My favourite albums of 2013

I heard a fellow music lover and DJ say they disliked doing Top 10 lists for the year's music, but did one anyway because it's expected of him as a DJ and taste-setter of sorts. I'm mixed on the concept. Some years it seems tedious, but most years, it's quite a lot of fun. It's nice to look back at the past year and re-discover and even re-enjoy some of the music you loved in the past year. It's also fun to look at what others think. It's also kind of fun to see what the bigger, more predictable sources think. Like which musician in their 60s that Rolling Stone will praise this year (it's Paul McCartney) and what mainstream rapper Pitchfork will chart in the Top 10 (It's Kanye West at #2).

Here's my list. We'll be taking a closer look at the these albums in the coming couple of months. I'll also be counting them down on my radio show on January 10th, 8 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca.

1) Savages - Silence Yourself (Matador)
2) Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe (Glassnote)
3) The Thermals - Desperate Ground (Saddle Creek)
4) Chelsea Light Moving - Chelsea Light Moving (Matador)
5) John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts (Partisan)
6) Jay Arner - Jay Arner (Mint)
7) Darkside - Psychic (Matador)
8) Yuck - Glow and Behold (Fat Possum)
9) The Besnard Lakes - Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO (Jagjaguwar)
10) !!! - Th!!!er (Warp)

Honorable Mentions: Austra - Olympia (Paper Bag), Low - The Invisible Way (Sub Pop), Body/Head - Coming Apart (Matador), Cults - Static (Columbia), Dark Horses - Black Music (Last Gang)

Least favourite thing of the year, probably the neo-folk movement. The most immediately grating song I heard this year was Avicii's "Wake Me Up!"

What say you? What did you like or dislike in this past year musically?

Who we lost in 2013

Musicians (and a few non-musicians) we lost in 2013, along with some video and music goodness.

Patti Page
Steve Knight (Mountain)
Leroy Banner (Ohio Players)
Patty Andrews (Andrews Sisters)
Ann Robson (Safire)
Cecil Womack
Reg Presley (The Troggs)
Mo-Do
Shadow Morton
Tim Dog
Tony Sheridan
Mindy McCready
Magic Slim
Cleotha Staples
Jewel Aikens
Stompin' Tom Connors
Alvin Lee
Peter Banks (Yes)
Claude King
Clive Burr (Iron Maiden)
Jack Greene
Jason Molina
Deke Richards
Scott Hardkiss
Jimmy Dawkins
Oophoi
Chi Cheng (Deftones)
Scott Miller (Game Theory)
Rita MacNeil
Cordell Masson (Parliament)
Christine Amphlette
Richie Havens
George Jones
Chris Kelly (Kris Kross)
Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
Alan O'Day
Ray Manzarek
Joey Covington (Hot Tuna)
Bobby Bland
Alan Myers (Devo)
Paul Smith
T-Model Ford
Tim Wright (Pere Ubu)
Zev Asher
Jack Clement
Edyie Gorme
Allen Lanier (Blue Oyster Cult)
Marian McPartland
Sid Bernstein
Ray Dolby
Phil Chevron (The Pogues)
Jan Kuehnemund (Vixen)
Cal Smith
Noel Harrison
Gypie Mayo (Yardbirds)
Lou Reed
Cheb i Sabbah
Chick Willis
Ray Price
Lord Infamous (Three 6 Mafia)

Jello Biafra speaks truth

I've been putting a bunch more music into my iPod and came across my copy of Incredibly Strange Music Vol. 2. This was put out by the people at Re/Search, who put out some stellar books in the 80s on counter culture. I'm particularly fond of the Industrial Culture Handbook, which opened my eyes to a number of weird things in music. The ISM volumes, or course, cover odd music, mostly from the 40s to 60s. Jello Biafra, of Dead Kennedys fame, wrote the liner notes for ISM Vol. 2. It kind of nails down why I search out the music I do, and why I enjoy digging through boxes of old records:

"From early one, I developed a sense of humor about records and music that weren't necessarily 'cool'. Starting in the 9th grade, I got fed up with radio that I began buying records just on the basis of which covers looked the most interesting. Thrift store singles broadened me even more. My tastes continued to widen; I'm always looking for that left-field idea that would help make my own songs different...

