Axis of Conversation

Memorial Hall by Axis of Conversation These days won’t...

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:44:00 -0600

These days won’t last. Use these months to ride around in search of blurry places with the ones you love. Bury secrets in kisses and make incidental memories. Look for the meaning when you’re older. Take this song with you, while you can. It will soon disappear, only to return with others at an undetermined date. Sadly, the next time ~~probably~~ won’t be for free.

We love you. Happy summer.

AxiCon

DOWNLOAD MEMORIAL HALL BY CLICKING ON THE DOWN-ARROW IN THE SOUNDCLOUD WIDGET ABOVE. OR CLICK HERE:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ail2p3

Email us at booking@axisofconversation.com if you run into problems.

‘Don’t Tell Anyone’. Broken City, YYC.

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:48:24 -0600

‘Don’t Tell Anyone’. Broken City, YYC.

Hello. This is us in a lit-up tree. If you’re a member of...

Mon, 10 May 2010 13:06:01 -0600

Hello. This is us in a lit-up tree. If you’re a member of the press and you’re looking for high-res photos, please visit our EPK.

We are recording. It might take a while. Photos will be added...

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

We are recording. It might take a while. Photos will be added here. You’ll have to scroll down.

All We Make Is Enemies All lyrics © Chris dela Torre...

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:49:00 -0700

All We Make Is Enemies

All lyrics © Chris dela Torre (SOCAN)

All We Make Is Enemies

This is the dance of the empty promise. This is the sound of our breaking bones. This is the dream that we threw in the fire. We did it all for the failure of love. It was a dream. I fell up the stairs and through the window and back to where everything began. Are you alive? Or are you a ghost with an alien charm and the illusion of calm? But it was a dream. It was only a dream. If you’re unable to talk just try waving your arms and I’ll know what you mean. The things we threw away, they all came back again to reclaim their space and original names. You keep locking the door I keep walking in. You keep giving more, I never wanted it. You keep locking the door, I keep walking in. You were right. I couldn’t wait and you were waiting in vain. All this time, I couldn’t wait. You were waiting in vain. Stop talking to me. Don’t go.

The Pull (Morgan Greenwood Mix)

There’s a pull of will and a pull of love. We spin our heels until we’re stuck. We all want to be the one to rise above. We all want the things we want to be enough.

Ladders and Snakes

I took a vow of perpetual poverty. Now I’ve got everybody thinking something’s wrong with me. I took a vow of perpetual poverty. They’re saying ‘what were you thinking?’ I’m thinking something’s wrong with you. I counted five six seven-hundred ladders and snakes. You know the market value’s climbing. Baby, act your age. We’ve got prostitutes cleaning off their dinner plates. See baby, that’s what it comes to. So tell me, what are you going to do? Oh Love, don’t turn on the light. I’ve been losing this fight all my life. It’s a concrete building in the downtown core. We’ve got a cozy little carpet on the hardwood floor. You know this inner-city living can be such a chore, but you’re friends don’t come over cuz’ your neighbourhood is such a bore. I took a vow of perpetual poverty. Now I’ve got everybody thinking something’s wrong with me. I took a vow of perpetual poverty. They’re saying ‘what were you thinking?’ Well, I’m thinking something’s wrong with me. Oh Love, don’t turn on the light. We’ve got to keep it together. Just keep it together. Forever and ever. We’ve got to keep it together.

Delusions of Safety All lyrics (c) Chris dela Torre...

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:34:00 -0700

Delusions of Safety

All lyrics (c) Chris dela Torre (SOCAN)

Readymade Heart Attack

This is where you’ll always want to be. This room has everything you need. There’ll be no reason or desire to leave. This exit must always stay closed. Boarded-up doors and corridors. These barred-up windows remain closed for your protection. No worries no cares no money no bills no friends no lover don’t be late you’re on your own you’re on your own but don’t panic now it’s far too late. We’ve come prepared. It took the whole year, but your lover guards the door with all her heart. We came to mourn. Forbidden and forlorn. We ache for days when everyone would say to you ‘we’re sorry but the drugs, they just don’t work. We’re sorry but they only make things worse.’

They Can See Your Ghost

‘Children! Listen! Leave the suburbs! Children! Listen! Leave the suburbs, where culture goes to die!’. So I read in the morning paper. That’s outdated and archaic. A goddamn betamax. I wasn’t built for the modern world. I’m outdated. I wasn’t built for the modern world. I wasn’t built for these modern girls. I’ll just say it, I’m outdated. A goddamn beta. Men and women in the suburbs. Living, competing with another. Just listen to each other.

