CHARTattack:Reviews Feed

Joshua Radin

Sheena Lyonnais — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:24:13 -0600

Screenwriter-turned-songwriter Joshua Radin credits a lot of his success to being in the right place at the right time, but this sophomore release proves there's more to the equation than luck. The follow-up to 2006's We Were Here is a beautiful, soft collection of songs about love and family. Simple Times sounds surprisingly smalltown for a musician who's been featured on almost every American late-night talk show and performed at Ellen DeGeneres' wedding. The nature imagery combined with acoustic folk riffs and the family photos in the album art reflect on his life growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio rather than Los Angeles. Childhood friend Zach Braff (Garden State, Scrubs) helped jumpstart his fame, but it was up to Radin to carry it through, and he does so with grace and honesty. "One Of Those Days" and "No Envy, No Fear" are standouts. Simple Times features beautiful poetry paired with sensitive vocals that aren't whiny or fake-sounding. It packs a lot of talent into 30 minutes and shows there's much more to Radin than famous friends.

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Metalocalypse

Keith Carman — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:55:03 -0600

For the uninitiated, Metalocalypse is the animated series that follows death metal quintet Dethklok through their various misadventures. Touted as the largest band and the 12th largest economy in the world as the debut season declared (though that ranking has improved to seventh according to season two), the grumbling, bumbling outfit continue their parade of lunacy during these 20 12-minute episodes. Watching the band in various states of idiocy such as trying to perform asexual fellatio, dabbling with a cocaine-addicted rock 'n' roll clown, dealing with drummer Pickles' former hair metal band Snakes N Barrels and cock-blocking one another is amusing, but clearly just the result of market surveying what were the finer, more appreciated moments of the show's inaugural season. That said, while this isn't quite as inspired, inventive or cohesive as its predecessor, Metalocalypse Season II: Black Fire Upon Us is still fun and hilarious and miles ahead of its cartoon cohorts.

6015 Willow

Sheena Lyonnais — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:37:36 -0600

6015 Willow has all the makings of something epic. It centres around the self-proclaimed hub of indie music in Halifax, a house where numerous musicians have lived and plenty of bands have formed over the years.

They decided to use all the rooms (including the bathroom, kitchen and an incredibly tiny attic) to film 20 bands over the course of three days for this DVD. It isn't really a documentary so much as a video with a brief narrated intro and then 20 one-song performances presented back-to-back. I don't even think there were actually 20 full bands, more like five different arrangements of people who rotated to create new groups.

The best bands are North Of America, The Just Barelys, The Superfantastics, The Maynards and Windom Earle. There's a reason why Can-rock followers have at least heard these names and not the other 15. The great part about this DVD is it could have been filmed anywhere in Canada. It was just a bunch of music nerds rocking out and blowing fuses with their friends. While it was shot in Halifax, I can guarantee there are houses across the country with similar stories.

One of the special features includes hilarious commentaries by the creators talking over the footage. It definitely should have been incorporated into the proper footage because it answered a lot of questions that weren't addressed in the original cut, such as the very basic why this house was important in the first place.

While the music was primarily porn for extremely indie kids, the commentary works to prove this project's value. Without saying it, 6015 Willow puts a face to the importance of music scenes within cities and the bonds, and the friendships and styles that come from them.

I wish it had provided more of a human element — 6015 Willow comes across more like a first draft than a final product — but it deserves recognition for bringing awareness to this music community and capturing a moment of historical value.

Parlovr

Sheena Lyonnais — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:57:54 -0600

Montreal's Parlovr (pronounced Parlour) have produced an independent record that's a little manic but a lot of fun. What it lacks in focus and consistency, it makes up for in catchy indie dance beats and smart lyrics. It's easy to see each member has very different influences. At times the record's pure pop, at others it's one big mix of post-punk, electro and rock. "Speech Bubble/Thought Cloud" and "Sleeping Horses" are hands-down the best tracks on the album. Others like "In Your House" are a little dry and unoriginal, but I'm willing to give these guys the benefit of the doubt. While the album certainly isn't flawless and may have done better with fewer tracks, it shows a ton of potential. They just need to figure out exactly what sound they're going for and, once they do, I'm sure someone dance-friendly like Paper Bag or Last Gang will quickly scoop them up.

