By Andrew Bardsley 

Photo by Scott Doubt

CALGARY – Canadian folk-singer Matthew Barber is getting a tad bit older, having turned 40 last year. As a staple of the Canadian singer-songwriter genre since 1999, he believes his music is maturing along with him. Known for his traditional, melancholic style and critically-praised albums, including The Family Album (2016) in which he teamed-up with his sister Jill, who is also an accomplished singer, Barber branches out on his most recent album, Phase of the Moon.   

“While this album isn’t radically different I feel like it is just a natural evolution in my song writing, but it still certainly has vintage singer songwriter influences. I try to make it sound relevant and contemporary, but my main influences are still older records. It is not a melancholy record I suppose, but it is also not a party record, it is a contemplative record.” 

The recording also reflects Barber’s diverse musical ability: “I did something kind of new this time. I played all the parts myself, aside from a couple string arrangements. I played the guitar, bass, drums, vocals, all that kind of thing.”  

Over the years, Barber has invested heavily trying to perfect the art of recording, if possible. “I’m always sort of looking for new ways to make records. It’s sort of chasing this mysterious thing of what it is to make a perfect record. It’s hard to make a great record and I feel like I have been chasing this my entire career.”  

Moving into middle age, Barber is also chasing history noting his music has weathered alongside with him. “I feel like when I was in my early 20s my life had more of spontaneity and excitement and everything is kind of happening for the first time. And now it is more about looking back, I have more responsibility and I have more pressure to feel like an adult.”  

On the cusp of his ninth full-length and not content to rely on formula, he believes an artist needs to strive and reach for something beyond. “It is more than just having good songs and good players, you have to have this sort of intangible element that emerges. I mean there is a reason that not every record attains that even though all the pieces might be there.”  

Matthew Barber performs March 5 at The Imperial (Vancouver), March 6 at Geomatic Attic (Red Deer), March 8 at Marquee beer market and stage, and March 9 at The Starlite Room (Edmonton). 

The post Matthew Barber Reaching for a Fresh Frontier appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

By Jamila Pomeroy

Photo by Tim Nguyen

The Imperial
February 24th, 2018

There was nothing but good, happy, and warm vibes at The Imperial on Friday, despite the blanket of snow outside. The Belle Game brought an uplifting and expansive soundscape, alongside their messages of empowerment. While their new album “Fear/Nothing” swoops towards a more true, ethereal, crush-pop sound, there is no lack in soul or rock qualities that make you want to dance. Powerhouse and lead singer, Andrea Lo, killed it with her sultry voice; coming out in a long patterned kimono style robe, and shirt sporting the words “free yourself”. This, seemed to be the general theme of the evening. With a sincere hope their music would positively impact the crowd, Lo, continuously checked in, ensuring they were surrounded in that positivity. The general care for their fans, and their experience, is something you don’t see often.

Photo by Tim Nguyen

Opening with “River”, off of their debut LP, “Ritual Tradition Habit”, fans were quickly immersed in dream-like liquid sound. Shimmering keys, echoing spacey guitars, and drums played simultaneously with a drum machine. This hybrid of Synth pop, dream pop, and indie rock, kept fans dancing and swaying throughout the entire performance. Lo, breathed notes effortlessly, singing in an unbelievably large range, while a dreamy array of textures were laid out by Katrina Jones (keys), and Adam Nanji (guitar). The continual toss between standard drums and electronic drums, played by Alex Andrew, added rhythmic variance to their unique sound.

Photo by Tim Nguyen

Half way through the set, the band plays “Bring Me”, off of their new album “Fear/Nothing”. The songs explicit lyrics lend to a sort of raw passion, similarly to the general vibe of the album. Lo introduces the song as taking the energy to a darker mood, but this could have also been taken again, from a point of empowerment, with themes of sexuality. Fear/Nothing, takes the sound in a more electronic direction, with a greater focus on electronic drums and atmospheric layers. Keys resembling bands like Chairlift and Beach house, layered with dance and indie rock qualities: extremely reflective to the bands and music scene of their Vancouver and Montreal routes. With lyrics thematically tied closely to too the trivial, and grand hardships of this current era, Fear/Nothing, truly bridges the gap in hipness and innovation; brought forth in a fearless and unapologetic manner.

