Beautiful. In the most concise way possible, that is how I can describe the stripped-down CBC Radio 2 Live Sessions show that Jets Overhead delivered last night. There is always something special about seeing a band in a room designed specifically for music performance, with an audience hanging on every note in silence. Every instrument distinguishable, every note clear and crisp. Close your eyes, and you could almost imagine sitting on the floor of Joe King Hall on Hornby Island where Jets Overhead recorded their new album.

No Nations has the distinct feel of an album made by a band comfortable in their own shoes. Just like island life, it has a laid back and flowing feel. Guitars swirl, drums flirt with the bass groove, and the vocals – a perfect pair – alternate from soaring to simmering. All this was magnified by the intimate setting of the Telus Studio in the Chan Centre at UBC.

Opening with All The People and Seems So Far - two standout tracks from their 2006 album, Bridges – the band then proceeded to play their entire new album in reverse track order.  The album’s closing song, Tired of the Comfort, is a brooding, rolling song that crescendo’s into a My Morning Jacket-esque finale. It worked well as an opener, and the album flowed from there, including my favourites Fully Shed and Weathervanes. With all the band members bringing their unique contributions to the music, it was a pleasure to sit and focus on different instruments and hear the intricacies. I’m still humming the bass line from Always A First Time a day later!

Drummer, Luke Renshaw, commented afterwards that this show was a little nerve wracking because there was no room for error without the fuzz and noise of their normal “loud” show. Between songs, singer Adam Kittredge also noted how the experience brought them back to the essence of the songs by tearing away layers to get to the core.

They finished with a couple of older songs, plus a new song listed as Bystander on the setlist, and the infectious Sun Sun Sun, leaving us with that simple yet catchy chorus to hum as we walked out into the final rays of the setting sun on the UBC campus. An early show has it’s benefits!

Jets Overhead are opening for Lights at The Commodore on November 7th, where they promise to play their “loud” show. You can also stream their albums at www.jetsoverhead.com

Watch for this concert to appear on CBC Radio 2’s Canada Live program soon, plus their Concerts on Demand website in the next couple of weeks. We also hope to catch up with them for an upcoming episode of TCR.

By Warwick Patterson/ThisCityRocks.com - Thanks to Miss604.com for setting us up with tickets for this show! Check out her site for lots of great BC-based content.

ThisCityRocks.com catches up with the Great Lake Swimmers on their previous tour through Vancouver. Check them out on tour through Canada in March 2009 in support of their upcoming album "Lost Channels". ThisCityRocks will be back with more this season...stay tuned! ]]>ThisCityRocks.com catches up with the Great Lake Swimmers on their previous tour through Vancouver. Check them out on tour through Canada in March 2009 in support of their upcoming album "Lost Channels". ThisCityRocks will be back with more this season...stay...http://www.thiscityrocks.com/2008/12/metric-revival-at-jingle-bell-rock-2008.htmlMusicinfo@thiscityrocks.com (ThisCityRocks)Wed, 24 Dec 2008 01:16:38 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-60396016    I just spent an hour writing a review on the Jingle Bell Rock show I saw the other night...the internet did it's thing and ate my story when I went to post it so I'll have to give you the cole's notes version until I feel up to re-writing it (right now I want to toss this laptop into the snowbank!).

Metric is back after some time away from the limelight.  They debuted some of their new album on the Jingle Bell Rock/Help, I'm Alive tour and I definitely want to hear more. The whole band seemed to be happy to be playing live again, and there was a renewed sense of urgency in their playing that had been missing the last couple of times I'd seen them play. Check out the video below to see an interview with Emily Haines while she was writing in Brazil.  It's an interesting look into the internal and external pressures some people feel when they are the focus of popular culture, and sets the tone for the new album due out in early 2009. Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains opened the show (great rock and roll and a surprising departure from his Death from Above 1979 material), and The Dears entertained with their melodic pop.  But, Tokyo Police Club was the highlight of the show for me...they tore through their set playing like they only had once chance to prove themselves on stage. I think they still think this is all a big mistake and they're going to get kicked off stage at anytime.

