Live: Soulive

Soulive is this funky jazz soul trio consisting of two brothers, Alan and Neal Evans, and Eric Krasno. All hail from the great state of NY. I had no idea who they were but my friend guaranteed I’d love them. And so off we went in search of the Bowery Ballroom. Inside lies black leather couches, candle lit tables, and an almost 20’s esque ambiance to it. I felt as if everyone should have been wearing beaded dresses and pearls…but alas, we presumed the pretense of the place and fitted in accordingly with all the hipster attire. Drinks were quite expensive but at least the sound is amazing at this venue. Upstairs we went! Towards the sounds of saxophones, soul, and funk!

Live in Show: Soulive
@ the Bowery Ballroom (NYC; 15 10 09)

If I could make a comparison to other genres—for I don’t listen to too much of soul, funk, or jazz on record, rather, I go see the live shows ’cause they’re a million times better—I would say they are the innovation behind Dan Deacon and the life force behind Architecture in Helsinki of funk, the improvisation and reversed electronica of Jedi Electro…of souuuuuuuuuuuul music! The songs they played were at least 7 minutes each time. Building, layering, skipping and playing in between beats, creating an amazing composition causing us to cheer, awe and dance. When they brought on their guest singer (does anyone know his name…I wish I remembered), I felt like I was listening to some D’Angelo infused music. It touched our hearts and we all felt warmer through just the way he’d caress us with his voice, and then at times, preach to us with high pitched intonations.

I was having immense amounts of fun when Zoidis came on. HOT DAMN I love anything saxophone and this man sure knows how to use it. At some points I stopped moving because I couldn’t believe the solo shit he was pulling. Two and half hours and pints of sweat on the stage later, the band ended the show. And like I tend to say after shows like these, I am officially a fan for life and vow to see every live show possible in MTL…as long as it doesn’t empty my wallet too much

PLEASE buy their new album Up Here. If you like their live stuff (which IMO is much better), buy their live albums and also go see their shows!

MP3: Soulive – Cannonball

Songs to Start to Week: Love Cry

Alright folks, the updates are gonna start to be a bit more regular now. Sorry for such big gaps in between actual happenings but I’m trying my best to get them out to you as quickly as I can. Anyways, below are some songs that are HUUUUGE for me right now. Check ‘em out.

↓Four Tet recently released a short EP-ish thing with two tracks, this, and “Our Bells” which is also pretty awesome though in an eerier way. “Love Cry” is gonna be huge in the electronic world. These are legends, friends. And I think with this, they’re baaaAAAck!

MP3: Four Tet – Love Cry

↓To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of Tiësto. Every time people go nuts for the guy, say he’s the number one DJ in the world and blah blah blah, I just quietly disagree. He really isn’t that great IMO, from all his albums to even his live shows. But his most recent release Kaleidoscope has taken a different turn in that he has a ridiculous amount of cameos…most of ‘em from the indie world. You guys probably remember the song with Tegan and Sara! Well, this one is killer. And I’m quiet impressed with the album. But he still remains pretty low on my DJ books.

MP3: Tiësto ft. Nelly Furtado – Who Wants To Be Alone

↓Just something that came up on my Mediamonkey one day…and I was like…oooooooh yeaaaaaaaaaaah!

MP3: Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight

↓Trey Songz, coming up BIG in the R’n'B world.

MP3: Trey Songz – Say Aah

↓This is a ridiculously misogynistic song. But it’s so catchy. Damn American rap! So bad yet so goood.

MP3: Three 6 Mafia – Lil’ Freak (Ugh Ugh Ugh)

↓BIGGEST SONG OF THE WEEK! BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP! BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!

MP3: Rick Ross – Baby By Me (Remix)

Micheal Jackson: This Is It

I know this is a bit late. But been super busy lately buuut more updates are on the way! Anyways, I saw This Is It on the opening day in a full and enthusiastic theater.  I left the theater with my flatmate in complete awe and silence.  This movie was exactly what I was hoping it’d be: a sole focus on the tour with no autobiographical been there done that documentary preamble these movies tend to be full of. Most importantly, it gave the world a glimpse of Michael without all the rumors and accusations that led many fans astray. This Is It is evidence of Michael’s true crown to pop, his still unfaltering artistic genius when it comes to art, music, and performance. Most of all, the film is evidence of Michael’s character, his relentless work ethic, his positive energy, and his capacities as a human being.

