If I had to sum up Mylo Xyloto, the fifth studio album from British alternative rock band Coldplay in one sentence, I would say that it is an eclectic mix of old and new styles that this group has developed over the years. Coldplay has slowly transformed from an acoustic guitar and piano driven rock group to an electronic driving alternative rock/pop group. This transformation was seen at first on their album X&Y with the piano disappearing a bit to make way for more electric guitar and further developed with Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. Now Mylo Xyloto reminds Coldplay fans of the past while letting them discover what may be the future of this talented group.
The album starts with the title track which is a 43 second orchestral style opening which builds and leads into Hurts Like Heaven as if it were part of the song. Hurts Like Heaven is very catchy and upbeat and even has an indie style sound to it. You can hear the electronic styles in the background while the driving beat and Chris Martin's infectious voice and anthem style lyric-less vocals at times take the lead. The next track Paradise develops fully into contemporary pop mode which reminds me of the anomalous Chris Cornell album, Scream which was produced by Timbaland. The next track Charlie Brown reverts back to the distinct anthem style with an oriental undertone which was present on Viva La Vida. The fourth song Us Against The World develops as an acoustic rock ballad which is reminiscent of their early work in Parachutes.
M.M.I.X. serves as a 50 second slowly building electronic interlude leading into the first single, Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall which also has a style which they developed in their previous work, Viva La Vida. The electric guitar parts in this song are extremely catchy and this track eventually develops into a very up-beat anthem style tune. Major Minus has a style that reminds me of Radiohead's music and Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head. It's driving and has ambient drums and bass which then develop into a driving force with catchy guitar parts and even a solo which is somewhat rare for Coldplay. U.F.O is the second ballad to come with great use of strings behind the acoustic guitar giving it an orchestra feeling. Princess of China is in my opinion Coldplay's most anomalous song to date, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It features Rihanna and fully embraces the new direction they have been taking. Without Chris Martin's voice Princess of China would never be recognized as a Coldplay song.
Up In Flames serves as another slow building ballad but with electronic undertones. It has repeating lyrics and eventually contains a very catchy electric guitar part which makes me happy every time I hear it. A Hopeful Transmission serves as the second musical interlude leading into the last two songs. Don't Let It Break Your Heart is definitely their classic style with a dose of electric feel containing all aspects of their development. It's very upbeat and has lyrics which bring hope and electric guitar parts underlining the anthem style music. Up With The Birds is the final song which is another ballad with an orchestral theme. It slowly builds and leaves a nostalgic, reflective feeling with the final portion of the song delivered with their classic piano style.
Overall I would rate this album as an 8 out of 10 with a great collection of old and new styles. Although the mix seems a little irregular at times with Coldplay switching between old and new styles, I've enjoyed listening to every song on the album multiple times. This band will continue to develop in ways that may seem unpredictable to the common fan, but with Chris Martin's voice dominating the classic anthem style music that they always seem to deliver, Coldplay will continue to be a group worthy of the widespread attention that they have gained. It will be interesting to see how this collection of songs translates into a live concert and it will be even more interesting to see which direction this iconic British alternative rock band will continue to develop in.
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Saturday, 22 October 2011
The Jilted Lovers Club at Lee's Palace
Last night marked yet another great concert at Lee's Palace. The more shows I see at Lee's, the more I believe that it might be my favourite venue in Toronto. The location is perfect, the size is perfect, all of the staff members are really nice and I can't say I've ever seen a bad show there. Last night was obviously no exception as The Jilted Lovers Club took the stage at 12:30. I had the pleasure of playing with JLC at The Velvet Underground in support of Meghan Morrison's CD release in late September. After seeing their set that night I got instantly hooked, chatted with the band and found out about the show last night. It was already apparent that I wouldn't be missing it.
My brother and I got to the venue with perfect timing as JLC was walking on stage right as we entered. We ordered a couple drinks as the band took the stage over one member at a time. I always appreciate when bands open their shows that way, giving each member a bit of a showcase introduction before the vocals kick in. They opened with Gravity (Detail of the Stars) which I believe I recognized from The Velvet Underground show. It built up perfectly to set the pace for what would be a very energetic evening. A few songs in, lead vocalist, Nikki engaged the crowd about the recent downfall of Pusateri's to lead into Grocery Song. My brother and I personally enjoyed this because we've grown up living about five minutes from the store and we've always hated the store and its snobby management.
About halfway through the show Nikki addressed the crowd asking for a glass of water and Alex Leger took the opportunity to jokingly ask for some tequila. To my brother, this was no joke. He payed for four shots of tequila and brought them up to the stage partway through a song. After the number was done, Alex, Jeremy and Simeon gave cheers and drank them down.
