Author: Jake Mullan

I’ve been listening to a lot of indie rock/pop as of late, and not just because half of the albums I review on here are contained within this genre. No, I’ve been willingly turning to Sirius XM U on my radio dial, and leaving it there for all kilometres I’ve traveled lately. I’m not tired of it, but I’m sick of bands being so generic with their tunes. Liven it up a bit, perhaps? Keep me interested? Sound different? The Sensitive Drunks need to be rescued from Generic Island with Hill and Hay.

Perth, Australia indie group have put out something that sounds like a hybrid of The Beach Boys, Arctic Monkeys, and a touch of Two Door Cinema Club. Funny, because I like all of the bands individually, but together, it’s rather bland. “There She Goes” opens the record with a sound you’ve heard a million times before, simple lyrics, and that tinge of Australian accent. Luckily, it’s short lived, as is the rest of the album. Only two of the twelve tracks go past the three minute mark. You’ve got the cliched mostly-acoustic-sing-along of “What’s Left of the Morning?” and the pumped up, albeit short “Courtney Love, Not War,” which is a title I’d expect from a screamo band. “Fireworks” sounds like something I could write with minimal effort, and despite it’s “fun” feeling, it leaves a bitter taste in my ears. Or maybe that’s just earwax…

If there’s one thing that really needs to be fixed, it’s definitely the constantly harmonized vocals. The group’s Seb and Dave never stop singing together, and it just makes for echoed voices clashing back and forth. We’ve heard it before at our local venues, guys. And you know what? It just doesn’t sound good. I’d rather have a single stand out voice than you guys backing each other up throughout the entire album. I’d like “A Boy Named Theresa” a lot more if there was just one man stealing the show. Instead, we’ve got two men sharing the spotlight in aching harmony. The song has elements in the chorus that make it extremely catchy, too! It’s a damn shame that it’s tainted.

Hey, so, The Sensitive Drunks. You accomplished something here – you made a generic indie rock album, which is something I could not do because I can’t play any instruments due to my lack of hand-eye coordination. However, it’s not something I dig, and I really can’t get over the whole “let’s always sing together” thing. I’m sending out a search party to save you guys from Generic Island, off the coast of Indie Rock Land, as soon as I can. Start up those smoke signals while you’ve still got matches.

I just awoke from my post-Osheaga hangover – a week and a half after the festival had ended. I admit, that’s a terribly sad feat for a reasonably fit guy like myself. Regardless, it’s nice to get back into the grind and listen to some new music. Deep Time’s Self-Titled album, which means it’s called Deep Time, you delinquent, looked kinda promising for a pop duo from Austin.

Nine tracks deep and simplistic, Deep Time is rather average upon first glance. It’s still average upon a second glance. Deep Time suffers from what I like to call “Same Old Indie Pop” disease, which cripples albums with mediocrity in its melodies, arrangements, and riffs. Its saving grace is Moore’s voice, which is quite unique for the genre, as it never decides to enter the higher register. She’s got this sultry sound that enhances tracks quite a bit. But her backing? It’s rather lame. Look no further than “Sgt. Sierra” to see a prime example of a song that lollygags from beginning to end. “Coleman” is no better, with a clanging and repetitive key arrangement that I could’ve put together (and I’ve never had piano lessons).

As I said, Moore’s voice saves a few tracks, namely “Gilligan.” She reminds me of Florence Welch without the high notes in this tune, cooing out “Is it too late, too late, too late?” during the chorus. Admittedly, the backing is a lot more varied and creative here – so kudos for that. Actually, for once I prefer the second half of the album over the first half. The first half comes off as bland, while the second half shines in comparison. Even the closing track, “Horse” really mixes things up in an intriguing way, having Moore sing in an almost folky way.

But then I go back and listen to “Clouds,” and I realize that regardless of its pleasant second half, Deep Time is truly mediocre overall. Believe me, I don’t get any joy in saying such things. I like simplicity, but when you only have two band members to rely on, and you’re putting out an album in an over-saturated market where synths reign supreme (see Passion Pit’s Gossamer) – you’ve gotta do something special to catch my attention. Deep Time hasn’t done it here with the album being half as good as it could be.

In the wake of summer slowly but surely coming to an end, I’ve been forced to find that certain album that defines my summer. Y’know, that summer soundtrack. Or, at the very least, an album that I actually want to listen to. My bitter soon-to-be-student-again self has now been handed the task of reviewing The Gaslight Anthem’s Handwritten, New Brunswick (*cough*New Jersey*cough*) punk indie rockers’ fourth full-length. Wait – fourth? These guys have four albums out already? Surely they’ve run out of steam! Sorry to burst your skeptical bubble,  my imaginary friend – but it doesn’t seem like they have. Although, I can’t say the same about my summer.

