I Heart the Music: Your Online Source for Live Music Reviews and Interviews in Toronto!

With tons of new releases set to explode onto the music scene this spring, it is hard to decipher what is listen-worthy and what is not. One way that artists are giving fans (and critics) a taste of what is to come is by sampling tracks off their future releases during their live shows. The Russian Futurists aka Matthew Adam Hart appear to be doing exactly that; showcasing a few songs off thier highly anticipated album The Weight’s On The Wheels during both CMW and SXSW. Matthew caught up with us right before he was set to take the stage during CMW.

iheartthemusic: So, you’re from just outside Toronto, and you’ve been doing shows all over Europe and the UK, does playing CMW feel like “coming home”?

Matthew: Well, we havent played now for a while. Our last real show was in Tokyo and that was a year and a half ago, so it feels great to be playing again and building up again. When you go away for a while, it’s not like you just jump right back to where you were in terms of popularity. We’re having to re-build our status in Toronto. It’s not like the old Toronto where we used to play every couple of weeks; it’s new, and it’s good and it’s humbling and you have to be good and work hard to succeed. We’re trying to do that.

iheartthemusic: Do have a venue or spot in Toronto where you like to play best?

Matthew: I really love the Mod Club in terms of sound. But we always seem to do really well in Victoria B.C for some reason. We always do really great shows there and the fans are so supportive. It’s the small shows that I think they’re really appreciative of.

iheartthemusic: I wanted to talk a little bit about your name. “Russian Futurism” was an artistic movement in early 20th-century Russia that dismissed the traditional, old, static forms of art in favour of those more representative of dynamic, forward-looking, urban, modern life. The parallels between this concept and your music cannot be a mere coincidence, can it?

Matt: Actually yeah! (laughs) My brother took a Russian History class in University, and we used to talk about shit he was learning, and I just really liked the sound of it. It’s funny cause now I get asked questions about the significance behind the name all the time, and I’ve had to do a little reverse engineering and be like, “Yeah, there are definitely parallels”. But originally it was just a name – it was like calling yourself “The Corvettes” – but I liked how it sounded phonetically.

iheartthemusic: How hard is it to pick a name?

Matt: Really hard

iheartthemusic: I mean, I spend at least ten minutes in the produce section of the grocery store trying to decide between red or yellow peppers! I can’t imagine trying to choose a name for my musical baby.

Matt: I say it’s at least as hard as being a doctor (laughs). No, but it’s hard to pick something you’ll like forever. You call yourself something really dated like when it was all “The Vines”, “The Shins”, “The Strokes”, “The this and that” – that seemed to be a real trend. Instead, I wanted to pick something that people would really remember. I’m glad I didn’t put any thought into it at all, it just kind of stuck.

iheartthemusic: In the beginning, The Russian Futurists was all you. It was your baby, a creation that you have developed from scratch. Recently that has changed, and you have added some band members – especially for the live shows. Other than in the literal sense, how has The Russian Futurists changed; how has it affected your sound?

Matt: I still write and record everything myself. It has changed in the sense that, for a lot of years I didn’t like playing live – at all. I was pretty reluctant and got really anxious, and didn’t want to be up there. I was just like, “let’s get this shit over with”. Now that I’ve got a live band that I’m really excited about, it’s cool being up there. It’s like in hockey: you play better in front of a goalie you trust, and it’s the same with the live band now. I really trust them and they’re really excited about it. It’s just a good bunch of new energy in the band, and it’s totally made me more into playing live, for sure.

iheartthemusic: First and foremost you’re a hip-hop fan, so who’s your favourite hip-hop producer? Premier?

Matt: Yeah! I mean I love Premier. Right now I love Alchemist, he’s like, my dude now. There’s so many. I really like early Rakim production, early Hieroglyphics stuff, Souls of Mischief…I mean I’m a really big east coast hip-hop fan, so lots of Premier, even early Mob Deep. I grew up doing that kinda music, makin’ beats like that. My first music gear was a sampler, and still, most of my songs are built around samples.

iheartthemusic: Do you have any plans to make an album more fully grounded in hip-hop?

