Best of 2012

  

Stephanie Dee from Twee Time, Friday 8-9 pm

Originally published in the CJLO Magazine.

Band of the Year

PARLOVR

A new album (Kook Soul, their first in four years), two singles ("You Only Want It 'Cause You're Lonely" and "Holding On to Something"), a Polaris Music Prize nomination (long list), the cover of the Montreal Mirror (their first and only for the now-defunct weekly)... Tours! Local Shows! Video Shoots! Plus, their very own obsessed female fan (no, I don't mean me!), who I've seen at many of their shows and the Polaris salon at Casa del Popolo over the summer. Oh, and did I mention their guest spot on my radio show, Twee Time on CJLO? Indeed, 2012 was a really big year for Parlovr, and it became so clear during their Pop Montreal performance of "Just Marriage" (there will be a video for that too) that these three guys, Alex, Jeremy, and Louis, are stars. I'm looking at you, Jonathan Cohen, book this band on Fallon already! 

Canadian Album of the Year

Rah Rah - The Poet's Dead

This album swooped in at the end of October and pushed every other Canadian CD I was listening to this year right out of rotation. The Poet’s Dead, Rah Rah’s third full length, has many surprises. The band draws from numerous musical styles for this album—“Art & A Wife” alt-country, “Run” indie-rock, “I’m a Killer” electronic, “First Kiss” folk-rock—and no two songs sound alike. However, it became apparent by the title track that these kids planned and plotted each song, always thinking about what would come next, and the result is a cohesive, well-paced, beautiful composition. My prediction: Polaris Music Prize Winner 2013.

Non-Canadian Album of the Year

The Men - Open Your Heart

The Men were at the top of my "Best of Spring" picks back in June, and although there have been many a great album released in 2012, I just can't seem to get over the genius that is Open Your Heart. Read my full review of the album here.

Favourite 2012 Albums

01. Ringo Deathstarr – Mauve (listen to: "Slack", "Waste")
02. Raveonettes – Observator (listen to: "Curse the Night", "The Enemy")
03. METZ – METZ (listen to: "Rats", "Negative Space")
04. Kestrels – A Ghost History (listen to: "Drowning Girl", "Islands")
05. Cadence Weapon – Hope in a Dirt City ("Conditioning", “Hype Man")
06. La Sera – Sees the Light (listen to: "Break My Heart", "It's Over Now")
07. Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse (listen to: "Tell Me What's Inside Your Heart", "Wave Goodbye")
08. Nubians – Nubians (bandcamp) (listen to: "Vile Bodies", "D-Troit")
09. JEFF the Brotherhood – Hypnotic Nights (listen to: "Mystic Portal II", "Country Life")
10. Duchess Says – Anthologie des 3 perchoirs (2012 vinyl re-release) (listen to: "Ccut Up", "Black Flag")

Twee Time Guest DJs

- Alex, Jeremy, and Louis from Parlovr (podcast)
- Johanna and Jared from the Nymphets (podcast)
- Sinbad and Dave from Pigeon Phat (podcast)
- Brooke, Lara, and Rebecca from Montreal boutique Citizen Vintage (podcast)
- Florent and Jesse from C T Z N S H P (podcast)

Interviews

- Jake Orrall from JEFF the Brotherhood (transcript)
- Jessica Latshaw from the YouTube viral video "Never a dull moment on the NYC subway" (podcast)
- Laura, Quentin, Scott, and Mike from Les Monstres Terribles (podcast)

Live Shows to Remember

- Red Mass Disco 3000 + Duchess Says @ Club Lambi
- Parlovr + Pigeon Phat @ Le Divan Orange (POP Montreal)
- White Lung + Nubians @ Casa del Popolo
- Public Enemy @ Stade Olympique (Experience Montreal)
- Atari Teenage Riot @ Stade Olympique (Experience Montreal)
- Esmerine @ Sala Rossa (M pour/for Montreal)
- The Men @ Il Motore (and again at Underworld)
- A Place to Bury Strangers + Bleeding Rainbow + No Joy @ Sala Rossa (M pour/for Montreal)
- PS I Love You @ Sala Rossa (M pour/for Montreal)
- Elephant Stone @ Le Divan Orange (POP Montreal)
- DIIV @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (CMJ Music Marathon)
- Pig Destroyer @ Public Assembly (CMJ Music Marathon)
- Twerps @ Pianos (CMJ Music Marathon)
- METZ @ Il Motore
- Ty Segall @ Il Motore

