3am Mixtapes: Episode Seventy One: Songs of the Night

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 Spring songs. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs that have references to The Simpsons in them. 

This week is pretty simple, and may or may not have been chosen to play one particular song, it's the Top Six Songs of the Night!

Put these in your earholes:

"Saturday Night" by Yukon Blonde
"Another Friday Night" by Leeroy Stagger
"On a Week Night" by Henry & The Nightcrawlers
"Cruise Night" by John K Samson
"Up All Night" by Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans
"Dark Night of the Soul" by Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse

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

 Subscribe in a reader (Feedburner) | Listen on Stitcher | Direct Download

Yukon Blonde @ Biltmore -- 01/15/15

A little over seven years ago, in December of Ought-Seven, The Stills were in Vancouver recording their album that would become Oceans Will Rise. While they were here, they played a one-off show at some brand new venue I hadn't heard of at the time. It was in a weird location and was impossible to find, but I remember liking it right away.

That wasn't quite the first show The Biltmore ever hosted (it was close) but it was the first time I was there, and certainly not the last. Over the last seven years, I've probably been to the Biltmore over a hundred times. Heck, when I was moving to East Van, one of the things I had in mind was "can I walk to the Biltmore?"

This is all a preamble to say that over the last month or so, The Biltmore has been celebrating their seventh birthday, which has culminated by a show from none other than Yukon Blonde. Who I was very excited to see, because other than a couple songs at Keloha last summer, it had been two and a half years since I saw the band play live.

Unfortunately I was running late and get there for the last half of the last song from Fountain, which is a shame because I only found out after that the lineup includes former members from the old Kelowna band Kingdom Cloud.


It wasn't long before Yukon Blonde hit the stage, the band returning for their first show in Vancouver from their year long break with a whole new lineup; frontman Jeff Innes and guitarist Brandon Scott were joined by some new (but familiar) faces; the drummer from Fountain, Rebecca Gray on keys, and James Younger on bass & helping out with harmonies & vocals.

They immediately got the crowd into it starting off with their hit single "My Girl" and one of my favourites from their last album Tiger Talk, "Radio", before launching into a whole host of brand new songs, giving the packed crowd a sneak peek at the album they finished recording. A few of the new songs were a bit more synth-tinged than the usual Yukon Blonde fare -- perhaps a result of Innes' solo project High Ends while they were on break -- but the two that stood out to me were an 80s-sounding rocker that I think was called "Saturday Night", and an incredibly sexy jam called (I think) "I Wanna Be Your Man" that is guaranteed to be on every makeout mixtape once the new album is released.

They finished off the main set with a few more Tiger Talk songs, "Breathing Tigers" building to a ferocious climax, and wrapping up the main set with "Stairway". The encore went back even further, for a few more fan favourites. Everyone was singing and clapping along to "Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore" from their self-titled album, and they went all the way back to their debut EP Everything in Everyway for "Nico Canmore", starting with a cool, space-y instrumental jam and slowly building to an intense and breathless ending, the perfect song to cap off the night.


The night was a great return for the band, the new lineup is pretty solid, and their harmonies as spot-on as ever. You could just tell that they were thrilled to be back on stage in Vancouver, as well.
And based on the few new songs, I am really looking forward to the new album; it sounds like a great progression of their sound.

String Fling II w/ Four on the Floor String Quartet @ Rio Theatre -- 02/06/14

A little over a year ago, the Four on the Floor String Quartet -- who have provided strings for virtually every band in Vancouver -- had the chance shine on their own with the first String Fling at the Rio Theatre. It was a great show melding local indie rock with gorgeous, classical strings. Now they are back for a second year, for the second annual String Fling.

The members of the quartet for the night were Michelle Faehrmann on cello, Elliott Vaughan on viola, and violinists Stephanie Chatman and Emily Bach -- with Hannah Epperson on violin and Megan Bradfield on stand up bass also rotating in for a few songs.

They opened with a strings instrumental, and live visuals projected on the screen from an old school overhead projector that ran throughout the show, done by Mind of a Snail Puppet Co. Each artist got three songs, with the Quartet playing segues between each, and the first artist up was Brandon Scott from Yukon Blonde. His own songs were more laid back with a folky singer/songwriter vibe, compared to Yukon Blonde's high energy rock, with the strings punctuating the introspective feeling.

After an amazing and frantically dissonant viola piece by Elliott Vaughn called Nine Fingers, Tonye Aganaba took the stage. There were some technical problems with her guitar for the first song, but the focus of her set was definitely her powerful and soulful voice, which shone through her own songs, as well as a cover of Rihanna's "Diamond".

