My Liner Notes

Shit, Damn, Muthaf**ka: The Return of D

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:25:00 -0400

Shit, Damn, Muthaf**ka: The Return of D:

In his first interview in 12 years, D’angelo talks to GQ’s Amy Wallace about struggling with his inner demons, which derailed his career and nearly ended his life.

It’s been more than 11 years since the release of his instant classic sophomore record, Voodoo, a record that changed my life and a countless number of other D fans. For myself, there’s only been a handful of other soul/R&B records that have had the same impact: Thriller, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Songs in the Key of Life.

Being a D’Angelo fan ain’t easy. Lord knows there’s been more than a few road bumps along the way and prematurely projected release dates for his upcoming third record.But in fantastic GQ feature, The Roots’ Questlove certainly says it best regarding the anticipation of D’Angelo’s new record:

“I’ve told him: He is literally holding the oxygen supply that music lovers breathe. At first, it was cute—’Oh, he’s bashful.’ But now he’s, like, selfish. I’m like, ‘Look, dude, we’re starving.’ When D starts singing, all is right with the world.”

Let’s hope we’ll see a new record by the end of the year. Until then, D has been added to two music festivals in the coming months. The first is in July, where he’ll be headlining Essence Fest in New Orleans. Then come Labor Day long weekend, D will join the stellar lineup of the Jay-Z-curated Made in America festival.

A sad day for Handsome Furs fans. The duo, which consists of...

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:11:00 -0400

A sad day for Handsome Furs fans. The duo, which consists of husband and wife Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry, called it quits last night, posting a brief message on their official site:

With a heavy heart the time has come to let all of you know that Handsome Furs are no more. The most important thing that needs to be said right now is how extremely grateful we are to all the fans all over the world that showered us with love and support over the years. Thank you for everything! It’s been an incredible 6 years and we owe it all to you. xoxo HF

The synth-rock duo cancelled their European tour this past March, citing “urgent health issue”, but they offered no explanation as to whether this illness directly contributed to their breakup. Also, I’m assuming they’re calling it quits as a duo but hopefully not as a couple.

Several years ago I was having brunch with a friend at Maggie’s on College/Bathurst. This was shortly after the Furs’ had released their debut, Plague Park. Halfway through our meal I looked up and saw Boeckner and Perry sharing a Sunday Toronto Star at a table across from us.

This might have all been in my head but I could have sworn they were reading the Funnies together. Deeply sweet and affectionate, the then-newlyweds would gaze into each other’s eyes between bites of eggs and bacon, completely fixated on one other like no one else in the restaurant existed.

Now, some might feel like this kind of public display of affection is vomit-inducing, and I’ll admit, I usually agree. But for some reason, it didn’t bother me so much here. And it’s not because I call myself a fan and have loved each and every one of their three records.

No, it’s simply because it was genuine and completely unapologetic affection. Anyone who has seen them perform live will attest to this: it’s not just an act, they really do seem that much in love with each other. And in a crazy world where rock stars fuck eager groupies and fleeting, tumultuous affairs are rampant, it’s the kind of thing that is refreshingly anti-rock n’ roll.

For all of those who live in the Toronto area, come out to Jang...

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:12:50 -0400

For all of those who live in the Toronto area, come out to Jang Bang (College & Bathurst) Friday, May 11 where I’ll be DJing for a great fundraiser for Everything Roof.

Spearheaded by grassroots arts & culture organization, The About Face Collective, the Everything Roof initiative is raising money to plant a rooftop garden at The Centre for Social Innovation Annex.

Cover is a measly $5, so come out to raise money for a good cause, have a few drinks, and dance your ass off.

RIP MCA, 1964-2012

Sun, 06 May 2012 23:41:00 -0400

RIP MCA, 1964-2012:

Stereogum recently posted their 20 Best Adam Yauch Moments, and it just reaffirmed everything we loved about the founding member of Beastie Boys. His artistic integrity, his political spirit, and his razor-sharp sense of humour.

Consider this the first of many fan farewell letters that will roll in over the coming weeks.

Adam Horovitz , aka Ad-Rock, posted this brief thank-you message to fans on the official Beastie Boys website Sunday evening:

as you can imagine, shit is just fkd up right now. but i wanna say thank you to all our friends and family (which are kinda one in the same) for all the love and support.
i’m glad to know that all the love that Yauch has put out into the world is coming right back at him.
thank you.

