Hey Rosetta! at Phoenix Concert Theatre

So I realize that I'm posting this review just a little bit late seeing as the concert was just over a week ago, but I've been quite busy with all sorts of other things both related and unrelated to the wonderful world of music.  Nonetheless, Hey Rosetta! has two more shows this weekend and two more in mid-December in their hometown St. John's, Newfoundland.  To see more about the upcoming shows click here.  Also, it's never too late to write a review for an absolutely amazing concert.  The Phoenix is always a great venue for concerts with many accessible bars, many ways to get up to the front, a nice upstairs area (which I never seem to use) and all in all a great stage setup and great sound.  This was my fourth time seeing Hey Rosetta! live (I think...) and it was also the best, it was the first night of their two day stay at the Phoenix.

I'll start off with just a quick note on the openers.  Unfortunately I missed Ivan & Alyosha which is a four piece indie-folk-rock band from Seattle.  They've grown in popularity quite a bit because of being recognized by National Public Radio due to their success at SXSW.  They have a very beautiful folky sound with superb vocal harmonies, but considering I missed their set, I'll stop myself there.  I caught most of The Jezabels who are a very dynamic four member group from Sydney, Australia.  It's a bit difficult to define their music under one genre so I'll just say that they're indie which seems to work perfectly for all sorts of undefinable music that's out there today.  The Jezabels are touring in support of their first full length album entitled Prisoner.  They had a very full sound with lead singer Hayley Mary's unique, high-pitched vocals punching through and taking the lead.  Being a drummer however, after a while I found myself fixated on Nik Kaloper whose skill on the drums was astounding.  I really found it difficult to focus on any other member because of the extremely technical driving drum beats that were being played throughout their set.  All in all, I definitely enjoyed what I saw, but now on to Hey Rosetta!

Hey Rosetta! took the stage and started off with Parson Brown off of their third album, Seeds.  At first I thought that this was a weak song to begin a set with because of its slow beginning pace and lack of energy, but as the song went on I remembered how it transforms into a very energetic, hard hitting, driving force by the end which really sets the crowd up for what would be a show that can be described as the same.  They went on to play Welcome, the lead single off of Seeds which perfectly maintained and even built upon the energy that was delivered by the end of Parson Brown.  The song flows so naturally and takes full advantage of Tim Baker's infectious lyrics and vocals as well as the full layered instrumentation from the band.  Yer Spring came next which was another perfect display from the whole band, with the strings adding beautiful layers on top of the driving bass lines and drum beats.  There's a point in the middle of the song which seems to have a bit of a middle-eastern influence which always seems a bit out of place to me until the band explodes into the melodic second half of the song which contrasts all too well from the first half.

Overall, this set was dominated by songs from Seeds, which I won't complain about because it's a great album, but I would have liked to see some older tunes as well.  Speaking of older tunes, the band played There's an Arc as their fourth song which was one of the highlights of the night for sure.  The song has to be one of my favourites as it starts off slow and builds into a fully layered anthem style number.  It's a perfect song for jumping up and down, singing along or clapping along, so really it's a perfect song for a concert in general and I hope that they don't stray away from this one for all of their future live shows.  After playing New Sum, the band moved on to play Young Glass which I would say is my favourite song off of Seeds.  The lyrics make you feel like you're exactly where the story is taking place.  The bass line is very melodic and higher than most bass lines with the strings creating an orchestral feel over-top with perfectly placed runs.  Ending with another great build-up which is just oh so easy to lose yourself in and start clapping along, this marks another unbelievable song to see at a live show.  They played Red Song next off of their three song Red Song EP.  This marked the low point of the concert for me and was the only song of the night that I would have replaced.  It's just a little bit too downbeat for such an upbeat band and it definitely seemed a little bit out of place, but I guess in contrast it made the rest of the night that much better.  

After playing a few more tunes off of Seeds, the end of their first set started drawing nearer as they began playing perhaps their most successful song to date, being Red Heart.  Everyone in the audience was ecstatic as the solo drums kicked in and were then accompanied by the all too catchy, technical, yet melodic guitar line.  Everyone was singing along and the energy just kept on building as the song advanced.  With everyone singing along happily, this was perhaps the best song of the night.  The only thing that could have made it any better was if the bass line had been just a little bit louder for everyone to hear the catchy solo-esque walking bass line near the end.  New Goodbye came next which they often use to close a night so it had me a bit worried, but very pleased at the same time that another older song was being played.  It's another great song that everyone was singing along to as it built perfectly to make way for the last song of their set being Seeds from the album of the same name.  Overall, these three songs worked perfectly together to close off their main set.

