Suuns - The Silver Dollar Room - November 26, 2010

Suuns, basking in the red-hued glow of internet buzz. Photo by Colleen Hale-Hodgson.

It happened like this: Suuns played New York City's CMJ festival in October and managed to get a shout out on one of my favourite music programs, All Songs Considered. I dig this sound. I should remember to check this band out later. Then, a week or so later I spy a tweet from Daytrotter advertising their recent session with Suuns. Oh yes! I forgot to remember to check out this band! Here another opportunity. After being suitably impressed (again) by the sounds from their Daytrotter session I decide I must remember to see this group live sometime. Cut to Google Reader and Chromeowaves' RSS feed. There's a small footnote on a review of Gregory & The Hawk’s Leche that Suuns will be playing the Silver Dollar Room the upcoming Friday.. It's settled. The nail in the coffin comes later during a random visit to CBC Radio 3's website, where its online player opens to - what else - Sunns' "Arena". What is this (other than a verbose way to say that I saw Suuns this past Friday)? It's a look at how music aficionados discover new bands to pay attention to, and how buzz bands are born.

Show openers Tezeta and Little Girls are local and, at least in the case of Little Girls, have a strong following in many Toronto music circles. Little Girls went on second and were solid, but didn't really wow me like I would have liked. Tezeta, which came on first, was an interesting enough set to write a little more on.

Tezeta had problems from the start. Sole member Joseph Viktor Arthur Roth needs a serious injection of confidence juice, and I hope he gets it soon because from what little he did play was not as bad as he said it was. He started his set by mumbling something about how it wouldn't be very good, then played a nice, spacey sample riff piece called "Ties," with his swooning baritone voice that reminded me a bit of Beirut's Zach Condon. He then called upon a few members of Little Girls to play alongside, which was where things started to fall apart. After two songs he abruptly kicked the other players off the stage and said he wouldn't play any more. After several catcalls and shouts of bemused encouragement from the audience, he relented and started to play one last song, which he promptly abandoned again. Like I said, it's too bad because Roth has a nice voice, but probably isn't ready to share his music live.  

When Suuns took to the small Silver Dollar stage, however, there was no question of whether or not these guys had the confidence to hold the crowd. Suuns make dark electro-infused post-punk music. It's moody and precise, and the more time you spend with it, the more it grows on you. This trend of indie bands adding synth to the normal guitar/bass/drum setup is both good and bad; on the one hand you've got explorations in texture, and the combination of traditional melody constructs with drone or glitched-out beats allows for more complex emotional revelations. On the other hand you've got synth-as-filler bands (where you have the only girl in the band behind a tiny keyboard pushing keys but not really making any noise), or "bands" who show up at venues with a laptop and skinny jeans and not much else. As the night went on, Suuns exemplified the correct way to integrate synth, sound pedals, and other elecronic devices into an otherwise traditional mould - making it an integral part of their overall sound rather than a fun sidenote.

Ben Shemie's restrained vocals added tension to an already anxiety-ridden sound. Each song felt ready to burst into a rollicking rock jam, but rarely - if ever - unleashed the pent up rock trying to get out. That tension added to the moody atmosphere, but also contributed to the show eventually delvolving (evolving?) into a moshpit/dance party, which should say something about the Suuns' strength in rhythm (and will hopefully lead to Suuns dance remixes in the future). 

They didn't over-reach on the record, which would have meant creating music that they couldn't replicate live, and that may be what saved them from one of the most common pitfalls modern indie bands often fall prey to. So many bands simply do not have either the manpower or the musical dexterity to re-produce their ambitious recordings in a live setting. Based on this interview with NOW, this was intentional move on Suuns' part, in order to keep the live show strong. This was a good decision, and will allow for a more expanded sound on later records, when they can afford to bring in other musicians to play with what is already a very exciting material. 

Spring/Summer/Fall Concert experience 2010 - Part 2

Here lies the second part of my outrageously belated multi-part Spring/Summer/Fall concert round-up. I'm doing something different this round and adding youtube videos for each artist so that you can get a visual and audio companion to the review. Let me know what you think:

THE ONES THAT AREN'T QUITE THE BEST BUT ONLY BECAUSE I NEEDED TO ARBITRARILY CUT OFF THAT LIST AT SOME POINT:

DIRTY PROJECTORS September 15 @ The Opera House

Dirty Projectors. The lighting was pretty dim so it was difficult to get a good shot of the whole group. All photos by Colleen Hale-Hodgson.