Neil Young

Aaron Brophy — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:35:21 -0600

With Neil Young so entrenched as an enigmatic rebel/arena rock legend, it's sometimes hard to reconnect with his roots as a coffee house hippie troubadour. The release of Sugar Mountain — Live At Canterbury House 1968, the third set in the Neil Young Archives Performance Series [though it's tagged as "disc 00"], does a pretty good job of rectifying that. It features an intimate, personal and personable Young who creates great rapport during the set by spending large chunks of time telling stories ("raps") to the audience and discussing things like how pill-popping got him fired from a bookstore job and explaining his guitar tunings. Meanwhile, the stark delivery of the actual songs — the whole show is just voice and guitar — shines most brightly on the ebb and flow of "Expecting To Fly" and the set-closing "Broken Arrow." Young devotees are going to relish the potent voice-first mix and the ability to trainspot the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between these and the more dressed-up official recordings of many of these tracks.

The Craft Economy

John Papamarko — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:59:24 -0600

The Craft Economy formed as a result of an Art Brut concert in 2005, but are a bit too late for the '80s dance rock revival. That's not to say the Toronto group's record doesn't deserve a spin at your next house party, though. Their five-song EP contains upbeat, danceable ditties packed with converging call and response vocals from Kostantine Kurelias and Linda McKenny. On jangly, bilingual toe-tapper "The Tonic" the band incorporate the lyrical poetry of forgotten francophone sexpot Mitsou ("Bye bye mon cowboy/Bye bye mon gigolo"). The synth lines and repeatable "eeny meeny miny moe" vocals on "Colpoy's Bay" are criminally catchy. This is a record that will surely secretly impress the skinny-jeaned, keffiyah-wearing hipster in your life, but considering it's almost 2009, they'll never admit it.

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Slumdog Millionaire

Phil Villeneuve — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:13:51 -0600

Danny Boyle's film Slumdog Millionaire is a wild and wonderful ride through India's colourful worlds of everyday family life, mafia, homelessness and out-sourced call centres. The film is expertly shot, cast and, almost most importantly, soundtracked. Boyle asked A.R. Rahman, a world-renowned music composer from India, to do the job. Rahman perfectly matches the films eyebrow-raising splashes of colour with equally colourful Bollywood flare, Bhangra beats and local celebrity guest artists. M.I.A. makes three appearances on the album ("Paper Planes," a DFA remix of the same song and the original song "O… Saya"). The rest is a fresh set of danceable, fast-paced music that sounds more like a Mumbai mixed tape than an original score. There are a couple score-like movie moments that are a little out of context on a stereo, but the majority of this album is electrifying and includes "Jai Ho," the song in the final magical dance sequence of the movie.

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Sarah Slean Gets Festive

Shannon Webb-Campbell — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:06:59 -0600

Toronto might have been buried in snow this past weekend, but Sarah Slean's annual festive two-night stint at the Enwave Theatre warmed many hearts.

Saturday evening saw Slean clad in a dazzling green dress (that her friend "the mermaid" gave her) performing with some of the cabaret chanteuse's closest musical friends. The Roaring Girl Cabaret's Miranda Mulholland, Gentlemen Reg, NQ Arbuckle, Royal Wood and the Blue Spruce String Quartet added gorgeous flourishes and arrangements to Slean's extensive repertoire.

Slean invited fans to request songs for the set list for both shows. She was forced to dip into the vault and relearn some of her earlier material and admitted during her set that she had created quite a challenge for herself to play what she deemed long forgotten songs.

Mulholland joined Slean on both vocals and violin on Universe's hidden track, "John XXIII." The jazzed-up trio version of "Me And Jerome" could have lured writer J.D. Salinger out from reclusion. Gentleman Reg's vocal accompaniment on "Somebody's Arms" added an ethereal whimsy to the track. The ever-charming Wood, alongside Mulholland, joined in on guitar and backing vocals for "Willow."

Slean and Wood's on-stage chemistry recently poured over to their off-stage lives, as the two got in engaged while in Paris. When the lovebirds shared the piano bench for a classic rendition of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," it was hard not to imagine the musical prodigies these two could create.

