So, this weekend was Pop Montreal. And, call me a grumpy gus, but I was doing the math, and I calculate about 35 minutes of pure enjoyment in the 26+ hours I spent at shows this weekend. But I don't want to talk about what disappointed me, that's the job of critics who get paid (and an unfortunate/unnecessary job it is). Instead, I'll tell you about the (by far) best thing to come out of the weekend: the free PopMontreal sampler cd. Since many of you couldn't be here to snag one from an ashy beer-drippy table, I'll share the best, in my opinion, of the 21 tracks.
The Islands set comprises about 25 minutes of my 35, and was definitely the best show I saw. The band is a strange gang, made up (possibly only at this show, who knows) of Nick Diamonds, Subtitle, Mike Feuerstack, Jim Guthrie, J'aime Tambeur, and a string section. Live, they oscillate between poppy sugar bursts and slow, persistent song-mazes. I hope, hypothesize, that the album will be a cohesive thing, and this piece makes me think I'll be right. Everyone is gone (or standing silent, like parents) as the singer tells a story so weepingly personal, this isn't a joke anymore, it's just called one. It's so sweet, direct, and in-teg-ral *hands making the sides of a box*. perfect.
Listening to this song is very similar to feeling one gets at a Telefauna show: yes! yes! yes! ye..yeah, okay. It struts like Beck and Ratatat, but it lacks a direction, it struts in circles. But their talent is clear; this song stretches and snaps like a rubber band, and the rest of their ep is no let down, this band is just literally too much fun.
[Buy/listen more] (I recommend "Put Your Hands Together for the Offbeat")
Think About Life - "Paul Cries"
Jordan wrote about this band in the summer, and I immediately anticipated more. When I saw them on Friday, however, I didn't have a great time, but this song restores my confidence in what I think will be a great debut from this....thing. Get set, get set, for the ride.
Plywood 3/4 - "Tavailler dans l'Beurre"
This is the closest I will ever come to posting Primus. This song is a married couple, the kind of couple you look at and think "I could never stand being married to either of them, but together, they somehow work."
[Site]
Gordon Thomas - "Boogie Dancin'"
Imagine walking through a valley, mountains in the distance, lush and green, a bright day, and then God starts playing this song, his voice booming from the clouds. Just keep walking.
[Buy]
special mention to The Sunday Sinners, TTC, and Socalled, maybe soon!
Posted by Dan at October 3, 2005 4:51 AMArchitecture in Helsinki didn't rule the school!? :( They were the bestest most fantastic thing I saw this year... (Well yeah, Arcade Fire, blah blah blah.)
Posted by Sean at October 3, 2005 6:27 AMYou forgot Busdriver, who also took the stage during the Islands set to run us through a little Corn'Gangg preview.
Oh and Architecture cancelled due to van problems.
Biggest dissapointment of the weekend.
Oh but what about Holy Fuck? They made me feel like I was revisiting The Intonation fest with Out Hud.
Oh well great stuff all around.
Posted by skot-bot at October 3, 2005 9:02 AMWell that van-tragedy explains it! How sad.
I am very excited to get home and listen to these. It is most cool that NEW STUFF was discovered during the festival and not just the realisation that "oh, yeah, beck's pretty rad".
Posted by Sean at October 3, 2005 9:58 AMThe "string section" of Islands are actually permanent members Sebastian Chow and Alex Chow (no relation), both from McGill, and I believe (though don't quote me on this) that the band is static at the moment.
Posted by Chris at October 3, 2005 11:06 AMI think I'll make a post about how Beck's pretty rad, just to prove that I'm on the leading edge of music trends. Or did you know that already?
I don't think the Plywood song is much like Primus, really. The bass and drums are all wrong.
The Telefauna song (I almost typed "saung") is awesome. Love the laid-back funk on the guitar and the random odd sound effects.
Posted by Tuwa at October 3, 2005 11:11 AMthe islands show was fabulous, but i unfortunately missed architechture in helsinki. i definitly agree that the sampler cd was by far the best part of the weekend- i really liked the song by socalled- and the fact that hes playing on the first night of rosh hashana- get it? klezmer hip hop- i laughed.
Posted by emily at October 3, 2005 12:31 PMThe Islands song is much, much, much better than the previous Islands songs that leaked. I am now officially psyched about the project (I was not before).
Mike F and Jim Guthrie are both artists with a lot of talent, and I continue to think that they have great things within them.
Your words on the song are really good too. That box you make, your parents watching, is made in time with the piano bumps. side-side-side-side.
I love the chomp of the Think About Life tune. This is kinda how I wish Franz Ferdinand sounded (or perhaps just the way the Daft Punk remix oughta have sounded).
What an amazing Blog. I love it all.
Posted by thevoodoowop at October 3, 2005 6:48 PMGod forgive me, I loved the Kings of Leon show last night.
And Caleb's soooo dreamy.
out.
K
Posted by fatcitizen at October 3, 2005 8:21 PMDo you know if the islands will have an album coming out anytime?
Posted by la la at October 3, 2005 10:27 PMThanks for that Think About Life song- cannot wait to see them when they come through on tour.
Posted by Kevin at October 3, 2005 10:30 PMIslands are 'apparently' releasing in the UK soon.. TBA. The album rules.
Posted by Chris at October 4, 2005 12:00 AMWas I at a different Islands show than the rest of you? Holy Fuck tore the shit up on Saturday night. The Islands set was marred by horrible horrible sound. From the middle to the back of the room you could only hear guitar, some keyboard and the strings were completely lost (this not helped by the fact that one of the violinists avoided playing into a microphone altogther). Vocals were way way too low in the mix. I gleaned that there were some amazing pop songs being played but I'll be damned if I could actually here any of the subtleties that their music obviously needs. I won't even get into the humid room and woefully low stage that made actually watching the band impossible.
But yeah, the song on the PopMontreal sampler is nice.
I was at Telefauna show too - and yeah, they sorta fizzled out. But they got something interesting going on there.
Architecture In Helsinki was cancelled. Their van broke down.
Antony & The Johnsons was hands down the best show of the fest. CocoRosie were the biggest suprise. What an amazing, solid set.
Islands album this fall on Rough Trade.
Posted by kevin at October 4, 2005 11:49 AMthat gordon thomas song made my life...have you seen pictures of him?!!!
Posted by Anonymous at October 6, 2005 6:21 PMI didn't go to the festival but I did get to Architecture in Helsinki the other night. What a fun and amazing event. They even let my friend and I come on stage for the encore and play our melodicas with them. They are truly great.
Posted by tim+ at October 11, 2005 9:51 AMI've been going through all my mp3 blog downloads that weren't deleted or categorized. Yesterday i re-found "boogie dancin'" and it's been a delightful 24 hours. Thanks for all the great music you've turned me on to for the last few years.
Posted by ben at April 26, 2006 6:08 PM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