The crowd was going crazy waiting for Hey Rosetta! to walk back on stage for their encore shouting a hockey style chant of the band's name.  The band most definitely indulged the crowd as they walked on quickly and began to play Bandages.  The song translated into a live number much better than I ever would have imagined especially because Tim was able to give the audience a vocal part which is always a hit at a live show.  The last song of the night was a bit of a surprise as they started playing Changes by David Bowie, it matched their style surprisingly well as they were able to make use of the band's full instrumentation and adapt it to the hit pop classic.  The song then developed into a medley in which they also played their own song The Simplest Thing off of their first album as well as Hummingbird by Wilco and All The Young Dudes by David Bowie/Mott The Hoople.  It was a great close to the night and showcased their talent and energy in a variety of different ways.  

Hey Rosetta!'s concert at the Phoenix was unbelievable.  They were able to make a 14 song set seem like it was a 20 song set.  I suppose that's because they're able to jam out and create live versions of songs which on their own are incredible, but extended just a bit, they become a perfect sum of all their parts coming together to create unbelievable, energetic live tracks.  They were able to engage the crowd and have them singing, dancing and clapping along like many other bands are unable to do.  It would have been nice to see a few more older songs considering the only song they played off of their first album was part of the Changes medley.  They also only played three songs from Into Your Lungs which is another amazing album of theirs, although now that I think of it, all three of their albums are amazing.  This concert solidified my belief that Hey Rosetta! is one of the best Canadian bands around today.  Their live performances are unbelievably energetic and their music has a fully layered sound, with perfect build-ups and anthem style songs which are incredibly catchy and infectious.  I could fully see this band playing stadium performances in the future and I guarantee that I will be there singing and dancing along when that day comes.  

Ronald Jenkees: A Youtube Star

One thing that is great about new music is the fact that there are so many possibilities as to how it might finally reach your ears.  Sometimes I discover music because it's used in a movie or a T.V. show.  Sometimes I find new music because of opening bands playing at concerts I'm attending.  Still, but to a lesser extent, friends will physically bring music over for me to hear.  The most popular method though, is finding music on the oh so useful interweb.  If there's a band or artist worth listening to, they have their music on Youtube as well as many other music sharing websites.  Ronald Jenkees is a musician who made use of the Youtube medium like few other "unkown" music stars have.  Ron Jenkees' Youtube keyboard performances have reached over 50 million views in total and as people keep talking about him, the buzz spreads and that number is just gonna keep climbing.



There's a reason why Jenkees' videos have so many views from all over the world, and that's because he really is an incredible musician and his music appeals to most people in one way or another.  His music can be described as a blend between hip-hop, techno, and rock & roll, with each video giving a bit more emphasis one style or the other.  He plays his music as if he's dj'ing, playing the drums, and playing the keyboard all at the same time.  He started off in 2003 creating music under the name "Big Cheez" and started posting his Youtube videos under his own name in 2006.  Social media aggregators like StumbleUpon have helped lead to his internet fame to a large degree.  Ron Jenkees has a very goofy demeanor as he starts up each keyboard performance with the opening line "hello Youtubes!" he's also known to give opening talks about the piece he's about to play and even sometimes breaks halfway through a song to talk to fans or to display messages upon the screen.



The one thing that most musicians will love about Ronald Jenkees is his extreme love for music.  You can see joyful expressions on his face in all of his videos as the music truly does inspire and move his soul.  He also gives great advice to other musicians in terms of keeping music simple at times, let the beats move you, but most of all just love the music you're creating.  Jenkees now has two full length albums, one is self titled and his second album is entitled, Disorganized Fun.  They are available on his website at www.ronaldjenkees.com.  So watch his keyboard videos on Youtube and discover why Ronald Jenkees has become such an internet phenomenon.  Fall in love with the music like so many others already have and maybe you'll be persuaded to help support this amazing musician in all of his future endeavors.

Atlas Sound: Parallax Album Review

Bradford Cox is at it again with his new solo album Parallax.  If you're not familiar with his work, Bradford Cox has released five albums with his band, Deerhunter, and now Parallax is his third solo album released under the name Atlas Sound.  His work with Atlas Sound tends to be a bit softer and less experimental in nature compared to some of his work with Deerhunter and this is definitely the case on Parallax.  This album progresses smoothly like a dream sequence with great pop melodies built over top ambient sound and music.

The album starts off with the song entitled The Shakes which is a straight forward pop tune with simplistic drums using catchy fills.  It builds slowly and is short and sweet, but it opens up the album very well setting the tone for a more dreamy style pop that seems both upbeat and downbeat at the same time.  The second song, Amplifiers sounds a bit more irregular in nature with definite softer and dreamier sounds than the preceding track.  The bass goes back and forth and is quite repetitive, but in a good way as it's used over top the ambient synth-pop sounds.  The drums are still simplistic, but they have great use of discrete hi-hat and cymbal work.  The song ends with a pleasing falsetto and synthesized effects slowing to a halt.  Te Amo is one of my favourites off of Parallax with a looped piano line switching from left to right creating that feeling of a dream sequence all too perfectly.  Between the ambient sounds, vocals, soft drums and piano, this song almost has a Caribbean feeling to it.  The title track, Parallax comes next which has heavy use of effects creating the ambient synth-based pop that is so prevalent on this album.

