borderlinesmusicmag

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Above I have attached several videos of mine that took place during their set including their performance of YOLO (not featured with Drake)!

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The Strokes  Finally make a Comeback to Toronto’s Budweiser’s Stage

Last Nite The Strokes have finally made their long awaited mark on Toronto’s Budweiser Stage since their 2006 set at Virgin Festival. The band kicked off the incredible night with First Impressions of Earth’s Heart in a Cage. Following was lead singer and vocalist for his solo project The Voidz’s Julian Casablancas, graced us with him on the drums for a brief moment during the band’s cover of A Little Respect by Erasure. To the crowd’s surprise, Razorblade followed the cover which hasn’t been played since their 2014 show. To conclude the entire night, the two 2001 Is This It tracks was played including Someday and the self-titled. Overall, the entire night was spectacular. Without having the expense of having to travel to view the boys at American music festivals, and hearing the band finally tailoring jokes to Toronto, the night was as impeccable as every Canadian fan would have imagined.

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Will be my 6th time seeing these talented human beings. With Kevin’s success reaching other talents via features and covers the band’s, fans are filled with excitement wondering what will be the next steps for the band. 

Especially with curator and front man Kevin Parker mentioning that the upcoming album will be solidifying the band’s sound for the long run. 2015′s Currents exceeded the artist’s expectations to say the least, but with Rihanna quickly wanting to cover New Person, Same Old Mistakes, HAIM covering ‘Cause I’m A Man (Remix), and Meg Mac’s take on Let It Happen; there was no way to deny Current’s being heavily appreciated by both other artists and fans .

Included below is the link for Tame Impala’s Shaky Knee’s set!

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/tame-impala/2019/central-park-atlanta-ga-5b908bdc.html

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Borderline Tame Impala @ Atlanta’s 2019 Shaky Knees Festival

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Newly Released: Unknown Mortal Orchestra - IC-01 Hanoi

UMO blessing fans ears early this morning with about 20 minutes of a “jam session” after SB-05 back in 2017. Following UMO’s Sex & Food album back in April of last year IC-01 Hanoi brings an instrumental mix of tranquil amazonian jazz vibes from Hanoi 03′s pipes to the reverb and synthesizer lovechild that is Hanoi 05. 

Take a good listen to SB-06 below!

https://open.spotify.com/album/6Ts4D9Brg2bDXwCD7eRoNX

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Yannis Philippakis Blessing Detroit’s Crowd

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Foals @ Detroit’s St. Andrew’s Hall April 26, 2019

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Review: Bad Books II (2012)

American indie rock band Bad Books’s album II released back in 2012 easily became one of my favourite listens prior to attending Atlanta Georgia’s Sh-sh-sh-shaky Knees. With just two solid albums (self titled Bad Books in 2010, and II in 2012) since the band formed way back in early 2010, fans are excited to catch the duo once again. 

Tracks on II that immediately grabbed at my heart strings include The After Party’s shoegaze of an intro which breaks into aggressive drums which is perfect for following track No Reward (the song transitions throughout this album is nothing, but perfect), and Pyotr to slow things down mid album is lyrically the most impressive in all of II. The song Pyotr referencing 1724′s affair between Russia’s Peter the Great and his wife Catherine who was notoriously known for having many love affairs including one with his own brother Willem Mons. Overall, the album is an incredibly catchy listen and I would highly recommend to give Bad Books atleast one listen. 

Their American fans are thrilled to catch the group after they’ve had a consistent flow of sets spreading from London’s O2 back in October 2014 to playing at New York’s Webster Hall on July of 2013. This year Bad Books will be taking over Shaky’s impressive day while on the Peachtree stage prior to The Struts, Interpol, and Cage the Elephant. 

Take a listen to II’s Forest Whitaker (LIVE at SXSW 2019) below!

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Foals Monday, April 22, 2019 at Rebel (Toronto)

Last time when Foals played in Toronto was in November 7, 2016 and once again it was at the same venue Rebel for this tour. This will be the first date out of four shows that I’ll be attending for Every Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 (The Filmore @ Detroit, Shake-Shake-Shakey Knees + their festival after party).

Meeting Yannis for the second time since their Kool Haus show included conversations about their set at The Filmore in Philadelphia and how he’s chipped his tooth from ramming the microphone into his mouth, revisiting their last Toronto setlist when Cassius was placed on their encore (was quick to dismiss and when brought up Yannis’s face took on full constapation at the thought of playing it), and Yannis going into detail about his thoughts on horoscopes with his birthday (him being a Taurus) being the next day.

