Live Review:Jeff Tweedy @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, March 22, 2011

(Photograph: Timothy Turner)

While taking a break from recording the follow-up to the 2009 album, Wilco (The Album), Jeff Tweedy left his bandmates at home and kicked off a solo tour in Toronto on Tuesday for the first of two intimate performances at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

With a venue no bigger than a high school auditorium and not a bad seat in the house, Tweedy shyly took the stage almost resembling “The Man in Black” and took a sold-out 1300 capacity venue and made it feel like your living room. He wasted no time strapping on one of the five acoustic guitars surrounding him in a semi-circle, and launched straight into “In A Future Age” to kick-start the evening’s festivities.
Tweedy treated the audience made up of die-hard and devout Wilco fans to a vast variety of favourites and rarities from the Wilco catalogue, as well as a few numbers such as the whistley “Ruling Class” from his work with Loose Fur, and “Wait Up” from his Uncle Tupelo days.

Tweedy has been known for being intolerant with crowds and has had a tendency to show his cranky side in the past, but he was in fine form on Tuesday night displaying his quick-wit and dry humoured stage banter that would make most stand-up comedians jealous, especially when dealing with the mostly obnoxious male fans hollering out in-between songs displaying their man-love for the frontman, all the while handling it like a seasoned pro.

If there’s one thing particularly unique about Wilco and Tweedy solo shows what sets them apart from other bands is that they let their fans help build their set lists night after night, via the band’s website. With that being said, and happy to oblige, he then in turn poked fun at those fans calling them “geeks” who actually take the time to log on and specifically request certain songs for shows. This was his excuse for having mucked up the guitar arrangement on a couple of songs and forgetting lyrics on another, specifically “Poor Places”. But really, no one cared. It made for a good laugh and an incredible opportunity to hear how all these songs were likely originally conceived from their barebones and rarest form. Especial bright spots, “I’m Always In Love”, and the Tweedy penned Mavis Staple track, “You Are Not Alone”.

“Have I ever played solo in Toronto before?”, Tweedy questioned from the stage, as he was immediately reminded from the faithful in front that he had indeed done so back in 2002. “Oooh, the bad old days” wincing with a shudder. Body language alone indicated he may have been reminded of a low-point in time when turmoil and infighting were at its peak within the band (captured and well documented in the film, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco). A few other evening highlights were an unprovoked sing-along of “happy birthday” after Tweedy announced it was his guitar tech Steve’s birthday, as well as announcing he had paid a visit to Toronto’s Sky Blue Sky sandwich shop for a bite to eat, an eatery completely inspired by Wilco and named after their 2007 album of the same name.

After a full set, Tweedy returned for a three song encore, only to leave and return for a second encore to perform “Acuff-Rose”, completely unplugged with no PA. Just a man and his acoustic guitar at the very edge of the stage.

Needless to say, a good night was had by all the Tweedy faithful, as the house lights emerged and a sea of smiles appeared - it pretty much said it all.

4.5 out of 5

In a Future Age
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Open up Your Mind
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
One Wing
Muzzle of Bees
Chinese Apple
Via Chicago
Please Be Patient With Me
I’m Always in Love
The Ruling Class
You Are Not Alone
Wait Up
Magazine Called Sunset
Poor Places
Hummingbird

Encore:
Jesus Etc
California Stars
Shot in the Arm

--------------------
Acuff-Rose

Album Review: The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar

For just a three-piece ensemble, The Joy Formidable certainly know how to pack a punch sounding larger than they physically appear. This North Wales tandem (now by way of London) clearly draw a heavy influence from the distorted guitar-driven drone, better known as shoegaze.

The Big Roar is the band’s first proper full-length album after having released a handful of singles and an EP, 2009’s EP A Balloon Called Moaning in the past.
The opening track, "Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie", sets the tone perfectly for what to expect on this album – drawn out fuzz and distorted squall eventually building to massive crescendos, all built around cute contagious vocals from front woman Ritzy Bryan.

