As much as I make a big fuss about writing year-end lists and the joys of compiling your favourites of the year, I actually find it to be a very difficult thing to do. Part of the reason why I found it hard this year was the vast amount of good music I’ve listened to; narrowing down my very favourites became more difficult than choosing which chef to root for on Top Chef (admit it, you kind of liked everyone in the final four). And once that’s decided, the writing process just gets trickier because now that you’ve chosen the best you really want to make sure you can get it across to the readers just how much you loved these albums, shows, bands, etc.

The following 9 shows (yes, I’m going with the oh-so-witty approach of doing ‘Top 9’ lists this year) were the ones that truly blew me away, gave me the chills, and left me wanting more.

1. The Dirty Projectors, TuneYards @ Opera House – November 14

The Dirty Projectors on record hadn’t impressed me much before and it wasn’t till I saw them at Lee’s back in July that I was officially converted into intense Dirty Projectors fandom. Following said show, I had their latest album Bitte Orca on heavy rotation and it seemed like every other word that came out of my mouth was “I love the Dirty Projectors!” So not only was this show at the Opera House one of my most anticipated shows of the year but also the one that delivered the most. Opening for the Brooklyn art-rockers was Montreal’s TuneYards, an act of whom I had been beating myself up for missing since May of this year. Not only did TuneYards front woman Merrill Garbus steal the show but she left me speechless, literally with my jaw down and staring at the stage in complete awe. Garbus’ use of looping vocals and instruments built an incredible room of sound that just blew everyone away, sending the crowd into a paralyzed state of disbelief or in a crazed state of dancing. The Dirty Projectors were equally as mind-blowing, giving yet another amazing performance of unbelievably flawless vocals (delivered by Angel Deradoorian, Haley Dekle and Amber Coffman – hailed as the Mariah Careys of indie-rock) and some of the tightest, most astonishing musicianship today. Can’t appreciate a band like the Dirty Projectors? See them live; almost guaranteed to convert even the coldest of indie hearts. Hands-down, the best show of 2009 from the best pairing of artists.

2. Broken Social Scene @ Harbourfront – July 11

I think it’s apparent from my list last year of best shows that I’m a fan of Broken Social Scene. Always was, always will be. So it really shouldn’t be shocking that my favourite Toronto collective is back on this list this year. Unfortunately I had missed BSS at Harbourfront back in 2004 but thanks to the cancelation of this year’s Olympic Island festival (regularly held by the folks of BSS), the band returned to the Sirius Satellite Radio Stage for a free show…yes, free. Needless to say, the place was packed, all the way to the edge of the water; I’m sure if people were desperate enough, they’d be watching the show on a boat. But it wasn’t because this was a packed show or because it was free that won me over; the spectacle of a Broken Social Scene show that wins me over every time is the band itself. And in this instance, we were all treated to a reunion of the lead female vocalists (Amy Millan, Emily Haines and Leslie Feist) and what ensued was clearly the best performance the band has given in a very long time. Hearing from several members days, weeks, even months after the show, they knew it was a magical moment that night and the most important thing is that everyone had fun. And what’s a show without an equal amount of great musicianship and fun. (video by staff photographer, Stephanie Luong)

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Kool Haus – August 5

Okay I’ll admit, Karen O is my idol and I kind of worship the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. So yes, I’ve been waiting for this show for many, many years. But don’t get me wrong, if this show sucked, it wouldn’t have made this list. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are known for their highly energetic performances and that is exactly what I got. Lead singer Karen O is one of the most entertaining musicians I’ve ever seen onstage, running frantically around (in her signature Christian Joy costume), even lending the mic to the audience during “Cheated Hearts”. One thing I remembered thinking throughout the night was “Man, she just doesn’t stop smiling. I love it!” Underneath the wild leather jackets, capes and makeup, regardless of where you are in the venue, you can see the sincerity in Karen O’s face. Guitarist Nick Zinner still remains to be one of the best guitarists I’ve ever seen and even though Karen O takes centre stage, Zinner and drummer Brian Chase were the musical gems of the night. Albeit it was at a venue I’m not crazy about but for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, I’d even trek to the Sound Academy. On a sidenote, I went to this show injured; that’s how much of a fan I am of this band. I went with a busted ankle and left limping (for several weeks, actually).

4. Everything All The Time, The Magic, The Balconies @ Horseshoe – August 26

Could that line-up be any more awesome? Three of my favourite local acts under one roof, I’d kill to see this line-up again and again. As much as big extravaganzas at the Kool Haus or Harbourfront were amazing, a show like this one, celebrating the release of Everything All The Time’s EP, was just equally as incredible. It almost goes without saying anymore that I love the Balconies and both live and on record, they consistently blow me away. This show marked the first time I finally got to see them live and they didn’t disappoint. Strong dynamics and vocals between brother-sister duo Steve and Jacquie Neville, backed by the drumming talents of Liam Jaeger, it is almost alarming how talented these guys are for such a young band. I think Bob Battams of It’s Not the Band I Hate Its Their Fans says it best: “Their debut album encapsulates a brave form of ambition that most bands save up for their third or fourth album. This means that, in theory, their third or fourth album is going to be the greatest thing ever.” The Magic, another band I’ve consistently watched throughout the year, is just packed with a ridiculous roster of talent and onstage, they’re a band that I want to see more of every time. Everything All The Time has seriously become on of my favourite bands of the year. Their unique brand of electro-pop meets Diana Ross is infectious and nothing makes me happier than listening to the band’s EP. From playing a headlining show at the Horseshoe to opening for Thunderheist at the Mod Club, EATT never disappoints.

5. Think About Life @ everywhere – throughout the year.

I’m breaking the rules for this one. Think About Life is quite possibly one of the most exciting, most exhilarating and most fun bands I’ve seen in years. These guys are just so phenomenal live that I couldn’t pick out one specific show of theirs I fell in love with because to be honest, I fall in love with them every time I see them. From confetti to balloons, these guys pull out all the tricks live but it doesn’t come off as cliché, in fact it heightens every performance to a new level and you really just feel like you’re part of the party. If you go to a Think About Life show and you don’t dance, you have no soul. Okay, that’s a little harsh – you have a soul; there’s definitely something wrong with you though. How does one not dance to Think About Life? I need some serious answers.