Another piece from the Quartet called "I Spell Your Name With Other Letters" (or, "Other Letters" for short, or "O.L." for shorter) segued into Jay Malinowski. Admittedly, I have never really liked Bedouin Soundclash, or his solo material, which he was featuring. His new project, called Jay Malinowski & The Deadcoast, also includes Elliott Vaughan, and he brought out the piano for one of the songs from the new album. Aside from his own songs, he also included a cover of Krief's "Forever Goodnight", before wrapping up the first half of the evening.

There was a brief intermission, before the show started back up with Michelle on cello, backed by Ali Sidat of Mother Mother on drums, for a really cool number -- starting off with kind of a dark, almost post-rock sound before spinning into a more dancey piece; it was one of my favourite pieces of the night.

Continuing the second half was one of the two leads of Rococode, Laura Smith. Rococode's songs have always had a bit of an eerie or haunting quality to them, and the addition of the strings drove that feeling home. She played a couple new songs, one with Ali and Ryan joining her, before finishing off with a haunting version of "Empire", which may have been my favourite interpretation of the night.

The Quartet went a little more contemporary and covered some Daft Punk before the next act, Ryan Guldemond. He said he wanted to juxtapose the beautiful strings with blasphemous songs, one of which spun into a spoken word monologue about a failed breakup with an ex. The songs were as catchy and sharp as you would expect from the Mother Mother frontman, but a lot less grounded; more surreal, but definitely interesting.

And finally, the night wrapped up with Fur Trade. The Quartet did a version of one of their songs instrumentally before Steve Bays and Parker Bosley were out for the band's very first live show. The two were members of Hot Hot Heat together, and while I was never much of a fan of that band, I have liked Fur Trade's singles, and their live performance was definitely impressive. Their pair of songs, "Kids These Days" and "Same Temptation", got the theatre crowd up to the stage and dancing, for a perfect ending to the main set.

But of course, the members of Four on the Floor were back out for an encore, for one last song, joined by Tonye and Laura on vocals to perform an awesome cover of R. Kelly's ridiculous song "Genius".


The night ran fairly smooth, with near seamless transitioning from one band to the next. I've always enjoyed strings in music, and the best moments from both this year -- and last -- were with acts that you might not consider adding strings to. There seemed to be a lot more synergy between the bands and the quartet this year, and I can only hope the tradition continues, as it is bound to become one of the most anticipated annual events.

Keloha Festival @ Waterfront Park -- 07/05 - 07/07/13

On the sunny shores of the Okanagan lake in Kelowna BC, the Keloha Festival celebrated its second year. And what a celebration it was. From local heroes like The Matinée and The Zolas, to national favourites like Arkells and The Trews, to international headliners Mutemath, Matt and Kim, and MGMT, the Keloha lineup was the one I was looking forward to most out of all the "local" festivals this summer.

Day one: Friday

I arrived in Kelowna Friday just in time to catch the last couple songs from Yukon Blonde (thanks to a lack of signs and getting blocked out by a body of water and a fence trying to get into the festival). The band sounded great in their hometown, and were definitely a great way to start things off.

After getting settled in and getting the lay of the land; checking out the Island Stage in the middle of a lagoon and the Sandbar Stage right on the beach, and all the vendors in between, it was time for The Trews to take the stage. The Antigonish rockers started with the high energy "The Power of Positive Drinking" and hardly slowed down. They had the hillside crowd singing and clapping along, especially to songs like "Not Ready To Go" and one of my favourites, "Poor Ol' Broken Hearted Me". As they are wont to do, they also had a couple covers slipped in to songs, like U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" in the middle of a new song "Lord, Keep Me In Mind".
After what seemed like not nearly enough time, they ended the set with "Hold Me In Your Arms" to thunderous applause, the crowd definitely revved up.

The night ended with Mutemath, who were the band I was most excited about. I hadn't seen them live in a few years, and was afraid I had hyped them up too much in my mind, but from the minute they hit the stage (and drummer Darren King wrapped his headphones around his head with electrical tape) and started into the title track of their most recent album Odd Soul, I knew I had been worrying for nothing.
The whole band had incredible energy, but especially lead singer Paul Meany. When not at the keyboard, or playing keytar, he would be right up at the barrier, leaning into the crowd singing. He even performed a few of his trademark "keyboard handstands".
Highlights of the set included the relatively-mellow & heartfelt "Noticed", and the explosive "Typical", as well as the grand finale, "Break The Same" which transitioned into "Quarantine" as an air mattress with lights around the side was thrown into the crowd, and Paul got on top to surf the crowd while singing. And as he got back on stage, they ended the set with another bombastic percussion breakdown, leaving the crowd spent and drained for a first night of Keloha that would be hard to top.