Photo by Tim Nguyen

Nearing the end of the set, the band plays “Spirit”, broadcasting an unbelievably large vocal arrangement. Layers of cascading harmonies, only preaching to the choir of incredibly pleased fans. Lo, again checking in with crowd, holding their connection with fans to the same height as their musical performance. There is something pretty beautiful with the bands ability to take topics and feelings that could be taken as hard and tough, and transfer them sonically in such a delicate way. This delicacy, sits on par with the overall care put into all components of their work, spilling into their audience connectivity; a delicacy and awareness of the power they possess sonically, their ability to effect listeners. The effort to free the minds of fans, creating a sense of elevation through intention, was well received; almost as if the manifestation of positivity breeds in positive intention, and the will to cultivate it. The Belle Game, an undeniable outlet to feel and free yourself.

The post The Belle Game Live at The Imperial appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

By Adam Rogers

Photo by Jashua Peter Grafstein

The Imperial Vancouver
Sunday, May 13

Photo by Jashua Peter Grafstein

VANCOUVER – Washed Out could not have really fucked this show up if they tried. Vancouverites love the sun and given people were probably out in it all day, everyone was in a jolly mood, and a chill-wave set by one of the best bands in the genre was a perfect end to the sunny warm Sunday.

Photo by Jashua Peter Grafstein

The Imperial’s huge projection screen was illuminated by colorful trippy visuals, some of which were pulled from the bands visual record released last year Mister Mellow, which they drew heavily from for the set. There was tracks from the previous two records too, most received a bit of a boost live in keeping people moving. The lushful “Don’t Give Up” and “Don’t Say Goodbye” seemed a few beats faster than their recorded versions, as did a few other slower tracks.

Photo by Jashua Peter Grafstein

The band looked great contrasted against the screen with them all in white, and when they said their goodbyes, everyone had been having such a good time, that it was almost forgotten that they should come back out and finish with “Eyes Be Closed” from their debut Within And Without. Which of course they did, and a happy crowd went home even happier.

The post Washed Out Live at the Imperial Vancouver appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

By Emily Corley

Photo by Gina Negrini

VANCOUVER – Allie Hanlon, aka Peach Kelli Pop, is fresh from her recent tour of Japan and already gearing up for an upcoming 28-date North American marathon. The band, who’s short, energetic tracks hit you like a riot grrrl-garage-pop-punk explosion, are famous for their constantly changing line-up. Hanlon IS Peach Kelli Pop, and she pulls in favours from a whole host of musician friends when touring or recording. “Basically it’s people that I’m friends with – people that I know will do a great job and who I think will enjoy the touring experience. It’s great to hire people who you know will honour the songs but perform the parts better than you could yourself.”

When PKP was newly formed, Hanlon would record whole albums by herself, playing and recording each instrument, and all the vocals separately. But, Hanlon explains, inspired by the considerable talent of friends who play in other bands or work on their own projects, this process has changed for her latest album. “Because, for instance, Gina (Negrini) is a bassist. I’m just someone who plays bass. Gina goes into the studio and does every song in one take – that’s not something I could do.” Hanlon has played drums in a whole host of other punk bands, including The White Wires, but for this record she has procured the “genius-like” services of Andrew Bassett, aka Mean Jeans drummer and vocalist Jeans Wilder. “He’s so great at learning songs that we only need a couple of practices with him for it to sound perfect. He’s incredible.” So despite the distance between Portland-based Bassett and the rest of the current line-up (who are in California), he will be touring with them when they hit North America at the end of this month.

