GLAM & GLITTER

Glam Rock is a much maligned genre. Many people assume it to be a trashy, tasteless, commercial pop-cacophony. I'm going to try to persuade you otherwise with 10 DEEP CUTS. Artists like Sparks, Roxy Music & Bowie have proven that a substantial segment of glitter rock came with an intellectual or arty aspect that has aged very well indeed, these tunes are more chart minded but no less enjoyable.

The Quick - 'It Won't Be Long'

Though this song was released a year after the true glam era (1970-75) it's operatic treatment of the Fabs classic bears all the bombastic hallmarks of a classic Sparks 45 (Indeed it was produced by ex-Spark Earle Mankey). One of the best Beatles covers ever? Great video too.

Ning - 'Machine'

Perhaps the heaviest tune on this list, this one shot single treads the line nicely between a Gary Glitter A side and side B of Neu! 75. Glam at it's most aggressively psychedelic.

The Glitter Band - 'Just For You'

This track would hardly have been considered obscure when it came out, but I'm honestly not sure that Gary Glitter mania travelled to North America to such an extent that this franchise act would've been granted much spin. If you agree that despite it's arena associations the GG style of production still stands as one of the most futuristic and exhilarating sounds of the 70's you will have no qualms with this, The Glitter Band's best single.

The Damned - 'Morning Bird'

This has to be about the best McCartney pastiche yielded in the glitter era. It could actually fit nicely somewhere on Macca's greatly bizarre McCartney II LP. Forward thinking bandname for the time too (not the same Damned).

The Troggs - 'Strange Movies'

Not many 60's acts of the UK B-list held over into the proceeding decade. I don't know how popular the Troggs were at this point (my guess is not very), but this savage take on T Rex style riffery sits quite nicely with me.

Ayshea - 'Farewell'

I wish I knew more about this lady. As it stands this is a magnificent slice of vaguely medieval (it's the clarinet that does it) glamish rock. Sounds a little to me like early ELO with it's seamless mix of crunchy guitars and orchestration. A stunner with magnificent drum sound.

The Smoke - 'Shagalagalu'

Similiar to the Troggs these guys apparently made it out of the UK psych ghetto to produce at least one Glam pounder. This one has good bump with it's nice clipped drums and Joe Meekish farty keyboard (or guitar, not sure).

Stavely Makepeace - 'Slippery Rock 70's'

As the title suggests, some slippery 70's instrumental trashtiche.

Grudge - 'I'm Gonna Smash Your Face In'

Pretty strange tune with perversely sadistic lyrics rubbing shoulders with a glitter tune that otherwise is just punching the meal ticket.

Simon Turner - '(Baby) I Gotta Go'

...and something pretty to play us out.

Most of these tunes I learned about through Dave Thompson's Children Of The Revolution book, these two glam comps & from a list Dusty Sparkles of Danava made for me.

WIRE

I shy away from posting press clippings and such, but WIRE magazine I hold in high regard so a review of the first two releases by my label Calico Corp (Slim Twig 7" included) in Byron Coley's Size Matters column I will take pride in.

If you haven't already ordered these records DO IT!

THE PAISLEY ORCHARD

My friends in Actual Water have dropped their first actual 12" LP - 'The Paisley Orchard'. It looks beautiful on clear vinyl and sounds extra sweet too. For a minute there a year and a half ago AW and yours truly represented the nu-paisley wave of Toronto (due to the fact that I have a song called 'Paisley Skin' and they were working on this record, and we both love psychedelic yet twee music). They do the combination of snotty vocals and jangly guitars quite proud methinks... LISTEN.

I can't find a link to purchase this thing, but do nose around for it.

COCA COLA WEEKEND

Coca Cola, my kosmiche combo with the U.S. Girl will be participating in a few upcoming events.

First come hear us DJ together, roughly songs of love in the spirit of cupids day (sorta)...

SATURDAY FEB. 11th

Alpha Couple w/ Doom Tickler

feat. DJ's U.S. Girls & Slim Twig

at Double Double Land - $5 / 9pm

209 Augusta Ave.

Next come get psyched outta yr gourd with a stellar line-up featuring only the third performance of COCA COLA.

