POP RADIATOR

Tame Impala - Lonerism Australian space-rock Tame Impala’s...

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 11:53:27 -0400

Tame Impala - Lonerism

Australian space-rock Tame Impala’s (Modular Records) latest release Lonerism (October, 2012) delivers a good mix between psychedelic stoner vibe and radio friendly beetlesesque music. If you figured that these two style could never really blend then you’d be correct. The record could be divided into two camps, shit you’d listen to with your unemployed friends and stuff a cellphone company would license to sell more hardware. In spite of this gapping dichotomy the record still plays out pretty well and seems to get away with a lot the more you listen to it. The fact that they are from Perth is nice, the west coast of Oz needs to take the spotlight from Melbourne and Sydney every now and then.

Check out the track Mind Mischief and get psyched.

Short Art Film, Flying Lotus As far as short art films go you...

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:12:04 -0400

Short Art Film, Flying Lotus

As far as short art films go you can get some pretty awful stuff, mostly because of the loose interpretation for the meaning of “art” mixed with the sheer simplicity and accessibility of making and uploading a film (which is a good thing but you have to take with the good and the bad). Film maker/Hollywood actor Kahlil Joseph and editor Luke Lynch put together a damn good short film using veteran DJ Flying Lotus’ music as the score. One can get deterred from interpretive-dance videos but this film sows together images and music with perfect stitching. There is nothing typical about it, yet it touches on familiar scenes in a way the news and movies seem to wash over. If this is not the music video for the actual song, somebody at warp records should just pay Joseph and Lynch anyway.

Lollapalooza Live on YT (aug3rd to aug5th)

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 01:54:00 -0400

Lollapalooza Live on YT (aug3rd to aug5th):

Two years ago I tried to get to Chicago for the Pitchfork music festival (sadly my press credentials were rejected - surprised?) and have since longed for the day to return to the windy city for an outdoor concert. This year, Lollapalooza is making that partially possible with a live stream of the whole concert. Think about how amazing that is… anyone who can’t afford a ticket can just watch it live online. Genious.

Parlovr - Chicken Soup for the Kook Soul Two years ago I walked...

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 00:58:00 -0400

Parlovr - Chicken Soup for the Kook Soul

Two years ago I walked in on a show where a trio of guys in their 20’s were ripping through a noisy set with the symbols blaring and the keyboard being hammered – it looked like fun but judgementally I did not see a long musical carrier for these guys. What happened to the Parlovr I shamefully dismissed? Truth is nothing changed for Alex Cooper (yes, Alex, not Alice…) and his band of mostly art-rock sounds with a touch of pop and ambient noise, one just needed to spend more time with the music to know there is a genius to Parlovr’s songs. Learning they released their latest record Kook Soul on Dine Alone Records, a mix of melodic vocals with non-traditional arrangements, it makes perfect sense sharing a label with Hot Hot Heat, City and Colour, and Tokyo Police Club (among so many others). They are starting to get noticed, the album has made the long-list for the Polaris prize this year, and though there are many great bands worthy of the top 10, Parlovr deserve the nod for the short list in 2 days.

Polaris Prize 2012:

http://www.polarismusicprize.ca/article/416/the-2012-polaris-music-prize-long-list-is-here/

Beirut – folk gypsy music goes mainstream (ish).

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 00:46:49 -0400

Zach Condon and his low pitch ‘whiney’ harmonies are coming to Montreal on July 17^th. The accordion and trumpet quartet known as Beirut have really developed a strong fan base in spite of avoiding the usual markers for pop success. There is a subtle appeal for Condon’s song writing that seems to stem from his years of recording music in his home in New Mexico as a teenager. His travels through Europe seem to come through the music so literally that the comparison to Irish and eastern euro sounds are hard to avoid. “Gypsy styles to the alternately plaintive and whimsical indie folk of the Decemberists,” alleges the bio on allmusic.com. It also can’t hurt that Condon seemed to be around and involved with bands like Neutral Milk Hotel and A Hawk and Hacksaw – bands that gained cult followings before any industry charter was written about them.