Matt: You’re definitely not gonna get me to spit a verse (laughs)

iheartthemusic: That was my next question! How come you sing and don’t spit rhymes?

Matt: I do a little bit, but it’s with my little brother. He’s got a few different hip-hop crews, always centred around a theme. Like he’s got one about having the best gadgets, like cell phones and shit, and they’re called “The Mad Gadgets”. We just did a track together about fishing, and ONLY about fishing. So we do hip-hop, but it’s not about a big concept, but something really specific. It’s just-for-fun, but I do the beats for those guys.

iheartthemusic: Back to electro. A far as my knowledge goes, electro is a very studio-specific genre in terms of the heavy production involved, the layering techniques etc. It’s music meant for the album. Are there any aspects of your recordings that don’t carry over into the live performance?

Matt: Well, there’s just some stuff you cannot reproduce. It’s a lot of samples and stuff like that, and even if you have a band to reproduce it all, I’m not crazy about seeing people reproduce everything. We still use backing tracks and samples cause you kind of need to, and I don’t want to totally abandon that. You just need to resign yourself to the fact that you’re not going to create something live exactly like it is on the record. Once you get over that, it’s fine.

iheartthemusic: Well, you have been doing this for a long time now! I mean, you’ve gone from producing in your bedroom to the studio; from just recording to being thrown into the whirlwind of the music industry – with all international touring, the notoriety etc. What’s that transition been like for you?

Matt: I’ve been doing this for 10 years now! And I got lucky that my first record was picked up in Europe, and was over there right away. So, we were really lucky and didn’t really have to ‘pay our dues’ by driving out to like, Saskatoon. We got to go over to Spain pretty early on and do a lot of tours in Europe. It’s kind of been gradual. I take it for granted now because back then, it’s just the way it was for us, and I thought every band did it like that. (Our success) wasn’t out of nowhere, I really like that it’s built slowly as opposed to being really popular for two years and then no-one gives a shit about you after that.

iheartthemusic: Can artists separate the desire to make art from the desire to make it big?

Matt: Yeah, I think so. I’m always 10 steps ahead of what’s happening. It’s never like “this year my goal is to play here”, but you do have loose goals. Basically you just gotta check your email everyday and you get some weird shit, some cool opportunities, and just hope that they keep coming.

interviewed by Brittany Smith

photography provided by Aaron Alleyne

iheartthemusic decided to choose a few keys players to interview during CMW 2010. Here is the first of many informal chats that we had with some talented individuals. Introducing Jonathan Chandler (guitarist/lead vocals) and Christopher Wilson (drummer/vocals) of Amos The Transparent.

iheartthemusic: I’m really excited to be here at CMW, it being my first time, but for you guys it’s not; you were here last year and played with Black Diamond Bay. Are you glad to be back?

Jonathan: Yeah, we played with Black Diamond Bay and Michou. The venue was packed, everybody was drunk and singing every word louder than I could. It’s so much fun here. Toronto’s a great vibe, especially during this festival…everyone is in music mode and ready to go. We love it, and are definitely glad to be back. (Toronto’s) starting to feel like home.

iheartthemusic: You guys just released the EP My What Big Teeth You Have, and were up for a Verge award – congrats, by the way -  what else has been going on with the band?

Jonathan: The biggest thing that’s happened to us is that we entered this radio competition in Ottawa called ‘The Money Shot”, and we ended up with $50,000. We lost to Hollerado, but for the record, we’re all friends, and we like them…

iheartthemusic: And you’re playing wth them tonight!

Jonathan: Yeah, it seems like ever since then, we haven’t been able to avoid each other; here and in SXSW. So, that (radio competition) was the big thing, which has kind of opened up the door; now we’re writing and getting ready to release a full length record.

iheartthemusic: That’s so good to hear! I know that on your last full length record, Everything I’ve forgotten To Forget, Jonathan, you were the creative centrepiece or the album’s lynchpin, but for “Teeth” you sort of de-centralized creative control. I’m wondering what it was like to let go of the creative reigns? How does that sort of transition work?

