DO MAKE SAY THINK - Other Truths

For a long time now, the Do Makes have been one of the best bands this city has to offer. For close to fifteen years, they've been a model of consistency, producing five instrumental albums of poetic beauty. And while their origins can be traced back to a time when nearly every second indie band sounded like either Tortoise or Mogwai, they've escaped the burnout of 'post-rock' not only unscathed, but as potent as ever. Even their sixth full-length's most seemingly self-indulgent sins (like making a four-song album of ten-minute tracks, each named for one of the action verbs in the group's name) can't derail such a fine record. That's because Other Truths encapsulates the full range of this group with disarming candour and directness. It's remarkable how songs so long and meandering can maintain a connection with the listener at all times. And unlike their early days (which do still contain incredible songcraft), the group is far less likely to rely on easy tricks of dynamics, instead flexing their equally attuned, but far more subtle compositional muscle. They've yet to make even a mediocre record—and I for one wouldn't be surprised if they never do.

(Tickets are now on sale to see DMST perform at Harbourfront Centre's Enwave Theatre Sat. Dec 12 and Sun. Dec 13.)

VA - Tumbele!: Biguine, Afro & Latin Sounds From The French Caribbean 1963-1973

From the moment we first threw this one on we knew that we had a winner, a sentiment confirmed by the steady line of customers asking about this disc. Soundway is one of our favourite reissue labels, leading the pack with the best African comps of the last few years, plus popular collections of Panamanian and Colombian music. This time they’ve switched focus to the music of Guadeloupe and Martinique, a highly unlikely source but one that has proven irresistible on the dancefloors of the rising “tropical funk” movement spearheaded by Miles Cleret (the man behind the Soundway label), Quantic's Will Holland, and Toronto’s own Symon Warwick, whose regular Turning Point dance parties are always a reliably steamy night out. The selections here are some of the most infectious grooves you’ll hear all year, combining calypso melodicism, latin rhythms, afro-charged horns and percussion, and New Orleans jazz. It’s a delicious mix of influences that will have you dancing in your kitchen for months.

(UPDATE: Soundway's Miles Cleret will in fact be guest DJing at the next Turning Point dance party, Sat. Nov 7 at the Gladstone Ballroom!)  

RICHARD HAWLEY - Truelove's Gutter

Richard Hawley is a rare talent in a time of hyper-hipsterism and trainspotting, who bucks current trends and looks more to Sinatra’s moodier work and Scott Walker’s spacious sound universe than more current and fashionable fellows. Hawley’s music has been defiantly out of step with the times since he emerged in 2002 after a decade of sideman status in the Longpigs and, more notably, Pulp. A seasoned session player, his guitar playing (like his singing style and taste for arrangements) is restrained and, at the same time, remarkably rich. His patented baritone croon and love for reverb-laden country music (in that lush Francoise Hardy or Lee Hazlewood kind of way) reliably recreate the same late-night vibe he’s been honing from the start, but very little from this year can touch this album for its sheer beauty and understated sexiness. One of this writer's top picks for 2009.  

KURT VILE - Childish Prodigy

The logical culmination of a year that has seen a pair of Kurt Vile's much-lauded, limited-run solo home recordings (Constant Hitmaker and God Is Saying This To You) followed up by an EP of full-band studio work with backing group The Violators (The Hunchback), this Matador debut splits the difference between these two sides, although for this writer at least, the re-recorded "Hunchback" (along with the one other riff-rocker that pops up halfway, Dim Stars cover "Monkey") clunks through its chord changes in a way that doesn't exactly put this album's best foot forward sequencing-wise.

