Review-kus.

That's right, they're back, by popular demand!! My goal is to review every album I bought (or otherwise listened to) this year. However there are just so darn many albums, and sometimes I just don't feel like writing a full reviews. So to combat this, I have decided that I shall give a few really quick reviews all at once... in haiku form. Here we go!

Honeymoon Punch by Jenn Grant
At times beautiful
Not afraid to kick some ass
As strong as her voice

Download Parliament of Owls

Waitin' and Seein' by Carmen Townsend
Thunderous blues rock
Outdone by intense vocals
Passionate lyrics

Download Without My Love

20 Odd Years by Buck 65
Career summation
As eclectic as ever
With guest stars galore

Download Stop (f. Hannah Georgas)
I also highly enjoy "Zombie Delight", especially the video, which you can should watch here.

Foster The People Secret Show @ The Peak -- 05/31/11

It was a year ago, almost to the day, when The Peak put on their first Secret Show with Mumford & Sons. It was at a restaurant patio in Yaletown on a Sunday, and thousands of people showed up, blocking of streets with the cops even being called. (Here is a time lapse video of the insanity).
This year they picked another hot, up and coming band, Foster The People and, like last year, they only announced the location two hours before the show, and only through the interwebs and social media; facebook, twitter and email.
It ended up being at The Peak itself, with the band playing on a balcony and the crowd filling the street below. Even though it was 1pm on a weekday (the only time the band could do it before their sold out show tonight) at least a few hundred people packed the street to catch the show. Many of which were younger fans. When Mark Foster asked how many peopled skipped work to show up, there was mild applause. When he asked how many skipped school... many shrill screams.

Despite the rain, the crowd was really enthusiastic about the short acoustic set. They started off with "Houdini", and their sound translated really well for the acoustic set. After a couple more, they ended with a slowed down version of their big hit, "Pumped Up Kicks", which kicked off lots of dancing and some singing along. After the set they promised to come down to meet everyone, and while I didn't stick around to find out, I believe they did come down to meet people and sign things for quite some time.

While it was pretty cool show, personally I don't think it quite lived up to the first year. Having the band play on the balcony was cool (and makes way more sense logistically) but it lost a bit of the intimacy and impact of having the band right there. Mind you, when you set the bar with someone like Mumford and Sons, it's going to be hard to top. It was still really fun, and complaining about a free show put on with a band like Foster the People is just insane. If they can keep getting bands like this, I really hope The Peak is able to make this an annual event.

Sam Roberts Band w/ Jets Overhead @ Malkin Bowl -- 05/28/11

It has been far too long since three things happened: I've seen Jets Overhead live, I've seen Sam Roberts Band live, and I've seen a show at Malkin Bowl. And it was a gorgeous day to combine these three things last night. Fun fact*: The first time I saw Sam Roberts Band was also the first time I saw Jets Overhead. They were opening on a bill that was Jets, The Stills, Broken Social Scene, and SRB.
*fact not guaranteed to be fun.

Due to some aggravation with parking -- namely, waiting in line for 15 minutes to pay -- I missed the first song or two of Jets Overhead, running up to the park with "No Nations" in the distance.
They were on top of their game in the shining sun, with their infection melodies and catchy harmonies. They played mostly off their last full length, No Nations, but also had a few off Bridges and the newest EP, Bystander. The title track from the EP was definitely one of the highlights, with its soaring vocals, as well as a stripped down and acoustic-y "Where Did You Go?" and the simmering "Fully Shed". And the set came to a dynamic ending with the almost seven minute "Tired of the Comfort", building to an intense climax. And an awesome rock-star-jumping-scissor-kick from Adam.
They mentioned in the set recording a new album, which I am definitely looking forward to.

Setlist (may be a bit off at the beginning)
No Nations, Fully Shed, Seems So Far, Sure Sign, First Time, Where Did You Go, Bystander, I Should Be Born, Heading For Nowhere, Tired of the Comfort.

