One of the best feelings in the music world is a pleasant surprise. Whether it’s a good opening band or a classic track you haven’t heard in a while, the joy that comes from the unexpected seems to resonate more than most. And at the pinnacle of that feeling, is the moment you discover a band that’s more than meets the eye.

Enter DVAS with Society.

My typical method for testing out an album is to give it the “chore” test. If you’ve read some of my other blogs, then you may be familiar with my affinity for listening to music in the shower. For albums, a shower isn’t quite long enough, so I’ll find some time to do the dishes or clean my room.

Why?

Well, I have two reasons.

1) I might actually do something productive this way.

2) If these songs can catch my attention during a mindless task, then it’s probably worth investing some time into. Any record can be enjoyed if you try enough, but find an album that demands attention and suddenly it’s a whole different story.

So with all that said, I downloaded the music onto my iPod, set up my speakers and set to tackle the pots and pans from last night’s chicken.

Here is where I made my first mistake. DVAS will make you dance.

With elements of disco, funk and a splash of 8 bit, you’d be forgiven if you thought you wound up back in the 80′s. Thankfully, this 3-piece based in Toronto keeps a modern feel to it, sounding somewhere in between Daft Punk and Chromeo.

So, before I could even put the soap in the water, I was dropped right into the intensity that is DVAS at its best. The title track that opens the album is instantly catchy, undeniably fun and had me shaking and moving while I scrubbed along. The second track didn’t let up either, or the third. Or the fourth.

But, even though Society had tickled my subconscious, I mentally played it down. With a stream of dance hits right out of the gate, it was just another shallow album right? It’ll be fun to spin for a while but it’ll no doubt lack any depth to remain important.

I was wrong again; the midpoint is just the beginning. After the band has got you worked up and sweaty on the first half, DVAS use the second to show you that they’re more than that. An instrumental like Telegraph takes the upbeat feel of the dance floor and captures it as a blissful, floating feeling. Meanwhile, Back 2 Basix delivers soft ballad love like Marvin Gaye with a keytar.

And what’s truly magical about this album is how hard pressed I am to find a lack-lustre tune. Each song has been carefully pieced together to form a cohesive unit.

Ambient Room is a great example of this. One moment the song is as bare as a vocal track, and the next you’ve got a layered and complex work of art. No hook seems tacked on, no bridge seems unnatural; the song just blossoms before our very ears. The whole process is wonderfully fluid and that’s a tough skill to bring to a track, let alone the whole album.

But that’s part of the beauty with a debut record. Expectations are generally low enough that you can really make an impact with some quality work. I know that it has with me, and I’ll be pulling for DVAS to take this to the next album when surprise isn’t on their side.

Catch DVAS in your town by checking their tour schedule here.

Popularity: unranked [?]

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Camu Tao “King of Hearts” Review

After 12 years Camu Tao’s memoirs are far from deadbeat; a true visionary that was lost to cancer in 1998, far before his time. The fusion of what may happen if Kanye West and Andre 3000 conceived (God forbid), perfectly describes the inner workings of “The King of hearts.”

Tao proves yet again to be a Jack of all trades, with amazing production values, and up beat jazz-esque hip-hop. Coupled with strong hooks, and an oddly more than modern electronic aspect Tao lives up to underground street cred.

“The Perfect Plan” is an intelligently written and excellently produced plan of attack urging a woman not to “start an argument, we’re already naked.” Furiously catchy and just a song, you can tell Tao had fun with.

A bunch of tracks on the album were a bit passé, or under developed (due to Tao’s untimely passing) and were also a bit lacking in lustre. Having said that, the handful of great songs including “The Perfect Plan”, “Plot a Little” and “Death” far outshine and make up for any water under the bridge tunes. Tao knows how to put a song together, and write tracks that break free from normal subject matter.

“The King of Hearts” is a nice break from some of the mainstream, Top 40 hip-“pop” that’s been making its rounds on the radio waves. Well worth a listen and energetic as they come, Tao presents his last words of wisdom that he makes contagious. Not an instant classic by any means, but a worthy effort of such an underground legend.

R.I.P Camu Tao 1977-2008

Popularity: unranked [?]

People are sometimes very fickle when it comes to expectations versus change. There are people whose idea of music is a neatly organized dresser with hundreds of drawers, one for each possible colour of sock. Inside every drawer, there are endless rows of dividers, separating each possible variation of the socks inside – say, one section for beige socks with frays on the left, and one for beige socks with frays all over. When a sock with frays on only the left side gets worn out to the point where there are frays everywhere, they complain that the sock is selling out and not being true to its roots. And now it is dead to them.

