record of the year 2011

SIT RESIST - LAURA STEVENSON AND THE CANS

I was first exposed to this perpetually underrated songwriting through the first bomb the music industry release album minus band. The song FRRREEEEEEEEE BIIIIIIIRRRRRRD!!! FRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE BIIIIIIIIIRRRD!!!! caught my attention in a way that I couldn't describe. It wasn't till my obsession forced me to scour the liner notes when I realized that the x factor that made this song different than the others was an unfamiliar name, Ms. Laura "LSteve" Stevenson. For me, the release of sit resist means more than the songs which it contains, it speaks to the constantly inspiring relationship I've built with these wonderful people since I first wondered why Freebird stood out. Shortly after I entered college, the cans debuted "a record" on quote unquote records. This wasn't anything like the previous releases of qur, there was something familiar about this, but the use of simplicity was not. it was minimalistic, and refreshing, descriptors I rarely pair together. The recording was lo-fi, but not in the way that people usually set out to create, you can so clearly hear the sincerity. I think this is what causes most people to latch on to the music, and one of the many reasons I've grown to love these characters. My band first played with Laura and the Cans, alongside The Brass and Sean Bonette of Andrew Jackson Jihad, in support of Bomb the Music Industry's release of their album Scrambles. At this time, it made no sense to us as to why we would play with any of those groups on an individual basis, let alone on such a beautifully unique bill. Not to mention that the first time I listened to Scrambles, I started bawling somewhere around the wonderful contribution of Laura to the track Sort of Like Being Pumped. These were the harmonies as a first year music student, I would die to write. The stark difference of Jeff and Laura's voices, just made so much sense. Just as their split seven inch did when they released it later that summer. I can't think of how many times I played that seven over and over after purchasing it from Laura after they played the very first set of my first fest (8). I introduced myself and reminded her that we played together at their first Boston show, and she'd been across the whole gosh darn country with bomb and andrew jackson jihad since then. She was glad to be reacquainted as I struggled to express what that set or her music made me feel. I couldn't describe it, still sometimes I can't, as I affirm that they are a perpetually underrated band. The opening track to the bomb/laura split halloween 1 + 2, opens sit resist in a way that i find to be so appropriately re-recorded, as it really shows they leaps and bounds they had made since a record. Somewhere along the line, my band was in the studio under the production of Mr. Jeff and he mentioned that he was gonna play pretty regularly with the cans and that they'd be looking for some dates up our way pretty soon. This same night was the first time that my best friend adam played me brave little abacus's - masked dancers. I sat in the roxbury loft of Mr. Steve Foote as I heard I see it too for the first time, though I had heard a demo on a cd that adam had handed me after the scrambles release show. That was one of three tracks that I played endlessly. I can recall giving him sarcastic responses like "10 minutes.. really?? what are you guys a jam band or something". This is pertinent to my tale because this was when our lives both seemed to radically shift as though we suddenly shared the same aspirations. Of course we both aspire to be punk rock stars, but it just made so much sense to the both of us to book a date for the cans each. That weekend was such guilt free fun, and to this day still some of my favorite cans sets, that contain my earliest memories of the songs on sit resist. I couldn't help but feel like a groupie when I showed up to my third cans show in a row at "the castle" at brandies university. The night before, I'd convinced them to play pixies "wave of mutilation", they agreed- only on the condition that I brought my guitar and sang along with them. This being my favorite song at the time, and the cans being a contender for my favorite band, I couldn't be opposed to the idea. Fast forward to October of '10, I break my wrist just weeks before attending my second fest. When I awoke from surgery, I wasn't allowed to take pain killers quite yet and the drugs were starting to wear off as I struggled to hold back my uncontrollable tears. The thought of not being able to attend fest crossed my mind, the pain was truly settling in as I sobbed to my mother about how this was potentially the worst moment of my life. She insisted that I would be fine, and assured me that I would be given painkillers soon. I asked for my Ipod and I frantically searched for something but not just anything would suffice. I played "a record", and sobbed, now for multiple reasons. The comfort that this record offered, was so hauntingly beautiful. The next time I saw Laura, was The Wild's set at fest 9 (the first of that weekend). I couldn't believe how excited she was to see me, and I wondered what I did to deserve such wonderful people in my life. It took all weekend to come around to tell laura and mike my experience in that hospital bed. As again in such a cyclical fashion, I was in Gainesville trying to describe what this music meant to me and I was at a loss for words. At this point, most of the songs on sit release were in full rotation and I knew them by heart. I saw them a handful of times between then and the release and every time they brought more progress. Soon they would announce that Don Giovanni Records would put out the still untitled record and shortly after that I downloaded the first single "Master of Art" on the lables yearly sampler. This brought me back to brandies as we discussed pursuing our individual degrees, and trying to find the beauty in the mundane institutionalized study of art history and music. Now the cans were amongst company that I saw fit, certainly some of my favorite artists. In February of 2011, I caught another 3 cans shows, reaffirming the cyclical nature of my relationship with them. February was a particularly rough month for me emotionally. Those shows were certainly sparing moments. The first night at the Great Scott in Allston, I stood at the side of the stage when the cans played "peachy" for one of the first times. Laura looked to me for confidence, as I saw the uncertainty in her eyes. It was something that slowly I started to understand as I realized how vulnerable she was playing in that bar, especially in sections where she isn't backed by her band. It brought me back to the words of freebird, and really what it means to be a girl with a guitar in a bar playing to please mostly drunk people. Sometimes its hard for me to fully realize stage fright, but in situations like these it is quite obvious. The next show was at the university of new hampshire with bomb, bla and billy raygun, where a good number of college students heckled to play songs that were inappropriate, knowing the band. Not to say that naivety was the whole issue, but lets just say some things happen when certain people go off to college for the first time. The performances were stellar both of these nights, but the atmosphere not so much. Though there was a rather adventurous entrance to hotel room 311 later, that I'd say spared that night. The toughest thing about these two shows, was the fact that I could see them on a steady rise, while the attention they deserved struggled to catch up. But what made things come full circle was the third night in their native Brooklyn,New York- As one of the most prominently billed acts on the don giovanni records showcase. It was here that I saw them in their element, playing for their family and friends, and a near full room who for the most part held onto every note they played. Though I ventured down solo, I returned with my friend liz pelly who had worked previously with joe, who runs don giovanni. Liz was someone whose ability to connect with people over music, I have always been envious of. Needless to say, I was nervous for this five hour car ride. As soon as we got in the car, she suggested that we listen that we listen to the advance copy of sit/resist that she'd gotten from joe. This was the first time that I heard this record. I sat there and soaked in each track, realizing how each of them spelled out such distinct memories for me. Every time I listen through I recall each one so vividly, the good and the bad. I truly am honored to know these people, and so grateful that they have played such a positively motivating and comforting role in my life, musically and personally.