Mayer Hawthorne & The County brought the love to the Drake Underground on Sunday to a sold out crowd. Opening the set with “Maybe So, Maybe No”, an energetic Hawthorne and his tight band, had the crowd immediately loving it – dancing, singing along, and blowing bubbles. Yes bubbles. They totally added an old-timey feel to his old school sound. I was happy to hear Mayer have his vocal chops live and not just on the album. He seems to enjoy having fun with the crowd, making us move in tight to dance, confiding with us about love, and even stopping in the middle of “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” to ask us if we like heavy metal and country, and then starting the song again with a reggae beat. Fun stuff.
The group played the hits from his just released “A Strange Arrangement” as well as a few covers, including a great extended version of “Love is All Right” from Cliff Nobles and Co, because as Hawthorne kept telling us: it was all about the love. Overall, it was a tight and fun set and there were a lot of pretty girls in the crowd, but unfortunately they only had eyes for the Mayer. The one thing missing from the band was some live horns, but all in due time . . .
Opening DJ mymanhenri is consistently awesome at his craft, always setting the mood with his 92bpm hip-hop vibe. I unfortunately missed BUFF1 throwdown his smooth Ann Arbor hip-hop, but did get to see 14KT‘s set before the headline and BUFF sat up behind the drums during his set and chilled out as 14KT dropped dope beats. Check out their collab track “Real Appeal” on BUFF’s latest album “There’s Only One”, it’s a winner. All in all, it was a great night of Detroit soul and hip-hop with mymanhenri representing for the T.
Brooklyn trio, The Antlers played to a full house at The Horseshoe on Thursday September 24th in Toronto. Their quiet/loud dynamic worked well in a live setting and the crowd greedily devoured it with their ears — ears which the next morning would still be ringing from the cranked speakers at the Shoe. Nevertheless, the trio played a tight set, relying heavily on the strongest tracks from their debut album “Hospice”. They opened the show with “Bear”, which immediately drew the crowd in, as Peter Silberman crooned in his eerie emo falsetto, slowly building towards the song’s powerful kick. It definitely started their set off with a bang.
At their best moments, I found myself thinking they sounded like shoegaze heroes Ride, while at their worst, I couldn’t help think that Silberman’s voice was veering off into Thom Yorke territory with his uber-emotive oooh’s and ahhhh’s. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but overall, I like listening to their album at home more than I enjoyed their live show. Part of the reason for this might be because the album is conceptual, meant to be listened to from start to end in its entirety, and their live show diffused the stirring emotion of the album by playing it out of order. Still, this is all purely subjective, as I’m sure others would say the show absolutely kicked ass and made them want to laugh and cry and give Silberman a big hug.
The Antlers are still a fledgling band, and I think they have the skills to surpass the simple grandeur of “Hospice”, but they really gotta stop listening to “The Bends” right this very instant, because the rest of the world forgot about it years ago. I guess I’m just afraid they have the potential to turn into schmlatz if they’re not careful, and this would be a bad thing for a band that’s got a good thing going.
I unfortunately missed opening band Arietta, but I did get to see most of second-billed Holly Miranda, who played a beautiful set of sparse and angular southern-tinged rock and roll. Comparisons to Cat Power and perhaps Stevie Nicks will no doubt abound, and that’s because Miranda’s voice is achingly beautiful and full of range. I think seeing her in a venue where no one is talking throughout the set would be really quite moving. Still, I was glad I was introduced to her music, as I’d never heard of her before the show.
Ann Arbor, Michigan’s Mayer Hawthorne is about to blow up big time. His full-length debut album hits stores on September 8th, 2009, and is an amazingly authentic take on Motown and Detroit soul from the 60’s. This is nu-skoool soul that you could play for your Mom and before you knew it, she’d be up and dancing dirty with your Dad in the living room. Meshing the sounds of Smokey, Marvin, Curtis, and the Temps, Mayer Hawthorne’s album, “A Strange Arrangement” plays like a warped 33 from your parents old LP collection, but also manages to sound like the next shit at the same time.
Growing up on the outskirts of Detroit, Hawthorne listened to the rich musical history of Motown via all the amazing radio stations in the Detroit area (104.3 WOMC!!) and felt connected to the sound and emotion of that era—and now he’s put out one of the smoothest soul albums I’ve heard in years. Some of the tracks sound just a little too close to the artists he’s paying respect to—for example “Your Easy Lovin’ Aint Pleasin” sounds like a sped up “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes, and “The Ills” could be an unreleased Curtis Mayfield track, but cuts like “Shiny and New”, “Maybe So, Maybe No”, and title track “A Strange Arrangement” reveal Hawthorne’s skills at their best. Overall, the album is an absolute burner. Infectious, nostalgic, emotional, smooth, and really really fucking groovy. I’m still trying to get my head around the fact that he’s a pasty white dude, and that not only does he have a fantastic voice, but also plays all the instruments on the album! Wow.
