmerizing folk

Michigan Left by Arkells

A bit more polished
But still more fun rock and roll
A strong follow-up

The Whole Love by Wilco

More adventurous
Bookended with two great songs
Their best in a while

Let's All March Back Into The Sea by The Liptonians

Cacophonous sound
A whole host of instruments
And clever lyrics

Summer of Lust by Library Voices

Energetic songs
Sharp, intelligent lyrics
Pop at its finest

No Bad Days by Wide Mouth Mason

Six years since their last
New bassist Gordie Johnson
Haven't missed a step

We're All Friends & Lovers Until It Falls Apart EP by Redbird

Strong, lovely voice
Coupled with great songwriting
Wonderful debut

Seeds by Hey Rosetta!

Heartbreaking lyrics
Symphonic and grandiose
Complex yet catchy

We're All Dying To Live by Rich Aucoin

Highly ambitious
Perfect, cinematic flow
Brilliantly unique

Apocalyptic Radio Cynic by Sidney York

Insanely catchy
Clever, sexy, sometimes dark
Power-pop with depth

Temporary Resident by Imaginary Cities

Take one stellar voice
One stupendeous musician
For near perfect pop

Kaputt by Destroyer

Rich, dense, and jazz-y
Lyrically ambiguous
Very beautiful

Oh Fortune by Dan Mangan

Darker and more dense
Rich music, poignant lyrics
Exponential growth

Take Care, Take Care, Take Care by Explosions in the Sky

Crashing crescendos
Breathtaking rises and falls
Far beyond "epic"

High School EP by We Are The City

More going on here
Than most have in a full length
Nearly perfection

Degeneration Street by The Dears

All-star Dears line-up
From the brink of destruction
Better than ever

Lights of Endangered Species by Matthew Good

Full of emotion
Amazingly orchestral
A career highlight

hey you, listen to these!

Yup, it's another "songs of the indeterminate time period", with a trio of new and nifty songs you should check out.

  We Are The City - Morning Song by killbeat music
Oh man! I have seen this song live so many times, and I am glad it finally exists in physical (or digital) form. From We Are The City's upcoming 7", it's "Morning Song". It'll be paired with "Mourning Song" (see what they did there?) and the 7" will be released in September on Adventure Boys Club.

  Go To Me - Jordan Klassen by JordanKlassen
While I have heard the name Jordan Klassen fairly frequently, I have to admit I hadn't heard much (or any) of his music. Until the other day with the release of his new single "Go To Me". It starts soft and builds to a grand, and pretty damn catchy climax. It's from Repentance, due out in November.



Since I first caught his disease six years ago, I've had a soft spot for Aussie pop-rocker Ben Lee. His newest album, Deeper Into Dream (his eighth solo album!) was produced at his home studio and the first single, "Get Used To It" is pretty much as poppy as you would expect it to be, but like a lot of Lee's music, the lyrics might not quite as upbeat as the music.

Summer Live w/ Hey Ocean!, We Are The City, The Belle Game & Aidan Knight @ Stanley Park -- 07/10/11

It was the final night of Summer Live, a free outdoor festival at Brockton Point in Stanley Park to celebrate the 125th birthday of Vancouver (see bloggery about night two here) and they were determined to keep the great bands coming -- as well as the headache and heartbreak of overlapping schedules.

The day started a little earlier than the previous, for me anyway, as Victoria's Aidan Knight took the Trail Stage at 4pm to a nice sized crowd. He started off the set with "Friendly Fires", off his latest 7", followed by a couple of new ones -- one of which I had heard before and really like, which I dub "Jean Baptiste" (playing the guess-the-name-of-the-new-song game). A couple songs in he realised he forgot a capo, so while flugelhorn-extraordinaire Julia Wakal ran to grab it, it was Story Time with Aidan Knight. That, combined with a story he told later about "North East South West", were great examples of Knight's charmingly awkward banter. There was another new one in the set, the incredibly beautiful "Margaret Downe", and he played the song "The Sun" just as the star The Sun was coming out from behind the clouds. And after an intense ending to "Knitting Something Nice For You", the set came to a close as Aidan's shows usually do; With an extended intro to draw out the anticipation, he launched in to "Jasper", with many people singing along. As usual, a great set from Aidan, and I was relieved as the Trail Stage seemed to have better sound that the main stage, one thing that bugged me the previous day.

setlist
Friendly Fires, Jean Baptiste[?], new, Altar Boys, Margaret Downe, The Sun, Land's End, North East South West, Knitting Something Nice For You, Jasper.

