Is This Going To Be A Great Album Or What?

The Walkmen's seventh album Heaven comes out on June 5. Hopefully, next time they come around, they won't be opening for Florence + the Machine - for over $50, no less.

The New Old Best Coast

For reference (and because it's great and free), download Best Coast's new song "The Only Place" by clicking here.

When Best Coast frontperson Bethany Cosentino discussed the band's upcoming sophomore album The Only Place a few months ago, she described it as country-influenced, "grown up" and more personal than their first album Crazy For You. Songs they've played live from the new album so far, including "Why I Cry," have certainly delivered introspective maturity but not a trace of country. The latest track from The Only Place to hit the 'Net, however, the new album's title-track, fills that gap.

Right away, opening with lightly strummed, shaker-backed guitars, "The Only Place" sounds like no other Best Coast song I can immediately think of. Also atypical of Best Coast is the fact that "The Only Place" is based on note-picked guitars rather than full chords (any musicians want to throw me a proper term here?). And the production is so clean and tight - unlike the hollow and muddled but punchy Crazy For You - that one can hear a little twang in the guitars. The cleaner, looser production also gives Bethany's vocals and every instrument equal weight, relaxing the drumming (which takes center stage on Crazy For You), giving the song space to breathe and mellowing it out.

Bethany has also stated during the making of The Only Place that she really wants to develop as a singer. Best Coast's seemingly endless touring behind Crazy For You has long served as her opportunity to do exactly that; hear their iTunes Session EP, specifically their cover of Loretta Lynn's "Fist City," where Bethany's voice really shines as the songs' centerpiece. On "The Only Place," she sounds relaxed, no longer belting out lyrics to keep up with the song's poppy pace. And the clean production does nothing but favours in allowing listeners to actually hear her confident new voice.

No question, "The Only Place" signifies both emotional and musical growth in Best Coast. But as "grown up" and musically intricate as the song is for the band, "The Only Place" is still unmistakably Best Coast. The song still boasts most of their typical lyrical fare: sunshine, sitting around, "fun," beaches and West Coast-trumpeting; the only things missing are Bethany's cat Snacks and weed. With one simple question, though, Bethany puts a personal spin on "The Only Place" that shows she takes all of those subjects to heart: "Why would you live anywhere else?" After all, "[w]e've got the ocean, got the babes, got the sun; we've got the waves. This is the only place for me," she declares. So, "[l]eave your cold behind. We're gonna make it to the beach on time."

Neverminding the obvious fact that "The Only Place" is the new album's title-track, one can consider this song the record's thesis statement. Bethany has discussed her West Coast pride before, bolstered by her travels abroad (particularly in touring in support of Crazy For You), and "The Only Place" seems to sum up her previously expressed feelings. And not only does "The Only Place" sum up who Bethany Cosentino currently is as a person, but it sums up who Best Coast currently are as a band as well: a band that is growing but remaining true to who they are. If "The Only Place" is any indication of the rest of the album to come, Best Coast fans are in for a real treat, and the band is bound to make some new ones along the way.

How much of this am I going to regurgitate when I inevitably review the new album?

Kind of Weird How Quickly I've Forgotten About This Song

'Cause it's an absolute head-trip of a freestyle jam. "Do Ya Thing" (the four-minute version, anyway) is this year's edition of Converse's "Three Artists. One Song" series.

One of These Things Is Like the Other

As I've asked when promoting Great Lake Swimmers' free show at Zulu Records this past Tuesday, isn't "Pulling on A Line" basically "Every Part of Me" by Sam Roberts?

Big

That's the only word to describe Japandroids' scorching new song "The House That Heaven Built" from their upcoming new album Celebration Rock. They weren't kidding when they said they wanted to write anthemic, sing-along-heavy songs that captured the rapturous spirit of their fever-pitched, beer-fueled live shows.