Don’t Be Alarmed (there’s a carcass)

You packed up all your things and laid them down beside the dying plants and hallway lamp that saved me more than once from a drunken fall in the dark. A beat-up suitcase and some old photographs with colours fading, they look so much older than they really are. Now that they wilted in the flood. Don’t be alarmed but they’ve found a carcass down where the crows fly ‘round in circles up above. That old light in the hall, we’ll keep it on in hopes your ghost can make it home. You packed up all your things and you threw them down and dug a hole beside the one thing that could make you think of me: the only tree without its leaves. It’s all you had to do. I’ve got the same excuse.

Autumn In Juilliard

Well, I can see you now. How you were hanging around. Oh, how I cramped your style. I really cramped your style. To watch you blow your load and put a stain on your coat. They’re spending all that dough to see your spectacle. This is not the way it was back in the day when you were young. This is not the way it was in Juilliard. And with your knitted scarf, it made you look so smart. A European car. An intellectual heart. I watched you play the part. You made it past the guards. They’re spending all that dough to see your stupid show. This is not the way it was back in the day when you were young. This is not the way it was in Juilliard.

Stop The Car

Don’t get in your car or travel on your own. There’s trouble on the road. I’ve got this crazy feeling you better stay home. You better stay home tonight. Something’s just not right. I’ve had this crazy dream for the past few nights. Flashing coloured lights. I can’t believe you bought it when they told you I was lying to make you stay the night. That’s fine. Believe what you like. But if you’ve got to go, I don’t ever want to know who you’re with or what you’ve done. If you’ve got to go, I just want to let you know that I won’t pick you up again.

L’Axis de la Conversation

‘Hi.’ ’Uh, hi.’

The Pull

There’s a pull of will and a pull of love. We spin our heels until we’re stuck. We all want to be the one to rise above. We all want the things we want to be enough. I don’t ask for much. Save your pennies cuz’ your dreams are about to come true. Just pray you never come to. We all want to be in love with what we want. We all want the things we want to be enough. I don’t ask for much. Just live by your heart and not the clock that winds you up. And I want love.

Christian Science

Have you thought about me? Or thought a little more on what you’ve done? How’s it stand without me? Jesus, where’ve you gone? And if I sing that story that brought you here, will it cancel out the burdens and burns you got from me? And if I resurrect the story that brought you here, will I get apologetic and pledge undying loyalty? Where’s your loyalty? Oh the lines you scored, the smile you wore behind the back door. You were hiding. Yeah, I knew before they found you on the floor that you were lying. So I got high. As always, I got high and kept on flying. I don’t know. Oh here we go. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say. And I’ll be watching you and everything you say.

There’s Hope For You Yet (just kidding) All lyrics (c)...

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0700

There’s Hope For You Yet (just kidding)

All lyrics (c) Chris dela Torre (SOCAN).

L’axis de la Conversation

(Hi). [Um, hi.]

Dizzy and Drunk With Love

I go for long walks alone (me and my headphones), strolling real slow, no particular place to go. I’m just unwinding my mind like slow-mo convoes. Me and my girl on the phone lost in translation like Sophia Co. I tell her I love her and hang up the telephone. The pressures of life, they got us down real low. Together forever? These things I don’t know. Check it out. Ooh…no. So with my minidisc and mini-mic I press ‘record’. Ambient street sounds, commit to tape now. And you can’t stop starting and it just don’t stop. And it can’t stop starting and it just don’t stop. It’s the excuse I use not to commit to you, instead I keep talking about the tapes in my head. You can’t stop starting and it just don’t stop. No, you can’t stop starting and it just don’t stop. The time and the place in your life what a waste cuz’ I lie to your face. I’m dizzy and drunk with love.

The Pull

Homemade Hearts / Highway Arteries

There could have been a situation, but I was thinking on my feet. We just avoided a disaster, unless of course, I’m still asleep. And if I am, can you remember to wake me please? But if I’m not, I’ll say I’ll miss you all, but I’m glad I’m gone. You’ll never know how close I’ve come. You’ve got your mother’s milky skin and your father’s rotting teeth, and I love you like a childhood memory. I’ll miss you all, I’m glad I’m gone. You’ll never know how close I’ve come.