te amo by atlas sound

Modern Aquatic Nightsongs really describes itself as I can imagine myself being on a beach at night in the Caribbean with this song softly playing in the background.  The drums and percussion support the feel with layered guitars and effects supporting Cox's soft voice throughout.  Mona Lisa is one of the most straight-forward pop songs on the album with drums similar to The Shakes and an acoustic guitar sound with background harmonica driving the song forward.  For someone who hasn't heard Bradford Cox's work with either Deerhunter or Atlas Sound, Mona Lisa would be a great intro track.  In Praying Man, Cox's voice is a bit more distorted and experimental on top of acoustic guitar layered behind catchy electric progressions and late in the song, an ambient harmonica line.  Doldrums is next which is possibly the softest song on the album. It's a perfect song for falling asleep to or for entering a state of deep relaxation.  It seems like a modern synth-pop lullaby in many ways.

My Angel Is Broken is another semi-upbeat pop song with straight-forward acoustic guitar, bass and drums giving reference to an old style of pop that one could find in the 60s.  Terra Incognita reverts back to a softer ballad style progression with minimal use of drums or percussion.  Another perfect song for deep relaxation and imagining yourself by the water on a beautiful summer night.  Flagstaff is the second last song on the album and starts off softly with guitar and vocals as Bradford Cox exploits the best parts of his vocal range.  The entire second half of the song is a combination of layered effects and synth as the track slowly comes to a close.  The final song on the album, Lightsworks, definitely ends on a high-upbeat note.  It starts off with a progression of stand-alone drums before the oldschool pop style guitars and bass comes in with Cox singing in a bit of a lower register.  This song has great use of backup vocals adding to the overall ambient feel which we experience in this album.  With more use of harmonica and guitar effects, this song embodies the more upbeat qualities that Parallax has offered throughout.  The effects that close the song off almost feel similar to how you would expect Cox to finish off a concert.

Overall I would give this album an 8.5 out of 10.  I would consider this my favourite Atlas Sound album to date as it progresses smoothly and is extremely easy to listen to.  As Bradford Cox continues to develop his skills as a musician, singer, songwriter and editor, it will be interesting to see which direction his music will take as his solo effort in Atlas Sound, as well as with his band, Deerhunter.  Parallax isn't the kind of album you would play at a party, and it's not the type of album you would use to quickly raise your energy, but if you have the time alone to relax and reflect, this is the perfect album to listen to.  Parallax perfectly embodies the surreal with both the lyrics and instrumentation.  It truly does feel like a smooth dream sequence appealing to all of the senses with every song fitting perfectly and flowing together to create a masterpiece.

Members from BSS and The Stills Form Eight and a Half

I've been a huge fan of the record label, Arts & Crafts for a while now, so when I hear about new bands under this label, I start to get excited instantly.  I'm also a huge fan of Broken Social Scene, so when I hear that a new Arts & Crafts band features BSS drummer Justin Peroff, well then I can hardly contain the excitement.  This all comes at a great time seeing as Broken Social Scene is on an indefinite hiatus and I am always itching for music related to them in one way or another.  This new band is called Eight and a Half and it is made up of Justin Peroff, mentioned above, and former members of The Stills, Liam O'Neil and Dave Hamelin.

Unfortunately I never fully explored The Stills and now that they've broken up I feel like I'm missing out.  I regret that I won't have the chance to see them live, but Eight and a Half serves as a bit of relief considering they have some of the same members.  Broken Social Scene on the other hand has been one of my favourite bands for a while now and I've had the chance to see them live more than ten times.  In fact, BSS is one of my top five bands and they're in my top five for good reason.  If you don't already know Broken Social Scene, then start exploring.  Their live performances are incredible with up to 16 people jamming on stage at once.  Their music is diverse with singers and musicians alike from Metric, Stars, Feist, Apostle of Hustle and others.

I've only been able to find one song from Eight and a Half, entitled Scissors.  I truly hope this is a glimpse into the main style of the band because I've fallen in love with this song already.  It can be described as synth-based indie pop, and it is very ambient and has many layered textures.  Peroff's drums are simple, but add to the song and create a foundation which is easy to build upon with the deep effect layered bass and guitar.  Hamelin's lyrics and vocals are melancholy and introspective, but the bottom line is that they are truly beautiful.  This has been labeled as a legitimate band and not just a side project for these talented musicians which makes me happy and worried at the same time considering I believe Broken Social Scene will be back together sometime in 2012.  Either way I look forward to seeing where this band goes and I can't wait to hear more songs from Eight and a Half.  Eight and a Half is set to release their self titled debut album on February 7th, 2011.

Scissors by Eight and a Half