Thick Specs - Classic Indie Rock

Chuck's Top Seven CDs of '07

Sure, Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga probably should have made the list. Unfortunately, my local pub (The Magpie) still plays it almost every bloody time I pop by, thus rendering my own copy effectively unplayable at home. So there you go.

With fewer than 48 hours remaining in the annum, I figure I had better get my year-in-review kick in before the body of 2007 goes completely cold. Okay, so that's kind of a violent image. New Year's resolution #1: No more violent images in my posts. And while I'm at it, New Year's resolution #2: More posts.

Though it sounds like an empty cliche, 2007 was a great year for indie-rock. If a mainstream yardstick like the Billboard chart matters to you at all, then it's worth noting the year began with the Shins' Wincing the Night Away positioned way up above a lot of the usual crap. The rest of the year saw new discs by Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire and Spoon (among others) kicking some serious arse.

Here, in no particular order (other than alphabetical, that is) are my seven favourite CDs of '07. Thanks for asking.

DEERHOOF - Friend Opportunity (Kill Rock Stars) Released in the first few days of the year, some folks may have forgotten this was an '07 release, and one of the best at that. Progressive indie-rock out of San Francisco has never sounded so catchy and aggressively complex at the same time.

FEIST - The Reminder (Arts & Crafts) It took a few listens for this record to grow on me but now I'm a brick wall to it's creeping and comforting ivy. And no, I do not own an iPod Nano.

GIANTESS - Giantess (Soft Abuse) Formerly known as The Battles, Vancouver's psychedelia-inclined Giantess counts Destroyer's Dan Bejar among its former members... and his influence (or perhaps the band's influence on him) still shows.

OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY - Outrageous Cherry (Scratch) Vancouver-based Scratch Records recognized the brilliance of this 1994 debut from Detroit garage-rock unit Outrageous Cherry and decided to do something about it being out of print and unavailable. These 15 tunes sound just as fresh 13 years after the fact, although some emulate a style three times as old, and to great effect.

JOEL PLASKETT EMERGENCY - Ashtray Rock (Maplemusic) A semi-autobiographical concept record from one of Canada's greatest contemporary songwriters. And it boasts some of JP's most rockin' numbers since his Thrush Hermit days of yore.

TWO-MINUTE MIRACLES - Volume IV: The Lions of Love (Weewerk) Why 2MM mainman Andy Magoffin isn't recognized as one of the best songwriters of his generation is a mystery bordering on tragedy. With any luck this latest, greatest disc from his dynamic London, Ontario combo helps solve the caper.

WINTERSLEEP - Welcome to the Night Sky (Labwork) The latest full-length effort from this band of Haligonians has got to be considered a frontrunner for next year's Polaris Music Prize (the Canadian version of the Mercury Prize, if you will). Given the accessibility of most of the material, this rich, well written, brilliantly arranged and gorgeously produced disc is bound to either bridge the chasm between taste-making indie-rock purists and commercial radio-addled wagon-jumpers, or slip by unheard and unnoticed like so many exceptional records before it.

Got a list of your own seven favourite 2007 titles, or even just a couple that I missed? Let me know.

-Chuck Molgat   

Live Artist Of The Year - Beck

Beck's 2007 tour concept was just out of this world.  Playing an entire set with a complete array of puppets mimicking every single move. The show starts with a mini-version of the band playing to a recorded version of 'Loser', but suddenly segues into the real deal.  Just when you think the joke might be for one song, they carried it through every single number.   They get major points for stamina and consistency alone.  Truly original.

- Dave Ullrich

Classic Video - Fugazi

For your viewing pleasure, Washington, DC's Fugazi do a video for 'Turnover', off Repeater . Christmas is over and New Year's is coming.  Parties meet resolutions. Time to celebrate and think at the same time...I just can't think of better band to do it with.

- Dave Ullrich

On Holidays

We're on holidays for a few days, but don't forget to check out the massive 2-for-1 sale at Zunior.com on December 26.  Over 1000 of the best independent albums on sale for one day only!

The Music Industry For Dummies

If you want to understand the state of the music business in 2007 in one simple article, this is it.  David Byrne tells it like it is to Wired magazine.  If you play in a band, or know someone that plays in a band, this is the real deal.   

- Dave Ullrich

Does Indie Rock care about Christmas?

Christmas and the holidays represent different things to different people.  Some people love the charity, some love the non-characteristic displays of kindness, some love the parties, some love the gifts, some love the food and some love the holiday music. However, the history of indie rock shows a spotty commitment to Christmas.  The 80's pop scene had UK stadium rockers with Bob Geldof's Do They Know It's Christmas, and the US with Jacko's We Are The World. The 70's scene had holiday TV variety specials from any number of big names of the time. Even hip hop has had the unequalled Christmas contribution from Run DMC with Christmas In Hollis.  Indie rock...the holiday season asks, what have you done for me lately?