SUNDAY FEB. 12th

Steve Gunn w/ Carl Didur

Coca Cola & Sacred Lamp

at Halo Halo - $15 / 7:30pm

208 Christie St.

MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2011

I made up this list before the year was out and it's been staring me in the face ever since. Sometimes writing about music seems more chore-like than the flow of actually just making your own... Sometimes making your own doesn't exactly flow how you'd like it, but in any case the impulse seems opposite to writing about music. One is analytical, the other impulsive. I'm of the opinion that each skill can lend itself to the other. Music is the greatest joy, and it is important to stretch your ability, consumption and comprehension by considering it from different angles.

Ok, enough with the gobbledygook. Here are some of my favourite records released in a year I spent mostly retreating into the past. I may have missed out on some things, let me know if so...

MY FAVOURITE RECORDS OF 2011, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.

Sic Alps – Napa Asylum

Brilliantly deconstructed trogglodyte rock. If garage rock had been built to express abstract mental illness as opposed to teen sexual angst this would sound something like a cornerstone record. An LP of 'Exile On Main Street' sized ambition composed of stoned attempts to rewrite early Kinks riffs. No one carves out space like these guys. The most interesting rock band going.

My Mind – Fed Up With Myself

Epic art-poppery from ST-band slugger Westberg and his crew. Finding the common hook denominator between Sparks and The Who, their calculations dictate an excess of ideas equating a 9 minute one-sided 12" epic. Defying what it means to be both Pop & Punk with a self awareness implied by both band and record title, slotting them into a clever hyphenated genre I would have to say Music-music. Great fun listening to song made by people who can actually sing nowadays.

The Pink Noise – Gilded Flowers

Great future-trash pop. An album composed of songs best described as dystopian wastoid popathetic cruisers. In the best way possible this comes on like the sound of someone possessed of a desire

to become an art-rock superstar (ala Blonde Berlin Bowie), but with ultra-limited resources putting a rude embargo on said dream. Earth's great gravity fueled ratio-equalizer makes (possibly) intended pastiche like this find greater value in exactly it's quality of having missed it's mark. All pretensions aside this is a great album, a Pink Noise favourite.

July – July

A stone classic from the heady days of '68. Not much to say about this as if you like this kind of thing, you've already heard it. Underrated in the grand Rolling Stone scheme of things, it's best moments are equal to Piper-era Floyd. Wonderful, magical stuff re-issued this past year with beautifully legit tip-on sleeve and poster.

Crystal Stilts – In Love With Oblivion

Pitch perfect recreation of what Simon Reynolds would probably refer to as record collector rock. When brick and mortar songwriting is as good as it is here, who could give two shits. The fact that the production is so bang on, with perfect period placement of jealousy inducing harpsichord moments only makes the pill go down that much smoother. This record has vibe, like ALBUM vibe. Like, BAND vibe. Like dusty Creem magazine, mystic nostalgia vibe VIBE. Got more pleasure out of this popper than almost anything else this past year.

Currensy & Alchemist – Covert Coup

I've already spilled ink on how Alchemist is clearly the most interesting producer post-Dilla working in the rap major leagues. Having said that, this album took me a minute to grasp. I prefer grime-caked dusty loops to luxury conjuring space-age smoothey shit, so this kind of funkiness takes me a couple listens to get into... But this thing is a world unto itself, bubbling and reverberating in off rhythms to it's own inner logic. It's not often that a rap album takes on a personality all itself, even Ghostface albums are often all over the place. Having a single producer and the same rapper on each track definitely helps with this concern. Goes to show just how far ahead of his time Doom was sampling 80's synths and soft rock guitar lines years ago.

Danava – Hemisphere Of Shadows

Not gonna bother comparing this to anything else. More insightful comparisons than 'this sounds like Thin Lizzy' could be made by people who actually listen to this kind of music on a regular basis. All I know is that this is sum hevvy shit. I do admit to missing the synth driven moments of their first album (keyboard bits are the best part of this album), but even so the riffage is undeniable. I hate to the be that classic rock dude, but I feel like we're living in the anti-punk era where chops are back to being invigorating. I'm predicting that the best music of the next decade will be made by people who know how to fucking play their shit. I'm going anti-punk, anti no-wave. I'm gonna learn how to play my guitar properly, and only listen to harpsichord concertos.