6. No Shame 100 feat. Green Go, Ruby Coast, Pick A Piper, The Skeletons Four @ Horseshoe – September 18

This show was literally one of the best parties of the year. Great music, great people, an amazing and lovely promoter – what more can you ask for? Green Go was, without a doubt, the band of the year for me. I had voted Green Go number one for my list of ‘Hottest Bands in Canada ’09’ for i(heart)music but seeing as how they somehow didn’t make it on the list, here’s my little blurb about them:

“Rarely do I discover a band that I can watch and listen to over and over again without getting sick of but Green Go definitely has a spot on that list. Having seen them seven times in 2009, I’m still left wanting more as the band just gets better with each performance. With the release of their debut album, Borders and a slew of tour dates everywhere across the country, this was clearly the year of Green Go. Simply put, the hottest Canadian band of ’09 – and deservingly so.”

7. Timber Timbre, Emma McKenna @ Church of Redeemer – July 17

I’m a big fan of church shows and you couldn’t get more perfect than having Timber Timbre play at the Church of Redeemer this year. The entire evening was a subdued, relaxed affair and even though energetic shows can be fun and exciting, I find shows like this one equally as exciting and enjoyable. Taylor Kirk’s hauntingly beautiful voice, backed up by a band which included Forest City Lovers violinist Mika Posen filled the room remarkably well. Every song crept around the church in a slow, almost mesmerizing manner. It’s almost impossible for me to Timber Timbre in any other type of atmosphere anymore.

8. Beirut, The Dodos @ Phoenix – July 9

This was my first time seeing Beirut and The Dodos and since this was a last minute opportunity to see both bands, I almost died of excitement. I almost prefer the Dodos live as opposed to on record because seeing the dynamics and musicianship of lead singer Meric Long is great. As for Beirut, I’m still pretty speechless from their live performance. Just watch the video below and tell me you’re not in love with Zac Condon. (You can’t do it!)

9. The Singing Lamb Launch Party feat. Hexes & Ohs, The Winter Gloves, Green Go, Sports The Band, Maylee Todd @ Tranzac – January 10

You didn’t think I’d forget this one, did you?

***

Honourable mentions to: Parlovr, Diamond Rings, Bruce Peninsula, The Happiness Project, Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Thunderheist, Jenn Grant, Katie Stelmanis, The Ruby Suns, Julie Doiron, Ume, Woodhands, and Olenka & The Autumn Lovers.

Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest

Are you familiar with the concept of dualism? Me neither. Completely irrelevant to the philosophical concept, though, 2009 definitely presented quite the interesting polarity when it came to album releases. There were plenty of great ones and an unfortunate amount of things never meant for the ears. But focusing on just the positive side of 2009′s musical spectrum, the following are some of the records I’ve fallen in love with this year.

Personally, ranking stuff in accordance to best and least just make me uneasy. Hence, I’m listing my top ’09 records in alphabetical order (with supplementary zany visual aids for your short attention spans)!

Beacons – Ohbijou

Check: New Years – Ohbijou

Bitte Orca – Dirty Projectors

Check: Stillness is the Move

Far – Regina Spektor

Check: Laughing With – Regina Spektor

If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone – The Wooden Sky

Check: Oh My God (It Still Means a Lot to Me) – The Wooden Sky

It’s Blitz! – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Check: Heads will Roll – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Merriweather Post Pavillion – Animal Collective

Check: Summertime Clothes – Animal Collective

Speak of Trouble – Great Bloomers

Check: This Ain’t You – Great Bloomers

Technicolor Health – Harlem Shakes

Check: Strictly Game – Harlem Shakes

Tight Knit – Vetiver

Check: Everyday – Vetiver

Veckatimest – Grizzly Bear

Check: Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear

Black Lips

1. Black Lips feat. GZA – “The Drop I Hold”

On paper, it probably shouldn’t work. In one corner, you have one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, the legendary New York hip-hop outfit who have wrote some of the best ever songs about drug-slinging and kung-fu. In the other corner, you have the Black Lips, the soon-to-be legendary Atlanta garage rock band who have wrote some of this year’s best songs about religious skepticism and um…drugs. But what started as a surprising hookup at this year’s South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, ended up with GZA crossing genres to contribute a few lines to this track off the Lips’ latest album, 200 Million Thousand. Blame my own indecisiveness as the main reason I wasn’t able to come up with a “Best Albums” list this year, but rest assured if there was one, 200 Million Thousand would most certainly be on it. On an album of lyrically dense, soul and blues-infused psychedelic jams, with guitar riffs as dirty as lead singer’s Cole Alexander’s mustache, “The Drop I Hold” was probably the biggest departure. This song features an eerie, almost hip-hop beat with guttural screams and Alexander lazily singing/rapping (dude rhymes “Vietnam”, “atomic bomb” and “blacklips.com”) before GZA comes in with an equally hazy verse. Could garage rock bands with heavy blues influences collaborating with rap artists be the new musical trend in the coming year? The Black Keys recently put out an album as their hip-hop side project BlakRoc, while GZA has announced plans to work with artists including Fucked Up and King Khan. As long as it keeps yielding tracks like this one, then here’s one trend that I can certainly get behind.