No matter, though, since if you're more partial to Vile's drone and fingerpicked/folk-rock moves (two traits shared with fellow Philadelphians The War On Drugs, with whom Kurt has played guitar and whose singer Adam Granduciel now returns the favour with their roles reversed here), a darker, mid-fi complexity clings to Childish Prodigy like a mold, as shimmering solo tracks such as "Overnite Religion" pack as much of a tranced-out, self-assured and swaggery punch as his high water mark to date with Violators in tow, the seven-minute, one-chord ramble of "Freak Train". 

tUnE-yArDs - BiRd-BrAiNs

The art of home recording in the Beck or Sebadoh tradition has lost a lot of its charm since giant leaps in technology now allow amateurs to produce overblown prog workouts with a million billion overdubs. Merrill Garbus’ debut album as tUnE-yArDs reclaims the intimacy and immediacy of early-'90s DIY, updating it with beats, baritone uke and a vocal audacity that makes this one of the most unique pop records of the year so far. Like Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca (another 2009 classic) and that record's frequently clear ties to African guitar playing, Garbus puts her remarkable vocal timbre to good use in the out-there pygmy yodels on “Hatari” and the faux-dancehall-meets-Laika of “Jamaican”, while on “Fiya” she delivers a tender affecting performance with dense ukelele arpeggios and a twittering rhythm track. This is an impossible album to pin down, as it shapeshifts not so much between genres, but rather invents new ones at each turn while still sounding contemporary.

THE FEELIES - Crazy Rhythms

Crazy Rhythms is a seminal record that provided one of the earliest blueprints for the next 30 years in the development of “indie”. The Feelies were from New Jersey, and shared a strong affinity with the Velvets, Talking Heads, and Television (with whom they shared a dual lead guitar set-up), but their collective instrumental twitchiness pointed in a different direction from their New York forebears. In some ways, they had more in common with New Zealand’s The Clean, another key early indie band that didn’t fit into the main subcultures that emerged out of punk (post-punk, new wave, etc.). You can hear echoes of their sound in The Wedding Present (whose frenetic strum is all over this record, most distinctly on the cover version of “Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey”), Yo La Tengo, The Smiths, The Vaselines, and even Stereolab (check out drone rocker “Forces at Work”, with only one chord change in its 7 minutes). As with the band's recently reissued follow-up (1986's The Good Earth), the original track listing is preserved; bonus tracks, which include demos and live reunion recordings from earlier this year, are available on a download card. 

GIRLS - Album

Girls are led by Christopher Owens, apparently raised in a twisted religious cult but now finding redemption these days in pre-grunge/late-'80s-leaning alternative rock. Owens has learned well from the tortured vocals of Charlie Sexton, who made the girls swoon with his rock’n’roll swagger and androgynous pretty-boy image. Like the Jesus And Mary Chain circa Honey’s Dead, Girls prefer to keep things direct, without the trappings of studio trickery, aside from some Spector-esque reverb when they hint at girl-group influences. There are two potential (in an ideal world) hits here: “Laura” is a perfectly sugary pastiche of Elvis Costello and west coast pop, and “Hellhole Ratrace” takes the aforementioned JAMC sound, but adds the moodiness of The Church. Both songs are totally familiar-sounding, but refreshingly somewhat out of step with current trends.

VA - Where The Action Is!: Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968

Dateline Hollywood, 1966: Miles away from the movie studios and Beverly Hills mansions, the Sunset Strip is throbbing with clubs and kids catching some of the best bands the U.S. of A. had to offer. The Byrds, The Standells, Love, The Seeds: the list can go on ad infinitum. In this reviewer's not-so-humble opinion, Los Angeles had the most vibrant music scene in the world, second only to London, England. The legendary Rhino label has now seen fit to pay ample tribute to the fantastic—and occasionally mind-bending—vitality and variety of L.A.'s pop-rock talent on its latest installment of the Nuggets box set series. Its four CDs and 101 tracks provide an essential overview of everything from the first folk-rock groups to the studio geniuses (Brian Wilson, Gary Usher, Jan Berry) by way of the snotty suburban garage combos.

Everyone who was anyone (and even some deserving nobodies) are here, including The Turtles, The Leaves, early Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks, Buffalo Springfield, and Ricky Nelson (on acid!). The accompanying book comes complete with beautiful photos and detailed descriptions of L.A. clubs and the all-important radio stations which broadcast the new and innovative folk-rock, garage, psych, and sunshine pop sounds emanating from smoggy "Boss" Angeles. A terrific and timeless slice of pop music history, Where The Action Is! is definitely not a case of "I guess you had to be there"; with this wonderful box set, you ARE there.