Up next was The Belle Game, once again joined by Andrew Lee of The Ruffled Feathers. With their rich and textured chamber pop sound, I was interested to see how they would turn out on an outdoor stage, and they managed to sound pretty amazing, unsurprisingly. They were incredibly tight and brimming with so much energy that they were just fun to watch.
Along with their own songs, they slipped in a pretty good cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire", and they ended with what was probably my favourite of the set, "I Left This Place". But as they were called back out for an encore by the persistent cheering, they shyly came back and admitted they didn't know any more songs, and if they did do one more, it would be one they already played. The crowd did not seem to care in the slightest and they returned to [re]play their single "Sleep To Grow", which was... interesting. Definitely the first time I had seen that done. But they managed to make it fresh and it was definitely memorable.

There was a bit of a lull next, some time to relax and I caught the last bit of the VSO and the first song from Spirit of the West on the main stage before heading back for Kelowna's We Are The City. No matter how many times I see them live (pretty sure this was number 12), they never fail to blow my mind with how good they are. And last night was no exception, as they all so intense. They sounded as good as ever, and the "new" guitarist Blake has meshed with Andy & Cayne incredibly well.
The set started with a twist and Andy on vocals for "Dark/Warm Air", before Cayne took over again for "Morning Song". Each and every member had unparalleled energy; Cayne jumping around when he could, Blake breaking the strap on his guitar from rocking out so hard, and Andy needing a new kick pedal at one point. There was also the usual funny banter, including tales of Cayne & Andy attending a wedding dressed as pirates, and Andy (reluctantly) showing off his chest hair, which is not quite at Sean Connery levels of fur, to what he thought was just the front row, but he forgot about the jumbotrons.
After a few more songs, including "Time, Wasted" -- which at least one person in the crowd was actually in tears for (not me) -- and one of my favourites, "Astronomers", Cayne took over guitar duties for "1987", which led into "An Angel In White", and they ended off the set with "Get Happy". They too were being cheered for an encore, but Andy came out apologetically and said that was all they had, and thanked everyone again.
Seeing them live always just reinforces why they are one of my favourite bands.

setlist
Dark/Warm Air, Morning Song, There Are Very Tiny Beasts In The Ground, Happy New Year, Time Wasted, That's It That's All, April, Astronomers, 1987, An Angel In White, Get Happy.

Then was time for an incredibly difficult decision: Dan Mangan or Hey Ocean!. Aside from a couple songs at the Valentine's Day show, I hadn't seen Hey Ocean! in a little over a year, and had seen Dan thrice since then, so using that logic, I stuck to the Trail Stage for Ashleigh Ball, David Vertesi and Dave Beckingham, or as they're collectively know, Hey Ocean!. They were joined by a few others to round out the band, including Devon Lougheed of Beekeeper, and I had forgotten what an incredibly fun band they are to watch live. All the members full of energy, especially Devon, but especially lead singer/flautist Ashleigh Ball, who was dancing and twirling all over the stage.
They had a ton of fun with their songs, too. "Fish" came complete with the bubble makers, and there were a few covers slipped in. One full song -- "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes which ended with all the members huddled around the drum kit playing it -- and a few songs ended with a couple verses added on to the end. "Make A New Dance Up", my favourite of their new songs, ended with "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", "Jolene" went into Coldplay's "Fix You" and there was a little of "Where It's At" by Beck at the end of "Beatboxer (Who Broke My Heart)", the song that epitomized the band's sheer amount of fun; Ball's rapping, Beckingham's beatboxing, and Devon playing MC as each member exuded joy.
They ended the night with another highlight of the set, a song I didn't catch the name of, but featured a little bit of harmonized rapping at the beginning. Yeah.
And while I am a little sad I didn't get to see Dan, didn't see 10,000 people singing "Robots" or see Aidan join him on stage to sing "Jasper", I do not at all regret picking Hey Ocean!, as they put on an incredibly fun show.