2. The Dead Weather – “Treat Me Like Your Mother”

Jack White is my favourite male frontman of all-time. The Kills’ Alison Mosshart is my favourite front-woman of all-time. So you don’t need to be a genius to figure out that I was beyond thrilled when I heard that both of them would be starting a new band, with the killer backfield of The Raconteurs’ Jack Lawrence and Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age, to boot. The result was everything that I had hoped for and then some. While “I Cut Like a Buffalo” and “Hang You From The Heavens” are standouts in their own right, “Treat Me Like Your Mother” – with its cacophony of guitars and crashing drums – is a study in glorious excess. The band is clearly going for a “more is more” approach with this song; piling on tempo changes, shrieking vocals, and surprisingly catchy “M-A-N-I-P-U-late” chants, with thrilling results. The chemistry between White and Mosshart is comparable to a wooden box full of lit firecrackers, and on “Treat Me Like Your Mother”, they sound like their going right for each other’s throats (think a more badass version of Brad and Angelina in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but with more leather jackets). With their debut album, Horehound, The Dead Weather have avoided the dreaded “don’t quit your day jobs” jokes side-projects like this often do (my verdict is still out on Them Crooked Vultures), and have created music that stands outside the involved members’ previous bodies of work.

3. Japandroids – “Young Hearts Spark Fire”

Best Canadian album of the year? Maybe. Best new Canadian band of the year? Un-fucking-doubtably. Luckily for us, Japandroids apparently missed the memo about young bands not being supposed to be this good, and this year we got their fantastic debut album, Post-Nothing. Consisting of nine perfectly-crafted garage-rock songs, Post-Nothing proves you don’t need a full band to make a glorious racket – one guy on guitar and one guy on drums will suffice. Earlier this year, I described the duo of Brian King and David Prowse as “No Age hooking up with Death From Above 1979 at a Red Bull and vodka-fueled dance party”, a comparison that now seems pretty ludicrous in retrospective. “Young Hearts” is the album standout; over a fuzz-drenched mess of bass and Prowse’s frenetic drumming, King sings, “I don’t wanna worry about dying, I just wanna worry about those sunshine girls”. The resulting song manages to somehow feel equally cathartic and a youthful call to seize the day at the same time. If there was any justice in the world, this song would be the official anthem of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. For now, we’ll just have to settle with Post-Nothing finding its way onto this year’s Polaris Prize shortlist, and Japandroids finding their way onto playlists everywhere. The only direction for this band to go is up.

4. Joel Plaskett – “Through & Through & Through”

This song has been a recent topic of debate between myself and one of my good friends – whom typically I see eye-to-eye with musically-speaking – but I cannot convince him of Joel Plaskett’s genius as a singer-songwriter. His loss. With Three, Plaskett proved that ambition suited him well and cemented his status as one of the best musicians to ever come out of Atlantic Canada. “Through & Through & Through” casts Plaskett in the role he was born to play; a lovable loser devastated by a beautiful “wrecking ball in a summer dress”, and contains perhaps some of the best lyrics that the Dartmouth guitar balladeer has ever penned. The reference to iconic Canadian rock band April Wine (Wikipedia ‘em or ask your dad who they were) certainly wasn’t lost on any Nova Scotian over 35, but the line that stuck out for me, was Plaskett’s tongue-in-cheek “You be Israel, I’ll be Palestine” metaphor. To make the hours pass quicker (not to mention block out my many bitchy ex-classmates that I had to put up working with) when I worked in the kitchen of a Jewish camp this summer, I would bring in burnt mix CDs, that would then compete for playing time in the kitchen’s crappy stereo. Unfortunately for myself, my coworkers tastes veered more towards the Jonas Brothers than Justice, but I couldn’t help but smile when ever this song managed to creep on. Special mentions go out to the very talented Rose Cousins and Ana Egge, who provide the lovely backup vocals on this song.

5. Matt & Kim – “Daylight”

What a difference a year makes. Before 2009, most people would have been hard-pressed to identify any songs by the Brooklyn couple, with the possible exception of the ubiquitous “Yea Yeah”. This year saw the release of the duo’s sophomore album, Grand, and all of a sudden they were everywhere: in a Bacardi commercial, on the FIFA 2010 soundtrack (alongside the likes of Metric, Wyclef Jean, and others), and rocking out on Jimmy Kimmel. If you need proof that Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino have gained popularity here in Canada, look at the size of the venues they’ve played over the past two years: last November, I caught them playing an all-ages show at the community hall-sized Whippersnapper Gallery. Fast-forward to this year, where they sold-out Wrongbar during NXNE in June, and packed the Kathedral wall-to-wall only two months ago. “Daylight” is a first-rate example of how a song doesn’t need to be complicated to be catchy; Matt plays the keyboard, Kim thumps away on the drums, they throw in a nonsensical (but catchy) call-and-response chorus (“And in the daylight I don’t pick up my phone, ’cause in the daylight anywhere feels like home”), and you have a recipe for DIY pop gold. Bands from New York City come and go, but with Grand, Matt & Kim have proven that they’ve matured without losing their sense of fun.

6. The xx – “Basic Space”

With so many great tracks, picking a standout from the London quartet’s (now a trio) self-titled debut album proved to be both a blessing and a curse for music critics. The band’s brand of melancholic nouvelle pop and a sparingly used drum machine, combined with lyrics about seduction, isolation and despair in the vein of Joy Division and The Cure, and the almost-whispered, haunting vocals of Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft, was so unique, left most unable to pick a standout. One thing everyone could agree on was that the band have made one of the most unique debut albums of the year. When I first listened to it for the first time, my initial favourite was “Crystalised”, an opinion that seemed to be shared by everyone from Rolling Stone (“This hyperstylish London buzz band makes moody bedroom jams with girl-boy vocals – it’s like R. Kelly for kids with giant eyeglasses, an MFA and a heroin addiction”) to EXCLAIM! (“The xx may be the subtlest band you’ll ever hear”). Ever so slowly though, as the album became my soundtrack for late night walks through the city and before falling asleep at night, I began to sway more towards “Basic Space”. It might be the stuttering, skeletal beat, it might be the clarity that Sim and Croft deliver their lyrics with, but every time I hear this song, I get chills down my spine. This song is that good.

