We're Always Gonna Be Luminous: A Tribute To The Tweets of Jedward

 I wanted to take a moment to honour my favourite Twitterers.   At times nonsensical, at times philisophical, the Twitter of the young musical twins from Ireland is truly something special. I've decided to do this in two parts; there's too much gold here to cram into one post, so I'll do a separate one with Tweets containing photos.

Right, then, let's do as they say. 

Loving The Song And The Singer: Placebo @ Rock Im Pott 2012

Placebo fans have been very lucky this summer. The band has played the festival circuit in Europe, and a number of those have broadcast livestreams for for those of us who were unable to be there. I have been able to watch three, including two on the weekend. On Friday the 24th, Placebo was in Paris, France at Rock En Seine and on Saturday the 25th, Placebo was in Gelsenkirchen, Germany at Rock Im Pott.
Let's talk about Rock Im Pott.

Once More With Feeling: A (very!) Brief Introduction To Placebo

Placebo has been playing together since 1994, although its current lineup has only been together since 2008. Brian Molko (lead vocals, guitar) and Stefan Olsdal (guitar, bass) have been playing together for that entire period, but drummer Steve Forrest only joined in 2008 after the previous drummer left. Placebo has actually always had a bit of trouble with drummers: Robert Schultzberg was the first, but left and was replaced by Steve Hewitt due to some conflicts within the band. Hewitt was replaced by Forrest. Lineup changes happen.
Anyways, they have been playing together since 1994, and have released six albums:

Placebo (1996)
Without You I'm Nothing (1998)
Black Market Music (2000)
Sleeping With Ghosts (2003)
Meds (2006)
Battle For The Sun (2009)

They have also confirmed that they are working on a seventh, so yay to that.
Placebo has enjoyed tremendous success. All of their albums have reached the top 20 in the UK, and they have now sold over ten million records worldwide.
They have enjoyed a little bit of controversy due to the drug references in their songs - they aren't in every song, but they are noticeable. They even have a song called Special K, so you know. Brian Molko has also endured some criticism due to his androgynous appearance and openness about his bisexuality. Fuck the haters, though, he is (at least in certain ways) a class act, as we will see in our discussion about Rock En Seine and Rock Im Pott.

From their official website.

They've got the look, and they've got the sound to back it up, and that's pretty much where I'll leave it. 

Also, hey, the livestream has died for me, but the Red Hot Chili Peppers should still be going from Rock Im Pott here.

Learn To Pseudo-Goth

Some goths, I'm sure, are born into it. The rest of us have to find our way in somehow. Strictly speaking, it's probably not something that one generally does chronologically, but let's look at what might happen if a goth-to-be were to be introduced to some gothic rock in the order in which it was released. Let's watch goth-to-be grow, and then see what happens in the end. 


Shivers - The Boys Next Door (later known as The Birthday Party): 1978

Say you had a Depressed GOFF, and they googled "contemplating suicide lyrics" in an attempt to find someone who has expressed their pain. Not terribly far-fetched, right? Although this song is sometimes regarded as being a bit of a rarity, a cult classic...it shows up on the first page of results, as the first line is I've been contemplating suicide. Now, the song itself isn't about suicide, so our Depressed GOFF might get bored and leave. But, say they didn't, and say they even stuck around long enough to find out that The Boys Next Door would become The Birthday Party, and say they even tried to get into some of that discography. Maybe they find out that Nick Cave is dreamy and stick around because of that, even. Baby GOFF is on the way to becoming a real GOFF, all because they googled "contemplating suicide lyrics". They'd probably never tell anyone how they found their way in, but hey, all that matters is that you're inside the circle, right? 

Elk and Young Rival at Yonge-Dundas Square

So, I was at Yonge-Dundas Square last night. This is a bit of an atypical venue - outdoors, obviously, but smaller than most outdoor venues. Louder, too, for being downtown amidst the bustle of Eaton Centre and the traffic of the surrounding area. Elk and Young Rival were brought to us as a part of a series called "Indie Fridays", presented by Virgin Mobile. I wish I was being compensated for saying that, but no, I just thought I'd mention it in case anyone was interested in seeing the rest of the series, as it's still on for the next two Fridays. It's free, which is nice.

