For those of us who grew up speaking English, the idea of expressing oneself musically in another language can sometimes seem a little mind boggling. But that’s what comes naturally to so many awesome bands from non-Anglophone countries, including most excellent Swedish group Peter Bjorn and John. Sometimes, however, it’s good to write and sing in your mother tongue, and Peter Morén will do so on his new solo release I Spåren Av Tåren, slated for a March 3rd release in Scandinavia. Says Morén via his MySpace account, “I’ve never seriously tried writing in Swedish before, even though it’s my mother-tongue. It opens up a whole new field of references to Swedish culture and of course it enables you to express yourself more freely.” You can hear two tracks from the album, produced by Morén whose title according to Morén loosely translates into English as ‘tear tracks’, there too.
The Archives
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CD Reviews
Los Campesinos! – Romance Is Boring
01.30.10According to the title of Los Campesinos! new album, Romance Is Boring. Fair enough, but what about the album? The eclectic and prolific (this is their third album in as many years) British seven piece have delivered a dense record that, while never boring, is a bit of a mixed bag. (more…)
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Bits & Pieces
Billy Bragg Set to Withhold Tax in Protest at Excessive Bank Bonuses
01.19.10English folk singer and seasoned political activist Billy Bragg has written a letter to British chancellor Alistair Darling, published in The Guardian, stating his intention to withhold his tax for the year should Darling not take steps to curb the bonuses set to be paid by the Royal Bank of Scotland to its staff. Bonuses are estimated to be in the realm of £1.5 Billion, after the bank last year posted what amounted to the worst losses in British financial history. The Bard of Barking, a veteran of the 1980s Red Wedge campaign, expressed that he was “no longer prepared to fund the excessive bonuses of RBS investment bankers,” informing Darling in no uncertain terms that “Unless he acts to limit them to £25,000, I shall be withholding my tax payment on January 31.” He is hoping that many of his fellow countrymen may also feel the same way, and a Facebook group, NoBonus4RBS has been established so that anyone wishing to express their support for his campaign can do so. Bragg will be aiming to emulate the exploits of British couple Jon and Tracy Mortimer, who in a feat of Facebook people-power, managed to persuade the British record buying public to snub Simon Cowell’s The X-Factor single and send L.A. rap-rockers Rage Against The Machine’s Killing in the Name to the UK’s venerated Christmas number one spot.
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Bits & Pieces
Folk Legend Kate McGarrigle Gone Too Soon
01.19.10Canadian Kate McGarrigle, matriarch of the reputable Wainwright clan, has passed away yesterday from cancer. Kate, the musician, was known for the traditional folk albums she recorded as a duo with her sister Anna in both French and English. Wife to American singer/songwriter Loudon Wainwright III for some years, she came out of a divorce with two brilliant and musically talented children, Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright. She will be remembered as an adroit artist, a folk legend, and an inspiring mother.
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Concert Reviews
Le Party des Fêtes à Lapointe @ Metropolis – 12.31.09
01.06.10There may be only one man left that can confidently sport a vest sans shirt… and that man is Éric Lapointe. Along with Marie-Mai and Marjo, the Quebecois bad boy rocker rang in the New Year as a typical Lapointe crowd filled Montreal’s buzzing Metropolis. (more…)
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Concert Reviews
Imogen Heap @ Le National – 11.27.09
12.03.09A whirlwind of tales, Imogen Heap’s musical theatrics have a way of creeping up, or more like planting roots, and a few songs in, you are spellbound. A potpourri of electronica, pop and heavily produced sounds, twisted and shaped into performance art where the player plugs away on her magical sound machine, Heap knows how to quietly win over a crowd. (more…)
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Concert Reviews
múm @ Le National – 10.26.09
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Concert Reviews
La Roux @ Le Studio – 10.24.09
10.30.09I’ve often wondered what it would be like to live in the plot from an 80s club movie, and now… I no longer wonder. A bizarre combination of Tom Cruise’s Cocktail and a 2009 hipster bonanza took over Montreal’s Le Studio with electro-pop twosome La Roux moving 514 asses into the pink fuzzy light of the night. (more…)
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Bits & Pieces
Rockstars Stepping Up As College Lecturers?
10.30.09If any mysterious, brooding characters are found lurking in your college hallways, fear not, as they may be there to teach??? Yup, it’s the attack of the lecturing Rockstars, with Jack White dropping knowledge at Dublin’s Trinity College on such “congruent” topics as Bob Dylan and Britney Spears; it seems feathered coiffeur regular Patrick Wolf wanted in on the action. The Goth-pop lip gloss whore will float through the legendary Oxford Union debate hall with a mouthful on November 10th. And don’t think only White and Wolf have dipped their toes in the learning pool, as a list of past lecturers includes Peter Hook of Joy Division/New Order, English band Mystery Jets, and of course for diversity, the President of Kosovo. Hm… Like some sort of weird reality show.
