Austra - "Spellwork" (music video)

The new music video for Austra's song "Spellwork" directed by Yelena Yemchuk. The user comments over at YouTube aren't all positive but I like it. There's something very soothing about the pacing of the camera work and the framing of the shots in my opinion. Conceptually, it seems very random - the whole scene at the end with the girls gorging themselves on watermelon seemed very tongue-in-cheek but overall I'll give it a thumbs up.

Austra, Young Galaxy, Tasseomancy @ Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto (December 1, 2011)

  Austra: photo by Michael Ligon

Kicking off a busier month of concert-going than usual for me these days was Toronto's Austra at the Phoenix Concert Theatre at the beginning of the month. The bigger ticket that night was Feist at Massey Hall but there seemed to be a full-house (if not a sold out one) for the homecoming show for Austra who'd been making waves and touring all year.

Doing double-duty that night were twin sisters Sari and Romy Lightman aka Tasseomancy who to me were better known as Austra's dynamite backup vocalists / all-around foxy side women. It was only more recently that I found out that the sisters use to be Haligonian indie folk duo Ghost Bees. Joined by male musicians on keys and drums, the gals stark vocals complimented the lilting folk melodies and subtle instrumentation nicely. Haunting at times, and sonically interesting throughout, they aren't your average folk band.

Since the release of their self-titled debut full-length in 2007, Montreal's Young Galaxy were a band I'd suspected would have hit it big by now, which if they had, it'd have been deserved. The band's soaring, dream-pop melodies were never really the mainstream, as mainstream pop has gone over the last five years, but in my opinion could have crossed over easily if only the fickle music buyer had taken notice. With the release of their third album Shapeshifting released earlier this year, it seems that band has discovered dance music, as was obviously displayed by the band during their set preceding Austra. With the entire band dressed in white, including female lead vocalist Catherine McCandless in a flowing white top, it was a visually attractive presentation. Musically, it was quite apparent that the band's recent forays into dance-inflected pop is what's floating their boat these days. A part of me misses their earlier dream-pop sound, but the band seem like a more stimulating live band this time around, especially Mccandless' vibrant movements and tambourine-shaking onstage.

Austra's debut album Feel It Break released this past May I will have to say is my favourite Canadian album of the year. Featuring vocalist Katie Stelmanis' stark operatic vocals against a backdrop of pulsating rhythms and synth, along with a bevy of great melodic tunes, it's just such a fantastic listen. Stelmanis greeted the crowd and told us that just a year ago they'd play their first headline show at the Bovine Sex Club and now they were playing their biggest show yet in Toronto, this time at the Phoenix. I was fortunate to catch them live at the sweaty and intimately confining Wrongbar earlier this year during Canadian Musicfest so it's a shame to say that this show at the Phoenix just did not reach those euphoric levels I'd experienced at Wrongbar. I wished the crowd had shown more energy, like the pulsating, dance-infused crowd that greeted Austra earlier this year. The crowd at the Phoenix was wholly appreciative for sure, but definitely lacked the energy that they should have had. given the band's exemplary musicianship. Perhaps the post-midnight set was frustrating for some that Thursday night for those who had to work the next day, but hey, you're only young once.

Photos: Austra, Young Galaxy, Tasseomancy @ Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto (December 1, 2011)

Austra, Trust, Army Girls @ Lee's Palace, Toronto (May 19, 2011)

  Austra @ Lee's Palace: photo by Michael Ligon

Update [June 9, 1:07 am]: Review now up.

Don't take my tardiness in posting this review as any sort of apathy towards local electro-diva Katie Stelmanis, these days fronting her new band Austra, who played a sold out record release show at Lee's Palace for their debut Domino Records full-length Feel It Break. On the contrary, that show was just further evidence that the hype that the music is indeed well-deserved. I was intrigued with Stelmanis' earlier work as a solo artist under her own name as well as her collaborations with drummer Maya Postepski, Stelmenis' prior works which could be described as classically-influenced keyboard arrangements accomapnied by her stark operatic vocals. Stelmanis maintains her identifiable vocal style with Austra but the music is indeed much more accessible, for all intent purpose pop songs that mix goth and dance influences into a truly infectious mix.

My procrastination cost me getting an advance ticket to the show and so I consider myself very fortunate to get into the show after lining up early before doors opened and eventually snagging one of only six available tickets at the door. Yay! The first opener wouldn't go on until about an hour later, which would be local guitar/drums duo Army Girls led by singer-songwriter Carmen Elle. They were an odd act to open given the electronic/beat-oriented acts that would follow. Carmen had a certain charisma with her empassioned pop vocals and strummed guitar playing and certainly has the potential, backed with her drummer, for greatness but honestly songwise I can't remember much at this juncture. Perhaps it was a veil of Austra excitement which blocked my focus during Army Girls' set. Better luck next time.

On the other hand, local electro-synth outfit, Trust, which featured Austra drummer Postepski doing double duty, made a fantastic impression. With Postepski's solid drumming and vocalist Robert Alfons slightly deadpan vocals, and with a third member adding some scintillating synth arrangements, Trust create dark yet most times danceable pop music. I wish they had had a different band name as I'd have probably have taken notice of the band sooner in the music listings and have already checked them up, but better late than never.