Anyhow, Elk was up first. When I showed up, I was expecting to write a review about two "decent" bands, and Elk did not disappoint. By their first song, I had decided that they performed a brand of inoffensive garage rock with an indie twist - which may have been what made it inoffensive. Their first song was actually quite charming, almost calming, so they were off to a good start, although they picked up the pace very rapidly.
One problematic thing about Elk was that their stage presence was a bit weak. The rest of the band was placed either back or off to the side of the lead singer, and he didn't really have the charisma to make that work. The brightly-coloured flashing lights didn't help that at all; it was a bit mismatched for their very drum-driven brand of rock that I imagine coming out of a garage that's used for storage more often than it is for jamming. That's Virgin Mobile for you, though.
They were at their best when they were driven by drums with the powerful guitars and bass following, as the vocals were, I would say, the weakest part of the outfit. If asked, I wouldn't be able to pick a highlight out of their thirty minute set - most of their songs sounded quite similar. They were decent all the same, completely worth a listen or two, but they stuck to what they've found to work.
Their last song was good, though. It began almost violently, which was a bit of a pleasant change from the pure rock of the previous. They had become increasingly enthusiastic throughout the set, especially the very talented drummer. It would be interesting to see them indoors, where they would be able to actually get loud. I have a feeling that I would have come away with a much more favourable opinion if I'd really been able to rock out with like-minded people. Still, I left wanting to hear more, and the crowd cheered them quite enthusiastically.

After a relatively efficient changeover, we were treated to a performance by Young Rival. Drums to herald the beginning of their performance - their drummer was very good, also, although I would say that their sound is not driven by drums in quite the same way that Elk's is...which is strange, now that I think of it, given that Elk has two bass and a guitar and Young Rival just has one of each.
They seemed so, so comfortable on stage, and so excited to be there, from the very beginning. Aron D'Alesio thanked the crowd every three or four songs, and was just more charismatic overall. There was something about this band's presence - not sound - that reminded me of the Manic Street Preachers. That's a good thing, a great thing. They were just a tiny bit aggressive with the crowd, and they moved across the stage more, which just gave the impression that they were that much more into it.
Can't say no, really like to think so. This song was a delight, definitely. It was a bit more peaceful, maybe more 60's than some of their other tracks, but the drums were especially potent, and it was good. Aron sometimes took his guitar and played it high throughout the night, which was a nice bit of showmanship. He just owned the stage, they all did - John with his awkward moves around the stage and Noah with his intense percussion.  All were very strong musicians, but Aron was especially so on the guitar.
At one point, a helicopter flew overhead, and they dedicated the next track to it, which was kinda cute. Don't you love downtown?
You could definitely tell when they were playing a song off of their new album; the sound had matured. They still sounded like themselves, they'd just grown into it even more. It was a pleasure to see them advance like that. Work It was an intense bit of garage rock, definitely one of the most enjoyable bits of the show. It's such a relief to be able to pick out specific tracks that were even better rather than just having decency the whole way through.
They were the good kind of retro, without being assholes about it or taking it too far. They were a little bit punk, a little bit Beach Boys, a little bit Kinks. I was taken aback by how good they were, to be perfectly honest. They deserve every bit of praise they've posted on their website, and they've chosen the assessments that are spot-on. By the middle of their hour and twenty minutes long performance, the kids were dancing and the young adults were ironic-dancing. By the end of it, the tough old biker dude near me was feeling the music HARDCORE. God bless bands that can get the tough old biker dudes dancing.

Elk & Young Rival

Elk say that they are from both Toronto and the Niagara region, and comprises Ben Pokol (bass), Kyle Connolly (bass), Michael Price (guitar) and Josh Korody (drums). All four gentlemen provide vocals.

They both identify as and are typically reviewed as a garage rock band. They released a self-titled album in February of 2010, followed by Balm Beach in March of 2011, and Daydreams in June of 2012.

Here they are on the cover of their album, Balm Beach:

Young Rival hails from Hamilton, Ontario. Aron D'Alesio provides lead guitar and lead vocals, Noah Fralick provides drums, and John Smith provides bass. All of these gentlemen do also sing. In 2008, they put out the EP Young Rival, and in 2010, they put out the album Young Rival. They, too, are a little bit garage rock, but they are also a little indie, a bit punk, and a tad Beach Boys for the hell of it. They're retro in the good way without bashing you about the face with it. 