The band introduced a new song entitled All The Rage which I instantly fell in love with. I mentioned to my brother before the vocals came in, "I already love this song, it's got the bass, it's got the guitar, and it's got the drums." He found this hilarious and had to write it down, but it's true, the instrumental foundation of the song was powerful and driving and Nikki's vocals just made it that much better. Other highlights included Sick Tomorrow, Army of Daughters and Will It Be Fine partially because they're the songs I own and I was able to recognize them instantly and even sing along. The crowd was much better at this show in my opinion which showed itself when JLC played Will It Be Fine. Everyone in the crowd was belting, "No it won't be fine," and "It won't be OK," in the chorus as per instructed by the band. I had a lot of fun shouting along too.
Overall this is a band which definitely has the potential to be huge and only time will tell. I rank them high among all of the indie bands I've seen at Lee's Palace even if they don't have the same recognition yet. Their music is amazing and Nikki's stage presence is more explosive and engaging than most artists out there today. I can't wait until they release more material and play more shows. Next time I see them, I'm hoping the crowd will be twice the size and I hope this band starts getting the recognition that they most definitely deserve.
The Jilted Lovers Club - WIRED: Episode 98 from THE iNDiE MACHiNE on Vimeo.
My brother and I got to the venue with perfect timing as JLC was walking on stage right as we entered. We ordered a couple drinks as the band took the stage over one member at a time. I always appreciate when bands open their shows that way, giving each member a bit of a showcase introduction before the vocals kick in. They opened with Gravity (Detail of the Stars) which I believe I recognized from The Velvet Underground show. It built up perfectly to set the pace for what would be a very energetic evening. A few songs in, lead vocalist, Nikki engaged the crowd about the recent downfall of Pusateri's to lead into Grocery Song. My brother and I personally enjoyed this because we've grown up living about five minutes from the store and we've always hated the store and its snobby management.
About halfway through the show Nikki addressed the crowd asking for a glass of water and Alex Leger took the opportunity to jokingly ask for some tequila. To my brother, this was no joke. He payed for four shots of tequila and brought them up to the stage partway through a song. After the number was done, Alex, Jeremy and Simeon gave cheers and drank them down.
The band introduced a new song entitled All The Rage which I instantly fell in love with. I mentioned to my brother before the vocals came in, "I already love this song, it's got the bass, it's got the guitar, and it's got the drums." He found this hilarious and had to write it down, but it's true, the instrumental foundation of the song was powerful and driving and Nikki's vocals just made it that much better. Other highlights included Sick Tomorrow, Army of Daughters and Will It Be Fine partially because they're the songs I own and I was able to recognize them instantly and even sing along. The crowd was much better at this show in my opinion which showed itself when JLC played Will It Be Fine. Everyone in the crowd was belting, "No it won't be fine," and "It won't be OK," in the chorus as per instructed by the band. I had a lot of fun shouting along too.
Overall this is a band which definitely has the potential to be huge and only time will tell. I rank them high among all of the indie bands I've seen at Lee's Palace even if they don't have the same recognition yet. Their music is amazing and Nikki's stage presence is more explosive and engaging than most artists out there today. I can't wait until they release more material and play more shows. Next time I see them, I'm hoping the crowd will be twice the size and I hope this band starts getting the recognition that they most definitely deserve.
The Jilted Lovers Club - WIRED: Episode 98 from THE iNDiE MACHiNE on Vimeo.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Portugal. The Man at The Opera House
There's something completely intoxicating about a band which can effortlessly deliver a perfect three part harmony. Portugal. The Man is absolutely one of those bands. Then of course you have the unbelievable musicianship of every single member of the band. The transitions between songs were seamless and incredible. Lead singer John Gourley stands out of course with his incredible talent on the guitar and a voice which matches any instant in their music whether it's with his spot on falsetto or his soothing regular register. As I mentioned already the backup vocals delivered by Zachary on bass and Ryan on keys completes a three part harmony which just blows your mind when you see it live. The drums from Jason were amazing, guitar parts from Noah were amazing, the percussion delivered by up to three members at once was amazing, what can I say? Everything was amazing.
I got into The Opera House a little bit late which is unfortunate because I missed most of the opener, Alberta Cross' set. I've been really into this band for about a week and I'm just happy that I got to see their songs Rise From The Shadows and ATX live. They lived up to every expectation I had and were just as good live, if not better than their great recordings. The one thing that really stood out for me was the way Alberta Cross was able to jam out and add a huge element of hard rock to their indie/blues style. You can already hear it on their album, but it's just so much more powerful when you see it live. This is a band I will definitely be looking out for in the future.