With the release of Perch Patchwork, Maps & Atlases seem to be in danger of becoming like that sock. Yet I would be amazed to hear anyone claim that this album is a treason against Maps and Atlases’ previous work. The album – which is the band’s first full album after two EPs – is the beginning of a bold new direction the band only hinted at in their earlier work. What makes Maps‘ evolution so impressive is how purely necessary and organic it sounds. There is nothing lost of the frenetic spaz rock that came from Trees, Swallows, Houses, but instead of firing it madly out of a cannon, they are picking precise shots with a sniper. The album brings together the sounds of acoustic indie hipsters with splinter math rock nerds and makes it sound like they were separated at birth.

The basic framework of the “technically skilled musician” image, is that you must always show that you are the most incredible instrumentalist of your choice alive, and that anything simpler than what you play (which normally rules out the first three most common time signatures) is for idiots who don’t know what real music is. This does not describe the type of musicians Maps & Atlases have become. Perch Patchwork is, at its core, your basic indie rock album. It’s even comfortably danceable at some parts. What Maps adds to the formula however is their talent for sounding like they actually are the best instrumentalists of their choice. And this is more of a compliment to the genre than it would seem. The whole indie/hippie image is about getting close to nature and being free, and Maps’ sound marries with those ideals with their tinkling guitar taps echoing the sound of rain, their pounding drums running through the forest, and their quirky vocals giving the whole package an indisputable charm.

The album does have a tendency to feel at times like the band forced some experimentation in where it wasn’t necessary. The album has many instrumental interludes that feel like they should be complete songs, but only serve to make you frustrated that they aren’t. There are also some truly wonderfully crafted songs with great pop hooks that trail off far too soon. A chorus will only be sung once before the song moseys to a halt, making some tracks feel a little cheap. But the sheer innovation that invades almost every track really shows that this is a band that can go in whatever direction it needs to go without sounding like they phoned it in, even if at times it sounds like they are just a bit embarrassed to admit it.

Perch Patchwork is an album that any progressive music lover needs to own. It is effortlessly cool, fusing genres left and right without sounding over its head. Maps are like the whiz kids who decided to go hang out with the cool kids for helping them with their math homework. Yea it’s not what they’re used to, but what they bring is so unique, they stand out as the beautifully odd personality that turns out being what makes the cool kids actually cool.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Caribou live in Vancouver, BC May 29th 2010

Joshua Grafstein photographed Caribou for MVRemix when they performed at The Rickshaw Theatre this past weekend.

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Popularity: unranked [?]

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The Mohawk Lodge – Crimes

written by Terri-Ann Thomas

The world needs an album like, “Crimes,” because who hasn’t felt like punching out a friend for f*cking your lover? According to a press release, this is indeed what The Mohawk Lodge’s third album, Crimes, was inspired by. And ladies and gentlemen these guys don’t just talk the talk; they walk it, which is why White Whale Records founder Ryder Havdale (lead singer), was charged with this exact crime (fully rehabilitated now, I’m sure). So what better way to express these feelings than vocalizing them on an 11-track album that the rest of the world can relate to?

With albums like, Wildfires, The Mohawk Lodge is known for their melodic openers and sensible lyrics. They don’t stray far from that. Crimes is more than just an album, it’s a collection of well thought out melodies, accompanied by beautiful vocal arrangements that tell a story of petty crimes, betrayal, pain, and loneliness. It’s every broken hearted person’s companion and soundtrack to their life. Not to fear though, the story has a happy ending.

It starts off with, “Bad News,” which sets a somber tone and stays true to its title, “Until she revealed to me, bad news.” Ryder Havdale’s gritty voice meshes well as he sings the lines, “Across the river’s edge is where she lays her head.” It’s a clever choice for an album opener because the song itself is a hook lead; it grabs hold of your attention almost forcing you to continue listening.

The tale continues on with heavy drumming and bass guitar in, “Cold Hearts.” It’s not as somber, although the title may seem to suggest otherwise. It’s definitely a grungier vibe. It gives hope to the broken hearted with the simple lines, “I won’t let your love get the best of me.” At this point in the story, you can start wiping your tears and cheering up a little.