Either embedding is disabled for this track, or I'm too tired to figure it out, so just click here to listen to the song. I can't wait to hear, see, feel "The House That Heaven Built" this close up at the Biltmore Cabaret on July 7 (the barrierless, nearly floor-level staged venue I always squee about):

The War on Drugs Live at Zulu Records

So the A/V quality isn't as good as that of their KEXP session (which you can watch in full by clicking here), but here are the War on Drugs performing "Best Night" at Zulu Records, a free in-store show just three hours before they opened for Sharon Van Etten at the Biltmore this past Friday. Again, a recap of that show to come.

Fucking up the Fun with Azealia Banks

Harlem singer/rapper, brand new Interscope/Polydor signee and all-around next big thing Azealia Banks has dropped a new Diplo-produced track called "Fuck Up the Fun." No word on whether or not this song will appear on her highly anticipated debut album Broke with Expensive Taste which is slated for release in September.

  FUCK UP THE FUN Prod. By DIPLO by Azealia Banks

This Was So Good Tonight

Full recap of Sharon Van Etten with the War on Drugs at the Biltmore to come.

Come For Seapony, Stay For Memoryhouse

March 10, 2012
The Waldorf Hotel
Vancouver, British Columbia

The night started with a Vancouver band called Jay Arner. Well, it was fronted by a guy named Jay Arner, but he introduced his whole band as "Jay Arner." I could have sworn I heard Seapony members refer to him later as "Christian," though … Anyway, on drums was Rose Melberg of Tiger Trap cult fame, one of the original 90s twee pop bands, and on guitar was Seapony's Danny Rowland. It was only Jay Arner's third show ever, but they sounded really good - really crisp, every instrument discernable from the others. Their songs were feel-good pop rock to the max, but they also sounded pretty unique for twee pop if only to the extent that their songs were just a bit more complex and unpredictable than most twee pop (twee being a style that can sound quite homogenous even within the same act).

After a short break, it was time for Seattle's Seapony, the band I went to see. They sounded pretty much how I expected them to: almost perfect but a bit rough around the edges - not so rough that it interfered with how much I was able to enjoy them though. They played ten songs off of their twelve-song debut LP Go with Me (Hardly Art, 2011), but unfortunately for me, one of the two songs they decided to cut was "Always," one of my top two Seapony songs and the song that got me into them. I was pleasantly semi-surprised when Rose joined Seapony to sing their encore cover of the Field Mice's "Emma's House." I say semi-surprised because I'd forgotten that "Emma's House," one of my favourite songs ever, was a live Seapony staple.

Finally, it was time for the night’s headliners Toronto's Memoryhouse. I actually might have enjoyed Memoryhouse more than Seapony. At the very least, Memoryhouse may have been the second most surprisingly good performance I've ever seen, behind Final Fantasy, and that's saying something because Final Fantasy kicked ass, and I only liked one song on Memoryhouse's debut album The Slideshow Effect (Sub Pop, 2012) before I saw them.

I'd always expected atmospheric dream pop shows to be pretty nondescript, all of the details drowned in an amorphous sea of electronic textures to the point where I can’t tell who's doing what. But at Memoryhouse, I could hear everything: every time Denise Nouvion's mic reverberated; every key she pressed on her keyboard; Evan Abeele's guitar parts which, despite his use of various pedals, distinctly sounded like guitar and not the multitude of synthesized sounds from Denise's keyboard; and the drums were so bold and crisp yet never hard on the ears.

Speaking of boldness, I'd also always expected atmospheric dream pop shows to be pretty quiet and un-engaging, smooth textures resulting in a lack of tension and thus a lack of a sense of liveliness. But not only were Memoryhouse clear; they were loud too. And they rocked - hard enough to warrant an incredibly casual dance competition for a prize (you'd have to ask the winner(s?) what that prize was - if there was a winner. If there was a prize). I especially didn't expect that of Memoryhouse, since their album is so tepid (or placid, more positively) that it can hardly keep my attention; even after listening to it after the show, the album doesn't fully grab me, though it does now more than before. Even the apropos grainy, super-zoomed in stock/home-video footage that was projected behind the band during their entire set didn't damp the energy.