Peach Kelli Pop’s last release was 2016’s EP Halloween Mask, but 2018 has seen the band come back with a vengeance – releasing an EP (Which Witch) and latest album Gentle Leader within less than two months. “After I signed with Mint Records it was maybe eight or nine months before the album would come out, so we decided it would be cool to put out a seven-inch vinyl and have six short punk songs on it. I’d worked so hard on the album for so long. And then I had this fun exercise which was lower pressure, so it was so much easier to write the songs and I had more fun.” Hanlon explains that the album, Gentle Leader, had been written for some time before she found the right record label to release her new material with. She found Vancouver-based Mint Records “after hearing how great it is to work with them from other bands.” The move has enabled Hanlon to feel renewed confidence about continuing to invest time and energy in her art. “One thing that I loved and hadn’t really experienced before is, because they’re a smaller label, they were able to put a lot of focus into the work we were doing together.”

‘Black Cat 13’, the first release from Gentle Leader evokes the brash, spiky DIY punk of Violent Femmes. Hanlon explains that she’s often “a little saltsy about how we’re described. Don’t call us a sunshine bubblegum girl band! It’s frustrating because I’ve been doing this for ten years. I’m a grown woman and there’s a lot more to it than just the femininity on the surface level.” When asked how she’d describe PKP’s sound, Hanlon admits: “I kind of dodge those questions to be honest! I could say we’re a pop-punk band with rhythms style funk drums and power-pop melodies and harmonies. but everyone’s perception of genre is different.”

Peach Kelli Pop perform at the Imperial (Vancouver) on June 24.

The post Peach Kelli Pop Finds Success With A Little Help From Her Friends appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

All photos by Tom Pallie

The Imperial Theatre
June 30th, 2018

The post Toque + The Wild Live at The Imperial appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

by Jeevin Johal

VANCOUVER – Remember when the first Tony Hawk game came out for PlayStation and you were all like, “How can they possibly make this game any better?!” Then they blew your mind by adding manuals and reverts in “2” and “3,” making your grinds even more epic. By the time the fourth game came out, the creators had more or less perfected the platform, allowing them to focus on more elaborate levels and tricks. It sounds a lot like the trajectory of San Francisco band Deafheaven, who keep one-upping themselves with every release, and are receiving “sick scores” for their new album Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, the fourth, and arguably most experimental in their ever-evolving discography.

Deafheaven is insanely tight. It isn’t unordinary for moments of chaotic personal turmoil to suddenly transition to more melodic and subdued moments of serenity, and although the darker moments still exist on Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, the band has taken to exploring more of the latter.

“We had the concept that the world needed something more positive at this time. Not so dark anymore,” explains guitarist Shiv Mehra. Given the current political state of the world, specifically that of the United States, it’s no wonder the gloomy quintet strove to create something less opaque.

Mehra, born in Kenya, emigrated to America with his family when he was 12 years old, and it’s no question that the America he resides in today doesn’t make it any easier on immigrants.

“I grew up in Africa, and when I came to the States, I guess I never really fit in, in any normal situation,” confesses Mehra. However, like many of us, this difficulty to immediately reform to the norm, would be the key ingredient in forging a lifelong passion for all things metal. “Somehow the punk and metal kids were easier to hang out with, so I just picked up a guitar.”

Mehra’s father would be the one to bestow his first axe upon him, and now that he’s got some chops, he’s joined forces with Dunable Guitars to create a Jeff Lynne inspired beauty of a six-string that will join him on Deafheaven’s current tour.

“[Lynne] is one of my favourites, and he used that guitar back in the ‘80s,” Mehra nerds out. Despite often being classified firstly as a black metal band, the influences on Mehra and company are vast, and this is a huge part of what makes their albums so exciting to listen to. Follow the band’s other guitarist Kerry McCoy on Instagram, and his t-shirt collection alone will paint a portrait of where some of their wild ideas come from.

On Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, Deafheaven continues to challenge themselves and their listeners. One of the most notable expressions of this is on the Chelsea Wolfe featured track “Night People,” where singer George Clark rests his iconic screech, opting for a subtler singing style.

“I do think for George, it was stepping out of his comfort zone,” explains Mehra. What was recorded is one of the band’s most subdued and unique tracks, and proof that their experiments are working.
In conclusion, Deafheaven is excellent at producing albums that, although experimental, retain focus and allow them to create cohesive and artistic packages of amazing tunes that flow organically together.