THE DODOS - Time To Die

On their excellent debut Visiter, The Dodos were a duo who succeeded primarily because they never sounded thin or lacking, despite an absence of low-end. Solid writing and a relaxed feel helped with that, but the real clincher was the fact that they weren't nearly as loose or untrained as their scrawled artwork would have you believe. Guitarist Meric Long and drummer Logan Kroeber are very solid players, and understand intrinsically how to get the most out of seemingly simple interplay between each other. Expanding to a trio—via new vibraphonist/percussionist Keaton Snyder—thankfully hasn't cluttered any of this band's approachable charms. With veteran indie producer Phil Ek behind the boards, both the melodies and rhythms are slightly sharper, but the songs still careen beautifully between heart-tugging pop and dizzy, bouncy instrumental passages. And it's very fitting that despite gaining an extra member, the band still kept their bass frequencies clear and open, because even an occassional hint of aggression (the whipcracking "This Is A Business") can't distract from Time To Die's freewheeling, sunny character, one that bass, quite frankly, would've only weighed down. For a band named after an extinct, flightless bird, The Dodos are made to hit the air—they make it look (and sound) so easy.

(Tickets remain for The Dodos' upcoming Lee's Palace show on Sat. Oct 17. Opening the show is a great band from New Zealand, the Ruby Suns.)

TWO HOURS TRAFFIC - Territory

The "little band from P.E.I." line has done a lot of good for Two Hours Traffic over the past few years. After all, while their 2007 album Little Jabs was a fine blend of fun-infused power-pop, much has been made of the fact that these youngsters come from a province not particularly well known for its cultural exports. So when Little Jabs ended up on many critics' year-end lists and snagged a Polaris Prize nomination, the rest of the country started to take notice. On their new disc Territory, THT spend less time singing about backseat sweethearts and more time exploring heavier subjects (standout track "Drop Alcohol" tackles a friend's struggle with alcohol abuse), although none of the songs here could be categorized as downers. Territory producer Joel Plaskett's latest opus Three is a fine reference point for the overall sound of the album, though singer Liam Corcoran's gravelly voice is a welcome change from Plaskett's trademark falsetto. Overall, this album marks a confident step forward for the band, whose sunniest days are still ahead.

VLADISLAV DELAY - Tummaa

On Tummaa, Sasu Ripatti's newest album under his Vladislav Delay guise, there's if not a frenetic, then at least a restless aspect to its performances, a gnarled element in its flattened, alien tweaks that makes it, to these ears, a cut above the comparative placidity of Moritz von Oswald's Vertical Ascent trio backed by Ripatti's processed percussion with Max Loderbauer on synth, whose debut was likewise recently released. With key contributions here from Craig Armstrong's Rhodes and piano and Lucio Capece's woodwinds, this is one fine, lively recording, in league with Mokira's Persona as this writer's personal favourite ambient/abstract electronic discs of 2009 so far.

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS - Hungry For Kicks: Singles & Choice Cuts 1965-69

Strangely enough, one of the greatest American rock'n'roll groups of the '60s is also among the most underrated. Paul Revere & The Raiders racked up several Top 20 hits from 1965 to '69 and also hosted a daily TV music show on which they performed comedy routines while wearing matching Revolutionary War uniforms. Not exactly the kinds of things that endeared them to the growing hippie counterculture, which accounts for the fact that despite their brilliant singles, they were eventually perceived as little more than a bubblegum joke. This compilation fortunately sets the record straight, combining their raucous garage singles with sizzling slightly-delic album cuts. Graced with an outstanding lead singer, Mark Lindsay, The Raiders deserve to be at least near the pantheon of the era's bands, alongside The Beach Boys, Lovin' Spoonful, and Byrds (with whom they shared producer Terry Melcher).

YO LA TENGO - Popular Songs

Much is made of the dependability of Yo La Tengo. After all, Popular Songs, their 12th full-length album, comes some 25 years into a career which has consistently seen them release some of the most influential and timeless records of American indie rock. But it's worth noting that midway through the '00s, things weren't looking so rosy for the Hoboken trio. After four stunning records in a row, their quality began to wane, whether by way of lukewarm duds (Summer Sun), self-indulgent wankfests (their unconvincing cover of Sun Ra's "Nuclear War"), or mail-order exclusives (The Sounds Of The Sounds Of Science OST), all releases more curious than canon-worthy.