Perhaps the genre simply comprises a group of individuals that really aren't into the holidays.  I can appreciate that. It's not that easy to imagine Jay Mascis volunteering at the local food bank, or Steve Malkmus in a (non-ironic) Santa suit.  The issue isn't really about charity, or heart, it's simply about hallmarks.  What are the true indie rock hallmark moments that represent the holidays?  If you have some suggestions out there, let's hear 'em.

- Dave Ullrich

Classic Video - Archers of Loaf

For your viewing pleasure, Chapel Hill, North Carolina's Archers of Loaf do a video for  'Might' off Icky Mettle . It's all about that guitar sound and the super-nerdy rock vibe.  This is indie rock!

Radiohead Did Not Fail

There has been much chatter in the mainstream press about the Radiohead digital experiment.  Some are calling the initiative a failure because the band has now chosen to end their self-administered pay-what-you-can pricing store.  The tone of the writing is to the effect of 'see...the fact that they are now selling cds and signing (indie) record deals proves that selling direct to fans digitally was a mistake. They are retreating from digital with shame..blah, blah, blah...'.  A band with real clout does one of the biggest digital power moves in history, sells zillions of digital albums directly, then chooses to also sign indie record deals on top of that?  That doesn't sound like a failure to me.

The Radiohead digital experiment will go down in history as the 'drop in the water' when it comes to digital music at a mainstream level.  The ripple effect of their actions will be felt with labels/artists/fans for years.  Yes, it's true that only a band with the stature of Radiohead could have properly pulled off the name-your-price approach (Jane Siberry has been doing it for years), but that's also the crux of the point.  They had the balls/hips to do it, they did it with a great album, they got loads of press, and they'll be talking about it for years. 

It's not clear that recorded music will truly become a giveaway product, basically around just to allow artists to sell concert tickets and t-shirts.  However, it is a clear that a new paradigm has begun of artists selling direct to fans, with digital music at the core.  Bring on the future.

- Dave Ullrich

Where Are They Now? - Kelley Deal, The Breeders

Artist: Kelley Deal, guitar/vocals with The Breeders
Current Profile: Creator of Knitted Handbags
Success Rating: Moderate

The Breeders are a truly unique band.  Originally started as a side project from The Pixies, Kim Deal's band actually out-classed The Pixies for a time in the mid-90's.  Kim invited her sister to join the band in 2002, even though she didn't know how to play guitar.  Tanya Donelly had just left to form Throwing Muses and they needed someone quick.

She has led a complicated life, aggrivated by an addiction to heroin since her teenage years.  In an effort to stay sober, Kelley turned to knitting.  Today she is still part of the revitalized Breeders, but you can find details about her knitting on her website, or this how-to article on the DIY Network. 

- Dave Ullrich 

Plaskett settles into six-night T.O. stand

Night four of Joel Plaskett's six-night stand at Toronto's venerable Horseshoe Tavern was all about the lanky legend-in-the-making's fourth CD La De Da, and the stream of special guests trickling across the stage throughout the hour-and-a-half long set. Since the beginning of the week, Plaskett has been performing his catalogue of CD's in order and on a nightly basis. Tonight's show, for instance, will see the Halifax trubadour feature his latest disc, Ashtray Rock, in its entirety and likely in order of the track listing. If nothing else, this week will represent five of the easiest set lists the artist has ever had to assemble. (All bets are off, however, for Saturday's gig - unless he opts to debut his next album.)

Despite being a sold-out affair at $15 per ticket, unless you were able to fight your way to the front of the stage La De Da night may as well have been Blah Blah Blah night given the amount of chatter in the room. And say what you will about the fist-pumping, finger-pointing frat boys who make up an alarmingly large contingent of Plaskett fans - at least they were paying attention to the show, and getting most of the words right, too. Though a mixed (and refreshingly coed) crowd of supporters were on hand for the show, any veteran of the Can-rock scene would've noticed the similarities in audience demographic between Plaskett fans and those of the Tragically Hip a decade-and-a-half ago. Odd. I guess the kids really get into those Zellers ads.

Speaking of the Tragically Hip, for the second Thursday in a row, frontman Gord Downie took to the Horseshoe stage in a guest vocalist capacity (check out last week's Sadies post), this time to perform a duet with Plaskett on "Love This Town." Ever the people pleaser, Downie handled the line about hating Kelowna by switching it around to loving the British Columbia city, transforming the Queen West venue - if only for a moment - into a veritable Hard Rock Cafe. Other guests included chanteuse Sarah Harmer, Joel's father Bill Plaskett (who looks exactly like a cross between Tony Bennett and Joe Namath and plays a mean acoustic guitar), and former Big Sugar fashion plate Gordie Johnson, who produced Ashtray Rock. Peter Elkas also played keys and provided backup vocals alongside the long serving members of the Joel Plaskett Emergency.

Tightly played yet delivered with a cool, casual swagger, the set was rounded out with several songs from Ashtray Rock, a new Gord Downie number, an old Thrush Hermit ditty and at least one other tune from each of Plaskett's discs. And, remarkably, Plaskett only flubbed lyrics slightly on two occasions, which is commendable for an artist revisiting his entire five-disc songbook (and then some) over the course of a week.

-Chuck Molgat