Day Two: Saturday

The second day started with a couple Vancouver bands on the Sandbar Stage. Rococode started off the day and were followed by Dear Rouge. Both put on strong sets, despite the early afternoon heat draining everyone's energy (okay, maybe just a certain blogger's energy) and both had a good, dancing-on-the-beach vibe.
(Dear Rouge would later put on an absolute rager at Doc Willoughby's with The Zolas as part of the After Party series)

Over on the Island Stage, Malibu Knights had a pretty generic rock sound, while Fields of Green tore it up for their hometown crowd; their high energy prog-rock sound continuing to grow and amaze me. I caught a bit of Gold and Youth but their dark and synthy sound would be better suited to a dimly lit and smokey venue, not a bright and sunny day.
I also was able to squeeze in a few songs from Shad on the beach stage, "Rose Garden" and "Ya, I Get It", where Shad jumped into the front of the crowd, before his DJ's laptop crashed, and he got the crowd to provide the percussion for the next song.

But I had to leave his set early to go catch The Zolas back at the Island Stage. The crowd was gathering and started to groove as they kicked off with "In Heaven" and "Knot In My Heart", the opening tracks to their most recent album Ancient Mars. As usual, the band had a strong stage presence and energy, especially Zach Gray, who is like a pot simmering over, always ready to erupt.
Most of the set focused on the new album, including the quirky "Observatory", but they also tossed in a couple older songs, like the fiery "Marlaina Kamikaze" and the passionate "You're Too Cool", which ended off the set.

Another one of the main bands I was there to see were up next, Arkells. Even though they had been at a festival the previous night in Toronto, they were advised not to miss this show, thanks to the setting alone, and they made sure to point out it was definitely worth it.
"On Paper" started off the set, with the band's energy through the roof, as usual. They are a fantastic and tight live band, and lead singer Max Kerman has an amazing and effortless stage presence. Highlights included "Oh, The Boss is Coming", which got the crowd yelling along, and they also dug into a little Motown that they save for special occasions with a cover of Jackson 5's "I Want You Back".
They wrapped up the set with one of my favourites, "John Lennon", and the raucous "Whistleblower".

Australia's Atlas Genius was up next, but while they were starting to amass a bigger crowd who were getting the dance party started, I thought their set felt a little flat. It was a pretty upbeat rock sound, and they were certainly very fine musicians, but a lot of the songs sounded pretty much the same and I just couldn't get into it.

And finally, wrapping up the second night was Matt and Kim. I had heard they were good live, but I had no idea just how nuts Matt Johnson on keys (and the odd sample, like the explosion he used to punctuate things) and Kim Schifino on drums (sometimes literally standing atop the drums to play, or clap, or "shake her booty") would be. They came right out with an incredible energy and fantastically likeable personalities to whip the crowd into a frenzy. They weren't just playing for the crowd, they wanted to party with them.
From throwing out balloons, to getting everyone to simultaneously jump, to Kim running atop the crowd to dance while people held her upright, both musicians were full of raw enthusiasm, which was absolutely contagious.
I wasn't too familiar with their music -- only recognizing the bouncy "Cameras" and "Daylight" -- which ended the set, but they definitely put on an amazing show and I wouldn't hesitate to see them again.

Day Three: Sunday

Unfortunately, I had to head back to reality early on Sunday, meaning I would miss MGMT, but I did manage to catch a few local favourites before departing.

I got there just in time for Maurice to take the Island Stage, joined by a couple familiar faces, including Andrew Rasmussen on keys and Stephanie Chatman on violin. Starting off the set with "Get Mad", JP has an effortless stage presence and fills his songs with raw emotion, and highlights included the undeniably catchy "Mistake" and the best song that deals with the repercussions of a threesome, "Robin".

Wake Owl was up next, and I'm not sure if it was where I was perched on the hill, but the sound wasn't too great; their rich and lush orchestral sound didn't seem to translate very well. They played some songs off their Wild Country EP, the eponymous song being a highlight, and a few new ones which were a bit more upbeat and jaunty.

At that point, The Matinée was supposed to be taking the Sandbar Stage on the beach, but they had a little bit of highway trouble and were still on their way, so they swapped with Saskatchewan grunge band One Bad Son who were pretty much an average and generic grunge band.

