DINOSAUR JR. @ THE PHOENIX: A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

The Rock Band crowd was certainly out as Dinosaur Jr. seemingly took the Phoenix, in Toronto, by storm on Thursday night. A sold out, sardine can-like venue witnessed the band lackadaisically inspire continuous awe, starting from the first five-minute-plus, ‘Thumb’ all the way to ‘Chunks’, a semi-rare b-side which featured the likes of Damian ‘Pink Eyes Abraham, of the hardcore outfit, Fucked Up.

For a band that is technically giving it a second go around, fans have been more than pleased to see music from one of the original Alt-rock bands of the 80’s. 2009’s Farm made it on plenty of ‘Best Of The Year’ lists and the set included Farm titles such as ‘Over It’ and ‘Imagination Blind’ (which Lou Barlow pleasantly belted out).

Barlow remains a discernible accent to J Mascis’s now legendary lassitude, chugging away at the bass, power chord after power chord, with his wavy mop in his eyes. He even graced the crowd with a heartfelt solo acoustic set at the beginning of the night.

What can be said about Mascis? Every time he struck a chord, my chest felt like it had a hole in it. Surrounded by a wall of amplifiers, the venue just barely withstood his sound. Mascis scarcely opened his eyes during the hour and a half set and subconsciously taunted the crowd with ‘Out There’. He, Barlow and recruited drummer, Kyle Spence, of J Mascis & The Fog, (Murph, the actual drummer, was held up at the border) cranked up the classics, as it were, and sounded amazing.

To top off an already memorable set, D Jr. pulled a few tracks from You’re Living All Over Me – ‘Sludgefest’ and ‘Kracked’ for an encore. The night ended with the aforementioned, ‘Chunks’, with Damian Abraham, who excitingly and unexpectedly took to the stage.

Five years after the original member reunion, I remain ecstatic to see what this band has left – they have continuously caught me by surprise. Twenty-five years after their inception, they have been able to write, hands down, better music than most of their successors, and blown away sold out crowds in a cogently regal and youthful fashion.

Published by The Music Slut

Review: Fucked Up's Couple Tracks

If you’re like me, an avid collector of rare and obscure LPs and EPs, to the point of obsession (don’t get me started on seven inches), and a fan of the Canadian hardcore sextet, Fucked Up, then maybe you can empathize with how frustrating it is to be a follower of this band. Singles seem to come out of the Fucked Up woodwork, and it can be virtually impossible to keep up with. Lucky enough for us consumers, the band is releasing their second collection of singles entitled, Couple Tracks, slated for January 26, on Matador Records.

There is a giant list of “must listens” on this compilation including: “No Pasaran,” their first single, “Neat Parts,” Generation,” “Dangerous Fumes,” “Triumph of Life” and remixes of “No Epiphany” and “Crooked Head” (both of which appeared on their critically acclaimed sophomore release Chemistry of Common Life). And that’s just the first disc.

If you really like this band, you’ll appreciate how the collection spans their entire career (’02 – ’09) and incorporates their most impressive releases to date, while truly documenting their growth into a contemporary punk rock powerhouse. Five stars, two thumbs up, whatever.

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Review: Vampire Weekend's Contra

To date, Vampire Weekend has repeatedly lived up to their hype – Spin magazine gave them a cover shot prior to releasing their debut album and now their sophomore release, Contra, is already slated as one of the most anticipated of 2010, and it’s January.

Let’s take a second to ponder the importance of the second LP in any bands career. Will the band stick around or will they fade away into a one record wonderness? It is safe to say that VW has failed to disappoint many and anyone serious about what they let into their ears should really hear this record.

The opening track, “Horchata,” is an interesting, eclectic mix of African rhythms fused with a few bars reserved for what sounds like a xylophone and it also has a string section – very danceable, short and catchy pop tune that definitely sets the tempo of the album.

The album continues in a rhythmic style with bopping synth effects on “White Sky” and “Holiday” and surfer riff interludes on “California English” and the album’s first single, “Cousins.”

Side B offers more electro pop, almost reggae-ish – a Bedouin Soundclash with a synthesizer, like “Diplomats Son.” The album’s final track, “I Think UR A Contra,” is the slowest and most heartfelt jam – an excellent piece of songwriting.

Definite influences like the Clash come through in many ways. It has been said that the title, Contra itself, is an ode to Sandinista! The album consists of an array of (almost) tribal sounds, with string sections and electro-pop effects that seem to be the most overused commodity at the moment, but they manage to keep it fresh.