Here's a picture from their Facebook page: 

....stay tuned for the review, coming tomorrow. 

Early 2000's Pop-Punk In Seven Singles

Let’s talk about pop-punk between 2001 and 2004. Why so specific? I don’t know. I just felt like it. I have feelings about it, apparently. You can tell exactly when I started on the beer. What can I say? Pop-punk brings me back to a period that I apparently can’t revisit sober.

Seven Songs That Saved My Life

I've been too sick to leave the house, hence the non-gig updates. Sorry about all that.
I fought it for a very long time, but I can't deny it any longer. Music saved my life. I am officially one of those people. In the beginning, it just gave me consolation, a sense of belonging, the knowledge that I wasn't alone. After a while, it was more than that. It was something to live for. It was a way of expression when I couldn't find the words, at the most fundamental level. Once things took a turn for the atrocious with my ex, it was something that was my own, something that no one else could take from me, even when everything else was up for grabs.
Very rarely nowadays, but some nights, even still, it feels like all I have. It will always be something I can cling to when all else is lost.

These are the songs that have, well, saved my life.

Some Scattered Thoughts On The Closing Ceremonies

Like quite a few people, I watched (live-tweeted) the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremonies from the comfort of my couch. Seeing as how I've been too sick to, well, leave the house lately, I thought I'd share a few observations. As soon as Batman showed up, they had my attention.
Madness was unmemorable, sorry.
The Pet Shop boys are fun. I can't help it, I think they are. I enjoyed the little merry-go-round style cars they were riding around in. Costumes were a bit weird.
Ray Davies did a decent job of Waterloo Sunset. He looks very old, but he managed it.
Emili Sandé was fucking painful. 

Elbow was damn good. 
One Direction, also known as "Wand Erection" by those who do not wish to help them trend on Twitter, was decidedly underwhelming. It was actually my first time hearing any of their music, and I have to say: I do not understand how they inspire such ire and such adoration. Furthermore, boy bands should always wear matching outfits, just saying. This is not doing it right.
Running Up That Hill is a great song, but not live? Cheating.
I can't stand George Michael. WHY give him two songs? WHY?
The Kaiser Chiefs aren't really a bad band, but covering The Who made them sound very weak indeed.
Oh my GOD, that Annie Lennox display. A friend described it as "goff" and having a "pirate ghost ship".  I loved it, loved it. Her dress, the ship, it was amazing. I don't even remember the music because the performance was entrancing.
The Ginger plus Nick Mason, Richard Jones, and Mike Rutherford put on a good show. The Ginger's not a great frontman, but it was as good as could be expected from that lineup. Ed Sheeran could have dressed a bit more appropriaely, though.
Russell Brand and the Mystery Machine were a dark harbinger of things to come. Fatboy Slim wasn't terrible, but god, what the shit was with the Great British Inflatable Octopus?
Jessie J, Tinie Tempah, and Taio Cruz made me want to off myself.
The Spice Girls! I love them, not even sorry. They still know how to put on a show, and that was my CHILDHOOD right there. Fuckin' loved it.
Oh look, not-Oasis. I know I'm supposed to hate Wonderwall, but I can't. This version was so out of tune, though. I'm pretty sure that I've sung it better drunk.
Everyone adored the Eric Idle segment, we all know this. Moving on.
MUSE! The reason I was watching! Survival is a damn good song, and Matt Bellamy in his sparkly suit is a hell of a frontman. That was great, the stuff of highlight reels.
WHO THE FUCK LET JESSIE J SING WE WILL ROCK YOU? I just about flipped the table. I am genuinely disappointed in Brian May and Roger Taylor for that atrocity. Jesus.
Take That is what a boy band should be. MATCHING. SO FUCKING THERE, ONE DIRECTION.
The Who closing with Baba O'Riley, See Me, Feel Me, and My Generation. Fucking stellar.