The Big Roar has many bright spots. I’d defy anyone to listen to singles “Whirring” or “Austere” and not find yourself bouncing with energy within the first 20 seconds of each opening. Both of these songs are unquestionable album highlights, but anyone already familiar with The Joy Formidable before this album’s release have heard it all before. Other than the album’s lead-off track or the very My Bloody Valentine-esque “A Heavy Abacus”, The Big Roar’s definitive moments can already all be found on A Balloon Called Moaning, which some may even say for the better. Aforementioned singles and other tracks have either been expanded or filled out with multi-tracked vocals. More so a matter of being tinkered with and remodeled for the sake of nothing really.

But not all is lost. If you are in need of a new guitar-driven shoegaze fix melded with melody along the lines of a Jesus and Mary Train, or if the distorted fuzz of a Sonic Youth or Slowdive is your thing, than really, look no further than The Big Roar.

2.5 out of 5

Album Review: Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding

Sibling rivalry finally comes to a head. Big brother takes his ball and goes home. Little brother picks up the pieces, changes the name of the band, and soldiers on. Oasis - Noel Gallagher = Beady Eye.

This 13 song debut, Different Gear, Still Speeding, plays it safe and doesn’t really wander too far off the Oasis beaten path. If anything, it’s a perfect example of just how far Liam Gallagher’s songwriting has propelled over the past decade. With desperately trying to prove that he no longer needs big brother, Noel at the helm, kudos to Liam who has really travelled light years from his first embarrassing penned composition, “Little James”, from the 2000 Oasis album, Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants. To give any idea how far “Our Kid” has come since Little James, anything from Different Gear, Still Speeding sounds like Sgt. Pepper in comparison. Then again, what’s a Gallagher composition without the slightest inkling of influence from the Fab Four?

It’s no secret the influence The Beatles have had on the Gallaghers their entire career. Heck, even Liam went as far to name his first born, Lennon. Those are some big shoes to fill. History always seems to repeats itself and it’s clearly apparent on Different Gear, Still Speeding’s latest single, “The Roller”, casting a reworked Instant Karma vibe, while the grinding ditty of, “Beatles and Stones”, is a lot less subtle. Really, no surprises here.

The album is an admirable effort and does have it’s share of shining moments, but it doesn’t exactly exceed any expectations. The middle of this collection contain more than it’s fair share of filler, but it also has it’s bright spots as well. Stand-out tracks include “Four Letter Word, “Millionaire” and arguably the best and most feel-good track on the album, “The Beat Goes On”. All in all, a significant feat considering the band’s Grand Poobah is no longer at the helm. Noel Gallagher, the ball is officially now in your court.

2.5 out of 5

Album Review: R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now

There are very few acts that can generate enough interest from their fans to be genuinely excited after a 30+ year career for new material. Self-parody is all too familiar for any group that’s been around long enough, to go from spokesperson of a generation to an aging graybeard while trying to remain relevant all the same. Just when some may have felt R.E.M. might have stayed a little too long at the party the past 10 years or more, Collapse Into Now returns to the form which brought the group their early 90’s notoriety which made them a household name.

For their 15th studio effort, Collapse Into Now, was a name suggested by legendary proto-punk poet and admirer of R.E.M. front-man Michael Stipe, Patti Smith, who also contributes backing vocals to a couple of tracks. But, had they instead decided to entitle this new collection of songs “Out of Time pt. II”, they wouldn’t have been too far off with a striking comparison that evident. Peter Buck was even quoted as saying the threesome hasn’t been as excited about an R.E.M. album “in the last 20 years”; the exact amount of time passed since Out of Time was originally released. Coincidence?

The new tracks on Collapse Into Now such as “Überlin” make a perfect companion next to older pieces such as “Losing My Religion” or “Texarcana”, while the new ballad “Oh My Heart” easily compliments the jangly arrangement of Out of Time’s “Half A World Away”. Even the upbeat and quirky “Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter” shows the eccentricity side of the band reflecting back to earlier days with cuts such as “Stand” and “Shiny Happy People”. All enjoyable none the same. Stand out tracks on Collapse reflecting vintage R.E.M. include “It Happened Today” featuring prominent backing vocals from Eddie Vedder, the bouncy first single “Mine Smell Like Honey”, and the infectious and beautifully arranged “Walk It Back”.

