Spinner

Alt-J 'Feel Like a Real Band' After Winning Mercury Prize, Touring the World

Ian Gormely — 2013-04-24T12:30:00 00:00

Jory Cordy

Alt-J are a rare case of a band appearing on the scene fully formed. Their debut album An Awesome Wave showcased a confident quartet marching to the beat of its own drum and landed the English group a coveted Mercury Music Prize win.

Yet the band's guitar and bass player Gwil Sainsbury says the group are just now starting to find their stride.

"I think it's taken us a long time to get used to playing live," Sainsbury tells Spinner.

YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN New Album Will Be 'Pretty Poppy,' 'Positive'

Ian Gormely — 2013-03-01T13:30:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, New Music, New Releases

Yamantaka//Sonic Titan Facebook

Say what you like about Eastern Canadian theatrical rockers YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN, the band can't be criticized for a lack of ambition. In between a recent Southern Ontario tour and work on their upcoming video game Your Task // Shoot Things, the Noh-wave crew have been hard at work on the follow-up to their much-lauded debut, YT//ST.

"Personally, it's my opinion that the next record will be pretty poppy, like positive," says the band's singer Ruby Kato Atwood, although she tells Spinner positivity doesn't preclude darkness. "I don't know if it's necessarily possible for us to be able to change that much in a year. Maybe a few records down the road we'll be able to uncover something different that we're capable of."

Fans can expect a records that expands on the sonic template put forth on their debut, including ethereal atmospherics and grinding guitars.

Yo La Tengo, 'Fade': Indie Rockers Use Tortoise Player to Go in New Direction

Ian Gormely — 2013-02-14T15:30:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, New Music, New Releases

Carlie Armstrong

Yo La Tengo have made a lot of great albums over their 29 year career. So when people say that Fade, the New Jersey trio's latest, ranks amongst their best it's high praise.

One reason for Fade's success was the group's willingness to run against the grain.

"I like that as we get older that we're more interested in trying something new instead of curiosity diminishing," says the band's bass player James McNew over the phone from his mother's house in Charlottesville, Va., where he's having brunch before heading to soundcheck for the night's gig. "We're interested in things growing and changing."

That curiosity helped spark the group's latest shift; after working with producer Roger Moutenot for two decades the band -- McNew, singer-guitarist Ira Kaplan and drummer Georgia Hubley -- enlisted the help of John McEntire for their 13th full-length.

The Walkmen, Heaven: Fleet Foxes Connection Prevents Helplessness Blues

Ian Gormely — 2013-01-23T13:10:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Jason Merritt, FilmMagic

When discussing Heaven, the seventh full-length from New York rockers The Walkmen, it's difficult to ignore the ever-present influence of indie-folk rockers Fleet Foxes.

Prior to even meeting the Foxes, Walkmen frontman Hamilton Leithauser was a fan. Then The Walkmen opened for Fleet Foxes in 2011, playing cushy theaters he says his band could have never filled on their own.

"They're a fantastic live band and great recorded," Leithauser tells Spinner. "I didn't know them before the tour...I just really liked them a lot."

In fact, Leithauser had just bought the Seattle group's much-lauded LP, Helplessness Blues, when the record's producer, Phil Ek called offering to produce The Walkmen's next record.

YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN Create Video Game to Showcase Rock Opera

Ian Gormely — 2013-01-16T17:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, Holy Hell, New Releases

YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN

Toronto-and-Montreal noh-rock collective YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN have just a half-dozen southern Ontario dates on their current tour to promote last year's re-release of their debut album, YT//ST, by Paper Bag Records. But it's with good reason. On top of working on that album's much anticipated follow up, the band are currently hard at work on their very own video game.

Called Your Task//Shoot Things, a play on the band's initials, the game is being developed "in house" by the band's video and lights "wrangler" Aylwin Lo and drummer Alaska B.

"It's a cross-platform game that's a mix between a side-scrolling shooter and an RPG," explains singer Ruby Kato Atwood and will feature music from the band's debut album.

Atwood says that while she enjoys playing video games "Alaska is amazing [at them]," she says, adding that the drummer once joked, "One of the saddest things is that her parents will never know how truly good at video games she is."

