Welcome to my brand new You Should Know section of ye olde blog. Here I’ll discuss some under appreciated artists that should be on your radar. The lucky contestants to be mentioned first, Dutch rap group, Pax & Pry. Now, I am one who quickly tired of the same ol scheme we tend to see in rap, it is definitely not what it used back when I was a youngin’. So I searched far and wide for some unique groups.

With great beats laced together by Pry and Pax’s lyrical stylings, this talented duo is just giving it away for free! No really! The duo is open to sharing their artistic expression with all and have both of their jam packed releases for free downloads on their site. When is the last time an artist has done that? So, please, give Pax & Pry a listen, spread the word and enjoy their music…

Here is my favorite track from their 2007 release A Day At The Office, enjoy!

Pax & Pry – Back Again

In fact, be sure to check out Pax & Pry’s label, Beats Broke, they have A LOT of excellent artists on their roster.

Read Live Review @ Blurt!

WE ARE DEVO! What?! Devo Live? That’s right folks. I had the fortuitous fortune to see the iconic Devo in action. Their concert was inexplicably awesome! Well, ok, I did muster up a few words to describe the experience in my review above, have a read. But here, I’ll let the pics do the talking

All B&W shots were taken on film, 100 ISO; 50mm prime with the Minolta XG-1…
The color images were taken with a digi…

Doesn’t that robot remind you of Flight of the Conchords? No? Come on! Digressing…TPC has returned strong with their newest LP, CHAMP. The album shows a great “maturity” in their sound in my humbled opinion. Read my full review at Blurt and take a listen to one of my favorite tracks from TPCs latest!

Tokyo Police Club – Breakneck Speed

Read Live Review @ Blurt!

Interpol is finally back with the latest, self-titled LP and their first show took place in Rochester, NY of all places. Lucky for me, I was there! This was my first time seeing the NYC quartet in action so I was slightly saddened that original bassist, Carlos D, would not be there. Nevertheless, and naturally, Interpol sounded great. New songs were played this night and the fans loved it. But of course, “classic Interpol” reigned as the crowd pleasers.

All shots were taken on B&W film, 100 ISO; 28mm wide angle prime with the Minolta XG-1…

Read Live Review @ Blurt!

I have loved Brooklyn’s Earl Greyhound for some time but never had the luxury of seeing them live. So Toronto was the closest they were coming to me and I was going to be there no matter what. Then later I learned they were opening for OK GO…sometimes the gods DO love me. Enjoy the pics below, it was really fun to shoot OK GO and the pounds of confetti they unleashed in the air. And of course, Earl Greyhound burned the place DOWN with the loud, old school, RAWK!

All B&W shots were taken on film, 100 ISO if I remember correctly; 50mm prime with the Olympus OM-2n…
The color images were taken with a digi…

This is what my camera bag has looked like of late….

But the biz is picking up for me so…you’ve been warned!
*About the pic, it was a shot I took in a hotel room waiting for a show to start…

I was really excited to hear what the Portland band had to offer for their second release and it is impressive! Menomena’s uniquely creative and emotive music shines through on Mines but what make the album more special in my humblest of humble opinions is the strikingly personal lyrics and passionate singing that tugs at your heartstrings. Listen to “Dirty Cartoons” to see what I mean and read my full review at Blurt.

Menomena – Dirty Cartoons

Weathervanes is the debut album from this NY quartet and it is a pop-folk-rock gem. A very strong release for a debut, I cannot wait to see what these talents folks will unleash next. Read my full review at Blurt and here is my favorite track from Weathervanes.

Freelance Whales – Location

…with a “suspicious” name. Ignoring the innuendo, Suspicious Package, is a great follow up album to their 2006 release Soft Targets. There the trio continues their brand of old school rawk! Read my full review at Blurt and take a listen to one of my favorite tracks from Suspicious Package.

Earl Greyhound – Holy Immortality

Now, I am a big fan of Bloc Party (how can you not love their blend of dance-punk rock); so, I was really excited to learn of Kele’s solo release. I heard “Tenderoni” on the radio, it piqued my interest so I thought I’d give Boxer a listen…

I was not totally impressed. Perhaps I was biased due to my love for Bloc Party; perchance I expected…I don’t know what I expected but i was not wholly impressed. Read my full review at Blurt for the skinny.

Read Live Review @ Blurt!

I. Love. The. Editors.

That is all, enjoy the pictures!

