Craig Cardiff - Railway Club

Another great experience with Craig Cardiff last night at the Railway Club. The guy never disappoints with his stage banter, performance or overall feeling you get during one of his shows. It was also a different set, due to a 6pm start time. I would love it if more people would adopt some earlier set times. With the 9-5 job it becomes real hard to catch weekday shows. It was great to stroll straight from work grab a bite to eat and enjoy one of the best singer songwriters in Canada and then be home before 9pm. Heres to Cardiff for always being innovative with his music and also with the presentation of his music!
I havent bought a Cardiff album for quite some time as I always have found enough enjoyment in his live shows and his old music but he played a few unrecognizable ones last night that I really enjoyed so I think I will be ordering a new vinyl shortly.
Here is a video I got of one of my favorite of his tunes.

Dan Boeckner gives me the (divine) fits

I have always struggled with Wolf Parade. There are times when their music really does it for me, and yet, there are times I find their sound is cringeworthy and unlistenable. Due to my fondness of some of the tracks on Expo 86 I decided to listen to a bit more of their music. I came to find out that they have duality to the band where Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug split the creative, and singing, responsibilities. After "What did my lover say" became my official anthem of 2010, I started wondering if maybe Krugs singing, who brings the thunder in that track, was what was really doing it for me in Wolf Parade and maybe it was Boeckners voice which was the turd in the bowl of beautiful sound.
I decided that the best way to test out if I was firmly planted in Camp Krug and not Camp Boeckner was by searching eachs own respective sideproject, Krugs Sunset Rubdown and Boeckners Handsome Furs. This plan of attack left me more dumbfounded as Sunset Rubdown barely garnered a second listen from me and I would find myself grooving to Handsome Furs.
So recently with the discovery of Divine Fits, Boeckners newest supergroup formed with Spoon frontman Britt Daniel, I was intrigued to see what I thought. Ive really enjoyed the A Thing Called Divine Fits album and I have decided to not compare Daniel vs Dan in the song categories but just enjoy it.
It will be a great summer for me if I get to see these guys as much as it looks like I will right now. They are in the lineup for Sasquatch, which I just bought tickets for, in the lineup for Pickathon and Squamish Valley Music Fest, which I might just buy tickets for.

Cafe Deux Soleils Open Mic

We were treated to a few great acts at Cafe Deux Soleils on Thursday night. Dominique Fricot who was recently part of the Peak Performance Project, and will be at the recently announced Live at Squamish music festival, was on hand and sang a couple of songs with another singer named Alex. They sang an intriguing Nirvana cover and a catchy original. I would definitely be heading to Live at Squamish (http://squamishfestival.com/) after the lineup had a number of great acts and personal favorites (Divine Fits, Ryan LEwis and Macklemore, band of horses, etc), and after really enjoying last year at the festival, but unfortunately the fest is the same weekend as another new fav fest, Regina Folk Festival. 

Heres Fricot singing a Bon Iver cover

Timber Timbre at The Vogue

This was my first visit to the The Vogue and it is quite a spectacular spot to listen to some music. Sound was great and it has that big theatre feel which brings a nice level of mystique to a show. This was the third time seeing Timber Timbre. Last saw him last year at the Vancouver Folk Festival. They recently released Creep on Creepin on, to much more fan fare then I expected. I suppose with the backing of the big label, Arts and Crafts, and with such a unique sound that it was bound to develop a strong core of fans.

Timber Timbre did not overwhelm me the first time I saw him and would have to say it was much the same this time. There is no doubt that there is nothing quite like him right now in Canadian music but his music somewhat blends into one song when you see him live. They tend to draw out the endings to some songs and he uses many of the same techniques throughout the performance. There is a shift in the new tunes with more back-up electric guitar than lapsteel and more back-up keyboard over violin, and this allows for a larger sound on many songs, but ultimately it is very similar.

Although I was underwhelmed (may have been slightly due to seeing the great Jenny and Johnny show three nights before ), the bands talents were still evident and he did give me a couple of chills with his vocal range on some of his better songs. ‘Black Water’ and ‘Demon Host’ were my particular favourites.

Jenny and Johnny at the The Venue

These two combined to start making music together after being a couple and touring separately. Johnathan Rice was born in Virginia but has slight Scottish accent due to spending most of his childhood there. His Further North album is one of my favorites. He plays a type of folk/country/rock which Ive always quite enjoyed. Jenny Lewis is from Cali, and was the lead singer of indie-pop band Rilo Kiley, whose album Under the Blacklight is also one of my favorites in my record collection. So when these two combined i knew I would love their stuff. Why I hadnt bought their album before going to see them last night is beyond understandable. They make an amazing partnership, two of the best voices you'll hear, and the success of the combination is no surprise because they helped each other out on previous records with great success. Solid entertainment all around, and the night was capped by an amazing rendition of Jenny's Rilo Kiley song 'Silver Lining'. I forgot to bring my camera but i found the below on youtube, I did take some pics and maybe I will post those later. I think the rendition last night was even better than the youtube one with just Johnny on guitar and Jenny singing (or maybe I was just so caught up in it I thought it was sublime).