R.E.M. has done a 20 year full-circle with this new effort, and unlike the past few releases, there’s very little filler to be found. Multiple listens in this collection are in order, and once again, the trio has found the formula that originally made us stand up and take notice. I’m already predicting Collapse Into Now will show up in many best-of year-end lists.

4 out of 5

Things I learned from a fallen brother - this note's for you

My entire life I've had this tendency of retaining mass amounts of useless music facts and information, to the point that if one were to open up my skull and analyze my brain, it just might resemble an episode of Hoarders. Sure, I’m the occasional go-to guy for music related facts opposed to Google, but other than self-amusement, it really doesn’t get me very far.

With that being said, and because of an extremely tragic incident, a number of those facts have been surfacing lately giving me the opportunity to reflect and remember with great fondness as to when and where I learned them.

The year was 1997 and I met this guy Ryan through a friend of mine, Jeff. He was an ordinary average guy and instantly gave off a genuine good-nature type aura. He needed little-to-no warming up to and I can honestly say I liked him the moment I shook his hand. Within just a short while, we recognized we had a lot in common, and just like that, an instant camaraderie was born.

The love of music was just one common ground Ryan and I stood on and together we both shared quite the admiration for Nirvana. I always thought I knew everything there was to know about the band until the time Ryan mentioned his favourite Nirvana track was a song called “Marigold”. I had never heard the song before and just assumed he was mistaken with something else, but it was he who introduced me to a huge slew of Nirvana b-sides that I never knew existed. Still to this day, whenever I hear the first few chords to one of the many Nirvana b-sides loaded on my iPod, Ryan instantly comes to mind.



Then there was the time I wore a Goo Goo Dolls shirt to a Goo Goo Dolls concert. A few of us went to an all day festival race car/concert event years ago, and one of the bands playing was the Goo Goo Dolls. I happened to have a Goo’s shirt tucked away in the back of my closet and I figured it was more than the appropriate thing to wear that day. It wasn’t until we got to Ryan’s house before leaving that maybe my choice of attire wasn't such a good idea. Apparently I was committing a major concert faux pas - wearing a band shirt to the show of the band you’re going to see. The hazing came fast and furious as a pissing contest ensued between us, but by the time the jabs had finally subsided, I probably would’ve taken less abuse had I worn socks with sandals instead. To this day, if ever I’m at a concert and see a fan wearing a shirt just like I did all those years ago, I fight temptation of tapping the person on the shoulder with a, “er, excuse me, but don’t you know….”. Needless to say, I’m seasoned with concert attire these days. Payback is a bitch though - I had a field day the day Ryan revealed he was a Limp Bizkit fan.

Fast forward a summer later, Ryan had a barbeque with a group of friends. When the first few bars of the Phil Collins’ hit, “In The Air Tonight” hit the radio, Ryan told the tale behind the song of which none of us had ever heard before. According to the lyrics, the song is based on a true story where Collins witnesses a man refusing to come to the aid of a drowning swimmer, and years later Collins invites the perpetrator to the show where he premieres the song for the first time. And now because the man has been disclosed of his long lost secret, he immediately commits suicide following the concert in a fit of guilt. Ryan told this story with such convincing and meticulous detail, I was blown away and made him tell it twice. As compelling as the story was, it wasn’t until a few years later that I learned the story was complete folklore and turned out to be one of rock n roll’s greatest myths apparently. A little disappointing actually, but it was still fun to hear and I’ve never forgotten where I was and who told me the story.

Although Ryan and I were never the closest of friends and only saw each other sporadically over the past ten years or so, it was always like no time had ever passed whenever we did cross paths. He was always the jovial, happy-go-lucky Ryan I had ever known.

The day we learned of his brave yet harrowing passing, it was all just too surreal and mind numbing to fully comprehend. Trying to make sense out of an act so unspeakable and heinous, all I could think of is something so horrific unfortunately happened to one hell of a human being.

If anything positive has come out of his unspeakable tragedy, it’s all the memories that have come flooding back – captures in time that define one’s youth. To have known him is an honour and a privilege, and I honestly believe I’m a better person for it.