Soundgarden, Kim Thayil: Guitarist Avoided 'B-Grade' Acts During Hiatus

Ian Gormely — 2012-11-29T16:30:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, New Music, New Releases

Cindy Ord, Getty

Even during their 13-year long hiatus, the members of Soundgarden were busy dudes. Chris Cornell launched a solo career before delivering three records with Audioslave and an ill-conceived collaboration with producer Timbaland. Bass player Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron played in Wellwater Conspiracy and Hater together. Cameron also became a permanent member of some band called Pearl Jam.

Yet guitarist Kim Thayil remained out of the limelight, even as legions of imitators made bank on his trademark bottom-heavy riffs.

With the OG grunge stars back in action, via a successful run of reunion gigs in 2010 and now, their new album King Animal, Thayil, his guitar and his thoughtful, yet casual wit are a welcome sight amongst an army of imitators.

Interpol's Paul Banks Revisits 'Turn on the Bright Lights' 10 Years After

Ian Gormely — 2012-11-16T12:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, New Music, New Releases

Paul Banks Facebook

It's hard to believe it's been a decade since Interpol released their debut album, Turn on the Bright Lights. The group have since weathered band-member departures, major label deals and a thousand imitators, but to many their debut is still the quartet's moody, unimpeachable peak.

It turns out their former label Matador agrees and to celebrate they've planned to re-release the record, bulking up its original 11 tracks, which have been remastered with a slew of demos, rare and unreleased tracks and a DVD. The package was overseen by guitarist Daniel Kessler.

Paul Banks, Interpol's singer who just released his first solo album under his own name (he's put out two as Julian Plenti), says the band won't be playing any shows behind the re-release, which he described in a recent phone interview as a "celebration of Bright Lights."

Never Mind 'Nevermind': 10 Underrated '90s Alternative Albums

Ian Gormely — 2012-11-13T16:10:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, Pop Culture, The Hit List, Music Appreciation

Getty

Once upon a time, music fans had to actually pay for all their music, a phenomenon that peaked in the 1990s. The explosion of alt-rock left major labels awash in cash and on the hunt for "the next Nirvana." A ton of terrible music was released in the process, much of which sold by the bucket load thanks to the labels tendency to bury one catchy track in an otherwise mediocre album. (So, uh, how'd that business model work out for you guys?)

Still, the major labels did sign plenty of great bands -- its hard to imagine Warner Bros. signing a band like the Flaming Lips today -- and released some pretty stellar albums. Some of which wound up in the discount bin despite sounding as fresh in 2012 as they did when they were released.

So here's a list of the major label albums we hope are revisited, rediscovered and reassessed in ongoing '90s revival. This list reflects this writer's narrow music tastes as a pre-millennial teenager (mostly misanthropic alt-rock) so feel free to suggest, argue and complain in the comments.

Ben Gibbard on Postal Service: 'People Shouldn't Hold Their Breath' Hoping For Another Album

Ian Gormely — 2012-10-24T15:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Sub Pop

Ben Gibbard has made it pretty clear that he and producer Jimmy Tamborello, a.k.a. DNTL, have no intentions of making a follow up to their much beloved one-off collaboration as the Postal Service.

"There are no plans to make a second record," Gibbard told Spinner in a recent interview. "I can't say that enough."

It turns out that Gibbard, who also plays in Death Cab for Cutie, isn't that interested in making electronic music at all.

"I really enjoyed doing that record with Jimmy," he says, calling Tamborello one of his best friends. "I find that making music in computers involves a lot of mouse time... I don't have an aesthetic for that. Keeping up on new software technology, I'm not particularly interested in that."

Hannah Georgas Gets Help From Holy Fuck Member to Go More Electronic

Ian Gormely — 2012-10-16T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Vanessa Heins

Hannah Georgas sits sprawled in a booth in the upstairs of Toronto's Rivoli club, sick as dog.

"It's the worse timing," she tells Spinner. "But what can you do?"

Georgas isn't kidding. With her self-titled sophomore album barely a week old, and an ensuing tour looming, it's hard to imagine a more inconvenient time for the Vancouver-based singer-songwriter to come down with a cold.

Her 2010 breakthrough This is Good, was a pitch-perfect blend of sugary-pop and heart-on-sleeve indie rock. But after fulfilling promo duties for the album, she took the better part of 2011 off and she admits that it's been a while since the general public has heard anything from her.