Happy Holidays from ThisCityRocks.com!  We'll be back in 2009!

]]>I just spent an hour writing a review on the Jingle Bell Rock show I saw the other night...the internet did it's thing and ate my story when I went to post it so I'll have to give you the...http://www.thiscityrocks.com/2008/12/plans.htmlinfo@thiscityrocks.com (ThisCityRocks)Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:29:24 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-59848326Plans are afoot to get ThisCityRocks up and running again in the new year with a new series of music and band interviews.  I'm looking for someone with music industry connections to help us promote the show to the labels and bands, and to assist in booking interviews....anyone? Thanks!

When Jeff Healey passed away in March, I have to admit I hadn't thought much about him for many years. Angel Eyes was his breakout hit in 1988, and came at a time when I was watching lots of Much Music after school.  Even though it probably wasn't "cool" to like that song as a teenage boy, the song - and Jeff - struck a chord with me. I think it was one of the seminal songs that gave me a deeper interest in music. How could this blind guy play a guitar so damn well? When I read that he had died, and saw all the outpouring of tributes for him, I felt a sudden guilt that I hadn't heard any of his recent work. For someone who influenced me so much, why didn't I know more about him? Apparently, I had been missing out on one of Canada's finest musical talents!  So, I went searching for some of his music and found an album called 'Live in Montreux (1999)". I'm a big fan of live albums, so I sat back, cranked the speakers, and for the next hour was completely spellbound. How did I not listen to more of this before? This was straight up, amazing, blues rock and roll. When the album finished, I hit play and listened to it all over again.

Jeff Healey was all set to release a new record when he passed away, and "Mess of Blues" is now out.  After many years persuing his passion for traditional American jazz, this was his first blues and rock album in over eight years. And it's a good one...  As a Canadian music fan interested in rock and roll, you should check this album (and Jeff's whole career) out. Here's a couple of great videos showing his legendary guitar skills, and his passion for the music.

A young Jeff destroys on "Shine a Light":

More after the jump...

Live in Montreux (Can't Get My Hands On You & Angel Eyes)
5:50min is hilarious...and man, what a voice when he launches into Angel Eyes:

Live in Montreux (Angel Eyes Solo & Roadhouse dueling guitars):

The powers that be have announced the winner of the Polaris Music Prize - an award that "honours, celebrates and rewards creativity and diversity in Canadian recorded music by recognizing, then marketing the albums of the highest artistic integrity, without regard to musical genre, professional affiliation, or sales history, as judged by a panel of selected critics and experts."  The winner also gets $20,000 to put towards a full-length album. This year's award goes to Patrick Watson. I'll be honest and say that I haven't listened to his music much, other than seeing him play on the Juno Awards show.  But I did some internet surfing this evening and am really digging his music.  There will always be debate about who should win these sorts of awards, but you can't go wrong with giving this guy the prize.

In TCR news, we have two more shows with Winston and the Great Lake Swimmers coming online shortly - stay tuned!

Feist performed 1234 on Letterman the other night with an all-star group backing her up including AC Newman of The New Pornographers, Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, members of The National, Grizzly Bear, Mates of State, etc.  All of whom could have played Letterman on their own merits.  Great rendition of 1234...

[VIA]

It sounds like Vancouver's live music scene is going to take another big hit this summer, as the Dominion Hotel and Lamplighter Pub have been purchased, and any gigs booked from September onwards are tentative at best.  What's going on with this city?!  Does nobody see the value in good live music venues?  There is an ever-widening void in this town for comfortable, fun rock n' roll venues.  Let's pack the Lamp for the rest of this month and show our support - maybe the new owners will renovate and create something even better...but I'm not holding my breath.

Long Live the Lamp.

[via From Blown Speakers]