In 2005, the Canadian edition of Time Magazine said that The Arcade Fire "helped put Canadian music on the map." Musician Brendan Reed is a former member of The Arcade Fire, and his new project Clues has benefited from the increased exposure to Canadian audiences.
After the Powder Kegs and Castanets show on Oct. 25, Friday Night Rock returns this Friday with Clues and fellow French-Canadians Elfin Saddle.
Clues was formed last year in Montreal by Reed, Alden Penner and Bethany Or and now also features Ben Broden, Lisa Gamble and Nick Scribner, other Montreal musicians.
This is the first project for Penner since his last band, The Unicorns, broke up in 2004. Or is a member of the alternative folk group Shanghai Triad.
From Penner, the group gets the same catchy pop sound that he contributed to The Unicorns, and Reed brings the mixed sounds that listeners will recognize from The Arcade Fire's modern baroque pop that sounds orchestral. What brings Penner, Reed and Or together more than anything else, however, is their appreciation for music of past generations.
Or's band Shanghai Triad particularly emulates jazz and blues from 1920s and '30s Shanghai.
"They like to incorporate old music," FNR publicity manager Caroline Brandt '09 said. "Their appreciation really adds to their music. It's a nice sound, and it's a bit unexpected from music these days."
"Perfect Fit," a song released by Clues before their current tour, is a perfect example, featuring a piano introduction that greatly resembles the Shanghai Triad jazz sound and catchy lyrics sung by Penner that are close to The Unicorns in style.
Clues and Elfin Saddle tour together thanks to Villa Villa Nola, a web site Penner created to promote Montreal musicians beyond the city.
Since the site featured both bands, and they share a traditional folk music influence, he thought they would be compatible on tour.
"Clues contacted us about a show," Christopher Geddis '10, FNR mooking manager, said. "We had some of their old recordings, and they sounded good. And the fact that a member was part of The Arcade Fire and another was part of The Unicorns was really a plus."
The opening act, Elfin Saddle, is an experimental folk duo comprised of Emi Honda and Jordan McKenzie. Honda, from Japan, met McKenzie in Victoria, Canada in 2006, and, soon after, the group moved to Montreal.
Honda brings a significant Japanese folk music influence to Elfin Saddle. This cultural influence, combined with McKenzie's background playing of self-made instruments, lends the group an experimental sound.
On "Roof Song," the band produces a continuous, heavy drumbeat while Honda sings in Japanese, and McKenzie follows with a translated English version. The drumbeat resembles traditional Japanese folk music in rhythm, however, the sound -- hollow rather than a solid thump -- is much different, with Honda's ukulele adding a twist.
"They sound like Japanese Lord of the Rings," Brandt said. "It's really different and interesting. You wouldn't really pair those two things normally."
In another song, "Her Hail," a drumbeat similar to that of "Roof Song" blends with the melody McKenzie plays on accordion, producing what sounds like the theme of a fantasy video game. Honda's nonverbal vocals carry over the melody.
"They're unlike anything we've had at FNR before," Brandt said. "It was a good opportunity to listen to some different, unique music. We're really excited about having them."
Elfin Saddle opens for Clues on Friday at 9:00 at Fuel, in the basement of the Collis Center.