How to Dress Well's Tom Krell Learns How to Cherish Family and Friends

Ian Gormely — 2012-10-15T15:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

How to Dress Well Facebook

Pop music is riddled with artists who use the form to excise their inner demons. So while many have accused (and praised) Tom Krell for ripping R&B apart at the seams with the sonic presentation of his How to Dress Well project, his latest album, Total Loss, continues to push emotional boundaries in the most classic sense.

Talking via cell phone as he crossed the border from the States into Canada, Krell describes his debut, 2011's Love Remains, as a sonic presentation of depression. As such, his voice spends much of the record inaudibly muffled.

"When you're in the throws of melancholy, the scream is suffocated and turns out to be a whisper," he tells Spinner.

Going down a different path, Total Loss is about mourning and melancholy.

Ben Gibbard Solo: Death Cab for Cutie Fans 'Don't Know My Name'

Ian Gormely — 2012-10-11T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, New Music, New Releases

Astrid Stawiarz, Getty

It's no picnic working as a solo artist -- for starters, if something goes wrong you've got no one to blame but yourself.

The many pitfalls of the solo frontman are something weighing heavy on Ben Gibbard as he readies his first solo album, Former Lives for release.

"One of the fatal flaws of anyone who's trying to go solo -- which is not what I'm trying to do here == is [assuming] that the success of the band they're in [Death Cab for Cutie] is going to transfer to their solo career," Gibbard tells Spinner.

Despite almost 15 years fronting indie-rock darlings Death Cab for Cutie, Gibbard says it's only a really small percentage of the population who invest in music to the point where they can rattle off the names of record labels and band members.

You Say Party Come Out of Retirement for Paper Bag Records 10th Anniversary Show

Ian Gormely — 2012-09-28T14:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive, Music Appreciation

You Say Party Facebook

"We're not a punk band anymore," Stephen O'Shea, bass player in Vancouver party-rockers You Say Party tells Spinner. "It used to be, 'You Say Party are a dance-punk band with 4/4 beats and really loud drums.' Now it's four friends who are all songwriters who really care about each other."

The band's new MO is certainly warranted. After a trying year that saw the group's drummer Devon Clifford collapse on stage from what would prove to be a fatal brain hemorrhage, lose keyboardist Krista Loewen, drop the "You Say Die" half of their original You Say Party! We Say Die! name, and soldier on with friends Al Boyle and Rob Andow augmenting the remaining trio, You Say Party went on "indefinite hiatus" last April.

However, they were coaxed out of retirement when Paper Bag Records co-founder Trevor Larocque asked them to take part in the Toronto-based label's tenth anniversary celebrations this Saturday at the Great Hall in Toronto.

Billy Talent Lash Out at Hipster Culture, Say It's 'Just Being Sold to Them'

Ian Gormely — 2012-09-11T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, New Music, New Releases

Dustin Rabin

Billy Talent are a walking contradiction. Punks with gold and platinum records; aggressive rockers with regular radio play; socially conscious musicians with a fan base that includes teenage girls with Twitter accounts dedicated to their love for lead singer Ben Kowalewicz. But no matter how you frame them, the Toronto quartet will always find a way to dodge labels and dash expectations.

Take their latest record, Dead Silence. Eschewing the numbered title scheme of their last three records, the band took the time to actually title the album. And after tapping Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen's go-to knob-tweaker Brendan O'Brien to produce previous effort, III, the guys wanted to take the DIY approach for their fourth offering.

"This record was us wanting to prove ourselves," guitarist Ian D'Sa tells Spinner, explaining why he opted to produce Dead Silence himself. "I have a fairly distinct overall vision for my band."

Gaslight Anthem, 'Handwritten': New Jersey Rockers Move Beyond Bruce Springsteen

Ian Gormely — 2012-07-16T10:35:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive, New Music, New Releases

Gaslight Anthem Facebook

Spinner is livestreaming the Gaslight Anthem's Toronto concert on Monday, July 16 at 10:15pm EST. Come back tonight to watch the Jersey Boys rock the Opera House live!

When established independent bands sign with a major label, the last thing most want to do is start over. Yet after signing with Mercury Records, that's exactly what New Jersey crew the Gaslight Anthem did on their fourth album, Handwritten.

"We wanted to make a record that sounds like [it's our] first record," lead singer and guitarist Brian Fallon tells Spinner. The band wanted their sound to be unadorned of influences. "What do we sound like on our own?"