Bear Hands and the Manic Street Preachers: A Retrospective

October 8, 2009. I queued for hours, as did most of the other attendees. Manixfans are dedicated; some might say obsessive. Prior to this, they hadn't been to North America since 1999, so we were all starved. It turned out that the queue was a bit pointless: it dissipated once the doors were opened because there is a bar area before the performance area, so we all got a bit lost in there. Another queue formed, and hopefully no one was too lost in the scuffle.
Bear Hands opened, as they had all tour. I do not care enough to find a setlist. I do not want to remember any of it. They were poor musicians, had no stage presence, and seemed so scruffy that you felt unclean just standing near them. They played for thirty-six soul-destroying minutes, or so the internet tells me.
I think that speaks for itself: people were counting down to the end of the performance to the minute.
After what seemed like aeons, the stage was set up for the Manics, and they entered to cheers, yells, and tremendous applause. James greeted us: "HELLO, BOSTON", and then "MOTORCYCLE EMPTINESS". They dove straight into their traditional opener, and we were transfixed. On the bootleg, you can hardly even hear cheering, we were caught up it. Singing along to the chorus under neon loneliness/motorcycle emptiness/under neon loneliness/motorcycle was the first absolutely magic moment of the gig. We spat out  lines with James: this wonderful world of purchase power, and he encouraged us to sing survival as natural as sorrow. We obliged, more than obliged. EPIC GUITAR SOLO. This song was magical, seriously.
They next went into No Surface All Feeling. This was sweet; when they typically would have sung feel the guilt of a sinner / feel the cold of a winter, James added just one little word: feel the cold of a Bostonian winter. I'm not a native Bostonian, not even an adopted one, and I was touched.
He apologised for being away for so long, and then introduced Peeled Apples by saying that "all lyrics [are] by Mr. Richard James Edwards. Tremendous cheers. We're all here for this. We all love Richey. This is the  Journal For Plague Lovers tour. Peeled Apples has an angry energy behind it.
A rousing rendition of Your Love Alone Is Not Enough came next. I wouldn't consider it one of their anthems in the same way that Motorcycle Emptiness, for example, is, but it still energises a crowd like few others.
La Tristesse Durera: James' voice sounded amazing, although he told us that he has a "hamdinger" of a cold. Banter about the Boston gig from 1992 gets laughs.
The opening chords of Jackie Collins Existential Question Time get massive cheers. We're here for Richey; we all love Richey and cherish his memory. The Journal For Plague Lovers tour means a lot. Oh mummy what's a sex pistol? Cheers at the end, an emphatic "YEAH" is clearly audible on the bootleg.
Cheers again for Let Robeson Sing. I thoroughly underappreciated this song until I heard it at this gig. An amazing rendition. The crowd was much quieter by this point. Still cheers, still whistles, still far from subdued, just...quieter with appreciation and shock that they were here, in North America, in front of us. 
FASTER. God, this song is not dated in the slightest. The lines are still as pointed as we spat them out with James in 2009 as they were in 1994. I am an architect/they call me a butcher. This was amazing.
Cheers for Tsunami, more than I would have expected, but it's great live. So much enthusiasm to go with such despairing lyrics. He called This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours "their most commercial album". More banter. He explained that they would have played Tsunami during the 1998/1999 North American tour date that they had to cancel, and said that he'd met "even more people were coming to that", and dedicated the song to them. Aww. <3
The songs from Journal For Plague Lovers get the most cheers, even the weaker (not that they're close to weak, don't get me wrong) ones like Marlon JD. The energy in this translated much better in a gig setting than it does on the CD, though.
From Despair To Where. I know I got excited, god. James left room for us to fill in the blanks: I cannot tell if it's real or not. The bass and guitar are both great on this one. From despair to where/where can you go? 
More banter: they thanked their touring band. We cheered, we love their touring band, especially Wayne. We were in love with everyone that night.
If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next got massive cheers. We all sung along to the chorus; it's our anthem, still. Listening to this on the bootleg still gives me chills.
James had planned two acoustic songs, but his voice only permitted Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky. I'm sure his throat pained him, but his voice still sounded amazing, even as he apologised for it. This song is so good as an acoustic version. It hurts so much.
Someone yells Drug Drug Druggy, and James responded "drug drug druggy, I need some drug drug druggy, is what I need". Hah.
From there quickly into a rousing rendition of Send Away The Tigers. It might be a weak album, but it's still a song that's easy to get enthusiastic to in a concert setting. SOOOO send away the tigers / because we're lonely and we're desperate. Let's take a moment to appreciate Sean's skills on the drums.
The energy continued into You Stole The Sun From My Heart. We sung along, and James got louder with us. Epic cheers at the end.
They introduced Motown Junk with All Or Nothing. It was a great combination. James continued to be energetic, and Nicky matched him on the bass. You'd never have known it was the last date of the tour, or that James was sick.
James thanked us, thanked America after this, and said that they "finally managed to finish a fucking tour of America, [they] only just did, but [they] did". This got him massive cheers -- we were all hoping that an epic send-off would bring them back soon. Someone had given him a hat, and he said it was "a little Frankie Goes To Hollywood", and we laughed appropriately.
On to Me And Stephen Hawking. There was a great moment in this where everyone chanted we missed the sex revolution / when we failed the physical (when we failed the physical). We adored the Journal For Plague Lovers songs more than any others that night, it seems.
Little Baby Nothing. With James' encouragement (barely required), we chanted your beauty and virginity used like toys (toys). We sung along with him for most of this song. The gig was almost over, and we were so into this.
Quickly into You Love Us, but James explained that tonight it was called I Love You. Much more fast-paced than it is on the album, it was effective. We did the pointy-shout (0:45): YOU! LOVE! US!  It's tradition. YOU! LOVE! US! 
James thanked us again before he closed, and then: "We are the Manic Street Preachers. May your gods be with you. We'll see you in two years."
We don't talk about love! We only want to get drunk! And we are not allowed to spend! As we are told  that this is the end! A Design For Life! A design for life! A design for life!  And chant it back. Sing the whole thing. We don't talk about love.
But we loved them. We really fucking loved them. 
Rock and roll is our epiphany. 

