Heartthrob - Tegan and Sara

Tegan and Sara, the quietly popular indie duo from Calgary, return in 2013 with their new record released for the end of winter in North America. First impressions shout out pop record at once, and is no surprise with new producer, known for his work with many other indie/pop artists. Heartthrob presents a new direction for the Quin sisters into the pop arena, something which they always seem to be closing in on with their emotional, lovesick lyrics and beautiful harmonies that proceed to get even better after every listen. They are far from their original work with their acoustic guitars in their living room and now are producing top notch radio hits with a heavily processed sound, yet they still feel like the same duo 10 years down the track.

Opening with their first single Closer, Tegan and Sara sound very different from their works from So Jealous and The Con. Instead, it reminded me of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, in the upbeat, high energy track yet still they remain deep and focused on the lyrics as always. This high energy has always been with Tegan and Sara, as much as they love to play the melancholy stuff as seen in previous tracks like Speak Slow and Northshore. Here we see a whole record of this sound with a lot of delay effects and synth work. It continues with Goodbye, Goodbye and Drove Me Wild.

And then we hit a very familiar sound. I Couldn't Be Your Friend begins with a very familiar sound (I'll leave it to you to figure it out) and they are again showing this new energy and sound that will please old fans and bring new ones to their plethora of shows I'm the next 18 months. There are a variety of tracks on this new record that will are a lot of radio airplays and the success of the record has great potential to what the Canadian duo have released after a decade of writing and touring around the world. Though they have left the concept of the great record, they have presented us with a gem and are looking forward to a long road of touring ahead.

Tegan and Sara head to Australia May for Grooving the Moo and headlines shows (dates to be announced shortly). Heartthrob looks to be an early leader for album of the year though its the first of my review since resuming We Called It Music. See y'all soon!

Tegan and Sara Live Preview

Tegan and Sara News for Australia

Canadian twins Tegan and Sara return to Australia in May for a national tour, following the release of their new album ‘Sainthood’ (Warner) last year. ‘Sainthood’ was lavished with acclaim from fans and critics a-like, the first single ‘Hell’ gathering radio spins from alternate and commercial radio around the country.

After years of selling out headline tours and their recent experience in joining the summer festival circuit, which saw them playing to thousands at the Falls Festivals, Southbound and Sunset Sounds in 2008, Tegan and Sara tours have become one of the most anticipated live shows among Aussie music lovers. Their on stage chemistry, incredible musical abilities, infectious pop sensibilities and direct connection with their fans has won hearts all over the world.

In 2010 the girls return with a show full of new songs off ‘Sainthood’, as well as a few crowd favourites.

“Their onstage chemistry - and namely effortless banter - added to their appeal, with the pair indulging in storytelling and play fighting far more than they reportedly have in other Australian gigs. With a new album set for release this year, it may be some time before Adelaide gets another taste of these talented siblings whose charm, talent and individuality truly set them apart” THE ADVERTISER

“The anthemic 'Nineteen' then blasted through the speakers, with Tegan and Sara changing guitars and keyboard roles throughout a whole host of their songs. Their harmonies were brilliant, with a few imperfect moments that just seemed to endear the girls to the crowd further.” NINE MSN

“Pop music never looked so appealing.” THE DRUM MEDIA

“Overall, a top performance from the Canadian twins who are quick becoming a household name.” BEAT MAGAZINE.

Tegan and Sara

TIME TRAVEL (AUSTRALIA)!

photo by Lindsey Byrnes, from ON, IN, AT!

friends in the land down under!

we’re thrilled to announce our upcoming tour details for Australia! Festivals! Headline shows! The best espresso in the world! Kangaroos! Surfing! Intense jet lag!

The last time we made the trek across the ocean to visit you, it was in January 2009. The trip was paced in such a relaxed way that everyone felt as though they were on vacation. I was very sick the entire trip and I spent much of the tour-cation watching the band and crew run around on the beach swatting flies and squealing about jelly fish from the comfort of my air conditioned bungalow. i would use the word frolic to describe the skipping and jumping done on the beaches during our many days off. Band and crew bodies clad in lycra, skin glistening with spf 100, I realized that a tour-cation in iceland would be more MY style…but I am in the minority. All the sun-burning and swimming enhanced the group’s Australian experience and we can’t wait to return (boardies and rashies in tow) to visit you once again!