Talk about kicking off the record with a bang: “45” is a skillfully crafted track that immediately got stuck in my head. Brian Fallon’s folk punk vocals are always a real breath of fresh air to me, and it’s no different with this album. He’s got that pizzazz in his voice to really compliment the backing instrument tracks. Fierce drums, sharp guitars that aren’t overly distorted, and the bass – well, it’s there somewhere. Some highlights: “Mulholland Drive” has a really jazzy guitar solo to mix things up, rather than going for a heavily distorted one, and “Too Much Blood” resounds as a great ballad about a man pouring his heart out.

Now now, Jake – you can’t go too easy on this band. You’re right, Jake, I can’t.

There are shortcomings, and it really comes down to one big fault: where’s the differentiation, guys? A lot of the tracks could use something to identify them. You know when you go a show, and you don’t know the band that well, and they decide to play a bunch of songs you don’t know, and you can’t tell the difference between the songs, and you go home tossing and turning in your sleep because you can’t figure out which song was which? No? Alright.

American Slang had a lot going for it because they decided to change things up with a handful of the songs. With Handwritten, omitting the beautifully soulful “National Anthem,” we get a lot of the same fast-paced indie punk. The thing is, I can’t bash it. It’s good. It works. “Howl” is fast and fun, while “Desire” is multi-layered and fiery. I can’t complain.

It’s not going to be the album that defines my summer, but it sure as hell is solid. Stop being whiny and enjoy this before you have to head back to class, or something. Jeez.

Ah. The Sunday of Osheaga, where everything lulls down and most of the crowds stay at home.

That statement would be true about any other year at the fest. However, even with a very threatening weather forecast, the work week starting up, and tons of other things to do in the city of Montreal – Osheaga still sold out, and the crowds showed up, and the people smoked up, and the hippies and hipsters danced in the mud. Yes, the downpour came, and we welcomed it after a weekend of extraordinary heat. So, shall we get on with it?

The first show I ever covered for this site was The Airborne Toxic Event just over a year ago. Today, they performed to a fairly sizeable crowd in the drizzle, with Anna Bulbrook playing a violin like nobody else can, and Mikel Jollett sounding as sharp on vocals as ever. “All At Once,” “All I Ever Wanted,” and “Changing” all sounded as fantastic as they did a year ago. They have quite the commanding presence, and I’m happy they got such a warm reception from the crowd.

The first thing I thought of Passion Pit: they’re a studio band. Maybe they shouldn’t be performing their songs as is live. Michael (the lead vocalist) can’t seem to hit those high notes in this festival environment. Sad, but true. Regardless, there’s a tremendous amount of energy being outpoured on that stage. I give them all credit for that. And the crowd? Shit. Biggest I’ve seen for a midday act. Ever. Some say they played too much from their new album. To that I say: Have you not listened to their new album? Gossamer sounds exactly like Manners! And Manners was an incredible album! What are you complaining about?! “Carried Away,” “Sleepyhead” and “Moth’s Wings” were all pretty decent.

Sidenote: Santigold was pretty good too! And Common pulled up some girl on stage, allowed her to towel his bald head off, and then she kissed his cheek. Needless to say, he’s a real crowd pleaser.

Wait, you survived two days of Osheaga and you’re crazy enough to come back for a third? Join the club.

Before I get to all the rock, pop, and rap acts, let me just comment on how good the EDM lineup is on this final day of Osheaga: Madeon, Wolfgang Gartner and Rob Swire’s Knife Party play one after the other. I know EDM isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so please feel free to shove this under the rug. If not, they’ll be on the Piknik stage as of 7:45 till 10:45.

Chappo has been getting a lot of play on Sirius XM lately, so I’m not surprised to see the group opening up the main stage. Toronto hip-hop artists The Airplane Boys will hype up the Green Stage early in the day. Following them, you NEED to see The Airborne Toxic Event. I saw them just over a year ago, and they were one of the tightest and best live bands I’ve seen. Ever. Then, you should head over to see Australian psychedelic rockers Tame Impala on the Mountain Stage. Just don’t drop too much acid.

Common, Santigold, Passion Pit, and The Shins one after the other? Say no more. Stay in the main stage area for a solid three hours for four acts. Metric comes on a little later, and have been appearing at Osheaga for many many years now. Catch them. Seriously. There are two more big choices you’ll have to make now:

City and Colour or Bloc Party? And The Black Keys or M83? I’ll make this easy for you. Dallas Green is a great musician, but he played Osheaga just last year. Bloc Party are amazing live, and you should take advantage of their performance on the Green Stage. And go see at least a bit of M83 on the same stage, as you’ll see just how much better they are live than on an album. The Black Keys? You’ll be able to catch the end of their great set even after M83 is done.

That about rounds out the fest. If you survive, see ya next year!

