lovers always lose. suck it up.

TODAY saw the initial announcement of the SappyFest #4 line-up, and I have to say it's made today the best day in a long time. You can find the entire lineup as it's been presented at the Sappy Records website but I'm going to go over a little bit of it here, personal favourites and the like.

As the poster says! SappyFest is happening from July 31st to August 2nd in Sackville, NB, at various venues. Last year it was George's Fabulous Roadhouse, the Vogue Theatre, the Sackville United Church, and a mainstage tent on Bridge Street, with some ancillary action going on at Struts Gallery. I can only assume we're going to see the same thing this year, which will be beyond fab. So beyond fab!

So who will you see if you spend the $50 for the early bird weekend pass, available for the next two weeks from TicketPro? Well! First of all, Julie Doiron will be kicking around as she usually is, being one of the driving forces behind the festival (along with Paul Henderson). She'll be playing solo and also with Eric's Trip, who I hope need no introduction. Me, I'm a maritimer who has never seen Eric's Trip, so I am beyond stoked for that show. For those of you who don't know them, try to hunt down their albums Love Tara or Purple Blue, two personal favourites. Sub Pop records, mid '90s; a hard-rocking flannel-wearing good time.

A second headliner of sorts (though it's all pretty communal) is the Dan Bejar vessel Destroyer. Now, I've never seen Destroyer live, but I've been listening to him for a few years now, and I'm mighty excited for that show, too. You might call what he does 'chamber pop' but I'm not really one for using genres to describe what people do. The only real way to do it is by sound. I guess I'm not really cut out to be a music blogger, I love music far too much! But, I digress. Once, I heard Bejar's voice described as sounding like that villain Professor Hinkle from the old Frosty the Snowman TV special. I'd call this description apt. Apt, and hilarious!

I'm awfully psyched about Ohbijou playing. They're an indie pop outfit with lots of strings fronted by miss Casey Mecija. They're second LP, Beacons, has just been released today. Once I get ahold of it, and if I'm feeling particularly industrious, expect a review! I'm not sure when I'll get my hands on it, though. Between the Sappyfest announcement and the new album, today is a great day for Ohbijou fans. Hopefully, though, they don't just stick to new material at the festival! One way or another, though, I'm psyched to finally see them live.

Given their newfound connection to Sackville's Shotgun Jimmie (who is also playing!) it's no surprise that Attack in Black is back for another edition of Sappyfest. It has me wondering, though, will I get to see I'm A Rock, their new duet with Julie Doiron, live on stage? I picked up a 7" at a Shotgun Jimmie show back in December with that track on it, and hell, it's more worn out than any other piece of vinyl I own. Beautiful song, absolutely beautiful.

Speaking of possible duets, $100 are back for another year at Sappy, and now their Simone Fornow has given us a duet with Shotgun Jimmie on his new record, Still Jimmie. The track is called Quicksand, and in my mind it's one of the better tracks on the record. If you look down the blog at my review of that record, I think I've got it posted. Now, I've never seen $100, but this is a regret. Their album is one of my most-played, there's something about Simone's voice that I just can't shake, can't get out of my head. She has, honestly, the perfect voice for the tearful, beerful alt-country these guys put out.

No one else I've spoken with seems as excited about Timber Timbre as I am. Mostly, they just haven't heard of this Taylor Kirk project--but trust me, they will. He's currently on tour out in the West of Canada with Ghost Bees (who I'm hoping are one of the TBA acts... fingers crossed) and I think I'd describe him as a Canadian version of M. Ward. Though his new album (his first on Arts & Crafts) is a bit less folksy and a bit more traditional lo-fi, I'd still love to see him share a bill or even share the stage with Old Man Luedecke.

Oh, did I mention? Old Man Luedecke, one of my favourite concerts from the last year, he's playing once more. The last time I saw him was at the Vogue during the CHMA Stereophonic Fundraiser, when Julie opened for him. There is something so brilliant about this man and his banjo, something about him that can get a theatre full of people clapping and stomping and singing along. An Old Man Luedecke concert is an experience you just can't miss out on, it's one of the most beautiful things you can ever experience.

There are so many more who I want to talk about, but I'm running out of time and this thing is running long. Maybe I'll write an addendum to the post tomorrow. Anyway, be prepared to see Halifax's number one dance party Windom Earle, Stereophonic headliners Wintersleep, the ethereal Laura Borealis, as well as Ladyhawk, Snailhouse, Dog Day, Shapes & Sizes, and oodles more! See, just there, that could be an entire second post. Maybe it will be.

I'll see you all in Sackville.

Stereophonic, Day 3 (Pt. 2)

most photo credit to vanessa blackier

So, from where do I continue? I think I might just start over, as the last post was kind of... ick.

The night started out, as I said, with Steven Fifield, who played a heavy-accented Cape Breton acoustic folk music. Some might call him forgettable, but I wouldn't. Not an entertainer so much as an honest songwriter, which you don't see so much these days. I liked him quite a bit, actually. But, I'm getting ahead of myself! The concert was at the Vogue Theatre down on Bridge St and, as Sandy pointed out, one of the few times you'll be able to drink at the Vogue. It was a wet/dry, technically all-ages, which contented me thoroughly. I've been an advocate of all-ages concerts for a long while, and Sackville seems to have no shortage of them. Contrast this with Saint John, and, well, I don't think I'll go there. Suffice it to say that I hope something changes sooner rather than later.