I keep expanding and discovering more and more sounds, i blunder into new things. Hybrids and blends are the most intriguing, especially when they're unintentional. Part of the reason I search for weird rock-ethnic-experimental music hybrids is: they inspire me to come up with new material. The more bent and unexpected, the better - you never know what you may find, and what sort of catalyst/inspiration it could be. If you want to get into the weirdest of the weird, you have to take chances. For those who stay curious, there are always new frontiers..."

Here's some music from the compilation. Ken Nordine's experiments in "word-jazz", an odd mix of jazz and free-association poetry

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees 2014

We got the nominees list for 2014's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a week or two ago. Let's take a look at who made the grade!

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band: A seminal blues band, Butterfield was a hugely influential blues harp player that also dabbled in jazz and psychedelic rock. Good pick, but likely won't be inducted this year.

Chic: This is the second year that Chic has been nominated. Chic, with Nile Rodgers at the helm, were one of the best disco bands. While disco hasn't aged well, Rodgers has kept himself busy in electronic music, having shown up on Daft Punk's Random Access Memories this past year.

Deep Purple: Strange they're not in the Hall already. Stoner rock before it was stoner rock, heavy blues influence on their music. Maybe it's because they're kind of associated with just one song, "Smoke on the Water"?

Peter Gabriel: An early member of Genesis, Gabriel left the band early and went his own weird way. Has worked in prog, psychedelic, new wave, roots and jazz. Amazingly eclectic artist that deserves to be in the Hall.

Hall and Oates: This is my sentimental favourite this year. I apologetically love Hall and Oates blue-eyed soul and vocal harmonies. They'll get in, but probably not this year,

KISS: The first slam dunk of the list, KISS brought theatricality to a new level with their stage shows and their glam-tinged hard rock. Also set the standard for marketing a band's image to death (KISS coffins anyone?). Gene Simmons will be a brilliantly, unsufferable douchebag during the induction too.

LL Cool J: A lot of hip-hop has been inducted in the past few years, LL Cool J looks to be the odds-on favourite for this year. He's one of the biggest names in rap to come out of the New York scene, and also has the crossover R&B appeal too. He'll likely get in.

The Meters: New Orleans based funk and blues masters made several classic albums in the 60s. They've been up for induction before, but I doubt it's their year.

Nirvana: The other shoo-in this year, and in their first year of eligibility. Nirvana set the entire world of music on its ear in 1991 and their short but inspiring career launched the Seattle scene, changed rock radio forever and arguably made indy rock socially acceptable.

NWA: The other hip-hop group in nomination this year, and one of the most influential bands from the Los Angeles gangsta rap style. Very confrontational for the time, but Dre and Ice Cube has both lightened up a lot (Ice Cube does family movies now, hard to believe the guy who rapped "Fuck Tha Police" had that in him). Likely will be skipped over for LL this year.

The Replacements: This is the most interesting pick this year. The Mats were musical chameleons and a stalwart of the 80s scene in Minnesota. Oddly iconoclastic, they were equally at home in punk and in indy rock. They were also famous for their drunken and drug-addled concerts.

Linda Ronstadt: Another sentimental favourite. Ronstadt's work might be dismissed as schmaltzy and poppy. Anyone doubting her range should listen to her version of Warren Zevon's "Carmelita". Due to health problems, this singer now can't sing anymore. She'll likely get it.

Cat Stevens: Strange he's not in either. Cat Stevens is a legend in folk rock circles and in the 60s rock and roll/folk style. "Peace Train" alone should be his ticket in. Maybe he's been delayed to the Yusuf Islam thing back in the 90s?

Link Wray: Consummate surf-rock and instrumental electric guitarist. Likely not his year though.

Yes: Massively influential prog rockers, with a hit career spanning into the mid 80s. Maybe, but not likely this year.

The Zombies: Huge pop-psychedelic band with a massive back catalogue. I like this band for this year's ceremony.

My picks for inductions: KISS, Nirvana, LL Cool J, The Zombies, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt.

RIP Lou Reed

Lou Reed has left us. Reed passed away at the age of 71 on October 27^th. No cause of death has been released yet, but Reed had been suffering from liver problems, having undergone a liver transplant in April.

Reed's contributions to rock and experimental music can't be understated. His musical career was a rocky one, and started ignobly. His love for 50s doo wop music got him into recording and one of his first gigs was for the cut rate Pickwick label, writing music without credit. It even spawned a minor hit for him in 1964 called “The Ostrich”.