Overall, Contra is a collection of catchy, danceable, three minute pop songs. The record clocks in at 36 minutes. After a thorough listen, VW lives up to their hype. But really, did you expect anything less?

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Review : Dinowalrus' %

Dinowalrus’ sole purpose as a band is to make your head explode. Fusing psychedelic noise over menacing guitars met with a powerful percussion core, Dinowalrus, a trio based within the ever growing electropop Brooklyn scene, attempt at blowing minds with their first LP, % (Percent).

The first track, East German Western, offers a quick glance at DW’s unpredictable nature. The song isn’t quite a song at all, rather a dreary collection of sounds and hymn-like vocals – something my spaced out, Pink Floyd freak of an uncle could get into.

But the album quickly shifts its focus. Electric Car Gas Guitar, is one of the album’s strongest, tracks, fusing loud and freaky guitars, rampant drums, Ian Curtis-like monotone vocals – oh yeah, and lasers. It seems like an odd combination, but I guarantee this track will get your feet tapping.

The album continues to stay true to this theme. Every song is a drastic reinvention of the one before it. They quickly shift from chaotic and jazzy, like the track, BEAD, to the brink of insanity, like the tracks, I Hate Letters and I Hate Numbers.

Overall, the album is a promising debut – it’s groovy and carries some revolutionary qualities, but in order to get the full effect, please see Dinowalrus live when they come to your town (especially if you’re into Animal Collective and other electropop space rock).

Notable tracks include the bluesy surf rocker, Cage the Pythons, and the seven minute, acid trip epic, CMYK.

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Review: Basia Bulat's Heart Of My Own

I once met a drunken woman on a train who told me folk music was dead – it progressed into modern day country. She was on her way to a Keith Urban concert.

I, like many, know that folk music is very much alive. For instance, Basia Bulat will release her highly anticipated second LP, Heart Of My Own, later this month on Rough Trade Records.

Bulat’s first release, Oh, My Darling, gained much attention pushing Bulat into the underground spotlight where she triumphantly won over crowds across the United States, Australia, Europe and her home land of Canada. Oh, My Darling, even received the prestigious Polaris Prize nod (a huge deal in Canada) in 2008.

In a nutshell, Heart Of My Own, picks up where Bulat left off on her first album. What stands out is the softness of Bulat’s voice and her dainty strumming in tracks like, Sparrow and The Shore.

Bulat’s songs are often courageously vulnerable – almost haunting - and one can sense the inspiration Bulat gathered from her long travels across the world. The songs were written during Bulat’s rigorous touring schedule over the past year. Bulat even took on Canada’s great white north, spending five days in Dawson City, in the Yukon Territory. "I felt my mind was overwhelmed with ideas. It had been a long-time dream of mine to make it to the Yukon, so to finally accomplish that, and for it to be possible because of my music, was also a very overwhelming thing," says Bulat.

Anyone interested in the likes of Tiny Vipers, Fleet Foxes, or even, Julie Doiron or the Arcade Fire – to name a few Canadians – is sure to appreciate Heart Of My Own, and lovers of Bulat’s first LP are sure to embrace her new material with little to no hesitation.

Notable tracks include, If Only You, Sugar and Spice, Gold Rush (Neil Young nod perhaps?) and the quickest song on the album, Walk You Down.
For the drunken, train riding non-believers in your life – remind them folk music is still alive and kicking.

Buyers on iTunes will receive a bonus track, so there’s some added incentive to purchase online.

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Review: Shlomo's Shlomoshun Deluxe

Shlomo, aka Henry Laufer’s Shlomoshun Deluxe, is a collection of low-fi sounds that were literally downloaded onto his laptop and were molded into a hypnotic wall of bass and dub.

The album is truly organic in its creation – it is ballsy in its layers of complex ambiance, such as the track, Hotboxing the Cockpit, which is the albums strongest arrangement. The title alone, however, alludes to a green, leafy substance that may ultimately allow the listener to absorb the album in a more suitable state.

Tracks worth listening to include, 7am, which takes you deep into a video game world, and transcends best on headphones, and Spoons, a fierce pounding of bass rhythms that will make any listener’s head bob. Antigravity is also a groovy little number, which showcases the current happenings in the LA beatbox scene among other neu-bass contemporaries like Flying Lotus and Ras G.

The album also includes remixes of Antigravity, by Fulgeance and Low Limit, which are quite enjoyable takes on the tracks.

Published by The Music Slut