NQ Arbuckle's Neville Quinlan sauntered in decked out in a jean jacket, winter boots and wild hair, as he had just spent the day and previous night moving in a snowstorm. While everyone was dressed in their Sunday finest — suits, ties, high heels and all, the scruffy songwriter befit the cover Slean purposely selected for them to perform. Their version of 2007's Academy Award-winning best original song "Falling Slowly" from Irish film Once could have swayed the Oscar voters.

Slean poked fun at her Night Bugs bill-paying single "Sweet Ones," but refrained from having it in the set list. Instead, pop-orchestral pieces "Parasol" and Night Bugs' "Bank Accounts" and "Drastic Measures" elevated the mood created from her more sombre material. In her usual theatrical fashion, Slean charmed audiences with her tall tales and colloquial idioms. She even confessed to going through a wannabe Tori Amos phase, but she's thankfully over it.

"I've spent years in therapy," she said. "We can talk about it now. It's OK."

Wood had technical trouble with his guitar on the first attempt to play "Euphoria," but returned later with a stunning version of Slean's most seductive song. Other tracks from her latest album, The Baroness, included "Please Be Good To Me," "Sound Of Water" and "Get Home."

Prior to starting into her melancholy ode to a lying, two-timing lover — presumably Luke Doucet — Slean explained the sense of release she felt writing "Get Home," not to mention the sweet revenge and embarrassment of having it played on radio stations everywhere.

The true holiday treat was given during the three-song encore. Blue Parade's hidden gem, "I Want To Be Brave (Madeline)," brought forth stories of Slean's elation of returning from recording at Hayden's house and bragging to her high school friends back in the old days in Pickering, Ont. She hadn't performed the song before and nailed every note. "Universe" and a choir-like singalong of "Silent Night" closed the monumental performance.

Cowbell XXXMas As Lewd As Ever

John Papamarko — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:44:54 -0600

I'm covered in aborted baby blood, and I have only myself to blame.

These are the hazards of the White Cowbell Oklahoma live experience. People near the front will get covered in every bodily fluid imaginable.

Like the Edmonton Oilers of the '80s being forced to trade Wayne Gretzky, the band have dominated the CHARTattack CMW and NXNE report cards so easily with their mind-blowing antics that a moratorium has been placed on their getting reviewed. This night, however, is different. Their XXX-mess holiday show is their most notorious event, and since they promised new material from their upcoming Bombardero album and "Cherished holiday traditions, sullied!" this was a show not to miss.

Montreal veteran prog-punkers GrimSkunk opened to a small, mostly male crowd and were casualties of a storm lovingly nicknamed "Snowmageddon" by many Toronto media types. I felt even worse for Diemonds, who most likely played only for the bartenders.

A keyboard is something rarely witnessed at a punk rock show, but that's exactly what added an extra layer to GrimSkunk's sound. It thankfully ensured there was no seven-string guitar on stage or the wankery that usually comes with a guy playing a seven-string guitar. That keyboard probably has a bit to do with them getting the "prog" moniker. Well, that and lyrics like "Black void howling enchanted things as the thunder clouds roll in," but I found the funk ("Blown To Pieces") and klezmer ("Perestroiska") influences just as evident.

Represenatives from the Cloven Path Ministries entertained and horrified the crowd between sets. They performed an abortion on a follower of notorious religious leader and pedophile Warren Jeffs, they faith healed a homosexual (not of homosexuality, but of nagging rectal issues) and peddled their own ministerial merchandise, from photos that stop bullets to a miracle anointing oil that cures everything from AIDS to cancer.

And then it was on to the main event.

White Cowbell Oklahoma are an assault on the senses. They fill your eyes with fireballs, strippers, cowboy hats and capes. They fill your nose with the smell of gasoline fumes and sweat and they fill your ears with southern rock and eventually the fire alarm of whatever venue they're playing.

Sadly, sound is last on the list because it seems to be an afterthought. Like the snake oil salesmen of the Cloven Path Ministries, they distract you with the dog and pony show because they know the pitch exceeds the product.

White Cowbell Oklahoma don't have the pure balls-out grit or songwriting ability of C'Mon, yet they're still authentic and tremendously talented. And isn't the whole point of a live show to get the audience to do what you want them to do? Be it chanting "Put the south in your mouth" or cheering while Santa sprays you with ejaculate from his gigantic foam penis, the crowd bought it. I was sold, too — if a little soiled.

