Video Of The Week: Purity Ring

At this point, we're probably due for a Beyoncé video, however I have been wanting to feature Purity Ring for a while, and with their most recent album, Another Eternity, getting released this week, I figured now was ideal to feature this video, directed and edited by Renata Raksha.

It's an artistic take on the now-common ''this-isn't-an-actual-video'' type of video, but instead of showing the album cover or a bad montage of various promo shots, it's a bunch of visual effects over one band still photograph.

And the music is clearly well-written pop, close to the ''orchestral pop'' of the mid-1990s, but with a touch of modern electronics, so it's a tad more experimental - while remaining completely accessible. It's smooth, easy listening that won't leave you feeling stupid.

Renata Raksha

 

 

Video Of The Week: Timber Timbre

Timber Timbre are a Montréal duo consisting of Taylor Kirk (frequent collaborator of Thus Owls) and Simon Trottier (hot composer du jour); on their records, they are often accompanied by Colin Stetson (saxophone) and Mika Posen (violin), who are often replaced in  the live shows by Olivier Fairfield and Mathieu Charbonneau.

I played a co-headlining show with Trottier (accompanying Simon Leduc) at Barfly for IglooFest a few years ago (2008, maybe) and must admit I liked the sounds he could pull from his guitar, but in Timber Timbre, it's more subtle - and ironically, easier to appreciate.

I have to admit I prefer the song accompanied by its fully-animated video (by Chad VanGaalen), though, because you have to be in the right mood for just the ethereal sounds, whereas the images can fit in any context.



If the band sounds like something you may have heard before, it might be because their song Magic Arrow appeared in Breaking Bad and in The Good Wife, their song called Black Water played in For A Good Time, Call..., and their semi-hit Demon Host was featured in the end credits for The Last Exorcism Part II (for which Kirk submitted a musical score that was turned down).

This song, Beat the Drum Slowly, appears on their most recent album, Hot Dreams, which came out last week.

Album Review: Near Grey's The Herschel Central Peak

It isn't ''easy listening'' per se, as it clearly demands some attention span to grasp the subtleties of their 10-minute songs, but Near Grey's The Herschel Central Peak won't blow your brain apart either. Unless you listen with your headphones on too loudly.

As far as instrumentals go, this is closer to the atmospheric leanings of Godspeed You! Black Emperor (albeit a tad heavier and sludgier, but in the same vein of explorations of sonic landscapes that go from calm to heavy swiftly yet subtly) than British shoegazers that so many were fond of a decade ago.

Guitarist/synth expert Kevin Bartczak has been experimenting with post-rock and heavier music for a decade now through numerous projects (Raw Madonna and USA Out Of Vietnam to name a couple of collective efforts, but also quite an extensive solo library as well as more conventional releases like the terrific Natalie Portland), and he seems to have found something with this particular band that he didn't have earlier: boundaries that lead to substance.

It's not art for art's sake, it's not a vanity project, it's music. Really good music.

The first piece, Sauropod, numbs your mind with the repetition of just one dark chord, then takes you away with a lighter side in the middle, enabling your senses to take flight, as if reflecting safely from above the wreckage of a war-torn village, spirit-like. Or something.

Then comes Northfield, which sounds like the aftermath of the previous scene. Slow-paced, filled with sadness and melancholy, with a touch of anger and resignation - just enough to prop you back up. The drumming in this one is particularly good, both at first in the subdued part, and in the end as well, when the emotions rise.

Cannulated starts exactly where Northfield ends, mid-crescendo, before cooling off quickly and revealing the album's best melodies... only to increase in intensity with more convincing drum work. For this song in particular, however, I would have liked the drums to display a lower frequency/pitch and perhaps be a tad louder in the mix starting from the half-way mark, as they are clearly driving the song, but having them so far behind in the mix creates a bit of a sense of dead air floating in the middle of all the instruments.

Regina closes off the album, and begins by sounding like an old black-and-white photo feels: desolate, sad, decrepit, like all of its descendants are long dead. It's also the one song that is best described by the band's self-inflicted ''metal'' categorization, seeing as from the middle of the song onwards, it sounds pretty darn satanic. It's also pretty energetic and invigorating, like the last song of a set, be it pre-encore or during it.

All in all, it's a pretty satisfying record that I'd rate a solid 7.5/10.