Setlist:

Motorcycle Emptiness

No Surface All Feeling

Peeled Apples

Your Love Alone Is Not Enough

La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh)

Jackie Collins Existential Question Time

Let Robeson Sing

Faster

Tsunami

Marlon J.D.

From Despair To Where

If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next

Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky (acoustic)

Send Away The Tigers

You Stole The Sun From My Heart

Motown Junk

Me And Stephen Hawking

Little Baby Nothing

You Love Us

A Design For Life

* I am basing this not just off of memory, but mostly off of diary entries I wrote at the time. 

A Brief Introduction to the Manic Street Preachers (and Bear Hands, begrudgingly)

Let's get Bear Hands out of the way.
Bear Hands comprises Dylan Rau, Val Loper, Ted Feldman, and TJ Orscher, and comes from Brooklyn, New York. Wikipedia calls them a post-punk and indie-rock band. They've been active since 2006 (god help us all), and have three EPs: Golden (2007), High Society (2011), Songs from Utopia Vol. 1 (2012) and an album: Burning Bush Supper Club (2010).
Seeing them live was the worst musical experience of my life, and I can't believe their single is called What A Drag, I just can't even. Here's a video. I watched it so you don't have to.

You've got them long nails/I'm dreaming of your goddamn long nails. 
I MEAN REALLY.

Now that I feel thoroughly unclean...


LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE MANIC STREET PREACHERS.

The Bands of 02/08/12

One night, three bands.

An Horse

An Horse is a two-person indie-rock band from Brisbane, Australia. Kate Cooper sings and plays guitar, while Damon Cox plays drums. They've opened for other major acts: Death Cab for Cutie, Tegan and Sara, and Silversun Pickups, and have an EP entitled Not Really Scared and a LP entitled Rearrange Beds. In 2011, they released the album Walls. Damon plays the drums well, but was set back from the front of the stage and off to the side largely out of my line of vision. Kate actually has quite an endearing stage presence. At one point, she asked us all "how we were doing tonight" because "her mum always has her ask that". (Forgive me for paraphrasing.) At another point, she tells us she has been "dinking"; that is to say "riding about the city on the handlebars of someone else's bicycle", and laughs that she gathers that has different connotations here. I think the word I would use to describe them is "pleasant". They are pleasant on stage, and their music is pleasant. It doesn't particularly stand out to me, but it was certainly easy to listen to, and although I wouldn't go out of my way to seek it out, I would happily listen to it again. 

Here they are playing Know This, We've Noticed off of Walls in Toronto in 2010. 

