Aren't you the ones supposed to be setting a good example for kids?

Whenever a fight breaks out in the music world, no one really wins. Today we got to hear the latest grumblings between the popular television show Glee and actual creative people. I really didn't want to wade into this issue, but a couple of ridiculous headlines forced my hand.

I'd like to toss in my two cents without getting into the arguments out there about how Glee adds little to progressing music or how much Kings of Leon have sold out. BUT, knowing how I have strong opinions about each, don't be too surprised if a couple of jabs pop up.

First some context. Over the past couple of seasons of Glee, there has been quite a few artists that don't want their music covered on it. Damon Albarn was one of the first to chime in when he said he didn't want to hear anything from Gorillaz given the Glee treatment. "Write your own music" said Albarn while being interviewed on the matter.

In fairness to show, they didn't ask. Albarn seemed both presumptuous and a little pompous for assuming Glee would actually want his music. But while he was going on the attack for seemingly no reason, he was making an argument about how bands don't need to sell their music to shows like Glee to succeed. It was a good point and it really had less to do with the content of the show rather than what it stood for.

But then there are the artists that WERE asked. Slash turned down Fox when they approached him to get sing some Guns 'N Roses songs. He just couldn't stomach seeing his music turned into bubblegum. Who can blame the guy either? When you're a bad boy of rock and roll, the wholesome nature of Glee is like a perversion of everything Slash has ever experienced. 

Then there's the latest saga involving the Kings of Leon. I'll be honest, I was surprised that KOL didn't jump at the chance to have their music heard even more. After all, in the past couple of years they have done everything they possibly could to sell their music. So like them or hate them, you really have to hand it to the band for showing some conviction.

Apparently the folks at Glee didn't care too much for that attitude. The show's creator Ryan Murphy fired back at both Slash and KOL in the Hollywood Reporter today. Murphy used his chance in the publication to allude that Slash was "uneducated" whose career was over. To KOL, he was much more direct telling the band flat out "fuck you."

Murphy went on to say of KOL: "They're self-centered assholes, and they missed the big picture. They missed that a 7-year-old kid can see someone close to their age singing a Kings of Leon song, which will maybe make them want to join a glee club or pick up a musical instrument. It's like, OK, hate on arts education. You can make fun of Glee all you want, but at its heart, what we really do is turn kids on to music."

For a man that seems to think he sets such a good example for kids, Murphy should probably do two things: 1. look up 'Irony' in the dictionary; and 2. re-read the words he chose to share with the Hollywood Reporter.

Nathan Followill who plays the sticks for Kings of Leon and has never been shy about sharing an opinion and didn't wait too long to respond. On Twitter Followill used his 140 characters to say: "Dear Ryan Murphy, let it go. See a therapist, get a manicure, buy a new bra. Zip your lip and focus on educating 7yr olds how to say fuck." Not the most eloquent response, but he got his point across. He even went further to clarify the comment by saying he didn't intend them as being homophobic or misogynistic (although everyone jumped on him for being just that).

Followill's rebuttal, however sexist and insulting as it may have come off, was fair. Despite how he worded it I think when someone like Murphy attacks you in a publication, you are more than welcome to defend yourself.

Bickering aside, I think Glee needs to remember a couple of things. First, it's not their music to take. I can understand how frustrating it may be to lose content when you make a program with no original music in it. Sorry, but that's the risk you run with a show of this nature. Second, I fail to see how a few bands that dislike Glee have a "hate on for arts education." They simply have an issue with the program. I haven't heard a single word from any of these men that suggests kids should not take an interest in music. My third point to Mr. Murphy I feel should be taken very seriously: you cannot bully musicians into doing what you want. If you want your own music, then either write it yourself or have something commissioned. It's not yours to take and you are not entitled to it simply because you have a popular television show.

I really do applaud the work that Glee does to encourage kids, ESPECIALLY gay ones. However those who work on the show need to be reminded of an important fact: you are no longer the underdog. Glee is one of the highest rated shows on television and for some reason you keep winning awards. It's time to show a little class while doing it. If you keep on with this attitude, you're no better than any of the bullies your portray on your show. 