I looooooooooooved this movie!  It was so full of energy! Music throughout! Great dance numbers! Though you could tell that Michael wasn’t as robust as he used to be…and that could possibly have been reversed had it actually be live…but one thing was for sure: his voice is still soooooooooo freakin’ amazing. Even after all these years, he delivers perfectly on all the songs in the movie. I teared up twice (surprise surprise). Once, for “Human Nature”. Simply, it is one of my favorite songs and I think lyrically, composition wise, and overall, it is the best song off of Thriller. When he squeezed his eyes in as he pelted out the high pitch cry “ooooo whyyyyyyyyyyy”…I couldn’t believe it. Twice, for the ending “Man in the Mirror”. I think this is a staple ending to all things MJ…Stevie Wonder did it…MTV did it…er and a bunch of others..I’m sure.

The stage setup! Amazing! The graphics! Especially for “They Don’t Care About Us”! All those soldiers in the background, the choreography for this number was amazing. As well as “Thriller”. My only disappointment was that there were no songs from Off The Wall. Albeit the film was about two hours and was trying to appeal to the mainstream MJ fans or non-fans, I just wish I heard some stuff like “Girlfriend”, “Off the Wall”, or “Get On the Floor”. Off the Wall is TOTALLY MJ’S BEST ALBUM!

I am totally seeing this movie again. Tomorrow. I hope. What are your thoughts?

Anyways, here are two of my top 10 faves from MJ! Enjoy!

MP3: Michael Jackson – Human Nature

MP3: Michael Jackson – I Wanna Be Where You Are

Video: Misteur Valaire – It’s All Good

Ok still workin’ on the updates…sorry folks. Been really behind on the updates. This, though, I couldn’t wait to share with you! I freakin’ love Misteur Valaire as my previous posts will tell you, and they recently made a video for ¨It’s All Good¨ off of Friterday Night which you can get FOR FREE on their website. Check ‘em out. SERIOUSLY! They’re amazing and it saddens me they’re not as far out beyond the borders of Québec as I would like…but one day! One day! Enjoy and keep coming back to check for updates! For real! Mixtape is on the way too =)

Live: Kylie Minogue

Kylie was my main reason in going to New York. She was also playing in Toronto but I was like, eh, now that I’m in MTL, I’m almost equidistant from Toronto and New York. Pourquoi pas New York? A good excuse to go to a city I haven’t been to in five years. Plus, my friends in Vancouver were flying all the way to New York for this too! And so off I went in my rideshare and six hours later I arrived in the Big Apple.

My friends and I lined up at noon in front of the Hammerstein Ballroom. Yes, we lined up for eight hours. In the cold. But we suuuuuuuuuuucked it up. Had 4 mickies of vodka. And were dancing it up with everyone else in line, getting pumped up, raving about how beautiful Kylie was going to be. Bouquets were given to her as she arrived at the venue. Emotions were high. The doors opened and we ran in and got third row from the front. AMAZING.

Now, I’m a massive Madonna fan. I love Madonna. I would marry her if I could. Even though she is SUCH a diva. But I would. Followers of ATM, you guys would know this by now. She is, imo, probably the single greatest female entertainer in pop history but believe me when I say,  Kylie blew Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet tour out of the water. Madonna who?!!?!

Though Kylie hasn’t received much North American success except for her very freshman days with “Locomotion” and later on with “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”, her cult of followers is nothing short of astounding. And because it was her first North American tour ever, she just couldn’t let us down despite our absolute devotion to her (and the fact that we’d love her no matter what) and our sky high expectations of just how incredible it was going to be (but we’d love her anyways if it wasn’t sated). We all knew this and she knew this and so because Kylie in a way had nothing to lose, and all to gain, she went 110% in combining all her previous tours, mixing what the Western fans have missed out on for so many years and gave us what we waited so long for. And so Kylie put on, I think, one of the best pop performances of the year. Maybe the best. Je blague pas.  UUUUGGGH KYYYYYYYYYYYYLIE!

Ok, enough moaning, after the jump for the concert recap, pics, setlist and myoosik!

*IF YOU SAVE/USE ANY PHOTOS, PLEASE CREDIT THEM. THANKS!*

Words: Pagan Poetry

I want to marry Björk. I think she is one of the few artists that can make such explosively powerful music with such seeming ease. With just one cry, she makes all my hairs stand on end and my heart well up to the point of explosion, sating everything one could ever want in a song. I’ve been listening to a lot of her lately too. There’s too much music to listen to it overwhelms me so I procrastinate listening to the “new stuff” and I retreat back into my lovely cocoon of past music. Once I enter back into a discography like Björk’s, it’s just too hard to leave because I just don’t want to be saved from the darkness. I am a fountain of blood, in the shape of a girl. You’re the bird on the brim, hypnotized by the whirl… HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEA!!!