Sgt. Ryan Russell #7686, you are forever saluted.
Thanks for the memories, my friend.

Live Review - White Lies @ Mod Club, Toronto, January 29, 2011

For a first time listener of White Lies, it’s doubtful one could ever imagine these guys are just a few years removed from high school. With a sound so profound with deep, dark lyrics, this is a group that is already light years ahead of its time.

The group made their Toronto return to a sold out Mod Club for a stop on a mini 4-date North American tour promoting their barely 2 week-old sophomore release, Ritual.
With curfew in effect, the 5-piece made their way to the stage promptly on time and looking as if they just walked off the set of a Gap commercial donning crisp and neatly pressed shirts and not a single hair out of place.

“Good evening Toronto, we’re White Lies”, followed by a near mint sounding “A Place To Hide” from 2009’s debut To Lose My Life. The evening’s set basically consisted of a flip flop of tracks between both albums, in which it wasn’t hard to notice the difference in crowd reaction with cheers definitely more pronounced for TLML tracks. At this point, it’s too early to tell if fans prefer the earlier stuff to that of the new album or if it’s just too unfamiliar being so primitive. It wasn’t until later in the set that the fans showed true appreciation for Ritual cuts, highlights being "Peace and Quiet", "The Power and the Glory", and the colossal first single, "Bigger Than Us".

It really is astonishing how this band can take songs mostly themed about death and gloom and give them such a joyous and uplifting overtone. It was clearly evident with the room bouncing up and down in unison with smiles from ear to ear screaming such lyrics as, “let’s grow old together, and die at the same time”. Caught up in that type of buoyancy, I then shortly found myself in a head scratching, “hey, wait a minute” type moment. Especially after standing beside a grown man jumping around all night with fists pumping and screaming like a 14 year-old girl. (Think 60's vintage Beatles concert footage). Needless to say, it was a sight to be seen in itself.

Tonight’s affair was definitely a hot ticket leaving many disappointed of being shut out of a roughly 600 capacity club. But the love Toronto showed White Lies last night, there’s no doubt they’ll be back in the very near future in a much larger venue to say the least.

Damn, I love this band…..



Video courtesy of Christine Estima

10 cover songs that totally don't suck

What makes a great cover song? Usually when it comes to one, artists seem to generally record them when creativity runs out while making an album and they’re in dire need of filler. But every once in a while, an artist can take someone else’s song and turn it into something far more superior and absolute brilliance. Here’s an example of 10 tracks that trump the original composition, above and beyond.

Blinded By The Light – Manfred Mann's Earth Band  [Bruce Springsteen]
Not only is this track not generally known as a Springsteen original, it’s also been notorious for its misheard lyrics. “Revved up like a deuce”, always seems to be interpretted as “wrapped up like a douche”. A fine example of an average track turned into absolute brilliance by someone else.




Dead Souls – Nine Inch Nails  [Joy Division]
If there’s one thing Trent Reznor knows how to do flawlessly, it’s taking someone elses song and giving it a serious set of balls. He’s done it in the past with Queen and Adam Ant songs, but it’s NIN’s take on Joy Division’s Dead Souls that makes the original composition sound like it was just a demo bed track of what the end piece is supposed to sound like.




Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley  [Leonard Cohen]
Cohen’s composition is a powerful piece of music, but I would defy anyone to listen to Jeff Buckley’s version and not be completely brought to chills. Too many artists have covered this song over the years, but Jeff Buckley’s is all that’s necessary.




With a Little Help From My Friends – Joe Cocker  [The Beatles]
Many artists have covered the songbook of The Beatles over the years, but everything always ends up just sounding ho-hum. Besides, who would purposely give themselves such huge shoes to fill? Somehow, Joe Cocker defies all odds on his brilliant take on the Sgt. Pepper classic and completely and utterly outdoes the original. Blame it on Ringo.




All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix  [Bob Dylan]
"Move over Rover, and let Jimi take over". The original is good, but the guitar God entirely eclipses the song and completely cranks it into overdrive.




