Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven

Sonic Boom #8

One word gets overused to describe things, but it applies easily here: EPIC. This is engaging, mind-blowing stuff, building and growing and becoming. Stunning.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – F#A#

Sonic Boom #7

Pure instrumental power. Awash in strength and lucid orchestral beauty. Hope and fear as twin siblings. Ebb and flow. Atmosphere.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Slow Riot For New Zerø Kanada EP

And here we go with some of the treasures I found on our most recent trip to Toronto! I’m very excited (yet again) to share what I found. Just know that for every record I did buy, I found two more that I really wanted to buy and had to leave behind because I am still lacking unlimited funds. Choices had to be made.

I’m going to go through these by order of shops I visited. So, on day one, the first place I hit up was BMV on Bloor.

Here we go! Let’s give ‘er!

UPDATE: Our venerable 1537 has already covered the following EP. For a better-written, more informative review follow this link!

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Slow Riot For New Zerø Kanada EP

I snagged this half-hour, two track EP for $4.99 straight off the bat. It was just sitting there at the front of the rack and yoink! It was mine mine mine.

GY!BE isn’t for everybody, I know that. Their stuff demands your attention. It’s immersive, complicated yet seemingly simple, achingly beautiful… listening to these slow gorgeous builds and rousing crashing highs is very lifting. It just feels momentous, saying Hey! Pay attention! This is important!

And it is important. It consumed me, as I listened, and I wanted it to never end. Even the talking bits (which I think would grow tiresome on repeat listens) can’t undermine the majestic engulfing music. Moya bleeds into Blaise Baily Finnegan III seamlessly. Delicate melody lines become buzzing guitars, orchestra strings, throbbing bass, bashing drums… it made me want to run very far very fast and achieve many things along the way.

Oh this was so very lovely indeed.

Haiku Vol. 3! Hip, Immaculate Machine, Leonard, GY!BE, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Whatever you think of them, however bad they are, I am having a blast trying to put these haiku together, so here’s some more (very likely weak) attempts just for you. Only the best for our KMA Faithful Readers!

Tragically Hip – We Are The Same

warm country/rock gems
pure poetry set to song
wide open and clear

Immaculate Machine – High On Jackson Hill

I know I already reviewed this record in these pages, but I keep playing it and I keep loving it, so why would I not keep writing about it?

pop heroes return
with a sense of urgency
beautiful results

Leonard Cohen – Live In London (DVD)

the master at work
his relentless search for love
a perfect keepsake

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – F# A# (infinity)

creative debut
raw instrumental passion
all stark bleak soundscapes

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz

glam plastic pop hooks
eighties all over again
best served in dance clubs