Parasite

These things I feel for you, they cut me up in pieces. When you told me of your guilty truth, I wished so badly I could hurt you. We lived inside each other. We lost ourselves and left our souls to burn. You were my angel, always overly inviting. Forgot everything we needed when I sewed my heart into your hands. The eyes of everyone told us we never had to give this up. You always had the gift of changing every colour in me. Cling to imaginary shadows just so they could throw me out in the rain to realize I’m just as breakable as you. I told myself I was your hero and you couldn’t be without me kissing your tears, making you new again. The eyes of everyone had no idea we were breaking down. Parasite good night parasite I’m tired. I’m tired, good night.

The Push by cellphone.

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:45:00 -0700

The Push by cellphone.

Jangle jangle.

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:26:00 -0700

Jangle jangle.

RUMOURS

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:25:00 -0700

July 13, 2010

We know we haven’t been very visible this year, especially for those of you who live somewhere other than downtown Calgary. We are confident that next year will be very different.

As a sign of good faith and a celebration of summer (even though it’s literally f-ing hailing the size of golf balls here), we’d like to offer you a brand new song for free. It’s called ‘Memorial Hall’. It’s about looking back with the opposite of regret.

Go get it while it’s there. It will quickly disappear, much like freak hailstorms in July.

Click on the colourful picture that says ‘Memorial Hall’ (obviously). Scroll down all the way to the bottom and you’ll find it. ALL the way down. Yes.

xoxo.CdT

____________________

May 13, 2010

The Calgary Folk Festival announced its 2010 lineup yesterday. As you may have heard, Axis of Conversation is part of it. This means we can say we’ve shared a stage with the likes of St. Vincent, Stars, Roberta Flack, Ian Tyson, etc. Weird, huh?

We’ve known about this for sometime, but we weren’t allowed to make any official announcements about it until now. Keeping this news a secret has been very difficult. It was like holding a geyser of joy in your pants for 3 months. Not sure what that means.

But at last, we can shout our excitement from the digital rooftops. It’s accurate to say we feel somewhat like this.

____________________

Apr 18, 2010

So, when I sat down to write a new post yesterday, I totally meant to tell you about our plans for the May 13 show. Instead, I ended up going off about Record Store Day and who knows whatever else. Sorry.

I originally had a solo show booked at Broken City for May 13, but I’ve decided to bring (most) of the band with me and make it an AxiCon thing. Matt’s on tour with one of his other 229384 bands (can’t remember which one), so we’re gonna do this one without him.

We haven’t begun rehearsals for this show yet, but the plan is to beatbox all of the ‘drums’/percussion and make loops with our Kaoss Pads, and essentially rebuild the songs from there. If any of you saw our shows at Karma Arts House (R.I.P.) in 2006, you may remember that we took a similar approach back then (only with much more nervousness) — I still remember playing the Kaoss Pad with my feet at the release party for ‘There’s Hope For You Yet (just kidding)’ all those years ago.

Anyway, you should plan on being there. It’ll be…something…not sure what, exactly…

CdT

____________________

Apr 17, 2010

Today is Record Store Day. I hope you found the time to visit an independent music retailer in your area to take advantage of all the awesome stuff made available especially for today. I managed to pick up the last copy of Deerhoof’s ‘Green Cosmos’ re-issue at Sloth Records. I think it’s the first time this awesome 15-minute record has been made available on vinyl. Green vinyl, no less. Yum.

You might be wondering how our recording is going. We’ve decided to work on songs in batches of 3 or 4 at a time. Batch #1 is almost finished — I have some backwards glockenspiels and voices to cut up for the intro of one of the tracks and it’ll be ready for mixing, which means they’ll be ready for people’s ears very soon.

It’s a pretty weird way of working for us. After the next few batches of songs are put to tape, we’ll be onto songs that, at this very moment, don’t actually exist. You see, we’ve vowed to lock ourselves away and create things together in their entirety as a group, which is an, um, entirely new way of working for us. I’m a little nervous. Not gonna lie. That’s nothing against the band — in fact, there’s no one who’s talents and instincts I would trust more to work in such a manner. It’s just that it’s a pretty naked way to work, you know? I’ve always liked that no one knew what I was singing about until I actually printed lyrics somewhere, but I guess there’s a lesson to be learned from every toddler on this planet: it’s good to be naked sometimes.

What I’m trying to say is things are still going very well. I’ll post more pictures from the recordings in the next day or two. I’m sure you’ve figured out where we’re keeping these pictures by now.