7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Soft Shock”

Comeback album of the year? While many people were quick to write the Yeah Yeah Yeahs off following 2006′s uneven Show Your Bones; they could never write an another album as epochal as Fever To Tell, they all were too busy with their various side-projects (N.A.S.A.’s “Strange Enough”, which features guest vocals from Karen O, was considered for this list) they all hated each other, etc., etc., It’s Blitz! saw the NYC trio storming back to prove the naysayers wrong. With It’s Blitz, the band managed to reinvent their sound, while challenging the public’s perceptions of what a “typical” Yeah Yeah Yeahs record is supposed to sound like. The album’s first two new wave singles, the synth-heavy and remix-friendly (from the likes of Passion Pit, Animal Collective and MSTRKRFT, among others) “Heads Will Roll” and “Zero”, are probably the most dancefloor-friendly tracks that Karen O, Brian Chase and Nick Zinner have ever written. But no matter how loudly or how softly Karen O is singing, its her emotional vulnerability that she puts on display, that makes these songs get inside your head. On “Soft Shock”, the singer wears her heart on her sleeve, as she gently coos, “Still it’s a shock, shock to your soft side”. To try and compare the song to the band’s still-celebrated tear-jerker ballad “Maps” is unfair – “Soft Shock” is the sound of a older and more experienced band, a band that has dealt with their fair share of fights and make-ups, a band that has been around the world and back (and then some).

8. Dirty Projectors – “Stillness Is The Move”

For those who had forgotten how good this song was – and why it deserves to be on so many year-end lists – all it took was Beyonce’s little sister to remind them. Solange Knowles (who also scored hip points this year for introducing her sister and Jay-Z to Grizzly Bear) recently covered Brooklyn’s Dirty Projectors’ “Stillness Is The Move”, and by most accounts, doing a pretty decent job. This year saw a major changing of the guard in NYC’s indie pop/rock music scene; the garage-rock bands of the 2000s (The Strokes, The Bravery, Interpol) are out (with the exception of the YYYs of course), TV On The Radio announced they’d be taking an indefinite hiatus, and everybody tried to incorporate African rhythms (à la Vampire Weekend) or freak psychedelia (à la MGMT) into their music. Yet the Dirty Projectors stood out from the pack, mainly because they refused to sound like anyone else, and tried musical experiments that no one else would. “Stillness Is The Move” is hands-down the most accessible song on the band’s latest album, Bitte Orca, and its still pretty out there. That slinky R&B beat, Angel Deradoorian’s fluttering vocals that received numerous comparisons to Mariah Carey (in fact, Deradoorian probably did more for Carey’s name than Mimi did for herself this year), all carefully guided by the hand of head Projector Dave Longstreth – it’s a sound that is destined to spawn dozens of imitators in the not-so-distant future, but no one will do it as good as the Dirty Projectors themselves.

9. Phoenix – “1901″

I really want to absolutely hate this band. To paraphrase a local Toronto musician, who shall remain unnamed, Phoenix seems like the type of band that were put together by Urban Outfitters. I don’t really understand why every music blog, magazine, radio station and website couldn’t stop drooling over this French quartet, and why every other artist worth their salt couldn’t help but trying to remix them, with pretty mixed results. I’ve listened to their breakout Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – an album that’s appeared at or near the top of pretty much everyone’s year-end best of lists – over half a dozen times, but still can’t get into it. Finally, I find it difficult to believe that these guys sold out the Sound Academy (though they did show good taste by picking Holy Fuck as their openers), with fans ponying up forty bucks per ticket nonetheless. But then you hear the chorus of “1901″ (you know, the one that goes “It’s twenty seconds till the last call, going hey, hey, hey, hey, hey”), and it doesn’t matter where you are; whether it’s on the radio while you’re washing dishes, on your friend’s iTunes while you’re helping her put together an IKEA bookshelf, or the DJ plays it while you’re getting your groove on at Dance Cave, you can’t help but sing along – it’s so goddamn catchy. Years from now, our children and grandchildren will ask us what music we listened to back in 2009 when we were foolish young hipsters, and we will play this song.

10. Jay-Z feat. Kanye West & Rihanna – “Run This Town”

Stop laughing! Yes, I’m putting a song featuring three of mainstream music’s biggest names on a list of supposed “indie” (or, as one of my housemates has recently taken to pronouncing it whenever I’m in earshot, “in-DIE”) songs. And here’s why: can you name another Top 40 rap song that goes this hard? If “D.O.A.” was The Blueprint III’s manifesto, than “Run This Town” is Shawn Carter’s victory speech. Love him or hate him, its pretty hard to ignore a musical career like Hova’s: eight Grammy Awards, over 30 million records sold in the United States, and 11 No. 1 albums on Billboard, putting him past Elvis. But this song is one of the album’s best, because it sounds like all three are hungry and have something to prove. Jay’s fighting the backlash that he’s run out of things to say now that he’s almost 40, Rihanna needed to prove that she’d moved on from the whole Chris Brown incident, and as for Kanye, the public just needed him to hear him flat-out rap again. Whatever their motivations, it works: Jay displays all the piss and vinegar of a much younger man, Rihanna provides the kind of warbling hook that reminds of us why the public fell in love with her in the first place, and Kanye comes in at the end to school them both with arguably one of the best lines of this year, “What you think I rap for, to push a fucking RAV 4?” (Toyota reps have yet to issue a response). The only unfortunate thing (for my friends anyways) about this song? “99 Problems” is in danger of being replaced as my new favourite song to drunkenly recite off-key at parties.

Honourable Mentions:

The Rural Alberta Advantage - “The Deathbridge In Lethbridge”
Clipse feat. Kanye West – “Kinda Like A Big Deal”
Grizzly Bear -“Two Weeks”
The National - “So Far Around the Bend”
Raekwon feat. Cappadonna & Ghostface Killah -“10 Bricks”

The Dodos

News Updates are back! Sorry for the lack of posts here, on the main page. Hopefully, everyone found their way to the ‘Features’ page though and the Singing Lamb’s NXNE coverage! There are still a few more reviews and interviews coming up this week, so keep checking that page! For now, this is what I missed out on for the past two weeks (more or less).