Deafheaven plays the Imperial (Vancouver) on August 11.

The post Deafheaven Feels Ordinary Corrupt Human Love appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

Photos and Review by Darrole Palmer

The Imperial
August 11th, 2018

Drab Majesty

With the first gloomy, rainy day in Vancouver for the first time in weeks, the weather was perfect for a Deafheaven show. Touring in support of their new album, “Ordinary Corrupt Human Love” the Californian band came to the Imperial to show that while being slightly more experimental, that they are still one of the tightest and most unique bands in heavy music. 

Opening up the show was Uniform and Drab Majesty. Uniform, was recently featured on the new season of Twin Peaks, and has recently added a drummer, Greg Fox. Using a mix of triggered drum samples and real drums, Uniform is heavy, weird and original. Blending elements of hardcore, industrial and noise, they would set the pace for the stacked show.

Drab Majesty

Drab Majesty, another duo, played next. Dressed in the same white leather jackets, black jeans, sunglasses and wig, the self proclaimed “tragic wave” band would have the whole crowd swaying for the duration of their set. If you like spooky gothic post punk, this is the band for you. Some of the audience even left after their set, which shows they have die hard fans in Vancouver.

Deafheaven

As the lights went dark, Deafheaven stepped on the stage. This was when you could see what all the hipsters, metalheads, and goths came out for. Opening the set with “Honeycomb” off OCHL, Deafheaven showed how they have mastered their craft, blending melodic parts with crushingly heavy parts all while frontman, George Clarke is headbanging, growling and waving his arms like he’s composing the chaos. 

Deafheaven has become much more versatile with their new record OCHL adding in singing parts to Clarke’s signature growls. Coming out for an encore, they closed with the fan favorite “Dream House”.

The post Deafheaven with Drab Majesty Live at The Imperial appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

By Maggie McPhee

Photo by Michaela De Cianits Wong

The Imperial
August 14. 2018

New Yorker Damon McMahon’s sound-shifting rock outfit, Amen Dunes, played in Vancouver after a four year hiatus, during which they crafted the tour’s celebratory masterpiece album, Freedom. New fans would’ve experienced a dream of a concert, whereas longtime listeners may have left wishing to have heard more of their old favourites. By my count, every song in the set but one (“Lonely Richard”) came from the latest record.

Photo by Michaela De Cianits Wong

Yet McMahon’s loyalty to the album and his sparse, underplayed interjections (the most memorable being a plea for Canadian citizenship—“ Anyone willing to marry me off?”) meant the show felt not like a concert and more like a momentary inhabiting of Freedom incarnate.

Photo by Michaela De Cianits Wong

Without distractions, the lighting glowed one unchanging colour per song and the sonar spaces of Freedom came alive in the dark air of the Imperial. Their pop rock ‘n’ roll whorled into a pulsating, building beast. McMahon even layered the album’s intro and outro into the set, so American abstract painter Agnes Martin made a brief, warped appearance: “I don’t have any ideas myself, I have a vacant mind.”

Photo by Michaela De Cianits Wong

McMahon, true to his sound, sang with a profound reverb that distorted his lyrics to a realm just beyond comprehension. He rotated between acoustic guitar, tambourine and endearingly contrived dance moves. Panoram, the band’s electronic newcomer, added lightness with his high synths to fill out an otherwise dark set.

Photo by Michaela De Cianits Wong

The energy in the room was emotional. Each elliptical track added a palpable layer of profundity until the concert’s cathartic finale, “Believe,” a song about the recent death of McMahon’s mom. At one point, he introduced the record’s titular track in his heavy drawl: “it’s more of a feeling than a particular thing.” He could’ve said the same for the show itself.