Memorable Moments

- More tattoos from Dave C. at PSC Tattoo!
- Meeting Rick Trembles, and seeing the awesome CJLO Magazine cover he created for our print mag!
- Meeting Perry Shall, artist and musician from numerous Philly bands, most notably Dry Feet and Hound
- Seeing Damian Abraham from Fucked Up perform David Comes to Life wearing only a pair of thin underwear and a plastic beer cup
- Finally seeing Public Enemy live
- Witnessing Flavor Flav get a crowd of Quebecers to chant "fuck separatism"
- Chatting with DJ Lord when he DJ'd at the after party on Saint-Denis
- Seeing Duchess Says for the first time (read my review here)
- Asking JD Samson from Le Tigre for directions to Artists & Fleas in Brooklyn

Biggest Disappointment

The end of the Montreal Mirror and way in which its demise was handled by Sun Media

CJLO - The Ones to Watch Series

Originally published in the CJLO Magazine.

The music geeks at CJLO 1690 AM pick who they think are going to make a significant impact on music in 2013.

Part 1 by CJLO Magazine Editor and Twee Time DJ Stephanie Dee

The Adam Brown (Montreal)

West-island kid Adam Brown released Even the Skies Are Blue way back in 2003, got a band together, and toured around Canada until 2007; but things seemed to stop so suddenly after Shawn Petsche (of WIBI fame) moved away to Alberta and Marc-André Grondin became a big movie star. Oh, but did you know that the music never ceased? A few impromptu shows popped up during this long "hiatus", and Adam and friends have been shedding blood, sweat, and tears recording in and out of studio ever since. Now here's the good news: it all wrapped up on November 20th, and now we must pull our resources together to get this unnamed The Adam Brown album released in 2013. Who's with me?

Bleeding Rainbow (Philadelphia)

The tracks "Pink Ruff", "Drift Away", and "Waking Dream" from Bleeding Rainbow's forthcoming album Yeah Right (due in January 2013) have already surfaced online, and it's apparent that these Philly kids have really been working out the Reading Rainbow kinks. Their sound has evolved leaps and bounds from their humble, lo-fi indie-pop slash dreamy slash minimal beginnings into something more rich and polished. The really good move: Sarah Everton is off the drums and high on vocals. That, plus the addition of two new members, is just what the band needs to go from opening (most recently for A Place to Bury Strangers) to headlining in 2013.

C T Z N S H P (Montreal)

C T Z N S H P has received quite a lot of attention from local indie-circles this year—playing festivals like POP Montreal, the CMJ Music Marathon, and most recently M pour/for Montreal—but life requires more than just being in the right place at the right time, or chance meetings with the right people. Jesse, Scott, and Florent are comrades with enough musical talent, integrity, and feeling to reach far beyond the same old bill at the same old venue playing for the same old friends. Check out a preview from the upcoming debut album Doom Love on bandcamp, and keep your eyes and ears open for more in early 2013.

DIIV (Brooklyn, New York)

Their debut album Oshin hit the CJLO charts for quite a while this summer, but I was completely clueless about DIIV until I saw them at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in October. Thanks, Knitting Factory, for rejecting my CMJ badge at the King Tuff show, otherwise I never would have seen these Brooklyn natives rock out. During the show all I could think was, "Wow, this is serious. They are gifted!" The band performs so effortlessly, it's as if Zach, Devin, Andrew, and Colby could play their instruments long before they even learned to walk. I have a really good feeling that in 2013, music by DIIV is going to be playing on the iPods of everyone else who is still clueless about them, and if another album surfaces… GET READY FOR THE EXPLOSION. Nirvana-style.

