Yukon Blonde & Library Voices @ Commodore -- 04/27/12

This was a show I was looking forward to for a while. Two of my favourite bands to watch live teaming up for a cross Canada tour, with the final night being the homecoming show for Yukon Blonde.
And I fully admit, while Yukon Blonde was the headliner, I was just as -- if not more -- excited to see Library Voices again.

First up, though, was Great Bloomers from Toronto. I had seen them once before (coincidentally, also sharing the stage with Yukon Blonde) and I was interested to see them again. The five-piece hit the stage with a slow build up before launching into their upbeat rock, with a little twinge of folk. They were pretty straightforward, but they had a great stage presence and a solid sound. Highlights of the set were the catchy "The Young Ones Slept" and a pair I didn't catch the name of, which they ended the set with; the first one started soft and built to a great climax, and the final song a straight up rocker.
Really enjoyable, and a great opening act for a show where the first band could have been easily overshadowed and forgotten about. I definitely look forward to seeing them again next time they're through town.

Next up was Regina's own Library Voices. When I had seen them before, it was always at smaller venues with the seven members of the band crowding on stage, so it was great seeing them make use of the the large space of the Commodore. Bassist Eoin Hickey-Cameron was never in one place for more than five seconds, Paul Gutheil tossed and twirled his saxophone, and during one of the later songs, "Kundra On The Dance Floor", singer Carl Johnson put down his guitar and was dancing precariously on the edge of the stage, and even singing while upside down, on his head at one point. To say nothing of the rest of the band, who all matched the energy to make one of the most entertainingly energetic live shows.

But of course, it wasn't just the energy; they packed the too-short-set with music that is aptly described as "Pop as fuck!". Insanely catchy with smart and clever lyrics, song like "Be My Juliette Gréco, Paris 1949" laments of a time "Before Photoshopped hips and collagen smiles / When longing meant more than a drunk dial" and their literary love was pretty clear in "Reluctant Readers Make Reluctant Lovers".
Tearing through the songs with fantastic precision, they brought the set to an explosive ending with the packed ballroom floor singing and, naturally, clapping along to "Generation Handclap" and yelling along with "Step Off The Map and Float", which saw a couple members of The Great Bloomers and Yukon Blonde joining them. My only complaint about the set was that it seemed far too short, but then again, I could watch Library Voices play all night. They are, without a doubt, one of the most fun bands to watch live.
Oh, and one of the instruments in Michael Dawson's arsenal is a theremin. How can you not love a band that so expertly integrates a theremin into their sound?

setlist
If Raymond Carver Were Born In The 90s; Write Me A Myth; Traveller's Digest; Be My Juliette Gréco, Paris 1949; Party Like It's 2012; Haunt This House; My, Myself, and ID; Reluctant Readers Make Reluctant Lovers; Kundera On The Dance Floor; Generation Handclap; Step Off The Map and Float.

I don't envy any band that has to take the stage after Library Voices, but if anyone can, it's Yukon Blonde, the four core members were joined by Matt Kelly to round out their sound with an additional guitar and keys. There was a bit of a nervous energy at first, with the show not only being their homecoming show, but their first time headlining the Commodore -- Jeff Innes was visibly in awe more than once looking out into the packed room -- but the any nerves quickly subsided as they launched into their set (which included some family members, including Grandmothers, front and centre).

They kicked off the set with the first two songs from the new album, Tiger Talk, "My Girl" and "Radio" -- a song that immediately became, and remains, my favourite my favourite song of theirs the first time I heard it -- and didn't look back as their spot on harmonies and amazing energy, especially from Innes and Brandon Scott, carried the rest of the set, from the unbridled "Breathing Tigers" and "Iron Fist" to the more subdued "Guns" and "1000 Years".
After the explosive "Stairway", they were back out for the encore, first "Wind Blows" before inviting members of both Great Bloomers and Library Voices out for  a massive, end-of-the-tour songalong to the final song of the night, "Fire". As the stage filled, Jeff and Brandon even parted with their guitars for members of the other bands to take over, and Scott even leaped off the stage to crowd surf.

The one thing that the bands had in common, especially Library Voices and Yukon Blonde was their pure excitement. They were probably more thrilled to be there than the crowd was, and that energy more than shone through. Few things make a live show better than looking up at the musicians and seeing that joy on their faces.

setlist (incomplete, as there were a couple songs I missed the names of)
My Girl; Radio; Brides Song; Iron Fist; [New song]; Sweet Dee; Rather Be With You; 1000 Years; Breathing Tigers; Guns; Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore; Stairway; [mystery song].
(encore) Wind Blows; Fire.