If you have to hear one song from Beirut, Santa Fe will have you hooked http://beirutband.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/02-Santa-Fe.mp3

Beirut are currently on tour for their 2011 release The Ripe Tide; check for shows in your hood. http://beirutband.com/shows/

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/beirut-mn0000984877

Japandroids Play Two NYC Sold Out Shows Much like the White...

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 00:11:00 -0400

Japandroids Play Two NYC Sold Out Shows

Much like the White Stripes or The Black Keys, the duo that is Japandroids are able to produce so much on stage energy they’re shows are said to personify party-rock if there was such a thing. Rolling Stone reported in late June the Japandroids, touring their follow up to the 2009 Post-Nothing album, ”ripped through every song off Celebration Rock.” Much of the evening was played to the harmonization of the crowd singing along with guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse, to which King noted the crowd at a Japandroids show is a member of the band. “Are you the fucking third member of the band when you see Coldplay?” King boasted. The NY Times said they sounded loose and invigorating hoping the crowd would get in on the party, suggesting they were not polished or over-rehearsed. Yet the Times compare Japandroids to some pretty big acts that wasn’t without merit. “There are bits of the Clash as well as of the Replacements in the energy and directness of this band, but also a touch of Springsteen.”

It’s nice to see a small Canadian band sell out two shows in NYC. In 2008, on their first visit to the big apple, no one came to the show.

Read more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/arts/music/japandroids-at-bowery-ballroom.html

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/japandroids-storm-new-yorks-bowery-ballroom-20120628

Public Transportation - Bus Driver Music Busdriver may not be on...

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:09:00 -0400

Public Transportation - Bus Driver Music

Busdriver may not be on everyone’s radar but he certainly put Adobe Flash to the best use. Check the sounds from BDM on the website - really well done.

http://www.busdrivermusic.com/

The Avalanches – rumour, new album in 2012 It has been more...

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:27:06 -0400

The Avalanches – rumour, new album in 2012

It has been more than a decade since the critically acclaimed Australian group The Avalanches put out there seminal 2001 release Since I Left You. This is a group that samples thousands of records to pieces together a surprisingly coherent sound and craft it into a song. Dubbed “plunderphonics” as music style, only because it’s too easy to call it electronic-turntable-mixy-stuff that sounds almost orchestral.

Both Metacritic and LastFM have said there is an album planned for this year but looking at their website and the FB page, there is little mention of another cut coming soon. Unfortunately this ongoing rumour is likely not even news worthy, The Avs have been known to hype a new release, starting as far back as 2005. It just might be the longest lasting ‘string-along’ in music right now, something akin to when Axle Rose promised another G’n’R album. When Chinese Democracy finally did hit, it felt old and one couldn’t help but think that the reason Axle took so long to release it was because it wasn’t worthy. Skepticism aside, Paste Magazine did speak with the band in December, 2011 and said to have dropped some possible album names: On a Saturday, Friday Night Fever, or Hi! However, the article equally mentioned that there is no timeline for the release and, “knowing The Avalanches, it could very well be a while.”

*They do have some free downloads of more recent singles so check out their myspace page. http://www.myspace.com/theavalanches

The Shins, new album, Port of Morrow The best thing to come out...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:40:00 -0500

The Shins, new album, Port of Morrow

The best thing to come out of Albuquerque, New Mexico are set to release their fourth full-length in March 2012. James Mercer is the only surviving member since the hiatus he threw down after the completion their last tour in 2009. Unlike the reshuffling of certain bands where removing some key parts did not go over so well (John Frusciante, RHCP), Mercer is the chicken-and-the-mash-potatoes that is The Shins. It still remains to be seen if the fresh insight of his new band mates takes Mercer into a direction his loyal fans will come to actually appreciate, something his Broken Bells side project did not do, receiving only lukewarm reviews. It’s hard not to expect a great record based on Mercer’s sheer song writing talents, but it has been argued that a musician’s creativity starts to run dry after 10 years – The Shins first album Oh, Inverted World, was released in 2001.