The only negative thing I found - particularly in the third track - was a less-than-optimal production, whose overall grade is fine (7/10) but in that particular song, closer to 6/10.

You can purchase it here, for a mere $5.

Video Of The Week: Cults

Cults are really a by-product of their era: at a time where the major labels are near implosion (and pretty much all under the same umbrella corporation) and independent labels are proliferating, you can't tell if an act if indie just by listening to them. You'd think Cults are, by their unpolished sound, yet they're signed with Columbia Records, a division of Sony, who now also owns Epic, BMG, RCA (itself owner of J Records, Arista and Jive), Echo Records, The Michael Jackson Company, and EMI Publishing, among other holdings.

That being said, it doesn't deter from Cults' indie-like, electro-infused darkwave, and neither does the fact that singer Madeline Follin and guitarist/vocalist Brian Oblivion used to be an item; in their case, just like it did for The White Stripes, it actually makes the music better, so far.

The songs off their second record, Static, are simpler than on 2011's self-titled Cults, yet they're also more effective, and perhaps even catchier, as can be attested from this video, High Road:



The imagery at first is a bit reminiscent of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army, with the close-ups turning into other images, but it quickly becomes its own beast, thanks to fine photo direction and sequences reminiscent of David Lynch (the road) or Donnie Darko (the deer). It's not quite ''experimental'', but like for Nine Inch Nails' Came Back Haunted, if it can manage to turn just a few innocent souls towards proper art, we'll all have won in the end.

Video Of The Week: Atoms For Peace

The name of the group may ring a bell: it's from a song off Thom Yorke's solo album.

That name may ring a bell: he's the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for Radiohead.

That name may also ring a bell, as it's taken from a Talking Heads song title (off the oft-overlooked True Stories album).

So... who are Atoms For Peace? Well, first and foremost, they're Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano). Their first few gigs consisted of them playing his solo record, a cover or two, and a Radiohead b-side, then they stated incorporating new songs, until they had enough to make an album, Amok.

The band's center and sound engineer is none other than Radiohead's long-time producer Nigel Godrich (keyboards, synthesizers, guitars), and their backline is rounded up by Flea on bass (from the Red Hot Chili Peppers), mercenary drummer extraordinaire Joey Waronker (who has filled in for the regular drummers of Beck, R.E.M., Charlotte Martin, Smashing Pumpkins and The Vines, as well as being a one-time session drummer for Paul McCartney, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, P!nk, Norah Jones and many other past and present greats), as well as percussionist Mauro Refosco (from the band Forro In The Dark, and RHCP's tour percussionist).

You may call them a supergroup.

This song, Before Your Very Eyes, is their fourth single overall, and the third one from Amok - the first release was a stand-alone double-A-side consisting of Tamer Animals and Other Side. The video is reminiscent of Radiohead's Kid A-era videos, barely showing the musicians, mostly consisting of digitally-constructed landscapes blending water, mountains and buildings. Like the song, it's no longer ''original'' per se, but it's still pretty cool.

Video Of The Week: Storm Corrosion

I was turned onto this project by my friend Mark a couple of weeks ago, and it has haunted me and fueled my ears ever since, though I slightly prefer the video to the song.

The visuals are reminiscent of what Tim Burton may have done with Corpse Bride if he hadn't lost his edge after reading the critics of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory; the music is deep, rich, researched, textured - all adjectives I'd also use to describe prog-metal band Tool, who also have a knack for terrific animated videos. Storm Corrosion's sound is reminiscent of Tool's Aenima and Lateralus eras, more specifically; there's also a dark Scott Walker-meets-Nick Cave vibe in the quality of storytelling and layering of instruments.

And just who is Storm Corrosion? It is the fruit of a collaboration between Swedish hard-rocker Mikael Åkerfeldt (leader of death metal band Opeth, and vocalist for Bloodbath; also a member of Sörskogen and Steel) and British rock experimentor Steven Wilson (leader of Porcupine Tree, past member of Altamont and Pride Of Passion).

There are no plans for a second album nor tour, but with musicians of that caliber, it's almost inevitable they'll itch to make another recording that is a departure from their usual playbook; maybe that time round, they can also bring in former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy aboard, as was initially intended, though it would inevitably alter the dynamic. Then again, ''scheduling conflicts'' have made him part ways with at least 5 different bands, so perhaps that was never meant to be...