Xo.C

____________________

Mar 21, 2010

This is a setlist from last month. The diehards among you would know we’ve already started sneaking new music into our shows. There may not be diehards among you. In any case, new music is being documented, played back and agonizingly poured over, and we’ll continue to post photos from our recording sessions here on the site. I know it’s early, but things are already sounding far better than I expected them to sound. We’re taking this as a good sign.

CdT

____________________

Mar 14, 2010

Today, we officially started putting some new music to tape. Our old friend & former bandmate Cody Coates is handling the nob-twiddling and board-manning.

This is pretty much all we can tell you: we’re recording an undetermined amount of music at some studio somewhere, and we don’t know when you can hear it. I wish we could say more. Just know that we are fully committed to losing sleep, keeping secrets and telling necessary lies in order to make the best recordings we can possibly make.

Anyway, we love you. We hope to see you at the shows (Think About Life! Friendo! Beija Flor! [visit the ‘Shows’ section]). We’ll talk soon.

Chris

____________________

Feb 16, 2010

We have new songs. Lots of them. We’re hard at work in our basement, and CdT has been making home demos, often with the help of his 23-month-old co-producer (not pictured).

Beginning Feb 20 @ the Marquee Room, there’ll be lots of shows in our home city and province this spring. We have an upcoming recording to pay for, you know. We hope you can make it to a show or two — in exchange for your support, we’ll do our best to make it worth your while.

Also, watch for a LYRICS section here on our page in the near future.

____________________

Jan 21, 2010

Despite what it says under ‘release date’, All We Make Is Enemies is now available through the iTunes store, as of TODAY! We recommend you pick it up — I promise it will be the best $2.97 you’ve ever spent.

That’s right. It costs less than your latte.

xo, CdT

____________________

Jan 19, 2010

Happy New Year to you. At least ten different people on ten different occasions have told us they’ve heard we’re coming out with a new album.

We’ve made no official announcement about this, so it’s fantastic news to us!

We are recording this spring. We will also play some new songs at many upcoming shows in western Canada. Please stay close to the Shows page.

Thank you for being here.

CdT

L’Axis de la Conversation / We Make Dew Old Song + New...

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:55:00 -0700

L’Axis de la Conversation / We Make Dew

Old Song + New Song + George W. Bush.

Live @ Broken City Social Club in Calgary, AB. Feb 13, 2009.

DISCOGRAPHY

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:17:00 -0700

Click on album art to purchase.

ALL WE MAKE IS ENEMIES

CATALOG: AX002

FORMAT: 7” coloured vinyl + MP3s / M4A (iTunes) / MP3

RELEASE DATE: June 2009 (tour), Feb 2010 (Canada, iTunes + online)

TRACKLISTING:

1) All We Make Is Enemies

2) The Pull (Morgan Greenwood Mix)

3) Ladders and Snakes

DELUSIONS OF SAFETY

CATALOG: AX001

FORMAT: CD / M4A (iTunes) / MP3

RELEASE DATE: September 2007

TRACKLISTING:

1) Readymade Heart Attack

2) They Can See Your Ghost

3) Don’t Be Alarmed (there’s a carcass)

4) Autumn In Juilliard

5) Stop The Car

6) L’Axis de la Conversation

7) The Pull

8) Christian Science

THERE’S HOPE FOR YOU YET (JUST KIDDING)*

CATALOG: (none)

FORMAT: handpainted CD-R

RELEASE DATE: Oct 2006

TRACKLISTING:

1) L’Axis de la Conversation

2) Dizzy and Drunk With Love

3) The Pull

4) Homemade Hearts / Highway Arteries

5) Parasite

*This recording is currently out of print.

BIO

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:24:00 -0700

Axis of Conversation is a broken-hearted dance party of strings, samples and stolen noises covered in Canadian snow.

Falling somewhere between Bowie, Brahms, The Books and Broken Social Scene, it’s a band that’s (thankfully) pretty difficult to pigeonhole. Perhaps it’s easiest to call it a band full of surprises. If you’re familiar with its introspective recordings and you’re seeing it live for the first time, you might be a bit shocked to find a confident collective in full control of the sweat-soaked dancefloor at its feet. Yet, that’s exactly what you’d find.

Since forming in late 2006, Axis of Conversation has grown from one to six members, and is now comprised of equal parts Filipinos and quasi-Ukrainians. What? The band has also become a sleeper-hit at several major Canadian music festivals, including the Vancouver Jazz Festival, Calgary’s Sled Island and NXNE in Toronto — the latter of which proclaiming Axis of Conversation among its top 60 acts. Not bad for a festival with a lineup of over 500 bands.