Listen to the first single on their website, theshins.com

At The Drive In - Now operational

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:29:00 -0500

The chatter is brewing that At The Drive In are getting back together after 11 years. A group that seemed to destroy the idea that hardcore music couldn’t be accessible, was at one moment forcing music lovers to rethink their White Zombie t-shirts, then suddenly closed up shop and moved on to other things (Mars Volta). Spin Magazine reported that a seldom used ATDI twitter account made the announcement January 9th. “ATTENTION ! To whom it may concern: AT THE DRIVE-IN will be breaking their 11 year silence THIS STATION IS …NOW…OPERATIONAL.” The tweet seemed to translate the excitement quite literally.

Watch for more news (and noise!) in 2012

Nickelback…yeah, it hurts. There are some bands that seem...

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 02:22:00 -0400

Nickelback…yeah, it hurts.

There are some bands that seem to be in vogue for just a moment, and when their 15 minutes is over, they end up being a reference point for mockery. Milli Vanilli, Vanilla Ice, and Right Said Fred could fall into this unfortunate category. However, no other band has suffered as much negative association, and kept on rocking, as Alberta’s Nickelback. The most recent one-two punch is one part scientific, and one part democratic.

Spin has reported that a dating website shows Nickelback to be a turnoff. “Telling a potential partner you’re really into Nickelback is sexual kryptonite,” writes the Spin staffer. In a separate PR snafu, Rolling Stone is reporting that a petition has been started in Detroit to stop Nickelback from playing the Lions Vs. Packers half-time show. The petitions states “Detroit is home to so many great musicians and they chose Nickelback?” This is not just the grievances of a few angry fans, there are already 20,000+ signatures. ”Does anyone even like Nickelback?” reads the petition, sounding like a high school playground discussion.

Nickelback have a new album coming out November 21st, maybe with this release they will win over all the neigh sayers proving once and for all, radio friendly stadium rock didn’t die with the 80’s.

Young Statues - Album release On November 8th, the same day that...

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 07:11:00 -0400

Young Statues - Album release

On November 8^th, the same day that Brit pop sensation Noel Gallagher will release his much anticipated solo record, said to be the answer to his brother Liam’s earlier release from which an oasis of bad blood (and puns) has been germinating, a subtle band of rockers called Young Statues (Run for Cover records) will release their self-titled debut. The Philadelphia/New Jersey natives have been simmering their sound together since 2010 and are poised to bring back the clean power chords and wondering high notes that were the anthems of college dorms everywhere just a decade ago. Based on their two-song bandcamp.com pre-releases, they manage to carry the energy of punk rock without the distortion pedals and tired gag lyrics. Clean cut front man Carmen Cirignano isn’t however without a good sense of humour. “Legendary mullet,” he tweeted facetiously in late October linking to a picture of a young Jaromir Jagr sporting 80’s Iron Maiden hair. With a few dates planned in NYC and NJ, followed by seven shows in the UK in November, YS are planning to bring Noel a little American hospitality and hopefully draw some of the mainstream hype into the gutters of indie rock.

http://soundcloud.com/cfj-live-recordings/young-statues

http://soundcloud.com/popradiator/favorites

The Breakup, Sonic Youth Sid and Nancy, Kurt and Courtney, maybe...

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:03:00 -0400

The Breakup, Sonic Youth

Sid and Nancy, Kurt and Courtney, maybe even Sonny and Cher, these are the rock and roll couples we rely on for ongoing (even posthumous) celeb gossip. Sonic Youth fans can take solace in that Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore are not deceased, however, their 26 year marriage is no more. According to Pitchfork, in spite of the most famous couple in noise-rock having decided to end their relationship, they will fulfill five dates in south America this November. After that there are no further shows planned.

Consider the magnitude of this divorce on the music world. There have been three decades of music from Sonic Youth where they produced some incredible songs. SY recorded six albums in the 80’s keeping the kids from badly teased hair and cut-off leather vests. Re-listen to Teenaged Riot remembering that at the time GnR and Poison were on heavy rotation. In the 90’s they steered a generation away from Stone Temple Pilots and allowed Nirvana to remain edgy. The Dirty album was a Gen X dream, saving the cohort from dying of ‘Grunge’ and ‘Alternative’. The new millennium saw them ease off the noise pedal and proved that if they wanted to, they could make catchy melodies without sounding typical or surrendering to digital clarity. Incinerate is arguably one of the best songs they ever wrote.