Portugal. The Man hit the stage soon after, delivering So American, the first track from their newest album, In The Mountain, In The Cloud. It was a perfect way to start the concert and got the energy going right away. After a perfect transition they jumped right into Work All Day from their most successful album to date, The Satanic Satanist. Throughout the night they played seven songs from In The Mountain, In The Cloud and eight tunes from The Satanic Satanist which worked perfectly and was met by the crowd with constant applause and singing along. They also delivered a great cover of The Beatles' Helter Skelter mixed with their own song, The Devil. The second great cover they delivered of the night was Bowie's All The Young Dudes. They played some of their older material which I didn't recognize, but filled the gaps between the songs I knew perfectly. Overall, they delivered 22 songs which instilled in me pure awe, excitement and joy.
As you can see above the stage was filled with glowing orbs changing colours throughout the night. The setup was almost as artistic and creative as their music is. Highlights of the night would have to include their three song opening of So American, Work All Day and The Devil/Helter Skelter. When they started playing 1989/Our Way, it was the first time I had heard it, but it instantly hit a personal chord in me with the lyrics "I was born in 1989," because well, to put it simply I was actually born in 1989.
From the main set other highlights were: The Woods, Floating (Time Isn't Working My Side), All Your Light (Times Like These), Everyone Is Golden, Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now), The Sun, and Sleep Forever. Well obviously there were a hell of a lot of highlights. They started their three song encore off with what was possibly the most exciting song if the night which was People Say. Almost every person in the crowd I could see was singing along with the clever and addictive lyrics. The last two songs of the night were Guns And Dogs and Chicago which ended on such a powerful, positive note that I was just left wanting more and more.
I left the concert with a copy of Alberta Cross' The Rolling Thunder EP and a copy of Censored Colors by Portugal. The Man. To say the least I'll be listening to both of these great CDs for many years to come. The thing I left with which I'll treasure the most is the amazing memory of such an incredible concert. Portugal. The Man really knows how to jam out and bring a perfect element of rock to what many can consider indie music. They harmonize perfectly with each other, they transition seamlessly from song to song and they deliver musicianship that most people can only dream of ever attaining. If you haven't heard them yet, check them out now and most definitely catch them at a live show if they're ever playing in your neck of the woods.
I got into The Opera House a little bit late which is unfortunate because I missed most of the opener, Alberta Cross' set. I've been really into this band for about a week and I'm just happy that I got to see their songs Rise From The Shadows and ATX live. They lived up to every expectation I had and were just as good live, if not better than their great recordings. The one thing that really stood out for me was the way Alberta Cross was able to jam out and add a huge element of hard rock to their indie/blues style. You can already hear it on their album, but it's just so much more powerful when you see it live. This is a band I will definitely be looking out for in the future.
Portugal. The Man hit the stage soon after, delivering So American, the first track from their newest album, In The Mountain, In The Cloud. It was a perfect way to start the concert and got the energy going right away. After a perfect transition they jumped right into Work All Day from their most successful album to date, The Satanic Satanist. Throughout the night they played seven songs from In The Mountain, In The Cloud and eight tunes from The Satanic Satanist which worked perfectly and was met by the crowd with constant applause and singing along. They also delivered a great cover of The Beatles' Helter Skelter mixed with their own song, The Devil. The second great cover they delivered of the night was Bowie's All The Young Dudes. They played some of their older material which I didn't recognize, but filled the gaps between the songs I knew perfectly. Overall, they delivered 22 songs which instilled in me pure awe, excitement and joy.
As you can see above the stage was filled with glowing orbs changing colours throughout the night. The setup was almost as artistic and creative as their music is. Highlights of the night would have to include their three song opening of So American, Work All Day and The Devil/Helter Skelter. When they started playing 1989/Our Way, it was the first time I had heard it, but it instantly hit a personal chord in me with the lyrics "I was born in 1989," because well, to put it simply I was actually born in 1989.
From the main set other highlights were: The Woods, Floating (Time Isn't Working My Side), All Your Light (Times Like These), Everyone Is Golden, Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now), The Sun, and Sleep Forever. Well obviously there were a hell of a lot of highlights. They started their three song encore off with what was possibly the most exciting song if the night which was People Say. Almost every person in the crowd I could see was singing along with the clever and addictive lyrics. The last two songs of the night were Guns And Dogs and Chicago which ended on such a powerful, positive note that I was just left wanting more and more.