The post Amen Dunes Live at the Imperial appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

By Sarah Bauer

VANCOUVER – Big Thief sounds like family. It’s in singer/guitarist Adrianne Lenker’s lyrics, recounted in memories from childhood. It ripples through raw, intrepid arrangements on their critically enormous albums (released less than a year apart on Saddle Creek Records), Masterpiece and Capacity. Family noises also occupy the Big Thief tour bus, where Lenker, guitarist Buck Meek, bass player Max Oleartchik and drummer James Krivchenia have spent the bulk of their days since 2016, crammed like kids in the backseat on the never-ending road of independent record promotion, miles away from their home in Brooklyn (where none currently have a permanent address). In conversation with Krivchenia from a Norwegian airport where he’s moments away from boarding for a show in Portugal, the focus turns to cooperation strategies for close quarters.

Lesson one: living out of a suitcase for months on end with the same three individuals will inevitably force you to address your baggage. “You can’t hide anything from the people you’re travelling with,” Krivchenia says.

Lesson two: it’s not all about you. With constant, cross-continent touring, some shows are bound to feel less amazing than others. Krivchenia recognizes that a “bad” performance for him is, “probably great for a lot of people and even for the people in the band.” Take comfort in the joy of others.

Lesson three: establishing trust isn’t easy, but it pays off. “We would not be able to tour together if we didn’t have that line of communication,” says Krivchenia. “We’ve had ups and downs and we’ve put a ton of work into really being able to talk to each other about how we’re feeling and what’s bothering us.”

Lesson four: embrace your shared values. Music tastes may differ, but what all four members hold in highest regard is “the rawness of a real thing that’s happening on stage,” Krivchenia says. “We’re so cautious and afraid of anything becoming an act.”

What makes a family is the journey toward unification against the odds. Lenker, with her voice that could double as a winter blanket, keeping all within range warm and rested, is the inherent narrator for this travelling band. Like Saskatchewan-based Andy Shauf, Lenker connects character names to sensibilities that are bang-on familiar yet unconventionally observed. On Capacity, Oleartchik, Meek and Krivchenia seem to lean in close to her as though around a campfire, moving with the flickering light of Lenker’s words.

Capacity is a chapter in permanence and union for the Big Thief family, evidenced on songs like “Coma” and “Mary”, which are explosive despite sounding gentle, with sections that bloom like flowers in a dust storm, fighting to the last petal. From the chilling arc on “Mythological Beauty” to the dizzying monologue on “Black Diamonds”, there is a sense of expedient precision, as though Capacity holds exactly the number of songs it needs to for Big Thief at this moment in their accelerated trajectory, at a time for the band where relentless travelling means they’ve “had to get a a lot more honest about what books [they’ll] actually read and what shirts [they’ll] actually wear,” as Krivchenia says. “We share some stuff like that now, and we pass around each others’ books and clothes.”

Lesson five: take what you need and share in the rest. It’s gonna be alright.

Big Thief performs at the Imperial (Vancouver) on September 20.

The post The roadside ancestry of Brooklyn’s Big Thief appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

By Judah Schulte

Photo by Tenzing Lama

The Imperial
 Theatre
September 20, 2018

Photo by Tenzing Lama

Despite being a sold-out show, the floor of The Imperial was only half covered with clusters of people shifting their weight from one foot to the other. But as Iji, a funky indie-rock five piece from Seattle, played, the venue filled. Iji jammed fun, playful pop songs with strong rhythm sections and thoughtful lyrics. Their easy-going sound was a welcome segway into the more serious headliners, like small talk leading into discourse.

Photo by Tenzing Lama

After a spell of cheering, the audience went dead silent as the members of Big Thief appeared. Ice could be heard clinking in cups. The anticipation broke when Adrianne Lenker sang the opening lines to “Shark Smile”. The setlist alternated hits with the less radio-friendly songs. The band played with the sensitivity and precision one hears on the recordings, but each song was imbued with an added charge of intensity. Buck Meek gesticulated wildly and experimented with tuning as he played, like the mad guitar scientist that he is. Each note had an angular movement to accompany it, as if he was wrestling them into existence.

Photo by Tenzing Lama

Finishing the night with a double encore, and ending with a Big Kitty cover. Adrianne and Buck shared a microphone, duetting the night to a sweet conclusion.

