it's a long days ride 'till tomorrow

Frederick Squire

2011-02-13T23:07:00.000-08:00

It's not surprising that Fred Squire just released his latest record to little or no fanfare; that's kind of been the way the talented Sackville resident has approached his entire career. His purist vision (bordering on insane in today's "me first" market) that good music will eventually get heard is becoming less and less of a reality. Demos are sent to blogs within minutes of being recorded. Albums are traded freely months before release, but almost defiantly, Squire actually removes himself farther from the machine as the only "releases" this 7-song record gets is on cd-rs cased in a manila envelope, destined for only the most devout fans lucky to either know Fred or catch a show.

And that borders on a musical tragedy.

Squire's voice and subtle, distorted guitar should have pushed him to the top of the Can-Indie rock list by now - and underneath the barely audible vocals of the opening track What's That Over There, a Dead Rainbow? is the ever present chugging electric engine that has driven most of his previous work (and the bluesy stomp of We Are All The Middle Child I guess) - but it's the remaining songs that make this record so important in terms of how his music is judged.

The record plays like a moment of clarity; Squire is as honest and exposed as I've heard him. Piano ballads strips out most of the distorted safety net his Crazy Horse guitar style provides, and reveals subject matter is incredibly powerful and heart felt. The accordion, string laced instrumental End of Previous Song unsettles the listener and unshackles the chains that expectations have put on Squire's catalog. The droning melody reveals seconds of beauty, before Squire hits us with beautiful harmonies on the spiritual, acoustic/piano ballad You Sing High, We Will Sing Low.

It's so easy to forget that Fred's voice can pierce through the clunkiest of riffs and distorted energy, but on the stripped down tracks he provides here, it's almost hypnotic. The simple piano chord progression that starts Old Times Past Times is the perfect stage for Squire to grab the listeners before infusing the track with drums and tasteful electric. Fred walks us down moments of his life, never letting the pace or volume distract us from his words, and as he repeats, "the decisions that I made" you never get the sense he's heavy with regret, he's just finally willing to talk about some of the events that have stuck with him.

The truly amazing thing about this record is that even though the first few songs rank high among my favorite pieces he's ever written, Frankie & Albert might become the song that shows Squire reaching the summit of his potential. The effortless combination of piano and guitar are as honest a melody as I can remember and fit perfectly with the 5-minutes of heartbreak Fred sings about. Love, loss, pain, death and fear; these themes are ever present in music, but when they are delivered as perfectly as they are on Frankie & Albert, the results are enough to make you cry.

So is the fact that almost nobody will get to hear the song and share the experience.

Song: Frankie and Albert

Song: Song for an X Girlfriend

Song: Tropical Survival Guide

Song: Pigeon

Women

2011-01-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

The 2008 self-titled album, Women, opened up the eyes of music lovers to the sounds that the band had to offer. Through droning soundscapes, intricate guitar parts, and heavy reverb, Women made a large impression on the indie community. On Sept. 28, 2010, Patrick Flegel (vocals/guitar), Matt Flegel (bass/vocals), Chris Reimer (guitar/vocals), and Michael Wallace (drums) will release their new studio effort, entitled Public Strain, and give listeners a second go around at the reverb-drenched sonance. Though all of the songs on Public Strain follow basic pop song structures, the album will easily steer clear of being labeled a pop record. In addition to the lo-fi production, Women has thrown together an abundance of studio effects. While listening to Public Strain, you get the feeling that every instrument was drenched in a pot of reverberation, and then recorded right after. To certain ears, the heavy use of studio effects could be something unappealing and obnoxious; however, this is what gives the band its undoubtedly unique sound. The instrumentation throughout the album is not something of great variety, but for what is included, there is hardly anything to complain about. Tracks like “Locust Valley” and “Eyesore” illustrate the detailed and prominent guitar work that completes the album’s haunting atmosphere. From beginning to end, the consistently pleasant vocal melodies allow the more delicate side of Public Strain to shine through. When combined with the eerie atmosphere that every other element creates, the final result is one of the most memorable albums of the year. Overall, Women have returned with a more refined and mature sounding record than their previous self-titled LP. The band has continued along the path of their own style of music, gaining numerous fans along the way. They have constructed a powerfully memorable album that should not be ignored by anybody who can appreciate originality. - By Randy Hayek, Staff Writer: www.livemusicguide.com

