JP Hoe - Mannequin album review

Mannequin, the fifth release from JP Hoe came out yesterday.  Known for his “tongue-in-cheek torch songs,” the Winnipeg singer-songwriter has had a successful independent career, touring around the world and opening for such veterans as Jann Arden.  Being a fan of other sharp lyricists, I was intrigued to see what Hoe’s latest effort had to offer.

It’s an album of contradictions.  It sounds big budget, but it was released independently.  It feels melancholic, yet the melodies are bright.  The songs are based around simple acoustic instruments, but the surrounding musical arrangements are dense.  It’s an interesting style; one that has worked well for other ambitious singer-songwriters like Sufjan Stevens and Andrew Bird, two musicians Hoe has often been compared with.  His style of singing is also familiar – think Ryan Adams without the drawl and pomposity.

Mannequin varies between upbeat pop songs and somber ballads.  On one hand, there are songs like “Nothing’s Gonna Harm You”.  Opening with just an acoustic guitar, the song quickly builds into a catchy pop-rock stomp, complete with strings and handclaps.  On “Lions & Tigers,” the album’s centerpiece and highlight, the chorus soars with a memorable melody. Things slow down for “Bittersweet” and “Conversation,” two tracks co-written with Veal singer/guitarist Luke Doucet.  The latter boasts some clever lyrics: “Whispers and quips from your J-45, they’re all so imperfectly perfect,” Hoe sings over a sparse arrangement of guitars.

The majority of Mannequin combines traditional and non-traditional instruments.  “Dazed and Confused” contains accordion and glockenspiel on top of a rhythm section that resembles a marching band.  Elsewhere, keyboards and mandolins fill the void.  Hoe even lays down a whistle solo in “Do I Know You.”  However, Mannequin gets a little too sugary sweet at times.  For this reason, songs like “I Only Did It For Love” and “Learn To Let You Go” come up short, despite their adventurous arrangements.  There’s a hint of schmaltz in their execution, which is unfortunate because, otherwise, a lot of Hoe’s songwriting is strong.

All in all, Mannequin contains some pretty solid music from an ambitious singer-songwriter.  The record’s bold instrumentation keeps the songs fairly enjoyable despite some formulaic missteps along the way.  In short, a good release from a talented up-and-coming artist.  JP Hoe is currently on a cross-Canada tour.  Be sure to catch him at any of the following tour dates:

Tracklisting for Mannequin

1. Bingo Palace

2. I Only Did It For Love

3. Conversation

4. Learn To Let You Go

5. Lions And Tigers

6. Do I Know You

7. Bittersweet

8. Nothing’s Gonna Harm You

9. Dazed And Confused

10. Veils On The Way

11. Goodbye Or Goodnight

Upcoming Canadian Tour Dates:

May 10 – Winnipeg, MB – West End Cultural Centre (CD Release Show)

May 15 – Regina, SK – O’Hanlons Pub

May 16 – Lethbridge, AB – The Slice

May 18 – Edmonton, AB – Haven Social Club

May 24 – Vancouver, BC – The Railway Club

May 25 – Victoria, BC – Ocean Island

May 26 – Kelowna, BC – The Streaming Café

Jun 4 – Thunder Bay, ON – The Apollo

Jun 6 – Toronto, ON – Cameron House

Jun 7 – Wakefield, QC – The Blacksheep Inn

Jun 10 – Halifax, NS – The Carleton

Jun 11 – Charlottetown, PEI – Baba’s

June 13 – Peterborough, ON – The Montreal House

Mode Moderne - "Strange Bruises" Album Review

 Mode Moderne are the kind of band I admire.  Unlike those who seem to strive for the most idiosyncratic sound possible, Mode Moderne wear their influences on their sleeves and aren’t afraid to show it.  And it works to their advantage.  They released their debut record Ghosts Emerging in early 2009 to favorable local reviews.  Now, the Vancouver quintet will be releasing their follow-up EP Strange Bruises on May 15^th on Light Organ Records and touring in support of it along the East Coast after their release party on May 19th. 

Referring to their debut, singer Philip Intilé described their sound as mope-pop.  This time around however, the tempos are generally faster and the songs are brighter.  The EP represents a more natural sound as well – gone is the drum machine and the overall sound is less synth-heavy.  First single “Nightly Youths” strongly kicks off the EP and may be their best song to date.  It is refreshing to hear Intilé sing in a higher register than his usual Ian Curtis-influenced baritone. However, other tracks like “Electrocute Me” and “Guns” epitomize the familiar vocal sound that is apparent on the majority of the band’s songs.

Besides the obvious influences – namely pre-dance-era New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen, and the Cure – Strange Bruises also evokes other genres outside of the post-punk realm.  The title track opens with an REM-like riff before the rhythm section stutters along while Intilé croons like Morrissey.  Many of the tracks possess a particular ambience courtesy of Rebecca Marie Law Gray’s deft keyboard playing.  Never a dominating force, the keyboards give the tracks an atmospheric quality in addition to the songs’ otherwise raw sound.