Sweet Jane – Cowboy Junkies  [Velvet Underground]
Not to take anything away from the artsy New Yorker's original, but the Junkies have unofficially claimed ownership of this song. It delivers such a sweet and infectious melody, and along with gorgeous vocals by singer Margo Timmins, it's impossible not to resonate to this track immediately. It was also recorded in a Toronto church with the band circled around just a single microphone to boot.




Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – Guns N' Roses  [Bob Dylan]
Not to keep picking on Zimmerman here, but just another example of how another artist took a decent Dylan track and completely overshadowed it.




I Fought The Law – The Clash  [Sonny Curtis and The Crickets]
Originally recorded by Sonny Curtis in 1959, then made famous by the Bobby Fuller Four in 1965, but it wasn’t until Joe Strummer and Co. took a stab at the composition some 14 years later to gave the Law the justice it rightfully deserved.




Mad World – Gary Jules  [Tears For Fears]
Sometimes referred to as the Donny Darko song, this Tears For Fears track went from a dancey pop number to an altogether eerie and stripped down haunting drawl, giving the song the impact no one could ever imagined possible. A+ for creativity.




Mrs. Robinson – The Lemonheads  [Simon & Garfunkel]
A soft and pleasant folk number originally penned for the 1967 film, The Graduate, Evan Dando and co. came along and turned it into the hyper, make-you-wanna-jump-around-and-kick-things-over, type of ditty it became. If there's one thing The Lemonheads love to do, its cover other people's songs. Heck, they even recorded an entire covers album, Varshons, back in 2009. One of the very few acts that can do it properly.

Top 10 albums of 2010

1) The National – High Violet
2) The Black Keys – Brothers
3) Jenny and Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now
4) Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
5) Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
6) Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown
7) Neil Young – Le Noise
8) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Beat The Devil’s Tattoo
9) Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
10) The Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards

Notable mentions:
Robert Plant - Band of Joy
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Glasser – Ring
Grinderman – Grinderman II
LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
She & Him – Vol. II
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast

I'm Losing You

It’s amazing what can trigger a childhood memory. A smell, a song, a photograph – the simplest thing can take you back in time to an exact moment where you were when it originally happened. For me it’s whenever my dad’s birthday rolls around, every December, that instantly reminds me of being a five year-old boy, confused while listening to my mother trying to explain why someone would kill a man so beloved by millions.

It was approximately October 1980 and I had just been exposed to John Lennon for the first time. Lennon had been out of the spotlight for quite some time as his music career had taken a backseat to full-time fatherhood. With a brand new album to be released for the first time in 5 years that November, Beatles and John Lennon songs were in heavy rotation all over the radio. With major anticipation for Lennon's comeback, the first single, “(Just Like) Starting Over”, from the forthcoming album Double Fantasy, could be heard absolutely everywhere.
It was that precise moment in time where a love affair began as I became obsessed with The Beatles and John Lennon.

My mother had taken notice of my new found fondness and decided to break out her old Beatles records and give me a history lesson on the best band that had ever lived. There was Sgt. Peppers, Abbey Road, and Rubber Soul. But of all of them, it was Beatlemania! With The Beatles, that resonated with me the most. There was something so captivating and hypnotic, yet mysterious about the cover. It was the one with the iconic shot of the fab four's faces lit up on the right side, with the left side fading to black. This album helped me identify all four members of the band easily and to learn all of their names.

Fast forward two months later on December 5, 1980, my mother had taken me to the local mall to do some shopping for my dad’s birthday which was just 4 days later. We were strolling around a big department store and I remember turning a corner only to come face-to-face with an enormous stand-up display of the Double Fantasy album with stacks of vinyl all around it. Needless to say, my dad's birthday gift was chosen.

On the morning of December 9th, I woke up early, jumped out of bed and proudly marched down the hall towards the kitchen to give dad his birthday present. I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face to see what we had got him, but as I entered the room I couldn't help but notice it wasn’t your typical joyous birthday atmosphere. I handed dad his gift and felt confused when his face didn’t light up as expected when he tore off the wrap and realized what it was inside. “Should we tell him?”, he said to my mother, shortly followed by her having a hell of a time trying to explain in the simplest terms the tragic events that had unfolded in New York City just hours prior. No matter how she tried, nothing made sense. The only thing raveling thru my 5 year-old mind was, "Why would someone want to hurt a man so beloved by millions?"
It was just too heavy for a 5 year-old to digest, and it was this that was my earliest memory of what a broken heart felt like.