I left the concert with a copy of Alberta Cross' The Rolling Thunder EP and a copy of Censored Colors by Portugal. The Man. To say the least I'll be listening to both of these great CDs for many years to come. The thing I left with which I'll treasure the most is the amazing memory of such an incredible concert. Portugal. The Man really knows how to jam out and bring a perfect element of rock to what many can consider indie music. They harmonize perfectly with each other, they transition seamlessly from song to song and they deliver musicianship that most people can only dream of ever attaining. If you haven't heard them yet, check them out now and most definitely catch them at a live show if they're ever playing in your neck of the woods.
Friday, 14 October 2011
MIV at Hard Luck
It's always exciting to see a show at a venue you've never been to before. Add the fact that it's Indie Week and last call is at 4am and the excitement builds a little more. Add the fact that you're going to see your longtime friends and former band mates on the stage and well you've got all the ingredients for an amazing night. I can't say I've ever been to a Missing in Venice show that wasn't amazing and this show was no different.
The band is currently finishing up their second album which they're going to release some time in December if I'm not mistaken. With that album in mind, it's what the band gave the biggest focus on delivering six new songs and only two from their first album titled This Side Up. I walked in just a tad late missing only the setup, opening remarks(if there were any) and about half the first song.
Apart from a couple technical difficulties and a crowd too small for such a great group, the show went very well. In regards to the small crowd it was nice being able to interact with the guys on stage and I felt special being the only one singing the crowd's part in Poor Choice, Good Sir. As always the vocal performance from Gabriel was great. Luke was solid with his vocals too and his bass playing continues to speak wonders about Humber's music program and of course his own dedication to the art. James and Jordan inspired awe with their diverse skills in both melodic and driving guitar parts and Mike seems to impress me more and more with his drum playing every time I see these guys.
They played a pretty similar setlist to what I've seen before, but that's in no way a complaint. It would be nice however to see Six from This Side Up played again soon, James' solo in that song will always be a highlight any time they play it. They also stuck with their trademark mixes of Ghost transfused with The Police's Roxeanne and they closed with their usual This Side Up mixed with Our Lady Peace's Somewhere Out There. As the whole band was headbanging in unison and the final notes from This Side Up were played, the best group of the night as my opinion goes, humbly walked off stage and mingled with the crowd full of their long time friends and fans.
Down below is the band's video of Ghost. (note. This video still features their first drummer Owen and not Mike who I mentioned above)
The band is currently finishing up their second album which they're going to release some time in December if I'm not mistaken. With that album in mind, it's what the band gave the biggest focus on delivering six new songs and only two from their first album titled This Side Up. I walked in just a tad late missing only the setup, opening remarks(if there were any) and about half the first song.
Apart from a couple technical difficulties and a crowd too small for such a great group, the show went very well. In regards to the small crowd it was nice being able to interact with the guys on stage and I felt special being the only one singing the crowd's part in Poor Choice, Good Sir. As always the vocal performance from Gabriel was great. Luke was solid with his vocals too and his bass playing continues to speak wonders about Humber's music program and of course his own dedication to the art. James and Jordan inspired awe with their diverse skills in both melodic and driving guitar parts and Mike seems to impress me more and more with his drum playing every time I see these guys.
They played a pretty similar setlist to what I've seen before, but that's in no way a complaint. It would be nice however to see Six from This Side Up played again soon, James' solo in that song will always be a highlight any time they play it. They also stuck with their trademark mixes of Ghost transfused with The Police's Roxeanne and they closed with their usual This Side Up mixed with Our Lady Peace's Somewhere Out There. As the whole band was headbanging in unison and the final notes from This Side Up were played, the best group of the night as my opinion goes, humbly walked off stage and mingled with the crowd full of their long time friends and fans.
Down below is the band's video of Ghost. (note. This video still features their first drummer Owen and not Mike who I mentioned above)
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Newly Discovered Gem: Alberta Cross
So I'm going to see Portugal The Man on Tuesday, if you haven't heard any of their stuff check them out they're awesome. On a slightly related note though, I decided to check out the opening band, Alberta Cross. Upon seeing the name I started to get excited about another potentially awesome Canadian indie band. I watched the first video I could find on YouTube and immediately got hooked. Diving a little bit deeper I discovered the band was situated in New York but actually had roots before that in Sweden and the U.K. So why the name Alberta Cross? I couldn't tell you, but I'm happy it caught my attention.