It may be that Strange Bruises could be criticized for its unoriginality and pastiche of 1980s post-punk.  Moreover, the songs are less varied than its predecessor and this results in a somewhat tedious listen despite the EP’s length.  That said, the songs are stronger this time around and it results in a cohesion that their debut LP didn’t possess.  Strange Bruises is enjoyable with a familiar sound that will please anyone who is a fan of alternative rock from the 1980s.  Mode Moderne will be celebrating the release of Strange Bruises on May 19^th at the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver.  Track listing and tour dates are below:

Strange Bruises Track List:

01. Nightly Youths

02. Foul Weather Fare

03. Strange Bruises

04. Guns

05. Private Library

06. Electrocute Me

07. Open Air

Tour Dates:

5/19 Biltmore, Vancouver, BC*

6/01 Parts N Labour, Toronto, ON

6/02 Magic Stick, Detroit, MI

6/03 Now That's Class, Cleveland, OH

6/04 TBA, Philadelphia, PA

6/07 Lit Lounge, New York, NY

6/08 Shea Stadium, Brooklyn, NY

6/09 Jackie & Judy, Montreal, QB

*Release Party

Album Review: Lori Nuic's Flaws of Attraction

Lori Nuic returns with her second offering, Flaws Of Attraction, set for release on May 15, 2012, with the same brand of alternative soul found on her 2007 debut, Red Book Chronicles.

Personally, I find the record to be a little too generic for my tastes – Nuic’s album is standard pop music radio fare, perfect for the easy-listening crowd. While that’s not a bad thing – it certainly means it’s easily accessible for a wide audience – I just find there is nothing in particular that makes the album truly stand out. There isn’t particularly anything wrong with any of the tracks, however, there isn’t anything of note either.

Nuic adopted a grittier sound for this record, fusing rock, R&B/pop and soul, with a touch of the blues. She sets the tone with tracks like “Back To Love”, “Off The Record” (which is easily the best track on the album) and “Crossfire” -  a “no-holds barred” catalogue of the collateral damage from broken love, and by making decisions with “the logic turned off and the crazy turned on”. This is another reason the album is so generic; I really feel that angsty-broken-heart songs have been done to death.

Toronto fans will get a chance to hear the new songs live, when Nuic performs at The Supermarket on March 22 during Canadian Music Week.

Flaws Of Attraction Tracklisting:

1.  Misunderstood

2.  Crossfire

3.  Unbelievable

4.  Back to Love

5.  Off the Record

6.  Get It On

7.  Keep On Lovin

8.  Blue Day

9.  Nobody

10. Not Looking Back

For a preview of these songs click here.

AWOLNATION w/ Red Vienna at the Commodore

Photo credit: Amy Scott    On a mild Wednesday evening, Amy and I met at the Commodore Ballroom to cover our second show together - this one the Vancouver debut for rising electro star, AWOLNATION. Opening the 19+, sold out event was local rock act, Red Vienna, who (although neither of us had heard of them yet) have clearly begun to build a sizable following around town.
    Red Vienna took the stage at 9:30 on the dot, and as soon as the lights dimmed the crowds’ energy seemed to double in anticipation. A long, distorted guitar intro further built the excitement so that by the time the drums and vocals kicked in both the crowd and the volume was reaching a fever pitch. Though Red Vienna is still in its infancy as a band, they have come out of the Black Halos, and they are clearly pros at working a crowd. However, it doesn’t seem that they’ve quite nailed down what the band is all about - my notes have me trying to describe them as anything from She Wants Revenge-esque (for some reason, theatrical rockstars with low voices get this treatment from me), to radio rock, to prog-rock, to post-emo (perhaps owing to the fact that from my vantage point on the balcony the drummer looked like Pierre Bouvier in a leather vest). So while some songs had me tapping my toes, there wasn’t much about the opening act that really made me sit up and take notice. No matter though, the crowd was into the music and the musicians’ hometown pride, and with that Red Vienna accomplished the main mission of a show opener - to pump up the crowd for the main event.
    Just over an hour after Red Vienna began the night’s live music, the lights dimmed again, this time signaling AWOLNATION was getting ready to take the stage. If I thought the energy was high in anticipation for the first act, it increased 10-fold for the second band’s introduction. By the time Aaron Bruno and his backing musicians began “Not Your Fault”, the second song of their set, anyone at the show who wasn’t already a fan had definitely been converted. The crowd flooded the floor, leaving the tables all but empty, save for the reporters and older folks who prefer to take it in from a distance. And there were surprising amount of these “older folks” in the crowd tonight; the great thing about this young band is that they’ve managed to intrigue fans of all ages and styles. While the crowd downstairs was infinitely more drunk and less clothed that those of us upstairs, there wasn't an overwhelming sense that these electro fans had “seen Molly” (or whatever BS Madonna seems to think we must be into). And perhaps that’s because AWOLNATION’s music can’t strictly be classified as “electro”, as over the course of the night they wove alternative, industrial, and hardcore influences into their entirely unique sound.



