Kalle
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Posts posted by Kalle
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Looks like I get to do her stage introduction this Thursday! woohoo!
I like Basia a lot but I sometimes thinks she sounds like Shakira lol. "The Shore" is a killer tune, love love that hammered dulcimer.
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Pat's fashion scarf again!
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Let's stop analyzing the performance (which was quite good IMO) but let's start analyzing Pat's fashion scarf.
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Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) in Sault Ste. Marie, maybe MAYBE 10 people, right after he won the Polaris too.
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7.8 from Pitchfork. A little low?
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The AB Switch is for his lap steel, and yes that's a Zvex Box Of Metal in the bottom left along with his Fuzzy Nuts distortion pedal, he mentions it here http://www.nelscline.com/tech.html
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It definitely gets better with each listen, there's a lot of little things that show themselves after more and more listens, it's quite quite complex (the way they mixed the drums is really neat). I'll certainly agree that it's less "poppy" and polished than Ga but 'Trouble' or 'Mystery Zone' (that falsetto thing is killer) wouldn't sound out of place on Ga at all. So I definitely think it's a good mix at what Spoon is really good at.
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From Brooklynvegan:
"Wilco will play a run of 16 concerts in Eastern U.S. cities beginning in Miami, FL on March 22 and culminating in Pittsburgh, PA on April 11. The concerts are presented as "An Evening with Wilco" and will feature extended, varied sets exploring material from each of the accomplished Chicago sextet's seven studio albums. The tour includes concerts in Clearwater, Savannah, Atlanta, Durham, Richmond, Bethesda, Montclair, Providence, Boston, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and features Wilco's first concert appearances in the cities of Scranton, PA, Concord, NH and Hartford, CT. Ticket presales for these new dates are set for Wednesday, January 6 at 10 am EST via the band's official website, Wilcoworld.net."
"Evening with Wilco" shows are the absolute best, you guys are very very lucky.
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Fulltone OCD. Best one I have ever had.
Best OD I've ever had as well.
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Bahamas is opening up on the later four dates of the Canadian tour, it should be noted I guess that he's going out with Feist. But, his record is really really great (Pink Strat, check it out) and he's absolutely hilarious live, good opener!
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I love SBS, it's safe, but that's why Rolling Stone loves it.
AGIB is easily my second favorite Wilco record, and sometimes my first. It has it's flaws but I believe it to contain Jeff's best lyrics yet by far, read Wishful Thinking and tell me I'm wrong!
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That's great! I'm sure it was a blast! Their new record is so so good and it seems like they're only getting bigger and bigger because of it.
In other exciting Kalle Mattson news we posted a new song a little while ago and you can view and download it here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/5zwo27 and here http://vimeo.com/7653594 tell us what you think!
Modern Guitarist also did a piece/interview with me! It's a pretty big deal it seems, their site gets over 4 million hits per month! Check it out here:
http://modernguitarist.guitarinternational.com/wpmu/2009/12/06/kalle/
The Canadian music scene has produced some of the most successful folk-rock musicians of the past half-century. The Great White North has given the world artists such as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Sarah McLachlan and Gordon Lightfoot. While the folk-rock scene took a hit during the ’80s and ’90s with the rise of metal, pop and later grunge and alternative rock, the genre has scene a resurgence in popularity recently, with several of the bands leading the way coming from north of the border. While there are many notable folk-rock bands on the Canadian scene today, one of the newest, and most-promising, is Ottawa based quartet Kalle Mattson.
Led by the talented guitarist and vocalst Kalle Wanio, the group’s current lineup features Thean Slabbert on bass and backing vocals, Rory Lewis on lead guitar and Jimmie Chiverelli on percussion. Having spent several years cutting their teeth in Northern Ontario clubs, bars and coffeehouses, the group recently went into the studio to record their first album. Titled Whisper Bee, the album was released in May of ‘09 and has received positive reaction from fans and critics alike.
With their first CD under their belts, the group has relocated to the Canadian capitol of Ottawa, where several of the band members are attending some of the countries top music schools. Quickly establishing themselves on the Ottawa scene, the quartet has opened for such bands as You Say Party We Say Die, Coco Love Alcorn, Spiral Beach and the Cowboy Junkies.
After such a quick start Kalle Mattson shows no signs of slowing down as they continue to perform and tour across the countries Eastern half, write and record new material and focus on expanding their already substantial fan base in Canada and beyond.
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Matt Warnock: How did your group, Kalle Mattson, form?
Kalle Wainio:I began writing songs about two years ago, when I was 17 and still in high school. The project was initially intended to be along the lines of a Dylan-esque solo project, however it soon blossomed into a more experimental folk-rock trio as Rory Lewis, guitar, and Patrick Larkin, drums, joined the band.
