Edgefest 2009

I made the trek to Toronto for 102.1 The Edge's "Edgefest 2009".

Sadly, it rained throughout the day, and it was a miserable event in terms of weather. Wind/cold/rain created a fairly unpleasant atmosphere, with a LOT of mud and dirt. As much as I'd like to say that the event was good enough to prevent the weather from ruining it, but sadly, the weather was just too unpleasant. That being said, here's my thoughts:

The Arkells - I haven't heard any of their album, and that's going to change quickly. They were really tight live, and despite the weather, created a really fun atmosphere for the people there. They're only going to get bigger and better from here on out.

The Stills - I love the Stills, but I love their debut album, Logic Will Break Your Heart, even more. Sadly, they only played one song off the album (Still in Love Song), and chose to focus on their newer songs. I really dig the new album, but a couple more cuts from their debut would have made for a better set. I think they fealt the need to play their heavier songs to fit into with the rest of the bill, and left off their slower/softer songs, which is a shame. That being said, Snake Charming the Masses sounded huge, while Being Here was suitably epic.

K-Os - I like KOS enough, but I'm not a big hip-hop fan, and don't really know many of his songs. It was exciting, as he's got a good stage prescence, but it's not really my cup of tea. Led Zeppelin sampling was cool though.

Metric - In one word? Wow. AT this point, Metric made it clear they were a much bigger band then any of the other artists, with their suitably huge and shimmering sound. They played a bunch of songs off all three albums, and it really made me appreciate them more as a band to see them live. Great songs, great set, great band.

Cancer Bats - Despite having a southern drawl despite being Canadian, they were awesome live. REally hard, really rocking, and they got a lot of people into it. They were the hardest band on the bill, and it added some nice diversity to see a band rock with so much force.

Alexisonfire - In terms of getting the crowd into it, no one could beat AOF. They rocked the place hard, and everyone loved it. Part of their live appeal is the fact that their lead screamer, George, acts as a hypeman so well. You want to love it when he's ranting on stage about anything. At this point, with their fourth album coming out, they've got a really great set, with a lot of hits.

Moneen - My favourite band was pretty decent. They played a few new songs (cannot wait for that album), but they seemed to be missing something. Maybe it's the fact that I'm used to seeing them in an intimate setting, but they didn't seem to accept the larger setting that well. That being said, with AFI blaring in the back ground and it raining, it couldn't have been easy. They're still the most underrated band in the world, and I can't wait to see them next.

After a day's worth of rain and mud, we'd had enough, so we bailed on seeing AFI and Billy Talent. I've never seen AFI, but Billy Talent is great live, so I'm sure they lived up to their headliner status.

All and all, not a bad day, that could have been way better with decent weather.

Jesse.

Link to Edge's Page About the Event, Including Video, Pictures and More:
http://www.edge.ca/ConcertsandEvents/Edgefest.aspx

10 Things to be Happy About New Music Right Now

I'm in a bit of a pissy mood right now, so I'll take a cue from some other blogs I've seen in an effort to pick myself up a bit. Here are the ten things about new music that are making me very happy right now.

Ten Things About New Music to be Happy About!
(no real order)

10. Passion Pit's "Little Secrets" - The entire album is great, but this song is just about the sunniest and happiest song I've ever heard.

9. Patrick Wolf's "Hard Times" - While I prefer 2007's "The Magic Position" to this year's "The Bachelor", the first real song off the album is awesome. Wolf's one of the most unique and interesting people in music right now, and this song's an eclectic mix of sounds.

8. Taking Back Sunday - New Again - It's a really interesting album for a lot of reasons. It sounds like TBS, but at the same time, feels different. There's a bunch of great songs (Swing is my favourite) and it's a real evolution for the band in a lot of ways.

7. The Sounds - "Dorchester Hotel" - Off of one of the best CDs of 2009 (Crossing the Rubicon), this endlessly catchy single will blow up later this summer, when it gets a proper release, it's amazing.

6. Tommy Tutone - Jenny/867-5309 - One of the greatest one hit wonders ever; who doesn't love a chorus that is also a phone number?

5. cky's return to form on "Carver City" - After a dissapointing album in An Answer Can't Be Found, and a few years of near breakups, Philly's CKY fired back with an awesome album (Carver City), that recalls the sound that made them so original/great to begin with, yet adding some new elements to make it seem new and fresh.

4. Edgefest - Billy Talent! Moneen! AFI! Metric! The Stills! Alexisonfire! - I don't go to many concerts anymore, and go to even less festivals, but I'm thoroughly excited for this one.

3. Free music! - As the last post indicated, more and more free tunes are showing up online, as a lot of bands are finally realizing how useful giving away music can be.

2. Moneen's new EP "Hold That Sound" - After a lengthy wait for new material, one of my favourite bands is coming back, and the EP is just the appetite for the impending new album!

1. The return of Muse - After releasing the best album of 2006 (the epic Black Holes and Revelations), Muse finally returns with a new album this September. Entitled "The Resistance", there's not much information available right now, but I'm still ridiculously excited thinking about it.

Jesse