Having to accept that bands (and couples) break up sometimes doesn’t mean we can’t relive the past with any of their 17 studio albums (seriously, I had no idea there were 17 albums, plus tonnes of live and side recordings). However, if you want to forget the past and move on, Thurston is always pushing music forward with his latest solo release Demolished Thoughts – touring in Europe at the end of November. All the best to both band members – thanks for the rock.

Check the 1998 Index Magazine Interview: http://www.indexmagazine.com/interviews/kim_gordon_thurston_moore.shtml

Real Estate (the Band, not the market) There is something to be...

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:18:00 -0400

Real Estate (the Band, not the market)

There is something to be said about young bands that allude the allure of mainstream radio and go in a direction that seems to belong to the social network generation. When else would it be possible to find a niche of listeners that want more then verse&chorus licks and come out with ambient cinematic folk pop that takes a few listens to unearth its brilliance. New Jersey’s Real Estate have a new album coming this month and according to tinymixtapes.com is for anyone who loves summer and “barbecues on the beach.” Categorized as surf-pop, Real Estate have a far more nebulous sound, and come off as a lot more mature then other bands in the genre (see Dirty Gold, Beach Fossils and We Are Tees). Their sound could almost appeal to the 60’s baby boomers as it lingers just long enough to make it impossible for any mass radio play, yet catchy enough for your mom to ask you to burn her a CD.

Check out the new album Days on October 18th on Domino Records (Arctic Monkeys, Stephen Malkmus, Animal Collective, etc).

15 Years Later

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 01:16:00 -0400

A recent BBC Live Recording of Belle and Sebastian reminded me why I was always fond of the Scottish natives, yet for some mundane reason I had never dove in all the way. On the live album there is the song Like Dylan in the Movies, but not knowing their discography well enough I did not know when it was written. Stumbling on a recent Guardian article happened to close the gap for me. Writer Malcolm Jack recounts his hate-to-love relationship with the band and reminds us that not only did B&S make great tracks that slowly take over your mind and drive a compulsion to want more, but that there is something inherently ‘Glasgow’ about their sound. Much like how certain movements peg locations (think 90’s Halifax pop explosion or Berlin tech sounds) B&S have the mystic that captures Scotland so well. The song was originally on the 1996 album If You’re Feeling Sinister.

Sorry God Smack...

Fri, 13 May 2011 09:36:00 -0400

http://lejournaldemontreal.canoe.ca/journaldemontreal/

chroniques/nathalieelgrablylevy/archives/2011/05/20110505-071312.html

I hope I didn’t miss the point of this article but I have to take objection to at least two main points:

“Quand l’art ne permet pas de mettre du beurre sur les épinards”

Art is not about making money. Since when is a painting or a piece of music ‘good’ just because it’s been sold? I hate the band God Smack but they sold lots of albums. Liberal economics, by its very nature, presupposes that the market knows what people want. But unless everything is allowed to get its moment in the spotlight then how will we know if it will be in demand? One could not predict how an imposing iron Calder statue would become a great piece of so many cityscapes.

“Il n’existe que deux raisons pour lesquelles un artiste vit dans la misère.”

Spoken like a person that has never had an artistic thought in her life; people that have an innate or learned drive to produce something for artistic means, do so because they want to, not because they want to make money. Surely this sound naïve, and of course there are artists that are driven by money, but at the core of any artistic drive is the need, almost the necessity, to create something.

When the state fosters an environment that allows people to be creative the benefits are hard to quantify but it has been shown that people are more inclined to participate in cultural events if they are exposed to them. The state should play a role in keeping culture and art at the center of our community.

MTL Punk - movie of the week.