Ok, want more? When the UK group returned with their third album, I was hesitant of their new sound (more synths and dance beats). Well, my doubts were quelled as In This Light and On This Evening is a great album. Still brooding and dark with great melodies, the music gets you dancing. And the Editors live is an experience you should…experience. They are always great in concert…I had the luxury of seeing them once before so I knew I had to see the quartet again.

Opening for them was NYs Antlers, there are a few pics of them as well!

All shots were taken on B&W film, 100 ISO amazingly; 50mm prime with the Olympus OM-2n…

I LOVE Cold War Kids. Their bluesy-soul, punk-rock tunes have always piqued my interest and I of course ran to see the guys live when they performed near me. This fulfilled the fan in me and made all of my hours listening to their music in my car, at work, in the morning while I brushed my teeth all the more self gratifying. Than came the oppurtunity to interview lead singer Nathan Willet…

*commence heavens opening and wee cherubs playing harps

Never fear, I did not act like a weird stalker girl, but maintained my composure and tried my best to ask Willet an array of questions that would give Blurt readers an insight on the Cali band. The end result, you ask? A fine feature interview by yours truly…an interview I am most proud of. And be sure to listen to Cold War Kids if you have not had the luxury of listening to their songs!

I had the luxury of visiting Montreal AND M for Montreal music festival for the first time last year. An incredible festival in an equally incredible city, I never have a dull time while there.

As Blurt Mag has the review and pics in two different locations, I’ll post everything here so life is a wee bit easier for you! (Gallery Below)

Summer is the time most flock to music festivals. Yet, what about when the sun sets earlier, predictions of snow may be part of your forecast and the holidays are encroaching? This is when M for Montreal (a/k/a M4M), now four years old, pounces. During this time of festival hibernation this little-known musical extravaganza is growing into the must attend indie event. And trust this road weary writer of BLURT, this statement is far from exaggerated. One glance at the eager fans, dancing hipsters, packed venues-and of course the amazing talent showcased-proves this to be true.

The goal of M4M is to highlight Canadian bands – mostly Montreal based acts – and present a format for them to unleash their hell. And they did just that. It was quite obvious that every band had a well established fan base eager for their favorite band to blow them away…their desires were met.

Yet again the fourth edition of M for Montreal ran like clockwork. Alternating sets, almost 30 bands, no act went unseen; and, here are the bands that made the festival all the more exciting.

DAY 1

Miracle Fortress

The first day of the festival had the most impressive line up and it began with solo act, Graham Van Pelt. A busy multi-instrumentalist who did double duty at M4M – he is also the guitarist for band Think About Life – Van Pelt performed twice this night. However, before he graced the stage with the night’s main act, and hovered behind two theatrical singers, Van Pelt took center stage with keyboards, drums machines and loops to create his ethereal, dance beats as Miracle Fortress.

Spectators were greeted to a stage with several props (lamps, lights and other like items) when all went black. Van Pelt walked out with a red light illuminating from his heart and donning black shades he pressed a button on his drum machine and the show began. Van Pelt proved to be an eccentric act as he arched backwards, sang in his genteel falsetto and provided his own light show. His vocals could barely be heard over the catchy beats but Miracle Fortress was an intriguing act.

The Rural Alberta Advantage

Following Van Pelt was folk band Rural Alberta Advantage, and as the name suggests, all members of the trio hail from Alberta, Canada. RAA put on an emotive performance as lead singer Nils Edenloff’s sobering voice commanded everyone’s attention. Paul Banwatt’s static, rhythmic drumming made each song come alive as Amy Cole switched between violin, vocals, keyboard and xylophone. A bright surprise and advantageous addition to the evening, even in the large venue RAA’s performance was personable, quaint yet grand. Fans seeking a modern Neutral Milk Motel or a less cheeky Mountain Goats look towards The Rural Alberta Advantage.

You Say Party! We Say Die!

One of the few bands I knew by name prior to attending M4M, You Say Party! (pictured above) did not disappoint. If lead singer’s Becky Ninkovic’s pixyish stature, wing outfit, or adorably coiffed ‘fro didn’t charm you surely her infectiously humble smile captivated you. Making a special trip from their regularly scheduled tour, You Say Party! was warmly welcomed; there were several fans in the room this night. Once on stage the band did not hesitate and quickly leapt into their dance, punk-rock tunes with the dark “XXXX/Loyalty.” Ninkovic’s eerily wailed over the roar of the keyboard and banging drums to an eager audience who immediately jumped and danced to the beats for their entire set.