In all it was a spectacular couple of days, and I really hope the city decides to do something similar (if not on as big a scale) next year. Who says birthdays have to be celebrated on fives and tens?

West Coast Pop! w/ We Are The City, Aidan Knight & Analog Bell Service @ Red Room -- 03/03/11

With no offence meant to all other artists in the West Coast Pop series, this was the show I was most looking forward to. I hadn't seen either Aidan Knight or We Are The City play live in too long, and add Analog Bell Service to the bill? Forget about it. There was no contest.

Three vested gentlemen hit the stage as Analog Bell Service kicked off the night. Early on they mentioning it was their last show as the band, but hinted that they would be evolving into something more, by playing some new songs for a different project. It was as set full of fun and energy, with all three members having great chemistry -- especially the joking/banter between Colin Cowan & Chris Kelly. Among the set was their usual cool, and kind of dark, cover of "Sunglasses At Night" and "I Guess", which they ended with, and somehow managed to top the energy of the rest of their set. I'm definitely sad that it was their last show, but I glad to have seen it, and I am intrigued to find out what comes next.

Next up was Aidan Knight and his Friendly Friends. He played a good mix of songs from Versicolour and newer, starting off with, "Friendly Fires" with the rest of the band kicking in as it built up. He mentioned a few times, when chatting between songs with his charmingly-awkward banter, that he was happy to be there, playing with We Are The City and for everyone, and his enthusiasm shone through into his performance.
After another pair of new songs, the hauntingly beautiful "Margaret Downe" and another one which I didn't get the name of -- and so playing 'guess a new songs name', I dub it "Jean-Baptiste" -- he ended the set with the usual pairing of "Knitting Something Nice" and "Jasper". The former building to an intense ending and the latter is still incredibly fun to sing along to. And just about everyone else in the sold out Red Room seemed to think so, as well.
There was a bit of a technical issue, though, as I could hear a faint buzz throughout the set. It was not, however, terribly distracting and mostly just noticeable when Aidan was talking, or especially quiet parts. And it did not stop it from being the best show I've seen Aidan play yet.

setlist
Friendly Fires, Land's End, Altar Boys, North South East West, Margaret Downe, Jean Baptiste[?], Knitting Something Nice, Jasper.

And finally, it was time for We Are The City. It had been a while since I saw them live, back in October (which is weird, since I had seen them ten times in the ten months prior), so I was not only anxious to see them, but interested in seeing the new guitarist, Blake Enemark, for the first time. They hit the stage with the first two tracks off the new EP, High School, amping up the energy right off the bat.
Not that I was unsure, but any doubt I had about Blake were erased, especially after "Time Wasted", and both Cayne and Andy were as passionate as ever -- I always think Andy is going to tear right through the drums with the amount of intensity he puts into playing.
Half way through the set, there was an incredible moment where Cayne, after a little work and pleading, silenced nearly the whole song out room to play the beautiful "Angel In White". He didn't quite achieve perfect silence, but it was an impressive feat nonetheless. That was followed by "Dark/Warm Air" which is the bands first song to have Andy on vocals, and they "ended" with a crowd favourite, "Astronomers". But after some heavy encore chants they came back out for one more -- the only other song they knew with Blake -- "1987", which had Cayne on guitar.
Like Aidan, they too were visibly excited to be playing to a sold out crowd. There was one moment during "Beasts" where everyone was clapping and singing along, and when the crowd got louder than Cayne, there was a giant grin, a look of indescribable joy on his face. It was more than obvious that the three of them were more excited to be playing than the crowd was to be watching them.

And again, much like Aidan, it was probably the best show I have seen from the band. I first saw them a little over a year ago -- and have seen them many times since -- and it's been incredible to watch them progress as a band.

setlist
Get Happy, Happy New Year, There Are Very Tiny Beasts In The Ground, Time Wasted, That's It That's All, April, Angel In White, Dark/Warn Air, Astronomers.
[encore] 1987.