    Often when a band is touted as being “formed and fronted” by a singular artist (in this case, Bruno), the live experience can suffer as the touring or backing musicians never really appear to be as fully invested in the experience as the frontman. Not so in this case. All of AWOLNATION were head-banging and jumping to the beat, and when Bruno told us all to “take the energy on this song to another fucking level” it was hard to believe there could be a level above where everyone was already operating. If you haven’t been able to tell, I was fully taken in by the live show of AWOLNATION, and by the time they played their massive single, “Sail”, I was making notes about how they may be my new favourite thing. As great a song as “Sail” is (according to Amy it’s got “the best beats on the album”), I’d been waiting all night for the 12-minute “Knights of Shame”, so I was duly disappointed when Bruno disappeared offstage during the extended instrumental break at the end of “Sail”. When he reappeared just before 11:30pm and launched into a fast punk song, I found myself losing hope for the “Addicted to Love”-sampling epic, even though I was impressed by the energy the band maintained and their ability to play around with musical genres. As they moved into the second song of the encore, I headed downstairs to meet Amy who had left our table early to retrieve her camera and tripod from coat check. And then I heard it... “Dance, baby, dance like the world is ending”. Sorry Amy, but I had to stick around for that one.
    All in all “Knights of Shame” was a perfect way to end an awesome evening. The almost quarter of an hour song hits rap, electro, rock, and Robert Palmer as influences (kind of like a Girl Talk song, but with it being the work of an actual live band rather than a sampling DJ) and is a pretty great way to sum up the kind of music and live show AWOLNATION brings to the scene. They seamlessly blend genres with beats that you can’t help but move along to. Though the band is new (their current album, Megalithic Symphony, is their first full-length) they had the sold-out Commodore crowd eating out of the palm of their hands, and if their current success at Coachella is any indication, the aren’t going away anytime soon.

Check out more pics from the show in our photo gallery!

Disappears @ Casa Del Popolo

An old back injury has decided to speak up the last couple of days and the doctor has prescribed a combination of muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatory medication; a regiment that I will find myself on for the next seven days. I bring this up, as it has no direct relation to my job here, but will factor into the eloquence and grace of how I choose to write about it from the vantage point of the effects these two tiny pills have on my disposition. I find it hard to control the movements of my fingers and imagine said malady will contribute to the overall tone.

Monday the 16^th I went and saw Disappears, Lotus Plaza and Suuns at Casa Del Popolo.  The show was sold out and some friends of mine were turned away, told there was no more room.  When I swung the door open and hit a guy, pretty hard in the chest I could see why, no room to move. That would be the first in many accidental instances of violence and unsolicited groping. A multitude of strange hands would find themselves caressing me throughout the night.

Sometimes it is nice to feel loved.

Suuns were on the stage. It was unclear for how long things had been going on for. I became fearful that they would announce the last song and I would be missing my favourite act in Montréal.  This, the missing of a good opener happens to me a lot. I have a problem with gauging the start times of these things; I will never get it right.

The music of Suuns is dark and loud. They would make an excellent soundtrack to a horror movie. It is able to send a chill down the spine. From my vantage point, crushed up against the bar, the sleeve of my jean jacket soaking up puddles of spilled beer, I noticed Steve Shelley nodding approvingly. Not too bad when the drummer of Sonic Youth/Disappears is looking on and smiling.

Later he, Steve Shelley, would brush up against me on his way to the bathroom. I couldn’t help but think he’s probably met William S Burroughs. Jesus Christ!

There was some excitement in the crowd for Lotus Plaza, mainly I figure because it’s an offshoot of Deerhunter. I guess when Pitchfork gushes over your releases you can pack a house. For myself it was a little boring, the slow repetitive side of indie rock. Nothing to get the crowd moving, nothing to muster up some excitement. The music played was ineffectual.  I looked to the bartender; she was wiped out from the heat in the place. She sat down and grabbed a bar rag to wipe the sweat from her face. I had had enough.

I went outside with my photographer. We bought Cool Ranch Doritos© and beer and sat on the marble steps of an old church nearby.

When we got back in it was clear that Lotus Plaza had been the draw. The club was only half full. We made our way to the front. From the crush of flesh earlier I had thought it was going to be impossible to make our way close enough to get any decent photographs, but it looked like things were shaping up.

From the first note in it is apparent that Disappears play with their hearts. The band is covered in sweat by the middle of the second song. The guys in Disappears give everything they have when they play, it is not just a vehicle to look cool, which I have seen far too much of recently, these seem like genuine musicians. I guess you’d have to be for the drummer of Sonic Youth to play with you.

Their set plays like their new record, Pre Language, not in order but in quality of sound. The songs themselves, for the most part are minimalist efforts of pared down guitar and bass, but they make it moveable, not just another shoegaze record where a crowd of hip kids stare blankly into the middle distance.

If I could I think I would follow Disappears around the country watching them every night. It was just that good.