When I discover new music that I fall in love with, I always explore several different things, like the information I wrote above, but also how many albums do they have, how long have they been together and sometimes, why the hell aren't they famous yet? So I looked into it and the answers to those questions are four EPs/albums, four years and most importantly, I have absolutely no idea.
It turns out this band has been on tour with many big name bands like Oasis, The Shins, Bat For Lashes, Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper, Them Crooked Vultures and Mumford & Sons. So I really don't understand why I hadn't heard this amazing band until now. You would think that at least some people would go to the shows early enough to catch the opener and that some of those people would have adequate musical taste to spread around this amazing band like crazy. That ladies and gentlemen is why a four year old band is getting a post in a new music and concert blog, because people are crazy.
I bought their full length album, Broken Side Of Time, and I regret the fact that I couldn't find the other three EPs, but I'll definitely be buying them at the show on Tuesday. So upon listening to the one full album I could find, I would describe this band as an amazing mix between Band Of Horses, Neil Young and Radiohead. Broken Side Of Time has a perfect mix between blues inspired driving rock tunes, ballads and epic building anthem style songs. What can I say, it's just the perfect mix between blues, rock, indie and alternative. It's driving music with a perfectly soothing voice overtop which is like a mix between Neil Young and Thom Yorke.
Some highlights from the album are ATX, Old Man Chicago, Broken Side Of Time and The Thief & The Heartbreaker. Every other song on the album is amazing too, I can't say I even came close to disliking a single one. Obviously I'm extremely excited for the show on Tuesday, not only do I get to see this amazing newly discovered gem, I also get to see Portugal The Man for the second time and the first time did not disappoint whatsoever. Down below is Lucy Rider, the first song I ever heard from this amazing band, and definitely not the last.
Friday, 7 October 2011
Ra Ra Riot at Lee's Palace
So last night was definitely one to remember. Ra Ra Riot came to town and rocked the house at Lee's Palace. I also have to give kudos to Dinosaur Bones, a local band which I've had the pleasure of knowing for a couple of years now. Some of the members of Dinosaur Bones went to high school with my brother and it's just awesome to see them touring with a band I love as much as Ra Ra Riot.
After a bone chilling rendition of Ice Hotels and the always energetic NYE, Dinosaur Bones left the stage to make way for my third and favourite Ra Ra Riot show. They decided to walk onto that stage like they were being shot out of a cannon with lots of energy delivering the driving Too Too Too Fast first. They proceeded to play 15 songs from their two albums as well as one great cover Saccharin and the War by Sparks. The 16 songs seemed to pass all too quickly making me just want more, but I'm not worried because I know they'll be back soon enough.
Kenny Bernard, RRR's new drummer definitely impressed me and seemed like he had been their drummer all along. Of course the lovely ladies Alexandra and Rebecca made the cello and violin seem as beautiful as they were. The vocals were flawless and the bass was solid as always. They finished the set with Boy and I gotta say I wish the guitar riff near the end of the song lasted twice as long, it's that kind of riff that makes you addicted and leaves you wanting more. After their three song encore of Massachusetts, Ghosts Under Rocks and Dying Is Fine the show was over, but the night definitely was not.
I hung around for a while talking to the always friendly members of Dinosaur Bones then I got to meet some of the members from Ra Ra Riot and have them sign a setlist that Kenny gave me which you can see up above. It was very refreshing to see that the members of the band were as nice as their music is. To say the least I'll be supporting this band for all the years to come and can't wait until they come back again. They're playing their next shows of the tour tonight in Ottawa and tomorrow in Montreal before starting the U.S. leg of their tour.
After a bone chilling rendition of Ice Hotels and the always energetic NYE, Dinosaur Bones left the stage to make way for my third and favourite Ra Ra Riot show. They decided to walk onto that stage like they were being shot out of a cannon with lots of energy delivering the driving Too Too Too Fast first. They proceeded to play 15 songs from their two albums as well as one great cover Saccharin and the War by Sparks. The 16 songs seemed to pass all too quickly making me just want more, but I'm not worried because I know they'll be back soon enough.
Kenny Bernard, RRR's new drummer definitely impressed me and seemed like he had been their drummer all along. Of course the lovely ladies Alexandra and Rebecca made the cello and violin seem as beautiful as they were. The vocals were flawless and the bass was solid as always. They finished the set with Boy and I gotta say I wish the guitar riff near the end of the song lasted twice as long, it's that kind of riff that makes you addicted and leaves you wanting more. After their three song encore of Massachusetts, Ghosts Under Rocks and Dying Is Fine the show was over, but the night definitely was not.
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