but hey, who's on trial?

every now and then i find myself at a show where i'm actually not scared to be there. this doesn't happen that often, gutted i'm terrified of being trampled at those awful club shows in toronto where other teenage kids squash your face into someone else's back just so they can touch _________________ (insert teeny-bopper j14 star of relatively good band), nor of those arena-sized mosh pits of sweaty idiots. just because you want to look like an ass does not mean i want to. the point is: sometimes you go to a show and the bands that play are so insanely creative and so impromptu, so suddenly beautiful that i, for example, sort of float above it all. the lusty piles played their first (impromptu and suddenly beautiful, none the less) show this past saturday, in a tiny youth centre, to a small crowd, and it was just that: imperfectly perfect.

i also remember seeing a band called travel by owls a few months ago at a show randomly with a friend, and we were sitting on chairs away from everyone, and this band gets onstage. and it turned into one of those shows, where i wasn't creeped out. they tell us, they're what were the architects, because some british band took their name, so they changed their namesake and became travel by owls. namesake and timepiece no matter, there's been another name change: trevor james & the perfect gentleman.



good to have you home: for those of us that can't be bothered to read your band's biography (minute yes, it is myspace), could you explain why you're called trevor james & the perfect gentleman?

trevor james: we decided after the departure of yet another member that it was time to have the project under my name- Trevor James. i've always written all the material and have been working at this project in out of many outfits for so long. i grew tired of having to explain when certain members jumped ship and why our band was again renamed. the perfect gentleman is the band. the members will hopefully stay the same but if not the perfect gentleman can be replaced. (harsh but true)
gthyh: you've been composing since the age of twelve. first off: that's brilliant. second: were you trained classically beforehand, or was this second-nature must-do?

tj: i was never claissically trained. i just literally picked up a guitar one day and started teaching myself how to make it work. i then began writing original material. upon some pretty positive feedback at this young age i decided I'd stick with it. it wasn't until roughly the age of 16 or 17 that i decided i wanted to make music and songwriting a career.

gthyh: ben lee? seriously? what was that like?

tj: yea Ben was coming through town on his last canadian tour and the promoter showed his management my stuff and they asked me to open the show. it was pretty exciting. i learned a great deal watching Ben work his magic with the crowd. all in all it was fun night. i shared a dressing room with Ben and got pretty drunk.

gthyh: as of november 11th, your record "is also pretty close to finished". any name drops, any ideas on how it'll be recieved?

tj: our record is close to finished, however it's not due out until spring. a lot can happen between now and then, so we still might record more. we'll see. pop culture recs here in canada is planning on putting it out, so we're in pretty good shape. in terms of how i think it will be received i'm pretty optimistic however i know there will always be haters. i love it!

gthyh: why do ryan adams and jeff tweedy hate each other, really?

tj: ryan adams and jeff tweedy are two of my greatest modern songrwiting heros. i like them both for different reasons. Some of those reasons making up why they likely dont get along. i'll let you research any further details. CLUE: ryan adams' voicemail on tweedy's answering machine.

[note: on ryan adams' archive, 88.8% of polled posters (ironically enough, i know, i know) said they think adams has a better body of work; HOWEVER: "11 AM, december 19th..."]

gthyh: it's been a while since your other project, travel by owls, has been around, which makes sense. is a continuation of the band something that will happen?

tj: the continuation of travel by owl is simply what we are now. trevor james & the perfect gentleman. not much has changed other than the fact that i have my baby back and no one is going to tell me how to write my songs. except maybe jeff or ryan if they felt so inclined [...]

gthyh: once the record under trevor james & the perfect gentleman is released, any predictions on what's to follow?

tj: following te release of this record the only sure plan is a fuck load of touring. and then ... then writing another record

gthyh: favourite song, right now is _______________________ ?

tj: fav track at the moment. kind of a hard q to answer. but i'd have to say it's a tie between ryan adams' "two" and winersleep's "archeologists".

i am, i am rock and rowl

i don't have much to report on today; i have a migraine and it's raining.

in addition, the blood brothers broke up. no really, i'm peeved for two reasons: one being i never got to see them live, the other being that's a lot of waste if, and only if, they do not each complete separate side projects.

november 8th, 2007

Dear Friends,

After 10 years of making music as The Blood Brothers, we have made the collective decision that our time together has come to an end. We feel extremely fortunate to have spent such a deeply memorable and amazing part of our lives with each other. At this point, however, we feel it's best that our futures move forward on separate paths. We'd like to express our sincerest thanks and gratitude to all the bands we've played with, individuals who have helped us make our records, and fans who have come to our shows and picked up our music throughout the years. Your friendship, support and love hold such a profoundly special place in each of our hearts. We hope that the memories you attach to our music are as fond as those you have given us. Thank you and take care, we'll miss all of you.