Concerts on the Horizon - January 25 Edition

Every now and then, my friends the Lauras (yes, there are two of them) and I exchange our picks for what gigs could be worth checking out. It's usually a tough process that reflects the usual Thunderdome rules: "Two bands enter, one band leaves."

Like many of you, I was noticing a pretty bleak outlook for the new year of concerts...until fairly recently. Give it time and things will pick up. So Lauras, here's my wish list as of now for Toronto:

Best Coast and Wavves - Sunday, February 6 - the Phoenix
Call Best Coast overrated all you want, I still like their music. Plus as readers of this blog will note, I'm a sucker for a good female vocalist. I could care less about Wavves, but I'm welcome to the prospect of being surprised by a band.

Interpol - Tuesday Feb.15 - Sound Academy
No more Carlos D...which could mean the band may lack something live. Then again, I saw them when he was still in the band and I wasn't really blown away with what he brought. OTHER than his suspenders!

Cold War Kids - Friday, March 18 - Lee's
Can we all agree that March is good for nothing? Here's hoping more bands like CWK will play some gigs. I saw them in England and have been wanting to see them again ever since.

Destroyer - Thursday, March 31 - Lee's
I haven't had a chance to listen to the new album yet, but I have heard good things from Criminal Records and Now Magazine about it. That's usually a good indicator that you should check out a band like this.

The Mountain Goats - Sunday, April 3 - The Opera House
Good friend to both myself and this blog Dan Boser is a big fan of these guys. You HAVE to trust in your friends who know music.

Cut/Copy w/ Holy Ghost! - Thursday, April 7 - The Sound Academy
If there was ever a good use for the Sound Academy, I'm sure it would be packing in a lot of people to dance. I love the 80's revival sounds of Cut/Copy and have wanted to check them live for a while. Sure hope their new album Zonoscope yields the same quality as In Ghost Colours did.

PS I Love You - Saturday, April 9 - The Garrison
JUST in case I don't get to see Death From Above 1979 during their reunion shows, I would like to see the next best thing. There I said it, sorry for making you a substitute PSILY!

The GO! Team - Sunday, April 10 - The Opera House
This concert will get you ready for the long slog through the week. High energy music from Brighton. Plus it's a Sunday night, so that means most of the kids will have to be in bed for school the next day. Fuck you All Ages Night! I got screwed out of gigs when I was under 19, so why should this generation be treated any different?

Foals with the Naked and Famous - Saturday, April 30 - the Phoenix
I saw Foals way back in 2007 while they were headlining a local music festival in Nottingham. They had just started to get a lot of buzz around them and were a lot of fun. As for the Naked and Famous...my buddy Dan Clancy pointed them out to me recently. Think good-natured melodies with a Passion Pit feel to it.

The Kills w/ Cold Cave - Sunday, May 1 - Sound Academy
Don't know this band too much, then again I've heard good things....so maybe?

...And You Will Know us by the Trail of Dead AND Surfer Blood - Tuesday, May 3 - Lee's
I would go to this show for the sole reason of how ...Trail of Dead and Surfer Blood make one epic title together! On the other side, this gives me something to look forward to in May. Both great bands. I'm in.

Time to Retire Indie - Part Two: “What are you listening to now?”

The real problem with continuing to use the word “Indie” when talking about music, is that it does little to actually describe it.

Most of the time, when you ask someone to describe a new band for you, you will often get a response with pre-existing genre only with “indie” tagged onto it. This band is “indie-pop”; those guys are “indie-folk.”

Well gee, thanks for the keen description friend…but care to tell me just what the hell the band is like?

For our part in this problem, I think we have become a little too touchy about the music we listen to*. So much so that “indie” has just simply become a synonym for “cool.” You really can’t blame music fans for this tendency. I for one have said in the past that I like “indie-country” simply out of the fear of being associated with embarrassing top-40 country music. In reality I’m talking about bands like Elliot Brood and the Sadies. Bands that despite having put a modern twist on the music they play, will still be considered by traditional standards to be in the Country genre. But if you throw “indie” in front of Country, problem solved, right? You can still live in Toronto and your friends won’t ridicule you with pick-up truck and cousin-love jokes. 