And then hitting the stage promptly at 8:15 (it was an early show) was Sam Roberts Band. They kicked off with "I Feel You", the lead single off the first album, psyching everyone up right off the bat. From there they played what ended up being a nearly two hour set with songs from all over their catalogue. The whole band had a great energy, especially Sam, but especially guitarist Dave Nugent, who couldn't seem to be still for more than a minute. They definitely had the crowd engaged from the very beginning, too, with lots of singing along, especially to the older hits like "Hard Road", "Where Have All The Good People Gone?" and "Brother Down"; the latter two had Sam hold the mic out for the crowd to sing parts of the chorus.
Most of the set was focused on the faster songs, but there were a couple moments where he slowed it down, like "Lions of the Kalahari", and he swapped for an acoustic guitar a few times, most notably for "Bridge to Nowhere". And while some of the newer stuff didn't quite pop as much as the older, there were still some great moments, like the pounding rhythms and rock sax of "Let It In" and the heartbreaking "Partition Blues". The sun was setting just as he finished the main set with "The Last Crusade" off the new album, but they were, of course, back out for a few more hits, ending the encore with "Them Kids", sending everyone into a frenzy.
At this point I was satisfied, if a little disappointed they didn't play my favourite song, "Mind Flood". But then, my worries were for naught as they hit the stage one more time and launched into its ten minute glory of swirling, psychedelic guitars for an incredible end to an already great show.

Not surprisingly, it was a fantastic show from a pair of bands that never fail to put on a great live show, in one of the cities best venues.

setlist
I Feel You, With A Bullet, Fixed to Ruin, Let It In, Lions of the Kalahari, Graveyard Shift, Hard Road, Up Sister, Partition Blues, Bridge to Nowhere, The Band vs The World, Where Have All The Good People Gone?, Without A Map, Brother Down, The Last Crusade.
(encore), Streets of Heaven (Promises, Promises), Detroit '67, Don't Walk Away Eileen, Them Kids.
(double encore) Mind Flood.

The Cracking CD Release @ Media Club -- 05/25/11

Many familiar faces to the Vancouver music scene were at the Media Club last night for the CD release party, and homecoming, of Kenton Loewen's solo project, The Crackling. Loewen has played drums for a good number of local bands, most notably Dan Mangan, so it was no surprise to see a decent sized crowd (for a week day at the media club) out to support him.

First up was White Knife, playing their first ever show. Well, sort of, as the band consisted of Colin Cowan, Chris Kelly and Nick Fabin, formerly known as Analog Bell Service. The set was in the same vein as the last few times I've seen ABS, with the same style of infectious pop songs, crazy energy and good chemistry between the three. There was the usual "Sunglasses at Night" cover, slowing it down and giving it an almost creepy feel, and their own songs ranged in influence from 60s pop rock, to grunge, to straight up rock, but never felt disjointed. One of the highlights was a song that I didn't catch the name of, but started with a bit of an evil whisper/demonic voice from Colin, into slow and almost eerie vibe, before building to an absolutely explosive climax. They ended the set with an older ABS song, "Left The Park", featuring a "Mangan Moment" when Dan joined them for backup vocals, giving a bit of a Punk Mangan performance screaming out the lyrics.
I am not actually sure the reason for the name change of the band, perhaps it was because they streamlined to just three members, but I can't wait to hear what happens next.

Next up was Singing Adams, from the UK. Or rather, just the lead singer Steven Adams. He took the stage alone for a couple acoustic, folky songs before being joined first by Kenton on drums for a song, and then Colin on bass. The two of them played for the rest of the set, and if it's true that they had never met before the day of the show -- with only a half hour practice earlier in the day -- it was pretty impressive. They meshed together quite well, especially by the end; as the set went on, the songs grew in energy and intensity, and it was just fascinating to watch them become more and more comfortable with each other on stage. It ended up being a really fun set, and Adams had a really good stage presence, with more than a few of the songs being really catchy, like "Spit in the Sea".
For the last couple songs Gord Grdina joined them on stage, and they ended with a "Mangan Moment" of their own.

And seeing as most of his band was already on stage, this lead right into the "surprise" of the night (had you not seen it on twitter), a short set from Dan Mangan himself. He played a few songs from his upcoming album, Oh Fortune (due out September 27th) and pretty much blew away the entire room. The title track was pretty much what you'd expect from Dan, but "Post War Blues" was incredibly intense, and a lot more rocking and with more of an edge than anything on the last album, leading up to an absolutely insane ending. "Rows of Houses" was also a bit harder, and hearing them definitely had me eager for the new album.
After the last few times of seeing Dan in sold out, thousand-person-seated-venues it was amazing to watch him play in a venue like the Media Club, even for a few songs.