Chris (laughing)(to Jonathan): You’ve got a really good answer to this one!

Jonathan (laughs): Well, like I said, Chris has been the #1 partner from the beginning. When we started the album, it really just was Chris and I. So when we were making/writing that record, it was just me primarily writing the songs. I’d bounce ‘em off Chris and we’d arrange them together, and brought our friends in to play the parts, whereas with “Teeth” we widdled away and really formed a real band, so it was a good way to showcase how far we have come.

Chris: Even “Teeth” was still Jonny’s total songwriting, with the band having more input/influence, but I think you’ll even see with what’s coming up, the band’s really taken over. (Amos) has really become a band now. I think it’s been a slow, but good progression from intially just the two of us working together to having more collaboration, and for this upcoming record, it’s been the first time we’ve all actually sat in a room together writing songs before going into the studio. It’s been really great having everyones input and working through it as a team.

Jonathan: I bring skeletons of songs to the band, but I’m purposefully not thinking about drum parts when I’m writing them, not thinking about what the bass is gonna do. I’m really starting to get a “band” feeling…which is wicked.

iheartthemusic: Do you think this sort of change in dynamic has benefitted your sound?

Jonathan: I honestly feel like everyone has more of a home in the band now. It could have been perceived before that people were kind of like ‘hired guns’ to do things, and I can tell we’re playing more like a band now, we’re acting more like a band now just because everyone is in that happy place.

iheartthemusic: Where do you guys see the band taking you from here? What are your collective aspirations?

Chris: Hopefully out of my basement! (laughs) No, obviously we want to do this as our life.

iheartthemusic: Yeah, I hear you guys all still have full time jobs outside of the music industry?

Chris: Yeah, we don’t make really any money doing this, so we have to support ourselves, our greater families.

ihearttemusic: How do you balance both obligations?

Chris: It’s busy. Balance is hard, but you work your hardest to do what you need to do at home, play the shows when you’re on the road. It works out. We want to do this as our “fun job”.

Jonathan: It comes down to the fact that this is our passion, so we make it work. The end goal is just to have as many people hear our music who wanna hear our music. Have fun, and enjoy.

iheartthemusic: Let’s talk about people who want to hear your music. Is there any specific city or town in Canada you guys love to play because the fans are so great?

Chris: I think the small city of Toronto is probably my favourite place to play in Canada. I think the reaction and the response here has been absolutely amazing. Everytime we come here it’s usually like “this is better than our hometown”. Ottawa’s great, but Toronto’s always a blast. There’s always a lot going on down here, and it’s definitey worth the trip. We always have a good time when we’re down here.

iheartthemusic: So glad to hear it! We’re some of those fans! (laughs all around). What about the internet? It seems like for so many indie bands, the internet has been a really amazing means to more lucrative ends in terms of getting your music out there, the heightened exposure, the push and promotion, the free streaming, the blogs etc., but on the flip side, the internet is also the source of free and illegal music downloads and this takes – much needed- money right out of pockets like your own. So, the internet: scourge or saviour?

Chris: The internet has been great. I’d never complain. We’re at the point in our careers where we just need people to hear our music. If you’re gonna download it, well, it kinda sucks, but it’s a benefit for us because someone’s gonna get to hear our music. And you know what? Download the music, and come to the live show, buy the ticket – even a t-shirt – and that’s fine. You’re never gonna stop the downloads, so you might as well just accept it…

Jonathan: and firgure out how you can use it to your benefit. There’s now countless ways to interact with fans, and ultimately grow more fanbases. I just found out today we hit gold in terms of people stealing our music, all because of over 5,000 downloads of our one record. So, that sucks, but look at the positive: there’s over 5,000 people who just got the record. Hopefully they like it, and it’ll turn into ticket sales.

iheartthemusic: Funny Question: You guys did a cover of Alannis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”, is she one of your favourite Canadian artists, or do you have hatred equal to hers for Joey Gladstone from Full House?