When I saw Austra live for the first time a few months ago during Canadian Musicfest, other than Stelmanis and Postepski, they were an unknown entity to me but I was intrigued enough by their description and the buzz surrounding them to give them a chance and they turned out to be my favourite set of the festival. That set was a perfect combination of the band creating an intoxicating, hypnotic sound and the audience reacting enthusiastically with undulating dance movements. It was intense. I'd hope those circumstances could be recreated again during their set at Lee's Palace a few weeks ago but it wasn't entirely achieved. There's no mistake that before and during the show, the crowd was excited. But the move to the larger Lee's Palace as compared to the much more intimate Wrongbar at which Austra performed at during Canadian Musicfest would definitely play a factor, at least in my mind. Stelmanis does not so much play to the audience as she gets lost in her own undulating body movements. It seemed like a select bunch at Lee's Palace who danced during the show whereas the crowd(well, at least the front crowd near the stage) at the Wrongbar show a few months ago were much, much more into it, my theory being that the eye-level experience of Stelmanis and her back-up vocalist-dancers hypnotic dance movements were reflected back to the audience much more effectively. The eye-level experience of seeing Austra at Wrongbar outdid their set at Lee's Palace, but only ever so slightly. The goth-vocal tinged, rhthymic "The Beat and The Pulse" may not be the best song on the band's debut full-length Feel It Break but arguably is the definitive song of the band, and in my mind was the best song of the nigh - sweeping vocals, trance-like beats - you will be converted and you will love it.

Photos: Austra, Trust, Army Girls @ Lee's Palace, Toronto (May 19, 2011)
MySpace: Army Girls
MySpace: Trust
MySpace: Austra

Brian Borcherdt, Austra, Butterfly Explosion @ Canadian Musicfest, Toronto (March 10, 2011)

  Austra @ Wrongbar: photo by Michael Ligon

It's no wonder that I only saw two bands for my second night(on March 11) of Canadian Musicfest as my first night consisted of 6 bands in total, the first three which I reviewed a few days ago. Let's waste no time and continue onward.

Next up for the midnight-and-onward festivities was Brian Borcherdt at The Garrison. Borcherdt is better known in most circles as the frontman of sound/beat manipulators Holy Fuck, but his work as a singer-songwriter was very much an unknown entity for me, although perhaps that unknown given the decent sized crowd that came out for his midnight set. With a forlorness in his vocals, Borcherdt performed an entertaining set of folk / alt-country tinged tunes, accompanying himself on electric guitar. Borcherdt began the set solo but then shortly into the set was joined by a burly gent on violin before he was replaced and joined by a bespectacled indie rock dude on drums. It was particularly disappointing that half the crowd seemed uninterested, chatting non-chalantly the whole time. In any case, it didn't seem to phase Borcherdt one bit and there was at least a few of us that enjoyed the set immensely. So what's next for Borcherdt? A combination of his beat-terrorism and his singer-songwriter mode perhaps? Now that'd be interesting.

From the Garrison, it was back down to Queen St for me and west towards Wrongbar where Toronto's Austra were set to perform. I'd picked up on the fact that Austra was Katie Stelmanis' new project. I'd previously been familiar with Stelmanis' music which combined her stark, dramatic vocals within a post-punk musical framework. There was a good-sized crowd in the venue and a tangible excitement in the air, and Stelmanis and company did not disappoint. Flanked by two dancers/back-up vocalist, a drummer, keyboardist, and a bassist, Stelmanis and company invigorated the crowd with a voluptuous set of electro-synth dance tunes. As a singer, Stelmanis retains her stark, dramatic vocals and against the supple drum beats and synth arrangements I was reminded a bit of Bat For Lashes although less devoted to Kate Bush influences and sounding more clubby. This is defintely music you can dance to, but it was the band's sultry combination of vocals and beats that was almost hypnotic, displayed in Stelmanis and her backup vocalists'/dancers' whose wavy body moments seemed to absorb and reflect every beat. For the crowd at the front of the stage at least, the urge to dance was undeniable, all flailing arms and booty-shaking. I cannot wait to see this band again. Undeniably the best set of this year's Canadian Musicfest, in my opinion. The band's debut album, Feel It Break, featuring drummer Maya Postepski and bassist Dorian Wolf is set to be released this coming May through Paper Bag Records.

Ending off the night for me with a 2 am set start time(and thankfully I had the day off work the next day) was Irish shoegaze act Butterfly Explosion. This wasn't the first time the Dublin band had crossed through town, having come to Toronto for some show or two back in April 2007 has documented by Chromewaves. My interest had been piqued back then but for a reason that escapes me, I didn't end up seeing them live. So with this 2 am set there one and only appearance at this year's Canadian Musicfest, I decided to check 'em out, and defer my comfy bed for another few hours. As shoegaze bands go, they weren't as transcendent as say My Bloody Valentine but they were no mere slouches either. In addition to shoegaze, the band was also partially indebted to their post-rock and dream-pop influences. The five-piece featuring Gazz Carr (Guitar, Vocals), John Coman (Drums), Conor Garry (Bass), Jay Carty (Guitar), and Aine McGrath (Keys, Vocals) thanked the crowd for coming out at the late time, then proceeded with a set of varying shades of shoegaze-influenced rock n' roll. While I recall the start of the set being a bit mundane(mostly due to the vocals), the band seemed to get better with every tune, varying their tempo, rhythmic assault, guitar heaviness, and keys accompanient from tune to tune. If anything, the lead vocals seemed to be the weakest element, and perhaps recognizing that maybe that was why much of the set seemd to be instrumental. There was however a tune where Gazz and keyboardist Aine both sang a bit more equitably on which made a strong case for the band to have more songs like that. There wasn't a particularly large crowd on hand, which seemed to get thinner as the hour drew later, and for what few remained, they seemed less interested in the band than in grabbing a last drink, but hey it was close to 3 am and I was ready to call it a night.

Photos: Brian Borcherdt @ The Garrison, Toronto, Canadian Musicfest (March 10, 2011)
Photos: Austra @ Wrongbar, Toronto, Canadian Musicfest (March 10, 2011)
Photos: Butterfly Explosion @ The Hideout, Toronto, Canadian Musicfest (March 10, 2011)
MySpace: Brian Borcherdt
MySpace: Austra
MySpace: Butterfly Explosion