Clap – Have You Reached Yet

Great re-issue by a band of Cali no-lifers from the early 70's. I think the New York Dolls get A LOT of credit for basically just ripping off the Stones... Granted 'Trash' is pretty spectacular, but they seem to have an inordinate amount of cred, for yea... just sounding like another band. That quote about Malcolm McLaren managing the Dolls after hearing their record and deciding they were the worst musicians in the world is pretty hilarious in retrospect (McLaren would have his hands full on that criteria nowadays). Clap are the real deal in terms of sloppy borderline plagiarism, as good as the Dolls in parts. A pillar of the 'originality is great, but...' argument.

Dirty Beaches / Ela Orleans – Double Feature

Good stuff from these dreamy soundscapers. Alex's best blend of rockabilly rebel-rousing posture and his more left field ambient soundtracking impulses. Some of Ela's best exploratory dream conjuring sampledelica. These guys are a good combo, they have very similiar impulses from completely different sides of the hormone spectrum. They have a very specific vision for their work, and go about it with a determined process that I admire in each.

Timber Timbre – Creep On Creepin' On

The sax n' combo organ riff speaks for itself. Songs as talismanic creepers. I'm a sucker for that plinky piano type shit and delay'd out croonin.

11 FASCINATING SONGS OF 2011

It's that time of year (actually a little past, I missed tagging onto the blog wave of retrospective list making)... Here's a list of 11 songs released this past year that I really enjoyed. I'll post a similar list for album length efforts in the next week or so.

I hope you find something interesting to listen to, or think about. The list is unordered.

Eric Copeland – 'U.F.O's Over Vampire City'

In my book this is undoubtedly the song of the year. A true torch song equipped with a stiff slip for these retro-cats who still think that style will suffice in their reverential role-play. This joint comes bathed in blue light, an unseemly lurch that seduces the hips as the eyes and the heart are forced witness to a repulsive sexual slither as slimy as any Screaming Jay Hawkins screed. Blissful torture.

LISTEN.

U.S. Girls – 'The Boy Is Mine'

Pardon me for a second as I make reference to a song I had some hand in (more accurately a finger)... In all honesty Meg hit this one out of the park, I can't think of many other artists who can blindly flirt with trend (90's R'n'B being a shit-hot credential these days) while coming out the other end as untainted and original as this lady. Nary a wink for irony-hungry blog fiends - straight goods in other words. The massively underrated Onakabazien deserves some limelight for this one as he actually put together this remix with the original vocals intact some years ago, composed entirely out of cut ups from his dusty basement experiments. Get on board with an uncompromising siren, and an unsung genius (not a bad executive producing / mixing job either).

LISTEN.

Mobb Deep – 'Black Cocaine'

At this point Alchemist has to be acknowledged for the crazy run that he's been on the last couple years. For my buck this might be my favourite rap beat of the year. In all honesty I just heard this song for the first time this week, but judging by the fact that Al made my favourite beat of 2010, and of 2009 I don't think the immediate enthusiasm is undeserved. Also good to hear Infamous P comfortably back on his laconic-lunkhead shit.

LISTEN.

Actual Water – 'Latoya'

Do you like sugar? (I'm tee'd up here to hesitantly say brown sugar)... Welcome to Actual Water 2011. While at one point not too long ago (pre-ST band) I stood stage-front jealous at Actual Water's cerebral combination of Neu! hypnotism and Mark E. Smith slop, they've now dropped the tweeds and have donned the paisleys. At this point they're more likely to cop a lick from Edison Lighthouse than Television, though what remains as the common denominator is an unmistakable exuberance for music making that can't help but be infectious. This is a perfect pop song by Wizzard, or the Sweet standards. Watch it race up the Billboard 200, 1972.

LISTEN.