Think About Life

Well, it was quite obvious why this Montreal band closed the evening. Unashamedly quirky, fun and silly, Think About Life’s dance, pop-rock induced the venue to a sweaty rage. Though some of their tunes proved too immature to my refined taste – sarcasm tone intended – their raw energy was damn contagious; one could not pull themselves away from the quartet.

Singers Martin Cesar and Caila Thompson-Hannant, guitarist Graham Van Pelt, and drummer Greg Napier provided a great explosion of sound. Even members of You Say Party! sat on the rear of the stage and with beaming smiles on their faces watched Think About Life work their magic. A horn section, balloons, beaming smiles, sarcastic quips with the audience, feverish dancing and fans rushing the stage were just a few of the antics that took place. Their exhausting 11pm set, which stretched well into midnight, was nearly over when Cesar called for a friend to join him for their last song, “Sweet Sixteen.” And with the balloons still flying, together they closed the show with a loud bang.

DAY 2

Parlovr

Pronounced Parlour, the trio creates a unique blend of disjointed, upbeat punk, pop-rock. Sharing singing duties, Louis Jackson and Alex Cooper with drummer Jeremy MacCuish were yet another band full of smiles and infectious energy. Parlovr made quite a bit of noise with just two guitars, a keyboard and drums. Introduced as “I love these guys, Louis babysat my kid sister…,” the amorous feeling of the evening was set.

Several times Jackson addressed the audience and it was apparent he wanted to share a more intimate moment with his fans. “Who wants to be my human stand,” he asked as eager hands flew into the air. He picked a girl from the crowd, helped her on stage and with her holding the mic, began singing. She tried to hold back her urge to dance as she smiled with bubbling delight.

DD/MM/YYYY and Silver Starling

DMY’s blend of loud punk, noise-rock soared above the realm of constructive rhythmic beats and sailed straight for kinetic chaos and achieved deafening clamor. And though this pleased some-the crowd of near deaf fans who stood front row, center-there were quite a few who waited in the lobby for the next act, I joined the latter. Later that evening Silver Starling, on the opposite end of the musical spectrum, performed their blend of country-alt-rock. Their music was far from interesting and quite archetypal, alternative rock…perhaps I’m hard to please.

Le Matos

Standing in the front of the stage holding a camera to record the bands performance was Ian Cameron, a member of The National Parcs – they performed at last year’s M4M. As we camera geeks discussed our gear a collection of highly eager, young men (questionably pre-pubescent in appearance) gathered and eagerly jumped, drank and rough housed before the music began. And then I saw why. Le Matos. If your life is a rave this electro-trio will most likely provide the soundtrack. Encased in lights and keyboards the members of Le Matos were shrouded in darkness until the music began and their personal light show complemented the music. With mostly lyric-less songs that easily spanned 6-8 minutes in length, the audience and performers alike were sweaty before the first track was over.

DAY 3

Marie-Pierre Arthur and La Patere Rose

Well, Saturday proved to be “let’s sing in French and confound those foreign tongued delegates” day. And though my weak French only picked up on a word or two, I was able to decipher that all of the bands had rabid fans in the audience. Marie-Pierre and La Patere Rose shelled out pop drenched rock. While Marie-Pierre music was quite focused and catchy, it was difficult to pin down Rose’s sonic influences. Uber poppy and uber feel good, lead singer Fanny Bloom voice squeaked and squealed over the electro-pop sound produced by her two bandmates.

Automelodi

Not that I am a forlorn soul, yet after the mini pop fest this Blurter was ready for some melancholic grooves. Automelodi came to the rescue. A blend between Depeche Mode and The Cure, Automelodi’s throwback to dark, melodic, ‘80s, synth-filled, dance-rock got the audience moving. Singer Arnaud Lazlaud’s subdued vocals calmly wooed the audience as the cool, electronic beats poured from his synthesizers. Though their sound is far from original, Automelodi was a fine live act and their solid performance made my day.

Geraldine

Well. How to describe Geraldine? A dash of rock mixed with a smorgasbord of crazed, eccentric, electro-noise punk, Geraldine was…unique. They all wore ski masks. She sang into a fan. She chirped adoringly into the mic for a duet. For another track Geraldine screeched incomprehensibly while the band poured out some great, chaotic beats. Definitely artsy, definitely captivating Geraldine made a lasting impression.

Eyelid Movies does indeed make you feel like you’re in a REM sleep…something magical is going on behind those talented eyes you see up there. Phantogram is Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel, the two crafted some really great, upbeat, hip-hop influenced music for their debut and it is worth several listens!

My review for Blurt is here, and acquaint yourself with Phantogram…there are great things to come from this fledgling band!