After a while that version of the band fell apart, so in early 2009 Rory and I then enlisted the help of Thean Slabbert, bass, and Jimmie Chiverelli, drums to form what is now the current lineup of Kalle Mattson.
Matt: Why did you choose to use a pseudonym when you began writing and performing your own material?
Kalle: The choice to use Kalle Mattson as the bands name came as a logical decision, I guess. Mattson is my middle name and I’ve always had a bit more affection to it than my actual last name, Wainio, due to the constant mispronunciation of it. Mattson also works well aesthetically with Kalle, two L’s, two T’s and the letters K-A, M-A go well together. All in all, people pronounce and spell it easier, and it looks better on a gig poster. It’s a perfect fit I guess.
Matt: Who were some of your early influences as a song-writer and guitarist?
Kalle: I think my three main influences in terms of songwriting are, and always will be, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. Each one of those musicians are complete and utter geniuses in my mind, and I think if you’re going to look to guys in terms of pure songwriting, these are the absolute best.
As for my guitar playing, I really love Nick Drake’s fingerstyle playing, and of course Neil Young’s electric and acoustic playing. Though I also dig people like Chet Atkins, Nels Cline and bands like Pavement, and Television.
Matt: You went out and did a ton of gigging between the release of your first E.P. and the full-length album Whisper Bee. How important was that time spent on the bandstand for the group in preparation for recording Whisper Bee?
Kalle: A lot of the songs became fully formed while gigging prior to recording Whisper Bee for sure, however, the group that played all those gigs and the group that recorded the album were totally different outside of Rory and I.
On the record we had Mark Gough on drums and Frank Deresti on bass to form the rhythm section for the album. So, the gigging certainly helped Rory and I, and the songs, but in terms of what you hear on the record we had never played with Mark or Frank beforehand.
Matt: How does your songwriting process work? Do you write the music first and the lyrics and melodies later, or vice-versa?
Kalle: It seems to happen one of two ways. First, I’ll have some rough lyrics or ideas written out and then I’ll pair them with some basic chord changes and melodies and things will go from there. Or, I’ll work on the music first, come up with the chords, the melodies, the arrangement, and then the vocals will be scatted out, so I can get a sense of what words work in certain areas. Then I’ll go on from there and work on the lyrics in terms of the sounds of certain words.
Matt: You spend time studying classical guitar, does that training cross over into your writing for Kalle Mattson?
Kalle: I think the classical guitar playing certainly compliments the fingerstyle acoustic playing I do a lot, especially in using proper technique and different ideas for chord voicing etc.
But, although I don’t think Kalle Mattson has any overt classical tendencies, I think playing, and exposing yourself to different types of music in general can only be a good thing as you go and create your own songs.
Matt: You’re currently pursuing a music degree at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Do you think it’s necessary for aspiring musicians to go to college to study music in order to further their careers, or can it still be done by paying dues on the road alone?
Kalle: I really don’t think that going to school for music will do much to further ones career in the music business on the whole. In my experience, going on the road and touring has been the best, and essentially, the only way to get your name out there and heard by people.
Pursuing a music degree will undoubtedly make you a better musician if you work at it, but, I don’t think it’s any sort of golden ticket to making a career out of playing music. At the end of the day I still think everyone who wants it bad enough has to “get in the van” so to speak.
Matt: What is the music scene like in Ottawa? Since you’re still breaking into the scene there, do you find there is support for live music in the capital region?
Kalle: Ottawa has been great to us so far. There are lot’s of really talented bands in all different genres, and some really committed promoters who are consistently bringing in great bands to Ottawa.
In our experience we’ve certainly found there’s been a lot of support, not only towards us as newcomers, but to live music in general. It definitely seems like the scene is pretty vibrant and flourishing in many different ways.
Matt: There are a number of your videos up on YouTube, Myspace and Facebook. How important are social networking sites like these to an up and coming musician like yourself? Are these sites now considered essential in getting the word out about your music and where you’re playing next?
Kalle: I think sites like Myspace and Facebook are a young bands lifeline in this day and age. Without them getting gigs and promoting by yourself becomes nearly impossible. As a new, young band, having your record up on Myspace, with your bio, press quotes, upcoming shows etc. is one of the few ways people, for lack of a better term, can validate you, and keep track of you. Some people may not agree with it, but I guess they are a necessary evil, and most certainly essential.
Matt:With your first full-length album out and a ton of gigs under your belt where do you go from here? Are you already working on new material for your second album?
Kalle: We’ve got roughly enough tunes to make up another two whole albums, and 2010 looks like to be a very busy year for us. We’re going to keep playing gigs here in Ottawa for the rest of the school year and then we’ll be going out on a three weeklong tour in May that’ll take us from Sault Ste. Marie all the way to Charlottetown.
After all of that it looks like we’ll be going back into the studio to record our second album with Gavin Gardiner, of the band the Wooden Sky, during the summer of 2010, as well as some more touring and festivals and then hopefully we’ll have a new record out by the fall.
