The Famines' 14 July, 2008

CD Reviews - Constantines, The Famines and Karel Roessingh

The Famines - 14 July, 2008 (Belgravian Press)

Note to bands wanting to gain attention from overworked media types: do something extra with your packaging and/or release format. Case in point: Edmonton’s post-punk duo, the Famines, have released a cassette version of their double-seven inch release, 14 July, 2008, that comes with a wonderful 320-page book providing an amazing depth of background info. Benchmark packaging aside, the music made by this duo is rambunctiously jagged and memorable. There’s hints of Britain, Washington DC and San Diego’s classic post-punk scene, all the while sounding fresh, grabbing your ears and not letting go. Between the book, the overall packaging and the music, it’s hard to pick a highlight, but the set-closing sprawl of “The Rumour Mill (Has a Name and a Face)” is one of the most vibrant and vital things I’ve heard in ages.

—Bill Stuart

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The Famines
(with B-Lines)
10pm Saturday, May 2
Logan’s Pub, 1821 Cook
Tickets $7
6pm Sunday, May 3
Camas Collective, 2590 Quadra
Price TBA

Constantines - Too Slow for Love (Arts & Crafts)

Arguably one of Canada’s finest current crop of bands, Constantines are showing their softer side on a new EP available as a bonus to last year’s lovely Kensington Heights or as a stand-alone product from iTunes or the Arts & Crafts online shop. The Ontario quintet showcase new takes on some of their own classics from their last three albums, as well as a cover of Jon Langford and the Sadies’ “Strange Birds.” “Young Lions” in its muscled up version is one of the Cons’ high marks, but the stripped-down version is also a keeper. “Shower of Stones” is actually more appealing in this quieter form, while the atmospherics of “Conductor” are sadly missed. Overall, the EP serves as an excellent reminder of what a wonderfully diverse band the Connies are.

—Bill Stuart

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Constantines
(with the Weakerthans and Oh Susanna)
8pm Thursday, April 30
Element, 919 Douglas
SOLD OUT
atomiqueproductions.com

Karel Roessingh - Nature Boy (independent)

Back before anyone ever thought up the term “mash-ups,” there was this little thing called jazz, where musicians would freely mash bits and pieces of various songs together, often in the midst of their own material. And local jazz pianist Karel Roessingh is a master of this style, as heard on his most recent disc, Nature Boy, where classical and jazz standards (*Moonlight Sonata,” “It Had to be You”) merge melodies with a selection of tasty originals (“Traffic,” “Been There”). With 10 tracks running nearly an hour, and a mood that switches from the introspection of George Winston to the bright charm of Oscar Peterson, Nature Boy is another solo piano gem from one of the city’s finest musicians. I’ve been listening to this exceptional album for a few months and have been remiss in not sharing it with the city sooner. Ideal for late nights, early mornings or anytime you need some quiet reflection with a bit of a quirky twist, Nature Boy is a natural hit.

—John Threlfall

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Karel Roessingh Trio
(part of the Jazz Vespers series)
7pm Sunday, May 3
St. John’s United, 10990 West Saanich
FREE • 250-656-0875

Various Artists - War Child: Heroes (Parlophone)

So many of these “covers for a cause” albums are hit-and-miss operations, but fortunately Heroes—the latest from War Child, the charity that assists kids affected by war—manages to stand on its own as simply a good album, and not just the latest feel-good incarnation of We Are the World. The concept is clever: War Child asks iconic artists to pick a song from their own catalogue and then choose a current act to cover it. So amongst these 15 tracks, you get the likes of TV on the Radio doing Bowie’s “Heroes,” the Hold Steady doing Springsteen’s “Atlantic City,” Hot Chip doing Joy Division’s “Transmission” and Franz Ferdinand doing Blondie’s “Call Me” . . . and, for the most part, it works. Sure, some tracks are in the “why bother?” category—Duffy’s “Live and Let Die” adds nothing to the Paul McCartney original, so it’s unclear why Sir Paul would be so keen on her—while others offer some tasty reinvention (check out Beck doing Dylan’s “Pillbox Hat” and Scissor Sisters tackling Roxy Music’s “Do the Strand”). Heroes is also a good album for aging music fans who aren’t quite keeping up with all the hot new groups, so now you can have a valid opinion about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. (“Ah, they’ve got nothing on the Ramones.”)

—John Threlfall