Even heavier on the drums and guitar, “Crime Of Passion,” allows you to really rock out while listening. You can hear the frustration and hurt in Havdale’s voice as he recalls his crime of passion, “The last thing I remember I was running for my life.” The instruments are what stand out the most and the background vocals (or more accurately, shouts and screams) give it edge. The quiet breaths as the music fades are also a nice touch (although for some, it may just be creepy).

One thing that the band didn’t do with this album was sugar coat anything. They didn’t clean up their language in hopes of not offending anyone; they gave nothing but real and raw emotion. Songs like, “Games,” have a no bullsh*t policy, in less than two minutes he tells it like it is, “I was never into playing games.” More bluntly, the lines, “You f*cked with my head, in my bed baby every night,” are what’s left ringing in your ear. /> Another stand out track on this album is, “Done Fighting.” Never mind the mere perfection of the title (on a CD about crimes of passion), this song sums it all up in three words, “I’m done fighting.” It’s one of the more upbeat tracks on the album. In the second verse, you hear what almost sounds like Havdale’s voice cracking (as he sings, “breaking up, to f*ck around”), which gave it such impact. He sang his heart out. The group members chime in to emphasize the words in the chorus and you can almost picture them at a live performance with the audience simultaneously chanting, “I’m done fighting,” (accompanied by fist pumps and head bops).

“Let Go,” equipped with female vocals (by Leah Abramson), is a beautiful ballad about losing someone and not knowing why, “Why do you want to let go of me? Is it something you wanna see?” Abramson mimics Havdale’s vocals and the collaboration is genius. “Days When You Die,” borders on an old soulful vibe (John Lennon would be proud), just the first few lines, “Oh my love, there will be days when you die,” although saddening, are so striking. Like a John Lennon masterpiece, the vibe is so somber, but so beautiful you can’t help but love it. “Oh little pretty, oh little one, where have they gone? Days when you can’t find anyone.” For anyone who’s ever felt alone, this is your anthem.

Wrapping up their story, “Wicked Nights (Canadian Girl),” is probably the fastest paced song on the album. The love story (with all it’s twists and turns) finally ends well. Your heart gets broken but soon after you meet someone else that serves as your “pick me up.” Canadians everywhere (especially females) can give themselves a pat on the back knowing a Canadian girl is responsible for Havdale’s crimeless life (assuming she doesn’t f*ck him over too). The track ends with the strumming of guitar strings and Havdale’s vocals (along with his band members), “Lives move on, the hearts beat down, the dreams are forever young.” Ending the story on a high note. Bravo Mohawk Lodge, bravo.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Growing live in Vancouver

The band Growing, currently based out of New York, describes their sound as unique, fun, or in the words of one member during an interview before their show, “funique.” Their sound is definitely just that and could certainly be described as unforgettable. Growing recently took the stage at Vancouver’s Biltmore Cabaret and two bands opened for them.

The first was a local artist called JDH and this was his debut show at the Biltmore. He drew a local crowd that supported him and those fans thinned out once his performance finished. However, more of Growing’s fans replaced the people that came only for JDH later in the night.

The second band that took the stage was a duo that introduced themselves as Jack and Nato. They used a lot of looping adding drum beats, electric guitar and vocals. Sometimes the loops seemed to overpower the guitarist resulting in an unbalanced performance.

The crowd really enjoyed their style. Most people were out on the dance floor and had a good time rocking out to the music. The crowd seemed to enjoy the transitions between the bands just as much as the bands. There were impromptu dance-offs and more dancing during the transitions than when the bands actually played.

Growing had a darker vibe than JDH or Jack and Nato. Their music was heavier and slower so most of the dancing stopped when they took the stage. Wearing casual clothes like hoodies and jeans and with no song interludes, Growing invited the audience into their world.

Growing did not address the crowd at any point in the night. They neither introduced themselves nor the songs. Instead the band played their music and flowed from one song to the next, never leaving time for a pause in the music. Although this was less interactive, Growing still gained the crowd’s attention.

It’s hard to characterize what kind of music Growing performed. It was very chaotic and sounds similar to some drone and other noise music. It was one thing for sure – loud. If there is one thing that we can recommend to future Growing audiences: prepare yourself for the loud music and the intensity. At the loudest guitar solos we feared that our eardrums would burst.

The fans appeared to enjoy the music and didn’t seem to notice the volume. Most of the crowed was staggered throughout the dance floor. Some people swayed while others just stood straight looking ahead at the band. Because of the nature of the music and the dramatic changes, you could never find much of a rhythm to move to. Although there wasn’t a large crowd, those who came seemed pleased.