Allie Hanlon (Ottawa)

You may know her as the drummer from the Ottawa garage-band The White Wires. Maybe you caught her back in 2011 banging the skins for Nobunny, or opening for JEFF The Brotherhood as her alter-ego Peach Kelli Pop. Perhaps you've even seen the video for Peach Kelli Pop's super-catchy tune "Do the Eggroll"? Heck, there's even a freaking President's Choice peach pie that bears her image! Seriously, if you haven't heard of Allie Hanlon yet, it's time that you climb out of that mainstream cave of yours and listen to some indie-pop. Allie is constantly touring Canada and the United States as Peach Kelli Pop or playing drums in various other bands, and she just released a new self-titled album at the end of November (currently distributed by Bachelor Records in Europe, and soon to be released in the US on Burger Records). So if you like indie-pop and garage tunes, be sure to check out this rad chick on December 20th when The White Wires play L'Escogriffe. Next year, when she becomes very popular in Europe, you can tell everyone you discovered Allie Hanlon first. That's some great indie-cred right there, huh?

Nubians (Montreal)

I first caught these guys when they opened for White Lung at Casa del Popolo back in July, and let me tell you: Nubians has one sick drummer. Check out their raw and loud self-titled punk rock album on bandcamp, and stay tuned because they're going to do a guest spot on Twee Time in 2013. Sam from the band sent me the following message: "I think I speak for all of us in saying we would be majorly stoked to do a guest-host. We all have a lot of records and a lot to say".

RUSH

Originally published in the CJLO Magazine.

One likes to believe in the freedom of music, but glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity. 

–Rush "The Spirit of Radio"

Eligible yet overlooked for 14 years, 2012 marked the first time Canadian band Rush was nominated for entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since then (and for the first time) the fans have voted, some music historians have discussed it, and Jann Wenner from Rolling Stone has stamped it with no erasies black magic swallow the golden key:

Rush will be officially inducted into the Cleveland museum of rock and roll (and not-so rock and roll... cough ABBA cough Donna Summer cough) early next year.

It's surprising and strange that it took this long, considering the foundation's mandate that nominees must "demonstrate influence and significance within the history of rock and roll." I mean... virtually Every. Rock. Group. formed in the last 44 years has named Rush as their inspiration at one point or another; their songs can be heard several times a day on every classic rock station imaginable; and this band is so deeply-rooted in our history that even our most beloved fictional characters name Neil Peart as their drum god. Love them or hate them, Rush's "influence and significance" in the school of rock is undeniable.

Guitarist Alex Lifeson said in a phone interview, "I think our fans are more upset than we were because they feel a real bond to this band and it's been an important part of their lives in some form, and to be snubbed was snubbing them at the same time."

Maybe die-hard Rush fans value the biased opinions of this small group of "experts" in the US who took it upon themselves to deem certain bands "worthy" of benefice; or maybe the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is, to quote the Sex Pistols, "a piss stain" and we really shouldn't give a damn what they think. But the fact that Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart achieved success without ingratiating themselves with the mainstream masses is the reason why I'm excited about their impending induction.

Ever the gentleman, bassist and singer Geddy Lee directed the attention away from the band and sent it out to fans and family when he told Rolling Stone, "It made my mom happy, so that's worth it. It was a cause they championed, [and] I'm very relieved for them and we share this honor with them, for sure."

Join my fellow Canadians and prog-rock fans everywhere in our collective cry of relief: FINALLY.

2013 Inductees

Albert King
Donna Summer
Heart
Public Enemy
Randy Newman
Rush
Lou Adler (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
Quincy Jones (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

Full List of Nominees

Albert King
Chic
Deep Purple
Donna Summer
Heart
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Kraftwerk
The Marvelettes
The Meters
N.W.A.
Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Procol Harum
Public Enemy
Randy Newman
Rush

C T Z N S H P "Twee Time" Takeover

In this episode: Jesse and Florent from Montreal band C T Z N S H P take over CJLO.