LCD Soundsystem’s Shut Up And Play The Hits premiered last...

Wed, 02 May 2012 17:01:30 -0400

LCD Soundsystem’s Shut Up And Play The Hits premiered last night at the TIFF Lightbox, as part of the Hot Docs film festival, and it just might be the best music documentary in years.

The film is constructed around the band’s final show on April 2, 2011 at New York’s Madison Square Gardens, along with a rather poignant interview (conducted by notable pop-culture critic/author Chuck Klosterman) with prolific the band’s frontman, James Murphy.

The film is a rare and fascinating look at the dichotomy of the rock star struggling to find a balance between making meaningful art and maintaining a state of normalcy in his personal life.

Murphy appears to speak both candidly and refreshingly honest about his music, the dynamic between the band and its audience, and why he’s prepared to give it all up.

There are two more screenings of the film at Hot Docs before opening in limited release throughout North America this summer. I strongly urge you all to check it out, even if you’re not an LCD fan, because you will probably be converted into one by the end of the film.

Jack White played New York’s Webster Hall Friday night,...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:45:00 -0400

Jack White played New York’s Webster Hall Friday night, which featured two sets with two different bands (The Peacocks and Los Buzzardos) and was curiously directed by actor Gary Oldman and streamed live via YouTube.

White played a handful of songs off his recently released Blunderbuss, along with some classic material from The White Stripes (Seven Nation Army, Hello Operator, We’re Going to be Friends), The Raconteurs (Top Yourself, Carolina Drama) and Dead Weather (I Cut Like A Buffalo).

You can catch the archived video above.

After largely flying under the radar for the past decade with...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:23:00 -0400

After largely flying under the radar for the past decade with three albums and a handful of EPs, it looks like 2012 will finally be Chromatics’ year.

Fresh off the release of their double album opus, Kill for Love, as well as the honor of opening for legendary brit-pop rockers Pulp a couple weeks ago at Radio City Music Hall, the duo will go on a full-fledged North America tour later this year.

For those of you who haven’t heard Chromatics before, well, they’re kind of like the xx with more balls, and I mean that in every sense of the word. Whereas the xx strive for a minimalistic approach to electro-pop, Chromatics collide, head first, into a sonic collage composed of synths, samplers, guitar, and bass.

Multi-instrumentalist/producer/DJ Amtrac has just released his take on the gorgeous “Birds of Paradise”, and let’s just say it’s a bit more funkdafied than the original. Enjoy.

Fiona Apple’s first single in six years has finally hit...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:32:00 -0400

Fiona Apple’s first single in six years has finally hit the Interweb, and it’s well worth the wait.

We’ve already heard a handful of new songs from last month’s SXSW show, such as the heart-on-a-sleeve confessional, “Valentine”.

But this is the first studio cut we get to hear off her fourth studio album, The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do.

Let me know what you think. The Idler Wheel is out June 19th, and you’ll get to hear it live when Fiona plays Toronto’s Sound Academy on July 4th.

Happy Record Store Day everyone! Make sure you go out to your...

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:07:15 -0400

Happy Record Store Day everyone! Make sure you go out to your local independent record store and support good music.

I will be DJing Tabula Rasa’s Second Anniversary Spring...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:53:45 -0400

I will be DJing Tabula Rasa’s Second Anniversary Spring Party on Saturday, April 21 from 8 pm to 12 am.

Come by, check out their great vintage clothing, have a drink or five, and dance dance dance!

You can Facebook RSVP for the free event here. Tabula Rasa is located at 745 Broadview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4K 2P6.

“What is it with guys and making lists?” This is...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:13:00 -0400

“What is it with guys and making lists?” This is often the reaction I get from women when I mention my “top 10 anything” list, whether it’s illustrating my favourite teen flicks (The Breakfast Club), songs about friendship (LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends”), biographies/memoirs (Dave Eggers’ A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius), ’80s sitcom themes (Perfect Strangers), or inadvertently gay name for a He-Man character (Ram-Man).

A year ago, I picked up Music Listography Journal, which has pages upon pages of different list categories such as “favourite songs to dance to,” “favourite break-up albums,” and “favourite movie soundtracks”. I have yet to fill out a single page because it seems like an incredibly daunting project that I will have to set aside at least an entire week of brain-power and music listening to ensure my choices are completely accurate.

For me, compiling lists are a way of organizing my jumbled, scattered ideas and interests into a more tangible system. More often than not, these lists are nothing more than my own OCD-driven exercises in daydreaming/distraction.

