December Dork Shelf column

Hey all – my December column for Dork Shelf is now up, and I’ve  got some great Toronto bands for your upcoming winter season!

Please check it out! It features The Constantines, Timber Timbre, Ghost Trees, Two Zebras, Forest City Lovers, The Hidden Cameras and more.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to release new album in March

Oh, it’s a happy morning over here at the RoundLetters residence. I received a lovely newsletter email this morning all about everything upcoming with one of my favourite bands, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

In the past year or so, the band once and for all lost their drummer Nick Jago, released a live DVD/CD set and did some tours that were not here, basically.

2010 holds not one but three amazing bits of news for this Califor-ni-ay band:

-Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been are introducing their new drummer, Leah Shapiro from The Ravonettes (yes! woman! making this band even more bad ass, who thought that was even possible?!)

-Releasing their fifth studio album Beat the Devil’s Tattoo on March 9 in US & Canada (album name suggests yes, they can be even more bad ass)

-and doing another crazy bout of touring, one day of which lands them in Toronto (April 1) at the Phoenix.

I’ve seen this band twice and both times were some of the most amazing performances I’ve ever seen. I’m not such a big fan of them playing at the Phoenix. I must say they really used Kool Haus well, but hey I can’t complain, I’ve also seen them in a tiny venue in Buffalo.

Here’s a video of them playing a different show in Toronto in 2005. Check out the bad ass!

P.S. I love how they update their website but still keep some old things intact, like their Press section in which there is the  interview I did with Hayes in 2007!

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 Temper Trap – Conditions

The following was originally published on Exclaim.ca.

The Temper Trap
Conditions
By Jessica Lewis

This is the wonderful debut album from four fun-loving natives of Melbourne, Australia. Packed with a big sound (they’re already filling arenas in the land down under and the UK), uplifting melodies and characteristically friendly guitars, the pop rock on this album is done right. Front-man Dougy Mandagi’s voice is noticeable for his long, drawn-out high notes; there is nothing out of place between him and other members Jonathon Aherne, Lorenzo Sillitto and Toby Dundas Michael Nixon. “Sweet Disposition,” best known for its inclusion on the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack, boasts the nicest harmonies and teamwork, while “Fader” is just as worthy of a compilation appearance, with the contagious “Ooos” and guitar solos, and should have been the first single, rather than “Science of Fear.” “Fools” is such a dead wringer for Radiohead it’s almost scary, complete with fantastic drumming. The Temper Trap clearly have some great influences but have found their sound amongst the notes. (Universal)

Sidenote: The Temper Trap will be in Toronto on October 20 at the Horseshoe Tavern.

Check out these upcoming free concerts in Toronto

Ah, I love free concerts. Well, I pretty much love anything free. This apparently is due to my generation, according to an editor of mine, but he’s right. How can you deny free concerts?! I think anyone would feel this way though.

So, to jump to the point: here is quite the list of free shows you can catch around Toronto soon. From the independent record stores to the public library.

Criminal Records

October 9 *TODAY!*: Said the Whale @ 6 p.m. Also their record release party for the new Islands Dissapear.

October 16: Dan Mangan @ 5 p.m.

October 31: Noah and the Whale @ TBA

November 20: You Say Party! We Say Die! @ TBA

Soundscapes

October 16: Two Hours Traffic @ 6 p.m.

Sonic Boom

October 16: Spiral Beach @ 7 p.m.

College and Shaw streets location of the Toronto Public Library

November 5: Grand Analog @ 8 p.m.

November 10: DJ workshop with Grand Analog @ 7 p.m.

North York Central Library location of the Toronto Public Library

November 7: Timber Timbre @ 8 p.m.

Bloor and Gladstone streets location of the Toronto Public Library

November 20: Katie Stelmanis @ 8 p.m.

For the library shows, it looks like there will be more shows coming.

Alright, get out there and have fun with all this free goodness!

