My #2 album of 2003, right behind New Porn's Electric Version, was Shine A Light, the Sub Pop debut by Guelph, Ontario's The Constantines. This disc was a splurge purchase I made @ the Fetus after reading a review of it on Pitchfork, and boy, it was a good one. It took a few listens for me to penetrate its dense post-punk, but the more I listened to it - the more I listened to it, the more I listened to it, etc. Really great stuff - I'm still shocked that it failed to make Pitchfork's year-end top 50.

MP3 The Constantines - "Arizona" from 2001's self-titled LP
MP3 The Constantines - "Young Lions" from Shine A Light
MP3 The Constantines - "Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright)" the 1st single from Shine A Light

BTW: A few additional downloads can be found @ their official site.

I managed to catch The Constantines @ the Triple Rock 10/1/03 (opening for the highly-overated IMO Weakerthans), and I can testify that they are definitely worth seeing. I'm still baffled as to how frontman Bry Webb manages to scratch out his best Springsteen impersonation "night after night." Here are some upcoming tourdates - catch 'em if you can:

Canada
Three Gut Records 4th Anniversary Tour
w/The Constantines and The Jim Guthrie Band

Apr 22 - Thunder Bay, ON SOUNDCHECKS
Apr 23 - Winnipeg, MB PYRAMID CABARET
Apr 24 - Saskatoon, SK LOUIS U OF
Apr 26 - Regina, SK THE STATE
Apr 27 - Calgary, AB CARPENTERS UNION HALL (AA)
Apr 28 - Canmore, AB CANMORE HOTEL
Apr 29 - Calgary, AB LIBERTY LOUNGE
Apr 30 - Edmonton, Ab SIDETRACK
May 01 - Edmonton, AB SEEDY'S
May 03 - Victoria, BC LOGAN'S
May 04 - Vancouver, BC BRICKYARD

U.S.A.
May 05 - Seattle, WA CROCODILE
May 06 - Portland, OR DANTE'S
May 08 - San Francisco, CA CAFE NuDORD
May 09 - Los Angeles, CA SPACELAND
May 10 - San Diego, CA CASBAH
May 11 - Tuscon, AZ CONGRESS
May 13 - Denton, TX TBA
May 14 - Austin, TX EMO'S *
May 15 - Austin, TX EMO'S *
May 17 - Lawrence, KS  THE JACKPOT +
May 18 - St Louis, MO THE ROCKIT BAR
May 19 - Chicago, IL EMPTY BOTTLE
May 21 - Ottawa, ON TULIP FESTIVAL

* w/Lungfish
+ w/Clinic

This entry was posted by mr gilbert at 4/20/2004 12:19:00 AM.