Anyways, here is one of my favorite favorite all time favorite favorite love love loved songs of all time. Of ALL TIME. Ok. I think I made myself clear. After the jump!

P.S. I am still working on those updates guys! Have faith! Gaaah!

Songs to Start the Week: Air

In this photo taken Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, a sculpture by Chinese artist Chen Wenling entitled "What You See Might Not Be Real" is on display at a gallery in Beijing, China. The artwork is a critique of the global financial crisis with the bull representing the golden bull of wall street and the man pinned to the wall representing the jailed financier Bernard Madoff. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Hey y’all. Updates on NYC and more coming soon…but for now, some songs to start of your week. I don’t know about you guys, but Montréal is startin’ to get pretty cold. This is the time to hole yourself up in those blankets and spoon somebody for warmth (not that you couldn’t do it before…but all the more reason! mwaaajajaja). So, I’ve been listening to a lot of “hole yourself up” type of music. Namely, Air. Aaaaah Air. Love love. Enjoy.

MP3: Air – Run

MP3: Air – Alpha Beta Gaga

I Am Back From NYC!

I am back from NYC. Two long weeks of dancing, music, sight seeing, and the FOOD. Yum. Good food. Updates to come on my KYLIE concert, CMJ, and more. I definitely had this song in my head the entire time…and it’s so fitting for New York. It’s just too bad I don’t have that much money to blow. But the song is sexy and makes me feel like I do! BRAP BRAP!

MP3: Drake – Money To Blow

MASSSSSSIVE UPDATE!

Hey y’all! I just got back from an AMAZING concert, Jedi Electro. Remember them? And I vow, I VOW TO SEE EVERY SINGLE LIVE SHOW OF THEIRS IN MONTRÉAL. I don’t care. They are without a doubt, the top 10 shows of this entire year for me…maybe ever!

Ahem. I am FIVE hours away from heading out to New York. I hate that I have no time to make more complete updates but I figure, two minutes in heaven, is better than one minute in heaven. So, one sentence reviews and thoughts are all the time I have right now. BECAUSE I’M GOING TO NEW YORK! Woohoo!

*if you have some favorite’s/recommended places (not touristy stuff, please) PUT ‘EM DOWN! I shall try my best*

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Why am I going, you might ask? Well, I am going to first and foremost see Kylie Minogue at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Sunday. JA JA JA yes laugh all you want, but she is amazing. I adore her. And it will be INCREDIBL(Y SEXY). I am also going for the CMJ Marathon…hopefully I can find a cheaper way in. Mwwwwaaajajjjaa1

So, quick update on POP MTL. Great festival. The third day I went to see the Slew (Kid Koala + Wolfmother). Great combo, but the bass for Wolfmother tooooooooooooootally faded out the turntable skillz but regardless, Wolfmother kicks total ass! They toured for the one and only time but worry not! You can check out their album for FREE here! After that, I checked out the Japandroids. A band whose album I’ve had for so long but still have not listened to because of the hype. Were they good live?! Yes, they totally rocked it. Such great energy for a two person band. There was crowd surfing, moshing, arm flailing and nails flying. But, I didn’t dig it despite this. I STILL wouldn’t listen to the album. Maybe it was because I was gettin’ puuuurdy tired.

The last day, I was at Divan Orange allll night. I still hold the opinion that if you were a band, this is DEFINITELY a venue you want to play at. Great atmosphere. Great sound. Average priced beer…and a mix crowd ranging from super artsy pretentious folk to super smelly non showering people, oh, and hippies. Sometimes. I saw DVAS, Silly Kissers, and Cadence Weapon. I wanted to see CFCF but I was falling asleep! DVAS played this amazing retro club pop music. I felt like it was italo-disco of twenty years ago. CRAZY GOOD dance party. And Silly Kissers KICK SO MUCH ASS!!

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Anyways, I’ve been meaning to do these reviews for MONTHS. I’m not kidding. And it’s just getting a bit silly now, don’t you think? I figure I might as well share the music, and if you like it, go and buy it! And go to the shows! And yada yada yada you know how this works. =)

After the jump for somewhat informative and very terse descriptions of AWESOME albums: Heyoka, Tipsy, Washed Out, Basement Jaxx. Sigh, I guess not as large of an update. I wanted to add TMDP, the Islands, the Flaming Lips, Raekwon, etc etc…but I am getting suuuuuper sleep and alas…now it is another four hours before I leave. ENJOY! COME BACK BC THIS WILL BE UPDATED AS SOON AS I CAN!

Video: The Lonely Island – Throw It On The Ground

HILAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARIOUS. Once again, the Lonely Island do it right.
JJAJAJAJAJAJJAJA x 9048509834609809

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