We were thrilled to see HELL made it into the triple J top 100 this year! We’re planning to bring our biggest, longest and best show as a gesture of appreciation! Thank you for the continued support Australia!

skq


Tegan and Sara Australian Tour 2010

Saturday 1 May - Bendigo Showground - Bendigo, VIC
Groovin’ The Moo Festival - with Vampire Weekend, Silverchair, Spoon, Empire of the Sun
Tickets on sale Feb 16 at gtm.net.au or moshtix.com.au

Sunday 2 May - Murray Sports Complex - Townsville, QLD
Groovin’ The Moo Festival - with Vampire Weekend, Silverchair, Spoon, Empire of the Sun
Tickets on sale Feb 16 at gtm.net.au or moshtix.com.au

Tuesday 4 May - The Tivoli - Brisbane, QLD
With special guests Astronautalis and The Jezabels
Tickets on sale Feb 12 at www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849
Doors 7.00pm

Friday 7 May - Big Top - Sydney, NSW
With special guests Astronautalis and The Jezabels
Tickets on sale Feb 12 at Big Top Box office - 1300 BIG TOP or www.bigtopsydney.com and www.ticketek.com.au
Doors 7.00pm

Saturday 8 May - Maitland Showground - Maitland, NSW
Groovin’ The Moo Festival - with Vampire Weekend, Silverchair, Spoon, Empire of the Sun
Tickets on sale Feb 16 at gtm.net.au or moshtix.com.au

Sunday 9 May - The Meadows - Canberra, ACT
Groovin’ The Moo Festival - with Vampire Weekend, Silverchair, Spoon, Empire of the Sun
Tickets on sale Feb 16 at gtm.net.au or moshtix.com.au

Tuesday 11 May - Forum Theatre - Melbourne, VIC
With special guests Astronautalis and The Jezabels
Tickets on sale Feb 12 at www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849
Doors 7.00pm

Thursday 13 May - Thebarton Theatre - Adelaide, SA
With special guests Astronautalis and The Jezabels
Tickets on sale Feb 12 at Venuetix www.venuetix.com.au or (08) 8225 8888
Doors 7.00pm

Friday 14 May - Fremantle Arts Centre - Fremantle, WA
With special guests Astronautalis and The Jezabels
Tickets on sale Feb 12 at www.heatseeker.com.au or Heatseeker retail outlets
Gates open 5.30pm

Saturday 15 May - Pat Usher Foreshore Reserve - Bunbury, WA
Groovin’ The Moo Festival - with Vampire Weekend, Silverchair, Spoon, Empire of the Sun
Tickets on sale Feb 16 at gtm.net.au or moshtix.com.au

Sainthood - Tegan and Sara

Tegan and Sara, those two Canadian identical twins whom have joined the indie-pop cruise around the music world release their 6^th LP amd om the outset it promises to be an excellent transformation from Under Feet Like Ours back in 1999. The twins have joined forces, once again, with Death Cab for Cutie guitarist, Chris Walla, on their development from teenage indie rock to a more adult music scene as they delve into darker and deeper subjects, yet still revolving around their common themes through their songs over the last 10 years - love and relationships. Over their 10 years of experience in the music industry, they are the hidden pioneers of indie rock and pop and now have grown into their own, after the hit album in 2007, The Con. Upon witnessing the surge to success of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs with Fever to Tell and It's Blitz, Tegan Quin and identical twin, Sara Quin, release their own record to mark the sudden mainstream popularity of indie rock and pop.

As producers tell fans that they should be prepared for a new and radical change from vintage Tegan and Sara, even more so that when The Con was released, this is supposedly the first record where both Tegan and Sara have written the album in unison. However, this does not seem to be the case with 2009's Sainthood. Fans have acknowledged the two distinct composing styles of Tegan and Sara; either siding towards Tegan's pop-oriented songs with a major focus of lyrics or Sara's deeper and more complex compositions, both musically and lyrically. This seems to be a constant throughout Sainthood as well, yet their content in different from their origins and for the better, especially in the mainstream music industry that the majority of society lives in, making it a more accessible record than previous ones.

Sainthood opens with Arrow, and is distinctively a Sara track with the opening synth lines. It provides a deeper and more 'adult' opening for an album with the repeating metaphor, 'feathers of an arrow' and truly sets the tone for Sainthood and their path to 'perfection'. Yet, Tegan still steals the majority of the album with her radio-friendly tracks as she writes those nice power-pop tracks with the ease of listening and mainstream popularity. Hell becomes the first single off the record, and the other obvious Tegan tracks would likely follow including In Directing, The Cure; Tegan's tribute to the Cure, which mimics the keyboard lines from their 1989 album Disintegration and the track Lovesong, and the new-wave/power-punk influenced track - Northshore. Nonetheless, Sara's musical talent is still clearly evident on Sainthood, with more probably would be the second single on the record - Alligator and a wonderful outro to Sainthood, the 1-2 punch of Sentimental Tune and Someday. This finale of the record shows glimpses of what Tegan and Sara would be like if they wrote together, yet this may dishearten hardcore fans, who want songs of the past. But, Tegan and Sara have taken the other path of the Y-intersection, into the future and as they reach 10 years writing and performing in the music industry and hitting their mid-30s soon, truly have shown the maturity to write an excellent album as a whole, while still writing about love, sex and relationships and still keeping in touch with fellow indie-pop stars, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

8/10