White Lies - "To Lose My Life" (review) / Other News

Lyrics like "This fear's got a hold on me" and "let's grow old together and die at the same time" off of UK postpunk outfit White Lies UK number one debut album "To Lose My life" (and released domestically a few weeks ago) may point towards the darker side of life but the music itself isn't all gloom and doom. Much ink seems to have been wasted on their Joy Division influence in particular and while it is indeed an influence, it comes in small doses - for example, the icy keyboard intro on 'A Place To Hide' and the nod to Joy Division's 'Atmosphere' in the intro to 'E.S.T'. But while Joy Division, at least their best known songs, always sounded bleak, the songs on "To Lose My Life" have a buoyancy to them, transcending the darker lyrical matter through a combination of sultry synths, chunky basslines, soaring guitars, and invigorating percussion. Vocalist Harry McVeigh hardly ever registers in the deadpannedness tone of Ian Curtis, and when he does keep his vocals under wraps its more of a quiet suaveness. However, when he hits those choruses it's with emphatic melodicism. For White Lies to have come along at this time may have been no mere coincidence with the renewed interest in Ian Curtis and Joy Division, but really aren't White Lies but another band in the long tradition of the marriage of pop music and misery? But there's only so much misery one can take. I'll take White Lie's pop hooks any day.

White Lies headline Lee's Place tonight with openers Friendly Fires and The Soft Pack. And me without a ticket. Oh well. They're also performing on MTV Live tonight(around 6:30-7:00 pm?) prior to the show at Lee's.

Filter has an interview with the band. Hour.ca and chartattack also profile the band.

Video: White Lies - "To Lose My Life" (live on Late Show With David Letterman - March 24, 2009
Video: White Lies - "A Place To Hide" (live on Fearless Music, NYC)
Video: White Lies - "Death" (music video)
Video: White Lies - "To Lose My Life" (music video)
Video: White Lies - "Unfinished Business" (music video)
MySpace: White Lies

Toronto experimental post-punks The Creeping Nobodies have quietly called it quits leaving a series of cancelled tour dates in their wake.

Never that familiar with themself although I do have a few of their CD's, defunct Toronto indie band Royal City are getting the retrospective treatment when Asthmatic Kitty will release a retrospective of the band on June 23. The closest I got to seeing them live was when a few of the band's members (Simon Osborne, Jim Guthrie, Nathan Lawr) played the Tranzac in August 2005 for the Three Gut Records 5th anniversary/farewell show. Back to the present, download a free song from the retrospective:

MP3: Royal City - "A Belly Was Made For Wine"

According to Against The Grain (and confirmed at least as of the writing of this post), extra tickets are available through Ticketmaster.ca for the March 31 and April 1 Rolling Tundra Revue (Constantines/Weakerthans/Waking Eyes) shows at the Phoenix.

Via The Singing Lamb (and verified at www.rootmeansquare.ca), Lewis and Clarke will open for Bat For Lashes (like they did on their previous visit in 2007) at The Mod Club on April 25.

Pitchfork has the terrific new dream-like, forest-at-night video for Great Lake Swimmers' "Pulling On A Line". The band's new album "Lost Channels" is out today, and they play a show at Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto on April 25.

Juno-winner yesterday, City and Colour will play a three-night stint at Massey Hall on May 25-27. Via Pollstar.

Concert announcements via Against The Grain: Attack In Black are at the Horseshoe on May 9 for a 19+ show, tickets $10 in advance, onsale April 2. Glasgow indiepop legends The Vaselines play a ridiculously expensive show at Lee's Palace on May 15, tickets $29.50 in advance, onsale April 2.

Calgarian orch-pop outfit Woodpigeon are confirmed for this year's NXNE (Jun 17-21), as well their hometown's Sled Island Festival (June 24-27).

Pollstar lists Toronto soulstress Esthero playing this year's Pride Festival on June 27.

Having recently performed a sold out show at Circa, pollstar is listing that Cut Copy will return to Toronto to play the Sound Academy on July 25 (as part of the TIME festival).