Although we may not be adding Growing to our ipods, for those into noise music looking for a set of unique artists, Growing is worth checking out. For a closer look at the artists behind the band Growing, check out the HREF="http://mvremix.com/rock_blogs/2010/05/24/growing-interview/">interview with them.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Forgiving Rock

Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Records

reviewed by Garin Fahlman

Known as being the quintessential indie rock super group, Broken Social Scene has always been an entity that surprises. They seem to grab momentum out of nowhere, and perpetually rise up to the peaks of success and sink down to the depths of obscurity as if they were just flipping over a coin. They poked their many heads out for the first time in early 2001, when at the time, the budding hydra of rock had been hastily papier mache’d together by just two ambitious musicians with lots of important friends – Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Having written an entirely instrumental album, the duo enlisted the help of a few fellow indie artists to perform vocals for the live show. The resultant indie grab bag was a group that would continue to morph and grow over the years, becoming an Entourage-style gateway into the indie rock scene. Broken Social Scene became a jumping point to dozens of successful indie artists, providing fans lost in the sea of twisting musical groups and collaborations a solid ground that connected to so many other bands.

Their most recent album, coming off another trademark period of mysterious inactivity, is Forgiveness Rock Record, an album that sees the once sprawling group contained in just six of the band’s most constant members. That doesn’t mean they’ve dulled the ensemble sound of the music however. Broken Social Scene sounds as symphonic as ever, as if the years of being propped up by so much outside talent has leeched into their own abilities and they can now channel the influence of almost a decade of musical collaboration. The sounds on the album cascade through so many different musical avenues – psychedelia, electronica, folk, pop; all with such musical maturity you wonder how many unaccredited musicians are hiding in the track listings.

This album feels like their debut in a way. It is the first album where the core musicians have done most of the work by themselves, after graduating the nine year summer camp where they heavily relied on collaboration. It also feels like an homage to their history so far – they haven’t forgotten where they came from. Aside from honouring the sounds that built them, there are a few choice guest appearances on the album that fans will enjoy. If there’s one thing the album may have lost in ditching so many collaborators is the sense that a Broken Social Scene record is really just a big party. While the album is certainly fun, it’s missing the reckless abandon that defined many of their earlier records. One could argue that’s just because the band has matured – and that’s certainly true. There are compositions on the record that could only come from a band that’s been around for almost a decade.

Perhaps the album isn’t called Forgiveness Rock Record for nothing. The indie rock scene has often been labelled as ceaselessly crusading against and trying to distance themselves from anything mainstream. But on Forgiveness Rock Record, Broken Social Scene create an album that in years past, would have been full of ten minute art-rock ensembles, but is instead a fourteen track record of songs that average three to four minutes. The compositions, while mature, are definitely mainstream in formula, often just being simple verse/chorus affairs. So perhaps this newest release is meant to be a “sorry” to mainstream rock for all the years of warring and distancing. It certainly makes sense – the first track sounds like they could have collaborated with U2.

Broken Social Scene proves yet again, and maybe more so than ever here, that they are a stalwart gateway into the indie rock scene, providing ingenious compositions that are easy to listen to but bury surprises throughout. Anyone who likes Broken Social Scene will no doubt love this new album, and anyone who even has the most fleeting desire to listen to this kind of music has no excuse not to give these tunes a spin: Forgiveness Rock Record is up for free streaming on href="http://www.brokensocialscene.ca/" >Broken Social Scene’s website.

Popularity: unranked [?]

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Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma

review written by Terri-Ann Thomas

At first listen, you may be thrown off by Steven Ellison’s (better known as, Flying Lotus) new album, Cosmogramma (especially if you are unfamiliar with his music). But fear not, just because you aren’t familiar with his musical stylings, it doesn’t mean a second listen won’t have you appreciating this fine piece of art. In fact, you quickly start to pick up on the creative mind of Flying Lotus.

More than just a producer and musician, Ellison is a free spirit and that’s reflected on this album. He’s ignored conformity and stepped out of the box to create what he refers to as, “space opera.” You definitely get a sense of that sub-genre (space opera) as you listen to records like, “Intro//A Cosmic Drama,” where the melody of the harps and strings make it hard for you to not close your eyes and feel yourself almost floating in air. /> The album itself is large-scaled filled with variety from beginning to end. There are elements of hip-hop, jazz, dubstep, ambient music, and more. Some tracks, like, “Zodiac Sh*t,” are filled with many different melodies all on the same track. It flows from bass to snares, to strings, to even some breathing sounds (which set the mood).