Twee Time is originally broadcast in Montreal at CJLO 1690AM, Concordia University Underground Radio. Go to the Twee Time show page details and show times.

It's the little things...

.....
♥ Sweeeeet!!! Should I wait until after your show to bug you?!
Me: Haha ok! It's cool I like when you bug me. Talk you u soon
♥: For sure!!!! I like bugging you!!
Me: apparently I posted the same status over 10 times, but I can't see any of them
♥: Me. Either
Me: that works! yay! I thought I spammed everyone. are you at work?
♥: Yup!! Work till 11
Me: long day! sorry I've been kinda m.i.a., things have been crazy busy. ha I need a vacation
♥: Hahaha no worries!!! I'm always M.I.A
Me: it's the best way to be!
♥: Especially if your a SPY!!!!!
Me: ha, I could totally be a spy
♥: Rock n roll spy
Me: how come you not playing M pour Montreal? or are you and I just didn't see...
♥: Going to a funk show later!! Gonna be terrible......
Me: I'm sure you'll make the best of it :)
♥: Ewwwwwwwww
Me: drink lots of beer you'll be fine
♥: I'll do my best. You have a good night madamn
Me: you too! bug me more, ok?
♥: Hahah will do but you do it too!!

Citizen Vintage "Twee Time" Takeover

In this episode: Brooke, Lara, and Rebecca from Montreal boutique Citizen Vintage take over CJLO.

Twee Time is originally broadcast in Montreal at CJLO 1690AM, Concordia University Underground Radio. Go to the Twee Time show page details and show times.

New York City, corner Spring & Bowery

Click for larger images

Show Review - Chrome Canyon

Originally published in the CJLO Magazine.

A couple of CJLO peeps and I trekked all the way to Brooklyn with our CMJ Music Marathon badges in tow to catch METZ at the Cameo Gallery, only to discover that the venue had reached its CMJ badge quota. Having come all that way, we resentfully paid the ten bucks and went inside.

METZ played their set, and though very short, their performance was awesome. But this is not a review of the METZ show because after the band emptied their gear from the stage, and the venue virtually cleared out except for a few hangers on, I discovered a different and shiny new gem.

His name is Morgan Z, and he is the mad scientist/musician behind Chrome Canyon.

The first thing that piqued my interest that night was the Theremin. That crazy electronic instrument, with its upright and loop antennas that control this freaky B-movie volume and pitch, has always fascinated me. Before the performance even started we began raving, "ooOoo! A Theremin!" "This is going to be good because there's a Theremin!" 

As Chrome Canyon began their set, Morgan Z took the stage wearing a silver lamé shirt and shiny black leggings. How odd! Two musicians (playing drums, bass, and guitar) accompanied him for the performance. I didn't know what to expect, but my first impression after seeing that outfit was, "oh no, not good!"

I was so wrong.

What happens when musicians mix the following components?

Theremin

Synthesizer

Drums

Bass and guitar

Robotic voice effects

Shiny outfits

Darkness

Strobe and streams of light from a disco ball

I would describe that mixture as "a prom from outer space," but my friend Kayleigh hit the nail on the head when she proclaimed that the music was like something you'd hear at "Molly Ringwald's wedding." She meant that in the best way possible, and I'm repeating it here because the music was just so freaking wild! There was so much talent on stage, it was as if Molly gave birth to a love child she conceived with one of the members of Rush and named that baby Morgan Z. 

Chrome Canyon combined several musical elements like the synth-pop resembling new wave band Visage, disco beats similar to Blondie's "Heart of Glass", and a bit of the electro-funk sampling Herbie Hancock experimented with in the early 1980s. All those influences were combined in such a subtle and original way that it almost felt like Chrome Canyon could see and experience the past and the future simultaneously. Perhaps we have the Theremin to thank for that.

The ambient-synth sound of the song "Body Music" was totally awesome and poppy, and the drums had such a fun beat that even the most unlikely Brooklynites were inspired to dance and party. Morgan Z's music is so freaky, so sci-fi, and at times super mellow. I recorded some video of the show, and playing it back now fills my heart with joy that I can't stop smiling. Please, sit back and enjoy some Chrome Canyon music right now:

I would have been willing to spend a lot more than 10$ if I had known what awaited me that night. Chrome Canyon was so much fun to watch.