It wasn't until Reed met Welsh cellist John Cale that his star began to rise. Together with Moe Tucker and Sterling Morrison, Reed and Cale formed The Velvet Underground, Cale had been part of Reed's band in “The Ostrich” sessions, and introduced him to New York's avant-garde scene through La Monte Young's Theater of Eternal Music. After some performances, the band caught the attention of Andy Warhol, who paired the band with Nico, and helped put out their debut album The Velvet Underground and Nico in 1966.

The Velvet Underground were unlike any band at the time. Reed's penchant for classic rock merged with Cale's instincts for free-jazz, neo-classical and general musical experimentation and formed something very unique for the time, something so forward looking that it almost had no place in the mid 60s. The Velvets put out several albums through multiple line-ups, all of them commercial failures, but they inspired a decade of influential musicians, from prog rockers to punks. Without the early experiments of the Velvet Underground, there would be no punk scene, or art-rock scene, or perhaps any type of scene in New York.

Reed left the band in 1970, in pretty acrimoniously fashion. Earlier, new manager Steve Sesnick convinced Reed to fire Cale. Feuding with Cale, Reed left and the rest of the band followed suit in the next few years, leaving it to shamble around under new band leader Doug Yule, who had replaced Cale, until 1973.

Reed's solo career has been up and down, but contains many landmarks and stellar recordings. His first big album was 1972's Transformer, produced by Mick Ronson and David Bowie. This album contained his first hit “Walk on the Wildside” and one of his best known and loved songs “Perfect Day”. Reed followed this with the critically acclaimed Berlin, a dark album about the seedy underbelly of Berlin.

Reed released Metal Machine Music in 1975 to derision. The album is a difficult listen, two albums of electronic and guitar noise with little structure. The album remains a highly influential album to avant-garde and noise musicians though.

The 80s saw Reed mellow after his marriage to Sylvia Morales. He recorded The Blue Mask in 1982, probably his best album of the 80s. His material in the mid 80s had a poppy quality to it. The 80s culminated with a reunion with Cale for 1990's Songs for Drella, a tribute album to Warhol, and his concept album New York in 1989, about the lives of people he saw in New York.

The early 90s saw the Velvets reunite for some benefit concerts, then an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Reed continued to record through the 90s and 2000s, and he married electric-violinist Laurie Anderson in 2008.

Reed's career was very hit and miss and quite iconoclastic. He had a bristly personality, often scathing of his critics and fans. Among my friends, we had a term called “Lou Reed syndrome”. For us, it seemed like Lou Reed lacked a certain internally critical voice. For every album he produced, there seemed to be one brilliant track, then 10-12 songs of indulgent and tuneless songs. Whenever I run into an album with one track and then 10 songs of dreck, I tend to say the artist caught “Lou Reed syndrome”.

For me, Reed's most stellar work was his work with the Velvets, with Loaded and White Light/White Heat being his best work. Upon hearing “The Gift” for the first time in the late 80s, my mind was opened even more to the possibilities of music as art. His work in experimentation in music is legendary. He will be missed.

RIP Lou Reed

On Godspeed winning the Polaris Prize

On September 23^rd, the 8^th annual Polaris Prize was announced. This year, the prize went to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, a seminal experimental music band from Montreal, for their album Allelujah! Don't Bend Ascend. Normally, I'd be celebrating this win, being a landmark and a validation of experimental music, a style and approach to music near and dear to my heart. But, my emotions are a bit mixed on this. Let me explain why.

Part of it is the feel of hipsterism to this year's pick. GY!BE have been doing their style of music for more than 15 years, mostly on their own imprint, Constellation Records. Constellation, due to their association with Godspeed, has been a remarkable label dedicated to the strange and artsy end of the musical spectrum. From those meagre beginnings, now Constellation's releases seem to enjoy popularity with almost every release put out. And good on them for it. But, where is the love for this kind of music coming out on other labels, even other Canadian labels?

Let me give you an example. One of the big names on Constellation is Colin Stetson, an avant-garde saxophonist who also dabbles in post punk and electronics (He was also up for the Polaris Prize this year). His music is dense, difficult and noisy. Without Constellation behind him, it's doubtful he would be as big of a name in campus radio as he is now. Nor would he be embraced by the same crowd that likes Metric, The Shins and Said the Whale. But, how much of this is on Stetson himself and how much is it on the label he's on?