Library Voices w/ Dinosaur Bones & The Provincial Archive @ Biltmore -- 09/22/11

It was a strangely busy night in Vancouver for a Thursday, and while I was a little sad to have missed the third show in the Peak Performance Project Concert Series Showcase Spectacular, and Royal Wood, it had been too long since I had last seen Library Voices live, and seeing as they put on one hell of a live show, I wasn't really a tough decision. And in addition, they had brought with them two bands I was really interested in seeing; both I have wanted to see for a while, but just never had the chance.

The first of the two was The Provincial Archive, from Edmonton, starting the night on a bit of a mellow vibe. They had a folk sound that reminded me, at times, of The Weakerthans in all the best ways. The four of them had an assortment of instruments, from melodica to stand-up bass to accordion to banjo, great harmonies and really catchy and well written songs. They definitely won over more than their fair share of the crowd as they wove through their set, ending with a newer song, "Drive" and what was probably my favourite of the set, "Weight and Sea".

Second up was Dinosaur Bones, who started to picked things up a bit, energy-wise. With a bit of a dark-and-brooding-pop sound, the band was really tight and put on a solid show. The members had a great chemistry together and played off each other with an effortless ease. With highlights of their set being "N.Y.E" as well as the last song, which I didn't catch the name of, I really dug them and would definitely be intrigued to catch them live again.

And then, hitting the stage seven members large, it was Library Voices. From the beginning of the set -- opening with "If Raymond Carver Was Born in the 90s" -- they had an enthusiasm that is unparalleled. Especially their bass player, who hardly stood still for a minute, singing along even when he wasn't on mic and just generally getting everyone pumped. But the liveliness wasn't limited to him, as each member of the band was just as energetic, a few times coming out to the front of the stage, even on the boxes right in front of the stage at the Biltmore.
Their set focused on the new album, Summer Of Lust -- with the awesomely titled "Reluctant Readers Make Reluctant Lovers" and their current single "Generation Handclap" definitely being highlights -- but they also hit a few older ones, the apocalyptic "Party Like It's 2012" and the insanely infectious "Step Off The Map and Float", which wrapped up the main set. But of course, they came back out for the usual encore, starting with one of my favourites from Denim on Denim, "Bookish", and ending with a pair of covers. The first was (I think) "The Letter" by The Box Tops, which was really fun and upbeat song, but they ended the night on a more quiet note, saying it seemed the proper thing to do on a Thursday. The band crowded the front of the stage to play Lennon's "Oh Yoko", which ended up with a couple members wading out in the middle of the crowd for a massive sing-along.

Any of the three bands playing would have been great on their own, but putting them all together made for one fantastic show, and I can't wait to see any of them again.

setlsit
If Raymond Carver Was Born in the 90s; Write Me A Myth; Generation Handclap; The Travellers Digest; Prime Minister's Daughter; Kundera On The Dance Floor; Reluctant Readers Make Reluctant Lovers; Que Sera Sarah; Party Like It's 2012; Be My Juliette Gréco, Paris 1949; Haunt This House; Step Off The Map And Float.
[encore] Bookish; The Letter [The Box Tops cover], Oh Yoko [John Lennon cover]

Library Voices w/ Bend Sinister & Paper Lions @ Pit Pub -- 10/29/10

It's been years since I've been to a show at UBC's Pit Pub, and while I have been to worse venues *cough*Rickshaw*cough*, it's not really all that great, either. Plus, it's just so out of the way.
But with a bill consisting of Library Voices and Bend Sinister, who are both great live, as well as Paper Lions, who I had heard good things of, it was hard to stay away.

Unfortunately, due to my decision to catch an acoustic Treelines set (and the lack of directional signs at UBC) I arrived a bit late and only caught the tail end of Bend Sinister. As I walked in, they were just finishing up "Time Breaks Down", then went into their last song, a cover of Supertramp's "The Logical Song". It was a pretty damn good cover, and interesting having seen Moxon do the song a while back at a solo show he did. I was sad to have missed them, but I am sure there'll be another show soon enough.

Paper Lions was up next, with some damn catchy power pop. The four piece seemed really tight and knew how to put on a show. Some highlights of the set were a partial cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" slipped in to a song, with Moxon even coming out to sing, and at one point guitarist switches seamlessly to the drums, while drummer came out to the front for a killer bongo solo (yes, I just put those three words together) which had a little bit of Apache in the mix. I wouldn't mind at all catching them next time they're through town.