It was an uneven but ultimately magical performance from my favourite harmony-infused, melodically fascinating band. I was eager to see how Dave Longstreth would pull-off the complex guitar-work prevalent on the album I'm most familiar with, Bitte Orca (2009). The answer: not perfectly, but about as close as anyone could hope to get. I don't just throw the word "complex" out there willy-nilly - the Dirty Projectors are known for their experimental instrumental and vocal arrangements. The female three-part harmonies on Bitte Orca are fascinating (I especially love the somewhat dissonant, ringing tones produced when the girls only sing a semi-tone apart), and they translated well to a live setting - although, possibly because I've become so attached to the vocals on the album, I couldn't stop from cringing whenever they missed (or purposefully altered) notes or held on for a beat too long. In a review of Bitte Orca, The Quietus described Longstreth's voice as "Marmite-like" - ya, I had to look it up too - meaning that you either love his voice or hate it; I fall on the side of love, but I really enjoy strange and often off-putting vocals. I don't think that Longstreth's vocals are off-putting at all, they just sound like a lot of work. 

The night's surprise guest was none other than elite Toronto experimental violin virtuoso Owen Pallett. He was accompanying Angel Deradoorian on the sparse yet beautiful "Two Doves" (a personal favourite). It was the icing on a show that was already filled with outstanding energy and dynamics. 

Dirty Projectors, "Stillness Is The Move" from Bitte Orca


CARIBOU September 17 @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre

Caribou. You can just spy some of the brass/wind band in the background.

One of my favourite trends in music these days is the mixture of traditional "analog" instruments with intense, meticulous electronic arrangements. This is possibly why I love Holy Fuck so much (more on that later), but Caribou takes it to a whole other level. His set up at the Phoenix included a live brass and wind section (clarinet, saxophone, flute, and trombone), along with a guitarist, bassist, seriously skilled drummer, and Caribou (Daniel Snaith) himself working the synths, keyboard, and other digital toys.
 
There were moments where it felt like the I had stumbled upon a space-out jam session; Snaith would present extended cuts from this year's record, Swim, along with his Polaris Prize-winning Andorra (2007), letting each musical phrase splay out into every sonic corner he could find. Snaith has a sort of rhythmic precision that permeates throughout every layer of live instruments/electronic instruments/voice, all the way down to the traditional rhythmic elements. Everything feels so well placed on the album that I thought messing with the structure live might detract from their overall story arch (and, for a few tracks at least, I was right), but Snaith's handling of "Bowls" off of Swim exemplifies how his live tinkering can really open a piece up, and engulf an audience in the process.  

Caribou, "Sun" from Swim


NICE PERSONALITIES:

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB April 1 @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre

Kind of disappointing. To be honest I really haven't been keeping up with this band in the past few years, and I know them best for their 2005 breakout Howl, which they only played a couple of songs from. Howl is a grinding rock and roll opus, with wailing harmonicas and old-school laid-back vocals. Think The Black Keys before there was The Black Keys. So, being a few years behind on the bandwagon didn't help me enjoy the show much, but it should be said that despite my general disinterest in their new material, they are a solid live band. The guitar and bass prowess that made them so attractive in '05 is still there, but (from what I remember of the concert) there wasn't much innovation in their sound since then.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Beat The Devil's Tattoo" from Beat The Devil's Tattoo

MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND May 4 @ El Mocambo

This was an early one, but certainly set the stage for a string of surprisingly good small concerts I saw this year. My Brightest Diamond is essentially just Shara Warden belting out her unique brand of moody folk rock. There have been rotating members in the past, and she has performed with a band before - Worden kept mentioning that her drummer was out for a smoke (must have been some long smoke because he never showed up) - but this was a very intimate show with a small crowd. This was particularly baffling for me because when I had seen Worden last year with The Decemberists she completely owned the stage whenever her solos came around. Her voice is simply incredible. Powerful, keen, and full of natural character, Worden's voice is easily one of the best in indie rock music today (maybe even history - just check out her cover of the 'oft covered "Feelin' Good"), so I was surprised to see that this performance wasn't a bigger deal. For this performance Worden played the electric guitar over a drum machine, and used some creative digital effects to loop her vocals on one of the eerier songs.

With an act that became something of a trend for some of my concert experiences this year, I hadn't actually heard any of My Brightest Diamond's music before buying my ticket. Everything (besides the "Feeling Good" cover, which closed the night) was new to me, which may not be the best way to get into MBD. As I said, Worden's voice alone was worth the price of admission, but the songs themselves require more patience. My current favourite blogger, contemporary composer and sass aficionado Nico Muhly, compared the uniqueness of Worden's pipes to that of Bjork's (a real compliment), so that should give you an idea of how "acquired taste" MBD may be for some.

(I should note that at the time of the show, Worden was very pregnant - she had little Constantine Jamesson Worden in July. That's apropo to nothing, really. I just remember thinking how rough it must be to shlup around the country with a baby weighing down your belly. Kudos to Shara Wordon for being a cool mom, though).

My Brightest Diamond, "Inside A Boy" from A Thousand Shark's Teeth

THE WEAKERTHANS May 26 @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre

The Weakerthans. I love how in my best shot none of them are actually looking at the audience.