Also lumped somewhere into Memoryhouse's set were a couple of covers, although I couldn’t identify either of them. One was supposedly a Country & Western song, but they totally dissolved it into another flood of ambience. Then, at the end of their exactly fifty-minute set, with ten minutes to spare before the 11 P.M. curfew, they had enough time for two encores, although they said by that point, they'd pretty much run out of songs. I could have sworn their last song was one they’d already played, and before that, Evan teased us with the intro of "Stairway To Heaven." Again, if there was another cover in the last ten minutes of Memoryhouse's set, I couldn't tell.

If there are four things I've learned at this show, it's these: Always get to shows as soon as doors open. Based on all of my previous experiences at the Waldorf, I decided go to this show pretty late, but Jay Arner started playing half-an-hour after the doors opened; always grab set lists A.S.A.P. I got the show schedule and Seapony's set list, but even though Memoryhouse's set list was a foot in front of me, I decided to wait a couple of minutes before grabbing it. By the time I decided to make my move, a stagehand had started quickly closing the curtains; as simple as some music may sound, it's sometimes more complicated than I think. Finally, and most importantly, Memoryhouse has taught me that dream pop shows don't suck.

Click here to view more photos of Memoryhouse at the Waldorf.

Big Black's "Racer-X" Makes Me Feel Like A Robot

DESIGNED TO KILL:

Is There A Better Song About Being Closeted?

Belle & Sebastian - "Seeing Other People"

We lay on the bed there
Kissing just for practice
Could we please be objective?
'Cause the other boys are queuing up behind us
There's a hand over my mouth
A hand over the window
Well, if I remain passive
And you just want to cuddle
Then we should be okay
And we won't get in a muddle
We're seeing other people
At least that's what we say we are doing

So, how are you feeling?
I don't think you could be dealing
With the situation very well
You take a lover for a dirty weekend
That's okay
When it's over
You are looking at the working week
Through the eyes of a gigolo

You're kissing your elbow
You're kissing your reflection
And you can't understand
Why all the other boys are going
For the new, tall, elegant rich kids
You can bet it is a bitch, kid
But if they don't see the quality
Then it is apparent
That you're gonna have to change
Or you're gonna have to go with girls
You'd be better off
At least they know where to put it

We lay on the bed there
Kissing just for practice
Could we please be objective?
'Cause the other boys are queuing up behind us
There's a hand over my mouth
A hand over the window
Well, if I remain passive
And you just want to cuddle
Then we should be okay
And we won't get in a muddle
We're seeing other people
At least that's what we say we are doing

Kool Thing

Jack White is playing his current tour's only Canadian show in Vancouver at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on May 27. His show will come just four days after Best Coast and two days after Bon Iver. With a possible but increasingly unlikely Brian Jonestown Massacre show earlier that month, May can't come soon enough.

The koolest part of Jack's current tour is that soul-steeped Southern rockers Alabama Shakes will be opening a handful of his shows. Unfortunately, Vancouver didn't make the list, but the fact that Jack is a fan of the Shakes alone is really, really fucking awesome. As I've said before, their debut album Boys & Girls is shaping up to be one of my favourites albums of the year.

"… I Like the Sound of Street Noises.

Taxicabs are blowing their horns and all kinds of sounds are going on - they have a rhythm, they have a blending of life in the streets, and it is a kind of music. Some people would say that it is horrible noise. To my ears, it is interesting because it is life."

- Arturo Toscanini

Before Sonic Youth, There Was Glenn Branca

Oh, man. This song is it:

Well, I Know What I'm Doing Tonight.

Sludge-pop by Van band Weed? For $5? I'm there. Listen to both tracks from Weed's "With Drug"/"Eighty" 7" on their Bandcamp page, and note the free download of Aaron Read's four-track Bubble Skulls EP on his Bandcamp page. Links to both can be found by clicking the website for the show here.

Anyone Want To Go To Seattle on April 20?

Best Coast AGAIN?

FUCK YES!!! This time - my third time seeing them - they'll be playing at the Commodore Ballroom on May 23, a far cry from the Cobalt and Rickshaw Theatre. They's gettin' big time.