I remember you, oooo oo oooo ooooooooo

I was at the record store today, going through the 7" bin, and then suddenly I chanced upon something wonderful! I said out loud, with great enthusiasm, "Wait, what?! Black Tambourine recorded new songs? What? Ramones covers!" 

Gabba Gabba Hey, with a bullet! OneTwoThreeFour was released in May, 2012.

Just couldn't resist!

Pigeon Phat "Twee Time" Takeover

On October 5, 2012 Sinbad and Dave from Pigeon Phat joined me on thee Twee Time show to play some pretty weird tracks curated by members of the band.




Thee "Twee Time" Show is originally broadcast on CJLO - 1690AM in Montreal. Go to cjlo.com for details and show times.

Instagram

On Repeat

Kestrels, from Halifax, NS

Album review from the CJLO Magazine. Please check out http://kestrels.bandcamp.com/. The track "Islands" is just so beautiful.

Twee Things for October 5

Tune in to my radio show Twee Time on CJLO 1690 AM tonight at 8PM EST. Guest hosts Sinbad and Dave from Montreal band Pigeon Phat are joining the show to play records and party.

Find CJLO on iTunes Radio in the College/University category, and on TuneIn.

Nymphets "Twee Time" Takeover

On September 14, 2012 the Nymphets Johanna & Jared joined Steph on thee Twee Time show to play some tunes, talk about music, life, and Pop Montreal!

Thee "Twee Time" Show is originally broadcast on CJLO - 1690AM in Montreal. Go to cjlo.com for details and show times.

Pop Montreal 2012

Originally published in the CJLO Magazine.

TWEE POP: Twee Time's five-day festival recap!

I have always felt that autumn marks the start of a brand-new year, and for the people of Montreal that is especially true. For five fun-filled days at the end of September, Pop Montreal arrives to bring this city (and me) back to life. The 2012 edition of the festival went above and beyond what this born-and-raised townie has ever experienced in Montreal before.

So many amazing local bands joined the line-up this year, starting with Parlovr, who I believe put on their best show to date. The room at Le Divan Orange on Thursday went wild when the band performed the song "Just Marriage", and all their songs inspired everyone to dance, pogo, mosh, and even crowd surf. I ran over to Alex Cooper after the show, gave him a big hug and said, "Alex, I love you! You guys keep getting better and better!" I've got this total witch vibe in my body right now, so believe me, something really big is going to happen to Parlovr. Keep your eyes and ears open, and get ready for what they do next.

And then there's Archery Guild, who gave a delightful performance at an after-hours POP UP SHOW courtesy of Entree des Artistes on Saint-Denis. The band (which is actually more of a collective) had nine musicians playing a variety of instruments from guitar and drums, to cello and violin, and even a tambourine! I wondered how so many different people, playing so many different musical devices, could come together and sound so good. I still don't know, but it worked! I would have loved to join them, if only I had a triangle with me that night.

I attended CJLO's very own POP UP PARTY at Salon Identité on the last day of the festival, and was so happy to catch Andrew Sisk play. His minimalist, avant-garde sounds provided the perfect Sunday soundtrack. I placed a warm coffee cup on my cheek, held my arms close to my body, sat back and listened. It sure felt like home, as if I were wearing a bathrobe and mellowing-down easy in my comfy bed. Also at the salon was Garry-Lewis James Osterberg's Iggy is Dog, which features a dancing Chihuahua in various outfits superimposed over Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" video. Such a smart idea! I couldn't stop watching because the dog really did resemble Iggy Pop. I've had the song "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by the Stooges in my head ever since.

The following are five additional live performances that really caught my attention at Pop Montreal this year, one for each day of the festival.

