Album Review: Jamie T – Kings & Queens

The following was originally published on Exclaim.ca.

Jamie T
Kings & Queens
By Jessica Lewis

Londoner Jamie T is back with Kings & Queens, an 11-track long night out. From getting stoned in the first song, “368,” to a sobering realization of communication problems in “Jilly Armeen,” T (for Treays) lays it all out on the floor in his trademark crass poetry. With that in mind, Treays has definitely given the album a more mature outlook, as he’s out of his teen years and his parents’ house. While there may not be a single on par with any from his first album, there are tracks like “Chaka Demus,” with a great drum and keyboard pairing, “Castro Dies,” a Beastie Boys-like commentary and “Earth, Wind & Fire,” which samples from Joan Baez and leads straight into a mesh of rock inspirations. Ever the entertainer, Treays has found a way to strengthen his charm and musical talent, which is worth the listen. (Pacemaker)

Album Review: Modernboys Moderngirls – I Might As Well Break It

The following was originally published on Exclaim.ca.

Modernboys Moderngirls
I Might As Well Break It
By Jessica Lewis

Looking for a rowdy good time, the cast of Modernboys Moderngirls (Akira Alemany, Brett Millius and Juan Carlos Rivas) have taken on every essence of their album title. With the beer swilling, body-swaying voice of Alemany against the backdrop of lighter pop rock, their music is something to remember. This bodes well, as there are technically only three new songs on the album, but altogether it sounds fresh, fun and raring to go. Songs such as “Stay Under” and “My Baby Says Boy, Don’t You Ever Go” shine for their lyrical repetition and catchy choruses, respectively. With the kind of spirit that could make a ship full of seasick sailors feel well enough to rock out to the point of sickness all over again, MBMG have reached their goal and remain a band with a promising future. (Independent)

Album Review: Honest I’s – Anatomy of Lightbulbs

The following was originally published on Exclaim.ca.

Honest I’s
Anatomy of Lightbulbs
By Jessica Lewis

This six-song EP introduces the Toronto, ON band with quite the hearty shake. Crafted in 2008, when they were a trio, these songs flow together perfectly for a few reasons. Front-man Stephen Cornwell’s throaty baritone, matched by the dark night experiences in the lyrics, makes for any literary fan’s favourite Halloween, especially via the repetition of introductory words in almost every song, such as in “Young.” This track is a great representation of the album, as Cornwell’s fluttering fingertips on the piano, the swift drumming of Owen Lewis and Joshua Arsenio’s guitar chords are worthy of putting any song rightfully in its setting. The addition of bassist David Clark is sure to amp up the experience, especially on the eerie songs about wolves, “Wristwatches” and “Rise.” It might take a couple listens to get used to their tones but Honest I’s prove that it’s important to have a band like them amidst all the candy-coated chaos these days. (Independent)

Album Review: Language-Arts – Where Were You in the Wild?

The following was originally published on Exclaim.ca.

Language-Arts
Where Were You in the Wild?
By Jessica Lewis

This album is mostly soothing and subdued, with Kristen Cudmore’s voice making quick, pointed gestures. It’s a colourful contrast, but one that has morphed into a setting that’s more a lively painting than a basic rainbow. “Cavity” sets the folk-tinged jazz tone to where Language Arts are going but settles fast into “White Socks in Birkenstocks” and then the title track, which gives the notion that times are getting poppier and sillier. Language Arts get back into serious gear after that. The upright bass, guitar and piano shine on “Lighthouse,” “Grandfather of the Buffalo” and “Tuck it In,” and the violin and drums on “Benson.” The pairing of Cudmore with the music of the rotating band members at first is an odd one but it settles down, nestled like a sleeping cat into a warm evening, where it finds its home in “Stay There!” (Independent)

Album Review: Dragonette – Fixin to Thrill

The following was originally published on Exclaim.ca.

