Tag: Indie

Vinyl

Vinyl love: Alvvays “Blue rev”

Post author By jprobichaud
Post date March 25, 2023
3 Comments on Vinyl love: Alvvays “Blue rev”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: Alvvays
Album Title: Blue rev
Year released: 2022
Details: Clear

The skinny: It had been five years between the release of Alvvays’ sophomore album, “Antisocialites”, and their third album, last year’s “Blue rev”. Thus, even though I’d been following the Toronto-based indie pop group since their early days and have both of their previous records on my shelves, I didn’t jump on the pre-order train for this one right away. I wouldn’t say I had tired of them or gone off the band in any way but perhaps just wary, taking a wait and see approach. Any hesitation melted away, though, when I gave “Blue rev” a go shortly after its release last October and I was more than pleasantly surprised at the group’s leaps and bounds to escape their allotted pigeonholes. I ordered a copy off Pop Music Toronto’s online store because they had a few of the clear pressings released by the group’s own Canadian-based label Celsius Girls on their virtual shelf. The album ended up placing at number two on Billboard my end of the year album list for 2022 and this record continues to be one I return to my turntable often.

Standout track: “After the earthquake”

Tags 12", 2020s, 2022, Alternative, Alternative Rock, Alvvays, Best of 2022, Canadian indie, Clear vinyl, Indie, Indie Pop

Tunes

Best tunes of 2020: #21 Dream Wife “Hasta la vista”

Post author By jprobichaud
Post date March 17, 2023
No Comments on Best tunes of 2020: #21 Dream Wife “Hasta la vista”

<< #22 | #20 >>

From what I’ve read, London-based Dream Wife started from an art school project in which its three principal members portrayed a 90’s alt rock influenced band in a Spinal Tap-like mockumentary*. Rakel Mjöll, Alice Go, and Bella Podpadec (along with drummer Alex Paveley) still seem to be having fun but now, they’re damned serious as well. They are well-known for their electric live shows, not shying away from tough subjects in their lyrics and their unwavering support of women and non-binary, especially in terms of their underrepresentation.

I came upon the group after the release of their sophomore album, “So when you gonna…”, in 2020 and I made the immediate and obvious comparison to the riot grrl** punk acts that emerged out of the early nineties. But I also noted that it wasn’t all about the rage, hearing a certain embrace of melodic pop and felt there were whiffs of bands like Elastica and Sleeper and Echobelly from the Britpop era. To be honest, it was this latter element that led me towards repeat listens because as counterintuitive as it might sound, the introduction of pop elements to the harder edge suggested a willingness to expand and experiment.

I still haven’t gone back to explore the self-titled debut but I certainly will make the time, just as I plan to give their upcoming third album, “Social lubrication”, a go. “So when you gonna…”, though, is an enduring listen to my ears and the album’s second single, “Hasta la vista”, is all kinds of fun. But don’t be fooled by the title that smacks of the old Schwarzenegger tagline. Gimmicky, this song is not. The giddy-up bassline and ticky-tack drums get you moving and the synths just hang out there in the background, a humming wash, setting a warm tone. The guitars dance a pogo and frontwoman Rakel Mjöll softly bemoans and at the same time, celebrates relationships lost and never to be re-discovered. The band has admitted that “Hasta la vista” was the first song to be written for the new album after returning from a long period of the touring and coming home to find everything changed.

“Remember me in the morning light
Remember none of the wrong, just the right
Remember all the joy we gave
Remember that it paved the way”

This is a sentiment with which many can appreciate and identify. And now, they can dance to it as well.

*I loved Spinal Tap so I’d be curious to check it out, though I have no idea if it’s available anywhere online.

**As well other all female bands with a similar sound and aesthetic that had been mislabelled as such, like L7 and Hole.

For the rest of the Best tunes of 2020 list, click here.

Tags 2020, 2020s, Alternative, Alternative Rock, Best tunes, British rock, Dream Wife, Indie, Indie rock, Pop punk, Trio

Live music galleries

Live music galleries: Hey Rosetta! [2012]

Post author By jprobichaud
Post date March 9, 2023
No Comments on Live music galleries: Hey Rosetta! [2012]

(I got the idea for this series while sifting through the ‘piles’ of digital photos on my laptop. It occurred to me to share some of these great pics from some of my favourite concert sets from time to time. Until I get around to the next one, I invite you to peruse my ever-growing list of concerts page.)

Hey Rosetta! wowing the crowds at Bluesfest 2012

Artist: Hey Rosetta!
When: July 13th, 2012
Where: Claridge Homes stage, Ottawa Bluesfest, Lebreton Flats Park, Ottawa
Context: Friday the 13th was perhaps the hottest evening at Ottawa Bluesfest 2012. While waiting for the first band at the Claridge Homes stage with not a lick of shade to be found, all the crowd could do was hope for a breeze or the next droplet of perspiration. A couple of drunkards behind me started shouting at those setting up the stage, “Come out early and I’ll give you eight bucks!” When Hey Rosetta! burst on to the stage in a blaze of multi-colored maple leafs (shot from cannons), it was made apparent that the wait was worth it. Newfoundland flags were proudly waving to the sweet sounds made by the St. John’s exports in an impressive crowd for an early 6:00pm set time. And I think the whole crowd was fancying themselves honourary Newfoundlanders throughout the duration of the one hour set. For my part, I wasn’t disappointed at all. Hey Rosetta! sported an energetic indie rock sound made immense by a combination of violin and cello embellishments and by throwing in some mandolin and glockenspiel for good measure. Unfortunately, their set ran long and they were cut off before they could play their last song. While setting out for another stage, I could hear the honourary Newfoundlanders still shouting for “one more song”.
Point of reference song: “Seeds”