Incubus – S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

Incubus has sort of become a band similar to say U2 or Red Hot Chili Peppers, in that a lot of die-hard fans (or once die-hard fans) will tend to say “I only liked their first album” or “yeah, they USED to be relevant” or even “they totally sold out man!” However you would classify this band, there’s no denying that S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is one of their creative masterpieces (at least I think so). Where this album is quite different than its predecessor Fungus Amongus, the elements of inherent funk, rap, slow groove, and brutality are all still present throughout the duration of the album; but somehow they make all these genres work together for the better of the album where lesser bands have failed to do so in the past. UNLIKE their albums of late, it’s easy to tell that the label had nothing to do with the creative process/writing of these songs. Although the label’s involvement in this band’s creative direction may actually be somewhat indicative of their success considering Incubus hit most people’s radar with “Pardon Me,” a song that came awhile after this album as part of the Make Yourself in ’99. OR maybe they’ve just progressed past this style and I’m completely off base J (especially because they’ve always been signed to the same label). Enough of the speculative stuff…

Songs of note for me on this album: ALL OF THEM! “Redefine” is a powerful album opener, “Vitamin” assaults your eardrums with a fast-paced, heavy hitting melody and rhythmic sections, and “New Skin” & “A Certain Shade of Green” are probably somewhat recognizable to even the non-Incubus fan as these are two of the tracks on the album that received substantial radio play and most likely music video play (music videos? what are those?); these two tracks are likely destined to become favourites if you’re unfamiliar with this album. “Favourite Things” is another great track following “A Certain Shade of Green.” Now, following “Favourite Things,” we get a glimpse at a song that is representative of the genre of music that this band has become particularly successful at marketing to the masses. “Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)” is a great “ballad” for lack of a better term. Similar to “Drive,” “I Miss You,” “Stellar,” basically ALL of the Morning View album, "Talk Shows on Mute," “Southern Girl,” and the list goes on and on, “Summer Romance” showcases both intricate melodies and Brandon Boyd’s knack for singing the crap out of a simple sing-a-long-able song. The best part of this track is the Saxophone solo; I love that!

I could write about this band forever and ever as I have been a huge fan since the first time I listened to the album with my friend Andre in the basement of his parent’s house in high school and I will continue to be a fan regardless of the fact that many listeners have fallen away as a result of the bands choice to pursue a more “mainstream” style of music. Whatever your tastes, you have to admit that Incubus is a chameleon in the world of factory-made, cookie-cutter pop music designed to rot your brain. Take a break from the likes of Katy Perry and Hinder and check out S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and decide for yourself!

City and Colour – At The Bird’s Foot (Gasoline Rainbows Compilation)

Speaking of Tegan and Sara, and my knowledge of this song actually comes from the August City and Colour concert referenced below, Dallas Green has written a song about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico called “At The Bird’s Foot,” that features Tegan and Sara singing backing vocals, and released it as part of a compilation on iTunes called Gasoline Rainbows. This song is written in the style that only Dallas can deliver; a haunting minor, but equally melodic tune constructed into a straightforward storyline style similar to that of Leonard Cohen (however MUCH more sing-songy) or even Neil Young himself. Tegan and Sara compliment Dallas beautifully repeating phrases in harmony in the background helping to bring together a very different type of song then we’re used to hearing Dallas/City and Colour sing.

As far as I can see, you can’t buy this compilation on Amazon. You can however buy it on iTunes. (similar to Borrowed Tunes; a Neil Young tribute compilation to which Dallas contributed his interpretation of “Cowgirl In The Sand”). I recommend getting at least this song and Damien Rice’s “The Connoisseur of Great Excuse” as these are previously unreleased tracks.

EDIT: APPARENTLY, I'm a bit of an idiot. This song features Amanda Zelina from the band The Coppertone. Whatever guys, her voice is still haunting!

Tegan and Sara – Sainthood

I always assumed that Tegan and Sara were just two feminists or sisters that sang the type of music that, immediately following, would require a two hour embrace from your mother or a session of circle cutting on the bathroom floor for the listener. I’m assuming that this opinion originated in high school from the type of people that sat in the hallway alone at lunch with their backpack, disc-man, and headphones wearing their favourite Tegan and Sara t-shirt for the fifth day in a row. All that said, my wife and I, by chance, saw T&S opening for City and Colour this past summer at the Molson Amphitheatre and I was pleasantly surprised by both the style of their music as well as the VERY evident amount of talent backing said music. It took me until today, January 5^th, 2011, on my ride in on the train, to listen to Sainthood (released in 2009) in its entirety. I can’t speak for any of their other contributions but I can say that Sainthood is an impressive musical work. Noteworthy songs for me include: Arrow (album opener), Hell (yes EVEN though this is the only single played on the radio), Alligator (one of my particular favourites), and Paperback Head all of which are a fair representation of the overall up-tempo tone of the album. All in all, you won’t be able to resist stomping your foot along to Sainthood while all the while, however slowly, changing your opinion of a musical act who, in my opinion, was once synonymous with the “EMO” phenomenon headed by the likes of Dashboard Confessional and Taking Back Sunday.

You can find Sainthood at Amazon.ca (standard edition) or on iTunes (deluxe edition incl. bonus tracks).

My So-Called "New Year's Resolution"

Over the past couple of years, I’ve gotten into the very bad habit of listening to ONLY talk radio, both during my commute to work and throughout the workday, as this is the format that seems to pass the time. Beginning with today’s train ride in however, I’m hoping I can re-ignite my passion for new and emerging music as well as re-discovering old gems that sit collecting dust in my 250 capacity CD Case in the storage space outside my apartment. Be kind to me as what follows is my opinion only. These are merely my suggestions for those of you searching for something new and interesting to check out.

-Tim