“Clock Catcher,” is the opening track and will trick you into thinking someone in the next room is playing Super Mario (the really addictive Nintendo game you loved as a kid and probably still do) and it’s the best part of the game too (when Mario is growing), almost to insinuate Flying Lotus’ growth and that this is the start of something new and special (his, “Beam me up, Scotty” moment, if you will). This is one is one of the more aggressive songs on the album and where the bass guitar and heavy electronic beats play a big role. Songs like “Pickled,” and Nose Art” (although Ellison likes to keep the dance records off the album and save them for his live shows), will definitely get the party started (it’s all in the bass).

Cosmogramma is indeed a live orchestra packed into an album, only better. The use of harps, strings, synths, drums and guitars (and of course a selection of sounds that are yet to be accounted for) really come together in harmony. To help with that harmony, Ellison enlisted some big names including, Thom Yorke, Stephen “Thundercat” Brunet, Laura Darlington, Rebekah Raff and Ravi Coltrane, who all played a roll in this masterpiece.

Opening up more of his creative mind, Ellison adds vocals to tracks like, “..And The World Laughs With You,” that has the (almost haunting) sounds of Thom York’s voice and, “Table Tennis,” featuring Laura Darlington. If you weren’t already in space bouncing around, these tracks will have you there. More serene moments come from listening to calming tracks like, “Arkestry” and “Mmmhmm.” /> “Satelllliiiiiteee,” gives off a hip-hop vibe because of the voice samplings, but as stated, Ellison’s tracks all of different melodies packed into one, and after the voice samplings, this becomes a beautifully arranged jazz filled song (if you were wondering, you don’t even notice the change, it all flows like running water). “German Haircut,” has the same jazzy feel too because of the beautiful saxophone played by Ravi Coltrane (cousin of Ellison and son of Alice Coltrane) with a lot of background effects that sound like harps, snares and some piano. Whatever effects Ellison adds in the background of his tracks, all make it worthwhile to listen. /> If Ellison wanted this music to be portrayed as, “space opera,” then he ended it perfectly. “Galaxy In Janaki,” ends the album and it’s perfectly titled. It takes you to another galaxy with the trippy vibe of the beats; it’s almost impossible to tell what is making the sounds, just a feeling of, “out of this world.”

Apart from the creativity of the music, Ellison also gets creative with the album titles, from the names to the spellings (“..And The World Laughs With You,” Satelllliiiiiteee,” “Mmmhmm,” “Intro//A Cosmic Drama,” “Drips//Auntie’s Harp”). More proof that he is always thinking outside of the box and an eye opener that we should all be too (just take a listen at what it can do for you).

If you aren’t on another planet (where you are a spirit, free to push the limits) or make you want to pack a bag and take the next spaceship out, then you aren’t listening to Cosmogramma. The use of beats, instruments and sounds sets this album apart and it’s apparent Ellison knows that.

Popularity: unranked [?]

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Jamie Lidell – Compass

review written by Terri-Ann Thomas

If it takes going on an emotional rollercoaster to produce material like this, then it definitely makes a ride on that rollercoaster more desirable.

Jamie Lidell has released great albums like, Multiply and JIM throughout his career and what sets his new album, Compass apart from the rest is that he is now comfortable with his genre-exploration.

He knows exactly where he’s going with this album [hence the name, Compass] and he’s taking us along with him, all the while evoking various emotions every step of the way.

On this journey, we are accompanied by some of music’s most talented like, Beck, Feist, Nikki Costa, Chilly Gonzales, Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear and Pat Sansone of Wilco. They all lend pieces of their art to this album, to make it some of Lidell’s best work yet.

It’s all about diversity this time around (no matter how confused some may be about who he is as an artist) because to him, he is, “the voice of many souls.” /> So what does the voice of many souls sound like?

Picture yourself flipping through all of the stations on your radio, the songs you hear range from soul, R&B, funk, blues and rock. The only difference with Compass is that all of those stations you’re flipping through are all on one album.

Compass opens up with, “Completely Exposed,” (soulful with a dash of funk) and wins as the introductory track because it explains the entire album. He’s ready to open up and be completely exposed,“ Please pull me out from under here, I’ve been down too long. I don’t wanna be closed but opening up has left me completely exposed.”

