I was later than I initially planned, so missed the opener but I managed to catch the Spectrals. Not bad but I didn’t find them anything special and did appeared to be a strange opening for a buzz band. They seemed like middle-aged white dudes from the UK, though looking online that may not be exactly accurate. But I was standing in the back and the lead singer, Louis Oliver Jones, was wearing a dad ballcap with his big hair and their attire seemed more about comfort than any affected image.

Which was quite different from Cults, who really seemed more style than substance. I’ve quite enjoyed listening to their self-titled album, another great share from Mojgan. But watching them live shows just how much post-production is needed to create their distinctive, hollow sounding vocals — although the glockenspiel(!) sounded fine. Additionally, either touring has taken its toll on co-lead vocalist Madeline Follin or, more likely, she’s been assisted immensely through the same production magic. Brian Oblivion’s singing didn’t seem as affected live but I’ve always had a preference for female vocals.

It also felt like an incredibly short set. Mind you, Cults have a pretty limited catalogue, so this was not unexpected. They did play a cover, always aces in my books, Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows“. But that was mid-set and they didn’t even play the fake encore.

This actually earned some street cred with me, especially since they really made it clear that the “last song” was really to be the last song. And I’m such a cynic about the fake encore.

In the end, the show was just underwhelming. The opener (that I saw) didn’t really seem to compliment the headliner. The main attraction had only a marginal stage presence, which wasn’t enough to make up for the gap between their great debut disc and mediocre live sound.

Don’t get the wrong impression, I’m still a fan of Cults and I’m looking forward to a sophomore disc. But I’d have to recommend you enjoy their music at home or on your commute and save your concert event for someone a bit stronger.

Actually two lessons. I have a better idea of time for multiple trips and that Sound Academy is farther from the subway then I think. So as such, I can’t really give much comment on the openers performance live. They’re also somewhat new to me, in general.

Vactioner was the first up. They are so new to me that I’d only discovered them, in fact, when I reviewed the concert listing on Songkick. I gave their album a listen when I got home from work (perhaps part of the reason I was so late?) and immediately enjoyed it. They’ve kinda got a sound like Tennis, Washed Out, and Vampire Weekend all mashed up, which is totally my sound these days. Except when it’s a low-fi guitar pop with female lead vocals.

Next up, so schedules lead me to believe, was Now, Now. Another newish find from me via Mojgan’s Rdio. In truth, they were the band I was most looking forward to. I think I arrived just as they were finishing up, as there were roadies starting on a tear down. I’d initially thought that I’d just missed Vactioner but, when the Naked and Famous took the stage, I sadly acknowledged the mistake.

I did run into someone from school, the first time that I’d run into anyone at a show in Toronto. A friend of hers said they were good, and I’ll probably try and catch them the next time they’re in town. Here’s a stripped down version of the title track from their Neighbors EP.

Finally, it was time for the Naked and Famous. When they took the stage, I heard Mike’s voice in my declare, “My skinny jeans are in the wash!” Which may just explain all my concert crotchetiness lately, hmmm. Certainly they’re a bit of a buzz band, as it seemed a number of people awaiting them to start asked things like, “They’re from New Zealand, right?!”

Overall, I liked the show. Some of the songs seemed poorly crafted, though too be expected by such a young group that has an art house-indie rock pedigree where style is as important as substance. You could see the Franz Ferdinand influence but some of their hooks a la new wave-electronica New Order were a bit flat. At times there seems to be some challenges integrating the lead vocals from Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith. But when the elements did come together, they are catchy and manage a decent elctro-pop with hint of ’80s post-punk.

Matt Kirkey put “Young Blood” from their debut studio album, Passive Me, Aggressive You on his PDP11.5 mix, Separation Anxiety and that was certainly the song that stood out for me.

I think this time out also really cemented my feeling that Sound Academy is Toronto’s Commodore Ballroom. (Where the Naked and Famous are playing at the end of the month.) This is based on the types of shows I’ve seen there so far, certainly the Commodore is a nicer looking establishment. I also think it has nicer site lines throughout. But perhaps I’m just a homer…

I also don’t know who the opening act was and a quick Google didn’t yield answers. Reviewing my notes, the only thing I have about the first act was that she reminded me a bit of Bjork and, also, had a hint of Justine Frischmann — former lead vocals for Elastica. The opener was a solo act, just her and her synth. I remember thinking it must be challenging to be an act that might be decent as a song at a dance party in full swing but instead having to warm up a crowd mid-week.

The second act was Nite Jewel. I thought her sound was okay to listen to while working, perhaps could serve on a movie soundtrack but I didn’t feel there was a lot of musicianship to watch on stage. Some of the bridges seemed overly long and self indulgent and normally I’m pretty generous of live performances. What brought on the snark? Probably my second show in a row, proving there’s a difference in concert season from my BA to my MA.

