Sorry to state the obvious but Sean Ono Lennon has a legendary father. His hallowed catalogue and mythology that stands as giant as an elephant in a broom closet would make expectations on Sean's music career immensely difficult to imagine. That being said Sean's musical path has been eclectic possibly because he has been trying to find his niche. Having followed and appreciated his collected work from afar (Cibo Matto, solo, Chimera Records), and having dipped my toes into his discography numerous times I was upon finally listening to "Animals" from his new outfit The Ghost of a Sabre Tooth Tiger's new LP I determined that he has finally found a sound and lifestyle that truly suits him. This is his niche moment. With obvious comparisons to JL/YO - Charlotte Kemp Muhl is his Yoko as she is pushing his artistic legacy and is clearly his muse. And this record is glorious. It's hitting all the psychedelic glory of 1967 Summer of Love with modern inspiration from the always eclectic Beck's "Guero" or "the Information".
Once I'd digested the full LP "Midnight Sun" I decided to go to the can't miss concert of GOASTT at the Imperial on May 23rd here in Vancouver. Upon inspection of the venue, your mind is dazzled immediately at the quality of the room. For a meager $20 at the door (I recommend bringing cash as the Ticketfly system was glitching on this particular day as was the cash machine in the venue) it attracted me and my beautiful date (my wife and live music aficionado) to see the spectacle and grab a glimpse of the former Beatle's spawn. The crowd was sparse for the opener "Syd Arther" (RIYL Radiohead/ELO/70's prog with reverb) hailing from Canterbury, in England, but they blew me away with wide reverb drenched soundscapes and usage of a number of delays and unique instrumentation. "Dorothy" & "Edge of the Earth" were standout numbers in their short but concise set as was the new single "Garden of Time" from their newly release recording. I spoke to the multi-instrumentalist from Syd Arthur after the set and he was very approachable and was happy to discuss his gear and rig and initial impression of Vancouver with me. After a short break, the GOASTT hit the stage with the LP's opener "Too Deep" and subsequently tore through the track listing of the LP in track order. With a brief pause and some extremely casual and light sarcasm from Sean, the band lit up the stage and the room with "Animals" which is the clear standout on the record and possibly Sean's first "indie" hit. A few notes from my impression of the stage:
- I loved Charlotte's bass playing. She has a tasteful style and solid dynamics and plays a certain 60's finger style not that far off from a young John Entwisle.
- Sean's guitar tones were massive and intense. It should also be noted that Sean is a monster on guitar. He "shreds" nimbly over the fretboard and even broke a high E string during the last tune before the de facto encore
- The percussionist and/or roadie held down excellent rhythm with strong tambourine playing which complemented the drums perfectly.
- At times there was 3-4 part harmonies drowned in reverb. I personally think the live performance of each song captured the essence of the album's spirit perfectly
The interplay between Sean & Charlotte made me instantly think of his mom and dad's beautiful partnership in 1970 and I'm sure many people compare the two frequently in public but also in private. Charlotte would playfully banter with Sean and the running jokes of the night was that him and the guitar player were kicking her out of the band. She would sarcastically defend herself by mocking Sean and wispily striking evil poses with her bass pointed like a gun. Considering the story on how S & C met (Coachella, 2004), I feel like their story may play out similarly to J & Y - a perfect love story. I hope for them that it's less scrutinized and less public than many other pop stars of today's modern age and that they are able to create a true path for their public career and private life.
All in all, the sheer energy and enthusiasm of the GOASTT, with the charisma and charm of Sean, brought me to my knees in laughter, and nearly to tears with the soundscapes and song selection.
I hope that this first foray into a new psych-pop realm will satisfy the public's need for more from the GOASTT and that they will continue to make ever better music for many years to come.
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
Showing posts with label live music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label live music. Show all posts
May 26, 2014
May 1, 2014
August 9, 2013
Adam's List
I've been thinking about something lately: How can I expect anyone to pay for my music if I don't pay for music myself? This train of thought has got me on about a song/album per week on iTunes on my iPhone. It's easy, it's quick and dirty, it solves a problem for me which is listening to my friends new music.
Here's my "what if" question: What if all of the people I know, either music industry people or even just friends/family, purchased 1 song by 1 band per week on iTunes or Bandcamp etc etc?
Let's say it was 1000 people, just for sake of argument. Buying said music not because it was "amazing!" or "best song ever!" or "OMG!" or a "radio single" etc etc but to support the arts in the city of Vancouver/Canada and also to pay it forward. On iTunes, depending on your distribution method (CDBaby, Tunecore, etc) 1000 downloads would be about $600-700 to the artist. That kind of money could equal another recorded song for the recipient. Pay it forward.
I've been reading about this phenomenon sweeping Tim Hortons this summer. A lady in Edmonton bought $800 worth of coffee for the "next" x number of customers. The recipients of this generosity carried it on the next time they were at Tim H's coffee joint, and on, and on, until it hit national headlines recently.
Going back to the "Marty's List" or as I'd prefer "Adam's List" (named after Adam Fink: the most solid dude around, and a quasi-hero/friend of mine/dance-guru/save-on-meats host/drummer/subpop/scientist/"Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall") a $52 yearly investment in the local music/arts community may spark a wave of new music based positive vibrations.
Know what? I'm going to start this list off. I know Adam would agree with my 1st choice:
Rolla Olak - Download track 8 - "Highway Patrol"
Pay it forward.
Love, Marty @martyzylstra
Here's my "what if" question: What if all of the people I know, either music industry people or even just friends/family, purchased 1 song by 1 band per week on iTunes or Bandcamp etc etc?