Love,
The Blood Brothers

ergo: no more ambulance vs. ambulance. and also, i figured that people who faked their deaths online when they're perfectly healthy in reality only appeared on the maury show. i really, really thought it was all a phony thing the stations made to boost ratings (you know, like all those paternity tests). but no. and that's so sad.

on the other hand, the locust are coming to london this friday. yarr, mate.

saturday part deux, or UTWIHWUYSHS

as a second installation today, i had a chance to talk to a band that goes by the name of small leaks sink ships, from arizona. their first effort resulted in their debut album, until the word is happy, wake up you sleepy-head sun, a spazzy, jazzy, riffy, nifty, all-over-the-place encyclopedia of lyrics that go on for years, vocals that soar and plummet, and instrumental backups that do the same, usually at the opposite time. the results of a conversation with jim mandel jr, bassist? READ ON.

good to have you home: a traditional way to greet someone in gaelic (a scottish dialect) is to ask how one's mother is; to be polite, how is you mother?

small leaks sink ships: cooking up some haggis

gthyh: i remember opening up an issue of alternative press and seeing a full-page ad for your first album (until the world is happy; wake up you sleepyhead sun) on no sleep records. has the promotional campaign helped record sales?

slss: as for the AP add, not so much. i think in the music scene we live in today, promotion machines are very different...things like, your blog, LastFM, small indie web zines, stuff like that. kids are smart these days, they dig deeper to find what there looking for. nothing against AP of course.

gthyh: besides matt damon, where do you draw influence?

slss:the four of us are so vastly different i'm not sure i can answer that. let's just say "life".....and matt damon.

gthyh: what was warped tour like?

slss: hot...and not so much for us i think. i dont know if i'm cute enough to play warped...judd [hancock, lead vocals] is!

gthyh: you've already had a few shows with fellow indie rockers the stiletto formal and piebald; are people coming up to you and saying they like your music?

slss: ya, it's been really amazing. we have all played in bands before slss and never had the response we do now. you can ask any band/musician, people saying kind things about what has taken so much work, thought and heart to put together...words cannot describe how amazing that is.

gthyh: i remember being at a school mass and there being a verse in the bible about "sackcloth in ashes", which is actually my favourite song. do you draw reference from older scripts, your faith, or lack thereof, other artists?

slss: very good. you get an A+ in bible school today. not many people catch that. as for other artists, again 4 very different thoughts and likes about music...and art for that matter. we all love each other though. look for our 15th album sometime in 2020.

gthyh: any plans that could take place in canada?

slss: keep spreading the word and i'm sure we'll get there.

gthyh: personally, i'd describe your sound as a kaleidescopic, yelping orchestra of crashing beats and riffs (all very affectionately - i've told a few friends about your album and they've loved what they've heard); how would you define your sound?

slss: gwar meets the bee gees [!!!!!!!]

gthyh: finish the sentence: we changed our name from beyond analog to small leaks sink ships because ____________________.

slss: singer went elsewhere.

gthyh: the album has been frequently described as "an acerbic ode"; is this correct, or are you just misunderstood?

slss: ehh...let them say what they say.

gthyh: did you know that you can drown in a teaspoon of water?

slss: i've heard that before...

gthyh: i have an uncle that spends the winter in arizona; how's the weather down there?

slss: hot, dry, sunny, miserable, poor air quality, dusty, it's great here[.]

--

do give them a listen; for bohemian clashes and guitar crashes.

"does that mask have anything to do with the academy is? becuase honestly, that's rather stupid looking if you ask me."

good afternoon everyone!

longer blog to be done today, considering i've had a few things to keep on top of. yesterday i pretty much sat out in the cold for...seven hours? to see the academy is... and the rocket summer. boo yeah, as benny hill'd say. to begin:

Early Show Tomorrow in Toronto 11/9
Nov 8 2007 6:10PM

Hey Guys, We wanted to let everyone know that the show tomorrow at The Guvernment will be starting early. Doors are at 5:00pm and the show starts at 5:15. See you guys there!


dear bryce avary -

what is this? i've now seen you play twice, your hair has gotten nice and long, your teeth are still straight and very white, everyone loves your music, but what is this? i saw you at warped tour, and yesterday, you play the exact same set? where is the old material? where is tv family? where is teenage love rock? hmm? what is this?

i mean, don't get me wrong, i like watching you play and i like that everyone can't help but dance, but i'm not the biggest fan of do you feel; i now have to wait for your upcoming headline tour to potentially hear your older songs? again, what is this?