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CD Reviews
Noah and the Whale – The First Days of Spring
10.18.09A fresh crisp page turns and a new chapter begins for Noah and the Whale with The First Days of Spring. A ‘pukka’ album from the Twickenham-English folk quartet opens old wounds, heals, and searches for closure. (more…)
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Bits & Pieces
Porcupine Tree – Tonight @ Metropolis
09.29.09English prog-psych-rockers Porcupine Tree takeover Metropolis tonight with over 20 years of vivid imagination and roaring sound.
With special guest: King’s X
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Bits & Pieces
Keane – Last Night @ Metropolis
09.21.09The stylish Brit rock band Keane finished a year long tour at the Metropolis Sunday night, declaring a speedy return to an ecstatic crowd smitten after charismatic lead singer Tom Chaplin worked a little English charm… Photos & review in a flash.
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CD Reviews
Jay Reatard – Watch me Fall
08.22.09
Thanks to Jay Reatard’s new album Watch me Fall, those transitioning from a quarter life or existential crisis may now be able to find the decision to drop all that angsty baggage and embrace adulthood with open arms. (more…)
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Bits & Pieces
Underworld – Tonight @ Metropolis
08.12.09English electro veterans Underworld smack Metropolis with a heavy hand of digital intention… Ooh that’s gonna leave a mark.
With special guest: Damian Lazarus
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Concert Reviews
Depeche Mode @ Centre Bell – 07.25.09
07.31.09
After nearly 30 years active is it possible to augment your live performance and continue to impress? If not, Depeche Mode broke protocol tearing the roof off an emphatically charged Centre Bell. (more…)
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Bits & Pieces
The Veils & Foreign Born – Tonight @ La Sala Rossa
07.28.09L.A. indie folk outfit Foreign Born and English alt-indie collective The Veils send an audio shock wave through the lush crimson sway of La Sala Rossa tonight.
With special guest: Faces On Film
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Rapid Fire
An Horse – Under Fire
06.14.09
This week cornershopstudios pulled on the reins and sat down with the charismatic Australian duo, An Horse. The twosome’s Damon Cox and Kate Cooper shared their thoughts on sleeping positions, being awkward and the woes of being Australian. An impromptu prop manifestation would surely ensue…
Question: Is your sound more of a trot or a gallop?
Answer (Damon): A gallop
Answer (Kate): But if we were trotting, it would still be more of a gallop.
Question: What position do you sleep in?
Answer (Kate): I am a righty
Answer (Damon):I am a lefty
Question: What facial expression do you make in an awkward situation?
Answer (Kate): I have an amazing poker face
Answer (Damon): I frown
Question: Favorite word?
Answer (Damon): Totes
Answer (Kate): Flat White
Question: Oddest comment you have heard about Australia?
Answer (Kate): Australia’s right next to the UK right?
Answer (Damon): Do ya’ll speak English down there?
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Bits & Pieces
Doves – Tonight @ Le National
06.02.09Indie kids of a feather will flock together tonight as English lads, Doves, are set to take the stage at Le National.
With special guest: WILD LIGHT
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Bits & Pieces
Chris Brown Defends His Woman Beating Ways
05.27.09In case you’ve missed the multiple headlines concerning the Rihanna and Chris Brown slug fest, allow us to recap. Brown beats girlfriend Rihanna following a Clive Davis GRAMMY party, Rihanna gives a statement to LAPD identifying Brown as her attacker and now Brown may not even stand trial… Now to get to the big tough guy defending himself… Brown posted a YouTube video making the public aware of his upcoming album, coupled with the fact he believes he isn’t a monster. He starts off with, “I just wanna say ‘What up?’ because I ain’t been out there in a minute. New album will be coming soon. We’re working on it right now. Called Graffiti. Got everything on it, know what I’m saying? I’ll be ready for that. I’m about to drop a single this summer for y’all. So we ain’t going nowhere.” Ignoring the fact that ‘knock her down Brown’ can barely speak English, let’s move on to the woman beating portion of the clip, “Everybody that’s haters, they just been haters. All my real fans, I love you all. I ain’t a monster.” I agree Chris you aren’t a monster, monster is too theatrical of a word for this scenario, you’re more of a… hm… Let’s see here… Ah yes… A douche-bag prick, and I would imagine there’s barely enough room in your sterile mansion for your ego and gigantic balls. Let’s just take a moment to clarify your train of thought, you broke your girlfriend’s face and now that you’re about to get away with it, you felt you should fan the flames by defending yourself?! You egomaniacal self-indulgent asshole… I encourage you to step out from behind your hired goons and go 5 minutes in a room with any of the hundreds of thousands of people that would love to see your face as swollen as Rihanna’s on that fateful day. You’d be shitting copies of your bullshit records till you found another girl naive enough to take a swing from a half retarded bitch boy with a gold plated chip on his shoulder.
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CD Reviews
Polly Scattergood – Polly Scattergood
05.24.09
Polly Scattergood’s self titled debut is one filled with the facts of life by way of child like vocals and wispy baroque synth pop reminiscent of a less pretentious Björk. (more…)