Maybe it’s time to stop being so damned sensitive and just take music for what it is. If you like Justin Townes Earle - face it – you like some form of country music. So the next time you get asked about his music, drop indie. Instead tell them that it’s gritty Country music that follows the footsteps of Hank Williams. You can go a step further and say that while it is Country, it takes away the clichéd twang and replaces it with modern lyrics that reflect the singer’s troubled life. Sure it takes a little more effort, but you just told someone about WHY you’re listening to it in the first place.

I actually relish the idea of how fun it can be to describe a band that you’ve previously been a bit complacent with. Take Broken Social Scene for example. Sure you could call them a huge rock group, but doesn’t “a modern take on the big band” sound a little more fun? I’ll admit it sounds a bit on the pretentious side, but it’s a step towards sounding more appealing to me than an “indie-rock band.” 

While I may enjoy playing around with language, I respect the fact that most people just want it quick. I also understand that there are many bands that just lack a simple fix. The Black Keys are a modern take on blues-rock while Best Coast plays west-coast California rock; but how the hell can you use a traditional genre to describe a band like Beach House or even the Arcade Fire? Why don’t we just ask the bands ourselves? It is their music after all, so that should make them an expert on what they’re playing for us.

MySpace pages usually end up being the best source for these explanations. Some bands like the Flaming Lips choose to simply add more than one genre to the mix to help us along, they say they play “experimental/psychedelic/rock.”

While you can usually rely on most bands giving a thorough description of their music, others will remain a little too simplistic. “Psychedelic” would probably be the last genre I would fit Caribou into, it hardly describes just what Dan Snaith has put into his music. On the other side of things, maybe he has the right idea and we should just trust him for keeping it simple.

Death From Above 1979 do the same damn thing. It looks like they’ll be playing more than a few reunion gigs this year, so what do you tell your friends about them? On MySpace DFA say they play “2-step” music. Again a little on the plain side, but this gives you the opportunity to describe them yourselves. Tell your friends about the heavy bass guitar licks backed by drumming that is both frantic while staying on tempo. Or you can fall back onto Wikipedia to find “dance-punk/noise rock.” The answers are out there somewhere; most of the time you can probably do it better yourself without the jargon.

The point is simply that we don’t need “indie” to describe anymore**.  It doesn’t mean you have to crack out a thesaurus every time you exchange new bands with your friends; just don’t be afraid to use a few words when you do it. You’ve been likely listening to music long enough that you can describe what you’re hearing. If not, listen to it some more and try again.

* Blame Barry in High Fidelity. I don't feel bad about listening to Belle and Sebastien and neither should you!

** Unless you’re actually talking about the fact that some of these bands are on independent record labels.

Time to Retire Indie - Part One: The Big Swap

Hipsters, Scenesters, music fans of young and old, we appear to be at an impasse. We all love to hear new and innovative music, but I fear we have to retire the word “indie” when describing what we listen to.

Let’s face it, the word has lost pretty much all meaning in the context that it’s used these days. You could really get away with it in the 90’s when it referred to independent music in its purest form. Back in the days of major record labels dominating the musical horizons, independent record labels saved originality by not only allowing creativity to continue, but by encouraging it.

Currently though, the majority of popular music is found on independent labels. Quite frankly, in the majority of conversations about bands, “Indie” hardly refers to who is distributing music but instead to a particular sound.  

I think before we get into the language debate, we need to know just how we got here.

Remember “Alternative” music? I sure do. Until 2003 all I listened to was Alternative music. You’ll remember that Alternative included everything from heavy rock to experimental music a la Radiohead circa Kid-A. But then something happened that suddenly turned Alternative into yet another bleak form of music. Every Alternative radio station began to play music that had at least five variations of the same band. Pearl Jam was largely considered a cornerstone of Alternative music. Then Creed came along, followed by Stained and countless other bands that chased that same formula for success. Soon enough, fans of music that was once a champion for sounding different were inundated with the same crap they were trying so hard to escape. It was dull, lifeless, uncreative music that not only lacked inspiration in itself, but failed to inspire us.

In late 2003, there was a new beast out there gaining a lot of momentum. Fed largely by the internet, fringe music was gaining more traction every day. This is the only time you will ever hear about file sharing as a means for saving the music industry. The fact that someone could hear an amazing band in California and send it to someone across the country bypassed the need for regular radio airplay. At this stage, most of these bands were on independent labels at the time. It was around here when Indie really began to take hold as a genre. For the most part though, things were still relatively kept in check. 

