Library Voices w/ In-Flight Safety @ The Exchange

Library Voices are a pop band from Regina. According to the t-shirts at the merch table they are "pop as fuck," which I presume is about as pop as you can get. However, after seeing them for presumably the eighth or ninth time, Library Voices are definitely "pop" in the classic sense of the world. These guys and gals are definitely more Talking Heads than Britney Spears.

It's been a few months since I've seen Library Voices in action and they didn't disappoint. They keep getting better and better as a live act, and they were fantastic right from the get go. The band has been trimmed down to "only" eight members from the ten or so they have had in the past, which may be a contributing factor in the band sounding a little more tight musically.

One of the standard criticisms of indie rock is that most of the bands don't put on a show, preferring to gaze at their shoes. While this is true in some cases, Library Voices definitely cannot be accused of this. The entire band just oozes energy. It's obvious the band is having a blast onstage every time they perform and this fun energy is contagious. Primary singer, Carl Johnson, has so much natural charisma and the rest of the band follows suit. Simply put, the band knows how to put on one helluva show.

No matter how good their show is, the main reason Library Voices have been getting so much buzz from the likes of Spin is that they write and perform absolutely killer tunes. Their lyrics are intelligent, referencing Kurt Vonnegut and Tom Waits, and are delivered with undeniable pop sensibilities. It should be a crime that a band should have this many hooks in their songs. They played most of the tracks from their debut EP, Hunting Ghosts & Other Collected Stories, and a good chunk of new songs from their forthcoming album. While I'm not familiar with the titles for these new songs, every new song was instantly memorable. Every song could conceivably be a single. In particular, I was blown away with a song about an apocalyptic dance party, possibly called "2012."

I also noticed that their newer songs are a lot punchier, showcasing a lot more soft/loud dynamics reminiscent of the Pixies. This is particularly noticeable in their new single "Drinking Games," which the band recently shot a music video for.

Halifax's In-Flight Safety opened up the night, putting on a really solid 10 song set of jangly guitar pop with an 80's new wave influence. I was only familiar with a video these guys put out a few years ago, "Somebody's Been Watching You." However, perhaps because the song is a bit of a dirge, the band excluded it from the set and focused instead on more uptempo and danceable material. The guys from In-Flight Safety later joined Library Voice onstage for an unbelievable cover of Neil young's "Unknown Legend." These two bands are midway through a cross Canada tour so a certain camaraderie has been established between the members and it certainly showed during this song. It was probably the highlight of the night.

Below are clips of Library Voices' "Step Off The Map And Float" and In-Flight Safety's "Model Homes."

...submitted by JJ