Paris-based Ten Songs That Saved Your Life employs a similar idea as Music Listography, only from the perspective of professional musicians. The blog features lists from a slew of artists including Justice and James Murphy, who couldn’t seem to narrow his list down to any fewer than 15 songs. But I can empathize with this. Whenever I try to compile a year-end top 10 list, it always ends up being twice as long.

Reading over this blog, it inspired me to give the subject a shot. But I couldn’t simply reduce my never-ending list of favourite songs to 10, so I decided to work with albums instead.

Here are my 30 favourite albums of all time in no particular order. I’m not sure I would give them as much credit as “saving my life”, but let’s just say that each and every one of these 30 brilliant LPs played an integral part in shaping my own music taste, and more importantly, forming my overall outlook on life.

wilco - summerteeth
d’angelo - voodoo
stevie wonder - songs in the key of life
michael jackson - thriller
the avalanches - since i left you
the magnetic fields - 69 love songs
the beatles - abbey road
sufjan steven - illinois
the cure - the head on the door
sigur ros - ()
pulp - his n’ hers
broken social scene - you forgot it in people
common - like water for chocolate
radiohead - ok computer
weezer - pinkerton
jeff buckley - grace
arcade fire - funeral
lauryn hill - the miseducation of lauryn hill
a tribe called quest - midnight marauders
mos def - black on both sides
smashing pumpkins - siamese dream
cody chesnutt - the headphone masterpiece
pavement - crooked rain, crooked rain
elvis costello - my aim is true
elliot smith - xo
the strokes - is this it
belle and sebastian - dear catastrophe waitress
the velvet underground - the velvet underground
bruce springsteen - born to run
curtis mayfield - curtis/live!

Aging is an inexplicable phenomenon. One minute were building...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:00:00 -0400

Aging is an inexplicable phenomenon. One minute were building castles on a beach on a family summer vacation in Florida, the next minute we’re trapped in our office cubicles, staring lifelessly into a computer screen.

When I was 11 years old I wanted to be an architect. This realization was inspired entirely by my love for Lego. I would spend hours in my bedroom meticulously constructing skyscrapers, stadiums, and shopping malls. For the next 7 years I was convinced that architecture was my calling.

But when it finally came time to apply to universities, I soon realized how much math and science was involved in the architecture program. This terrified me so I decided on pursuing the more realistic option of communication arts. In my second year of undergrad I began writing for the school newspaper, interviewing bands and writing reviews, and it all felt right. And now, 14 years later, I realize that your profession chooses you, and not the other way around as I had believed.

Argentinian photographer Irina Werning explores this theme of aging in her 2011 collection, “Back to the Future”, where she enlisted everyday people to reenact some of their favourite photos from the past.

Werning says:

I love old photos. I admit being a nosey [sic] photographer. As soon as I step into someone else’s house, I start sniffing for them. Most of us are fascinated by their retro look but to me, it’s imagining how people would feel and look like if they were to reenact them today… Two years ago, I decided to actually do this. So, with my camera, I started inviting people to go back to their future…

Feist recently featured Werning’s work in her new video for Metals’ standout track, “Bittersweet Melodies”. If you don’t so much as grin while watching this video, you’re probably not human.

Watch the video above, then check out Werning’s entire “Back to the Future” collection, here and here.

The beautiful St. Vincent, aka Annie Clark, played Coachella...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:34:27 -0400

The beautiful St. Vincent, aka Annie Clark, played Coachella Saturday evening, where she debuted a new song, KROKODIL, which will be released on an exclusive 7” with b-side GROT this Saturday for Record Store Day.

The song is named after Russia’s scary-as-shit designer drug, which apparently turns your skin a scaly green tint before eventually rotting the flesh until your skin looks like that of a, well, crocodile.

Posted above is St. Vincent’s entire 45-minute set. Check out her chaotic KROKODIL performance at the 37:45 mark, where she crowd surfs while wailing into the mic.

Harlem emcee Azealia Banks made her long awaited US debut on...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:02:00 -0400

Harlem emcee Azealia Banks made her long awaited US debut on Saturday, performing to a packed Coachella tent. Pretty impressive considering she’s only 20 and doesn’t even have an album out in stores.

