Field Trip 2017 Preview

Field Trip 2017 Preview
In 2013, Toronto’s Arts & Crafts Records celebrated its tenth anniversary with a one-day event of its artists, Field Trip. Like Arts & Crafts, Field Trip has only grown, stretching across labels & days & continents. It comes to Toronto’s Historic Fort York & Garrison Common, Saturday & Sunday, June 3rd & 4th:

SATURDAY, JUNE 3rd

Broken Social Scene Since being part of the indie-rock ‘Canadian Invasion’ over a decade ago, Toronto’s Broken Social Scene (QRO live review outdoors) have also become one of the most sought-after festival bands (QRO photos at a festival) in the alternative music arena (QRO spotlight on), whether indoors at industry showcases (QRO photos at a festival) – including the inaugural Field Trip (QRO photos) or outdoors at more traditional fests (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), to the point where they’re headlining (QRO photos headlining a festival). Fronted by singer/guitarists Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning (QRO interview), this giant collective includes The Apostle of Hustle (QRO spotlight on), Andrew Whiteman (QRO interview), musical mad scientist Charles Spearin (QRO interview) of Do Make Say Think (QRO photos at a festival), Justin Peroff of Eight and a Half (QRO live review), and a rotating female vocalist spot that’s included Emily Haines (QRO solo album review) of Metric (QRO live review), Day Two’s Leslie Feist (see below) XXX (QRO live review), Elizabeth Powell (QRO interview) of Land of Talk (QRO spotlight on), and more. While the previous releases were ‘BSS Presents:’ albums focused on Drew (Spirit If… – QRO review) and Canning (Something For All of Us… – QRO review), 2010’s Forgiveness Rock Record (QRO review) was a return to the Broken Social Scene (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), and their live show (QRO live review outdoors) has included everything from Forgiveness songs like “Meet Me In the Basement” (QRO video) Spearin’s fascinating Happiness Project (QRO review) to the old ‘hits’ like “K.C. Accidental” (QRO video) and “Fire Eyed Boy” (QRO video) – as well as numerous guest stars (QRO photos). 2017 looks to be a big year for the band (QRO photos at a festival), with the new Hug of Thunder coming out in June, a packed touring schedule (QRO photos), and more – including more on stage, as there’s gonna be tons for the guest-packed new album, especially as it’s a hometown festival (QRO photos outdoors at a Toronto festival).

A Tribe Called Red Mixing world music and modern dubstep/hip-hop, Canada’s A Tribe Called Red (QRO photos) has three DJs bringing First Nations powwow to the dance club scene – and the festival scene, like at Field Trip ’14 (QRO photos at Field Trip ’14).

Portugal. The Man Field Trip draws from even farther up north with Alaska’s Portugal. The Man (QRO photos at a festival). The rambling grunge outfit garnered new fans with 2007 sophomore release Church Mouth (QRO review), and its unhinged alt-rock (QRO live review), though slipped somewhat since then, even while finally playing Europe (QRO photos at a European festival) and becoming a festival favorite (QRO photos at a festival). Their major label debut In the Mountain In the Cloud (QRO review) was more psych-lite, but they still bring it live (QRO live review), and even went Down Under (QRO photos at a festival) after 2013’s release of follow-up Evil Friends (QRO review), hitting both the festival circuit (QRO photos at a 2013 festival) and live gigs (QRO 2013 live review). They come to Field Trip in the run-up to the mid-June release of Woodstock.

The Pharcyde The Pharcyde (QRO photos at a festival) had one the classic nineties hip-hop records, Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde. They come to Field Trip on their ‘TransCyde Express’ Tour.

Matt Mays From The Guthries and Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Matt Mays’s solo release Coyote won the 2014 Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year.

Cloud Nothings Young Dylan Baldi (QRO photos) throws back to music older than he as Cloud Nothings (QRO live review) with 2012’s Attack On Memory (QRO review), 2014’s Here and Nowhere Else (QRO review), and this year’s Life Without Sound (QRO review), and brings his power-pop to Field Trip (QRO photos at a festival).

Joseph Sisters Allison, Meagan, and Natalie Closner form Portland’s Joseph (QRO photos) have been getting serious notice for their folk sound, including at festivals (QRO photos at a festival).

Tei Shi From the other side of the Americas in Buenos Aires, songstress Tei Shi (QRO photos) brings her self-described “mermaid music” from this year’s full-length debut Crawl Space to Field Trip (QRO photos at a festival).