Best Coast are touring in support of their upcoming sophomore album, the purportedly "mature/emo," Jon Brion-produced The Only Place due May 15 via Mexican Summer (yes, that Jon Brion, of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack fame). For now, I'm replaying this video of them playing "Why I Cry" from their new album in Denton, Texas over .. and over ... and over again ...

Finally, I've Found A Great Live Version of "6'1"" By Liz Phair.

Moreover, I've found a whole Liz Phair show. Well, two songs are missing, but close enough. More than ever, I'm convinced I need to see her live. Consider her bucket-listed:

"6'1"" begins at 2:58, but watch the whole thing, and you'll come across it anyway. Also check out my other favourite Liz Phair songs in this set including "Mesmerizing," "Fuck and Run" and "Soap Star Joe":

And They Say I Like EVERYTHING Jack White Does

We've heard the live version of "Sixteen Saltines" from Jack White's upcoming debut solo album Blunderbuss on Saturday Night Live. Now, here's the studio version:



It sounds good, Jack's scratchy opening "woo!" and the dirty, pounding drums recalling many of the White Stripes' early firecracker singles. But then, Jack starts singing, and his voice sounds oddly processed; maybe it's the slightly delayed vocal double-tracking. Whatever it is, it also doesn't help that Jack sings much more dully than usual, even though we know, based on his SNL performance, he can still sing like his usual firebrand self.

"Sixteen Saltines" continues to get a little dicey at its first break, at which point the cymbals sound looser than the rest of the drumming. They sound even worse with that weird after-clap sound that is especially pronounced at 1:35; I don't know if it's the way they're attached to the kit, the way they're played, they way they've been touched up in the studio or a combination of all three, but they sound too rattly for this otherwise tight-fisted wrecking ball rocker.

I don't know if the audio here is poor quality (it is a radio-rip) or if this is just how the song sounds, but much of this version sounds pretty weak to me, especially Jack's vocals and the weird warbly effects on the guitar solo beginning at 2:01.

I would definitely like the album version of "Sixteen Saltines" more if it lost at least most of its reverb, such as the ringing in the opening chords, and instead sounded tighter and "drier" like most of the material Jack has produced for other artists. Take Wanda Jackson's bombastic album The Party Ain’t Over for example which sounds big in how cohesive and clear all of its details are but doesn't sound loud unless listeners turn up the volume.

Overall, the majority of the album version of "Sixteen Saltines" sounds like a demo to me, obtusely recorded as a placeholder for underdeveloped ideas. But I'm aware that like with all White Stripes songs (I'm citing the White Stripes because they are whom "Sixteen Saltines" most recalls), the live version has spoiled me. I rarely listen to the White Stripes' albums compared to their live sessions because those sessions just make the band sound so muted on record, and I got to hear "Sixteen Saltines" in all of its explosive live glory before I heard the studio version. Most importantly though, I realize that all of my complaints here concern the album version's technical aspects; "Sixteen Saltines" is still a wicked, wicked song in essence. And despite having hated "Blue Orchid" and "Icky Thump" the first times I heard them, I came to love them like any other White Stripes song, and I already love "Sixteen Saltines" (again, in essence), so there's hope for me and the album version yet.

The Jolts Are Serious

Like Barely Legal-era Hives - that is, basically, the Hives minus the fun. This Vancouver band means business and has renewed my faith in the city's local music scene. Here's hoping for a Jolts show sometime soon. Check out their MySpace page here.

I Got Wet with Andrew W.K., Pt. 2

March 3, 2012
The Venue 
Vancouver, British Columbia
 
Having known Andrew W.K.'s sold-out show at the Venue was the inaugural show in his first ever global tour, in support of his biggest album, and his first tour with his full band in years (all eight-ish members including his wife musician, fitness instructor, clothing designer and back-up singer Cherie Pourtabib, A.K.A. Cherie Lily), I and everyone else in attendance that night knew we were in for one hell of a special show. As if all three kick-drums' reverb during soundcheck alone, which made my clothes flutter, didn't tell me that.