Dragonette
Fixin to Thrill
By Jessica Lewis

Toronto, ON’s dance-loving rockers are back with their sophomore release, full of heavy synths and other electronic instrumentation, as well as choruses bursting with memory-sticking potential. Front-woman Martina Sorbara deliberately floats between identity crisis and artistic development vocally. In songs like the title track and “Stupid Grin,” her voice is incredibly strained, pushed towards a higher octave than Emily Haines‘. But in tracks like “Easy,” she’s relaxed and it ends up being the most beautiful song on the album. “Liar” is right in between the two extremes but demonstrates the group’s talent for making a party track that’ll hopefully see longevity, especially in terms of remixes and live performances. “We Rule the World” oozes videogames, Candy Land and the ’80s, “Big Sunglasses” has pretty cheesy lyrics and “Okay Dolore” gives the impression that even though Dragonette are usually about the “mature issues,” this album has more of a teenager’s slumber party feel. (Universal)

New music column on DorkShelf.com!

Hey guys – this weekend marked the debut of my new monthly music column on DorkShelf.com. My friend Will Perkins and his buddies started this site for games and movies and the like around Toronto, and he asked me to be their music guru, if I could! So, here’s my first effort.

I feature three bands that you should already know, three up-and-comers, and three shows you should not miss.

Check out what’s in store for November!

And please, let me know what you think via comments or email!

Album review and interview: The Swell Season — Strict Joy

The following was originally published on Exclaim.ca.

The Swell Season
Strict Joy
By Jessica Lewis

They’ve done it. The Swell Season, the Oscar-winning international duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, have found a way to make the most uncomfortable moments in a relationship comfortable. Packed with so much emotion but still bearable, Strict Joy captures the ups and mostly downs of what many know as “it’s complicated.” It could be heartbreaking, as in “The Rain,” where Hansard and Irglova sing, “I know we’re not where I promised you we’d be by now, but maybe it’s a question of who’d want it anyhow?” but then the soft bass and rising chorus kick in and it’s hard to see where any problems started. Hansard and Irglova enlisted the Frames, other assorted guests and acclaimed producer Peter Kadis to give the album a filled-room feel, so Strict Joy is definitely different from what fans might be used to on the Once soundtrack or previous recordings. No need to worry, because not one song is underwhelming. From the chilling, Irglova-fronted “Fantasy Man” and the big band pushed to the limit “High Horses,” all the way through relationship tremors to a calm settlement in “Back Broke,” where Hansard quietly sings, “Cause it’s clear you still want me,” Strict Joy delivers its namesake.

Why did you name the album after a poem?
Hansard: It conjures up discomfort and this idea of I won’t suffer. The poem reflects on the idea that we go into ourselves and if we do a good job in the exploration and the confession, that if we do a decent job of it, something good can come of it, because truth is always something very valuable to the people, even if it’s not their truth, just a truth. To go and mine in the darkness of your soul and pull things apart and just explore, sometimes there is wonder and beautiful things in there but you pull out the coal and sometimes there are diamonds. That’s the idea of the recurring line, because the poet makes grief beautiful.

How did you get the fuller sound?
Irglova: The band had been touring with us anyway before we went into the studio. I like the fact that everybody sings. A lot of the songs on the album, everybody gets a chance to sing on them. There’s something really exciting about all the voices coming together as one. And so, for me, that’s a lovely part of the music that I make with the band. (Anti)

Read more of my interview with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova here.

Interview: The Swell Season Feeling Lucky With Strict Joy

The following was originally published on Exclaim.ca.

Exclusive: The Swell Season Feeling Lucky with Strict Joy
10/16/2009 By Jessica Lewis

For Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová of the Oscar-winning duo the Swell Season, things just seem to be “written in the stars,” whether it’s the elements that went in to putting together their upcoming new album, Strict Joy, or just knowing one another.

Even though the record’s main themes seem to be about the romantic break-up between the pair, who had the surprise breakout hit with Once, they’re still strong enough to make another record. So it’s the technical background we can get interested in now.