The post Big Thief
 Live at the Imperial
 appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

By Tony Binns 

Everyone’s favourite Particle Men bring an evening of high energy oddness to the Bella Concert Hall. 
Photo by Shervin Lainez

CALGARY – As their Cervantes-inspired name suggests, absurdist quirk-pop-rockers They Might Be Giants have been hard at work tilting at musical windmills since the duo came together back in 1982. Guitarist/vocalist John Flansburgh and longtime pal John Linnell, who plays keyboards and shares vocal duties, have had an output that has been nothing short of prodigious. Together they have produced 20 studio albums, 10 live albums, numberous podcasts, a dial-a-song service that demanded daily content, as well as numerous TV and film compositions. Even when doing press interviews Flansbugh keeps busy, taking questions in his Brooklyn studio in between mixing a song and dashing out to vote. He attributes much of this prolific streak to taking a work-a-day attitude to the creative process.  

“In rock music there’s this very general notion that people kind of enter screaming, and everything after that is just more of the same,” he muses. “I think we are trying to evolve and challenge ourselves to keep the standard of what we’re doing really high. There is part of me that wonders if we don’t have kind of a middle class or working schmoe attitude about it.” 

They Might Be Giants are known for insanely catchy hooks with tight melodic harmonies and lyrics that cheerfully bounce into the surreal. In fact, the lyrics are often so funny that it might be tempting to call them a comedy band, but thematically they are every bit as heavy as the Cure, or the Smiths they just apply a different, often unique approach to the same issues.  

For instance, a track off their latest album, I Like Fun, is called “An Insult To the Fact Checkers.” Taken by the title alone, one might think it’s a cheeky ode to the current White House, but Flansburgh had something more personal in mind. “It is definitely a hostile statement. But it’s more about a broken friendship and disappointment in the nature of a hypocritical ex friend.” However, he is also quick to add, “Which is not to say I don’t have tremendous hostility toward the current American president. And on behalf of the United States I’d like to formally apologize to Canada.” 

Sticky stuff from a couple of guys who not too long ago had a number of successful children’s records crawling up the charts. But if you are planning to take your kids to hear John and John sing about the number seven, you’ll need to reconsider. No kids will be admitted on the current tour. 

“We never really played for kids, we did projects for kids,” says Flansburgh. “Our live shows have always been essentially for adults…performing for kids requires a generosity of spirit that we don’t have.” 

The adults that do show up for their current run of dates are in for a treat. An Evening with They Might Be Giants features two sets with no openers and a few special guests, including horn player Curt Ramm who has toured with Nile Rogers and Bruce Springsteen. Flansburgh is very excited about the musical possibilities.

“Curt is a real showstopper of a trumpet player. He’s got extraordinary chops, and incredible tone. It brings this whole fourth dimension to the show.” 

From a band who are already juggling quite a few dimensions, that’s really saying something.

They Might Be Giants perform October 16 at The Imperial (Vancouver), October 18 at Bella Concert Hall at MRU (Calgary), October 19 at Starlite Room (Edmonton), October 20 Broadway Theatre (Saskatoon), October 21 at West End Cultural Centre (Winnipeg) and October 21 at Garrick Centre at The Marlborough (Winnipeg)

The post They Might be Giants: They Might be Busy  appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

Photos and Review By Maddy Cristall

Imperial
Saturday, October 6

The 1960s reviving psych rock band Kikagaku Moyo took the sold out crowd at the Imperial to a different dimension. It’s difficult to write about psychedelic rock without sounding like a pretentious stoner, however it’s certainly possible. Kikagaku Moyo are a a five piece band that hails from Tokyo, Japan. They all look as though they’re in 11th grade and just snuck into a Black Sabbath Concert but they play music like they’re in Black Sabbath, the early stuff at that.

Playing for almost two brain bending hours, each of them clad entirely in vertical stripes and astutely focused on their instrument. Their particular style of psych rock is much softer than contemporary heavier bands in the genre such as Thee Oh Sees and the Black Angels. Kikagaku Moyo’s music is much more of a truly surreal tapestry of sound like bands actually from the 60s such as 13th Floor Elevators and Shocking Blue. Each song gracefully merged into the next which made for zero silence for the entire performance. There is no time to think about the next song because it is already happening.