CBC Radio 3 Searchlight 2011

So CBC Radio 3 released the long list for their latest Searchlight contest today, which is for Canada’s Best Music Website. And guess who is on it? That's right, your friendly neighbourhood 3am Revelations. You can find out more information, or see the near-150 sites nominated by clicking the fancy pictographic they supplied, or go directly here and vote. There are a lot of amazing sites on the list, so I won't be terribly offended if you don't vote for me. But on the other hand, it would be all sorts of awesome if you did.


And just so this isn't completely self-serving, here is the brand new We Are The City song, from their upcoming EP High School, released by Adventure Boys Club. It's a pretty darn nifty song, and makes me quite excited for March 22.


Download Happy New Year

Tokyo Police Club (w/ Arkells & We Are The City) @ Commodore -- 10/02/10

I feel like a broken record saying this, but I have been incredibly lucky with lineups this year. Meaning, I have seen more than a few shows where every single band playing has been stellar. The latest was a little spontaneous, as the original opener, The Meligrove Band, had to drop out of the western tour dates due to vehicular problems. But instead of just leaving it with Tokyo Police Club and Arkells, they had to replace them. With We Are The City. I hate to admit, I was a little on the fence on the show, but as soon as I heard that, I knew I was going.

We Are The City was up first, and you could tell they were thrilled to be there, both at the commodore and part of the bill. They played a short set of their usual prog rock, bursting with energy, as all three of them seemed on top of their game, even though Andy seemed to have a bit of a hoarse voice. At one point they brought out a unique stage prop... the entire front grill of their car, which was in an accident earlier that day (between that & Meligrove Band's troubles, I'm starting to wonder...), and left it in front of Cayne for the rest of the set. I've mentioned before, but it's been really cool to see the band grow over the last year or so, and I will be sad to see David depart the band, but interested to see where they go from here.

Next up was, admittedly, the band I was looking forward to most of the night, Arkells. Besides a short set during the olympics which didn't have the greatest sound, I hadn't seen the Hamilton fivesome in almost a year. The set consisted mostly of songs from their debut, Jackson Square, but they teased a new album with a brand new song that sounded great. Very Arkellsesque, yet not so much like their old stuff as to seem repetitive. They engaged the crowd excellently, especially during "Oh, The Boss Is Coming", which had everyone shout the eponymous line, and then the back and forth "punching in/punching out". A couple times they enlisted the help of TPC member Graham Wright for saxophone, and after giving shout outs to the rest of the bands -- as well as the ones represented in the audience -- they brought Tokyo Police Club up to help out with the final song, John Lennon. Slipping in the now-usual "Eleanor Rigby" lines, they even splitting the stage/crowd between "look at all the lonely people" and "where do they all come from?" They have such raw energy and passion, and the whole band has a confidence to them that makes them one of the best live bands I have had the pleasure of seeing. I can't wait until the new album and/or they come back.

That right there would have been a show worthy of my monies, but there was still Tokyo Police Club to come! They hit the stage with an energy to match, if not surpass, the level set by the other two bands, getting everyone in the crowd into the set. With the infectious levels of enthusiasm, and the incredibly tight sound they've cultivated, I don't think there was a single person there not singing, dancing, or [off-beat] clapping along; they certainly know how to work a crowd. They focused on the new album, but of course played some old favourites, too, before bringing the set to an "end" with a little help from Arkells, then came back out with a cover of Weezer's "My Name is Jonas", and blasting through "Cheer It On", leaving the crowd exhausted.

Live at Squamish. Day one, part one. -- 09/04/10

Wow. Just wow. Having never been to a music festival before, I really had no idea what to expect, but those three (two?) words sum up my reaction pretty well.
When Live at Squamish was first announced, I was impressed by the lineup. Then when they added my favourite musician, I knew I had to go. I was fortunate enough to win tickets (they seemed to be giving them away like hotcakes... I guess to spread the word, since it was the first year?) and gathered up a posse of pals to help make the weekend unforgettable.

The first day was incredibly nice, weather-wise, and the backdrop for the festival was just gorgeous. It started a bit slow, as the first few acts we saw were... mediocre. First up was Step Twelve, a drums & bass duo. Musically, they were quite good, and at times you even forgot he was playing the bass. And an electric mandolin is a plus to any set. But the guys vocals left a little to be desired; it was especially noticeable when they covered "Baba O'Reilly" to middling success -- it was a decent cover, especially considering there were just the two of them, but again, the vocals is where it came apart.