Show Announcements:
Library Voices @ Horseshoe (July 28th, 19+)
Woods, Wooden Wand @ Sneaky Dee’s (August 8th, $10.50, 19+)
Langhorne Slim @ Horseshoe (August 5th, $10.50, 19+)
The Hold Steady @ Lee’s (September 27th, $21.50, 19+)
La Roux @ El Mocambo (July 31st, $12.00, 19+)
The Dodos, The Ruby Suns @ Lee’s (October 17th, 19+)
Dinosaur Jr. @ Phoenix (September 30th)
Built To Spill @ Lee’s (October 6-7th, 19+)
White Lies, Still Life Still, Love is All @ Phoenix (September 28th, $20.00, 19+)
The Breeders @ Lee’s (August 15th, $23.50, 19+)
Jesus Lizard @ Phoenix (November 9th, $20.00, 19+)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Kool Haus (August 4th, $32.50, ALL-AGES)

For those who have yet to purchase your Yeah Yeah Yeahs tickets (i.e. me), unfortunately the show is sold out. Rumours are swirling that a second show may be added, but don’t be too hopeful. Fuck. Next best thing? Road trip to Osheaga – who’s in?

In addition to the already fantastic line-up for this year’s Harbourfront shows, The Dears have been added to the Canadian Voices festival and will be performing a free show on July 26th. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this.

Yes Giantess will open for Little Boots at Wrongbar on September 14th.

Sick of The Singing Lamb’s coverage of NXNE? Same. For more coverage, check out these wonderful sites:

Chromewaves
Pete Nema
For the ‘records’
It’s Not The Band I Hate, It’s Their Fans
Narratives
Lycanthropy
North By East West
MW Music Review Blog
The Top Down
Suckingalemon

That’s more or less my list of favourite sites too, by the way. But all of them have fantastic photos and reviews from the festivities so take a look at them! …Then come back and read some more on the Singing Lamb. Please.

Haven’t had time to catch a Secret Session @ Tara yet? It’s okay; catch up and download sessions on theirsite now! If you’re in town, be sure to catch free sessions from Barzin, Black Hat Brigade, and The Artist Lifethis month! Read more about it on their Facebook page.

Other News:

The title of the new Hidden Cameras album is called Origin: Orphan and will be released again via. Arts & Crafts.

In an interview with NME, Arcade Fire lead singer Win Butler says the band is currently writing a follow-up to 2007′s Neon Bible. Read the interview here.

Feist joins Wilco onstage for a performance of “You and I” - watch here!

Islands lead singer Nick Thorborn talks to Pitchfork about the band’s new album, Vapours (out September 22nd). Read here.

Surprise! New Spoon EP coming out this week! Read more about it here.

Listen to She & Him’s cover of the Smiths’ “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” here. Then go out and watch (500) Days of Summer, out on July 17th. Watch the trailer here.

Amy Millan’s new album, Masters of the Burial will be released on September 8th. Here’s the tracklisting:

Masters of the Burial
01. Bruised Ghosts
02. Low Sail
03. Old Perfume
04. Towers
05. Day To Day
06. Bury This
07. Finish Line
08. Run For Me
09. I Will Follow You Into Dark
10. Lost Compass

She’ll be at Harbourfront on July 25th for a free show, alongside Gentlemen Reg!

Due to the city worker’s strike, the Poor Pilgrim show on Toronto Island this year has been postponed to August 9th. Another fantastic show happening on Toronto Island that’s to-be-announced will be Wavelength presents: ALL CAPS! This show will take place on August 15th; details to come.

This year’s Summerworks Theatre Festival will be August 6-16 and although the Music Series has yet to be announced, Miracle Fortress and Polaris long list nominees, Think About Life have already been confirmed! Exciting!

Happy listening!

Musically,
Melody

Just five more days till NXNE! Here’s some news!

“On the cover of the…NOW magazine?” Okay doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, but you get the idea. This week’s cover stars are Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and his recent Arts & Crafts signees, East York’s Still Life Still. Does anyone else get the sense from reading this article that Drew is getting ready to pass the torch onto younger blood? I think if you were to compare the A&C family to another infamous family, the Coreleones (immortalized in Mario Puzo’s The Godfather trilogy and the subsequent movies), Kevin Drew would be the “I’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse” patriarch Don Vito Corleone (played by the iconic Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro), Feist would be the daughter Connie, and Stars’ Torquil Campbell would be the godson and famous crooner slash movie star Johnny Fontane (hey, I didn’t say that it was going to be a good analogy). Does that mean as a potential future heir to the throne, Still Life Still’s lead singer Josh Romaniuk is Michael Corleone? While they might not be putting any horse heads in the beds of their enemies, the band certainly has a busy schedule coming up. They’ll play the Fred Perry store (964 Queen Street West) on June 17th, are part of the second night A&C showcase, and will take the side-stage at Edgefest on the 20th.

Quick, make a list of things that geeks get really excited. Star Trek premieres? Yes. Meghan Fox in a movie about giant transforming robots? Well, they might be right about the lovely Ms. Fox anyways. But as far as big events for video game and computer nerds, the annual Los Angeles’ Electronic Entertainment Expo (which goes by the time-saving acronym E3) trade show for the computer and video games industry, ranks pretty highly. This year’s E3, which took place June 1-4, however had one important unveiling that got video andmusic geeks alike excited: the first previews of a little game called The Beatles: Rock Band. You heard right, a Rock Band based on the music of the Fab Four. Awesome, right? If you can ignore the fact that somewhere John Lennon (bless his soul) is probably spinning in his grave, this is a pretty cool concept. I mean, who wouldn’t relish the opportunity to sing off-key renditions of songs like “Hey Jude” and “I Am The Walrus” with your drunken mates? The game comes out September 9th, and you can watch some trailers over at the official site.

What’s the point in writing for a blog if you can’t include a little shameless self-promotion now and again? Not much, that’s what I say. So allow me to take a minute of your time and bring your attention to my Facebook petition, “Bring The Yeah Yeah Yeahs To Toronto”. I mean, its really more of a public service announcement than anything else. If you like the YYYs or know someone who does or you just like joining Facebook groups, please join here and invite your friends. Please and thank you.

