I’m somehow terrified and fascinated by  large crowds of people. Warped tour was a daily anxiety for me, there were just…so…many of them. When given the choice, I will opt out of going to stadium shows. They’re just not my thing, and I don’t find them enjoyable, although the production of these shows tries urgently to overcompensate for the noise of 20 000 people. I have a few friends working on the Blink 182/Weezer tour, and thought it’d be cool to see them, but I just didnt’ know if it was in me to go to the city and experience some likely inappropriate grabs in a sea of seventeen year olds. But I also weighed the fact that the tickets were free. So I went. And I’m mostly glad I did.

Parking was a drag, fitting 20 000 people anywhere is a nightmare, but we schemed our way into a spot. Bands like Weezer and Blink are really anthem bands. Their songs are easy to remember, simple enough and catchy. They also caught us all at a time in adolescence when most everything was heightened and magnified. The snacks we traded are now honorary snacks, holding real estate in our hearts simply because of their attachment to an era in our lives. Same goes for these bands. They meant far more than they did, because they played in the background during the most dramatic season of our life- youth in all it’s ugly glory. 

Weezer provoked/prodded/elated the nearly-wasted crowd to a new decibal, preparing them for what was to come. They’re still vibrant and energetic, as Rivers played each instrument to…I believe, El Scorcho before the whole band came out to finish it off. The best part was when they played their new song, If You’re Wondering, because I’m still wondering whether this song is all that applicable to 40 year old dudes.  

The production for Blink was impressive. As it should be for such a crowd. I actually had a lot of fun, despite assuring myself that those days were behind me. During their performance, all I kept thinking was, these guys were just regular dudes from San Diego. And here they are. Fame is really something that’s extraordinary, and continues to confuse and challenge me. It seems difficult to maintain humility when you perform in front of thousands of people each night. How do people cognitively separate the two worlds? Or disassociate themselves from that reality. Maybe they can’t. Although, it seems they are still the same Blink, throwing out their best material of high school banter, pervy comments and repeatedly expressing their fierce love for the city of Toronto. But how can we know if we’re really not just another city, huh? How…

Weezer- (If You Are Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To

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Blink 182- The Rock Show

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Only cowards keep dormant their sleeping strength, and soon you’ll find,/only the fearless will reach their potential’s peak.” – Breathing Blood

Here’s where the Christian metal-core nerd laying dormant inside me wakes to the release of Oh Sleeper’s new album ‘Son of the Morning’ tomorrow. I will preface this by saying, I’m… so sorry. It’s mostly a nostalgic attachment to music that saw it’s peak in my formative years, and also something that will most likely delight our friend Andrea who champions loud music as a still living, breathing (and screaming) genre. She also has far more credibility than I do in those circles. Anyway, I loved ‘When I Am God’ so much so that I included a dissection of one of the tracks ‘Building the Nations’ in my college thesis paper. This genre of music is owed much more attention and affirmation than it receives, but the poeticism in the lyrics is mostly overlooked because of it’s metal-core affiliation. But the lyrics are brilliant. They, much like their labelmates As Cities Burn [(RIP) can we talk about their demise someday? Man…] have pioneered a movement of missionaries, spreading the gospel in a radical, and countercultural way. More on this movement below.

First off, Son of the Morning’s album artwork is a broken pentagram signifying the final battle between the devil and God, as the final song ‘The Finisher’ ends with “I’ll cut off your horns”. This album is straight forward, illustrating the biblical theme of God’s wrath over the devil. This band continues to maintain it’s relevancy because of the context in which it presents each album, there is a transcendent depth to each track that finds its way sifting and emerging through the sometimes rather dull monotony of metal/hardcore/punk music. Please don’t hate me for saying that.