Let's say it was 1000 people, just for sake of argument. Buying said music not because it was "amazing!" or "best song ever!" or "OMG!" or a "radio single" etc etc but to support the arts in the city of Vancouver/Canada and also to pay it forward. On iTunes, depending on your distribution method (CDBaby, Tunecore, etc) 1000 downloads would be about $600-700 to the artist. That kind of money could equal another recorded song for the recipient. Pay it forward.
I've been reading about this phenomenon sweeping Tim Hortons this summer. A lady in Edmonton bought $800 worth of coffee for the "next" x number of customers. The recipients of this generosity carried it on the next time they were at Tim H's coffee joint, and on, and on, until it hit national headlines recently.
Going back to the "Marty's List" or as I'd prefer "Adam's List" (named after Adam Fink: the most solid dude around, and a quasi-hero/friend of mine/dance-guru/save-on-meats host/drummer/subpop/scientist/"Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall") a $52 yearly investment in the local music/arts community may spark a wave of new music based positive vibrations.
Know what? I'm going to start this list off. I know Adam would agree with my 1st choice:
Rolla Olak - Download track 8 - "Highway Patrol"
Pay it forward.
Love, Marty @martyzylstra
November 24, 2011
Sweetheart XOXOX review - the Georgia Straight
XOXOX (Independent)
Sweetheart might not be the most prolific act around—this six-track release is the first we’ve heard from the band since its debut LP came out in 2007—but its songs display an attention to detail that suggests it hasn’t spent the past four years perfecting its hair.
It’s not that Sweetheart’s compositions are particularly complex, though. Quite the opposite is true, but economy is the group’s greatest strength. Witness “London Girl”: built on a rock-solid foundation of churning power chords, the song surges forward and explodes into its chorus with a burst of melody that will resonate with anyone who ever wondered why the Killers got huge and Stellastarr didn’t.
Which is another way of saying that if you like your power pop crisply played and tightly arranged, you could do a lot worse than numbers like the punkish opener “Perfect” or the synth-buzzed closing salvo “Less Conversation”. The latter finds frontman Marty Zylstra howling emotively on the chorus without ever losing sight of the hook, which is something he seems to have dead in his sights at all times.
(Jon Lucas - Georgia Straight)
Sweetheart might not be the most prolific act around—this six-track release is the first we’ve heard from the band since its debut LP came out in 2007—but its songs display an attention to detail that suggests it hasn’t spent the past four years perfecting its hair.
It’s not that Sweetheart’s compositions are particularly complex, though. Quite the opposite is true, but economy is the group’s greatest strength. Witness “London Girl”: built on a rock-solid foundation of churning power chords, the song surges forward and explodes into its chorus with a burst of melody that will resonate with anyone who ever wondered why the Killers got huge and Stellastarr didn’t.
Which is another way of saying that if you like your power pop crisply played and tightly arranged, you could do a lot worse than numbers like the punkish opener “Perfect” or the synth-buzzed closing salvo “Less Conversation”. The latter finds frontman Marty Zylstra howling emotively on the chorus without ever losing sight of the hook, which is something he seems to have dead in his sights at all times.
(Jon Lucas - Georgia Straight)
November 9, 2011
Sweetheart "XOXOX" EP Review: reposted from Beatroute (November 2011 issue)
One of Vancouver's soaring power pop bands, Sweetheart, return to the grind with their latest EP, the unsurprisingly titled, six-track, XOXOX. Fans of Sweetheart will find no unexpected surprises on this 20-minute EP, though it is by no means a disappointment. It is clear that the trio have found their pocket and are quite comfortable in it, letting their own chops shine through with little regard to the "correct" way of doing things.
The album opens with "Perfect" before quickly moving into the hilariously titled "David Bowie is Dead?", a Britpop track that should entice disillusioned twenty-somethings across Canada. Over a strong, driving, backbeat, frontman Marty Zylstra sings, "Your boyfriend said/That your girlfriend said/David Bowie is dead." These are not the most complicated arrangements on the planet, but such is the emotional import behind the band that the simplicity works in their favour, letting their hearts burn brightly on their sleeves.
Album standout, "London Girl," sounds cool and sophisticated, opening with a subdued line that gradually opens up into the chorus. Sweetheart cast direct lines to their influences across the ocean in England, such that you could easily mistake them for the bands that gained popularity in the early 2000s like Franz Ferdinand, the Strokes, or even America's take on it all, The Killers.
"Dance all day until you feel alright," screams Zylstra on "London Girl," his head thrown back for added reach. Take their advice: you'll feel awesome.
- Sebastian Buzzalino
From Beatroute Magazine, November 2011
The album opens with "Perfect" before quickly moving into the hilariously titled "David Bowie is Dead?", a Britpop track that should entice disillusioned twenty-somethings across Canada. Over a strong, driving, backbeat, frontman Marty Zylstra sings, "Your boyfriend said/That your girlfriend said/David Bowie is dead." These are not the most complicated arrangements on the planet, but such is the emotional import behind the band that the simplicity works in their favour, letting their hearts burn brightly on their sleeves.
Album standout, "London Girl," sounds cool and sophisticated, opening with a subdued line that gradually opens up into the chorus. Sweetheart cast direct lines to their influences across the ocean in England, such that you could easily mistake them for the bands that gained popularity in the early 2000s like Franz Ferdinand, the Strokes, or even America's take on it all, The Killers.
"Dance all day until you feel alright," screams Zylstra on "London Girl," his head thrown back for added reach. Take their advice: you'll feel awesome.
- Sebastian Buzzalino
From Beatroute Magazine, November 2011
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