Garage rock beef! Black Lips’ singer and bassist Jared Swilley recently had some less-than-kind words for Nathan Williams, in regards to the Wavves frontman’s recent onstage meltdown during the band’s set at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound Festival, during a radio interview. Some of his choice words included “cowardly”, “baby” and “dick”. Read the full story on Pitchfork here.

Speaking of the Lips, The Almighty Defenders’ (which includes members of the Lips and King Khan and the BBQ Show) debut show will be held at the Amsterdam Brewery (21 Bathurst Street) on June 18th. Sponsored by VICE Canada and Zune, this show goes from 9:00 pm till 1:00 am, and should be a dependably solid good time. RSVP at to@viceland.com. Please watch this and this to get an idea of the craziness that may ensue from this one-off (?) gig.

Just when you think this song is dead, another band attempts to put their own stamp on it. Those that attended the Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction show in Toronto were treated to a special surprise: Street Sweeper Social Club (Boots Riley and Tom Morello) doing a heavy rockin’ cover of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” (thanks to BlogTO for this one).

As much as it pains me to watch this – as I passed on going to this show last minute – this is a gorgeous rendition of an amazing song. Grizzly Bear getting some assistance from everyone’s favourite Canadian songbird, Feist, last Friday at the Phoenix on “Two Weeks”. Thanks to our photographer Steph L. for this one.

Afraid that you aren’t going to be able to squeeze seeing Health into your busy NXNE schedule? Well never fear, as the LA noise-rockers will be returning to Toronto on September 19th at Wrongbar. This time it’ll be in support of their second full-length album, Get Color, which will be released on September 8th. I’ve read that these guys put on an insane live performance and they are definitely among my top twenty must-see-live bands. Listen to first single “Die Slow” over at the band’s MySpace.

Unfortunately for myself, not living at home this summer, and having to pay grocery, phone and Metro Pass bills has really brought me down-to-earth on my grim economic situation. As a result, I will be heading home to Nova Scotia the end of the month, and not returning to Toronto until the beginning of August. But never fear, I shall be still providing news updates and album reviews, even if there is a lack of shows to attend in my fair province (And did I mention we have an NDP government now?). I will however be covering the Virgin Mobile Festival in Halifax, and may be potentially (fingers crossed) heading on a road trip with two cousins to Montreal for the second day of Osheaga, to catch Beastie Boys, The Decemberists, Crystal Castles, The Ting Tings, Beast and Rufus Wainwright, among others.

Cheers,
Max

The Dead Weather

I finally had the day off work, and what do I get for weather? Drizzle and foggy skies. Not impressed. Oh well, at least this is the perfect weather for catching up on my Singing Lamb writing, which I have fallen incredibly behind on this past week. On a day like this, I’d recommend you curl up on the couch with a hot beverage and a good book or watch a good movie (not endless sports highlight shows like I’ve been watching all morning). And in case you don’t have anything to read, here is some news for you!

Is there anything that Jack White can’t do? Let’s see: frontman, singer, guitar hero, drummer, record label owner, Nashville Music Council consultant, amateur bullfighter and Elvis impersonator – now he can addwedding host to his resume. Recently his ex-wife Meg White got married to a guy named Jackson Smith, whose parents Patti and the late Fred Smith are pretty much singlehandedly responsible for the CBGB New York City punk scene in the 1970s, in Jack’s Nashville backyard. Oh, and Jack’s new band with Alison Mosshart, The Dead Weather? They just released a new single, the swampy, blues-rock barn-burner “Treat Me Like Your Mother”, which you can get for free in exchange for your email address here. Its been awhile since I’ve been this excited for a new album, but I’m already counting down the days till Horehound drops on July 14th, and I bought my ticket for their July 22nd show at the Kool Haus.

How ’bout that new Grizzly Bear album? Pitchfork likes it, so it must be good. News flash: it actually is – even people who usually decry “white indie boy rock” are nodding their heads along to this one. Alas, their show at the Phoenix next Friday is already sold-out (sheds tears).

Perennial Lamb favourite, and the pride of Guelph, Ontario, electro-poppers Green Go have just announced a string of high-profile shows including opening for New York’s Fischerspooner at the Phoenix next Tuesday, some shows with Halifax’s Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees, and opening for Edmonton’s Shout Out Out Out Out. Great to see these guys getting the attention they deserve. Check out their MySpace for more details, including an upcoming NXNE appearance with B.c.’s You Say Party! We Say Die!.

Apparently hipster-girl fashion magazines know a thing or two about putting together a pretty kickass music tour; who knew? NYLON magazine; the leading glossy publication for lovers of Lookbook, leggings (you know – those ones from American Apparel with the semi-pornographic ads?) and Lily Allen, are bringing their tour to the Mod Club on June 17 as part of NXNE. Patrick Wolf will be headlining, with the likes of Living Things, Plasticines, and Jaguar Love (ex-members of Blood Brothers and Pretty Girls Make Graves) opening. This show is all-ages, tickets are $20, and a limited number of NXNE wristband holders will be accepted. More details here.

Just in case you hadn’t listened to enough Yeah Yeah Yeahs remixes, here are three more: “Heads Will Roll” re-imagined by Philly new-wave weirdos Weird Tapes and Canadian-based DJ/producer duo FoulHouse, and LA DJ’s Them Jeans remix of the acoustic version of “Soft Shock”. I promise these ones don’t suck either.

The Proclaimers are coming to Toronto! Everyone’s favourite Scottish folk-rocker brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid, will be at the Mod Club on July 9th. The childhood nostalgia of listening to “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” (if you don’t know it, we can no longer be friends) on my father’s tape cassette has me excited for this one. Tickets are on-sale now.