At one point Ramona Gonzalez asked the sound guy really pump the bass, which resulted in some giant feedback mid-track. Probably not the greatest request. There was definitely a Kavinsky-vibe to some of the songs (a plus), so much so, in fact, that instead of showing you a video of Nite Jewel, I’m going to share this awesome Kavinsky-Terminator mashup!

After a short wait, Chairlift hit the stage. But there’d already been two acts (Two! On a weeknight!) that I wasn’t super impressed with and was feeling a bit fidgety. For me, my favourite Chairlift track has always been “Evident Utensil”, as I used it on my PDP9 mix, Goodbye dear Aughts… Alas, it took until the second of three songs they played for the encore to get there. Though, funny aside, near the end of the set there was a drunk voice calling from near the stage for them to play this particular track. Which made me chuckle a bit…

I, myself, had originally discovered Chairlift through a music blog and remember thinking, “This is a cool song from a band not many people will probably know about.” Of course, this was at the height of my, “I don’t watch TV” phase, and I was blissfully unaware that Chairlift had gotten swept up in the Apple halo. There’s a line in High Fidelity, one of my all time top five desert island movies, that really set the stage. Rob Gordon notes, “Some people never got over ‘Nam or the night their band opened for Nirvana.” Rob never got over Charlie. Perhaps Chairlift never got over being in an iPod commercial?

“Bruises” and “Evident Utensil” were the only two tracks I really knew well going into the night. Reading some positive reviews of the show, perhaps it was just my foul mood that spoiled the show. I did enjoy the verse of Modern English’s “I Melt With You” put into “Bruises” and was happy to have stuck it out to see the one track that I wanted to hear. I definitely think to have been in the crowd, instead of lurking at the back like I was, could have made for a more entertaining show. Certainly, Caroline Polachek, provides a unique stage presence due to her modern dance abilities. As showcased in “Amanaemonesia”.

And that’s the thing. I do actually like Chairlift’s music, I just didn’t really care for this show.


fin.

Caveats and context aside, this post is clearly going to be a concert review. First up in this week of back to back shows was Bowerbirds. This was my second show at the Garrison, after having seen Veronica Falls last month. I haven’t been to a lot of shows or venues yet but this is an early favourite.

Opening up was Dry the River, from London. I thought you could hear some Brit pop in their sound, especially bass lines. Put me in mind of Doves. But they also at times felt like their were channeling Bon Iver, matt pond PA or even Sigur Ros. They’re listed as folk rock on Wikipedia but it sounds like they’re still trying to figure out a direction for the band.

Lead vocals Peter Liddle at times seemed too focused on singing with an affected voice, with the strongest songs — for me — when they were closer to the Doves sound. Although doing post show research and seeing that he’s Norwegian helps temper my assessment, I still stand by it. Scott Miller, the bassist, seemed really excited on stage but strangely “puppy-like”.

This video, “No Rest”, has the most hits on Youtube, it’ll be the one I share.

I’ve previously noted I’m getting to the age where I appreciate one opening act on a weeknight. Or at least I’m that busy these days. So I was glad to see Bowerbirds on next. I knew a little bit about them, having listened to them on Rdio after spying them on an upcoming sign. Philip Moore handles most of the vocals, with Beth Tacular the alternative lead. I thought Mark Paulson did a great job on backing vocals and playing a number of instruments. That seemed a theme, with people constantly shifting positions. Not sure who the back up strings was, but I felt her play was also strong.

While Moore also has a distinct singing style, it didn’t have the same forced quality. They played a number of tracks that I recognized including “Teeth” (which Olivia had on her PDP11 mix, Hawaii Five O), “Northern Lights”, and, the below, “In Our Talons”.

I thought that the sounds were distinct enough depending on whether Moore or Tacular had lead, that long term might see the emergence of two bands. Though when the core of a band is a relationship, it’s gotta be a sticky proposition.

Overall, I enjoyed the set. They won’t blow you away but if you’re in the mood for some American roots/folk, you should check them out. Any band who gets a Take Away Show deserves a listen.

Hospitality was the opener. Wikipedia says they are a trio from Brooklyn, can’t remember if they were a foursome live though. They played some a number of tracks from their new self-titled album, calling out “Argonauts”, “Julie” and “Friends of Friends”. The last of which they announced having a video for — checking out YouTube, it stars Maeby from Arrested Development!

I found they got stronger as the set went on. Not sure if it was just me warming up to them or perhaps they slipped into sings they were more familiar with. Overall, they were decent and I’ll definitely make sure to give a listen to their album.