Hot labels aren't new in music. Matador, Sub Pop, Merge, Kill Rock Stars, K, all have enjoyed a buzz that have helped their bands. Montreal also currently sports Arbutus Records. Everything they release seems to catch fire, regardless of quality (though most releases on Arbutus are of a high quality). Same with Constellation. Regardless of whatever strange thing they put out, it seems to get picked up by the hipster crowd. The most recent releases like this have been the aforementioned Colin Stetson, Jerusalem in My Heart (a bizarre mix of Middle Eastern folk, indy rock and electronics, with song titles in Arabic text-speak), Esmerine (a similar mix of world beat and post punk) and Sarah Neufeld (violinist from Arcade Fire, a drony mix of neo-classical and orchestral pop). Would these band, standing on their own, garner the same attention if they weren't on Constellation? Is their popularity due to their talent, or does it have more to do with who they are associated with?

On the avant-garde jazz scene in Canada, there are easily a dozen artists I can think of that deserve just as much attention as Colin Stetson. Jesse Zubot, Jean Martin, Peggy Lee, Simon Fisk, Gordon Grdina and more are doing things very similar to what Stetson is doing, but without the backing of Constellation, the Said the Whale fans of the world ignore them. And it's not like that Canadian college radio is not getting their music. Our station has many releases from these artists. But because the hip label Constellation isn't on the cover, they seem to be ignored.

Even bands similar to Godspeed suffer from this. Hamilton's SIANspheric has been doing droning post punk like Godspeed since before Godspeed existed, but they seem to be a footnote in Canadian music history, even though they often do the genre better. Ditto for the even older Nihilist Spasm Band, which even the most hardcore of experimental music fans in Canada might be hard-pressed to recall their songs, even though they continue to record and tour today.

The second aspect that bugs me about this selection is that it feels like tokenism. Godspeed's latest album isn't their best, nor is it particularly interesting. Their best work were their first couple of albums, F# A# Infinity and Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada. Godspeed have also been doing the same sound for 15 years, with not much variation in what they do. There's very little that's groundbreaking about Allelujah! Don't Bend Ascend. They're pretty much the same band they were in 1998, with the same expansive, twenty minute drones that they're known for.

This award feels like those Grammy award ceremonies where the awards go out to bands as a concession for their previous works. Remember when Santana took home all those awards for his album of collaborations with modern pop stars, that was several dozen steps behind his groundbreaking work in the 70s? Or Herbie Hancock's award for best album in the 2000s, long after his most celebrated work in the 70s. Or the awful Ray Charles album that won after his death? This feels like, “Hey Godspeed! We loved your past work but we didn't feel like acknowledging it til now. Here, have an award for this sub-par album that isn't as great as your old work, but makes us feel better for giving it to you.” Of course, there was no Polaris Prize back in 1998, but the point remains.

Ideally, this award should go to someone that was young enough to enjoy the cash reward and prestige that goes with the award. Godspeed already have a hipster empire. How about METZ, Purity Ring or Whitehorse, all of whom put out stellar albums this year. I'm happy for Godspeed's win, but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Indie Band Round Up #3

Some new Canadian bands for you to check out!

Punch Drunk Cabaret

Every summer, the city of Kamloops puts on Music in the Park, a two month long nightly open air free concert series. The line up is pretty eclectic and family friendly, being open to the public and avidly attended by senior's groups. Needless to say, a band like Punch Drunk Cabaret seemed like an odd choice for Music in the Park, but they played nonetheless in August.

PDC are a tattooed, heavy-drinkin' country and rockabilly band from Alberta. They also play “steampunk swing”, whatever that is! Their sound on CD is more rootsy and country tinged than their live shows, which are more on the rockabilly and punk side of things. They were a great band and I took a video of one of their songs when I saw them back in August

http://www.punchdrunkcabaret.com/

Light Fires

Light Fires are a new electro-pop band from Toronto. A duo, this band has the cool, deteacted feel of an 80s band combined with a more modern sultry vocal approach. Their de3but album Face just came out in July.

http://light-fires.com/

A Tribe Called Red

Not exactly a new band, but a band who definitely came into their own this year. I first heard A Tribe Called Red back in the spring, after listening to their latest album, called Nation II Nation. Their sound was like nothing I had heard before. At the base is traditional First Nations pow wow music, drumming, chanting and droning rhythms. The trio of DJs behind this band add in club music and electronics, creating a sound that's truly unique. Very few bands are mixing this kind of indigenous style of music with electronics, and even fewer are doing it in Canada. A Tribe Called Red recently did the summer festival circuit, including Salmon Arm, and, by all accounts, have been putting on excellent shows.

http://atribecalledred.com/