Mayer Hawthorne & The County are making their Toronto debut at The Drake Hotel on Sunday, September 27th. I’ll be there and wearing my heart on my sleeve. Edit: I was there! Check him out immediately! Peace.
Jason Chung aka Nosaj Thing made his Toronto debut last night at Wrongbar. He delivered a tight set filled with fractured beats, airy synths, and knob twiddles aplenty. The show was really quite good, so it’s a shame that the crowd was a sparse group of head-bobbers, seemingly too hungover from the weekend to move more than their necks. His set was definitely dance worthy, and so on behalf of the city of Toronto I apologize to you Nosaj Thing, please don’t get the wrong impression of Canada, we really do know how to throw down, you just caught us at a bad time. Come back and we’ll make it up to you, I swear. I could understand if he didn’t want to come back, when barely 40 people showed and nobody even moved to his music – he on the other hand, was going wild on stage, groovin to the beat, as he modulated and tweaked cuts from his recent release “Drift”.
Overall, it was an impressive outing from this young talent, however, I felt the sound at Wrongbar was kinda flat and did not bump as much as it should. Seeing Flying Lotus earlier this summer has ruined any chance for another artist in the glitch-hop scene to play a better show than his off-the-hook performance at Tattoo, but with a little more time and practice, Nosaj will be right up there with him. If you haven’t heard “Drift” yet, check it out. It’s available through Alpha Pup Records. I’m out.
I’ve just returned from a two-week road trip out east. In a word: glorious. Toronto – Montreal – Fredericton – Fundy National Park – Alma – Hopewell Rocks – Charlottetown – Kensington – Cabot Beach Provincial Park – Halifax – and all the way back again. Unfortunately we didn’t make it to Cape Breton as originally planned, but still had a wild and raucous time. Why is beer from the Maritimes so goddamn good? Pump House, Propeller, Garrison, and sweet sweet Picaroon’s, I salute you all. Even you too Alpine and Keith’s.
As most road trips go we had our ups and downs. Lost wallet in Kingston. Stolen backpack in Montreal. Flooded tent in Fundy. Mosquitoes bigger than baseballs on PEI. Temper tantrums in Halifax. The weather was flighty and fickle and fearsome but also occasionally perfect. Overall, the experience was memorable and bonding and amazing and hilarious. Night frisbee anyone? Another bowl of mussels perhaps? The seafood out there is delish and divine.
Driving through New Brunny is like owning your very own highway. My return to Freddy was short-lived but drunken and nostalgic. The ocean mist in Fundy was cleansing and seemingly alive. The backroads in NB possibly the best part of the adventure. The red dirt on PEI geologically fascinating. Halifax on Jay’s birthday was an absolute shit-show. Our last night camping in Cabano, QC ended fittingly in vomitous disaster inside my tent. Thank you lil’ pointer for that one.
Now back at work in Toronto I am oddly relaxed but still I wonder once again: What in the hell am I doing here?
Regular musical musings will return toute suite. Peace.
Warp Records budding superstar Flying Lotus (nee Steven Ellison) dropped his cyber-slick sounds on a crunked and over-capacity crowd last night in Toronto. And hot damn was it ever good. We walked in to opener mymanhenri playing Dilla and Doom and setting the mood just right. FlyLo hit the stage next and within seconds sized-up the crowd he had in front of him. “These peeps ain’t just drunk, they’re all super fucking baked,” was no doubt his assessment, because he immediately pressed the “drug” button on his groove box and the bass just cooked the crowd and made us scream and jump and grin and shake our booties. It was infectious and trippy, full of reverb and snare pops and bad ass bass rumbles and soul.
I gotta admit the sound system at Tattoo is pretty awesome and FlyLo’s set was so crisp it sparkled. There was even a crowd surfer at one point. I think Flying Lotus was genuinely amazed at how gonzo the crowd was going all around him. He was smiling and laughing the whole set and brought the energy and rhythm to an absolutely feverish pitch. He crescendoed with some subtle Michael Jackson nods from “Off the Wall” that sounded as fresh as ever under his care. A fitting farewell to the King of Pop and a musical highlight of the year for mmmlele.
Anyone who likes Jay Reatard already knows all about his ‘legendary’ Silver Dollar show in Toronto last spring. If you’ve never seen it, peep it below from 1:30 onwards. Rock and roll!