I’ve been tracking Banks’ career since last fall when I first heard her explosive, bass-shaking “212”, a staple in my own DJ sets. She’s drawn comparisons to Nicki Minaj, Santigold, MIA, and Lil Kim, and while these reference points may be fair considering her eclectic delivery and wordplay, there’s no doubt that Banks is one of the most exciting emcees to emerge in years from hip hop’s otherwise stagnant scene.

When she closed the show with “212”, which segued into a cover of the Prodigy’s “Firestarter”, it was clear that the hundreds of Coachella kids jumping up and down that they were all waiting for her to drop the anthem.

Banks’ 1991 EP is out in stores on April 17, while her upcoming debut album, Broke with Expensive Taste, will be released later this year. In the meantime, you can check her entire Coachella set above.

Behold, Pulp’s entire Coachella set from Friday night....

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 13:08:39 -0400

Behold, Pulp’s entire Coachella set from Friday night. Enjoy.

Just as I finally made peace with missing out on this...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:37:00 -0400

Just as I finally made peace with missing out on this weekend’s Coachella festival, I read this amazing scoop on VH1’s Best Week Ever blog:

We’re told an image of Nate will be projected onto the Coachella stage — alongside Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Warren G, and Daz Dillinger — to make it appear as though he’s actually performing on stage. [And it suuuuure will. - Ed]

According to sources, Nate will perform several songs.

For those of you who don’t listen to rap music that isn’t Kanye or Jay-Z, Nate is credited for started the whole “R&B rap hook”. He sadly passed away March 15, 2011 as a result of health complications of multiple strokes.

As a massive fan of West Coast rap, I don’t think there is a greater tribute to Nate Dogg than reprising his performances in hologram form as he joins his former Dogg Pound family. My only complaint is that there won’t be an Eazy E hologram.

I’m hoping Coachella will webcast this performance, which is set for 10:35 pm PST Sunday, although right now the webcast schedule has a TBA under 10:35 pm.

Also, I don’t know if you guys recall CNN’s Anderson Cooper interviewing a Will.I.Am hologram during US Election 2008 night, but it was without a doubt the best five minutes of television I will ever watch. Period.

For as long as I’ve been an avid fan of Wes...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:49:31 -0400

For as long as I’ve been an avid fan of Wes Anderson’s films, I’ve been a not-so-secret admirer of his soundtracks. After all, the two are nearly synonymous. Some of the most pivotal (and hilarious) scenes in Anderson’s films are meticulously set to classic songs, re-imagined and re-introduced in the context of the eccentric world he creates.

In The Royal Tenenbaums, Luke Wilson shaves off his beard in the mirror while Elliot Smith’s “Needle in the Hay” captures the sombre mood. The Who’s “The Quick One While He’s Away” gives a raucous edge to the revenge montage in Rushmore, where Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman one-up each other, performing one hilarious prank after another.

In The Life Acquatic With Steve Zissou, Murray, wearing nothing but a speedo and a bathrobe, defends himself with a handgun against Filipino pirates while The Stooges’ “Search and Destroy” snarls behind him.

The Playlist reports that ABCKO Records announced the soundtrack details for Anderson’s upcoming seventh film, Moonrise Kingdom, which will feature songs from Hank Williams, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, Benjamin Britten, as well as score compositions from Alexandre Desplat (who also did Anderson’s magical Fantastic Mr. Fox) and former Devo-member-turned-film-composer, Mark Mothersbaugh.

And we all knew we could expect French pop icon Françoise Hardy (her song, “Le Temps De L’amour”, is featured in the trailer) on the soundtrack. If you haven’t checked out her seminal 1965 debut, The Yeh-Yeh Girl from Paris!, you probably should do that right away. And while you’re at it, check out Dirty Beaches’ “Lord Knows Best”, which samples Hardy’s hypnotic “Viola”.

The soundtrack for Moonrise Kingdom is out May 22, followed by the film’s release on May 25.

Do you remember the first time you heard Pulp? I do, and...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:28:00 -0400

Do you remember the first time you heard Pulp? I do, and I’m embarrassed to say that I was a late bloomer. While many fans of the Britpop band were introduced to their music with 1992’s Separations or 1994’s His n’ Hers (which for the record is my favourite Pulp album), I was almost entirely unaware of their existence until their undisputed breakout album, Different Class.

It was grade 11 and a few of my friends and I were at this kid Matthew’s house. Although Matt and I weren’t all that close, we definitely shared similar taste in music, except for maybe his affinity for weird Japanese experimental pop. This would all make sense in college when I learned he had the worst case of “yellow fever”. As far as I’m concerned, it was just the “yellow cough” before Matt perfected the virus to make it one of the leading causes of creepiness among Caucasian males between the ages of 18 and 35.