Video Of The Week: Nine Inch Nails

This had all the promise and the making of an instant classic, of a timeless piece of art: Trent Reznor resurrecting Nine Inch Nails, returning to a sound more electronic, harking back to prior to The Downward Spiral, closer to the Fixed/Broken EPs, and an artsy black-and-white video directed by none other than David Lynch, one of the most daring, unique, visionary American film directors of the past quarter-century; the pair had previously collaborated on Lynch's amazing Lost Highway, as NIN wrote two songs for the film (The Perfect Drug and the end credits' Driver Down), and Reznor producing the film's soundtrack.

What we're left with is (relatively) standard experimental film fare, vaguely inspired by Luis Buñuel's and Salvador Dali's Un Chien Andalou (the eyes), at other times reminiscent of the works of Kenneth Anger (the subversive and repetitive subject matter), Norman McLaren (the animation, the scratching of the lens), René Clair, Stan Brackhage, Fernand Léger (the repetitive found images of an odd dance/ballet), and maybe even Georges Méliès (the moon-face).

I wouldn't call it ''cliché'', but it's not all that original, either.

But I decided to give it a few days, a few listens.

And this, despite its obvious references to a film grad and screenwriter such as myself, remains the best video I've seen in a (short) while. And to anyone without the experience to see where the inspiration comes from, this could open their eyes to a whole new world of (better) films out there. Which is also great.

And the song itself fits in the NIN pantheon. Very well. It's not as political as Head Like A Hole, not as obviously subversive as Closer (though that song is now a staple at strip clubs and sporting events...), not as heavy as March Of The Pigs nor as angry as Starfuckers, Inc., not as ''inclusive of all the ingredients that make up Nine Inch Nails'' as The Perfect Drug, but it's one of the better songs released this year so far. It grows on you.

And I'd rather have Nine Inch Nails doing the rounds, performing on talk shows, touring, grabbing your attention (and dollars) than modern-day futilities such as Macklemore, Bruno Mars and Will.I.am, or past success revivalists like Chicago and Bon Jovi.



I'll be purchasing the new album, Hesitation Marks, the day of its release - on September 3rd - as I have done since 1992 because, well, NIN is a great band project.

Kim Gordon Wisdom

Elle Magazine had an awesome interview recently with (former?) Sonic Youth bassist and vocalist Kim Gordon, where she mentions what turns her on artistically these days, her current projects, and how she's handling the dating life now that she is divorced from co-founding SY member, co-vocalist and guitarist Thurston Moore.

It seems Gordon blames book editor Eva Prinz for the couple's break up (well, that and Moore himself):

''We seemed to have a normal relationship inside of a crazy world,'' Gordon says of her marriage.'' And in fact, it ended in a kind of normal way—midlife crisis, starstruck woman.''

 Other people have other views but, really, the only people who should worry about that shit are those directly involved: the guy cheating on his wife, the woman he's been seeing since, and the woman scorned who moved on with her life. The one thing everyone else on the planet should be allowed to ask is: is that shit bad enough to put an end to one of indie rock's best success stories of all time, of a band who did things their way from Day 1, who own all rights to all their works, who kept it real and experimental the whole time, and eventually got support from a major label (Geffen), but only after proving they could do it on their own, and still held their rights, their freedom, their autonomy - and were allowed to release stuff independently at the same time (Geffen has a similar deal with Beck, so they're cool like that).

Should it mean the end of Sonic Youth, then we should all get our hands on pitchforks (the tool, not the website, who likely still support everything Moore does - he is to them what Jack White is to me!) and walk over to Thurston Moore's house and seek revenge/retribution/justice/his head on a stick. Anything else just isn't our business.

In any event, Kim Gordon remains a ground breaker, a trend setter, a smart, poised, strong, articulate person who rocks harder than a lot of them. I saw SY many times between 1996 and 2002 - I stopped going when the shows got more expensive and shorter at the same time - and I met the band twice - once after a show at Métropolis, and another time after one at Le Medley. Both times they were affable, took the time to sign my ticket stubs and talk a bit, and really seemed to care about all the fans who waited outside for them. ''Good, simple humans'' I thought. Still do.

Noise Park

Many people take the South Park-themed apps to ''Park'' themselves, their friends, or their idols - or just waste time. The good people at Noise Park took it one step further and took the entire genre of experimental music and turned it into the crude cut-up-style creatures we love watching on TV:

Jean-Michel Jarre

Aphex Twin

Albert Ayler

Whether it's electronica, jazz or whatever that soft prog Jean-Michel Jarre creates, they are now part of the Noise Park universe!