What's a rapidly aging indie band to do? How about defiantly title an album I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass and stomp out the slump? That 2007 record was a classic multi-genre slab of YLT that demonstrated fully that the band had lost none of its range, and Popular Songs keeps the streak alive, embracing soul-strung psych ("Here To Fall"), fuzzy pop nuggets ("Nothing To Hide"), squelchy organ funk ("Periodically Double or Triple") and a stab at Jim O'Rourke-style folk ("I'm On My Way") with equal cunning. Like nearly all Yo La Tengo records, this one's a long one, but with a bit of a twist—the album is essentially divided into one relatively pop album (the first nine tracks), and one album of drawn-out epics (the final three). The first album is top-drawer; as for the second, well, there is a time and place for them, but none of these tracks really warrant their running times, especially the sixteen-minute closer "And The Glitter is Gone". Too bad, because a seven- or eight-minute version of it would've been a blast.

Flawless? No, but dependable? You bet.

JIM O'ROURKE - The Visitor

In the eight years since Insignificance, many of us have been waiting with bated breath and crossed fingers for Jim O’Rourke’s return to song-based musicmaking. What has arrived on The Visitor is a single 38-minute track that does far more than reward our patience. Here we are treated to a slowly developing exposition of what’s been aging in the barrel for all that time, carried by the voices of all of O’Rourke’s pet sounds–fingerpicked guitar doubled with piano, sneaky steel moves, and casually colourful drums that slip in and out to provide a little push from time to time. This imagined ensemble drifts through tidy melodic episodes bridged by sparse passages that betray the one-man-band methodology of this recording. The result is a little like subtracting the Fahey from Bad Timing, then shaping it into an LP-length "Ghost Ship In A Storm". Are you with me? This is the stuff dreams are made of.

LULLABYE ARKESTRA - Threats/Worship

With their signing to VICE guaranteeing increased exposure of this awesomely married bass and drums duo, a certain Death From Above has been mentioned more than a few times in press relating to the Lullabyes. But if these two remind me of anyone wielding four strings and some cylinders in the name of rock, it's now-defunct, deliciously ridiculous Fargo, ND BMX-noise freaks godheadSilo. While DFA1979 were basically locked-in heavy dance rock (effectively foreshadowing Jesse Keller's future in MSTRKRFT), GHS played rock as though they were in the midst of a grand mal seizure. Lullabye Arkestra share this kind of reckless nature, and much of it starts with the drumming of Justin Small—although much improved, Justin is still a loose drummer, inspired to follow tempo in the most primal of ways, resulting in music that stalks with seasick determination, like the Terminator if he was drunk.

Over top of this shifty structure is then laid slab after slab of molten bass riffage. Kat Taylor-Small is viciously skilled on her instrument, and the combined effect is relentlessly fun and thrilling—kind of like godheadSilo. But the ace up Lullabye's sleeve is the fact that these two are married, which, rather than being some coy novelty, is maybe the most compelling thing about them. That's because Justin and Kat play music and sing like they're falling in love, over and over again, in the most carnal, violent, and honest ways possible. They're the coolest rock couple since Jon Spencer and Christina Martinez, and us Torontonians are damn lucky to call them our own.

THE STONE ROSES - S/T (20th Anniversary Edition)

While many credit Nirvana for bringing about the sea change between the silly glam of '80s rock and the alt-rock/indie revolution of the '90s, the Stone Roses’ monumental debut beat Nevermind by a couple of years. Primarily a British phenomenon, the band virtually laid waste to the whole indie scene for a while, as others were forced to adapt, take a back seat, or die out. Having clearly studied the sonorities of the Byrds, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, George Clinton, and even Can, the band made classic rock (and–gasp!–extended guitar solos) acceptable once again, while exploring the dance culture that was then emerging in Manchester. Twenty years on, a generation of Britpop has failed to even approach the genius of this album–the Roses themselves fizzled out after an abysmal second album. Three formats of this classic are available: the Special Edition will get you an updated remaster of the original album; a 2CD/DVD Legacy Edition includes demos and a live DVD; and the Collector’s Edition boasts all of the above plus three vinyl LPs and a disc of their famed B-sides which, on their own, are more impressive than some artists’ whole career discographies. One of the greatest British rock records, and still relevant today.