And we were correct. I never saw so much stage-diving at one show before, not even the last time I saw Andrew W.K., and the Rickshaw Theatre, where that show took place, has a bigger stage. Yet, it was at the Venue where people just PILED onto the stage, filling it to absolute maximum capacity, tumbling and flopping head-over-heels, somersaulting backwards and often getting surfed up by the crowd and tossed onto their necks. It didn't take long for my sweater, which I'd rested on the edge of the stage in front of me, to transmogrify into a stinkin', beer- and water-logged rag.

The first person who jumped on stage mooned the crowd; thankfully, it was a hot girl. Like with a lot of people who jumped on stage after she did, Andrew asked her her name and got everyone to chant, "HI, [WHATEVER THEIR NAMES WERE]!!!" He also got the crowd to chant "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" to at least three people, even though after the first person, everyone else seemed like they were just bandwagoning. Although, who knew if that first person wasn't bullshitting either?

There were also a lot of obvious first-time divers which was totally awesome, especially since the crowd was very supportive of them (literally) and didn't tear them apart. That there were people of all shapes and sizes and of all kinds of dress, including three guys in full-on banana suits (although SIGNIFICANTLY less bros than last time when they seemed to have made up the majority of the crowd) was a further testament to the show's all-inclusive environment.

Friction burns, minor bumps and bruises in the usual spots and miscellaneous body parts grinding into my back like surprise unlicensed massages were par for the course. Actually, I was surprised I didn't end up in worse shape, considering I was constantly crushed against the rib-high edge of the stage, sometimes to the point where I couldn't breath; there were a few moments when I thought I was going to crack my ribs for sure.

Speaking of physical harm, the only serious moment during the show came briefly when an audience member found a 6x3-inch plank of wood with four long nails sticking through each corner. He picked it up off the floor and handed it to Cherie who donned an "Oookay, hold on a second" look on her face and handed off the piece of wood to stage personnel. The night definitely could have gotten ugly, although no one but the four of us seemed to have noticed.

After the show, I jumped on stage and nabbed both of Andrew W.K.'s set lists (one was for the I Get Wet portion of the show, and the other was for the rest of the set). However, as I was leaving, I ended up giving away both of them. I never thought I'd do that, not even for a pretty girl. But I gave them to a couple of nice guys just because, well, they were nice guys. If by some chance they've Googled the show and are reading this post, cheers to both of yas, Brady and John.

I considered going to Andrew's DJ set at the Biltmore afterwards, but I heard it cost between $10 and $15, and I'd already spent a lot on the shirt pictured in this post, so I decided to go home instead and replenish all of my burnt calories (believe me: there were a lot of them).

Maybe it was because I was sober this time and was thus able to take in and remember more of the show, and I caught Andrew's entire set, but his show at the Venue definitely seemed longer than his show at the Rickshaw. (And maybe his show at the Venue was actually longer; I didn't keep track of the time at either show.) In fact, his show at the Venue was long enough that during the last few songs, I didn't have the energy to do much besides lean against the stage and watch and soak in the big, fat, onstage audience/band lovefest in gleeful awe (I'd hardly slept before working at 6:30 A.M. that morning, and then I ran errands all over town until it was time for the show). And if I didn't have it in me to go full throttle anymore, it was the least I could have done.

That being said, and even though Andrew played with his entire band this time instead of as a solo act, and his show at the Venue featured the feverish crowd interaction that was lacking at the Rickshaw, overall, I'm not sure I had as much fun the second time around, if only because I was far more conscious (and therefore cautious) of my surroundings, mainly making sure didn't eat another foot or get elbowed in the face by the extra rowdy crowd. But that being said, the previous time I saw Andrew W.K. was one of the most fun shows I'd ever seen, so saying his recent show wasn't as good wouldn’t take much away from it. Really, my only complaint - so minor, it's almost not a complaint at all - is that while the Evaporators played their Andrew W.K. collaboration track "I Hate Being Late (When I'm Early)," Andrew didn't join them on it. Nope, there's never much to complain about with Andrew Wilkes Krier, especially when Nardwuar is involved.