But The Matinée did manage to get there just in time for their new set on the Island Stage, and despite the ten hours of travel they had just endured, they still put on one heck of a set. Starting off, as they usually do, with "L'absinthe", they put boots to the ground and kicked things into high gear. They got people clapping along to "Sweet Water", which also featured a great banjo solo from Matt Rose, threw in their cover of Zeppelin's "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", and wrapped it up with "The Road", with its top-notch percussion breakdown.


And with that, I had to head back. I was disappointed to leave, but not too sad of missing the rest of the day, as they were mostly artists I had seen or didn't have too much interest in, and the weekend was already packed with enough memorable moments to last a dozen festivals over.

If the lineup is even a fraction as good as this next year -- and if they keep the "After Party" series going, with smaller bands playing in small local venues -- I will be back to the Okanagan in a heartbeat.

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.

Yukon Blonde & Library Voices @ Commodore -- 04/27/12

This was a show I was looking forward to for a while. Two of my favourite bands to watch live teaming up for a cross Canada tour, with the final night being the homecoming show for Yukon Blonde.
And I fully admit, while Yukon Blonde was the headliner, I was just as -- if not more -- excited to see Library Voices again.

First up, though, was Great Bloomers from Toronto. I had seen them once before (coincidentally, also sharing the stage with Yukon Blonde) and I was interested to see them again. The five-piece hit the stage with a slow build up before launching into their upbeat rock, with a little twinge of folk. They were pretty straightforward, but they had a great stage presence and a solid sound. Highlights of the set were the catchy "The Young Ones Slept" and a pair I didn't catch the name of, which they ended the set with; the first one started soft and built to a great climax, and the final song a straight up rocker.
Really enjoyable, and a great opening act for a show where the first band could have been easily overshadowed and forgotten about. I definitely look forward to seeing them again next time they're through town.

Next up was Regina's own Library Voices. When I had seen them before, it was always at smaller venues with the seven members of the band crowding on stage, so it was great seeing them make use of the the large space of the Commodore. Bassist Eoin Hickey-Cameron was never in one place for more than five seconds, Paul Gutheil tossed and twirled his saxophone, and during one of the later songs, "Kundra On The Dance Floor", singer Carl Johnson put down his guitar and was dancing precariously on the edge of the stage, and even singing while upside down, on his head at one point. To say nothing of the rest of the band, who all matched the energy to make one of the most entertainingly energetic live shows.

But of course, it wasn't just the energy; they packed the too-short-set with music that is aptly described as "Pop as fuck!". Insanely catchy with smart and clever lyrics, song like "Be My Juliette Gréco, Paris 1949" laments of a time "Before Photoshopped hips and collagen smiles / When longing meant more than a drunk dial" and their literary love was pretty clear in "Reluctant Readers Make Reluctant Lovers".
Tearing through the songs with fantastic precision, they brought the set to an explosive ending with the packed ballroom floor singing and, naturally, clapping along to "Generation Handclap" and yelling along with "Step Off The Map and Float", which saw a couple members of The Great Bloomers and Yukon Blonde joining them. My only complaint about the set was that it seemed far too short, but then again, I could watch Library Voices play all night. They are, without a doubt, one of the most fun bands to watch live.
Oh, and one of the instruments in Michael Dawson's arsenal is a theremin. How can you not love a band that so expertly integrates a theremin into their sound?

setlist
If Raymond Carver Were Born In The 90s; Write Me A Myth; Traveller's Digest; Be My Juliette Gréco, Paris 1949; Party Like It's 2012; Haunt This House; My, Myself, and ID; Reluctant Readers Make Reluctant Lovers; Kundera On The Dance Floor; Generation Handclap; Step Off The Map and Float.

I don't envy any band that has to take the stage after Library Voices, but if anyone can, it's Yukon Blonde, the four core members were joined by Matt Kelly to round out their sound with an additional guitar and keys. There was a bit of a nervous energy at first, with the show not only being their homecoming show, but their first time headlining the Commodore -- Jeff Innes was visibly in awe more than once looking out into the packed room -- but the any nerves quickly subsided as they launched into their set (which included some family members, including Grandmothers, front and centre).

They kicked off the set with the first two songs from the new album, Tiger Talk, "My Girl" and "Radio" -- a song that immediately became, and remains, my favourite my favourite song of theirs the first time I heard it -- and didn't look back as their spot on harmonies and amazing energy, especially from Innes and Brandon Scott, carried the rest of the set, from the unbridled "Breathing Tigers" and "Iron Fist" to the more subdued "Guns" and "1000 Years".
After the explosive "Stairway", they were back out for the encore, first "Wind Blows" before inviting members of both Great Bloomers and Library Voices out for  a massive, end-of-the-tour songalong to the final song of the night, "Fire". As the stage filled, Jeff and Brandon even parted with their guitars for members of the other bands to take over, and Scott even leaped off the stage to crowd surf.