Royal Canoe From Winnipeg in central Canada comes the indie-pop Royal Canoe (QRO photos at a festival), most recently with last year’s Something Got Lost Between Here and the Orbit.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 4th

Phoenix There are a precious few bands out there who you can’t understand anyone not loving, and one of them is Phoenix (QRO live review). The Versailles outfit (QRO interview – that’s oddly where all the French indie acts come from…) built and built their indie-pop songcraft throughout this century/millennium (including getting a song on the Lost In Translation soundtrack – and singer Thomas Mars would later marry the director, Sofia Coppola), with greater and greater international success (QRO live review), but broke through into the tops (QRO live review) with 2009’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (QRO review), which saw them win such acclaims as the Grammy for Best Alternative Album – and QRO’s #1 Album of 2009. It was been a tough wait for the band (QRO photos) to return, but return they did (QRO spotlight on), and in full force, with 2013’s highly anticipated Bankrupt! (QRO review) and big shows (QRO live review) to headlining festivals from California’s Coachella to Catalonia’s Primavera Sound to fellow-Francophone Osheaga (QRO photos at Osheaga) to New York’s Governors Ball (QRO photos at Governors Ball) to Los Angeles’ FYF (QRO photos outdoors). The band disappeared again, only to return again this year behind the following Friday’s again highly anticipated Ti Amo.

Feist When Canadian indie broke out, no one broke out more so than Leslie Feist with iPod ad tune “1,2,3,4” and The Reminder (QRO review). Putting some bossanova into accomplished indie, she even flirted with Stephen Colbert (QRO live review of the NYC show right after that). After all the attention, Feist (QRO photos) took some time off, but returned with a flourish in 2011 (QRO live review) thanks to the well-received follow-up Metals (QRO review). Another disappearance, another highly anticipated return with this year’s more challenging Pleasure (QRO review), and now comes home to Canada (QRO photos at a festival), after playing the inaugural Field Trip (QRO photos at Field Trip ‘13).

BADBADNOTGOOD The Toronto trio BADBADNOTGOOD (QRO photos at Field Trip ’14) are known for incorporating hip-hop into their music, and have collaborated with the Odd Future (QRO live review) likes of Tyler, the Creator (QRO album review) and Frank Ocean, and most recently the one-and-only Ghostface Killah (QRO photos together at a festival).

Thundercat Known for his psychedelic excursions, Thundercat (QRO photos at a festival) recently worked with the likes of Flying Lotus (QRO live review) on his newest album, Until the Quiet Comes. He has been compared to the likes of Jaco Pastorius for his precise and experimental basslines.

James Vincent McMorrow Irish songwriter James Vincent McMorrow (QRO photos) has been hypnotizing his listeners with his ethereal vocals and timeless melodies. Last year he released third record We Move – and his cover of Chris Isaak’s classic “Wicked Game” was used in the trailer for the sixth season of Game of Thrones.

Timber Timbre Brooklin, Ontario’s Taylor Kirk goes the stripped, alt-folk sound that they seem to know better how to do in Canada than anywhere else (QRO photos at a Canadian festival), as Timber Timbre (QRO photos at a Canadian festival). While sophomore release Creep On Creepin’ On (QRO review) came a little late in 2011, it was nonetheless instantly long-listed for the prestigious Polaris Prize. He comes back to Field Trip behind this year’s Sincerely, Future Pollution – this might be the perfect time to indulge in a little sinister charm (QRO photos).

LP Laura Pergolizzi, a.k.a. LP (QRO photos), has written for the big-name pop likes of Cher, Backstreet Boys, Rihanna, and Christina Aguilera (and before all that, the secret track “Cinderella” on 1998’s Gentleman’s Blues from Cracker – QRO spotlight on). More recently she released Lost On You – and her song “Muddy Waters” was featured in an emotional scene from the fourth season finale of Orange Is the New Black.

Hannah Georgas With only a handful of demos to her name, Hannah Georgas (QRO interview) left the college life behind and took the chance that everyone who plays an instrument mulls over at one time or another. Thankfully, that chance turned into the chance of a lifetime, with Georgas (QRO photos at a festival) getting international airplay and touring across the continent (QRO photos). It would be entirely unfair to attribute any of her success to luck – instead, Georgas owes her new career path to witty lyrics, poppy writing, and a truly undeniable charm. The Juno Award winner (QRO spotlight on) comes to Field Trip behind last year’s For Evelyn.

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