So we’re all hanging out in his bedroom and he throws on Different Class. Within 30 seconds into opener “Mis-Shapes” I was hooked. Frontman Jarvis Cocker’s vocals had the unapologetic conviction of Lennon, coupled with the syrupy sex appeal of Bowie. The jangly guitars, accented by bouncy keys. And that hook, oh, that hook.

We won’t use tanks, we won’t use bombs, we’ll use the one thing we’ve got more of - that’s our minds!

It was like every nerd’s call to battle anthem. Forget Mel Gibson’s “they may take our lives but they’ll never take our freedom” speech that preceded the final battle scene in Braveheart — as a scrawny 16-year-old nerd, these were the kind of motivational words I could really sink my teeth into. I became a bonafide Pulp fan shortly after that first listen.

Alas, growing up in Calgary, I never did get a chance to see them live before they eventually called it quits in 2002. So I was delighted when they announced last year they would reunite for a handful of European festival shows. This reunion tour of sorts would extend into 2012 with a handful of US dates announced, including back to back nights at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, which concluded tonight. I know I’ll forever regret not hopping onto a plane to see either of these two shows, as I will for their two sets I’ll be missing this weekend and the following weekend at Coachella.

I’m drowning my sorrows in whatever YouTube footage I can find from the Radio City Music Hall shows, which by the looks of it was mostly taken by people who suffer from Parkinson’s, as the end result is a shaky mess that I would not dare share with you. So instead, here’s a recent performance at the NME Awards of the song that started it all for me.

I know this may sound trite, obvious, or even silly to some, but...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:00:13 -0400

I know this may sound trite, obvious, or even silly to some, but I’ll say it anyway: Music is the single most important thing in my life. More than writing and literature, more than film and television, more than art and design. Hell, even more than a porchetta sandwich and a six pack of Brooklyn Lager.

It’s a time machine, a full-length mirror, a high-powered microscope, and a mood ring, all in one. It’s the reason why I’m able to cope with something as heartbreaking as the death of my father, why I find comfort in a rainy Sunday afternoon, and why I’ll never forget the first time I told a girl “I love you”.

This guy gets it, perhaps more than anyone I know. I’m hoping you get it too.

Sufjan Stevens has never been one to shy away from creating...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:29:08 -0400

Sufjan Stevens has never been one to shy away from creating music with grandiose thematic concepts. His previous work have tackled the 50 states (Michigan, Illinois), the Chinese Zodiac signs (Enjoy Your Rabbit), and even the BQE (um, duuuuh, The BQE).

So when I first learned he was working on a new project that would serve as an anthem of the solar system, well, I can’t say I was surprised. It’s like being shocked by news of Snooki having genital herpes… or Hepatitis B… or full-blown AIDS — well, you get the picture.

Depending on where you stand on concept music and, more specifically, Sufjan’s concept music, you are either incredibly psyched about this new project or you are rolling your eyes so far back, someone has likely called for your immediate medical attention.

So far, there is no word of a proper album release. Instead, Sufjan is on the road with the National’s Bryce Dessner and multi-instrumentalist Nico Muhly doing a handful of European and Australian dates to preview the new material.

Joined onstage with the New Trombone Collective & Navarra String Quartet, Sufjan, Dessner and Muhly played Amsterdam’s Het Muziektheater on the weekend. After watching YouTube footage of the entire show (doesn’t anyone just watch shows without filming anymore?), I personally think it’s some of Sufjan’s most fascinating work.

The song video clip above, “Mercury”, is arguably my favourite of the 11 songs they performed. Sufjan’s vocals are gorgeous and the strings and percussion arrangements have the kind of epic, cinematic quality you would hear in a Hans Zimmer score.

Another thing I need to mention is Sufjan’s introduction to “Pluto”, where he endearingly explains—in a manner that only Sufjan can—the reasoning behind Pluto’s exclusion as a terrestrial planet.

Pluto is interesting because it’s fixed on its moon, and they rotate around each other staring at each other affectionately. Which is kind of a beautiful metaphor, but I think that was one of the reasons why it was demoted because I think now to be a “proper planet” you have to command the authority of others. And because the moon and Pluto are existentially attached as equals, then neither of them can be considered a planet. Sad but true.