- love, a slightly disgruntled (and now sick) benjamin



anyway, on to other things: my good friend alanah (and acquaintance julia) have recently started a band under the moniker (i've been looking for a use for that word) the lusty piles. the results of a few questions? read on, good soldier, read on:


good morning ladies!

gthyh: the lusty piles sort of came out of nowhere - did you expect to have this many tracks this fast?

julia: we expected nothing, we expected a day of chilling in alanah's house. i brought my guitar just for fun, and decided to play a song i had written. alanah had a shitty computer mic so we recorded it. and that is the story of t.s. eliot!

gthyh: the people that know either of you well enough to've had a conversation about music/literature/stuff know that you're both very much into the indie music scene, very educated in terms of trivia and read good books. how has that influenced your music?

alanah: it's blatantly obvious that it has influenced our music due to the namedropping every other second.

julia: i have also been incredibly been into poetry lately, which has influenced my songwriting.

gthyh: maybe a bit premature, but are you planning on shows anytime soon?

julia: if we are asked, we will do them.

gthyh: looking at your myspace friend list, there's some serious response to your music already. do you like chocolate milk or plain white milk with your cookies (musically and/or mr. christie)?

alanah: chocolate

julia: strawberry!

gthyh: if screaming lord sutch was still with us, do you think he'd like the reference?

alanah: he would probably write a song to counteract it. probably involving julia and i being turned into zombie women.

gthyh: off the top of your head, what are some possible song ideas?

alanah: nevan.

julia: doritos mixed with orange juice in a cup full of kleenex (points to the desk covered in these items)

gthyh: you've told me that you're going to look for better equipment; does this mean that you're going to try and make remixes?

julia: no.

gthyh: who's house is the lusty piles recording at?

alanah: alanah's.

julia: BUT IT WAS AT MINE TODAY! [this means...new song!]

gthyh: if you were asked to go on tour with job for a cowboy/carnal forge/carnifex/theory of a deadman...would you accept?

julia: yes, and i would sleep with all of them.

gthyh: if morrissey is 40% paper maché, what art supplies are you made of?

alanah: PVA glue.

julia: THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING.

gthyh: favourite song, right now!

alanah: GOODNIGHT AND I WISH*- Ghost

julia: JON RAE AND THE RIVER- Goodbye

gthyh: and finally: why the lusty piles?

julia: i referred to a series of notes as "lust piles". tah-dah!
__________

these ladies are seriously two of the sweetest people you're likely to meet. and they listen to amazing music, play nifty tunes and quote british tv like mad - how can you not like that?

the sun, the rain, the elastics?

i recently sent this out to dave whiteside, the one constant member of a little band called the sun, the rain, the appleseed. the result? read on!

good to have you home: i was just listening to the songs that are on your myspace, and i must say that they have a very calming sound. where do you draw influence from?

david whiteside:i don’t think about influences too much when writing, but i am sure what i listen to as i write comes out in one way or another. so lately, i have been listening to a lot of as cities burn, thrice, mono, sigur ros [yessss!] and as tall as lions. i think all of those bands have an incredible passion in their music that is lost on a lot of music these days, so if anything, that is what i try to gain from those bands.

gthyh: in "today, we start with us", there's a sudden break from a nice pace to a surge in guitar and drums, and then when you start singing, there's background vocals that compliment your voice. does help from other musicians make the songs better?

dw: definitely, i have been incredibly lucky enough to make amazing friendships with amazing musicians over the years and it's so great to have that resource for an extra little boost in songs. i try to give the other musicians as much freedom as i can with their guest parts as well, and you can definitely expect more guest appearances in music to come.

gthyh: i've noticed that you've put up blogs talking about the meaning behind your songs, and they all seem very heartfelt. do you think that in this time, musicians need to explain their lyrics, their songs?

dw: i think if the songs and lyrics have some sort of personal meaning to the artist than it is a great idea to explain those meanings if the artist is comfortable with it. i know that i can appreciate and relate to songs much more when i can see where the artist was when they wrote the song. so, yes, definitely.