The one thing that the bands had in common, especially Library Voices and Yukon Blonde was their pure excitement. They were probably more thrilled to be there than the crowd was, and that energy more than shone through. Few things make a live show better than looking up at the musicians and seeing that joy on their faces.

setlist (incomplete, as there were a couple songs I missed the names of)
My Girl; Radio; Brides Song; Iron Fist; [New song]; Sweet Dee; Rather Be With You; 1000 Years; Breathing Tigers; Guns; Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore; Stairway; [mystery song].
(encore) Wind Blows; Fire.

Toque Sessions: Yukon Blonde @ CBC Studio 700 -- 02/03/12

The CBC Toque Sessions have returned for another year with some pretty swell artists rounding out the lineup. It's been going on for a couple weeks now, but the first one I've been able to catch was last night, and I can't think of a better way to kick it off than with Yukon Blonde.

Joined by Matt Kelly on keys and guitar, the Kelowna quartet opened the set with a pair from their recent EP Fire//Water, first the mellow "Choices" before cranking up the energy with the undeniably catchy "Fire". From there they went on to play their entire new album, Tiger Talk, front to back. Not due out until March, it was a nice preview of the album which features the same high energy rock you'd expect, but definitely showed growth from the band. They still have incredibly energy and spot on harmonies, with a strong 60s and 70s influence -- but without making it sound contrived -- and have done nothing but get better. And they've always had a great stage presence while playing, but their banter is improving as well, with lead singer and guitarist Jeff Innes even hanging a lampshade on one awkward silence, joking about it with Brandon Scott.
The whole set was incredibly tight, and highlights included "Radio", which I am already calling to be on my best-songs-of-2012 list, "Sweet Dee", the dynamic ending to the album, and "School Kids", another from the recent EP which they hadn't played live before, that wrapped up the set.

While I liked their self titled first album, I've always thought it fell short of their amazing live show; hopefully Tiger Talk will capture that energy, and after hearing the album live, my anticipation for it has doubled.

setlist
Choices, Fire, My Girl, Radio, Stairway, Iron Fist, Oregon Shores, Six Dead Tigers, For LA, Breathing Tigers, Guns, Sweet Dee, School Kids.

Yukon Blonde @ Biltmore -- 11/10/11

I am not sure why, but while I have always liked Yukon Blonde's records, I find they pale in comparison to their live shows. I've had the chance to see them a few times this year, and they are definitely among my favourite live acts, so I definitely wasn't going to miss them at the Biltmore, especially since they also brought a couple cool opening bands along with them.

Thanks to some internet lies, I showed up a couple sings into Kingdom Cloud's set. I was surprised to see they didn't have their keyboard with them, but that didn't stop them from winning the crowd over with their incredibly infectious pop. I've seen them a few times this year and am always struck by their awesome energy, especially singer/guitarist Evan Jeffery, who hardly stands still for a minute. As well as their own stuff, they also threw in a cover of Guided By Voices' "Game of Pricks", and highlights included the awesomely titled "Turbo Ranger" and "Rainbow Road", which closed out the set.

Second up was The Paint Movement from Toronto. They had a they had a really upbeat and fun sound, rounded out by keys and a sax player, with catchy boy/girl vocals and harmonies. While they lacked diversity in their songs a little, but had a really good energy and stage presence, engaging the crowd. It was a really fun set, and I would absolutely catch them next time they were through town.

And finally, Yukon Blonde rounded out the night. Starting the set with "Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore", they immediately burst forth with their incredible energy live, great harmonies, and flat out rockin' songs. Several times throughout the set, they had the crowd singing and clapping along, and there were even a few crowd surfers -- including guitarist Brandon Scott. They also seemed to have a bit more banter and joking that the last few times.
Among the highlights were members of both bands coming on stage to help out on vocals for "Kumiko Song", and some of their new songs, including "Radio" which I have seen live a few times and is quite possibly my favourite song from them, even though it hasn't even been released yet. They also tossed in a cover, starting the encore with a cool rendition of Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule the World", and after another great singalong to "Wind Blows", they brought the set to an end with an older song, "Nico Canmore", wrapping up what was the best set I've seen from them.

setlist (taken from the on-stage setlist, so some new songs may be shorthand)
Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore, Radio, Brides Song, Stairway, Rather Be With You, Loyal Man, Water, Iron Fist, Fire, Kumiko Song, My Girl, Breathing.
(encore) Everybody Wants To Rule The World [Tears for Fears cover], Wind Blows, Nico Canmore.