Throughout their career, but particularly since busting out with their second album, The '59 Sound and its massive, titular single, the Gaslight Anthem have been plagued by comparisons to other bands, particular fellow New Jerseyan Bruce Springsteen. And while they never really shied away from those comparisons -- Springsteen is a fan and has joined them onstage in the past -- it's clear that these days they're looking to be defined by their own body of work rather than someone else's.

Zulu Winter: British Band Tread Carefully Around the Hype Train Preparing 'Language' Album

Ian Gormely — 2012-07-06T15:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, New Music

Zulu Winter

Standing in the lobby of Arts & Crafts' Toronto offices, there's a palpable sense of anticipation in the air. The five members of London group Zulu Winter, the label's latest signings, are milling about, chatting about their Language debut album with reporters and lounging on the couches in the waiting area.

To get out in the world is exciting. After all, stasis is nothing new to the group. They spent 18 months crafting and recording the 11 tracks that make up Language, refraining from gigging or even sharing their progress with the rest of the world along the way.

"We locked ourselves away in a room," keyboardist Dom Millard tells Spinner. "We wanted to get the album finalized before we showed it off to people."

Purity Ring: NXNE Buzz Band Making Waves Despite Having No Album Out

Ian Gormely — 2012-06-13T16:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive

Last Gang

You'd think there could be nothing more frustrating for a band than touring Europe with their debut album still waiting in the wings for release. But according to Megan James, singer in future-pop duo Purity Ring, that couldn't be further from the truth.

"It's rare that a band tours Europe without our record out," James tells Spinner. "But it's nice to be able to play songs that no one's heard yet. And when the ones they have heard [get played] they're more excited. It's sort of like having a hit single."

The record, Shrines, is technically done -- writing and recording was finished in April -- and ready to go. The three-month interim between completion and its July 24 release date seems like an eternity in the hyper-speed universe of Internet buzz bands, but given that the group is barely a year old, the turnaround is pretty remarkable.

Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes Learns to Play With Others on 'Paralytic Stalks'

Ian Gormely — 2012-06-11T14:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Polyvinyl

If there's one thing that's defined Kevin Barnes prolific and sonically diverse output as Of Montreal since 2004's Satanic Panic in the Attic is the musician's decision to write, perform and produce his records alone.

"Back in the day, Of Montreal was more collaborative," Barnes tells Spinner about those formative years when each Of Montreal member wrote the parts for their own instruments.

"We all lived in the same house together. I got to a point where I found all that kind of limiting. I didn't want to have that dynamic to the recording process... I didn't want to deal with the tension and stress, so I started working alone."

Brasstronaut, NXNE: Orchestral Indie Rockers Circle Back With 'Mean Sun'

Ian Gormely — 2012-06-08T14:15:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Brasstronaut

A lot of bands are faced with the prospect of following up a critically acclaimed album. Few turn their backs on the sound that brought them success in the first place; even fewer manage to do it well.

Vancouver's Brasstronaut are one of those bands.

"If we had an idea, we'd test it out and if it didn't work we'd throw it away," Brasstronaut singer and pianist Edo Van Breeman tells Spinner while discussing the band's sophomore album, Mean Sun, last month. "The only intentional part of that project was to push our instruments to create a texture."

Glen Hansard's Unreleased Track 'Lucia' With Levon Helm May See the Light

Ian Gormely — 2012-06-01T12:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, New Music, New Releases

Getty | Getty

One of the last things Levon Helm worked on before he died was a collaboration with Glen Hansard and the singer-guitarist says it might get released someday.

Despite fighting cancer for the last decade and a half of his life, Helm never let his illness stifle his creativity. Unable to tour, the former drummer for the Band spent the past decade hosting the Midnight Ramble at his home studio in Woodstock, NY, often inviting guests up to perform and collaborate. Hansard, the singer-guitarist for the Frames and one-half of Oscar-winning duo the Swell Season, was invited to participate on multiple occasions, the first time being in October 2008.

"I don't know how it came about but they invited [the Swell Season] us to come up," Hansard tells Spinner. "Our drummer was flipping out. Levon brought us into the kitchen, made us apple pie and made us tea. We talked with him. He gave us some hash cookies for the journey home. We got on really well with him and he really enjoyed our set. So he kept in contact with me."