The band has four stunning albums and each one is very much a record, not a collection of songs. This is refreshing in a our “play free bird” kind of society. The audience was unsurprisingly bewildered by the sonic avalanche happening right before us. The band plays in Vancouver frequently and even though fans know their concerts are going to be great, they somehow surpasses all expectations. This is because their music isn’t linear, it’s an experience that you get lost in. Their concerts are like a ticket to a temporary time travel that includes cocktails. Needles to say, this performance was like a vacation from our society which in today’s climate felt absolutely amazing.

The post Concert Review: Kikagaku Moyo Live at the Imperial appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

By Jamie Goyman

Photo by Graham John Bell

VANCOUVER – The ’90s were thick with the buzzing underbelly of the electronic music scene bubbling up into mainstream culture with acts like The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim and the Prodigy leading music charts worldwide.

Making waves of their own was The Crystal Method, formed out of Las Vegas between two friends, Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, creating a lasting impression with their first release, Vegas, which captured the energy and music stylings of the time the two had helped create, and went on for five more album releases.

Fast-forward more than 20 years, Kirkland has adopted The Crystal Method as a solo moniker, finding his footing in the new studio layout with the question of what the future has in store for him.

“I had those moments of a little apprehension,” says Kirkland. “Wondering if I was going to do a different act or do The Crystal Method form. I listened back through the years at the albums and got kind of wrapped up in some of the processes we would use in those early years, not knowing what we were doing, just making music for nobody but ourselves.”

Taking that steam from the very beginnings, Kirkland has reinvented The Crystal Method into where he is today with his own creative exploration, keeping himself open to the process while working with collaborators who bring their differences to the studio. 
The latest release, The Trip Home, had Kirkland working with many talented names who all laid their own influence out on the table, aiding in creating an album that demands to be played from start to finish.

“I thought, do something organic that tells a story,” says Kirkland. “Music is sometimes the balance that brings everything together, the score or back story to everybody’s daily existence. There are sometimes so many different narratives going on in someone’s head that you just need something that brings you in and lets you go at the same time. Let’s you find your way through the day.”

This new album has the uncanny ability to do just that, the way “The Drive Inside” and “Chapter One” come together is captivating, pulling listeners into the ethos created alongside Teflon Sega’s liquefied vocals. The idea of building off the embers of the previous track in cue – creating a story, is prevalent through the album and can be felt with the chaotic disassembly of “Ghost in the City” dissolving into the combustible and aggressive sounds that kickoff “Turbulance,” showing that sequence is key in the process for Kirkland. The Trip Home is a series of segues built to captivate listeners while bringing them on a non-stop ride full of talent built to make magic.

“[Collaborations on the album] brought this humanity that I wanted to find. I wanted to hear something that is and hard to put your finger on. It’s humanity, it’s life experience, it’s soul, it’s a combination of do you believe what they’re singing and does it make you want to hear more. The great magic of music is that connection it makes with people and its continuation through the years. It’s one of the beautiful things I’ve always enjoyed about music.”

Keeping that positive light well lit above him Kirkland is set to continue pushing forward in the new direction he has been working toward the last two years and shows no hint of slowing down anytime soon. Filled with that perfect amount of passion and drive to continue in an industry that chews up and spits out more names then can be remembered, Kirkland has found that perfect balance between embracing where the music came from and working towards where he sees it in the future.

“For me this was really just embracing the core of what the band was all about,” says Kirkland. “The youthful enthusiasm that brought us through the years of touring and grinding it out and believing in ourselves; I think the album is an adult version of that. It’s confident, comfortable, and contributes in a positive way to the things that go on in everyone’s life. The distance that’s there, the ups and downs, pressures of what goes through their lives kind of solidifies the fact that we’re all going through the same shit and we’re in this together and will get through it one way or another.”

Avid listeners keep your head up as Kirkland has confirmed that his second album, The Trip Out, is looking to see a release date near the end of 2019. The album is meant to be a continuation of what he visited in The Trip Home while featuring a lot of the same collaborators.