Cursive

Cursive at the Sound Academy in Toronto on 02/08/2012 

Cursive is from Omaha, Nebraska. Their current lineup consists of Tim Kasher, Matt Maginn, Ted Stevens, and Cully Symington, but the band has gone through some transformations since its formation in 1995. They have released seven albums -- Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes; The Storms of Early Summer: Semantics of Song; Domestica; The Ugly Organ; Happy Hollow; Mama, I'm Swollen; I Am Gemini. For touring, Patrick Newberry is added to the lineup. All of the members were looking respectable in button-down shirts, and the way they had spaced themselves evenly across the front of the stage contributed to the even feeling of their performance, I think. Everyone seemed very relaxed and very enthused at the same time; they definitely feel like professionals. Despite the crowd not being terribly into their performance, for the most part, Cursive played for almost an hour, and remained dedicated to the performance that whole time. The level of comfort they seemed to feel on the stage definitely helped me to calm down and enjoy the music. 

Here they are performing Big Bang off of 2006's Happy Hollow in Toronto in March of 2012.

Brand New

Ah, Brand New. The reason we were all there. Brand New is a post-hardcore pop-punk band from Long Island, New York. You might remember them from their "feud" with Taking Back---nevermind, let's not even go there. 

Brand New consists of Jesse Lacey, Vince Accardi, Brian Lane, Garrett Tierney, and Derrick Sherman. They formed in 2000 and have released four albums: Your Favorite Weapon (2001), Deja Entendu (2003), The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006), and Daisy (2009). 

Brand New at the Sound Academy in Toronto on 02/08/2012.

Your Favorite Weapon was released to mostly positive or neutral reviews. Listening to it now, it sounds decidedly immature next to their newer releases. This might be partly due to the volume of bitter lyrics about break-ups. That isn't to say that it doesn't hold up well; it does. It's just very different to their newer releases, and it appeals to that side of us that remembers angsty break-ups. 

Here is Jude Law and a Semester Abroad, the only single released: 

Deja Entendu is my favourite Brand New album, so forgive me for going a little fangirl over it. The band drew on inspiration beyond angsty break-ups, and their sound had matured significantly. In some ways, it had mellowed, and their influences beyond the punk/pop-punk genre became more clear. (The Smiths! And Morrissey! Okay, so that's the wrong album, but it's the right influences.) They released two singles, this time: The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows and Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades. Both are quieter, more introspective, less over-archingly angry. It's a departure, and a good one. 

Here is The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows:

The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me was released next, and is a marked change for the band. Their angst has all but vanished, and the lyrics are more introspective, darker. Is it in you now/to bear to hear the truth that you have spoken? 

Here is Jesus Christ (also known as Jesus), one of two singles released, the other being Sowing Season. 

Finally, the album Daisy. Daisy is, to me, harsher and darker than its predecessors. It hardly seems related to  Your Favourite Weapon at all. I don't dislike the album, but I find it harder to listen to. It's a worthy experiment, if it could be considered an experiment when it does follow on so naturally from The Devil and God Are Raging Inside of Me. 

Here is the single At The Bottom, performed live at HMV in Toronto in 2009:

Brand New played for near an hour and forty-five minutes, but the enthusiasm of neither the crowd nor the band flagged during that time. They might not have looked as presentable as Cursive, but they were rocking the flannel shirts, and the crowd was alive with love for them, dancing, singing, and crowd-surfing (although that was quickly shut down by security). Say what you will about emo kids, but they hold onto their heroes, and they live for their music, and that was palpable on Thursday night. Brand New hadn't visited Canada since 2009, and Jesse Lacey said (I paraphrase) that they certainly felt welcomed back, and that they had had so much fun. Maybe they say that every night, but I somehow don't think so. Something about the energy, and the songs they had chosen, and even the shitty acoustics of the Sound Academy couldn't ruin the night. 

(The Sound Academy might be the worst venue in Toronto, though, possibly even the world. It feels like a re-purposed warehouse, and it sounds like one. To compensate, the management turns the sound up way louder than most venues, and the result is just...loud, but not good. That was the only disappointing part of the night, though.) 

You don't recover from a night like this, indeed. 

Feel free to yell at me for any inaccuracies. 

An Horse/Cursive/Brand New at the Sound Academy 02/08/12

This is more of an anecdotal review than a critical one. I'll try to have more of a balance in the future, but for this one...it's BRAND FUCKING NEW. I'm not sure that I could be fair about these guys if I tried. They have been such an integral part of my life -- not just on a musical level, but on an emotional one -- for so long.

 ...