The very soulful, bluesy, R&B feel of, “She Needs Me,” (with perfect accompanied instruments by Chilly Gonzales, Brian Lebarton, Chris Bear, Dan Rothchild, James Gadson, Chris Taylor and Bryden Baird) place Jamie Lidell on stage with the Ray Charles’ and James Browns of the music industry (aah’s and ooh’s present). As he expresses his love, “She needs me, she wants me and I must confess, I need her too,” you can’t help but replay the track a few times before listening on (Hey James, Motown called, they want to see you in their office).

When you’re good and ready to change stations, James Lidell’s “feel good” music mode taps in (the kind of music that makes you jump out of your seat before even realizing you can’t dance), with, “Enough’s Enough,” (an old school, disco vibe). In case you’re wondering at this point if it’s a routine by Jackson Five (or The Temptations), no it’s still Lidell. Accompanied with backing vocals by Leslie Fiest and Nikka Costa, the track takes us back to, “A Little Bit Of Feel Good, from Lidell’s album, JIM and that’s exactly how it makes us feel.

After you’ve done enough embarrassing dances in your imaginary soul train line, you can rejoin the line and continue with, “I Wanna Be Your Telephone.” If you’re too busy grooving to the drums and guitars to notice, the song is about Lidell’s plea to be as close to a female as her phone; “I wanna be in your pocket. If you ever drop me in a puddle, I know you’d treat me so kind.” Lidell definitely dives in head first with this record, channeling Prince and loving every minute of it, it’s no wonder he warned us (in the beginning) of his nakedness.

Now that I’m sure you’ve worn yourself out in that line (consisting of just you, and maybe some friends), the station switches to some good old rock. “Big Drift,” and “You Are Waking,” is where the pace of the album changes. Lidell sends rock lovers on a field day in, “You Are Waking,” with the aggressiveness of the drums and Lidell’s voice (it’s not quite Rob Zombie, but rock nonetheless.) Lidell experimented and found the results he was looking for. Who says you can’t have the best of all worlds on an album? At this point, you are waiting for an all pop and country station to kick in.

Your station surfing comes to an end (with far more soulful, groovy, funky songs in between) with “You See My Light,” (a beautiful ballad that almost makes you forget there’s anything else involved besides Lidell’s vocals). The raw emotion from just the lyrics, “You see so much in me when I see nothing left at all,” is so relatable. He ends with the line, “And in this moment I truly understand, how much I love you.”

It’s hard to not think this song was last so you wouldn’t stop listening (or flipping through stations) and continue replaying, if not the entire album, then this record. Bravo Jamie Lidell, bravo.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Miike Snow performing live in Vancouver, BC

reviewed by Hugo Lunny, photographed by Natasha Davidson

It’s always hard to truly understand art and creativity. There are a huge number of “artists” who create fantastic material, but are driven by one goal; money. Their art isn’t really representative of their emotional self or their unique way of thinking. It’s essentially just smart business.

Andrew Wyatt and the rest of Miike Snow don’t come across that way, at all. Having met with Andrew beforehand to interview him, I immediately was struck by his apparent lack of interest in being interviewed. Spending time with him, he made it clear that the music was a lot more important than the artists and throughout other interviews he has been quoted alongside Christian and Pontus, as wanting to create something almost mythological.

Miike Snow’s show reflected their passion for their music.

The group emerged onto stage as their set began wearing white face masks covering half of their faces. In order to present a fully rounded sound, a few more performers joined them to have each element of their electronic music translated for the live experience.

Three songs in (at which most photographers were meant to put away their cameras) the group removed their masks and kicked their show up a notch. It was surprising noticing the sold out crowd’s completely mesmerized response, Wyatt didn’t once fall into the live show cliche of addressing the audience and stating how great it is to be in their city, he simply performed. That’s all. They simply performed their material, and added a live twist, stretching out songs, altering them in part and keeping 1200+ people in love with what they were doing.

As the set finished, and the encore wrapped the night the main aspect of the show I took was this; Miike Snow are a fantastically talented group who consider their music more important than their own egos. The cliches in a live performance were ignored, and all we were left with was an excellent show.

Andrew Wyatt also mentioned to us during our interview (just hours before the show) that he enjoyed the time he had forgotten his shoes and performed barefoot, for the Vancouver date (maybe thanks to our reminding him) he tried it again.

Popularity: unranked [?]