Wednesday: Cobra & Vulture

Attendance at Le Divan Orange was quite sparse when Montreal-based trio Cobra & Vulture started their set. But it didn't take long before I was pushed out of my space next to the sound board as people piled in to catch the sweet vocal harmonies of Amber Goodwyn and Erin Ross. I was spellbound by their voices, which flowed effortlessly through the soft and girly, right down to the deep and soulful. The intense drum beat from Jeremy MacCuish (Parlovr, Cotton Mouth) complimented the performance so well, and the guitars were trippy and jangled clear as a bell (if that's even possible). All I could do was sink into that little spot I found and take it in like a dream.

Thursday: Pigeon Phat

After the first couple of bands at Le Divan Orange finished their sets, I said to my friend that I thought their music was alright, but what I really needed was to see and hear something different, something special. Well, the Universe always says "Yes!", and what I wanted I got with a bullet when Aaron Seligman began singing about how we should love each other, and to make our dreams come true. These are things I've always believed in! Pigeon Phat's performance was like the Polyphonic Spree, but Montreal-style: harder and in-your-face. The band filled the room with so much energy and happiness, I wish I could rewind and experience that moment in time once more.

Friday: The Nymphets

I've seen the Nymphets several times over the years, and yet I still can't get over how incredibly twee and punk rock they are at the same freaking time. Although the setup at L'Escogriffe left the vocals a tad muffled, that didn't deter from the band's performance. The show was a perfect mixture of frantic garage-punk and teenage-pop-kid-dreamin' guitar, paired with rock-with-skin-and-bones drumming that left my body shaking and twisting to the beat. It was super cool to hear "(There's Gonna Be A) Borstal Breakout" live for the first time in ages, too. Friday also happened to be my birthday, and I was so excited when Johanna and Jared performed their cover of "Darling Are You Sure", originally by the Bartlebees, and said it was for me (there's a story behind this, ask me about it sometime). Can you say, "Best birthday party ever!"?

Saturday: The Sin & the Swoon

I was so lucky that I got to Le Cabaret du Mile End in time to catch the most beautiful band at the festival this year, The Sin & the Swoon. I want to thank Pop Montreal for reminding me of how much I, like my father before me, love old-time country and folk music. Montreal musicians Michael James O'Brien and Michelle Tompkins both played guitar and sang some cover songs, including "Fist City" (originally by Loretta Lynn) and "Loves Gonna Live Here Again" (originally by Buck Owens). But it was their own song, "Josephine", that stole my heart. I was extremely moved by the lyrics, and how the duo played so well in unison, that tears swelled up in my eyes.

Sunday: Lucky Dragons

Sitting on the stage in a medium-size room at the PHI Center were two extraterrestrials manoeuvering their alien light-and-sound device. They were both tall and thin with shaved heads, humanoid, and dressed similarly. The first alien sang along to this strange music in a low-baritone drone, and the second alien surprised me when it took over and belted out a strong contralto. The sound in the room looped and changed as they manipulated their light device, then they shared their technology by handing out compact discs to the crowd. Adults and children alike played along and tried to understand how music could come from manipulating light. At the end only one girl remained with them, then the mother ship took off and the stage went dark leaving the girl (and the rest of the audience) behind. Ha ha, just kidding. They weren't extraterrestrials, and there was no mother ship! Lucky Dragons is an experimental-music group that consists of Sarah Rara and Luke Fischbeck. They use sound recordings, projection, computers, and a web cam. The duo is based in Los Angeles.

Directions to Michael's place

You can go many ways. If you want to stick to Maisonneuve just head west until [street_name] (which is right after [park_name] Park).

Then, keep going down, through a giant stone bridge, keep going straight ahead through the intersection and past the train tracks until you reach ACORN street.

Turn right and keep walking until you see a crooked alleyway that takes you into a valley of punks. Keep walking through this alleyway until you see a set of six stairs to a giant red door. There will probably be a bunch of crust punks getting hammered and burning shit with their babies and dogs and if you have passed a dumpster, you've gone too far.

Twee Things for August 19

My camera (and this blog) has been collecting dust, so I took a couple of photos today.