I think it was movies and television that really saw the Indie phenomenon take off. Now in the mix were some young people in the industry who were hip to music and keen to put it into their work. Say what you will about movies like Garden State and the laughably bad television drama the OC, but whoever picked those soundtracks had a great ear for good music off the beaten path. While those programs may have catapulted bands like the Shins and Modest Mouse into the mainstream, there was now a hungry beast to be fed. Everyone liked what they heard because it was - go figure - GOOD MUSIC for a change! 

It’s at this stage where I personally think everything went off the rails with the word. After all, you can’t have an immensely popular group of music without a name. So the world began calling everything they heard that sounded a little bit different from what they were used to “Indie” (much to the chagrin of diehard fans of independent music who had supported the industry all along).

In the end, this is what I like to refer to as “THE BIG SWAP.” “Indie” simply replaced “Alternative.” Although I don’t think “Alternative” really took notice. 

So now we find ourselves in the place we are right now; stuck with a word that’s used to describe a shitload of music, by not describing it at all. 

If there’s any solace in this whole debate, it’s that we may have come full circle. I’m extremely hesitant to say that any true music fan should start using “Alternative” to describe music again. But at least it looks like the industry is once again using the word properly.

Of all the places to look for proof of this, you can find it in this year’s Grammy nominations in the Alternative category. There you will find the Arcade Fire, the Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, Broken Bells, and Band of Horses. Each one of those bands all sound very different from not only the bands nominated in other categories, but more importantly, they all sound different from each other. 

 I’ll admit that it looks promising; but we still the problem of how you should describe each of those bands. As nice as it is to see recognition for creative and original music, the grouping of all those bands together in one genre certainly gives the impression that they all share a similar sound. 

When in reality, you couldn’t be more wrong. More to come on that later.

Live acts not on the list, but worth mentioning

The sheer amount of music I got to see live this year really was a gift. No matter what happened through the year, I could always count on music. Much like my top ten albums list, there were just too many bands to put on the list. Some for a reason. Here are just a few worth noting:

Spoon - Sound Academy - March 29

I came to this show wanting to see Deerhunter and found myself enjoying Spoon more. Impressive considering I thought their latest album was a little overrated. Their performance did what many gigs often do, made me appreciate it a little more. 

 
Julian Casablancas - Koolhaus - April 2

It was fun to watch Julian Casablancas, but he's nothing without his fellow Strokes. I like his solo stuff, but not enough to not find my mind drifting during the gig. Also a bizarre melange of band members was almost distracting. When he played a couple of  the Strokes' standards, all I could focus on was his guitar player who looked like his roady. The sound was also way off. It was like watching Nickelback (shudder) backing him up on Somedays. That in itself is a nightmare I never want to relive.

Phoenix - Ricoh Coliseum - October 22

Easily the biggest victim of a bad venue this year. I don't care what band goes there next, I refuse to ever step foot in Ricoh for a gig again. This was simply a money grab by some dick promoter and wasn't fair to either the band or its fans. Phoenix played as fantastic as they always do live, but if I were them I would be insulted. Not only were they interrupted by a restless audience of which I wonder were true fans, but the were they denied a true encore. All so the venue could be changed into a rink again for the next night. That's not even mentioning the fact that they were shoved onto the stage at an insane time. My friends and I arrived casually late by half an hour and missed BOTH opening acts of Wavves and Tokyo Police Club and the first two songs of Phoenix's set. I was livid to the point where I actually snapped at a security guard who pretty much pushed me to the door when the lights came up two minutes after the band left the stage. Luckily I've seen the band a couple of times before, so I know what they're like when they get the respect they deserve. Ricoh clearly isn't concerned about music or its fans, therefore they should keep out of its way and stick to crap hockey games.

Library Voices - The Horseshoe Tavern - September 30

One of the most intellectual bands as far as lyrics go. Look for references to Kurt Vonnegut and Milan Kundera in them. A joy to watch live after listening to them for so long. They have loads of energy while on stage and should not be missed.



 
Black Mountain - The Phoenix - October 31

Easily Canada's best psych rock band. The second time I've seen them and the second time I've left feeling like I had just taken a trip to the 70's. The best Halloween party I could have gone to this year!