Throughout the set the same intensity that Foals fans have grown to love, hit them while their new instrumental intro and easing into On The Luna was played. The crowd’s energy climaxed as the band transitioned from Olympic Airways to the beloved Holy Fire EP My Number. With fans humming along to the intro, Yannis trusting the fans while he leaps into the crowd, and the eye of the mosh pit getting ready for Yannis to scream Inhaler’s “SPACE”, the set was impeccable. As a fan since 2012, I’ve always impressed by this band’s stage presence and it hasn’t disappointed since. All is left now is for the band to release ENSWBL Part 2 and hopefully a healthy second serving of tours.

Below you can find their setlist for Foals’s Toronto show!

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Album Review: Cage the Elephant’s Social Cues

Last Wednesday, Kentucky originated indie rock band Cage the Elephant graced us once again with their latest album release of Social Cues. From start to finish Social Cues is recognizably an album where the band’s sound is evidently grown since 2013′s Melophobia. Yes, Tell Me I’m Pretty would have been their second latest album, but with the aid of Dan Auerbach from The Arcs and The Black Keys hindered the band’s development with their sound. With the start of Cry Baby Cry up to the final track of Portuguese Knife Fight Dan’s influence overthrew Matt Shultz’s self titled album progression that we have all grown to love and adore. To cut things short Tell Me I’m Pretty for the majority of the songs was a disappointment. 

Now with the recent release of Social Cues, it feels as though this is the path where the band should have gone since Melophobia. The band kicked off the album by spewing out their single Ready To Let Go and it had listeners on a frenzy for the album’s entirety. 

Songs on Social Cues that stood out from the rest include: Glass House with a upmost catchy chorus that has fans getting ready to scream during their live performances, then the creatively titled Black Madonna that explores the themes of fame and reality, and Goodbye closing the album by stirring up heavy emotions from an ended relationship. With the difficult parting of lead singer Matt Shultz and his wife in 2018 the John Lennon-esque track Goodbye was formulated.

Overall, Social Cues has a fantastic variety of new Cage the Elephant versus old Cage the Elephant. The band’s current tour is packed with an unbelievable stack of groups such as Beck, and Sunflower Bean. A night which fans will undoubtedly never forget. 

Take a listen to Cage the Elephant’s latest release of Glass House’s official lyric video below!

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Minneapolis’s Hidden Surf Punk Treasure: Last Import, Debuts Their New Self Titled Album

Looking for a new local energetic melodic surf-punk band to dive into? One to consider is Minneapolis,MN local band is Last Import. The band consists of a trio of girls who are all full-time college students who have incorporated their adoration for The Beach Boys Brian Wilson and The Front-Bottoms Sleater-Kinney influences into recording. If you’re still not sold to take a listen to Last Import, the band is also notoriously known to have a jar of Jim Morrison’s grave dirt and just before they’re set to play they fuel up on the French grounds.

Take a good listen to Last Import’s recent self-titled album’s single Money the link is below!

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Album Review: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 - Foals

Following Foals 2015 What Went Down album, Foals has punctured this year’s fans with the first batch of singles including: Exits, On The Luna, Sunday along with George FitzGerald’s remix of Exits.

Exits being introduced to the fans in a series of lyrics posted globally throughout various –pun intended- subway exits.  Once, the lyrics were deciphered by the fans, the single was soon released, and listeners were brought back to the similar heaviness of What Went Down.

Prior to Foals releasing Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1, the band decided to appear on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show in the Temperate House at Kew Gardens. The dark lit gardens being a perfect setting for the band, replicating the newly released album’s front cover. Here the band released a live version of In Degrees. After listening to the track, one would assume that the band collaborated with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.

The band also had the helping hands of James Ford throughout the entire album. James is well known for aiding artists such as Depeche Mode, Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys, and Florence and the Machine

When it comes to the highlights of the album White Onions, In Degrees and Syrups would be placed at the top of the heat. First, White Onions having the pick-me-up Antidotes vibes, which leaves one surprised. Second, the deep cut groove In Degrees. Lastly, the classic Foals build up throughout Syrups.

One track that would be easily compared to the “calmness” of A Knife In The Ocean for What Went Down, is Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1’s I’m Done With The World (& It’s Done With Me). Throughout the song Yannis vocalizes the theme of despair in the world that one finds in themselves. I’m Done With The World (& It’s Done With Me) then brings the album to a gentle close with a beautiful intro of soft keys.

Now that Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1’s wave has finally hit our ears, this autumn brings another round of Foals with Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 2. Which back in January while on Annie Mac, Yannis promised that part 2 is to be more of a consistent and deeper groove compared to part 1. 

With Foals currently playing smaller sized sets in London, they are to begin touring along side with Everything Everything’s bassist Jeremy Pritchard. Following the parting of their beloved 12 year bassist Walter Gervers.

Take a moment to take in Foals Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 on Spotify below:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5oT2zoIrVGJcbVZoNGGZwc