To coincide with last summer’s Canadian tour, Axis of Conversation made its first foray into the world of vinyl with the 7” release, All We Make Is Enemies. Never to alienate those that missed out on those golden evenings, the mini-EP will be available in Canadian record shops and through iTunes beginning February 2010.

Axis of Conversation has shared the stage with Dave Bidini (The Rheostatics), Hey Rosetta!, Snailhouse (Belle Orchestre), The Most Serene Republic, The Pack A.D., Woodpigeon, Rubik, Arkells and members of Bedouin Soundclash.

EMAIL: booking (at) axisofconversation (dot) com

EPK

MYSPACE

FACEBOOK

All We Make Is Enemies is a 3-song mini-EP, lovingly pressed on...

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:48:00 -0700

All We Make Is Enemies is a 3-song mini-EP, lovingly pressed on 7” coke bottle green vinyl.

It’s title track is the sound of impatient hands and a heavy conscience, and possibly the most accurate studio document of Axis of Conversation’s live show.

Side B (‘The Pull [Morgan Greenwood Mix]’) is a spastic and somber reinterpretation of the band’s quietest ballad by Morgan Greenwood, the chief architect behind Absolutely Kosher’s ambient pop darlings Azeda Booth.

The third track (available via bonus download) is ‘Ladders and Snakes’ — a light-hearted account of Calgary’s struggles with urban sprawl and downtown hipster migration, uniting a honky-tonk stomp with an inner-city beatbox.

All We Make Is Enemies is available now by visiting HERE.

You can also find it as a download through various online music sites (including iTunes), and in record stores across Canada beginning February 2010.

For more, please visit our DISCOGRAPHY.

SHOWS

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:08:00 -0600

July 22, 2010 - CJSW FM’s ‘Pillage The Village’ (interview + performance, 12-2pm)

July 24, 2010 - Calgary Folk Festival Session w/ Dan Mangan & Samantha Savage-Smith [Prince’s Island Park, 10:30am]. Calgary, AB.

July 25, 2010 - Calgary Folk Festival Concert w/ Chris Gheran [Prince’s Island Park, 10:30am]. Calgary, AB.

July 25, 2010 - Calgary Folk Festival Session w/ Honeybear & OX [Prince’s Island Park, 12:20pm]. Calgary, AB.

July 25, 2010 - Cantos Music Foundation [3pm]. Calgary, AB.

PAST SHOWS

June 8, 2010 - MacEwan Ballroom (opening for Thrice, Kevin Devine)

May 13, 2010 - Broken City w/ Digits, Bonnaventure James. Calgary, AB

Apr 3, 2010 - The Palomino (opening for Think About Life), Calgary AB

Mar 27, 2010 - Local 522 (Beija Flor’s last show), Calgary AB

Mar 20, 2010 - HiFi Club (w/ Friendo), Calgary AB

Feb 21, 2010 - Vicious Circle, Calgary AB

Feb 20, 2010 - Marquee Room (w/ Ryan Bourne), Calgary AB

Dec 19, 2009 - The Palomino w/ The Brenda Vaqueros, Calgary AB

Dec 12, 2009 - [Beatles Cover Benefit] w/ Woodpigeon, SAVK Calgary AB

Oct 2, 2009 - [CdT Solo] The Palomino w/ Rubik, The Ghost Is Dancing Calgary AB

July 30, 2009 - Broken City w/ Here Is What Is, Fox Opera Calgary AB

July 23, 2009 - The Palomino w/ The Lovely Feathers Calgary AB

July 19, 2009 - Vicious Circle Calgary AB

July 3, 2009 - Cafe Deux Soleils Vancouver BC

July 2, 2009 - Vancouver Jazz Festival: Media Club Vancouver BC

June 25, 2009 - Sled Island Festival: The Palomino Calgary AB

June 22, 2009 - The Club Regina SK

June 18, 2009 - NXNE: The Supermarket Toronto ON

June 12, 2009 - The Hydeaway Edmonton AB

June 6, 2009 - The Slice Lethbridge AB

Hello. Here are some additional links you may find...

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:11:00 -0600

Hello. Here are some additional links you may find useful:

AxiCon’s Electronic Press Kit (EPK)

AxiCon on Facebook

AxiCon on MySpace

Justin Scott (visual art)

Pirates Press (vinyl pressing)

Reuben Ghose (audio production)