French Kicks have been one of the nicest musical discoveries for me in 2006. A great discovery, and an act that I am surprised about in terms of how little known they are yet.

When I first heard them, Canadians The Arcade Fire came to mind immediately. They have a similar sound, indeed. But it doesn’t stop there. Some of those who approach French Kicks also find them to sound like early U2 (specially their guitar sound). What I like most about them is that they don’t stick to conventions and they set out to explore their own sound, which sets them apart in today’s world of music “sound-alikes”.

There’s not a single song in Two Thousand that is better than the others, but if I were to pick one that I love (one that represents their sound well), it would be “England Just Will Not Let You Recover”.

I am happy that I am going to catch them at The Social at the end of this month.

Hands down, Best Album of 2006 so far
So much is said about Thom Yorke. A creative genius… An artist who treats his crew like scum… I don’t care what people say. I love his work. Thom Yorke just seems to pour his whole mind and soul into every album he records, and “The Eraser” is not exception to this. From the opening track, all the way through it, Yorke’s music in it shines with brilliance and echoes of minimalist electronica. With the bare minimum instrumentation necessary and his voice pitching the story through the album’s nine songs, the album’s highest point is reached in “Harrowdown Hill”, the best song in it.

Hands down, with “The Eraser” Thom Yorke takes home the Best of 2006 award so far.

I remember thinking when I first heard “No Cities Left” by The Dears, how much the singer of the band sounded like Morrissey, why not admit it. But then I found moments in the album that reminded me of a thousand other things: David Bowie, Joy Division and even King Crimson… all of it, wrapped in a mantle that carries an unmistakeable flavor of French cabaret music with a raw feel, in the best style of the late Serge Gainsbourg.

Largely the result of the financial support of the Canada Music Fund, The Dears is the Montreal-based musical brainchild of multi-talented Murray Lightburn. Formed in 1995, “No Cities Left” constituted the band’s second full length album. The album has an overall dark feel that carries a certain level of anguish in Lightburn’s storytelling, typically aided by atmospheres driven by his guitar, along with changes in tempo in most songs and the overpowering presence of mellotron-like sounding strings that accompany the band’s work through most of the album.

The Dears meld in so many influences that you can get almost tired of identifying them… plus it really doesn’t do much to do so, since they have already carved their own special niche that will probably serve as a deep influence for generations of musicians to come. For now, enjoy “No Cities Left” and the band’s scheduled August 2006 release, a song of which you can enjoy through their MySpace page. It is impossible to argue: with The Dears you are in for a very special musical treat.

And if you like what you hear, check out their concert from July 5, 2005. It’s got excellent sound and video quality!

tags: music, reviews

From the US, you can only get their music through iTunes or streaming via the band’s website.

I just learned today about Canada’s The Diableros. GREAT stuff… Kinda Interpol meets Arcade Fire. Love it!

Thanks for the tip, Chris!

2006 has been off to a slow start, as far as music goes (for me, at least). But the sweet voice from The New Pornographers, Neko Case, has taken care of things, pushing her new Fox Confessor Brings The Flood into stratosphere. Her fantastic voice and engaging work draw you in like few other artists (somehow Natalie Merchant and Annie DiFranco come to mind -and not necessarily because they sound alike).

To call her music country would be too limiting, but it is true that there’s a definite country feel to the overall album. However, her voice lends so much more to all 12 songs that you are all of a sudden faced with an album that that spells out a happy surprise every step of the way. Though the entire album is a jewel, she seems to leave the best for last, with “Dirty Knife”, “Maybe Sparrow” and “At Last” among the greatest songs I’ve heard in quite a while.

So far, this is the best album to have been released so far in 2006.

Last night, after a fun day at the Open House back in Full Sail, my friend AJ and I headed over to Hard Rock Live to witness one heck of a live performance. Opening the night was Stars, a band our of Montreal (yet another great Canadian band, of the same fiber that Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade are made). Loved their work. Going to head over to iTunes get their “Set Yourself on Fire” album. Any band that has two singers that put out the harmonies these guys did, along with blending in (well) trumpet and violin with two guitars, bass, drums and a super-80′s keyboard sound deserves our respect!

Death Cab for Cutie are such a respectable band. They were the main act, and they totally showed why. It’s hard not to notice this IS Ben Gibbard’s gig, but the rest of the band is also extremely talented. They all played (except for the drummer) at least two instruments, even going to the extent of exchanging instruments with each other in the middle of a song. The encore “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” moved the entire crowd to sing loudly, while many held up their cell phones as lighters… don’t know if taking pictures of the moment or letting “that someone else” on the other end of the line, what they were thinking at the time, as they yelled the song away. As for me, I took several pictures with my cell phone, but this one was the only one that turned out decent.

We music fans become so critical and granular about all details in a production that we sometimes miss the big picture, what’s real and organic about it. Beck’s most recent album, “Guero” (blondie, in Mexico) is just big in itself. The ability that Beck has shown on it, to blend styles and contributions (partnering once more with The Dust Brothers and Radiohead’s producer Nigel Godrich), and to get you going from the first beat of the opening “E-Pro”, is something to be reckoned with.

Beck always remained a musical powerhouse during the nineties, and with his mellower “Mutations” in 1998 and “Sea Change” in 2002, he’s balanced his more eclectic and upbeat productions, such as the pivotal “O’Delay” and “Midnite Vultures”. Almost ten years after the release of “O’Delay” in his career, and with a two more (great) albums under his belt, he once more strikes balance while continuing to push the envelope. So saying that “Guero” is like another “O’Delay” is like a compliment to Beck’s work.

“Guero” is a powerful and “spicy” production that shakes you up. Without a dull moment all through it, bending genres left and right, the album stands strong at the top of my list of best albums in 2005, so far.