Shows of November

Beginning of the month means a quick look at some of the shows I am excited to see. I say "quick", but it's pretty stacked, so let's get to it. Here are the four I am looking forward to the most, and then a lot more below.

Imaginary Cities at the Biltmore on November 24th. 
I think I am most looking forward to. I saw them a couple times at the Folk Fest (see left, not my video), but one short set and a few workshops had me hungry for more. I am definitely looking forward to them headlining the Biltmore.

An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer at the Vogue on November 6th.
I have only recently gotten into Amanda Palmer's music, but Gaiman is one of my absolute favourite writers, so whatever they are going for their evening together should be amazing.

Feist at the Centre for Performing Arts on November 18th
It's been way too long since seeing Feist, and while I feel like I should be more excited about this, Feist has never failed to be anything less than stellarlive, so this is bound to be good.

Death From Above 1979 at the Commodore on November 20th and 21st
I never did get to see DFA1979 while they still existed, and I was very, very sad about that. This is a pricey one, but will it be worth it? Spoiler: probably yes.


As early as tonight, there is Little Red with Sex With Strangers at the Media Club on November 2nd,
and there is a great lineup this weekend for Adaline CD release party, as she's joined by In Medias Res & Rococode at the Biltmore on November 5th.

Then the insanity begins next week with a huge decision, Dan Mangan at the Orpheum or Elliott BROOD at the Commodore, both on November 9th. Following that, Yukon Blonde at the Biltmore on November 10th, Arkells are at the Commodore on November 11th and then Hey Rosetta! at the Commodore on November 12th. That is going to be some week.

We can't forget about the Peak Performance Project finale, featuring The Matinée, Current Swell & The Boom Booms at the Commodore on November 17th. I am definitely pulling for The Matinée, and while I am, admittedly, not a huge fan of the other two bands, it's sure to be one hell of a fun show.

The following weekend is pretty busy, too, with Maurice and Ciseaux at the Media Club on November 25th and all the Grey Cup festivities. I am most looking forward to November 26th which will feature The Belle Game, The Matinée, The Zolas, Hey Ocean! and Said the Whale. All in one night!

And wrapping up the month is an important show, the Movember Mo-Off. Featuring Redbird, Portage & Main and The Matinée (these guys again?) it's the end to the month long raising awareness and money to fight prostate cancer, by sporting 'staches. Which I am partaking in this year, and you can help by donating here.

Whew. All that, and I am positive I am missing some. This is going to be a busy month.

Khatsahlano! The West 4th Music + Art Street Festival -- 07/23/11

Another weekend full of music, this time a day of free shows thanks to Khatsahlano! The West 4th Music + Art Street Festival, with West 4th Ave being closed off for several blocks, and five stages of music with dozens of bands throughout the day.

The day started at 11:30 with Kingdom Cloud, and even before noon all three members of the band -- in their uniform white jeans, blue shirts and neckerchiefs -- were full of energy; especially Evan, who was bouncing around the stage, hardly staying still for a moment. Blasting through insanely catchy power-pop songs, with awesome titles like "Love Goblin", "Turbo Ranger" and "Rainbow Road", they were incredibly fun to watch and a good start to the day.

The next act I wanted to catch was Ma Petite, even though I had seen them the night before. The set itself was similar, with charming songs like "I Like That You Like Books" and singer Indiana Avent's nice voice and great sense of storytelling.

From there it was a rush to The Peak sponsored stage where David Vertesi had just started. Most of the sets were only a half hour long that day, so Vertesi only had a handful of songs, which included his awesome cover of "Say You'll Be There" by Spice Girls, which seems to have become a staple of his repertoire, and the infectious "Mountainside" to wrap up his set.

After that there was a bit of a break in the action where we visited a "side party" put on by Zach Gray from The Zolas, on his front lawn. There were just a couple short sets with Hannah Epperson and her amazing violin looping first, then Zach playing a few songs solo. It wasn't too long, but gathered a pretty decent sized group of passer-by's and neighbours, and was a really fun and cool idea.

Then it was quickly back to the Peak stage on 4th for Aidan Knight. He announced it was going to be his last show of the summer, and he'll be back in the studio with his Friendly Friends soon to record a new album.
Started with "Friendly Fires", his set consisted of old and new songs, and of course Knight's great awkwardly charming banter. After the beautiful "Margaret Downe" alone, Aidan called not only his Friendly Friends back out, but also the members of Said The Whale and David Vertesi & Ashleigh Ball of Hey Ocean! to join him for the last couple songs. It was a really cool group jam, culminating in "Jasper", an incredible sight with everyone, on stage and in the street, dancing and singing along.