A last minute concert decision that turned out to be a pretty fun night. The Weakerthans are something of a Canadian indie rock staple. They have a well-deserved reputation for crowd pleasing, and I would definitely recommend catching them live for a solid good time. I don't know their catalogue so well, but the songs I do know - "A Plea From a Cat Named Virtue" and "I Hate Winnipeg" are two of my favourite Canadian songs ever written - were all played - to my great delight.

The Weakerthans, "Our Retired Explorer (Dines with Michel Foucault in Paris, 1961)" from Reconstruction Site

Spring/Summer/Fall Concert experience 2010

*Note: in the interest of condensing this post and of getting this out faster, I'll be uploading a couple of reviews at a time, and subdividing the shows into three arbitrary categories I've thought up. So... expect another one or two of these posts later this week.

National Public Radio's All Song's Considered "Live In Concert" series recently produced a simulcast of Jonsi's awe-inspiring live concert in the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles (they promise to have clips of the show up soon - however, it's not the best representation of the live show, so I would take it or leave it). If you've read my review of the show and album you'd know how highly I recommend checking this out. Even eight months later I can still hear the other-worldy falsetto that opens "Grow 'Till Tall" and subsequently closes a show that will forever stick out in my mind as one of the finest live shows I've ever seen. This is saying a lot because this summer has been packed with surprising, memorable, and stay-with-me-for-life shows - Jonsi's was only the beginning.

I haven't been able to write about all of my favourite concert experiences this year (The National's Massey Hall show in June sticks out in my mind as one I really should have written about), but I'm hoping to correct some of those oversights in this post, rounding up some of the concerts I've seen this summer/fall, starting with the ones that made the most impact.

THE BEST:

JONSI April 30 @ The Sound Academy

Jonsi's merits I've already documented, but it's important to note how lasting an impression he's made. This concert, despite being in April, feels like it kicked off my entire year. I'd never really understood the merits of a good concert until this time, and it was this grandiose, magical collaboration of visual art and sound that introduced me to the true power of a live musical experience.

It's an awkward negotiation, seeing a musician live. Performances can seem very artificial, with groups of people standing and staring at another group of people on a stage creating noise. The people on stage want you to get involved, but not so involved that you jump up and try to actually engage in the noisemaking yourself (unless it's sort of like an avant-garde thing, which would be cool and off-putting in a completely different way). In a sense, it's much easier to plug in and imagine a visual accompaniment to the sounds coming from your computer/mp3 player/walkmen/etc. than it is to sit through a live performance, which will either elevate you or leave you deflated. Thankfully Jonsi's Go tour was of the latter disposition, and is even more impressive live than it is on the album.


THE NATIONAL June 8 @ Massey Hall (the first of a two night stint)

It's difficult to describe the many divergent reasons that this performance was truly transcendent for me. A lot of it has to do with personal connections (to the music, the significance of this being the first show I'd ever seen as the venerable Massey Hall, and my late night adventure camping out behind said venerable establishment for autographs), but that would be short-changing the performance itself.

Matt Berninger is one of the most charismatic front man in indie rock today (don't let anyone tell you otherwise). Maybe it's the copious drinks he consumes on stage (a trademark, of sorts), maybe it's his delicious baritone voice that echoed around the room and commanded attention from every ear, or maybe it's the way he literally forced several audience members to their feet (causing a rush to the front, providing me and a friend with much better seats than we paid for). Oh, and there's also the two times he jumped off the stage and ran into the crowd, climbing over seats and people, screaming "My mind's not right!" like a madman who just freebased cocaine off a hookers g-string. It's that gin-soaked fun that breathes life into music and lyrics that often fall heavily into the category of morose and intellectually weighty.

Photo by Frances Olimpo

The use of horns and the occasional violin really opened up the group's sound, faithfully recreating the lush arrangements on High Violet. Stage banter between Berninger and twins Aaron and Bryce Dessner revealed many funny/interesting tidbits of information (for example: one of the Dessner's was talking about how their mother had, until recently, advised that the band get a "nice girl" to perform lead singing duties). The band went on to play two encores, which should give you an idea of how much they enjoyed the show as well.

And now for something of a rant: For those who like to label The National as "mopey indie rock," you're both kind of right and yet still missing the point entirely. To each their own, but if you haven't given The National a chance you are really missing out. "I was afraid I'd eat your brains" is not a phrase you will hear coming from many mopey indie rock bands these days, so I truly cherish the fact that there is a band out there that can not only throw out curve ball lyrics like that one, but do it with such conviction and musical finesse that I don't even care about how ridiculous it sounds.

(NB: Below is the scan of my signed High Violet CD case BY THE WHOLE BAND! I owe drummer Bryan Devendorf an edible bouquet).

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Ok, more to come. Stay tuned.