Finally, I have a story so unusual I couldn’t help but sharing with you. It appears that Fucked Up’s controversial frontman Damian Abraham, also know as Pink Eyes, will be joining as a consultant on the Fox news show Red Eye hosted by Canadian military-baiting hack (erm…I mean “host”) Greg Gutfield. Seriously? I mean its not the strangest thing we’ve seen a member of the Toronto hardcore band do, but it certainly ranks up there. Full story here.

Have a good weekend!

Cheers,
Max

One Hundred Dollars

I apologize for the lack of updates lately; I’ll try my best to keep you guys up-to-date more often! In fact, if someone could find me a job [desperate plea alert], I promise I’ll update the site every day! It’s a challenge, Lamb readers, but if you can do it, I’ll owe you big time. [Okay; enough begging] But for more Lamb news every day, make sure to follow me on Twitter! Some updates are random and useless (e.g. “My legs apparently don’t work today; I tripped three times on the street. One woman gave me the deepest look of concern.”) but many of them are actually music-related (e.g. “Rock Plaza Central @ Sonic Boom tonight (7 pm) – see you there! Oh, and Dog Dag tomorrow @ Soundscapes (6 pm); crazy!”)!

Also, congrats to Jordan W. for winning a pair of tickets to Slim Twig and a copy of Contempt! Thanks to everyone who entered! There are still two contests running, so don’t forget to enter those!

Here’s some news!

The aforementioned St. Vincent show at Lee’s Palace is going to be at the Horseshoe now. So mark that down – Horseshoe, not Lee’s! Which also means you better buy your tickets before they sell out. You can stream St. Vincent’s recent show in Washington, D.C. now on NPR.

One Hundred Dollars will be playing “their only full band show in Toronto for the summer” on June 12th. Opening for them will be Deep Dark Woods and Jason Benoit; definitely not a show you’ll want to miss out on! Tickets go on sale this Friday for $8.00. This show is 19+.

1990s recently canceled their June 3rd date at the Horseshoe, along with several other tour stops due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

The Witchies will be opening for Sunset Rubdown at Lee’s on July 10th. Tickets are on sale now for $13.00. This show is 19+.

In addition to opening for Camera Obscura at Lee’s in June, Anni Rossi will also open for Micachu at El Mocambo on July 14th. Tickets are on sale now for $12.00. This show is 19+.

Other Show Announcements:
The Lemonheads @ Lee’s (July 4th, $20.00, 19+)
Peter Murphy @ Opera House (July 11th)
The Charlatans, Hatcham Social @ The Mod Club (September 23rd)
Electric Prunes, Love, Sky Saxon @ Lee’s (August 14th, $25.00, 19+)
Company of Thieves, Blackie Jackett Jr. @ Drake (June 2nd, $10.00, 19+)
Man Man @ Lee’s (July 13th, $15.50, 19+)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a new video out for “Heads Will Roll” (from their latest release, It’s Blitz!). Watch here.

Regina Spektor has not one, but two new videos out! Watch “Laughing With” here and “Dance Anthem of the 80s” here!

Apostle of Hustle’s Andrew Whiteman was recently on Exclaim! TV’s Garageland. Watch here. Also, don’t miss them at the Music Gallery this Friday; tickets are still on sale for $22.00. This show is all-ages.

And last but not least, the Polaris Prize long list will be announced on June 15th this year, followed by the short list on July 7th. The Polaris Prize, just as a reminder, is an annual prize that is given out to the album, that’s decided upon by a jury, who is believed to have been the “best album of the year”. Along with the title, the winner also receives $20,000 and some bragging rights. Eligible candidates must’ve put out a record between June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009. Past winners included Final Fantasy – He Poos Clouds (2006), Patrick Watson – Closer Than Paradise (2007) and Caribou – Andorra (2008). The winner this year will be announced at a gala celebration in Toronto on September 21st, 2009. Who do YOU think should be nominated?

Happy listening!

Musically,
Melody

Gentleman Reg @ Sonic Boom for Record Store Day

“I feel like I’m dreaming. Somebody pinch me. You know what? I’m a pretty sound sleeper – that may not be enough. Somebody shoot me in the face.”

I didn’t say that. Heck, the guy who did say that – one Stephen Colbert – was talking about getting the chance to speak at the 2006 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, but I think this statement captures my feelings the last few days as I wrap up my first year of university. I finished my last exam yesterday afternoon, and now I’m beginning to say my goodbyes and getting ready to make the move from downtown TO to the strange wilderness that is North York. Now that school’s done, I’m hoping to be posting twice as often on here and covering even more shows and interviewing even more artists and bands.

International Record Store Day was this past Saturday and I got the chance to check out the festivities at Sonic Boom, which included solid performances from the likes of Gentleman Reg, Green Go and Hooded Fang. But we all know this day was about the free shit, and there was plenty of that; including vinyls from Josh Reichmann and Controller.Controller., a Paper Bag Records sampler and some pretty cool posters and pins. And just because the event has passed, doesn’t mean that you still shouldn’t be out there supporting your local record stores.

Twitter and Pitchfork. If there are any two cultural trends that I shouldn’t be following, it would be the latest social networking craze and the holier-than-thou tastemaking music website. But damn was their staff’s Twitter coverage of last week’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival pretty darn funny (sample Tweets included “there’s a guy next to me with a 4-year old with no earplugs. parental epic fail” and “killers open with “human” and “somebody told me.” they know they’ve still got another hour plus up there, right?”), and the next best thing to actually being in the middle of the Californian desert, dancing and sweating with thousands of complete strangers to everyone from Leonard Cohen to My Bloody Valentine to Paul McCartney. To read more about what you missed and to follow PItchfork on Twitter, click here.

Fleet Foxes are coming to Massey Hall in August! The date has yet to be finalized, but according to Chromewaves, event promoters recently confirmed this announcement.

How can hip-hop be dead when Kanye West and Clipse are still here? Their shit-hot collaboration, “Kinda Like A Big Deal” (which you can listen over at Kanye’s blog here), features some “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”-style boasting, honest-to-goodness rapping from South Park’s most recent target and bodes well for the Virginia duo’s upcoming third album.