Chris: (laughs) The cover came from a tribute show in Ottawa for CBC Radio. It was getting artists together to pick a song or two to play. That’s how it came about. Jon picked the song though!

iheartthemusic: Hey Jagged Little Pill was a good record! (laughs)

Jonathan: It was a good record! Actually we were the final addition to the show, and it was Alan Neil from CBC who said no-one has done “You Oughtta Know” yet, and I was like “Really? No-one’s picked her song? So great! We’ll do that”.  I really like tearing things apart, so what I did was listen to the words and, although she did it as an angry song, if you listen to the words without the music, it can be a really heartbroken song. So, we figured we’d just switch it up.

iheartthemusic: So you don’t dislike Joey Gladstone?

Jonathan: (laughs) Nope. He’s fine. Shit happens.

** catch them back in Toronto April 17, 2010 with The Junction!

interviewed by Brittany Smith

photography provided by Renee Rodenkirchen

With an audience where only the fans in the front row knew them well enough to sing along, Yukon Blonde was one of those delicious surprises that only a music festival like CMF can serve up on an (almost) otherwise tasteless platter. They captured everybody’s attention faster than you can say “record deal”. Both the roaring crowd and this fresh, 6-piece, Kelowna-grown band were in utter jollification singing and dancing along to the guitar-based, harmonics-infused, feel-good-about-life music. Keep an eye out for these guys….

All hail the front woman! The Balconies: finally an act with a chick leading the dicks! Though they suffered some technical difficulties, some even from rookie mistakes (wonky duct-taped mics, occasionally inaudible vocals, and some missed cues), give them some time to tighten up live, and The Balconies could become ubiquitous. Jacquie Neville who fronts – and demolishes – the rest of this 3-piece pack matches her killer voice with hard as hell baselines, and a mélange of grunge, punk power pop. Throw in some edgy attitude and a little demonic subtext, and The Balconies could corrupt even the sweetest of Susie Q’s. But it is fun music – never serious – making their performance all the more inclusive, and a must-see.

Next up were the boys from The Wooden Sky. Only one or two songs in their entire 9-song set did I actually recognize as being The Wooden Sky that I knew. Gone were the velvety soft melodies and tender-hearted vocals of their latest album, favoured was a performance driven by heavy folk rock. Gavin Gardener began the set outfitted as your typical hipster country bumpkin, only to rip off his glasses and tear away the plaid and carry the rest of the hardcore folk set in a dirty, over-sized beater. Surprisingly lacking in texture, this fast-paced performance of screaming vocals and hard-working instrumentals was nonetheless unapologetic, showcasing an alter-ego, an unfamiliar layer of the band’s meaty musical personality.

Two Hours Traffic held the prime set spot, but didn’t deserve it. Indeed, their wimpy pop sound, their conservative and uninspiring stage presence, their stale riffs and processed arrangements, and Liam Corcoran’s baseless vocals were all a disappointment for a billowing crowd awaiting their arrival. Traffic barely received a quarter of the response that (far lesser known) Yukon Blonde and The Balconies garnered. Re-affirming the age-old argument that there can be a negative correlation between talent and popularity- Two Hours Traffic sucked.

Although the crowd thinned out after Two Hours Traffic, spirits seemed to have lifted once The Junction hit the stage. Though the two bands share some musical characteristics, there are important differences that favour the latter. The Junction has way more edge, harder riffs, and what looks like a genuine desire to be on stage. A definite product of The Strokes/Killers/Kooks musical generation, The Junction perform with a refreshing sense of light-hearted humility. They are nevertheless a little predictable, and their sound a little “been there, done that”, so give the album a good listen before venturing out to their live show.

as reviewed by Brittany Smith

photography provided by Nancy Kim

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