…So much rage:

But mark my words/because if that tree keeps them from seeing me/I will burn off your limbs and you will never shade again./You will bow at my feet or I’ll rip out your knees/and make of your face all the carnage you crave./I am the Finisher and I am Forever./I will sing to the world your storm is capturing/and the angels will join me…/We will sing to a world reborn from suffering./From the armories the angels sing. You will see them end this suffering./From the armories the angels sing. You will fear them when they lift their wings./They will sing to a world reborn./They will sing as I cut off your horns./I’ll cut off your horns. The Finisher

Oh Sleeper- Son of the Morning

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Oh Sleeper- The Finisher

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Come & Live

Oh Sleeper got me thinking about music as a movement, and my thoughts immediately jumped to some of the best dudes I know: Chad, Graham and Russ, who recently started a non profit called Come & Live built around those principals. Graham has been a good friend of mine for a few years, and taught me about compassion and integrity within the industry, and continues to be one of the most legit dudes I know. Over the past year his heart for social justice led him to collaborate with Chad Johnson who worked for Tooth & Nail for nearly a decade and is the kind of dude that exudes a great love for all people.

I had the pleasure of showing the both of them around the Invisible Children offices this past spring, and immediately believed in Chad’s mission. Russ, also apart of the C&L team remains on my list favorite dudes as well. These guys emit an extraordinary humility that’s rare, if not dead, within the music industry. Come & Live has birthed a community of people who have faith in this generation’s artists, in their ability to challenge us to be radical. 

There philosophy remains to: support, train, equip and mentor artists with the goal of living as missionaries to a generation of desperate youth. With 100% of the profits being willingly and cheerfully given to the needs of others throughout the world. [They] are a ministry that preaches and teaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the Holy Bible.

To learn more, go to www.comeandlive.com and sign up for their weekly newsletter.

Then tell Chad how unreal you think he is.

And then tell Graham to grow his beard back.

Hey all. Here’s a Sunday afternoon mix. Soon, you’ll be able to download these little guys- but stick around and listen here. Hope you found some cash on the ground, or you hit all the green lights. Love!

Langhorne Slim & the War Eagles- She’s Gone

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Midwest Dilemma- The Great Depression

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Edwarde Sharp and Magnetic Zeroes- Day Dream

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Bad Veins- Gold and Warm

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Cryptacize- The Cage

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The Thermals- You Dissolve (daytrotter sessions) 

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Rogue Wave- Eyes

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Pree- In The Parlour

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Florence and the Machine- Hospital Beds (Cold War Kids cover)

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Taken By Trees- Sweet Child O’ Mine (Rolling Stones cover)

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A. A Bondy- Im On Fire (Bruce Springsteen cover)

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Port O’Brien is: 

Van Pierszalowski/Cambria Goodwin (of Cambria, California) /Caleb Nichols/Joshua Barnhart

Their latest album, ‘Threadbare’ will be released October 6th following their recent signing with TBD Records. Their fall tour with Sea Wolf passes through Toronto on October 9th at Sneaky Dees. 

My first introduction to Port O’Brien, like most, was their song, ‘I Woke Up Today’ which quite literally sounds like a celebration of shouting, dancing, pounding, tapping, and shaking. It was a choir of voices, with no particular lead, just a congregation of vocal chords making, forceful and unified, careful not to drown the others out. There was nothing else like it on the rest of the album. 

The early sounds of a new collection of songs from Port O’Brien made me reconsider the holistic quality of this group. The track ‘My Will Is Good’ is a haunting piece, a rattling ensemble of drums and violins that speaks with conviction, a certain confidence in the words, ‘I think my will is good’. ‘Oslo Campfire’ is a little lazier, a little slower, with subtle memories of the choir singing ‘I don’t care what they say…’ Sour Milk/Salt Water’ is probably my favorite of the Threadbare tracks, it’s poppy and bouncing, conjuring up salty memories of California’s rustic national parks and gathering friends around the fire. 

Port O’Brien- My Will is Good

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The long-awaited LP from Le Loup is nearly ready- their tribal folk-rock sound will be unleashed September 22^nd entitled ‘Family’. This is the follow up to their 2007 EP ‘The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly’. Much like the mouthful of ambiguity their EP offers, this band is progressive by pulling from their roots. The collective roots of humanity, that is. There is a primitive nature to Beach Town, characteristic of their distinctively ethereal sound. They experiment with the screeching howls at the start of the track, following frontman Sam Simkoff’s haunting ehoes, drowned slightly by pulsing drums. There is a cyclical rhythm to this song that captures hazy afternoons at the beach, scooping sand with both palms and letting it slip steadily back into the earth.