Interview: Imogen Heap stays connected with her fans on Ellipse

The following was originally published on Exclaim.ca.

Exclusive: Imogen Heap Stays Connected with Ellipse
9/21/2009 By Jessica Lewis

It takes a lot of work to put together an album, and these days nobody has shown the process better than British singer-songwriter Imogen Heap. She released her third solo album Ellipse at the end of August, after two years of documenting by way of weblogs, blog entries, website updates and, of course, tweets.

“I think the greatest parts of life are when you’re connected; whether it’s with your family or your friends or your lover,” Heap told Exclaim! when she stopped in Toronto. “I guess it’s really the connection that I love… I think it’s something that I certainly crave, just wanting to understand people and wanting them to understand me. That’s just a natural human need, that’s why I do it.”

Besides tweeting every single bit about fixing up every song on the album, Heap kept up a steady flow of weblogs on YouTube and 12seconds to premiere drafts of songs, talk while playing the piano or just show that she could still have goofy fun.

Her friend Justina who directed and edited most of the footage now has 350 hours of footage to sort through in order to make a making-of DVD. As if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, Heap was also distracted within the two years by making her own studio in her house and collaborating with other artists, such as producing a track for Mika.

Now that the album is complete and released, Heap has been updating her many websites less regularly, but on September 11 she tweeted, “Ahh, to go where the wind takes me! My life is scheduled out for touring next 18 months… lovely to go away with no plan whatsoever tonight!?” So now it’s up to fans to start getting excited over tour dates.

Heap must be just as thrilled, though probably pretty tired. She’s got a new instrument named a monome, which is a kind of control station that will sync up all of her high-tech sounds to one board. She will also still bring her famous clear piano on tour. But although the planning doesn’t seem to be in full effect just yet, that leaves time for her to daydream about what she would like her stage sets to look like.

“I’ve got this plan. It’s to not have anything on stage at all and to come on and slowly rebuild the stage myself while I’m doing it. So I’m kind of building, having things hidden on the stage, underneath it where there’s slip-like shapes and things and throw them up into the air and then light falls on them. There’s nothing.” Heap says. “I like the idea of no waste. There’s no need to have hundreds of watts of lights pouring down on me when I’m only here. I don’t need all of those. I’d love to work on a stage show where light is built and sculpted around me or I’m projecting it myself or it’s on me, like I’m being projected onto with a big dress or something. Trying to be more igniting with the stage and get creative inside that.”

Album review: Spirits – self titled

The following was originally published on Exclaim.ca.

Spirits
Spirits
By Jessica Lewis

This Southern Ontario band have finally released their debut album after starting up in 2006 as a side-project super-group. The trio of Ian Smith, Brad Germain and Nick Skalkos bring the pop dance moves out of the dark, mixing in electronic keyboard or drum beats that practically stare you down until you dance with the rock lying in the guitars and vocals that almost shimmy up to Bono. All of these components mimic one another ― the instruments follow the vocals or vice versa; it’s obvious but intriguing, establishing a swirling effect. Smith and Germain’s vocals bring the individuality of different pitches working together. The infectious ’80s movie soundtrack-like, finger-snapping guitar riff in “Into Gentle Arms,” the chanting in “Open the Door” and sex-dripping drone in “For the Love of Money” show how this self-produced album definitely gives itself away as must-see live. Who wouldn’t want to bring the sweat they work up from dancing to this in their room to a live venue? (Sonic Unyon)

Ghost Trees and Lars Ludvig Lofgren info

Hey all – sorry, just realized the link to Ghost Trees was down in my last post. If you go back, it now works.

Also to take note is the show in my backyard with Lars Ludvig Lofgren is now Saturday instead of Friday. Let me know if you want to come!

And one more thing – they will be playing again next Friday at the Only Cafe, so if you can’t make it this weekend definitely try for next weekend (although yours truly won’t be able to make it, unfortunately.)