While everyone and their mothers have been turning out remixes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Zero” recently (including MSTRKRFT, Animal Collective and N.A.S.A.), I thought I’d share with you a remix of a song from a band a little closer to home. Rio party-starter’s The Twelves turned out this remix of Metric’s “Help, I’m Alive”, which takes the original and turns it into a slab of French disco.

Hope y’all enjoyed, and celebrated accordingly, everyone’s favourite non-statuatory holiday on Monday. I’ll leave you with a few 4/20-related gems; here is Alexisonfire covering Black Sabbath’s “Sweet Leaf”, a videofeaturing everyone’s favourite cuddly, family-friendly rapper (and avid cannabis supporter) Snoop Dogg, and some guy named Bob Marley talking about…well, you know where I’m going with this.

Cheers,
Max

Rock Plaza Central

Here’s a tidal wave of news for you today!

Wondering what ever happened to Toronto’s Rock Plaza Central since the 2006 release of Are We Not Horses? Well the band has officially signed to Paper Bag Records and will be putting out a new album on May 28th (in Canada, June 16th in the U.S.) Tour dates will be announced soon; we’ll keep you posted!

“Sexy Back” Cover
MySpace
Website

Show Announcements:
Apostle of Hustle @ The Music Gallery (May 29th, $25.50, ALL-AGES)
Emma-Lee, Peter Katz @ The Drake Hotel (April 25th, $10.00, 19+)
D-Sisive, DL Incognito, Abdominal, Fundament & DJ Law @ El Mocambo (May 7th, $12.00, 19+)
Arietta (CD Release), Serb Superb, Cancel Winter, The Junction @ Horseshoe (May 7th, $7.00, 19+)

For those checking out A Camp at the Mod Club on June 1st, you’ll be glad to hear that local favourite, Gentleman Reg will be opening for the Swedish rockers. This show is 19+ and tickets are still available for $15.00!

Also, for those who have opted for The Dears show at the Mod Club on April 30th, as opposed to Green Go’s CD release at Wrongbar, you’re in luck as Toronto’s Lioness will be opening for the Montreal rockers.

The annual Pitter Patter Festival is back this year on May 28-31. Here’s a peek at the line up! So far, exciting acts include Dog Day, Great Bloomers, Whale Tooth, Megan Hamilton and the Volunteer Canola, Gravity Wave, Pick A Piper, The Guest Bedroom and many more!

Watch This/Listen To That!
- Pitchfork TV: Kevin Drew and Feist – The Water, Making Movies
- Pitchfork TV: Screening Arcade Fire’s Mirroir Noir (ONE WEEK ONLY)
- Art in the Age Presents Bishop Allen “True or False”
- Ear Pwr’s “Super Animal Brothers III”
- Exclaim! TV’s Garageland interview with Thunderheist
- A Camp’s “Stronger Than Jesus”
- Akron/Family’s “River”
- Phoenix on Saturday Night Live last week

Also, make sure to tune in to Saturday Night Live this Saturday as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will be the musical guests (host will be Zac Efron…) – will be kick-ass!

In “What the fuck?” news, what the fuck is this?!

Looking for something to do this Friday? Well shimmy your way over to The Rivoli for the CD release of The Paint Movement, also featuring Fox Jaws, Make Your Exit and Provincial Parks. It’ll set you back $8.00 – cheaper than a movie and definitely much more entertaining than whatever the SilverCity near you is playing. So be there!

Happy listening!

Musically,
Melody

Eric's Trip

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, put the blame on those English essays. For those who need their Singing Lamb dose each day, I suggest you check out the Twitter page! It’s mostly mindless ramblings of boredom but every so often, I throw news items up there! Also, I suggest you trek back to read my Juno-live feed – good times were had; and by good I mean drunken and miserable times. If you enjoyed my Juno-tweeting and felt bad for me, you can just make it up to me with a beer the next time you see me at a show. Thanks in advance! (Click on the blue bird on the search bar for more Twitter fun)

Here’s some news for you!

Thunderheist will be at Sonic Boom on April 8th for an in-store performance. It’ll be all-ages, free and from 7:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Fun times guaranteed.

DD/MM/YYYY will be playing an in-store at Soundscapes on Tuesday April 14th at 7:00 pm.

Another option on April 14th would be Metric and Holy Fuck at the Mod Club as that show has officially been confirmed. The show is all-ages and tickets will go on sale tomorrow via Ticketmaster.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and Cryptacize will play a show in town on July 8th; a venue has yet to be announced yet.

Attack in Black will return to Toronto for a show at the Horseshoe on May 9th. Tickets are $10.00 and the show is 19+.

As previously reported, Crystal Castles will be at the Sound Academy on July 25th, but it looks like Austrailia’s Cut Copy will join them. This comes as good news who may have missed their recent stint at Circa with Matt and Kim.

Opening for M.Ward at the Phoenix on April 27th will be Chicago’s Joe Pug.

Gooseberry Records will put out an Eric’s Trip tribute album featuring 33 tracks performed by such acts as Dog Day, Rebekah Higgs, Shotgun Jimmy, Laura Borealis and much more. Read about it here!

Download a new track entitled “Land of the Freak” by King Khan & The Shrines (from their upcoming album,What Is?!) here. For a good time live, be sure to check them out at the Phoenix on May 12th. Tickets are still available for $15.00 and the show is 19+.

i(heart)music profiles Tune-Yards. Read more about it here or check out her Myspace. Fantastically eclectic and experimental fun for the quirky.

Fiona Apple covers Cy Coleman’s “Why Try To Change Me Now?” Listen to it here.

Click here to listen to the N.A.S.A. remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ latest single, “Zero”.

Speaking of remixes, duo Mates of State will release the first in a series of remix EPs, entitled Re-Arranged: Remix Vol. 1.

Another band confirmed for this year’s NXNE is Calgary’s Woodpigeon. Sweet, now I know two…

Happy listening!

Musically,
Melody