You Say Party! We Say Die!

Just in time for the Olympics, You Say Party! We Say Die! is a five-piece British Columbian (that means Canadian) dance-punk band that brings the noise like their Yankee neighbors to the immediate south - Seattle's Pretty Girls Make Graves - once did. And it's nearly the same setup bringing the hooks you can lean and rock with: two women (one vocals, one keys), three men (everything else).

While both are equally danceable - i.e., provide formidable acronyms - YSP!WSD! is more catchy/synthy while PGMG brought more direct rock - i.e., less exclamation points. (How I miss your Good Health riffs, Jay Clark.) But adding to YSP!WSD!'s intrigue is the fact they've been barred from performing in the U.S. since 2006, as their bassist Stephen O'Shea was served with a five year ban from entering for not presenting the proper visas at border control. But this isn't stopping them from embarking on an American swing in March, punctuated by their SXSW debut. Will O'Shea be McCallistered? Can this lead to potential New York Post-esque headlines like "Cops Stop Pop?" It's an indie-mystery that can only be solved by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Their third album, XXXX, has had Canucks swooning since late September, and will finally get its U.S. release on February 9th. Another important date: January 22nd, which finds a homecoming show in Vancouver with Phoenix as part of some Winter Games commencement cultural ceremony that - along with assuming another world hockey championship in the sport's frenzied motherland is a birthright - promises to be the first of several gold medal-winning performances from Team Canada. (But at least we won the World Jr. tournament, right? Right?!)

Laura Palmer's Prom [mp3] - (iTunes)
Downtown Mayors Goodnight, Alley Kids Rule! [mp3] - (iTunes)

March 2010 U.S. Tour:
March 9 Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
March 10 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
March 12 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
March 13 Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
March 15 Phoenix, AZ @ The Rhythm Room
March 17-19 Austin, TX @ South By Southwest Music Festival
March 21 Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe
March 22 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
March 23 Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor
March 24 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
March 26 New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
March 27 Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear's Place
March 29 New York, NY @ Pianos NYC
March 30 Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room
March 31 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle

Michigan at CMJ

Last night I went to see some of my favorite Michigan bands at Union Pool. First up was Canada, who I hadn't seen before and had been wanting to see for a while. It seemed like a majority of the audience was also from Michigan, which was great because people were belting along to Canada's songs, which really emphasized the collaborative feeling of the band. It also helps that they rotate instruments and roles fairly frequently, so there isn't really a frontman or anything. I really enjoyed their performance and was glad I finally got to see them.

Next up was Chris Bathgate with an incredibly large band behind him, which was very different from the time I saw him play solo. I have to say I like him a great deal more with a band behind him. The fullness of his music really comes out when he has a band to play with, as opposed to just a looping pedal (as good as he was at utilizing that, it's just not the same as having 8 people on stage with you playing live).

Lastly (or well, lastly for me because I had to work in the morning so I left before the last band) was Frontier Ruckus, who came with their new album in tow. They were wonderful as usual. Gotta love any band that has a banjo and a saw. I'm very pleased with their new album, "The Orion Songbook," which has most of the songs from their old self-released EP, plus many new songs and a record label behind them (no longer does the album come in a DIY paper packet but in a real CD case). The setting felt a little less intimate than when I saw them at Living Room, but I still enjoyed their performance immensely and this time I could even sing along because I knew some of the songs.

The other great thing about the night was that the same faces came off and on stage all night - everyone was collaborating with each other and rotating roles. It's really great how everyone seems to really care about each other and about their music.

More photos here.

Look to the Trees [mp3] - Canada - "This Cursed House" (iTunes)
Every Wall You Own [mp3] - Chris Bathgate - "A Cork Tale Wake" (iTunes)
Adirondack Amish Holler [mp3] - Frontier Ruckus - "The Orion Songbook" (eMusic.com)

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