And finally, to wrap up the day, it was Yukon Blonde. Kicking off with "Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore", their tight sound and great energy as good as ever. Highlights were the rockin' "Bride's Song" and the always great harmonies of "Wind Blows", as well as a few new songs throughout the set. One had Kingdom Cloud and Spencer from Said The Whale on stage to help out, and another -- possibly called "Radio" -- which is hands down my favourite Yukon Blonde song, even though I've only heard it twice, live. They ended the set after a nice cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" and another new one.

and the incredible day of music.

West Coast Pop w/ Yukon Blonde, Sun Wizard & Redbird @ Red Room -- 05/07/11

The penultimate instalment in the West Coast Pop! concert series, this was another one that I was really looking forward to. A band that has proven to be fantastic live and another one I have really been digging for the last couple months, it was sure to be a good one.

Kicking off the night was Redbird. Even though they don't have anything released just yet, I've been able to see them live a couple times this year (and get my hands on a few acoustic tracks) and they just keep getting better every time I see them, which makes me more and more eager for the upcoming EP.
Their too-short-set was full of energy and lots of fun, with Savannah's great voice blending really well with the folky, roots rock sound. "Oh Please My Heart" is a definite earworm of a catchy song, and "No Game", which -- despite not even being released -- has become one of my favourite songs of the year; especially with the far too relatable line "my subtlety sabotages me, so please read between the lines".

Next up was Sun Wizard, another fairly new Vancouver band, who had more of a straight ahead rock sound, with twinges of psychedelia. The four members were focused mostly on playing, with not much by way of stage banter or even too much to engage the crowd (the bassist even had the clichéd 'vaguely bored bass player' look). A couple of songs, most notably "World's Got A Handle", sounded great, but most of them were a little interchangeable, with the same kind of sound going on. But they put on a perfectly enjoyable set, and while I might not go too see a show of their own any time soon, I would not be against seeing them live again, and I could definitely see them getting better given time.

And finally, Yukon Blonde. I've had the fortune of seeing them a couple times before, but always as the opening band, so it was great to have them play a longer set. The band always puts on a great live show, and last night was no different. With their incredibly energetic, eardrum-melting power pop-rock and near-perfect harmonies, they had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands, singing along to all the older songs -- with Jeff Innes even handing over the mic to the crowd for part of "Wind Blows". There were also a few new songs sprinkled throughout the set, which were quite good, but taking the cake was one called (according to the setlist) Radio, an intense rocker that I can't wait to hear again.
The only complaint would be that a couple of times, the vocals seemed to be a bit low. But it wasn't a persistent problem, and didn't take away from their set all that much.

setlist (taken from the on-stage setlist, so some new songs may be shorthand)
Rather Be With You, Brides Song, Wind Blows, Oregon Shores, Iron Fist, Water, Blood Cops, Radio, Stairway, Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore, Nico Canmore.
(encore) My Girl, Loyal Man.

Plants & Animals w/ Yukon Blonde @ Commodore -- 02/18/11

Plants and Animals are getting in the habit of picking some really good touring partners. Last time they were here Said The Whale opened for them, and the second leg of their current tour will be with Karkwa. To be honest, I am disappointed that Karkwa didn't make it out west with them, but that disappointment was sated a little when I found out who would be opening.

That band? Yukon Blonde, with a set consisting of some old and new songs. The new ones were great, though not too much of a departure from the bands sound; but they did have the same excellent energy. The four members on stage had a fantastic energy as they rocked through the set. From the harmonies of "Wind Blows" to the great solos and guitar work throughout, the band owned the stage. And they talked about being incredibly happy to play the Commodore -- and to find out the double-headed showers in the back were not mythical.
I wish they had played for a little longer, but it was a good length for an opening slot, and I have a feeling they'll be playing again soon enough.

setlist: (taken from their setlist, which was all shorthand, so a couple of the songs may not be the full title)
Oregon Shores, Wind Blows, Brides Song, Water [?], Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore , Radio [?], Breathing Tiger, Nico Canmore.