Website: http://www.flemisheye.com/women
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/womenmusic

Song: Locust Valley

Song: China Steps

Song: Eyesore

Song: Black Rice

Song: Shaking Hand

Song: Group Transport Hall

TOP TEN ALBUMS FROM THE REST OF THE PLANET

2010-12-28T09:02:00.001-08:00

Alright Folks, since I thought Girl Talk was Canadian again, I've replaced them with Black Mountain's Wilderness Heart on my top 10 Canadian Albums of 2010. So to apologize here's my top 10 albums from the rest of the planet. Again in no specific order.

10. Girl Talk - All Day
Sing: Oh No

9. The Black Keys - Brother
Song: Tighen Up

8. The Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Song: Stylo

7. Gogol Bordello - Transcontinental Hustle
Song: Transcontinental Hustle

6. Sage Francis - Life
Song: Little Houdini

5. The Drums - The Drums
Song: Let's Go Surfing

4. The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream
Song: Telephone

3. The Inspector Cluzo - The French Bastards
Song: The French Bastards

2. The National - High Violet
Song: Sorrow

1. Vampire Weekend - Contra
Song: Giving Up The Gun

TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2010

2010-12-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone, I've been pretty busy as of late and a little lazy on the blogging. Here's my top ten albums of 2010. In no specific order as they're all great records.

10.
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Song: The Suburbs

9.
Chormeo - Business Casual
Song: Don't Turn The Lights On

8.
Hannah Georgas - This Is Good
Song: Bang Bang You're Dead

7. Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart
Song: The Hair Song

6.
Japandroids - No Singles
Song: Lovers/Strangers

5.
Jim Bryson And The Weakerthans - The Falcon Lake Incident
Song: Wild Folk

4.
The Sadies - Dark Circles

3.
Daniel Romano - Working For The Music Man
Song: She Was The World To Me

2.
Dan Managan - Nice, Nice, Very Nice

1.
Women - Public Strain
Song: Locust Valley

Black Mountain

2010-09-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Black Mountain have always thrived on excess, with past albums featuring epic-length tracks and stadium-sized psych rock workouts. On their third album, the Vancouver, BC riff-mongers rein in their ambitious side, with the longest of these ten tracks clocking in at a relatively modest 5:16. Unlike their usual hard rock bravado, half of the album's songs are based primarily on acoustic guitar, and campfire strummers like "Buried by the Blues" and "The Space of Your Mind" are the prettiest songs the band have ever produced. Still, old habits die hard, and when the band cut loose, they hold nothing back: "Let Spirits Ride" is an explosion of down stroke strumming, pummelling rhythms and wah-wah shred solos. Singer Amber Webber unleashes her best arena-goddess warble on the title track, complete with a dramatic start-stop breakdown and a synth choir. With its mix of delicate folksiness and boozy rock, Wilderness Heart offers the best of both worlds. (Jagjaguwar) - Exclaim!.ca

Website: www.blackmountainarmy.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/blackmountain
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BlackMountainOfficial

TOUR DATES
09/14/10
Glasgow, UK - Oran Mor w/ Wolf People

09/15/10
Manchester, UK - Academy 3 w/ Wolf People

09/16/10
Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms w/ Wolf People

09/17/10
Tilburg, Netherlands - Incubate Festival

09/18/10
Groningen, Netherlands - Take Root

09/20/10
Koln, Germany - Gebaeude 9w/ An Emerald City

09/21/10
Hamburg, Germany - Grï¿½nspan w/ An Emerald City

09/22/10
Denmark, Copenhagen - Loppen w/ An Emerald City

09/23/10
Gotenburg, SE - Pustervik w/ Citay

09/24/10
Oslo, Norway - John Dee w/ Morudes

09/27/10
Berlin, Germany - Festsaal Kreuzberg w/ The Morlocks

09/28/10
Munich, Germany - 59:1 w/ The Morlocks

09/29/10
Milan, Italy - Salumeria della Musica w/ The Night Terrors

09/30/10
Ravenna, Italy - Bronson w/ The Night Terrors

10/01/10
Rome, Italy - Circolo degli Artisti w/ The Night Terrors

10/03/10
Lausanne, Switzerland - Le Romandie w/ Tweak Bird

10/04/10
France, Paris - La Maroquinerie w/ Tweak Bird

10/05/10
Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgiquew/ Tweak Bird

10/06/10
Amsterdam, Holland - Paradisow/ Tweak Bird

10/07/10
London, UK - Shepherds Bush Empire w/ The Black Angels

10/28/10
Chicago, IL - Metrow/ The Black Angels

10/30/10
Buffalo, NY - Tralf Music Hallw/ The Black Angels

10/31/10
Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre w/ The Black Angels