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:15:00 -0400

Attending the first screening of the MTL Punk documentary was like watching a class reunion for the aging rockers. Silver hair and reading glasses seemed to work well with leather jackets and freshly pressed Ramones t-shirts, but the average age of the crowd didn’t translate into a passive viewing experience. The film was great and portrayed a moment of Montreal music history in a small but vibrate scene in the late 70’s. Following the film a panel discussion with the film makers and ex-band members from the 222’s, The Normals and others, is where the punk rock ‘attitude’ came out quite literally. The first question form the crowd was “where are the French bands and why were they not in the film?” The movie is a 50/50 mix of interviews in French and English and the FIFA Art festival chose the Cinemateque Quebecoise to showcase the film, naturally the French crowd had questions. The answer was harsh in spite of it being delivered with only an undertone of bitterness. Film makers, Érik Cimon and Alain Cliché explained that the French media wanted very little to do with this film, it was the English media that showed the most interest in the project – noting that Canal D did eventually agree to buy the film and show it in June 2011. They equally explained that any attempt to get information about punk bands from Quebec city was met with resistance in so far as people did not want to share information or make any conscious efforts.

Having two guys from Quebec City say something like that struck a cord and the door was open for confrontation. It was still very civil but a semi linguistic debate, typical everyday in la belle province, was ignited. Suddenly, a large sturdy man, no hair on his head, dawning a well loved leather jacket took the stage, grabbed a mic and waited until he could speak. The MC said “you may identify yourself and make a comment if you’d like,” rather politely. With a serious look he explained in French that his band was not allowed to play at Club 364 back in the day because they didn’t want a French band playing. He followed to say that the scene was limited because the club owners were not open to the French scene; he then dropped the mic on the floor and took his seat back in the crowd. It was only momentarily awkward but it felt like a genuine moment only a good documentary could dig up.

Strokes - New Album There was a brief moment this month when...

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:17:00 -0500

Strokes - New Album

There was a brief moment this month when the first single “Under the Cover of Darkness” was available for free (http://new.thestrokes.com/) but if you were not quick enough, you’ll have to wait for the March 22ed release date to get the whole album.

Pepper Rabbit - You can’t get this at...

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 12:35:00 -0500

Pepper Rabbit - You can’t get this at McDonald’s

California has been hitting the right indie notes with yet another sleeping gem. Signed to Kanine Records, (joining Surfer’s Blood and Grizzly Bear) Pepper Rabbit are touring their mellow-rock sound all across the US and Canada. With a little help from a McDonald’s commercial, PR are enjoying some exposure from the fast food giant. Honestly, the song Older Brother is an odd pick for a commercial as the song’s tone couldn’t be more melancholy and basically would be fit for thoughts of suicide. That is probably reason to love the commercial even more as Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 film Super Size Me underscored the health effects of of McD’s menu. They did tour with The Rural Alberta Advantage and I had to miss the show in Montreal. And when they played POP Montreal this past summer they were not on my ‘to do list’.

Check the MP3 - http://cowbell.fm/track/188611-pepper-rabbit-older-brother

*There is a food pun somewhere in this article but it’s too early think of the best one.

Avi Buffalo - more then congratulations

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 23:11:00 -0500

Reading the Last.fm list of similar artists to Avi Buffalo I was dismayed to see that MGMT did not make the catalogue. Avi’s space rock vocals and catchy melodies are arguably the best thing since MGMT’s 2008 Oracular Spectacular. One could go as far to say that Congratulations was the missed MGMT follow up and Avi’s self titled debut was the cut we were all waiting for; hell, even the CD jackets have similar abstract surfer motifs. Yet, one shouldn’t go too far with that opinion as the girl at the record store boasted Congratulations was not only as good as MGMT’s first album, but “waaay’ better”.

Whether you agree with the record store employee or not is of no consequence to Avi Buffalo. The California natives manage to capture the feel of the golden state with their sweet laidback sound that drives a mature energy not expected from kids born in the 90’s. Where the Irish band the Thrills sang about Big-Sur with a tourist vibe, Avi sounds seasoned like Mordecai Richler in all his early satirical novels. Signed with Sub-Pop I’m convinced they must know somebody that knows somebody, because it’s nearly impossible to get a major label deal that young and only after playing a handful of shows in Long Beach. If you haven’t heard this gem yet, check out What’s in it for? and tell me you’re not itching to take a road trip down Highway 1.