The next band was Kostaman on the main stage, a reggae band from Whistler. Now, there is nothing wrong with a band from anywhere wanting to play reggae. But there is something wrong when they go out of their was to appear Jamaican. With an abundance of red, yellow & green and the lead singer putting on a fake accent (which he kept slipping in and out of) the whole thing just seemed way too forced. Which made the medley of cover songs at the end seem less of a tribute and more of adding to the overcompensation.

But soon after, the fest kicked in to high gear with Said The Whale. Playing a mix of their older and newer songs, they brought people flocking to the main stage with their usual energy and upbeat stage presence. I am not too sure why I was surprised to hear "Love is Art/Sleep Through Fire", but was certainly glad since it is one of my favourites. A new one, which I am going to randomly call "Information Age" was slipped in the set, and they ended with "Camilo (The Magician)" and "Goodnight Moon", which I don't think I will ever tire of hearing live. It was pretty awesome seeing them play a festival like this, and they certainly delivered. And seemed to be as excited to be there as the crowd was.

From there it was a mad dash over to the Serf stage to catch Michael Bernard Fitzgerald. I hadn't seen him live before, and had only heard a couple songs off The Peak & R3, and while I had liked those, I had no idea what he would be like live. He turned out to be amazing. His set began just as Said The Whale ended, so we arrived just as he -- up on stage alone with just an acoustic guitar -- was solving his looping problems. Which he immediately put to good use on "Movie Life", doing a multi-part harmony with... himself; looping the line, then singing on top of it over and over and over. It was a really cool effect. The song then led into an amazing cover song medley that included: "Thong Song", "I Like Big Butts", "Waterfalls", "My Humps", "Get Low" & capping it off with Justin Bieber. It was as hilariously awesome as it sounds. To wrap up the set, he was joined by Zach Gray (The Zolas) and David Vertesi (Hey Ocean!) for them to stomp-stomp-clap along to "Brand New Spaces". His set was probably one of my favourites of the fest. Definitely the biggest surprise, and I am absolutely going to go see him live again next time he swings through Vancouver.

After him, also on the Serf stage was We Are The City. It seems like I've seen them live about once a month this year, but every time they play, then just keep getting better. It is always cool to see a young band grow. The set was, as usual, great, and they threw in all three new songs they've been playing live of late. I've always marvelled at the intensity of Andy's drumming, and this time was no different; he even broke a stick at one point, with the tip flying off into the crowd! Another great moment was when a group of annoying girls were talking loudly during a quiet part of a song, and Cayne (who was pretty much right in front of them) just looked over, paused and gave them a look until they embarrassedly stop talking. Though it was kind of bittersweet, as with David leaving, there is a chance this was the last time I'll see the three of them playing together.

Since there was so much to see and do, I have decided to split the weekend into four parts. Coming up: Day one, part two: Hollerado, Matt Good & Devo. And I have posted the weekends pics on my flickr, check them out!

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.

We Are The City @ CBC Vancouver -- 07/16/10

I am really starting to like this Musical Nooners free concert series that the CBC is putting on. Last week there was a surprise kick-off of the Malahat Revue tour, and today was a spontaneous We Are The City performance! The shows take place at the outdoor plaza at the CBC Vancouver building, and it looks like it will be running every weekday this summer.

They started playing to somewhat of a small crowd, but as the hour went on, more and more people came over to form a decent sized crowd, for a weekday noon show. Especially one that kind of sprang up at the last minute. As well as their usual assortment of songs from In A Quiet World, they threw in some new songs; "The Birds" (which I got a decent video of) and a couple others, which I have seen before but still have never managed to get the name of. I call them, based on the lyrics, "Take It From Me" and "Morning Song".

They also had some tales of adventure to share. Near the end of the set, Cayne & Andy told a story about going home in Kelowna, just a few weeks back. They were playing with airsoft guns when some hooligans (one of which they later learned was nicknamed "Stabby Steve") came and assaulted them for the guns, giving Cayne a black eye and pummelling Andy. To quote VIAindie: "Who would beat up the nicest people ever!? Grr."