After a short wait, Tennis took the stage. I’d only recently discovered Tennis after seeing them on Ryan’s Rdio page but was looking forward to seeing checking them out. They kinda have an indie lounge sound, a great 60s free-spirit/retro-pop sort of vibe. I thought this was really accentuated when Alaina Moore danced, her movement punctuated by the sway of her shoulders. That said, the sound was pretty bad to start — some ear-splitting feedback in the first few tracks and, later, her mic actually shorting out during a song.

Tennis grew out of husband-and-wife Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore buying a sailboat and taking an eight-month voyage along the Atlantic coastline, deciding to document the trip through song that turned into the album Cape Dory. I really enjoyed Riley’s work on guitar, not necessarily the best technically ever but played with an intensity that reminded me of some of my favourite all-time live guitar performances by a guy backing Veda Hille and at a Controller.Controller show.

If Tennis’ first album is (literally) all about yacht-rock, their latest album, Young & Old, is more about hanging out in woods and is made up of tracks like “Deep in the Woods”. I think my favourite track, both of the night and in general, was “Origins”.

While the focus of the band is clearly Riley and Moore — and how could it not be, in a husband and wife team — I enjoyed their backing bassist (sometime keyboardist). He seemed to me like Where’s Waldo’s hipper but more uncomfortable cousin. Reading through some reviews of the band, Riley and Moore also seem to possess a great blend of not talking themselves or internet buzz too serious while still being pretty sincere about their musicianship.

They played a couple new tracks, “Petition” standing out as the stronger of the two live. I found that Tennis tracks that really emphasized the refrain seemed the strongest, both received and delivered, and certainly “Petition” was that. It was also one of just a couple tracks that Moore only sang on, instead of also playing keyboard. Overall, I didn’t think Tennis had the best stage presence but in a larger venue could see Moore connecting with the crowd better when getting out from behind the keyboard.

All in all, I was pretty happy to have gotten out to see another show. Live music twice a month seems a good goal to aim for and so February was a great success, even if took a Leap Year to make it possible.

After class, I headed downtown to The Garrison. I was a bit hungry and wasn’t sure if they served food — they don’t but I did had a pleasant text conversation with Elisa. I probably could have killed more time before the show by eating before hitting the venue but I just nursed a beer instead in the bar/front area before heading into the back concert area. The place was pretty small compared to my first two concerts, probably a bit smaller space wise then the Media Club though a touch bigger then the Railway Club.

Hands & Teeth, a local Toronto band was first onstage. There seemed to be some solid talent in the group but their sounds was a little all over the map, taking turns on different instruments and with lead vocals. The first time I ever saw a band interchange like that it was kinda neat but I now generally take that to mean the group is still experimenting. Though one of the group must have been at least 6’5 with a moustache and there was an attractive blond, so they complemented their sound with visuals.

Next up was Brilliant Colors from San Francisco. They had a lo-fi, indie pop sound that I enjoyed. For a fairly stripped down sound, they seemed to be having some real challenges with the monitors — my favourite part being when they said if the sound guy couldn’t reduce the bass, then just cut it from all the monitors. Listening to them, I immediately thought Ryan would like them. (And looking at their Rdio profile, he’s listed as a recent listener!)

After they finished up, Veronica Falls took the stage. They also had some sound issues and the vocals seemed a little lost throughout the short show. It got better but not great. It’s also noticeable how small their catalog is. They played a couple of new tracks to go along with most of their album but the set was quite short and the “encore” was a single song and then off the stage. Overall, they either didn’t bring their A game or their stage presence leaves something to be desired.

But enough about the complaints because overall I still quite enjoyed listening to their London-Scots twee. A post-punk, Velvet Underground-ish sound with a dash of art-pop thrown in — including outfits. Guitarist/vocalists Roxanne Clifford and James Hoare, and drummer Patrick Doyle were all sporting matching red-and-white striped shirts in a nod to Valentine’s Day. Marion Herbain, the bassist, looked the odd member out in dark dress and cardigan and was the only one not to contribute vocals. They led off with Beachy Head and I certainly enjoyed Found Love in a Graveyard and Bad Feeling.

Not a perfect show by far. But to quote Ryan, “You saw Veronica Falls on Valentines day? Swoon”

The quote is a minor aside in the article on facial recognition but I really like the term “crowdsourced data management”. I’d also love to hear Chipchase and Nicholas Carr together on a panel — contrast with this article on ‘New frontiers in social networking‘.

Comparative Analysis

There’s no doubt of China’s growing importance to the global economy, with a massive domestic market still possessing a lot of growth potential and their manufacturing prowess driving down production costs. While there are huge differences between population sizes, political systems and levels of industrialization, both China and Canada currently have closed domestic telecom industries.