Peanut Butter Wolf Presents

Chris Burland — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:06:09 -0600

DJ Peanut Butter Wolf has brought together a selection of new and classic holiday-themed material that will anger, amaze and amuse everyone on your Christmas list. There's some great turntable electronics, old school rap, modern hip-hop, soul and jazz material compiled here. James Pants contributes to opener "This Christmas Girl," which channels LCD Soundsystem under a bush of mistletoe. Georgia Anne Muldrew's "The Kwanzaa Song" originally appeared on a mix CD that PBW gave out as a Christmas gift a few years ago. The lesser-known James Brown holiday classic "Go Power At Christmas" is pure holiday funk. The two oddities are Vince Guaraldi's "Skating" from the Charlie Brown Christmas and The Free Design's "Close Your Mouth (It's Christmas)." This airy girl/boy vocal group are a favourite of a number of top DJs, Peanut Butter Wolf included. There's also some classic old-school rap with Hard Call Christmas channeling LL Cool J on "My Christmas Bells," Super-Jay's "tribute" to the Sugerhill Gang on "Santa's Party Rap," and the Run-DMC-esque "Scoopy Rap." This compilation is a brilliant addition to any holiday playlist.

Putumayo Presents A Jazz And Blues Christmas

Chris Burland — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:55:54 -0600

The title of this disc pretty much says it all. The fine folks at Putumayo, who've put out some of the best themed compilations of world and folk music for years, bring us this festive album. The compilation starts with a bang with the king of blues, B.B. King, doing "Christmas Celebration." The album also includes a great version of "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Ray Charles and The Dukes Of Dixieland featuring Luther Kent performing a definitive New Orleans-tinged bluesy take on "Merry Christmas Baby." Those three songs make the album a keeper for any Christmas music fan. But wait, there's more. The album unfolds wonderfully with Topsy Chapman and Lars Edegran belting out a charming cover of "The Christmas Blues," but the real gem of the collection is the inclusion of Ramsey Lewis Trio's "Here Comes Santa." His urban lounge take on that perennial December song really warms the cockles of your heart. There are a couple of semi-missteps with the sameness of both Charles Brown's "Santa's Blues" and Riff Ruffin's "Xmas Baby." While you never can go wrong including "Santa Baby," Emilie-Claire Barlow only does a passing take on this definitive vamp holiday classic.

Fucked Up

Kate Harper — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:26:14 -0500

Is it impossible for a band to include a flute solo before a blistering hardcore track which just may blow a hole in your speakers? Is it inconceivable for that same hardcore band to include the operatic voice of Katie Stelmanis on another song? Do you question whether a hardcore band could have released some of the best music of 2008? If you said yes to any of these questions, you should probably move because Fucked Up's sophomore album has the sound of a band who could be the next big thing around the globe despite their musical weirdness and name. It's extremely abrasive music that makes absolutely no apologies, but it's vital since it asks a multitude of questions about God and existence. From the flute solo that opens lead track "Son The Father" through Stelmanis' vocals on "Royal Swan," the chants on "Twice Born" and the closing title cut, you'll find The Chemistry Of Common Life is a remarkably focused album from a band who are known more for chaos than cohesive statements. It's also some of the best punk or hardcore records to come out of Canada in a long time. If you don't dig it, we advise you to get the fuck out of the way.

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Boris

Shawn Despres — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:21:54 -0600

Smile is the proper follow-up to 2006's fantastic Pink, which, for lack of a better word, served as the long-running Tokyo trio's "breakout" disc. It strikes an awesome balance between melody and the act's trademark brain-frying noisy freakouts, which makes it one of Boris' most accessible releases. A short-lived squall of distorted guitar ushers in a lo-fi, trippy folk take on Japanese '70s supergroup Pyg's "Flower, Sun, Rain." The cover lulls listeners into a blissed-out state before suddenly morphing into a loud, psychedelic-fueled explosion that carries over to rapid fire stoner metal cuts "Buzz-IN" and "Laser Beam." The fuzzy, hard-hitting "Statement" is a full-blown party anthem complete with cowbell and cries of "yeah" and "woo-hoo," while "My Neighbor Satan" (how cool a title is that?) is a borderline pop song. Fear not, hard rock lovers, the band inject a few heavy, spacey guitar-driven instrumental segments to keep the track from getting too soft. Standout "Ka Re Ha Te Ta Sa Ki — No One Grieve" is nothing short of epic, as the group rip through nearly nine minutes of densely layered chaotic sonic gold that could have easily played on for much longer. Challenging and intelligent without being overly abstract, Boris' latest effort will leave most discerning underground music fans with a grin on their face.