11/01/10
Montreal, QC - La Tulipe w/ The Black Angels

11/02/10
Boston, MA - Paradise w/ The Black Angels

11/03/10
New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom w/ The Black Angels

11/06/10
Philadelpia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts w/ The Black Angels

11/07/10
Washington, DC - 9:30 Club w/ The Black Angels

11/09/10
Louisville, KY - Headliners w/ The Black Angels

11/10/10
Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle w/ The Black Angels

11/11/10
Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge w/ The Black Angels

11/12/10
Atlanta, GA - The Earl w/ The Black Angels

11/13/10
Orlando, FL - The Social w/ The Black Angels

11/13/10
Orlando, FL - The Social w/ The Black Angels

11/15/10
Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree w/ The Black Angels

11/16/10
New Orleans, LA - Tipitina's w/ The Black Angels

11/17/10
Houston, TX - Warehouse Live w/ The Black Angels

11/19/10
Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa w/ The Black Angels

11/20/10
Dallas, TX - Kessler Theatre w/ The Black Angels

11/24/10
Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre w/ The Black Angels

11/26/10
San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore w/ The Black Angels

11/28/10
Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom w/ The Black Angels

11/29/10
Seattle, WA - The Showbox w/ The Black Angels

11/30/10
Vancouver, BC - The Commodore Ballroom w/ The Black Angels

Song: The Hair Song

Song: Old Fangs

Song: Angels

Song: Wucan

Song: Druganaut

Song: Set Us Free

Song: Don't Run Our Hearts Around

Song: Tyrants

The Acorn

2010-08-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

After pouring so much of his past into the Acorn's 2007 breakthrough, Glory Hope Mountain, Rolf Klausener took new steps with his re-configured band, leading them to No Ghost. Renowned by indie rock enthusiasts for writing deeply personal, impassioned songs, the Acorn discovered a whole new audience with Glory Hope Mountain, which chronicled the tumultuous life of Klausener's Central American-born mother. Less angst-y, but equally contemplative, No Ghost takes on a different shape primarily because the Acorn have lost and replaced core members, and Klausener experimented more with jamming and collaborative writing. The result is an earnest, yet loose, batch of dynamic tunes forming one of the cheeriest Acorn albums in years. There's conviction to gems like "Misplaced," one of Klausener's most accomplished love songs, and the anthemic title track bursts forth with post-punk precision and an Afro-inspired groove. If there's a campfire sing-along vibe to the folk-laden/Bon Jovi-title-aping "Slippery When Wet" or the roots rock sway of "I Made the Law," it's the lakeside cottage where many of these songs were captured seeping into the mix. Ultimately, the Acorn employ urgent vocals and compelling, organic arrangements to infuse the weighty No Ghost with real lift. - (Exclaim.ca)

How did recording No Ghost compare to Glory Hope Mountain?
Klausener: We went through some personnel challenges that needed sorting out and then the experience was really great. Going in with no preconceived ideas and, like, three songs was a little nerve-wracking, but we could record anything that came to mind. It was a neat mix of writing spontaneously and labouring over songwriting.

Was it odd writing a record without a concept?
Not initially, but definitely by the end of it I was like, "How am I going to talk about this if there isn't a story to it?" We'd never been this isolated together; it was just eating, swimming and writing. So that fed into our songs and made us really self-reflective about how the band fit into the outside world and the things that stir our minds.

Comparably, is this a cheery Acorn record?
Oh my God, is it ever. We all knew that the membership was changing. No Ghost was a new breath or expression, but, at the same time, it was a closing of a series that began with the first record. In a lot of ways, it was inspired by the same things and feelings. (Paper Bag)

Website: http://www.theacorn.ca.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/theacorn
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Acorn/10403230521

Upcoming Shows:

15 Sep 2010