Friday at Osheaga was kind of a nightmare for me, and several regulars who have been attending this festival for a while. First off, I was denied photo pit access and my two DSLRs were reduced to paperweights. Second, I left halfway through the day due to an intense migraine or heat exhaustion or… something. This review would be more in-depth otherwise, and  I sincerely apologize for that. And third – it was the most packed day at Osheaga. Ever. Forty thousand people. The Montreal music festival has been around since 2006, and has grown every year. Last year was nearly a sellout crowd when Eminem decided to show up. And today, it actually sold out.

Fun. is probably one the best bands to book at a festival. Yes, they’ve gone mainstream with two radio hits, and perhaps they’re overplayed – but they’re just so damn fun, for lack of a better word. Nate Ruess kept the huge early crowd singing, clapping, and dancing throughout their set. Their electric opening with “One Foot” proves that they’re an amazing live talent, while “We Are Young” and “Some Nights” proved that they’ll be a success for years to come. Down With Webster was, uh, interesting. I stuck around for a couple songs as they had gathered a rather measly crowd. I suppose it wasn’t their “Time to Win.”

Icelandic phenoms Of Monsters and Men gathered a huge crowd over on the Green Stage. Like, huge. Near headliner huge. And they sounded amazing. “From Finner” had the crowd “la-la-la”-ing along, and “Little Talks” had everyone moving their feet. They aren’t all that active on stage, but I don’t think they need to be. After hearing some weird African/French stylings from Amadou & Miriam, I had to high tail it out of there before I passed out. The following is a consensus I got from my fellow festival goers and associates.

The Weeknd was in top notch form, despite all those whisperings months ago that he just sucked live. I heard he was better in the sunshine than in a dark club environment. He sounded sharp, soulful, and chill as ever. Though I’ve gotta ask – why the hell is the dude always wearing camo? That shit went out of style when I was six, didn’t it?

Wanna know who was apparently the best performance of the day? That redhead lady from across the pond: Florence + The Machine. At first, she had everyone put someone on their shoulders to start the set, and descended into some of her hits like “Dogs Days are Over,” “Shake It Out,” and “What the Water Gave Me.” She seems to be fully recovered from her recent vocal strain, and we’re happy to hear it. Over on the Tree Stage, I heard Montreal’s own Half Moon Run was pretty awesome. Give them a chance if they ever make their way to you.

Finally, there’s the matter of MGMT. Yes, they played “Time to Pretend.” And yes, they sung a bunch of songs off their sophomore album that I detest. There were glow sticks. There were a bunch of people on shrooms. No, they didn’t play “Kids.” And apparently, there are no pictures online of their performance. People left midway through the performance, and their overall setlist just didn’t have enough to keep the casual fans entertained. Their performance itself? Lackluster, or so I hear. Unrehearsed, and probably something you could enjoy if you were really high. Sigur Ros would’ve been a better choice to check out, so I hear.

“But Jake! What about Justice?”  said no one who visits this site.  I’m not gonna comment. I love Justice, and was thinking about coming back to the fest if I was well enough just to catch them. Some people say they can’t get over how amazing it was. Other say they were underwhelmed and were merely staring at a huge light-up cross all night. This is pretty accurate:

I don’t know what the complainers were expecting. Now, the big question is – will Snoop Dogg perform as Snoop Lion tomorrow? And will hologram Tupac make a reappearance? I’ll have the answers tomorrow.

And so it’s Saturday. Day One is done.

Who should you start with this morning? Memoryhouse’s dream pop tunes will start the day off well on the Green Stage, and The Dø will give you some French-inspired indie pop over on the main stage. Follow that up with Kathleen Edwards, and an old favorite in Portugal. The Man, and then go grab some lunch. After lunch, local indie rockers Plants and Animals should deliver after you catch a bit of Cursive‘s set.

Young the Giant are incredibly fun live, and are going to be a highlight of the fest on the main stage – I guarantee it.  Now, here’s a big dilemma: emo alt rock band Brand New, much hyped about rapper A$AP Rocky, and Juno Award-winning Arkells are all scheduled at the same time on different stages. It may be easy for you to choose, but my musical interest spectrum is very broad. This is going to be my biggest decision of the fest.

Garbage reunited, so they’re obviously back at it on the main stage, while SBTRKT is going to be wearing some weird tiki mask and mixing at the Piknik stage. Feist and Yeasayer at the same time? Feist hits up Montreal every few months, so if you’re a native, I wouldn’t worry about seeing her. Yeasayer is a different story, so check out the alt rock group on the Green Stage.

Saturday is typically the BIG headliner day. This time around? Snoop Dogg is probably going to bring along Hologram Tupac or something to wow the crowd. Snoop performed at Osheaga two years ago to a pretty big crowd. The only reason I’ll be watching his set? No other headlining act on any stage is any good. Who the heck is The Jesus and Mary Chain? An 80s alt rock band before my time, and I’ll be surprised if they garner a huge crowd. The Sheepdogs at the Tree Stage are more likely to have a big crowd.