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Girl Talk

Zack Vitiello — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:37:58 -0600

For those of you who heard Night Ripper, the 2006 release that sent the name Girl Talk radiating through the blogosphere, Feed The Animals is more of the same. While that sounds largely dismissive, it isn't. Night Ripper was a near perfect album full of extraordinarily unique and surprising mash-ups (Biggie over Elton John, anyone?) that instantly catapulted 27-year-old Greg Gillis to the level of dancefloor maverick. Feed The Animals follows the same formula, but the kinks have been smoothed out. There's a graceful flow between tracks, which allows for 300-and-something illicit samples to fly by at breakneck speed without becoming abrasive or confusing. Songs that should have no business together (like Lil Mama's "Lipgloss" and Metallica's "One," or Blackstreet's "No Diggity" and Radiohead's "15 Step") are completely recontextualized, and the whole becomes something much more exciting and visceral than the component parts. Girl Talk's sample selection has also shifted further towards the mainstream, and his mixes now pair top 40 hits with timeless rock anthems (see Soulja Boy's "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" over Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak"). The result is a post-modern pastiche that will surely work as the lighter to fire up some of the summer's hottest dance parties.

Blackwood Needs To Aim Smaller

Sheena Lyonnais — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:29:37 -0600

Sarah Blackwood's CD release party for Way Back Home wasn't what I expected. The openers were exactly on par: an eclectic mix of rockabilly, hillbilly and punk rock. They were the kind of bands you'd expect to play with the lead singer of psychobilly band The Creepshow.

Sarah Skellington and her stand-up bassist counterpart kicked the night off with adorable music that reminded me why I always liked country. She came across as rather innocent but highly entertaining. She stood atop the bass and engaged in humorous choreographed dance moves with the bassist, who at times impressively used a bow on his instrument to provide a really unique element to their sound. They were solid openers.

Up next were Liquorbox, who came complete with a banjo, stand-up bass and a fiddler. The Kingston, Ont. band played way too many Hank Williams covers, and their originals were primarily about drinking whiskey, smoking pot and working hard. It was ridiculously hillbilly, but a ton of fun. I'd definitely play their songs on Banjo Hero if such a video game existed.

The Roman Line absolutely rocked. They were the only band not to include a stand-up bass, yet their bassist was probably the most talented of the night. He's mastered the famous legs-spread-wide-punk rock stance and played incredibly clean and fast.

The Roman Line tore through a set of Warped Tour-inspired punk that made me curse this winter weather and yearn for past summers spent at Molson Park in Barrie, Ont. The fans were rowdy, the music was epic and the set was stellar. They didn't entirely fit in the bill, but it worked.

Then came the petite Blackwood and her one-man band of Daniel Flamm, who flew in from Germany, where he plays with the soon-to-be-defunct Heartbreak Engines. Way Back Home took more than four years to create and, although it features contributions from The Matadors' Hooch and Blackwood's sister (and former Creepshow singer) Hellcat, this set featured just Blackwood, Flamm and an occasional stand-up bassist.

Flamm played a kick drum, guitar, harmonica and sang back-up, while Blackwood sang and strummed a mixture of country and acoustic songs. "Lonely Parade" was the only Creepshow-esque song, mostly because it featured her wicked 'billy drawl. The rest of the tunes were sweeter, prettier and more feminine. Instead of singing about Rue Morgue radio, Blackwood sings about love in this solo incarnation. Her style and talent makes her versatile enough to successfully pull off both.

The night's downfall was the venue being big and the turnout small. The entire show would have been better suited in a more intimate place. It was late by the time Blackwood went on, and at that time the crowd mostly consisted of her drunken friends who shouted dirty German words and "tannenbaum" whenever Flamm would speak. Despite this, Blackwood put her heart into it and wound up with a beautiful set. I can't wait to see her play again in a more fitting environment.