gthyh: "the product of boredom, love, faith and singing in the shower. " is this really how you got started?

dw: well, i am currently in school in london away from a lot of my best friends so in a way the boredom part is the biggest factor. love and faith are a big part of my writing process as i try to incorporate those feelings into my songs, and the shower... let's just say that i have had to cut a lot of showers short because i have hummed something that i would love to use in a song so i have to rush to my guitar to remember it.

gthyh: with your plans to release the 7-song EP based upon a term Tolkein coined, are you pressed for studying at school and keeping the music coming?

dw: i am so pressed, though i'm slowly but surely making it work. so far i am so pleased with what i have been writing, and to pull a dillinger escape plan, i've been writing a lot of things that i can't initially play so in a way it has all been a way to push my own abilities too.

gthyh: any plans for touring?

dw: i hope one day, i miss playing shows more than words can say.

gthyh: did you know that elastic bands keep longer in the refrigerator?

dw: no duh, you'd be amazed at some of the things refrigerators can do.

gthyh: thank you so much, mr. whiteside.

--

it's very safe to say that his music has a very collective, very warm sound to it. i always struggle when i write things like this because frankly, mr. shankly (oh snap!), whenever i come across a band like his, i'm at a loss for words. definitely, definitely something to pay attention to.

also: tetrotoxin read my little list of fort collins bands, and reading over it, i realise that it sounds a bit harsh. it's not that i don't like their music, their experimentation with sounds, it's that it's at a point, i find, where it's not polished enough for most people (including myself that day); their music is very, very raw, very abrasive, and very much not what i was expecting. curse you plushgun!

hot digital meow!

this is what happens when i come across bands on myspace (a list):

GOOD MORNING, FORT WORTH COLLINS!

the boom bom deem bom - listen to hot digital meow (nice beat, like meligrove without the screechy vocals, or the raconteurs)

hallelujah, darling - literally hallelujah comma darling - listen to shaky mane (joseph arthur's voice-offpsring, married to sparklehorse without the xylophone, and some other genetics of folky, smoky, raspy wonderous demo recordings that could very well be huge in starbucks someday)

airships - LUSH (most serene republic meets broken social scene meets the radio dept. resulting in beautiful sounds)

candy claws - essentially, this list is based upon a list of project bands that two guys put together; the only available song (catamaran)sounds a bit like several of the openings to songs on arcade fire's funeral (further reading at the pepper mill)

winderous igloos - a bit more upbeat, still as mellow vocally, just as dreamy

antics - modest mouse without brock's edgy voice

ocean bump! - as their genre says: shoegaze/shoegaze/shoegaze

great plains - true, in seattle, but just as beautiful (stripped down lullatone, m83, or lights without her vocals, sort of like moonwalk music meets sigur ros)

molly shannon, molly shannon - paul banks meets oberst meet to downcast your eyes

CASTLES -
"Live, Castles finds that compelling ground between disparate elements — between human and electronic instrumentation, between youth’s feral energy and its subdued confusion. What strikes the senses first is Corcoran’s manic, visceral drumming, which often approximates dance beats. Sage and Yonker counteract Corcoran’s rampant physicality by producing primarily mind-numbing sounds, both real and synthetic. Sage sings softly, and sadly, into a microphone while tapping his laptop’s mouse pad and occasionally playing the guitar on his lap. The overall effect — like the sonic paradoxes that the band promotes — feels like sleepwalking through a dance floor."

-Elliott Johnston, The Rocky Mountain Chronicle

this is your pedestrian - shoegaze-y experimental transient rock

keepers - they're apparently bossa nova, but so is lullatone...sort of. total dream soundtracks to be found here.

PRIME///TUNDRA - their "alone sounds" are just that: simple harmonies of dreamy synthetic orchestra

rhinoceropolis - what the hell is emotronic?

tetrotoxin - a complete mess of screechy out-of-tune guitars and noise noise noise

mindflayer - if tetrotoxin made no sense, these guys make no sense...with mouldy faces to boot

cinnamon bears and bicycle trails - their guitars remind me of the scene aesthetic, but with vocals, they remind me so so so so so so so so so so so so much of simon and garfunkel - hence, lovely!

electronic dinosaur - related listening: bubblegum octopus, red slime revolution, crystal castles

there's so much more, but i'm really tired, truthfully. listen and love !