Some records (the ones I listen to the most)


My old bones


(Canon 5D MII body & 17-40mm f/4L lens)

Listening to...

Two Canadian bands that could possibly fit into the "Twee" genre. The sound is definitely indie-pop, regardless. A pleasant surprise! Enjoy :)

 

Actual Water from Toronto, Ontario

Love Cuts from Vancouver, British Columbia

Best of Spring 2012

Originally published in the CJLO Magazine.

  

Top New Releases March-May

1. The Men - Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones Records)
2. Dry Feet - 10 Songs by the Band... (Burger Records)
3. Parlovr - Kook Soul (Dine Alone Records)
4. King Tuff – King Tuff (Sub Pop)
5. La Sera - Sees the Light (Hardly Art)

Favourite Release this Spring

With only one listen, I immediately knew that Open Your Heart by The Men was going to be on repeat for a very long time, and it certainly has been since the day it was released in early March.  When the very first guitar riff on the track "Turn It Around" fell upon my ears, my hands went straight up in the air, and my fingers formed the infamous sign of the horns. Then came "Animal", and that invisible air guitar fell into my arms as my body formed itself into a crazy rock pose as if by magic. "Country Song" is just so beautiful and made me think (which I rarely like to do, but I had to make an exception), while the guitar-work and drums on "Oscillation" and "Please Don't Go Away" left me wanting to know and to jam with these guys so bad. The title track, "Open Your Heart", reminds me so much of the music from one of my favourite bands (The Buzzcocks), and "Candy" is something my dad would have introduced me to as a kid, if it had existed, which would have shaped my life forever. "Cube" is total madness and grinding metal, while the track “Presence” starts quiet, builds up with the introduction of guitar, then drums, then a low humming mantra; the song finally climaxes into pure, perfect, shoegaze-y noise. The album ends with “Ex-Dreams", and I’m left entranced with the sound of dual lead-guitars and crazy tuning reminiscent of Sonic Youth. Open Your Heart has everything and I don't say that often. In fact, the only other records that truly fall into my FUCK YEAH! music category are the Ramones first album and Exile on Main St. by the Stones.

Best Live Shows/Festivals

Duchess Says @ Club Lambi: Annie-Claude Deschênes delivered the best performance of spring 2012, hands down. I’m usually not one to mosh, but she left me no choice! Annie-C hypnotised and entranced me, and there I was dancing and jumping around like a crazed lunatic as the crowd became entwined in her eyes and infinitely-long microphone cable. Drummer Simon Says tapped his drum sticks to begin the song “Ch.o.B.", and my friend’s eye-glasses went flying off his face while the moshing and destruction of the band’s Church of Budgerigars prop continued. He miraculously retrieved his specs at the bottom of the sea of running shoes and sweat unscathed, which was quite the sight to see in-and-of itself. Duchess Says even topped Gogol Bordello, which I had said was the “best show I’ve ever seen” just days earlier. If it were legal to marry a show, I would be on my honeymoon with Duchess Says right now.

Other shows I attended, and loved, this spring:

- The Men @ Il Motore
- Gogol Bordello @ Metropolis
- Strange Boys, White Fence, Ty Segall @ Il Motore
- Maximum RNR @ Underworld
- CRABE + American Devices + Devil Eyes @ Casa del Popolo
- The Normals + Electric Vomit + Allan Fine (The Chromosomes) @ Casa del Poplo
- Jah Cutta + DJ John Lee @ Katacombes
- Trade Secrets + Archery Guild @ Your best friend John Jacob’s House
- Parlovr + Goose Hut @ L’Escogriffe
- Silver Dapple + Archery Guild @ Le Divan Orange

Summer Fun

This summer I’m really looking forward to Parlovr’s triumphant return from touring for Kook Soul to play Club Lambi on June 30th, the release of Hypnotic Knights LP by JEFF The Brotherhood (in pre-order right now) on July 17th, Sigur Ros at Osheaga (if I can afford the damn thing) in August, and getting to DJ for a really good cause at the Head & Hands Serve volleyball tournament!