Are you ready for Canning?

Well, judging from the set-list that Broken Social Scene played at Manning Bar earlier this year I could have sworn that it would be a Andrew Whiteman episode in the new Broken Social Scene Presents… series. Songs like Water in Hell seemed to be introduced in a way that we would be sure to see them released in this context.

Nevertheless, I am not complaining. Bredan Canning is the next in line for this series, and no doubt, this will be a Canadian round-up the likes of which I can not show to be knowledgeable of in any meaningful way…

Except for that he is pretty much the dude in the Canadian music scene. As such, about 392 people feature on the record. Arts and Crafts have a neat little promotional voyeur thing going on over at their site for the release, slotted for 22nd July, 2008. Apparently soccer and not answering your phone are inherently linked in Canada.

How’s the Pressure?

Ben Gibbard is eloquent, this we know from the apt turns of phrase and allegorical lyricism. However, I think that his recent essay (somewhat ominously titled “The Meaning of Life”) for Paste Magazine not only revels much about his personality and his attitude towards himself and his work, but also for us, as fans, and as a general audience to the music industry.

This article shows the enormous pressure that we as an audience place on the artist and their work. Our child-like immaturity and nonsensical tantrums of indie-bashing et al almost force artists into a world where they are constrained, they are straight jacketed into categories, tags and labels. Ben Gibbard’s essay establishes what he thinks of the ridiculousness of how people use his band as some sort of meter or yard stick through which to judge people. Internet culture and its inherent attitude of judgment and opinion masked as stated fact has destroyed any life in the joy of simply enjoying music. As Gibbard notes, it almost seems like people sometimes have to confess that they like DCFC.

Like any market place, the music industry and the perceived likes and dislikes of the audience have never operated solely on the quality or innovative aspect of the music. It reacts to market forces, to fashion, to cultural paradigms and on the most basic level, a type of social bullying. People listen to certain types of music perhaps because they align themselves to a lifestyle,and perhaps it is this that dictates what they should listen to. Adorno says as much. It’s what sounds most familiar to what you are - and in a consumer society we are market forces ourselves, mostly unconscious of how we are perpetuating the largest fraud in the history of mankind - the fraud of ourselves.

Grow up. Listen to it because it moves you. It’s how Ben wants you to react to his music and he is right.

By Konrad Overdrive

Review: The Wombats - A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation

Everything about this record is surrounded by this pretentious indie scene grimmace. That is to say, their fence straddling between indie and… well, pop makes them completely abhorrent to the former - and as such, are reviewed accordingly by dictatorial indie stalwarts for being complete sellouts or just completely lame with no real ability to continue post-debut album.

As such, I feel as though a review would be entirely about defending what they are, and what this album is against ridiculous opinions that, let’s face it, are completely boring and derivative. It takes more skill and more of a person to actually listen to something and be able to not spew forth vitriolic, unimaginative bullshit that simple affirms one thing - that you are the tosser and that you are the one that deserves 3/10.

Now that that is out of the way, let’s talk about this great record.

Jenny Lewis: Superhero

http://www.myspace.com/rilokiley
http://www.myspace.com/lewiswithwatsons

The Ben Gibbard sandwich

So there is this cool site called ‘Cooking With Rockstars’. I think this is just the most perfect idea for a site because it combines my two likes of watching food programs and indie rock, even if said songwriters tend to be pretty terrible cooks. Something else I find pleasing about this site is that the interviewees genuinely seem very open and down to earth. I guess after doing the same music interviews over and over again this is an odd and unexpectedly pleasant alternative.

There is a video on there with Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie, Postal Service) who talks to the host, Jen, detailing his “proficiency” in the culinary arts and giving a short tour of the kitchen section of their bus. I’m going to focus on the recipe from this section (the Ben Gibbard sandwich) which is an open-faced sandwich, toast with peanut butter with a layer of veggie sausages.

Review: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

You know Nick Cave right? Of course you do – he’s that dude that every guy wishes he was and girls… actually, after all this time I am not so sure as to what girls would want in particular from this monstrously awesome guy. At times I think Nick Cave’s life is a drama of existentialism, perpetrated knowingly by himself, and at other times the tragic quality of people’s reactions to his music (see the film He Died With a Falafel In His Hand for a particularly Australian depiction) show me that he taps into something much much deeper than a lot of people should ever go into their lives. And then there is his new album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

Review: (What’s wrong with) Super Paper Mario

Just like my impressions of The Mist, this is going to be riddled with things that may constitute spoilers. The difference is that here it doesn’t matter because the story is pointless. I give this game a don’t bother/10.

Review: (Stephen King’s) The Mist

I haven’t read the original, not being a huge fan of Mr King’s stuff, but supposedly the movie adaptation departs from it in the way it ends. Word is I’m not meant to spoil that for anyone on pain of death by hanging, so I won’t despite it being the part that probably bears more discussion.

I will, however reference my feelings on the ending and if this sort of obtuse discussion is going to spoil it for you then don’t read past the click through.

I do recommend going to see the film, it’s a fairly intelligent horror picture that avoids being too heavy handed with the metaphors it contains. Thomas Jane does well as the gruff protagonist but go see it for Marcia Gay Harden, who is fantastic as the human villian of the film. If you don’t want anything that might be considered a spoiler don’t read on, just go see it.

Feist @ The Metro (29/2/2008)

Leslie Feist is a very talented person and her show at the Metro was a wonderful showcase of the depth of her artistic tastes and musical skillz.

Broken Social Scene @ Manning Bar (28/2/2008)

Broken Social Scene played the Manning Bar last night. There isn’t any structure to this, just a series of notes off the top of my head. Nevertheless I hope if you’re reading this you get a sense of the show out of it. (SPOILER) It was sweet ass!