SMITH WESTERNS - S/T

There’s a reason why Smith Westerns have been gathering steam recently, and that’s because they do what great young bands should do, breathing life into the clichés of three-chord rock’n’roll. Barely out of high school, they inhabit a universe of naïve crushes and wearing the right clothes to get the girl, superficial, perhaps, but on the other hand, totally primal motivators for forming a band in the first place. What really works for these guys is that they believe. They believe in the potency of the Ramones and Marc Bolan, and that rock is essentially about being young. There’s an exuberance here that comes with their lo-fi production and femme-y vocals that makes this one of the most fun releases of the year.

(Our current stock is limited to the copies we picked up at their recent Silver Dollar show here in Toronto, so don’t waste time if you're curious, since we don’t know when [or if!] we’ll be getting any more in.)

TY SEGALL - Lemons

On his second album in under a year, Ty Segall returns with another killer slab of voluminous rock’n’roll.  Already a veteran of the fertile California garage rock scene, Segall has fronted the Epsilons and played with Party Fowl, The Perverts, The Traditional Fools, and most recently Sic Alps.  Instead of spreading himself thin, though, a common side-effect of playing in too many bands, Segall, like Jay Reatard, has risen to the top of his scene at a young age with a confidence that most others only attain in their later years.  But while the aforementioned Reatard colours his sound with new wave/Zealand indie references, Segall grabs the baton (caveman club?) from Billy Childish and '60s Washington punks, keeping it real with tube distortion and piles of retro reverb.  The cover of Captain Beefheart’s “Dropout Boogie” is a pleasant surprise and an excellent choice.  There is a lot of great garage rock out there these days, and this is some of the best of the year so far.

THEE OH SEES - Help

The third album in three years for John Dwyer’s Oh Sees sees the band improve on their previous effort, The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In, itself a great album. Once again, Dwyer’s secret weapon is Brigid Dawson, whose vocal interplay gives them a leg-up in the male-dominated garage rock scene. And while the band are not averse to pounding out sounds from the first wave of '60s punk, they’re not afraid to cop the groove from the B-52s' “Dance This Mess Around” for “Go Meet The Seed”, or throw in a flute solo to “Meat Step Lively” and strings on closer “Peanut Butter Oven”.  Gosh, 4 out the 12 songs are over the three-minute mark, a rarity in a scene that is thankfully opting for the shorter-is-better route, but Dwyer is not afraid to let a groove ride out if it is working.  If the current back-to-basics revival is going to mutate into a second phase, expect Thee Oh Sees to be leading the way.

(We're also selling tickets for Thee Oh Sees' show at Wrongbar on Thursday October 1.)

VA - Friends In Bellwoods 2

Friends In Bellwoods 2 is a two-disc compilation of new or unreleased songs by mostly Toronto-based musicians, and is a follow-up to the first edition, which was released in January 2007. All proceeds from the albums (which total over $11,000 so far) go to the Daily Bread Food Bank. If you look at the 40 artists featured on FIB 2, you're sure to recognize plenty of them. The folks who put the album together (Ohbijou's Casey Mecija and James Bunton, with Out Of This Spark head honcho Stuart Duncan) have done a formidable job of filling the ranks with acts such as Final Fantasy and Great Lake Swimmers, rising stars like The Rural Alberta Advantage and Katie Stelmanis, and newcomers like Hooded Fang and Sylvie Smith.

Even if you're already familiar with everyone on these discs, you're sure to find some surprises (The D'Urbervilles' exciting take on Timber Timbre's "Magic Arrow" definitely caught all of us offguard). Other highlights include Sandro Perri and Ryan Driver's contribution (billed here as Double Suicide), as well as Canadian Wildlife, Jenny Mecija of Ohbijou's delicate first step as a solo artist. For an album attempting to document a time and place, it is surprisingly cohesive (the fact that most of the songs here are quiet acoustic or piano numbers certainly helps the flow). Years from now when I'm looking back at this time in my life, it will be these bands providing the soundtrack to my memories, so it's nice to have them all in one place.