Mono in stereovision

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Jay Leno treading water in the middle of a Writer’s Guild of America strike may have soured your couch time in front of the idiot box lately, but thankfully, there are some DVDs being released this week that will see you through these turbulent television times. Mono’s concert film The Sky Remains the Same As Ever (Temporary Residence) hits racks this week, as does Pelican’s concert film After the Ceiling Cracked (Hydra Head). These two birds of a feather not only share release dates, but their instrumental post-rock anthems boast similarly dizzying crescendos, density and sonic restraint-and-release.

Mono’s film captures the band on their 2006/2007 tour, in support of their breathtaking record You Are There. In a live setting, Mono run the gamut from tranquility to ravaging sheets of white noise, often on a moment’s notice, with their minor-key melodies miraculously managing to shine with a sense of hope. Unfortunately, director Teppei Kishida’s single handheld video camera doesn’t come close to capturing the rush and intensity of a Mono show, with a lot of the songs sadly marred by the cheap handicam microphone. There is an admittedly voyeuristic thrill when Kishida’s camera walks across the stage mid-performance (this is his M.O. throughout the film), while each instrument increases in volume as he leans in for a close-up, but a mix-down of a professional recording would’ve really helped. Truthfully, there isn’t much here that their fan-shot YouTube clips didn’t already capture. Although there is some great footage, like a quick shot of Steve Albini recording the string section that really made their last record soar, this would be for hardcore fans only, and anybody unfamiliar with this amazing Japanese band should pick up 2006’s You Are There right now.

On the other hand, Pelican’s After the Ceiling Cracked is shot modestly, much like the Mono DVD, but thankfully will wake up any 5.1 system. Mainly taken from their 2005 show in London, it also adds material from a 2006 show in Seattle and a 2004 show in Ohio, and further packs the chapters section of the main menu with a smattering of interviews and the obligatory backstage hijinx. Like their Japanese brethren (with whom they share a split release), Pelican blur the line between metal and post-rock and really have to be witnessed in live to be appreciated. Neither DVD can hold a candle to the rush of a Pelican or Mono show, but they’re as close as it comes for the armchair post-rocker.

While still on the tube tip, you may want to tune into Much Music on Saturday night at midnight to catch a look back at the 2007 Polaris Prize awards. There are some killer performances here, with Montreal acts making up almost half the nominees. The sets by the Besnard Lakes, Julie Doiron (which is a disguised Eric’s Trip reunion) and Miracle Fortress are all topnotch, but Patrick Watson, who walked away with all the marbles, squeezes in two songs that easily proved him worthy of the twenty grand he snagged.