  
 The Most Serene Republic - Mod Club - December 1

Probably the last time I will make an effort to see MSR. Once one of my favourite acts to watch live, I was really disappointed to find out that Emma Ditchburn had left the band. While they still put on a great show (despite some hard luck with tech glitches) Ditchburn's absence was really felt. It changes the entire dynamic and takes away from the songs that she added so much to. Hard luck really for the Most Serene Republic, especially since it was her choice to leave.

 Junip - Lee's Palace - November 5


When Jose Gonzales puts his long-dormant band back together, you drop whatever plans you may have had and go see them. I loved finally seeing the Ghost of Tom Joad performed live. My only complaint was with some loud mouth in the audience. If you want to talk at the top of your lungs, don't go to a fucking folk concert!



The Black Angels - The Phoenix - October 31

My first time seeing them in Canada and the first time I actually liked them. Supporting Black Mountain on Halloween, they came out and played a spooky set in masks.



Ra Ra Riot - The Mod Club - December 1

For some reason, this was only my first time experiencing Ra Ra Riot . They reminded me a lot of Vampire Weekend. Lots of good melodies and energy, plus I easily fell in love with their cellist Alexandra Lawn. Look up a picture of her, she's beautiful AND talented. I immediately sent a note to the Wilderness of Manitoba's cellist Stefan Benjevic the following day asking him why he couldn't look like her. He told me that it was not the first time he had been asked that question.

 Zeus - The Mod Club - May 27 

One of Canada's most promising rock bands to hit regular radio play. Look for Zeus in the new year to take a place among the Trews, Sloan, and other similar bands of the same vein. A ton of fun to watch live and to date, have the best Genesis cover song I have ever heard.


 
Neil Young - Nathan Phillips Square - October 3

This may be cheating a little, but Daniel Lanois unveiled Neil's latest album Le Noise this year at Nuit Blanche. I would love to say that I like the album, but instead it just makes me sad. I'll draw a lot of flak for this, but I simply don't like it. A prime example of when fading away is preferable to burning out with a feeble attempt at a classic album.

Top Live #1 – Caribou – The Phoenix – May 3, September 17

Since the days he went by Manitoba, my good friend Owen has been raving about Caribou. On a whim one May night, my friends and I decided to keep our night going* and head to the Phoenix for his show. It was this night that I finally understood why Owen and so many other people were in love with this band. 

Buzz about his latest album Swim aside, I had heard quite a lot about Dan Snaith. The winner of the Polaris Prize, a mathematician, and in many people's opinion a musical genius. After wowing countless people with his understanding of music, Snaith may be the best thing that has ever come out of Dundas, Ontario**.

I have already raved about how good Swim is as a record, but live, the songs are unstoppable. With a band that knows every note of the album, Caribou turned the Phoenix into the closest thing to a rave that most hipsters would ever want to take part in. Taking time to really hash it out, every sound is lovingly performed the way it was intended to be. Like many of the other front men I have described on this year's list, Snaith is a lot of fun to watch in action. Whether he's singing while in front of a keyboard or going to town on a drum kit, there's always a flurry of energy to keep your eyes busy.

By the dates above, you can see I clearly went to this show twice. Once was not enough to fuel my lust for the 'Bou. While the first time was an experiment, the second was driven by a simple need to dance.

During both gigs, the mix of old and new were well represented. If there was ever a doubt as to how well the songs from Andorra would mesh with Swim, they were quickly put to bed. As much as Snaith went back to the drawing board on Swim, you almost wonder if it was just part of a mathematical musical master plan inside Snaith's head. The way the two albums work together live is almost spooky.

Once again, I'm at a bit of a loss to describe why I like Caribou so much. If there's any indication of what type of music I typically listen to on this blog, I'm sure it's clear that it doesn't include a lot of electronic music. That alone is a testament to how much I like the work Dan Snaith and co. do while on stage. It's just something that must be experienced. If you feel like picking up their live record, go for it. I'm sure it shows off the band's talents in a live atmosphere. But to truly get it, just go see them in person. Maybe even twice.

* Apparently Hot Tub Time Machine wasn't enough to please us that night.

**Excluding hockey players.