An Horse/Cursive/Brand New at the Sound Academy: OH MY GOD. Seventeen-year-old Sara can die happy now.
An Horse was on first. I didn't really know anything about them other than what I'd read on Wiki, and I hadn't actually listened to any of their music beforehand, which perhaps I should have. They've opened for Tegan & Sara, and for Death Cab. I thought they were alright. Nothing super-special, but not hard to listen to, either. They had moments where they really got it, and moments where they really didn't. I did end up feeling bad for them because they had their set cut short. The lead singer was switching guitars in preparation for another song, but I guess they got the signal, so they only got to play for half an hour.

Then it was Cursive! Cursive is a band that I've listened to quite a bit, but never really got into. They are SO MUCH BETTER live than they are recorded. I was genuinely impressed. I was also impressed that they were all so presentable in their button-down shirts. I can't find a copy of their setlist anywhere, but the internet says they played, among others:

A Gentleman Caller 

The Martyr 

Art Is Hard 

Dorothy at Forty 

From The Hips 

I Couldn't Love You 

Big Bang

I think they played for about an hour, and honestly, they might have been better than Brand New. The crowd was mostly not really into it, but the band was pretty enthusiastic anyways, and I thought they were amazing. If I could find the setlist, I'd do a better write-up, but I don't want to do an inadequate one from memory, especially when I'm not totally familiar with their discography.
It was a great mix of songs, and they played well, and I loved it.

Then it was Brand New! The internet says they played:

Millstone    

The Archers' Bows Have Broken

Sowing Season

At the Bottom

You Stole

Tautou

Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades

Okay I Believe You, but My Tommy Gun Don't

The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot

I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Lights  

Jude Law and a Semester Abroad

Seventy Times 7

Jesus

Vices

Bought a Bride

Sink

Gasoline

Degausser

You Won't Know

Play Crack the Sky

Welcome to Bangkok

Millstone is a great opener. It's quite high-energy, and it has enough lines for people to sing-shout along with (the opening lines: I used to be such a burning example/I used to be so original/I used to care I was being cared for and then the chorus: well take me out tonight/this ship of fools will sink/a milestone around my neck/by my breath, there's nothing I wouldn't give.)
Then it was Archers, which has that one line that everyone loves: while you're beating with a book everyone that book tells you to love. I would have been kind of sad if they hadn't played it.
Sowing Season! This works well live because it has all the yeah bits. It's another one that I would have been kind of sad if they hadn't played, largely because of I am not your friend/I am just a man who knows how to feel/I am not your friend/I'm not your lover/I'm not your family which, as it happens, also works really well live. People get really into it.
At The Bottom is one that I can kind of take or leave. It's probably the weakest song off of Daisy that they played.
You Stole was next. I fucking love this song, and it's great live because of the last lines. So if I'm a liar and you're a thief/at least we both know where the other one sleeps.
Tautou is amazing because everyone sing-screams along. I'm sinking like a stone in the sea/I'm burning like a bridge for your body. I think this is when people really started to lose it because we could feel the Your Favourite Weapon and Deja Entendu coming on, and come on, that's why we were all there.
Sic Transit Gloria... Haha this just came on iTunes. Everyone sang along to this entire song. Definitely a highlight, I think. DIE YOUNG AND SAVE YOURSELF. (Sorry to my boyfriend, who hates suicide songs.) Anything that you can really scream along with. Very dance-y, as well. I hate to say it, because I do love The Devil and God... and Daisy, but it's their older things that work much better live, and I wish they'd focused on that.
Next up was Okay I Believe You.... The highlight was easily I hope this song starts a craze/the kind of song that ignites the airwaves/the kind of song that makes people glad to be where they are with whoever they're there with, for obvious reasons. Also, this is war/every line is about who I don't wanna write about anymore because I think we've all felt that way. I know I have.
The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot. Maybe a bit of an interlude, almost, but everyone loves call me a safe bet, I'm betting I'm not. This one is a weird one for me because every picture you paint, I will paint myself out has weird memories attached to it. I adore the song, adore it. It's just a bit hard. I'm glad that you can forgive/only hoping as time goes/you can forget.
I Will Play My Game... AND WE WON'T LET YOU IN/THOUGH WE'RE DOWN AND OUT/NO WE WON'T LET YOU IN and my personal favourite, again with weird memories, AND THE COASTLINE IS QUIET WHILE WE'RE QUIETLY LOSING CONTROL.
 I sort of tried to explain this to my boyfriend last night, and I think mostly failed. Deja Entendu and to a lesser extent Your Favourite Weapon were a huge, huge part of my life. I try not to get all 'music saved my life', but yes, it sort of did. I guess it has to do with my ex. It was a way to block him out, and a thing that was mine, and something that he couldn't touch. I don't know. It just matters.
Jude Law... works SO WELL live because everyone has someone that they feel that way about. The opening sing-scream line: whatever poison's in this bottle will leave me broken, sore, and stiff/but it's the genie in the bottom who I'm sucking at, he owes me one last wish. This song gets us nice and angry for...
Seventy Times 7:

So, is that what you call a getaway? 

Tell me what you got away with. 

Cause I've seen more spine in jellyfish. 

I've seen more guts in eleven-year-old kids. 

Have another drink and drive yourself home. 

I hope there's ice on all the roads. 

And you can think of me when you forget your seatbelt, 

and again when your head goes through the windshield. 

And is that what you call tact? 

You're as subtle as a brick in the small of my back. 

So let's end this call, and end this conversation.

Because come on, we all have someone we feel this way about. Well, at least, I do, and judging from the reaction there, everyone at the Sound Academy last night did as well.
Jesus Christ was up next. Here is where I lost my shit. link to song, album version. This is one of my favourite songs ever, and if they hadn't played it, I would have been very sad, and I think this is when I decided that I could die happy. Jesus Christ that's a pretty face/the kind you'd find on someone that could save/if they don't put me away, it'll be a miracle and well Jesus Christ I'm not scared to die/I'm a little bit scared of what comes after/do I get the gold chariot/do I float through the ceiling/do I divide and fall apart. THIS FUCKING SONG, you guys. THIS FUCKING SONG. I just about died. asadagaiglsgsletealkad.
Vices was after that, and a let-down. I mean, anything would have been after Jesus Christ, but it's just not one of my favourite songs off of Daisy.
Bought A Bride was next. I don't have any favourite lyrics, but it's kind of a nice, dark song, maybe? I think he tried to sing it that way even more than he does on the album.
Sink was next up. I guess they just didn't play the songs that I'm most excited about off of Daisy. That's not to say that they were bad because they played well, and the energy was great, they're just not the songs I would have chosen. It was still amazing, and I think a lot of them are better live so it's hard to say, really. It's different now than it was last night because the energy was amazing and everyone was so excited.
Gasoline! This is a song that I do love off of Daisy, and it seemed like everyone else did. So you tried to put a fire out/but you used gasoline. It just...the Daisy and The Devil and God songs are awesome in their own way, but they don't get people EXCITED in the same way that the Your Favourite Weapon and Deja Entendu songs do. I guess it's partly because we grew up on the earlier albums, maybe? I'm not sure. 
Degausser!!! Which I do ADORE.

Well take me, take me back to your bed 

I love you so much that it hurts my head 

Say I don't mind you under my skin 

I'll let the bad parts in, the bad parts in 

When we were made we were set apart 

Life is a test and I get bad marks

I let the bad parts in is a good bit for the crowd. Brand New has a lot of that in their songs, good bits for the crowd to sing-scream along with, to go along with the dance-y bits. This whole song is perfect for a concert.
You Won't Know was next. I *love* this song. Hey, hey, hey Mr. Hangman/go get your rope is the opening line, and everyone adores it, and even just the chorus of you won't know/you won't know/you won't know is excellent in a concert setting. Amazing.
PLAY CRACK THE SKY ACOUSTIC!!!!! OH MY GOD! I CAN DIE HAPPY NOW! This works so well as an acoustic, and sShlhdsahdhasa OH MY GOD I cannot say enough good things about this song. I know that this is what you want/a funeral keeps both of us apart/you know that you are not alone/need you like water in my lungs. I cannot express how much this song means to me, and how much it meant to hear it live. This song, this fucking song... I can't even. Best part of the night, easily.
They closed with Welcome to Bangkok. Kind of a "meh" closer, but whatever.
AMAZING NIGHT. The only song they didn't play that I wish they had is Guernica, but I can understand why that wouldn't have worked live.
The crowd was AMAZING and so into it. They are great live, and I'm so glad that I went.
And I even got on the right bus going home, bonus.

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