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A lot of my list is comprised of Canadian material, whether it be our friends, bands we've played with or friends or friends seems to be the year that I really really immersed myself in it. 2009 has been way better than 2008 IMO.
1. The Wooden Sky - If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone
2. Wilco - W(TA)
3. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
4. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
5. Timber Timbre - S/T
6. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
7. Hayden - The Place Where We Lived
8. Dan Mangan - Nice, Nice, Very Nice
9. Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels
10. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
11. St. Vincent - Actor
12. Howie Beck - How To Fall Down In Public
13. Evening Hymns - Spirit Guides
14. The Deep Dark Woods - Winter Hours
15. Bruce Peninsula - A Mountain Is A Mouth
16. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle
17. M. Ward - Hold Time
18. Bahamas - Pink Strat
19. Jim O'Rourke - The Visitor
20. Great Bloomers - Speak Of Trouble
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Pretty sure they changed it so it wouldn't be Impossible Germany Pt. 2, and the Nels shredding gets a bit old after a while.
Edit. This version also ends in noise, like a million other Wilco songs. I think they said this was a "WIP" for a reason.
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I don't know Allison Brown but she's sounding pretty good so far!
I sort of know some of the guys in Ox, mainly through friends of friends, I know Mark and Frank who were the rhythm section on our record have played with them before, and they play Loplops in the Sault a lot, basically our second home.
Lizish do you work at Grooves in London? And did you end up getting an in-store with Gavin and the folks?
It does seem like I am constantly posting things but the band has been getting some great press in the past few weeks including two more fun things!
Here's a video for a stripped down performance and interview here in Ottawa this week at "Bands Undone".
and http://bandsundone.tumblr.com/post/258444512/kalle-mattson-review-videoAnd we just got a great review from Quick Before It Melts today! Another huge Canadian music blog!
http://www.quickbeforeitmelts.com/2009/11/new-music-kalle-mattson/
There’s something to be said for youthful vigor and vitality, the innocence and spontaneity of music that’s not calculated or skewed to a particular demographic. I hastened to use the term “naiveté” because that implies a lack of wisdom or judgment, but that was one of the initial reactions I had to listening to Sault Ste. Marie Ontario’s Kalle Mattson the other day. There most certainly is wisdom and good judgment in the 11 songs on Whisper Bee, there first foray into the musical recording world; but there’s a spontaneous quality to that music that makes it enduring and intriguing. After all, a band that names one of there songs “Hall of Oats” has to have a sense of humour, and a sense of musical history all at the same time. That the song is one of the record’s gems is just a bonus.They are a happy accident where Wilco, Neil Young and Pavement topple head over heels together down a hill, falling into a beautiful mess at the bottom. Kalle Wainio has been making music from the age of 17 under the name Kalle Mattson, before expanding the band’s number and sound by adding Rory Lewis and Patrick Larkin (who no longer is art of the band), then later Théan Slabbert and Jimmie Chiverelli to create a folk-pop experimental collective that breathes some fresh life into what has become a stale and staid genre of indie music. What I love most about Whisper Bee, much like Attack In Black’s Marriage, is that it acts as a signal to what the band could very well become in time. Their potential is great, but that shouldn’t somehow undermine what they’ve already accomplished. The more I listen, the more I’m drawn into their sound. This is definitely worth checking out, friends.
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Sleater Kinney is the worst.
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Whisper Bee just got an absolutely beautiful review!
http://theonesthataremad.blogspot.com/2009/11/thunderstorms-on-moon-today.html
If you've been anywhere close to the feeling of young, trailblazing, impassioned love, then you will find elements with which you can readily empathize and understand in the music of Kalle Mattson. Hailing from Sault St. Marie, Kalle Mattson's music flows through a similar stylistic tributary as some of the great melodic country-folk-rock/experimental projects of recent years.Kalle Mattson, comprising of front-man Kalle Wainio, Rory Lewis, Théan Slabbert, and Jimmie Chiverelli, released their full-length debut album, entitled Whisper Bee, in May of this year, and it been warmly received by many a listener.
Their music is reminiscent of a more lyrically accessible John K. Samson combined with a softer, slightly more tender take on Wilco's melodic sensibilities. Whisper Bee is a bouncy and tender collection of songs, with rocking rambly numbers like "Bomb Threat Blues" being effortlessly complemented by gentle flowing acoustic pieces. The whole project carries a sort of youngness that is as interesting as it is refreshing. Songs like "Mourning Dove" and "A to Z" are alive with a truly honest sense of artistic vulnerability. In other words, there are no barriers or productive twists between the sentiments in the lyrics and the feelings emanated from the sound of the music itself. With each slide of a guitar, and every exhalation of Wainio's voice, Kalle Mattson's music carries an omnipresent, and endearing softness. This is particularly evident on such songs as Jack Frost, which features a simple acoustic guitar riff placed behind the simple sweet lyrics of Wainio's gently flowing, warm water voice. As he sings through your headphones, one gets the sense of being surrounded by a calm aura, surrounded by images of a love that was once everything, and is now longingly reflected upon in a moment of loneliness. Here's the last verse from Jack Frost:
Many years on from this song,
I know how things will be.