Finally was Library Voices. I'm not sure if it's just where I was, or a problem with the pub itself, but I noticed a few times throughout the set the bass was quite overpowering. It seemed to get better later on, so they either fixed it or I just got used it it. That aside, it was an incredibly good set with an insane energy from the eight-piece band -- soon to be seven-piece, as they announced it was the last show for Karla Miller. They played mostly off the new album, Denim on Denim, but with a couple older, and at least one new one thrown into the mix. They had everyone dancing, clapping and singing along. And the band was insanely high energy, jumping and moving around. A few times the lead singer jumped on the railing at the front of the stage, and even jumped into the crowd to sing a couple times. The rest of the band was just as energetic, and even a couple members of Paper Lions and Bend Sinister got in on the action, helping out a few times.
"Party Like It's 2012" "Drinking Games" and "Bookish" were definitely highlights, as well as "Step Off The Map and Float", which closed out the main set. They ended the show with members of all three bands out for a great cover of "Got My Mind Set On You". I always love to see that kind of thing in the encore, with all bands out for a cover, and it never happens enough.

A pretty awesome trio of bands, and I already can't wait to see Library Voices live again.

Denim on Denim by Library Voices

"Pop as fuck!" That is how Regina eight piece Library Voices describes their music, and their debut full length Denim on Denim exemplifies that. Even though it is full of gang vocals, and more instruments than some acts have in their entire library of music, they never step on each others toes, creating an incredibly rich and vibrant sound. And even though there are more than a couple references to the apocalypse, the whole album is just fun and energetic.

"Drinking Games" kicks off the album, starting out very quiet and subdued, but adds instruments one by one until the whole thing erupts into something impossible not to sing along to. The energy is kept up with the insanely infectious "Insider Trading (On Outsider Art)" and "Haunt This House", both of which overflowing with hooks that will get anyone moving. "Party Like It's 2012" is one of the more obviously apocalyptic on the album, with them urging us to "Do the oblivion shuffle / Do the redemption twist / Do the salvation shimmy" and proclaiming "we'll party like it's 2012 / like they'll be no morning after [...] let's hear it for the rapture!" Another prominent theme on the album is literature, and "Write Me a Myth" is one of the better examples of that.
Mark Hamilton (of Woodpigeon) guests on vocals for the next two tracks, "Bookish", a twist on the age old tale of falling in love with the cute shy girl and another not-quite-love-song "Bodies of Fiction" which is "just another song about love" with a "nameless narrator" that "starts with 'I' and ends with 'we'". They bring the tone down for a moment, with "Model City", whose beauty shows that they can do more than just the energetic pop songs. "End Time" seems like another upbeat song about embracing the end of the world, but when they tell you "but you can live your life fearing death / ... or you can just get on with it" you believe them. But then "Family Night" turns around and warns that the perfect life may not be so perfect -- it's interesting when the song about family life is the darkest on an album full of apocalyptic songs. The anxiety is played up when the end adds layers upon layers of vocals which gets so close to overwhelms the listener, before grinding to a halt and almost stopping dead. The slow end leads into "Balloon Menagerie", another soft and somewhat nervous song, thematically, which features scratch and distortion. The album wraps up "Hello Cruel World", an interesting choice for a closing track. Again, the upbeat track belies the somewhat ominous lyrics, starting with a near-death experience (or perhaps not-so-near?) and coming to a close with the lyrics "Sometimes a man just needs to get away / or think he got away..." and then drawing to an end with the sound of footsteps walking away. It definitely gives a sense of finality to the album.

The other thing about the album that struck me was the packaging/artwork. It is not anything too fancy or elaborate, but it has some nice touches, like the lightning bolt cut out to show the denim-sleeve, or the mini-poster that comes with in. In fact, instead of me describing it, just take a look for yourself. And since the artwork was just this morning nominated for a West Coast Music Award (as well as the album itself, for Independent Album of the Year) I know I'm not the only one to notice it.

No doubt Denim on Denim will remain one of the most fun albums of the year. Catchy hooks. Energetic songs. Clever lyrics. Pop as fuck indeed.