Hansard and Irglová took just under a month recording the album in Connecticut with the Frames and acclaimed producer Peter Kadis in his home studio. Hansard and Irglová went to the studio because they were enamoured with Kadis’s past work with the National’s album Boxer, and ended up recording a handful of songs in a whirlwind.

“We just play songs out, to figure them out, to feel out what they’re doing, what they’re saying,” said Hansard in a recent interview with Exclaim! “And when you get enough of them, you go and put them down, and really, going into making a record sometimes, you’re not even set out to make an album. You’re just setting out to put stuff down. That’s what happened with this. It was a very easy record to make, we’re very happy with it.”

Irglová agrees. “It was written in the stars,” she said. “I think life is full of those magical moments, if you just allow them to happen. If you live your life deciding you’re going to go with the flow and trust life, then you do find yourself in places you never imagined yourself being and for me that’s what it’s all about.”

Hansard goes on to say that the luck isn’t just in the stars, but also in the unassuming business model, saying, “It was more just the main concern of any band is to put out decent work and to continue doing gigs where you can communicate your songs clearly and correctly. And hopefully, if you’re doing your job right, to be able to play the same room every time you come back to town or play a bigger one. Some bands might say, ‘Okay, here’s the end game, and here is what we need to do to get there.’ We pretty much made a record and said, ‘Right now we have a record. What do we do with it?’ So it is a slightly different way of looking at it. It definitely works for us so far.”

The duo commissioned Hansard’s fellow Frames members to be the support on the album after a tour, as well as included a few guests. What they ended up with was a full sound complete with just that: more voices, more sound and more ambitions.

Originally due out September 29, Strict Joy’s release date was pushed back a month due to artwork conflicts. It will now be released on October 27 through Anti-.

The Swell Season will be wooing Canada on these dates:

11/3 Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
11/4 Montreal, QC -; Olympia de Montreal
11/25 Vancouver, BC – The Center

Sidenote: You can now stream Strict Joy in full over at NPR.

Watch Said the Whale’s new video for “Camilo (The Magician)”

As if I didn’t need convincing on how cute everyone in the BC-based band Said the Whale are, and how they are ridiculously cute as a whole, today sees the release of their new video for “Camilo (The Magician)”.

Really, guys? Are you just asking for me to come over there and pinch your cheeks and ruffle up your hair? Because I will. Or at least, you know, maybe at your Toronto show.

However, this is interesting. What happened to the idea of fans submitting magic tricks? I guess those tricks weren’t too jaw-dropping. And I don’t mind much, seeing as I’m obviously squealing with glee over here for the song pairing of the sad little magician (and partly because I’m kind of delirious due to my insanely busy life these days).

Watch and squeal for yourself:

Said the Whale also saw the release of their album this week, Islands Dissapear. They will be playing Toronto again on October 28 @ the El Mocambo.

What are some other cute music videos you like?

Album Review: The Happy Hollows – Spells

The following was originally published on Exclaim.ca.

The Happy Hollows
Spells
By Jessica Lewis

For a debut release, it’s hard not to fall under the Happy Hollows’ Spells. The strong opening track, “Faces,” constructs a world of suspense and elation, and is damn catchy, setting the bar high. But once that feeling subsides, getting into the rest of the album isn’t hard. It’s a good thing producer David Newton stuck around after the Imaginary EP; he’s kept the Hollows’ sound messy but contained. Front-woman Sarah Negahdari gives Spells the feeling of a fuzzy, erratic spree, but it’s the rhythms of Charles Mahoney and Chris Hernandez that drive the tempos from toe tapping to arm flailing. Tracks such as “We Will Find You” come dangerously close to another California-based band of cute beat dealers ― Deerhoof ― but they’re quickly redeemed with “Lieutenant,” which showcases the band as a whole, and “Tambourine,” which keeps the rock hot and the roll cool. However, there are some tracks that should have been left behind, including “Delorean,” which sounds forced. The Happy Hollows are indeed bubbly, witty and a good listen. Spells not only fulfils but also leaves room for improvement. (Independent)