Then he came back to town in the fall for a Fred Perry sponsored show at Wrongbar and stormed off the stage after a pedal malfunktion. Watch it too, it’s funny.
So when me and my friend Stew got tickets for his show at the Mod Club we were expecting some rock n roll smackdown dramatics with spit and violence and pretension and blood. Unfortunately for us, there was nothing but a little ego – nevertheless, flying vee’d Jay Reatard, afro’d bass Steve Pope and drummer Billy Hayes still tore it up with attitude and style. They played it safe and I loved it anyway. ‘Cause in the end It was still balls out sludge rock with tight musicianship the entire set from the trio. At one point, as I slammed back a Corona, they looked like the animated criminals from the cartoon “Superjail”. Freaky and Southern. Kinda sweaty and fat. But I’m sure Reatard still gets retarded with the ladies, especially after they see him jump up on a green gear box at the end of his sets and wail out! I definitely thought their was some sex to him, but in a Jon Spencer kinda way. Not sure if I’d buy the whole package . . . but you can bet yer bony ass I dug the head-banging, short but sweet, fuck you you piece of shit set the band delivered this time around in the T-drizzle. Even if the crowd stayed away…
“Dear Science” was one of my favourite albums of 2008. The lyrics were inspiring, the rhythms infectious. Needless to say then, I was quite excited to finally see TVOTR live. But unfortunately, I had to see them at the Sound Academy in Toronto. One of the city’s worst venues. A claustrophobic cave with some of the least flattering acoustics outside of a rubber room. TVOTR were good but the venue was so disappointing I drank myself very close to Hades . . . in the end, blacking and blurring out most of the evening. Hangover scale the next morn: 8.8/10. Beastly. Avoid the Sound Academy unless The Beatles and Michael Jackson are playing there.
Line-up: Lusine, Tycho, Michna w/Raw Paw, Milosh and SV4
Ann Arbor, Michigan’s GHOSTLY label turns ten this year and to celebrate they are playing a string of shows across the globe. I caught the show in Toronto at the Drake Underground on May 27th, 2009 and thought it was fantastic.
Lusine (Jeff McIlwain) opened the night with an amazing set that meshed his various styles together beautifully. Although he seemed a bit upset to be playing so early, he delivered a bass heavy, Audion-esque set that had that Detroit snap and pop to it. I was very impressed and so was the crowd. Surprising that this was his first show in Toronto.
Michna w/ Raw Paw played next and delivered a quirky and emotional set of jazzy and dark indietronic pop. The trio played a multitude of instruments: keys, tenor sax, trombone, drums, synths, and DEEP ass bass, and brought fun and energy to the show. I had never heard of them but just picked up the new album “Magic Monday” and am totally digging it.
Tycho played next and the room filled for his set. Hate to harp, but his set didn’t differ much from the one he played last year when he visited the Drake. And obviously he wears his Boards of Canada heart on his sleeve. To be honest, I think Tycho should have opened the night and Lusine should have played third, but alas … no one danced either, they just stood there, swaying drunk and scratching their chin prickles.
Toronto native Mike Milosh closed the night and although the guy has an absolutely amazing voice, the music was not the right vibe for the party. It was too slow and quiet for a night that was supposed to be full of dancing and delusions. Unfortunately, the Toronto crowd was just too hip and shoe-gazey that night.
SV4 spun in between sets and played hit after hit after hit. Props to him. I had a great night and am now feeling a bit pissy that I decided to choose money over mutek this weekend. Shizer. Anyway, Ghostly is a quality label putting out some of the best shit you wanna stuff in your ears. Check it and love it. I’m out.
Brooklyn duo Mountains put on a fantastic and cerebral live show last night at The Music Gallery on John Street in Toronto. The venue is actually an old Anglican Church, made of wood and stone, airy and open, so the acoustics were amazing. They couldn’t have played in a better spot. The small but enraptured crowd sat in the pews as the duo played a one song 45 minute set. Using guitars, synths, accordion, melodica, voice, two Powerbooks, and lots of other neat toys, they created a whitewash of looped introspective ambience.
It had me reeling in the pew, thinking about more things at once than I have in quite a while. Made me feel high on shrooms as samples of sound swirled upward to the peaked ceiling and deep bass rumbled the church floor. My friend Stewart next to me brought a note pad and was feverishly jotting down notes in the dark, my friend Mat on the other side, seemed antsy, plagued by grim yet ambitious dreams. I couldn’t sit still. I felt enlightened and confused at the same time, as their set reached a cacaphonous yet beautiful climax, ending with the moans of a dying accordion. Brilliant stuff. Nice guys too. I wish them well on the rest of their tour.
INAUDIBLE 