They ended the set after the story with a my two favourite songs of theirs; "Astronomers", which is always explosive live, and the more mellow "April", which was a great way to end a sunny afternoon show.

And if you missed them today, fear not! They will be playing tomorrow with another stellar band Brasstronaut at the Surrey Fusion Festival, at 6:30pm. For free!

setlist
Intro; Feel Is A Word; There Are Very Tiny Beasts In The Ground; The Birds; [Take It From Me]; There Are Very, Very Big Lights In The Sky; [Morning Song]; Peso Loving Squid; Time, Wasted; Astronomers; April

We Are The City @ Biltmore -- 06/12/10

The Peak kicked off the new "season" of their Performance Project with a show at the Biltmore last night, with three bands from last year, as well as staff and a lot of musicians, from both years, milling around. I got to say, there are a lot of great bands in it this year, with no less than seven that I want to see win. (Which are, in no particular order: Aidan Knight, Christina Maria, Vince Vaccaro, Debra-Jean, Adaline, Ben Sigston and Said The Whale)
Before I get to the show, I want to rant for a minute. I hate it when people talk through a person/bands set, and it seemed especially bad last night. I understand the event was part concert, part social, meet & greet, but it was still ridiculous. You'd think other musicians especially would be a little more quiet, as I'm sure they wouldn't want it to happen to them.
Mind you, there have been times when the Biltmore has been terrible for that. A few times there have even been performers pissed off because of it (Kyp Malone, when doing his solo Rain Machine show there, chastised the crowd for talking the whole way through his opening act).

Anyway, I digress. As I said, first up was singer-songwriter Adrian Glynn, who came out alone, just his guitar and a kick drum. He was a little soft spoken for some of the songs, which made the chatter that much more noticeable. There were a few songs, though, where he cut loose a little more, and those were the ones I liked more. At one point, he jumped hopped off the stage to sing and play in with the crowd, enlisting everyone to sing alone. Part way through the set, We Are the City joined him for the song "In A Minute", and then again for the last song, which I didn't catch the name of, but really liked. The end of that song he just went all out, with more energy than the rest of his set. I liked his live set a lot more than the recorded songs I've heard, and I would like to see him live again... hopefully with less rabble.

Next up was The Left, and they started with the lead singer with his new toy, a Korg Kaossilator Pro, which immediately became my second favourite instrument. He showed it off, first with a drum beat and some looping, and then showed off the coolest part of it: the touch pad on the front... it's hard to describe, so here is a random demonstration. He even let a few people in the front play with the touch pad a little.
I admit, I never really got into the band; they aren't bad by any means, and their set was catchy enough, but they were about the same as last time I saw them. They had a good, high energy and were really upbeat for the whole set, to go along with their music. I definitely wouldn't be against seeing them live again, but they probably won't be what draws me to a show.
Unless they use the Kaossilator more often.
(And I finally realized who they reminded me of. The Dudes, if The Dudes were from the 80's.)

And finally was We Are The City, and band that, even though I've seen them over half a dozen times now, never fails to impress me with their live show. They were in fine form last night, and Andy seemed especially intense on the drums (not to imply that David or Cayne weren't the best as well). They played a fair amount of new songs, too, started off the set with one before segueing into "There Are Very Very Big Lights In The Sky", and some more new tunes. The first was one they've played live a few times, which I call "Morning Song" (may not be the actual name) and after that was one of which I believe was called "The Birds" (or something that sounded like that), which was ridiculously good; I can't wait to have a recorded version of it.
This was, I think, the first show I've seen where they didn't end with "Astronomers", but rather "April" this time, which segued into the same new song they started with, bookending the set very nicely.

Earlier this year, at the end of the first Peak Performance Project, I said "if they can even get half the talent next year, it'll still be one hell of an event." Well, it seems like they did, and it will be, and I can't wait to see how it goes.

setlist (with made up/assumed names for the new songs in the square brackets)
New Song [Prologue], There Are Very Very Big Lights In The Sky, New Song [Morning Song], New Song [The Birds], Time Wasted, Peso Loving Squid, New Song [Take It From Me], Astronomers, There Are Very Tiny Beasts In The Ground, April, New Song [Epilogue]