Pat Lepoidevin played next, and created the most surreal and overwhelming sound with only a guitar, a tin whistle, and a looper pedal. He has an album coming out in March, this 4th year university kid--watch out for this one! He's got promise.

Continuing the what I like to call a bit of a Sackville showcase that Pat started, Al Tuck, country-bluesman extraordinaire took to the stage. I and mes amies etaient in the front of the theatre--for a film, not so great, but for a concert, with a bag of popcorn and two glasses of Picaroon's Simeon Jones, it was wonderful. Al put on a great set, and That's How She Goes made me an instant fan. I probably shouldn't say this, but parts of the song made me chuckle, and I felt like a bit of a dick for doing so. If you give it a listen, you'll see what I mean. The feller's originally from PEI but spends his days lately in Sackville. I really don't know what to say about this guy except he had this hopelessly endearing quality about him, a storytelling quality, not just in his songs but in his rambling between them. Charming, charming, charming, and wonderful. If you ever get a chance to see him, get it done. By the end of the set, we were starting to get a little drunk (I had four or five beers in me at this point) and he broke out Brother From Another Mother, which we went out on. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.

But then! Then, capping off this Sackville show (but not the whole Vogue show, it kept getting better!) was Julie Doiron, and a fairly plastered Julie at that, accompanied by Fred Squire on the drums. This is, I think, the best way to see Julie: she seems to anyway feel mighty comfortable and plays her little heart out. I stand by my judgment that she is, bar nothing, the absolute cutest thing on two legs. She was musing, at one point, between songs, 'do I want water, or do I want beer? I'm really not drunk! I'll have the water,' and proceeded to drink her beer. That woman is something of a delight, and she's absolutely beautiful in voice and in appearance and oh my word I could go on like this for hours, but I won't I'll get into the performance! Just let it be known that I adore Julie, and I do believe she is one of the most wonderful people I've ever met.
The music, too, was delightful, of course. I can't simply go on and on about Julie as a person, this is a concert review! Julie, her electric guitar; Fred, and his drums; they created such a beautiful sound and despite some mishaps along the way, false starts now and again. She opened the show, or practically opened it, it might have been the second song, but I don't remember these things and chances are she doesn't either so what harm is it? She opened it with So Fast, which she noted is more than 11 years old now. Years, oh years! I forget which song it was now, but Julie played a few bars and then began to say she couldn't do it, and then played some more, got the words wrong, and decided to quit the song. I thought it was cute, personally, the way she stumbled drunkenly into and out of that song. I wish I could recall what it was. Despite not having a capo, and mine being absent from my shirt pocket for once, Julie and her 'fucked-up wrist' stumbled through Swan Pond, barre chord style. That is something I really should have mentioned, isn't it? Her propensity for swearing. It really was a lot of fun, particularly when she realised, 'fuck, I'm really swearing a lot'. She did a delightful electric medley of The Wrong Guy and No More, the latter being one of my very favourite songs. I could go on like this forever, you know I could, so I'm just going to stop here and say that one of the last songs she played was Snow Falls In November, which is possibly the most beautiful song she's written, and my word, the quality of the show was fantastic. I wish it could happen every night, really.

But the night does not end there! Oh no, no, no. The night was just getting started, because après Julie and Fred came Old Man Luedecke, who Julie herself was showering with praise beforehand. I'd never seen him before, but a friend of mine had raved about him constantly and she had gotten me into his music. Here is the point in the show for which I was most happy to both be a bit drunk and be in the front row, because Chris and his banjo created for us a rollicking good time, the lot of us stomping and clapping and singing along. The lot of us singing songs about bacon and potatoes, about the love of life... Old Man Luedecke puts on one of the most incredible live shows that you ever will see. If you ever, ever have a chance to see this man and his banjo, you absolutely must take it up. Even if you're not such a fan of bluegrass music, he will make you a fan. He will make you fall in love with his music and his charming way. He capped off the night so well, and this was the highlight of the festival for me. Definitely one of the best shows I've ever seen, and I can't put enough emphasis on that. It was a beautiful, beautiful night, and I'll remember it always.

Old Man Luedecke - Proof of Love
Old Man Luedecke - Just Like a River
Old Man Luedecke - Joy of Cooking


And now to carry on with blogging! Saturday night, here I come.

Stereophonic, Day 3 (Pt. 1)

So I'll be frank: I'm a little drunk. But I have to review these shows before I get to the nextt one, even if I can't see the screen very well. Oh well. Life.

The show was at the Vogue Cinemas, a beautiful little landmark of the town. We started out with Steven Fifield, a Cape Bretoner and a wonderful folk musician. In my current state, regrettably, I can't say much about it.

Next came Mount Allison's own Pat Lepoidevin, who used a looper pedal to create the most amazing sound I've heard! I really shouldn't write this now, fuck. I'll be back wioth more man. I promise. Fuuuuck, drjuuuunk.