Gonjasufi – 'The Lows'

One thing I like about Hip Hop is that in some corners fidelity has always been an open question. Since the golden age 80's, tape hiss, grime, fuzzy bass saturation all hallmarks of tape culture have reverentially been referred to as the real or raw shit. (Try telling R. Stevie that pop rock has had a similar affinity for low-rent vibes until recently). Gonjasufi comes dangerously close to abusing this fidelity leeway with a conceptually sound track about being broke. Just as a slick beat can allow for some transcendent grandiosity, so does this junk music run parallel to the sentiment as verbally expressed.

LISTEN.

KA – 'Cold Facts'

Speaking of grime... Since kinda debuting on one of the best rap albums of the last five years KA has turned out to have legs of his own. The four (slept on) video singles he's dropped this fall have been some of the vibe-heaviest burners since RZA was on his game. In all honesty it's hard to single out one of these tracks above any other, which bodes well for the vivid grit that his forthcoming Grief Pedigree album seems to suggest it will deliver.

LISTEN.

Jef Barbara – 'Wild Boys'

Pretty impressive stuff. Wisely collaborating with synth and italo-kosmiche master Femminielli to legitimately evoke an era in music when early Prince would seamlessly blend into Berlin Bowie, bumping against any number of Moroder concoctions at a DJ night. The thing is this guy fucking goes for it, he owns the funky bass playing and shameless guitar solo shreddery – as he should. Fuck irony, for real. Probably Canada's best bid at a legitimately exciting POP star in the coming year.

LISTEN.

Jean-Claude Vannier – 'Au Desepoir Des Singes'

Although I was somewhat weary of the might JCV (one of my heroes) trying to re-enact his arrangement glories of the early 70's, employing many of the same session doods from his mighty tandem LPs, I was pleasantly surprised by this track. It does a pretty good job of evoking the combination of lithe funk and sexual french sophistication that he helped Gainsbourg to trademark. Honestly, no one can get a string session sounding like Vannier (except for Beck, when he consciously tries to emulate Vannier).

LISTEN.

Blu feat. Edan – 'Ronald Morgan'

Obligatory Madlib produced track. Sift through the absolutely blunted murk to uncover the best rap verse of the year by Edan in complete psychedelic word-wizard mode (cue it up to 1:35). Absolutely incredible.

LISTEN.

Rocket Freudental – 'Der Alleiner'

This one, I can't find a preview for on the internet. I came across the record during my fall Euro jaunt. One of the best shows on the tour was in Stuttgart (near where this band is from). We partied with some cool cats whose record collection seemed to mirror my own in an eerie way. In any case they enthusiastically recommended this band as the best contemporary rock band in Germany, and actually gave a copy of this LP to me. It is a great, eclectic record. The best song sounds like Crazy Horse riffs chopped up and bludgeoned into something awesome and strange. It's hard to tell if there are samples involved or how the fidelity was achieved which is a haziness I enjoy. I've been told the lyrics are quite good too.

SEEK IT.

Drake – 'Headlines'

I include this track as an 11th, not only for sake of the only somewhat guilty pleasure it provides or for some skewed hometown pride but mostly for the simple thrill of the insistent, addicitive pulse of the actual music - all Aubreyisms aside. In truth Drake is a highly entertaining figure, not only for the fodder he provides the Big Ghost blog, but for his occasional flashes of great taste. This thing rides like some unholy Wendy Carlos Moog journey into the simple arrpegiations and repitions of Philip Glass. Good stuff in other words.

LISTEN.

U.S. GIRLS ON KRAAK

In the whirlwind of starting our label and heading to euro-land for some shows I forgot to drop this bombshell...

U.S. Girls new album, my first as a producer is out now. It slays. A courageous collage of mega moments, the tough/soft routine slashing through bars from the sublime to the terror inducing. Heavy-melancholy. Sharp sass. Git with it.

Couple moments featuring Twig band heavies T. Westberg, and thee Onakabazien providing the jams on an absolutely mind warping cover of The Boy Is Mine.

For my part the record is the first feather in the cap of my aspiration to be a Jeff Lynne style mega producer. Also mixed the shit so step into a mega sound world...

ORDER THE NICENESS.