Video Of The Week: Tom Waits

Tom Waits is a singular songwriter. One of the best poets and lyricists in pop/rock, he's also the king of exploring beats, as this song demonstrates. After recording most of his albums with guest-star drummers, his recent opus, Bad As Me, mostly features his son Casey Waits manning the beat machine, and doing a great job at it.

Hell Broke Luce has a military-esque beat pattern and tells the tale of a soldier who is tired of his President's bullshit (''give 'em all a beautiful parade instead'', a direct jab at George W. Bush), doesn't understand why he's at war, and being homesick.

The video itself, directed by Matt Mahurin (Alice In Chains' Angry Chair, Cowboy Junkies' Sweet Jane, Hole's Gold Dust Woman), utilizes imagery worthy of 1920s-1930s experimental films (those of René Clair and Luis Bunuel in particular) and is worthy of being called a short film.

After being my favourite song off Waits' most recent album, this video is almost sure to make it in my end-of-the-year top-5.

Thanks For The Memories, AIDS Wolf

One of the bands I most looked up to as examples of how to run your career - AIDS Wolf - has just called it quits, via singer Chloe Lum's blog.

They toured relentlessly, designed posters as a side-job/for a living, and electrified audiences on three continents... even if by the end, it was to only 5 people at a time.

In her post, Chloe describes exactly how the ''free market'' in North America actually works - huge corporations no longer have to get their shit through customs, they can close factories in major cities and re-open them in Mexico or other poor countries at a lesser cost, but the proverbial Little Guy has to go through more - and more expensive - loopholes. Especially if He wants to make it all right and legal. It makes no moral sense.

Perhaps a show of love will convince them to not hang the wires forever, perhaps not. I know I've always wanted to sing a song with Lum myself; maybe if AW is on the backburner, she'll have time for it, maybe not. But this doesn't seem like a decision they made lightly, nor one they're thrilled about.

It's pretty much a mourning, for them and for us.

Picture below from suburbanalist.

picture below from Chloe's tumblr

The memories and recordings remain, though.

Video Of The Week: AIDS Wolf

First things first: if the band's name scares you off, your best bet is to not listen to the music. At all. Ever.

But you will. And you won't like it. You'll find it childish, like that ''art'' that hangs at galleries that is just a rectangle, that your 1-year old son could draw but is worth millions.

Let it be known that the musicians of AIDS Wolf (currently a trio formed of Chloe Lum, Yannick Desranleau and Alexander Moskos) could, if they wanted to, play note-for-note renditions of any Rolling Stones record (although they might actually prefer covering a Black Flag album), but as a no-wave band that hints on hardcore punk and dub themselves ''wierd punk'' (sic), they purposely choose atonal sounds, screams, textures and layers over melody.

They pride themselves on going wild in their live shows, which usually involve their extended entourage being in the crowd but has grown to include a large international following (from a fierce touring schedule and regimen over the past 5 years). And, for that - to build that - the name helps. Certainly.

For a while, they lived their art even outside the sounds of the band; sure, I'm referring to the screenprinting venture Lum and Desranleau are responsible for - Seripop - one that has garnered an international reputation as well, with shows in museums all across North America; but I'm also referring to the nude band pics that can be found pretty much everywhere on the interwebs.

These days, they let the music speak for itself. Case in point: they don't actually appear in the video - not in a decipherable fashion, anyway. Which is the point - and is pretty much the exact same point that they're trying to make with the type of music they choose to play: they're tired of the old, tired rock, and they get off experimenting in something that is both more primal and more 'researched', more layered. To get into it, you need to open your ears' minds and look for what you want to hear. It's too much trouble for many, but it's quite rewarding for others.



Aids Wolf - Suck is Happiness from Emily P on Vimeo.

Video Of The Week: Forest For The Trees

This was originally intended to be my Video Of Last Week, since it's a song I sang at a benefit show on the 21st, but Desert Owls released their video, and I had to bump this one.

Forest For The Trees, essentially, is Karl Stephenson, the man who co-wrote Beck's ''Loser'' and co-produced his ''Mellow Gold'' record. He recorded his own album with the royalties from the Beck song and record, and put himself in an institution upon its release.

The whole record is great, look for it.