Le Loup- Beach Town

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Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson are releasing ‘The Breakup’ on September 15th, paying homage to Serge Gainsbourg’s recordings with Bridgitte Bardot from the 60′s, and was recorded back in 2006. I’ve never liked Scarlett Johansson, nor have I ever considered her particularly attractive- leaving me in the minority. I’d heard her Tom Waits covers and her artistic crossover never seemed believable. She seemed far too over-sexed to be an indie fixture, someone to be taken seriously. However, her project collaborator, Pete Yorn lends some needed credibility to Johansson. I love ‘Relator’ and find it adorable and compliments Scarlett’s raspy vocal range very well. Maybe signs of a successful crossover isn’t entirely out of the question.

Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson- Relator

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Let it be known that driving through a tornado to see a show would suggest an unhealthy devotion to a particular band, however, if the skies should open whilst driving to the venue, it may very well be God’s caution to get off at the closest exit and return safely home. This happened to be the case Thursday night as I drove to see the Snips and Brights at Sneaky Dees. For all those in the Greater Toronto Area, the threat of a tornado left us all a little shaky, stuck inside watching the clouds curl and darken, bracing ourselves for the End. Lightning flashes lit up the QEW as I sat locked in a parade of vehicles inching towards the city. I thought about turning back, but I’d made it too far. I finally made it to the Gardiner, stunned by the brilliance of the sun, and the three rainbows faintly lining the sides of the CN Tower. I’d made it alive.

The show began late, so my pal Ross and I sat downstairs eating vegan cupcakes waiting to hear pounding bass and drums upstairs. We waited some more. Finally, around 9:30 the show began with the Brights, a forgettable band that I tried hard to watch because there was an energy about them, they tried fiercely to pull the audience in- they wanted people to ‘get’ them. I admired that. I don’t know if it’s because the sound at Dees is always painful, but I didn’t stay for the next band, they were offensively noisy so we stood outside watching Jay from Jay and Silent Bob performing his douche-baggery on a group of willing females, oblivious to the deep v-necked demon they were conversing with. He confusingly MC’d the night, which was poorly received, mostly because he was drunk and incredibly disrespectful to the bands.

Finally, the Snips emerged around midnight. They were wonderful, and explosive and endearing. Ricky (vocals) has this warming quality about him, with greased bangs, gaunt eyes and a tired ‘stache he expressed his appreciation for the bands on the bill. Admittedly, I only stayed for half the set (after all of that!) because my eyes were fighting to stay open, and I had a few hours before Friday. They’re playing the London Music Hall tonight, following last night’s L3 show with my favorite dudes ever- The Artist Life. Their EP split with The Flatliners is out now.

 ”Andrea, what do you miss most about home?”
“I miss the music community”

…Really? That’s all I could come up with? Not my family, not my friends, not the crook in my mattress, but the music scene that I’ve almost completely neglected these past few months? I should have said that I miss familiarity, because until a couple nights ago at Soma in San Diego, I’ve had none of that for upwards of three weeks.

Case in point, my uber sweet pal Luke Truman from the UK/Toronto came through town with what I’d consider one of Bridge 9’s “tens”: The Polar Bear Club. These guys are about to drop a new album (September 18) called Chasing Hamburg and from first hand experience I can tell you that it is/will be a wet dream for fans of  90’s-esque punk and hardcore. And on this much needed night they covered Piebald, which automatically heightens my leniency to say nice things about them now. (Okay okay, and maybe the fact that I got to peep show Jimmy’s strangely hairy but very naked chest. WHAT.)

On another note, Eminem may have (unfortunately) put Detroit on the map for music with 8 Mile, but luckily there are others carrying the torch just fine without him: Fireworks, for example. Those dudes reassure me that all is not lost or naïve in the young aspirations of punk’s freshest faces, and it shows in their music and their live performace.

And lastly, Set Your Goals: all I have to say about those guys is that they feel like the soundtrack to some of the best moments of my life.Oh, and I fully appreciated seeing Brett (from Fireworks) amplify their set at Samo by strolling across the stage – naked. Who doesn’t appreciate a little foul behavior from time to time?