Every time I see Plants and Animals live, they never fail to astonish me on how they have such a huge sound with only the three of them, and last night was no different. They started with a new song that they later identified as "2010" (or "Twenty-Ten") before some more familiar material. The set started off a little mellow, with a couple from the new album and "Good Friends", from Parc Avenue, which was fantastic live and really got the crowd into it.
Frontman Warren Spicer broke out an acoustic guitar for an older song that I didn't catch the name of it, but I think it's all the With/Avec EP. That was followed by another new song, "Why & Why Not"; it was more rocking, and raised the energy, which was continually topped for the next few songs. "Bye Bye Bye" got everyone moving and "Mercy" was, as always, stupendous live -- definitely one of my favourite songs to see performed. They had the crowd singing, clapping and chanting along, and as the song came to a crashing finale, Spicer and Nicolas Basque met mid stage, and began playing each others, and their own, guitars simultaneously.
"The Mama Papa" managed to match that energy, with everyone dancing, and the set came to a "close" with the sprawling and epic "Faerie Dance".
But of course, there was the encore. Another new song started soft with Spicer on the acoustic guitar again, before switching to electric mid-song for a rousing ending. And their last song of the night left the crowd in high spirits, getting "recognition applause" for the whistling intro of the raucous "Feedback In The Field" for a superb ending.

I was slightly disappointed they didn't play "Guru/Sinnerman", which I've seen them play every time, or especially "American Idol", my favourite off the La La Land. But despite those small qualms, it was still a great set, and reminded me why Plants & Animals is such a great live band.

Setlist:
Twenty Ten [new], Undone Melody, Jeans Jeans Jeans, Good Friend, [older song], New Kind Of Love, Why & Why Not [new], Bye Bye Bye, Mercy, The Mama Papa, Faerie Dance.
(encore) [New song], Feedback in the Field.

The Wooden Sky & Yukon Blonde @ Biltmore -- 09/25/10

For a while now, I had been hearing how great a band Yukon Blonde was live, but I just never had a chance to find out for myself. So when I found out they were not only coming, but co-headlining with The Wooden Sky, who I had seen live once before and recall enjoying, I jumped at the chance. Even though I didn't realise until a couple hours before the show that it would be the latter, not the former, closing out the night.

We were still lined up outside when the opening songs from the first band, Great Bloomers, wafted outside. Since it was a curfew show, they started at 8 sharp -- which was the same time as doors -- so I think a lot of people in this perpetually late city missed them. Which is a shame, because they were quite enjoyable. A very upbeat sound, with a twinge of roots and alt-country mixed in. Though as energetic as they were while playing, they seemed a little less so with their banter; there was maybe one monotone "we're excited to be here" and not much else. But their enthusiasm while playing made up for it and I am pretty sure I'll be catching them next time they're in town.

Next up was Yukon Blonde, and holy crap, wow, are they ever great live. With an intensity and raw power that is hard to match, they just straight up rocked out for the set. As soon as they launched into their first song, they completely owned the stage, and several times the audience was more than eager to clap or sing along. From the harmonies on "Wind Blows" to the energy of "Loyal Man", there was not a single note out of place in the set. Though there was a little bit of banter, they just let the music speak for itself. You could still definitely see their 60s influences throughout the set, but it comes off as just that, influence, and not blatant ripoff. I would definitely not hesitate to see them live again. Though I just have to ask, why don't they sound like this on the album? I like their self titled debut well enough, but it just seems so... flat compared to their live show. They really need to record live off the floor, or do something to capture the energy their performance.

While I admit I was going to the show more to see Yukon Blonde, I was looking forward to seeing The Wooden Sky again, even though hadn't listened to their new album. After a bit of a false start due to technical difficulties, they proceeded to rock the crowd. They, too, had a bit of a roots/folk influence, but combined it with a rock edge for a great sound. The set was very tight, and you could tell the band was completely at ease up on stage. And the lead singer was pretty damn charming. Mid way through the set they broke into a cover, "American Girl" by Tom Petty, which was a pretty straight ahead cover, but worked damn well. They wrapped up the set, but were obviously coming back for the encore, that started with "Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me)". After a set like this, I think I am definitely going to have to start listening to them more.

I've had lots of luck this year, seeing shows where each band on the bill would be worth seeing on their own, and I think I can add this one to the list. All three of these bands I would definitely be interested in seeing live again.

Review-kus.

My goal is to review every album I bought (or otherwise listened to) this year. But there are just so darn many albums, and sometimes I just don't feel like writing a full reviews. So to combat this, I have decided that I shall give a few really quick reviews all at once... in haiku form. Here we go!

Dark Eyes by Fanshaw
Intriguing lyrics
And interesting arrangements
The star is her voice

Download O Sailor by Fanshaw

Yukon Blonde by Yukon Blonde
Clear influences
But never derivative
Catchy power pop

Download Brides Song by Yukon Blonde

Bear Bones EP by Said The Whale
Five acoustic songs
Recorded in Ben's bedroom
Yields awesome results

Download The Fish and The Stars by Said The Whale