Download Party Like It's 2012

Download Bookish

Download Family Night

Clicky to exchange monies for music

We Are The City w/ Library Voices @ Five Sixty -- 04/10/10

Before I get to the show itself, I'm gonna talk briefly about the venue, Five Sixty, which is the new club on Seymour, replacing Richard's on Richards. It was my first time being there, and I think their first live show, as it was billed the "Independent Music Launch Party". The layout of the place was kinda odd; the main area was just one big room, with the stage at the front (durr) and a bar, DJ, etc on the side. I can see this being problematic, as if you're not right at the front, you could have a hard time seeing the band, especially because the stage isn't very high up (and especially for short people). There was a balcony for the upper level at the back, but it didn't really look like you'd get a good view from the stage up there either. The strangest part is downstairs, as it's just a large unisex bathroom, with individual rooms for the stalls, and only a small divider-wall separating it from a lounging area with seats. The coat check is also down there, which is odd since it is about the furthest possible place from the entrance...
But the most important part is how the place sounds, and it was pretty damn awesome. Overall, aside from the somewhat bizarre layout, I quite liked it. I mean, it's no Richard's, but then again, what would be?

On to the music now! The show started at 8 sharp, as I guess they had a curfew and wanted to open it for a club night after. I had heard a couple Library Voices songs on R3 prior to the show, but aside from that (and rave reviews from others), I didn't know much about the band, and was intrigued to see them live. I certainly didn't expect them to pack the stage with 8 members (good thing the place has a large stage), nor did I expect them to blow me away as much as they did. There are some bands with as many members that end up just stepping all over themselves, but everything came together for a rich sound. With an insane energy and incredibly catchy songs, they played for about 40 minutes and I have no doubt they won over each and every member of the crowd. The two songs I recognized, "Drinking Games" and "Step Off The Map & Float" were fantastic, and I was impressed enough by the rest to pick up their new album -- which doesn't actually come out until this week, but luckily they had some for sale at the back. For the last song, lead singer jumped off the stage and sang the whole thing wandering through the crowd, jumping up on the bar at the back, then making his way back, all while the rest of the band played on. And as if they needed any more reasons for me to love them, at least one of their songs featured a theremin! (I am a sucker for any band that uses a theremin)
Their "tagline" (for lack of a better word) is "Pop as Fuck!" and I couldn't have put it better myself.

The stage was cleared in what must've been record time, and promptly at 9 We Are The City hit the stage for their first headlining show in Vancouver. With less than half as many member as Library Voices, the stage almost looked sparse, but no less rocking. This is my fourth time seeing them (in as many months, no less), and they just keep getting better each time. They seem much looser and more confident (though, not like they didn't have confidence in spades before), and they were playing with their songs more, too. A few songs had extended intros & outros, or just some additions in them.
The set kicked off with the first three songs off In A Quiet World, with "There Are Very Tiny Beasts in the Ground" getting everyone into it, clapping along, then one of my favourites, "Peso Loving Squid", before a new song, which started off calm and then build to a pretty powerful ending. I didn't catch the name of it, but I really liked it. "Time, Wasted" was great (and I finally got a good picture of David and his mouth-guitar-ing), and was one of the songs with a cool extended ending. There was a funny moment in "There Are Very, Very Big Lights in the Sky", as the song pauses before going on... at which point Cayne & Andy needed quick refreshment, and they went on to talk about being ripped off for pizza... before launching back into the song. Some bands either have no banter, or it just seems forced, but WATC seems natural; almost as if they don't even notice the crowd and are just trying to make each other laugh... which works a lot better than forcing it. After another new song -- I didn't catch the name of this one, either, but I am going to guess "Morning Song" based on the lyrics -- they ended the set, as usual, with "Astronomers" (the starry projection on the side was was quite fitting) and this, too, had an extended ending, which saw the band just going crazy, for an awesome way to close both the song and the set.
They came back out for a quick encore, sheepishly admitting they didn't have many more songs. After some prompting, from both the crowd and Andy & David, Cayne did his "spot on" Gandalf impression, before they finally ended the night with an older song, which, yet again, I didn't catch the name of.

It seems like I've had good luck this year, seeing shows where two (or more) awesome bands are playing together, and this just continued that trend. A great pair of bands for the first show at the Five Sixty (I am still not sure if I like that name or not...), which turned out to be a pretty damn good venue. I just hope they can keep up the quality shows.

setlist:
Intro, Feel is a Word, There Are Very Tiny Beasts in the Ground, Peso Loving Squid, [new song], April, Time Wasted, There Are Very Very Big Lights in the Sky, [new song], Astronomers.
(encore) [old song]