Top Ten Shows of 2014

The end of the year is a time to reflect and make lists. It’s no secret that I’m a big music fan and attend a lot of live shows. As I do most years (I forgot last year, for some reason, even though I saw some stellar performances), I’m going to post my favourites here.

Tanya Tagaq
National Arts Centre
Ottawa
November 7

Tagaq is one of the most important musicians in the world right now and she proved it with this transcendental 75-minute set. It was a non-stop, mostly improvised performance that riveted us all in that small, intimate room. I am still struggling to effectively put into words what I experienced that night.

Propagandhi
Ritual
Ottawa
August 13

It had been five years since I last saw these punk/thrash legends live, so I was long overdue to have my face melted. They’re tighter than ever and showcased their brilliance with an awesome career-spanning set. Hopefully it’s not another five years before I get to see them again.

Queens of the Stone Age
Lebreton Flats
Ottawa Bluesfest
July 8

Next to the day I got married, this was my favourite day of the summer. Germany beat Brazil 7-1 in the semifinal at the World Cup, and soon after the whistle blew I got to see one of my all-time favourite bands live for the first time since they released their great …Like Clockwork album. I wish they could have played a little longer.

Jack White
Parc Jean Drapeau, Osheaga Festival
Montreal
August 2

While I enjoyed hearing the new songs live (which are a big step up from the tunes on his first solo album, in my opinion) the best part about seeing Jack White will always be experiencing a set list that draws from the catalogues of his various bands, including The White Stripes, The Dead Weather, and The Raconteurs. This performance showcased many of those classics, and as usual, the White Stripes songs were way better with a full band.

The Sword/Big Business
Foufounes
Montreal
February 26

These are two of the most unique bands in rock/metal, so seeing them on a double bill was really killer. Both were touring on solid recent albums that were among my favourite releases of the previous year. Big Business is strangely melodic and rhythmically powerful; while The Sword is an electric guitar player’s dream band with a loud, crushing throwback riff-based sound.

The Great Sabatini
Pressed Cafe
Ottawa
January 11

This Montreal metal quartet is one of those bands that is impressive just to watch. Their riffs and beats pound together and against each other in a loud, burly display. Tapping your toe or bobbing your head along is nearly impossible.

A Tribe Called Red
Sault College
Sault Ste. Marie
May 3

I’m used to seeing ATCR either in clubs or on big stages at festivals, so it was a nice contrast to experience an all-ages show in a big community gym. Regardless, their music transcends venues in its ability to bring people together and make them dance.

Against Me!
Parc Jean Drapeau
Montreal
August 2

The last time I saw this band was at Bonnaroo 2010 when the frontman was known as Tom Gabel. Now, she’s Laura Jane Grace, and seeing her perform as herself was both intense and heartwarming.

George Leach
Westfest
Ottawa
June 13

Very few others out there slay the guitar like George can. I’ve seen him many times over the years, and his stage presence only gets bigger and bigger. Don’t miss him when he plays in your town.

Lady Gaga
Lebreton Flats
Ottawa Bluesfest
July 5

I loved her show. So what?

Top Ten Albums of 2013

The end of the calendar year always allows me the indulgence of reflecting on my own musical tastes. So as usual, here’s the regular December post that lays out my favourite albums of the past year:

Queens of the Stone Age – …Like Clockwork

The best rock n’ roll band in the world returns with an extraordinary effort that’s lighter, emotive, and extremely powerful. There are fewer bangers than on previous albums, but that’s made room for more beautifully complex, temperamental songs. It all makes sense given Josh Homme’s near-death experience since the last album.

Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge – Twelve Reasons to Die

Ghostface has always been my favourite member of the Wu-tang Clan because of his uncanny ability to weave stories with his rhymes. This is a concept album about gang wars set in 1960s Italy that’s a compelling narrative from start to finish. The music and production by Adrian Younge make of the greatest foundations I’ve ever heard on a rap album.

A Tribe Called Red – Nation II Nation

The power of good music is evident in its ability to unify. By combining elements of traditional powwow music and modern electronic music, these Ottawa DJs have created a proud, innovative movement that Indigenous people are embracing. But they’re also drawing in fans from all walks of life under the banner of positivity, respect, and understanding.

Leonard Sumner’s Rez Poetry

Where A Tribe Called Red provides the soundtrack to the urban Indigenous experience, Leonard Sumner tells the modern stories of the rez. From folk to country to rap, this heartfelt collection is a riveting portrayal of the unique struggles and triumphs of Anishinaabe people. It’s the album I’ve been waiting my whole life to hear.

Big Business – Battlefields Forever

As one of the most unique bands in metal, Big Business has always created a successfully loud combination of heavy rhythm, intoxicating melody, and bewildering weirdness. A fuller, more dynamic sound on this new album has added to that enigmatic intrigue.

Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You

There is so much about her to love.

KEN Mode – Entrench

What I’ve always admired about this Winnipeg trio is their ability to make the most massive metal sound from the barest of bones. While that formula has been hugely effective for more than a decade, they added a couple more layers including piano and strings on some songs here. It’s still some of the heaviest music out there.

Biipiigwan – Something for Everyone; Nothing for Anyone

Warrior music.

Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks

I must be getting older, because this is another departure from loud and heavy that I really enjoyed. Trent Reznor reaches back to the electronic influences that kicked off his career and produces a polished, refined collection of songs that are like ear candy. This is the “headphone” album of the year.

Pearl Jam – Lightning Bolt

There are three kinds of people in the world: hardcore Pearl Jam fans, Pearl Jam listeners who feel the need to justify their fandom, and Pearl Jam haters. Pearl Jam has been one of the only constants in my life and I take comfort in knowing that every few years, they’ll put out music that I’ll really like.

Although that’s ten, I’m breaking from personal form here to add a couple more:

The Melvins – Tres Cabrones

They put out three albums this year, including a covers album, a live album, and this. While Live at Third Man Records was my favourite of the three, my personal rule is to keep this list to studio recordings of new originals. They broke once again from their usual modern lineup with the Big Business members and revisited their original 1983 lineup (as closely as possible) to create something fun and heavy.

How To Destroy Angels – Welcome Oblivion

This came out before Hesitation Marks, but it’s the perfect complement. Beautiful vocals soar above ambient, intricate compositions and rhythms that are both soothing and exciting.

Honourable mentions:
Danny Brown – Old
Tomahawk – Oddfellows
Craig Brown – Hysteresis
The Bronx – IV
Deltron 3030 – Event II

What were your favourite albums this year?

Top Ten Shows of 2011

It was a good year for concerts. I’ve now been in Ottawa for a little more than a year, and I’m very impressed with the calibre of acts that come through here. And I’ve learned that if bands skip over the capital, they’re usually playing in Montreal, which is only a two hour drive away. As I do every year, I’m gonna list the shows I dug the most here. While this year can’t compare to the awesomeness that was Bonnaroo last year, Ottawa still has this two-week deal called Bluesfest, which I very much enjoyed this past summer. So here are the best concerts I saw in the year of our lord, 2011:

My Morning Jacket
Ottawa Bluesfest
July 13

Jim James is a genius, and I truly believe his talent is muffled by his studio outputs. A My Morning Jacket show is something to truly behold. Circuital is a great new album, but hearing the songs live made me love it even more. Also, remembering hearing them play the classics “Dancefloors” and “One Big Holiday” to close the show still makes me shiver.

Mastodon
Metropolis, Montreal
November 23

Their new album is probably the most polarizing amongst fans. Some love it, some hate it. I’m in the former camp. While I really enjoyed the live versions of the new tunes, I was still blown away by the intricacies of their past gems. Mastodon is the most exciting band in hard rock/light metal, and I was thrilled to hear them play my favourite tune of theirs – “Megalodon” – at Metropolis.

Queens of the Stone Age
Metropolis, Montreal
March 27

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’m pretty happy I was there. Josh Homme announced prior to this tour they’d be playing their self-titled debut album the whole way through in each city. Ask any QOTSA fan and they’ll agree that’s their best album. Hearing it live from start to finish was a real treat, along with some deadly cuts like “Turning on the Screw” and “Song for the Dead” in the encore.

Feist
National Arts Centre, Ottawa
December 5

Metals is probably my favourite album of the year, but prior to this show I really wondered how she’d pull off the huge sound on that album live. I was even more skeptical when I saw only four backing musicians and three backup singers take the stage with her, but they quickly proved me wrong. They rearranged the songs on the album nicely to fit a stripped-down band, all the while filling a huge concert hall with epic sound.

Joel Plaskett Emergency
Stockey Centre, Parry Sound
March 19

I had never seen a concert in my quasi-hometown of Parry Sound until this one. I loved his Threes album and it was great to hear a lot of those tunes in the Stockey Centre, along with some of his other hits. He was a bona fide gentleman and seemed to appreciate the love a small central Ontario town gave him.

KEN Mode
Cafe Deckuf, Ottawa
August 5

Straight outta Winnipeg, they’re one of the most unique and innovative modern metal bands out there. While only a three-piece, they wrestle out some of the most monumental heavy music and launch it into the ether. Seeing them live, it’s hard to believe those songs come from just a guitar, a bass, drums, and a couple voices.

The Roots
Ottawa Bluesfest
July 6

I very much prefer these guys far away from Jimmy Fallon.

Pearl Jam
Bell Centre, Montreal
September 7

Nostalgia bubbled to the surface in many ways in 2011, and this was one of them. I hadn’t seen them since the last Canadian tour in 2005, so it was a treat to catch them in both Montreal and Ottawa. Ottawa had a better set list (including the elusive “Breath”) but thanks to my good buddy Bob we were up close in Montreal. Old dudes rocking out!

A Perfect Circle
Ottawa Bluesfest
July 10

I seem to see Maynard in some form almost every year. I don’t mind making him richer as long as he puts on shows like this one. Best APC show I’ve seen.

Soundgarden
Ottawa Bluesfest
July 5

The first time I ever saw Soundgarden was in 1994 at Molson Park in Barrie, Ontario on the Superunknown tour. Nine Inch Nails opened and obviously blew them out of the water. We left after “Spoonman”. I saw them a couple years later at Lollapalooza in the same venue. Chris Cornell’s voice sounded even worse at that show and they were pretty much booed off the stage. All these years later I finally saw them again and they actually really impressed me.

So those were my favourite shows this year. What are yours?