Polar Bear Club- Dead Man

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Polar Bear Club- Living Saints

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These United States‘ new album ‘Everything Touches Everything’ is set to be released September. 1st! Although their extensive tour this fall doesn’t find it’s way on this side of the border, I will be playing this album loud and often in honour of the States (band and place). Jesse Elliot’s wise and thoughtful prose carry us on a journey of the great lost Americana. It’s folk rock that means it, that takes what folk was used for- the consciousness, pouring and weezing out of Elliot’s lyrics to the tune of nostalgic pop and rock. According to Elliot, writing and playing music was a last resort, he seemed disenchanted with politics, journalism and international law so he decided to pursue music. I fiercely envy and admire this worldview. It sounds so simple to churn out a few dozen songs, and play a few hundred shows, right? I mean, sure. There is a glimmer of hope, perhaps, in his story that if Jesse Elliot can carve out all of these United States with a van and a solid gang of musicians, then my aspirations of re-learning sheet music doesn’t seem so far-fetched afterall.

Key Tracks:

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Night and the Revolution- there is something that starts moving in my veins when this track begins, it produces a physical response. I feel powerful. It reminds me of the many human and doubt-filled nights as an ‘activist’ thinking, “where do you think this revolution’s gonna go?”

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I Want You To Keep Everything- word is, they’re giving this one away for free. This is a raw plea post-breakup for a tortured and lonely man. Breaking after, “I want you” saying things one wants to say, but can’t.

Everyone in San Diego knows about Taco Tuesdays. It’s a communal gathering around beans and cheese. It’s good value. Lately I’ve been thinking about San Diego, quite reminiscent, and longing for the glory days where sleep was scarce and days stretched out like elastic bands that pinched the morning after. I loved those days, but I didn’t know it then. Maybe it’s because our dear pal Andrea is down there, fighting off Mexican predators, embracing sand-filled everything, and doing something great- being someone great. Maybe that’s it. Either way, America’s Finest City is on my mind. 

Despite my previous laments on it’s mediocre music scene, there were notable gems etched in my musical memory whether they like playing the narrative or not. Not only did I love these bands because I watched them play under a navy sky in yards lit up with Christmas trees, or in our very office afterhours, or at my favorite bar. It was because they were breathtakingly beautiful, yet accessible. Friends of friends, you know? One particular songwriter that made the list terrified me to the bone, simply because he had depth just standing there, just existing. His mind operated years beyond his age, and affection for simplicity and flannel floored me. 

The Paddleboat- This band is a calming, 1930′s smooth jazz-inspired project I had the privelage of first seeing at a work party in our conference room. (I worked with an insanely cool staff, theme parties were a regular occurence) They’ve got that french flute sound, sweeping harmonies, breezy acoustics that sound poised and calculated. It requires a uniform of black and white strips, red lipstick, real sophisticated threads. Jeremy Scott’s vocal range is mesmerizing, using it as the band’s primary and most characteristic instrument, complimented by the soft swoon of clarinetist Jane Weibel. Their full length LP will be out this fall. 

Writer- man, this band rules. I’d nearly forgotten about them, though. That’s the thing about San Diego- there are talented musicians, but who wants to play shows or practice when your backyard looks like a resort? Although I haven’t been following Writer intently, it seems like bands like this fall off the map because there is no urgency in the air. Just jamming, and hanging. I’ll give them credit though, they formed in 2006, and have had a considerable amount of success, at least locally. 

Writer- Start a War

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Writer- Anymore

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Joel P. West- There is no way to properly describe Joel. I’m both fearful and nervous of sounding like an Invisible Children cliche. Note: Joel has been a seemingly reluctant, or perhaps overwhelmed fixture of Invisible Children. He’d often play for the new groups of volunteers, break hearts and move souls with his poetry floating just above violin strings. He’s got that Bob Dylan quality, widely unknown, unknowable. Reclusive and soft-spoken, he writes songs to bring them into existence. He doesn’t ask them to do much else. He doesn’t tour, he’s a school teacher. It gets better: he began a project called The Dust Jacket, with the release of his latest album of the same name. The only way you could get Dust Jacket was if you contributed a piece of your art (anonymously) to his blog. By doing so, Joel created an open forum of artistic expression for anyone to share. Bias aside, it is one of the most remarkable records I have heard this year.

Joel P. West- Whats Supposed To Be

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Joel P. West- 28th and NE Davis

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This man is real. He is not a myth. I did not make him up.