Over the years, the songs on Double Fantasy have given me different meaning as I’ve endured different periods in life. Most notably “Beautiful Boy”, a track Lennon had written for his young son Sean, is what immediately popped in to mind the moment I held my new born son in my arms for the first time.

Although it’s been 30 years since the world lost this great icon, the music, the legacy, and message of peace that Lennon had heavily endorsed himself still stands strong to this day. History always finds a way to repeat itself, and with every passing generation, it’s just like starting over.

As I wise man once said, “we all shine on, like the moon and the stars and the sun”.

Pretty Hate Machine bows down and gets the remaster it rightfully deserves

Anyone who’s familiar with Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails’ body of work can most probably tell you that 1989’s debut Pretty Hate Machine entirely stands in a league of its own. Conceived during downtime working nights as the midnight janitor and handyman in a Cleveland studio, Reznor created a demo that would eventually go on to become a masterpiece and arguably the best Nine Inch Nails album to date.

This album is angry. The music is dark, the lyrics are darker, and Trent is clearly not shy of letting the world know just how completely pissed he really is. But if anyone has ever been put to the test of taking their anger and converting it into something so melodic, so captivating, and making it accessible to millions, Trent Reznor clearly trounced all odds.

Pretty Hate Machine in a sense was a cross over album that tied together the industrial music scene (Ministry, Skinny Puppy), with those who preferred dance and synth pop (New Order, Erasure) at the beginning of the 90s. Somewhat in the same form that Nirvana’s Nevermind found common ground for the hard rock, punk, and new wave groups a few years later.

As flawless as an album Pretty Hate Machine still is after 20 years from it’s original release date, many would argue it definitely sounds dated and lacks the oomph and intensity compared to its successors. If you’ve ever seen Nine Inch Nails live, you will have noticed PHM songs are completely rejuvenated and sound refurbished compared to how they were originally put to tape. It's almost as if Trent is trying to correct what he had originally set out to do.

Comparing the original recording to the remaster, the first things you’ll probably do is make an extreme volume adjustment. This album is loud. Not only has the entire arrangement been amplified, but you’ll notice a ton of goods you never knew existed; backing vocals, pronounced nuances, cleaner overall effects, etc. The differences are apparent all over the album, but tracks such as “Terrible Lie”, “Ringfinger”, and “Head Like a Hole” are runaway standouts. I also defy anyone to find another band that can cover a song and make it better than the original. NIN have done just that with their take on Queen’s “Get Down Make Love” as an added bonus track that was only ever available on the Sin single until now.

Remastering this classic was not only long overdue (mostly due to legal reasons), but very much essential. It’s not just another holiday cash grab that you so frequently see this time of year either (I’m looking in your direction, Lennon/McCartney). If you own the original, just toss it. The remaster does the album proper justice and really is the way this recording is suppose to sound. Best of all, it'll allow you to relive that excitement of hearing it as a brand new album all over again.

It only took 35 years to finally respect The Boss

Other than a few catchy radio singles such as Born to Run and maybe Hungry Heart, Bruce Springsteen was never more than just another ordinary American recording artist to me. Although loved by millions worldwide, I just couldn't relate to him on any personal level whatsoever. Maybe he just oozed a little too much blue collar Americana for my Canadian blood to fully understand and appreciate what he really stood for. Either that or it was the dreadful mid to late 80's over-production era that I was mostly exposed to making it hard to take seriously, which unfortunately plagued many classic rock bands that saw better days  a decade prior.

I always respected Springsteen as an artist, but I only really saw him as the over patriotic “Born in the USA” guy who yanked a young Courtney Cox up on stage to cut the rug in his video for Dancing in the Dark back in 1984. That or the artist who came to the emotional rescue of the American people helping to restore faith in a nation coping with the pain and suffering in the aftermath of the tragic events of 9/11 with his 2002 album, The Rising.