Time For Celebration

When Vancouver's fuzzy, soaring punk rock duo Japandroids blew up in 2009 with their debut album Post-Nothing, released that same year on Polyvinyl Records, they instantly became one of my favourite bands - not up there with my elites like the White Stripes, Bowie, Sonic Youth or the Mountain Goats, to name a few, but definitely in my upper-tier of favourites. Hell, Japandroids were the only band whose ticket I bought in advance when they played that year's Halifax Pop Explosion.

Though Japandroids' HPE set was cut short after only a few songs due to time constraints (you can read that story here), my love for Japandroids did not waver. But some time passed, and they released a smattering of singles as well as re-issued their first two EPs together as a compilation entitled No Singles, none of which impressed me, and I eventually lost (most of my) interest in the band.

A few days ago, though, Japandroids resurfaced with the announcement that they've completed their second album, and it's ready for public consumption. The new album, due in June once again courtesy of Polyvinyl Records, is called Celebration Rock and will include a cover of one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands: "For the Love of Ivy" by 80s L.A. punkabilly band the Gun Club. Hearing about that cover was enough to send shockwaves down my spine. Maybe more people will hear of the Gun Club now.

Japandroids guitarist Brian King said they specifically wanted to make an album listeners could sing along to and that captured the band's and their audience's frenetic live energy. Considering how singable Post-Nothing was, I can only imagine how energetic and at least aurally uplifting Celebration Rock is going to be. And judging by its title, and the fact that King has said Celebration Rock is more lyric-oriented than Post-Nothing, aurally isn't the only way in which the new album is going to be uplifting.

I don't know if "Younger Us," previously issued as a single, is going to appear on Celebration Rock as the song is heard here or in a different form, but here's at least a small preview of the new album:


I passed on seeing Japandroids at the Waldorf Hotel for a mere $12 shortly after I moved to Vancouver (that was still during my cooling-off-on-Japandroids period) and I think even once more after that, but I'll definitely try to see them next time around. Hell, if I'm lucky, I'll be able to catch a whole Japandroids show next time, and Halifax will know what it's like to be called "No Fun City" instead of Vancouver for once.

Another Jesus and Mary Chain Post

Listening to the album version of "Sometimes Always" makes me want to scream, I love Jesus and Mary Chain so much.

Time To Cross Another Band off of My Bucket List

It's taken me eight years, but I'm finally seeing the Brian Jonestown Massacre on May 3. That is, unless another idiot decides to throw something at Anton or call him a cocksucker. Seriously, don't ruin this for me, dumbassed Vancouver BJM fans. Pissing off Anton is so passé.

Maybe It's Time I Start Paying Attention To What's New in Movies.

"Can you play 'This Must Be the Place' by Arcade Fire?" "'This Must Be the Place' is by the Talking Heads." ":S" Plus, David fucking Byrne!:

Get Your Hands on A Good Speaker System, and Listen To Laurie Anderson

"Monkey's Paw" comes from her 1989 album Strange Angels (Warner Bros.):

Saturday Night Live Featuring Jack White

Jack White made his first appearance on Saturday Night Live since White Blood Cells, this past weekend, promoting his upcoming debut album Blunderbuss out April 23/24 on his own Third Man Records.

Jack's performance of "Sixteen Saltines" made me miss the White Stripes for the first time since they split up. That guitar tone, that hard, simple riff, Jack's "woo"s, his wild and totally awesome stage-movements:



And for a more tender performance, watch him perform Blunderbuss' first single "Love Interruption," this time with an all-female back-up band. I wonder if he'll have two back-up bands when he tours. I hope:



And just because I couldn't decide on the main for picture this post, here's the other SNL pre-performance graphic: 
 

I Got Wet with Andrew W.K., Pt. 1

March 3, 2012
The Venue 
Vancouver, British Columbia

Andrew W.K.'s breakthrough album I Get Wet turned ten years old, this past November, and to celebrate, he kicked off his first ever global tour two nights ago right here in Vancouver.