You send me post-cards from cities afar,
Would you remember me?
Would you remember me?
Would you remember me?
Please remember me.
Please remember me.
Sad and simple; charming in their honesty. When these qualities are placed inside of Kalle Mattson's skillfully created melodic folk-rock sound, it makes for a highly enjoyable album with which pretty much anyone can identify. I've said before that I think this type of music is intrinsically therapeutic for the human soul. Whisper Bee opens with a Wainio's voice singing through a radio-like haze, as if he's in outer space, sending us a transmission of his music. The song is called "Doctor Day" and he sings: "Thunderstorms on the moon today, and loneliness was kept at bay." This is fitting, since it seems to me that Kalle Mattson's music carries the believable empathy and tender bounciness of sound that contain the best remedies for the deepest ailments of a lonely heart.
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"If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone" is a great album, maybe even tops for me this year. You're going to be in good hands.
Fact. It might be my top album of the year as well.
Anyways, folks we've just posted a new song of ours recorded at the Lebreton Institute of Technology & Dreams.
The Vimeo link is here http://vimeo.com/7653594
And if you choose to have this song for your own personal usage you can download it here http://www.sendspace.com/file/5zwo27
Also, if you keep an eye on our facebook page we'll be posting a few more newly recorded tracks up in the coming weeks as well as some festive ones??? Wait and see!
http://www.facebook.com/kallemattson?ref=ts
Thanks folks!
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W(TA) is a perfectly fine album. Just not earth shattering.
LouieB
Yup that's exactly how I feel as well.
Jeff has said this in a couple interviews now and I think it's really quite true. I think the band now has a clean slate for whatever they want to do next, no one can thoughtfully predict what they're going to do next or what direction they're going to take with this next album. With SBS to W(TA) we certainly had some idea, to me I have none, I'm sure Jeff does, he always does, but I think Wilco is in a very exciting position now.
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Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Beatles - Revolver
Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde
Neil Young - After The Goldrush
Radiohead - Kid A
If one got lost on the way...
Townes Van Zandt - S/T
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It's leaked, the second disc is absolutely hilarious I am dying right now.
"Do you know how many omelet's you can get out of an ostrich egg? 14? That's a lot of omelet's. That's all."
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Two Ottawa shows coming up!
November 23rd - Zaphod's - 8pm - FREE FREE FREE
November 24th - Avant Garde Bar - 8pm - $5 - w/ Field Assembly
And thanks so much for listening (and hopefully enjoying) folks, it really does mean a lot.
Wilco + The Weakerthans
in Someone Else's Song
Posted
Hey folks, seems like a while since I've spammed you eh? lol
Lot's of Kalle Mattson news though, we're booking our big 2010 Canadian tour for the month of May, plenty booked so far and plenty more dates on the way (see below).
We're also playing this year's Canadian Music Week for all you Torontonians! Our first time playing CMW so we're understandably excited.
We've got a new website/blog up now where you can find all associated Kalle Mattson things.
Lot's of other news on the way and some exciting new press too! Hope you enjoy!
http://www.kallemattson.com
Upcoming Shows 2010
Friday Feb. 19th – Sault Ste. Marie, ON – Loplops (AlgomaHope4Haiti)
Saturday Feb. 20th – Sault Ste. Marie, ON – Loplops (AlgomaHope4Haiti)
Wednesday March 10th – Toronto, ON – Central (CMW)
Thursday March 18th – Ottawa, ON – Oliver’s (Carleton University)
Saturday March 20th – Ottawa, ON – The Rainbow
Saturday April 17th – Ottawa, ON – Cafe Dekcuf w/ Leif Vollebekk & Giant Hand
Thursday May 6th – Sault Ste. Marie, ON – Loplops
Friday May 7th – Pembroke, ON – Cafe Ole
Saturday May 8th – Montreal, QUE – L’absynthe
Tuesday May 11th – Charlottetown, PEI – Baba’s Lounge
Thursday May 13th – Halfax, NS – Gus’s Pub
Friday May 14th – Fredricton, NB – The Capital
Monday May 17th – Toronto, ON – The Drake Hotel
Thursday May 20th – London, ON – London Music Club
Friday May 21st – Hamilton, ON – Freeway Coffee House
Wednesday May 26th – Peterborough, ON – The Spill
Friday May 28th – Sudbury, ON – Millard’s Garage
Saturday May 29th – Sault Ste. Marie, ON – Foggy Notions