It wasn’t until the recent 2010 remastered boxset release of Darkness on the Edge of Town, which not only includes the original 1978 album, but consists of the two disc The Promise containing 21 unreleased outtakes from the Darkness sessions, and the documentary The Promise: The Making of the Darkness on the Edge of Town, that I finally took real notice. It is this collection that could easily make any doubter realize that not only is Springsteen not just an average ordinary American patriotic blowhard, he’s a great songwriter too. The DVD in itself outlines the entire procedure of how the album was conceived and recorded, and at times the tension between bandmates is extremely awkward and hard to watch. But it’s the vision of what the finished product became amongst a young E Street Band that is clearly documented and absolutely captivating.

The Promise, the collection of tracks Springsteen left on the cutting room floor that were deemed unworthy of making the original Darkness cut, is what’s most impressive in this set. It outlines just how prolific the then 29 year-old Springsteen was back in 1978. Track highlights include Save My Love, Because the Night, and Fire to name a few. Instead he lent the scrapped aforementioned, Because the Night, to New York singer songwriter/poet, Patti Smith to see if she could make something of it, in which he was having trouble completing. Smith’s recording of the track would go on to become the biggest and only hit of the godmother of punk’s career.
The track Fire which was also ditched, was handed over to The Pointer Sisters who recorded the song and went on to gain major notoriety with it scoring a number 2 hit back in 1979.

If you’re in the minority and late to the Springsteen party such as myself, The Darkness on the Edge of Town reissue is easily enough to make any doubter who never paid much attention to The Boss’ talent in the past to take full notice and fully appreciate this fine remastered pinnacle effort. And even those who are familiar with the original album in its entirety, this remastered collection and all the additional add-ons definitely make this album worth revisiting.

White Lies are back!

If the first single Bigger Than Us, from this London based trio is any indication of what the new album is going to sound like, than it doesn’t seem like White Lies are about to endure any kind of sophomore slump what so ever. Although there’s not much of a departure style-wise from their 2009 debut To Lose My Life, the production does sound a lot more robust this time. That would be because of the help of seasoned producer Alan Moulder, who has worked with such artists as Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails in the past, and is behind the control board this go-around. In other words, Moulder is no slouch when it comes to helping bands capture a massive sound. And it can definitely be heard in Bigger Than Us as the chorus itself packs a huge wallop that will remain lodged in your head after just a single listen, guaranteed.

Big things are still to come for this young band whose sound has often been compared to Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen to name a few. Doom and gloom may be the main overtone to White Lies' sound, but there’s also something very uplifting and euphoric about it too.

They may be dark, but their future definitely looks bright.
Ritual is out January 17.

The Beatles and Apple finally Come Together

The Beatles back catalogue has finally hit iTunes, and not only has it been a long time coming, the timing is very Beatle-esque.

What’s a Christmas season without some sort of Beatles release? Every year at this time, something in the vault gets dusted off. Whether it's a re-release, remasters, a video game, etc. What’s mind blowing is the very people who first bought Beatles records on vinyl in their youth, upgraded to CD years later, and will now dole out again for the modern day digital era. How's that for repeat business? Thank you, come again!

Other than maybe the Rolling Stones coming a close second, or arguably U2, there’s no other band in the world that is so beloved and can gain millions of new fans with every passing generation. Maybe John Lennon was on to something when he said the Beatles were bigger than Jesus? Regardless, that’s some serious power.

Not a bad feat for a little band that was only together for just under a decade.

Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith (The Cure) covering Toronto's own Platinum Blonde

1983 was the year Toronto new wave act Platinum Blonde released their debut album "Standing In The Dark". Not only did the album spawn such hits as the title track, along with "It Doesn't Really Matter", and "Sad Sad Rain", it shot the group to superstar status in their homeland of Canada for the remainder of the decade.

Fast forward to 2010, experimental electronic duo Crystal Castles, another Toronto based outfit, decided to tackle the single "Not In Love" from that very same 1983 Platinum Blonde album, hooking up with none other than Robert Smith of The Cure to take care of the vocal duties for the remix version of the track.

Kudos to Crystal Castles for recruiting the goth legend. It's perfect.



While you're at it, throw on some make-up, find a headband, and scream like a 13 year-old girl for the original.