Opening for Andrew W.K. was beloved music guru and local scenester Nardwuar the Human Serviette's garage-punk band the Evaporators. Nardwuar is good friends with Andrew, having interviewed Andrew several times, performed with him several times, released a split EP with him and cut a track with him before, so it was really no surprise that the Evaporators opened the show. They were everything I expected of Nardwuar's quirky (understated) personality and more: random costume changes including a sparkly helmet with the Canadian flag on it: check. At least temporary shirtlessness and off-putting amounts of body hair on a less-than-centre-fold physique: check.

Costume-changes and partial nudity weren't the biggest highlights of the Evaporators, though - not by a long-shot. The audience hoisted both Nardwuar and his keyboard into the air during "Your Instrument Does Not Affect Me" while he played it in an outstretched Superman position. He even straddled his keyboard for a while as the audience kept them suspended in the air, and the more fanatic audience members risked generous amounts of Nardwuar's-ass-in-their-faces in order to rabidly mash the keys from below.

Other highlights included the Evaporators having covered 60s German garage rock band the Monk's "Higgle-Dy Piggle-Dy" and something I've never seen at a show before: Nardwuar ran through the crowd during a super-extended version of "I Don't Need My Friends To Tell Me Who My Friends Are," getting - sometimes imploring with his hands clasped - everyone in the audience to crouch down on the floor and not continuing until everyone was crouching. Meanwhile, the lights had been brought down; the band was revving the riff until the band and everyone else in the place jumped up all at once and moshed while shouting the chorus, lights now blinding: "I DON'T NEED MY FRIENDS TO TELL ME WHO MY FRIENDS ARE!!! I DON'T NEED MY FRIENDS - ..." and then back down on the floor ... We did this a few times before the band kicked it into overdrive for one final climactic blowout.

As fun as that little crowd-control experiment was, the best parts of the Evaporators' set were undoubtedly 1) when I got kicked in the face by Nardwuar while he was crowd-surfing, and I ended up picking a few hairs from his gorilla-boots out of my mouth and 2) when Nardwuar gave me the list. Onto my wall it goes, along with my little treasures from Male Bonding and Broken Social Scene.

Short and sweet, the Evaporators were, but they were only a small taste of the mayhem to come.

I Wish I Love Male Bonding More Than I Do

'Cause I'd totally get their logo tattooed.

Bon Iver Vs. Kurt Vile

No, there's no juicy feud happening between psych-folk revival- ist/eternal introvert Kurt Vile and indie folk superstar/part-time introvert Justin Vernon, A.K.A. Bon Iver. They're both coming to Vancouver on May 25, and for the first time since I've been here, I have to choose between shows, and the decision could hardly be tougher. Do I want to stand face-to-face with Kurt Vile at the Biltmore, whom I've already seen but of whom I'm a WAY bigger fan now, amidst a drugged out, spaced out, lethargic crowd, or do I want to be likely stuck in the middle of a fervent crowd outdoors at Bon Iver at Deer Lake Park, whom I missed the last time he was here? Well, when I put my options like that, my decision seems pretty easy. I guess I'll pony up the $51 for Bon Iver instead of the $20 for Kurt Vile. Man, I never thought I'd pass on KV. Sorry, man.

"OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!": Album-Openers with A Kick

"OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!" from Jackson A. Ragg III on 8tracks.

48 min, 5 sec

1. The Hives - "Hives-Declare Guerre Nucleaire"
2. The Dirtbombs - "Chains of Love"
3. The Pixies - "Bone Machine"
4. Beat Happening - "Bewitched"
5. Pere Ubu - "Non-Alignment Pact"
6. Fucked Up - "Son the Father"
7. Sebadoh - "License To Confuse"
8. The Stooges - "Search and Destroy"
9. Sonic Youth - "Teen Age Riot"
10. PJ Harvey - "Big Exit"
11. The White Stripes - "Jimmy the Exploder"
12. The Von Bondies - "Lack of Communication"
13. The Sonics - "The Witch
14. The Raconteurs - "Consoler of the Lonely"