And with Kenton joking that it would be the only time Dan opened for him, it was time for The Crackling. Also playing with Gord and Colin (who had a really long night!), they had a very folk sound, with many songs following the formula of starting soft and working up to a big finish, but it was a formula that worked so well for them. Loewen had  a voice that went from the a low gravel  to heartfelt highs, sometimes within the same song, and a great charisma and presence on stage -- introducing each song with a story, or just generally joking around.
Highlights included the thematically dark "I Am Your Rogue/Ode to a Woman"; "Keep Me Drunk", which had the last "Mangan Moment", with not only Dan, but the entire crowd helping out on the backing vocals; and "Reticence", a perfect song to end the night on, with the finish seeing every member of the band going balls-out, resulting in a broken string or two.
I don't think there are many bands that would be able to successfully follow Dan Mangan, but Loewen and co. more than held their own, putting on a great set.

I am going to go ahead and call it now, there is a very strong chance that this show will end up on my best of the year list. Four (well, three and a half) great sets of music, and just an incredible vibe of friendship and community the whole night for a show that was just flat out fun.

setlist
The Three of You, A Joke, The Crackling, Of Deceit, I Am Your Rogue/Ode to the Woman, That's The Harm, Keep me Drunk (Dan), Geppetto, Reticence.

Kathryn Calder @ Biltmore -- 05/20/11

It seems like it's been forever since I had seen a show (two weeks!) and especially one at the Biltmore (two months!!) so I was excited to be able to see Kathryn Calder again, and was interested to see Louise Burns for the first time.

It was an early show, so Louise Burns hit the stage just after 8 with a backing band -- dubbed The Moonshiners -- that included Jody Glenham, Debra Jean Creelman and a couple members of The Raccoons.
Sadly, since no one in this city ever shows up on time, the crowd was still pretty sparse, which is a shame because it was quite a fun set. She played from her debut album Mellow Drama, and while some of the songs had the same kind of sound to them, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing as they were all pretty upbeat and catchy, with a good energy from the band.
The last couple songs were the highlight for me, the single "What Do You Wanna Do" and "Street Walking" which, like the whole set, were driven by Burns' strong voice; and it definitely didn't hurt having pipes like Jody and Debra Jean on backing vocals.

Next was Himalayan Bear, the solo project of Ryan Beattie, guitarist for Frog Eyes. He was joined by Frog Eyes bandmate Megan Boddy on violin and Marek Tyler of Meatdraw on drums (both of which also play with Calder), but the small band belied a much more intricate sound; one that I almost want to call "prog folk". With any more members, it could have turned into a sprawling mess of noise, but the minimalistic nature helped give it a focus. It probably also helped that all three were damn good musicians.
There wasn't much by way of banter though the set, with the band just letting the music speak for itself -- like the five minute plus "Man of Fire", which had just Beattie on guitar and vocals and was incredibly captivating. I will definitely be interested in seeing him live again, and am looking forward to the new album out later this year.

And finally was former Immaculate Machine and current The New Pornographer, Kathryn Calder. She also, of course, released her first solo album almost a year ago, Are You My Mother?, which I really liked, so I was looking forward to seeing her live again.
With Calder switching from acoustic & electric guitars and the keyboard throughout the night, she & her backing band played mostly off the solo album, but also threw in a few new songs, which were quite good. Especially "One Two Three" (if my ability to read an upside down setlist from afar can be trusted) which was a little harder with more of an edge. Made me very interested in hearing more of her new material.
Throughout the set, they went seamlessly from fast and upbeat songs like "A Day Long Past Its Prime" to the slow and beautiful "So Easily"; sometimes even, as with "Slip Away", within the same song. The band had a great energy and stage presence, and Calder had the best charmingly-awkward banter I've seen since Aidan Knight.
They ended the set with another highlight, the fantastically energetic "Castor and Pollux", preceding it by saying it was the last song of the set, and the last of the songs they knew, so that would be it. Which made me and my anti-faux-encore stance happy that they just played right up until curfew.

The night was a really fun trio of bands, and I will definitely be catching any of them live next time I have the chance.

setlist
All It Is, Follow Me into the Hills, If You Only Knew, Turn A Light On, [new song], Slip Away, A Day Long Past Its Prime, Down the River, Arrow, So Easily, One Two Three[?], Castor and Pollux.