The Crystal Method performs at the Imperial on January 12

The post The Crystal Method Find The Balance That Brings Everything Together appeared first on BeatRoute Magazine.

By Graeme Wiggins

Photo by Shelly Mosman

Where: The Imperial
When: Friday, March 15

Celebrating a 25 year long career and an 11 album discography, indie band Low are no strangers to progression and reinvention. With the release of 2018’s Double Negative they have crafted an album that is equal parts beautiful and brutal, a stark, noisy experimental work that still manages to be both moving and of the moment.

In hindsight, there were hints that they could pull off something like this. Their previous record with the same producer, B.J. Burton, hinted at things to come.

“Ones and Sixes was sprinkled with moments and things that make you go ‘that’s interesting,’ so we were like let’s make the whole record that. It took a while,” singer Alan Sparhawk explains. “ There was a conversation about what could be done with the voices, how could that be broken up. How the voice collides with it. And is there a way we can make rhythm and make movement without it just being drums.”

The album’s dark beauty seemingly connects with our current political climate. There’s an ever present sense of foreboding to the record. While recording the album was begun during the runup to the last American election, the influence was organic rather than purposeful.

“There are definitely some songs that are a reflection of that time,” Sparhawk says. “The way I write, I’m not intentional, but I can look back. I don’t sit around like, I’m going to write about this, or I’m going to write about that. The songs come and you put the puzzle together and if you’re lucky you can take a step back and feel a pattern.”
Low are known for the their live show, which has come a long way from their history of turning things down, confrontationally, to combat loud audiences. Sparhawk credits this to their longevity.

“We were lucky,” he says. “We’re lucky to be able to tour and develop. Work with cool people who have helped to us become who we are. Most bands only get a few years.”

By Jamila Pomeroy

Photo by Barrett Emke

Inspired by the benefits and evils of religion, Kevin Morby finds refuge and hope in trying times. The American musician, singer and songwriter extends his emotive and introspective lyrics through his latest release, Oh My God, adding ambiguous politically-driven tunes that provide listeners with a heavenly escape.

Despite not being religious himself, his upbringing in and around Kansas City (the centre of America’s “Bible Belt”) has forever shaped his perspective.

“Growing up out here, I’ve always felt fascinated by religion and the wild west. It offers the history of the wild west and this omen that religion is everywhere. Unlike the wild west, religion was taking place around me in real-time. I always found they were both a good way to tell a story,” he explains.

It took Morby moving to New York at 18 to fully see the impact of his Bible Belt upbringing; where in separation, he found God in music.

“[In Kansas City,] it’s everywhere. I didn’t fully notice that until I moved to New York and would come back to visit. I was then able to take in how wild the billboards were; the anti-abortion billboards and all this God-fearing merchandise that was everywhere you look in the midwest. Religion was always part of the conversation and in the everyday lingo. It’s very conservative out here and there are a lot of rules, especially when I was growing up; that quickly made me rebellious. I think ultimately, it’s shaped me to be ready for the real world,” explains Morby.

And while the world may not always be kind, for Morby, music has the capability to act as savior to an unwritten religion of humanity— a mutual language of understanding that we can all share.
“I’ve never practiced any kind of religion, but I do see the bad and good of it at all times. It’s how when I’m on an airplane, I still find myself praying. It’s almost like a meditation that comes out of me, and It’s buried in me whether I notice it or not.”

Outside of religion, Morby explains the turmoil that caused him to seek refuge, played a big part in his most recent release.

“A lot of this record feels quite political to me. There were a lot of lyrics name-checking current events or politicians or people in the news. I ultimately decided to take all of that out because I didn’t really want to anchor it to a time and a place. I see this record as a place to take refuge in a time where there is so much political, racial and violent turmoil happening.”

With the expression of these themes being so indirect, Oh My God serves as a timeless hymn for the seeker of connectivity and the lover of storytelling.

Kevin Morby performs Wednesday, May 15 at the Imperial with guests Sam Cohen