China has legitimate national security issues with letting Western telecom companies play a major role in developing Chinese infrastructure, in addition to the desire to maintain stricter control of communications for political purposes. China seems mostly interested in investment capital and technology transfers from Western companies, with very little strategic input and management control. Canada worries about letting foreign-controlled companies invest to help shield our smaller, domestic companies from larger competitors and for, lesser, cultural protection reasons.

My hope is to continue learning a little bit more about Chinese domestic telecommunication reform and apply that to my understanding of Canada’s telecom landscape.

Spectrum Issues

I remember reading an article during the latest round of spectrum auctions and allocations north and south of the 49th parallel that focused on what having more open spectrum would mean for technological development. WiFi, cordless phones, and Bluetooth devices were examples of technology that was made possible by people taking advantage of unlicensed spectrum. The article noted that these innovative technologies had a strong positive effective but were limited by the fact that the spectrum they used was so limited, with smaller ranges and an inability to penetrate walls.

I’m curious about what the potential economic benefits are of having more unlicensed spectrum and the impact it might have on a more innovative society. What are the limitations to such a system and the technical/safety concerns?

This area is likely to contain the most remedial learning portion of my research areas — I took chemistry in high school, not physics — but I think will play to my interest in startup communities.

Canadian Telecom Policy

Related to the comparative analysis, my intent is to deepen my understanding of domestic telecom issues. Entrance of new cellular companies to the Canadian market. The ongoing battle between broadcasters and cable companies. Potential changes to foreign ownership rules. Copyright issues and net neutrality. Mergers and acquisitions involving big ISPs and telecos. Canada’s global standing in connectivity rankings. And how are all levels of government looking to harness the power of mobile computing and telecommunications to deliver social, political and economic benefits to Canadian citizens.

One of the things that really struck me during my reading was her observation of small players that launched telecommunication services illegally to meet consumer demand. For instance, Internet cafes started offering cheap VOIP for people looking to make long distance calls using their Internet connection. Local officials would look the other way, as prices were falling and customers were able to access services with virtually no waiting period. Eventually the regulator would legalize the technology but generally penalize the company, forcing the incumbent to roll-out the alternative technology.

Something about the whole thing just felt so punk rock when compared to more mature telecom markets, like Canada’s. Although reading this article from IT World Canada on a Mobile Monday Toronto event seemed to say others in Canada may also possess a little bit of punk spirit.

Asking questions after a talk by Globalive chairman Anthony Lacavera, “One person in the audience went so far as to ask Lacavera why, with spectrum licences in hand and a network partly up, he didn’t just defy the CRTC and start selling phones.”

Senior Management
The C-Suite is focused on setting strategic direction, along with establishing waypoints and measuring success. Your search will be more effective if you have clear employment goals, a road map to get you there and are consistently evaluating progress.

Operations
This is the actual job search and applying for positions, along with collecting resources or documentation required for applications. Look for ways that you can increase productivity through email alerts, RSS feeds and other tools so you can spend more time on the things that generate a better return on investment.

Marketing
Covers everything from promotional materials (resumes & cover letters), interactive campaigns (social media) to events (networking). You’ve got to raise your brand awareness to be successful in a crowded labour market and its very crowded these days.

Sales
Needed for closing deals at networking events to land informational and employment interviews. In interviews, you’ll want to identify your prospect’s concerns and counter them effectively. Remember to focus on benefits (what’s in it for the employer) and not the features (no company thinks simply adding more MBAs will grow the bottom line). You’ll also need to embrace your inner-salesperson to help pick up that phone, deal with rejection and be diligent with follow up.

R&D
Skills a little out of date? Workshops, short-term courses, (re)certifications and self-directed learnings can add value to your product, which is you. In some cases — declining industries or personal desire — a more radical investment may be required, such as another diploma or degree.

Finance
Evaluating your financial position is important, as  you want to make informed decisions about your options. Do you have enough savings to look for a job you want or are bills piling up and you need to find a survival job immediately? Reviewing your expenses, can you reduce your burn rate to give yourself more options? If you need to take some training or look at buying new tools, software or other items for a new job, do you have the savings necessary or have ideas to access funding through credit or perhaps training grants?

Human Resources
Searching for work, especially in a recessed economy, can get discouraging at times, so make sure you’re keeping up morale.  Small rewards for hitting milestones, relationship building with your personal network and talking with a career coach or mentor can be helpful in developing a career plan. It’s also important to maintain a strong (looking for) work/life balance with friends and family, as relationships can become strained or ignored due to financial hardships or negative feelings around loss of employment.