The band is called darkDARK. The group says they’re based out of Los Angeles AND Austin… those places are far apart. They must travel on points.
They talk about their song “Moments”
“We started Moments with vocal samples and a few words we kept repeating. We’re split between LA and Austin and we work in tandem when writing so we’ve found that imagining tracks as physical spaces or scenes keeps us on the same wavelength. For “Moments” that scene was ‘the space between’ – those little fleeting, unfixed points in time that you wish you could keep.”
JAPANDROIDS rage back with the announcement of a new record called Near To The Wild Heart Of Life. Polyvinyl has it on pre-order right now, record ships January 27th.
The record is 8 songs sequenced specifically for vinyl. Songs 1 to 7 form some sort of loose narrative so says the press, with track 8 acting as an epilogue.
The first share song is the title track. It will be released as a 7-inch singled backed with a cover of the Talking Heads “Love → Building on Fire.”
Their third albums follows 2012’s Celebration Rock and ’09’s Post-Nothing.
“In some ways, we’re approaching this like it’s our very first record. We’re removing all the self-imposed rules that led to the songs and the sound of our whole career up until now. When you do that, you can try anything.”
1 Near To The Wild Heart Of Life (4:57)
2 North East South West (4:21)
3 True Love And A Free Life Of Free Will (4:26)
4 I’m Sorry (For Not Finding You Sooner) (2:28)
5 Arc Of Bar (7:25)
6 Midnight To Morning (4:44)
7 No Known Drink Or Drug (3:11)
8 In A Body Like A Grave (5:22)
“I used to be good, but now I’m bad.”
***
Halloween was fun times! Bush wa sin Vancouver for a sold-out show at the Commodore. For 51 years old, Gavin Rossdale is a fireball of energy and still sounds vintage 90s. Great show, fun night. My wife Coral, her sister Alyx, and I went has Daenerys and her dragons.
I remember listening to Coast-to-Coast AM with Art Bell years ago and he was talking about EVPs or electronic voice phenomenon. People picking up the voices of the dead on their recordings. It has always fascinated me, and so today on the show I tried to contacts the spirits and voices from beyond!
Jason texted in to the show to say: “Dude, that EVP ghost call was the best worst thing ever.” Um, thanks?
Last night, The Boxer Rebellion came ot Vancouver for a show at The Biltmore. My man Jason had an extra tickets so I tagged along. I hadn’t really thought too much about Boxer Rebellion since the late 00s? I have one of their albums, Union, and I hadn’t punched it up in years.
The band had a couple support acts. A singer/songwriter dude and a group from NYC called Hey Anna.
Dreamy indie rock. Reminded me of Alvvays a little.
The Boxer Rebellion were solid. I was impressed with their set fr the most part. They do like their slow jams…but those also tended to be the songs that got their audience of 30-something recovering hipsters to get all hot and bothered. In fact, they stopped down the set about half through to come into the crowd and lead the audience in an unplugged singing of “Always.” It was a cool moment and raised the energy in the room after.
This isn’t from Vancouver, but basically they did the same thing at the Biltmore. Just lower roof, and way sweatier.
Happy Friday! I’m in good spirits heading into the weeknd. Canucks remain undefeated to start the season, WHAT? Might be taking my kid to the theme park for Fright Nights at the PNE! And The Boxer Rebellion is at the Biltmore Sunday night. Finally, my wife said we have a weekend of sorting out bins of surplus junk that needs to be donated or thrown out. Can’t wait.
Here’s a few remixes making the mix this weekend at Match.
Journey: we’ll still believin’!
Here’s a Phil Collins remix that is pretty fun. Heavy on the sax. Doesn’t hit you over the head with the original classic jammer, but it’s in the mix. I played this last night and people were trying to Shazam it and asking, ‘what is this?”
Another oldie… theme this week. Fetty Wap’s breakthrough mainstream hit gets a tropical polish. Is tropical still I thing? I like it…but I’m also a 36-year-old Dad guy….so…right.
THIS GUY! Ugh. Great remix of The Weeknd’s “Starboy” but if you click for the download it takes you on this Hobbit adventure. I gave up part way. if I care a ton, I’ll just rip it. Still, great remix.
Bonus remix! DJ Primitive posted this beauty. Funky.
The Andy Shauf train rumbles along with a new animated music video for his song “Quiet Like You.”
Andy’s music has been described by Q Magazine as “a warm mix of late-period Beatles melodicism and Nilsson in his more melancholic moments.” That’s cool. Reminds me of type of indie jammer you’d hear in a movie like Election.
Andy Shauf already played a bunch of shows in our neighbourhood. He’s in California now and them making his way East with a bunch of sold out shows promoting his 2016 Polaris short-listed record The Party.
Oct 20 Swedish American Hall San Francisco, CA – SOLD OUT Oct 21 Echoplex Los Angeles, CA – SOLD OUT Nov 22 Mod Club Theatre Toronto, Canada Nov 23 Mills Hardware Hamilton, ON – SOLD OUT Nov 24 Starlight Waterloo, Canada Nov 25 Mod Club Theatre Toronto, Canada – SOLD OUT Nov 26 Gordon Best Theatre, Peterborough, Canada Nov 29 Schubas Chicago, IL Nov 30 The Frequency Madison, WI Dec 01 The Hi-Fi Indianapolis, IN Dec 02 The Basement Nashville, TN Dec 03 The Mothlight Asheville, NC Dec 04 Mountain Stage Charleston, WV Dec 05 DC9 Nightclub Washington, DC Dec 06 The Boot & Saddle Philadelphia, PA Dec 07 Rough Trade NYC Brooklyn, NY – SOLD OUT Dec 08 National Arts Centre Ottawa, Canada Dec 09 Le National Montreal, Canada Dec 10 L’Anti Quebec City, Canada
Aussie pop-rockers The Griswolds are back with a new record on November 11th and he have another listen right here.
The song is the title track called “High Times for Low Lives.” A little darker than previous Griswolds songs (like the lead single “Out of My Head”). Bass is up front, forming the frame to hang the brighter vocals.
“Out of My Head” was minor alt radio song in the States. I think it is like #56 right now?
One of the most important bands from those early days of Seattle grunge, Mother Love Bone, are getting their brief history of recorded music packaged for a releases.
Mother Love Bone: On Earth As It Is- the Complete Works collects MLB’s two recordings,Apple and Shine, remasters them and puts them on one disc (or series of LPs).The package also collects over 20 b-side, alternate versions and rarities, like lead singer Andrew Wood’s demo for “Chloe Dancer,” and a live version of “Stardog Champion” featuring Chris Cornell.
Before forming Pearl Jam, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard were in Mother Love Bone. Just before the release of their debut album in 1990, their singer Andy Wood died of a drug overdose. The Kitsap Sun described him as, “a cherubic singer who pranced the stage in spandex, white face paint and glitter, and seemed destined for stardom.”
Members of the band joined up to mourn his death with friend Chris Cornell as Temple of The Dog before morphing with Eddie Vedder into Mookie Blaylock and ultimately Pearl Jam.
My favourite Mother Love Bone jam? Has to be the extended “Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns.”
The Morning After 