This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, March/April 2006 “I was surprised / I was happy for a day in 1975,” sang Stuart Murdoch in the opening of 1996’s Tigermilk. If Belle & Sebastian could see in 1996 how far they would come in ten years time, I’m sure they would be happy. With the recent release of The Life Pursuit , Belle & Sebastian have moved into a direction that no fan could have predicted when those 1000… Read More »Expectations: The Early songs of Belle & Sebastian

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, January/February 2006 Artist: The Meligrove Band | Label: V2 Records When bassist Michael Small spoke with Being There for our September 2005 issue and was asked to describe his band, he used the words  “better than a face infection.” Not the greatest endorsement, but apt to the self-deprecating humour of Toronto’s Meligrove Band. The Meligrove Band’s third release, Planets Conspire, is also their major label debut.  It was recorded with By Divine… Read More »The Meligrove Band – Planets Conspire

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, January/February 2006 Venue: The Rivoli in Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Date: January 4, 2006 A couple of months ago, Neko Case played Toronto with one of her bands, The New Pornographers.  I was at the show to review their performance, and gave it one of the worst reviews I’ve ever given. It hurt. I have now forgiven Neko Case, thanks to the fabulous show she performed to a sold-out crowd of 150.… Read More »Neko Case (Live) at The Rivoli in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, November/December 2005 Venue: the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, C | Date: October 9, 2005 Dear Ms. Case, We’ve seen each other before; it was 2001 and you were touring with your new band The New Pornographers. I had just recently picked up your new release, Mass Romantic, and I had a love affair with that album.  I spent a week with it, preparing myself for the glory of seeing you… Read More »THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS (Live) at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, Ontario

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, November/December 2005 Venue: The Social in Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Date: October 5, 2005 The Social, a small bar on Queen St. West, is one of the many symbols of today’s hipster culture prevailing in the Queen and Dufferin area of downtown Toronto. The small bar is filled with comfortable couches and chairs, feeling more like a coffee shop than a bar. Though the couches are great, having a lot of pillars… Read More »THE MELIGROVE BAND (PLUS THE BICYCLES) (Live) at The Social in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, November/December 2005 Artist: RICK WHITE | Label: Bluefog It’s hard to believe that Rick White can produce the vast amount of material that he releases every year, whether it’s Elevator (or its various incarnations), The Unintended, or now his first proper solo studio release. White previously released a set of records which were later compiled on one CD called Parts 1-3 as Elevator To Hell, mostly unaccompanied. Over forty albums are listed… Read More »RICK WHITE – The Rick White Album

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, November/December 2005 Venue: the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Date: October 10, 2005 What can you say about a Beatle? Well, there’s actually a lot to say, about all of them.  Paul McCartney has disappointed me many times in his career. Give My Regards To Broadstreet is perhaps the worst post-Beatle album, worse than Ringo’s I Wanna Be Santa Claus. “Ebony & Ivory” should not exist, and I can’t… Read More »PAUL MCCARTNEY (Live) at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, November/December 2005 Artist: LUKE DOUCET | Label: Six Shooter Recordings Alt.Country rocker Luke Doucet releases his third solo record, Broken (and other rogue states), and it’s a heartbreaker. Break-up albums are always hit or miss; it’s hard to capture emotions that strong in song without hitting cliché, but Doucet fortunately avoids this on Broken. “If I wallow here / it’s my history to burn / these are my lessons to learn,” sings… Read More »LUKE DOUCET – Broken (and Other Rogue States)

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, November/December 2005 Australian indie-rock combo Youth Group have been making some waves in America, thanks to the success of their second album, Skeleton Jar, which is also their first North American release. Youth Group was formed in 1998 by primary songwriter and guitarist Toby Martin and drummer Danny Allen. Though the band has seen a lot of line up changes in their bass players and guitarists, Martin and Allen are still going… Read More »Hidden in a Skeleton Jar

This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive. By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, November/December 2005 Venue: The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Date: October 14, 2005 Give me a little banjo to throw the blues away. Playing their brand of “death country,” as too many people have been calling it, Elliott Brood packed Toronto’s legendary Horseshoe Tavern to officially launch their new record Ambassador. The CD release party had the band playing most of the tracks from their debut full-length disc and a… Read More »ELLIOTT BROOD (Live) at The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, Ontario, Canada