Giving you more of what you love: Timber Timbre and Low Anthem at St James Hall

When you go see one of your favorite artists you crave more of the unique parts that specifically made them stand out in the first place. When I go see Elliott Brood I want more dancing (and of course more wooden spoons and cookie sheets). When I go see Great Lake Swimmers I want more of Tony Dekkers voice. When I (do) go see I want more of him plucking rhytmic acoustic guitar melodies. The distinctive characteristics which make your favorite bands stick out in your mind need to be on clear display the first time you see them, in order to ensure complete satisfaction.
I recently went to St. James Hall to see Timber Timbre, a favorite new sound from 2009. Timber Timbre has a very unusual sound and therefore does not lack in the uniqueness which I describe above. His live performance did such a great job of highlighting this that it was a rare case of an artist fulfilling lofty expectations with a live show.
Timber Timbres voice, distinctly recognizable from his recordings, grew even more into one of the best new voices in Canadian music. From the small complexities, the quick pitch raises at the end of words, to the overall haunting sound already his voice was on clear display.
It was also evident that although his voice was the leading character, he allowed the instruments accompanying him to show off their talent and support the overall strength of the performance. The violin and lap steel were played in orchestral solos which contributed greatly to his unique songs. He usually separated the instrumental arrangements from his voice to allow both his voice and his music to stand out. This allowed me to get more of what I came for. A video of him performing at SXSW (the huge music festival in Texas can be seen below).
The other group were the american band The Low Anthem. This group played musical chairs with the different instruments on stage. The lead singer had three different voices: the high pitched voice creating a very light sound (seen below in the video), the normal folk acoustic voice and the folk rock voice for the more upbeat songs. The ease at which he switched between these completely different sounding voices was what I most marveled at during their set. Great band and quite memorable songs.

...A small towm experience in the big city- Little Mountain Gallery

I stumbled across a show taking place at the Little Mountain Gallery which I was interested in. Kate Maki, a one-time east coaster originally from Sudbury and Brent Randall and his Pinecones (now just called the Pinecones) from Halifax were very good reasons to try out this previously unheard of venue. Being a newcomer to Vancouver and a lover of great venues (sometimes more than the great music), I am still trying to get an idea of the best ones in this large city.
As soon as we found the Little Mountain Gallery (it was small and took us a while to find) we knew this was a very unique spot. Hole-in-the-wall is a suitable description of this place and interestingly there were many holes in the wall of the stage. With a capacity of no more than 40, one type of canned beer and plastic chairs this place had its own small local flavor rarely found in big city venues. It reminded me of Fundy Folk, a plastic-chair-in-fire-hall music session in the tiny town of Margaret(s)ville, NS, and maybe that is why these east-coasters picked this as their Vancouver stop.
Interestingly enough, the musicians performance mimicked that of the venues atmosphere. Their sets lacked any sense of refined sound but their warmth with both their stage presence and sound allowed for an enjoyable night. With both artists having recent releases on the Radio3-Top30, I expected some solid musicianship, but this was lacking. Maybe it was the venue that allowed them to slip into a nonchalant set or maybe it was the exhaustion from the long Canadian tour (with this being their last stop). So Ill let these artists have a 'get-out-of-blog-review-free card and I'll probably stop by to see them if they are ever in town again. Either way the music was listenable and the venue had such a nice feel that Ill be looking into more shows at the Little Mountain Gallery.

...Sunparlour Players

Love these guys.

SUNPARLOUR PLAYERS - Battle of 77 from Mitch Fillion on Vimeo.

...Canadian Indie Dance Music: The battle between the good and the very bad

Most would argue that dance music is one of the easiest genres of music to make. There are many ways to combine all the beats and rhythms to make something which someone somewhere will bob there head to. With the surge of DJ's in todays culture, we see many people coming up with these new hooks. Although there are many doing it, I find that only a select few successfully make dance music which gets me going. Unfortunately, when dance music does not go right for me it goes horribly wrong, to the dulled point that I do not want to listen anymore. Only this type of music gives me this reaction (excluding country). Therefore, I have begun to give more credit to people who make dance music which can survive in my good-books.

The thin line between my enjoyment and thoughts of puke can be described through examples in Canadian music, and an interesting observation can be made. There are old dance staples that immediately switch on the rhythm bones in the body (Holy F*ck). There are newcomers who seem like they are here to stay (Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees and Woodhands). These bands have done well internationally and really represent great Canadian dance music.

In addition to the great dance performers there are those who grab attention which continually puzzles me. Examples of these include You Say Party We Say Die and Shout Out Out Out. I even have been quite attracted by initial sounds from some dance bands and as time passes they fade across the line into unlistenable. These bands include Winter Gloves, Thunderheist and most notably Chromeo. Watching Chromeo hit a button on a keyboard and pretend it was a live show was one of the most disappointing performances Ive ever seen. Some bands go back and forth over the line, with times I cant get enough and times I cant get away (Jimmy Swift Band).

Maybe a distinction can be made between the two sides of the line (puke and love). Seemingly the difference can be found in the bands intentions. Bands who try to focus on getting people to dance instead of just making music tend to come out with a worse sound. I say this because all my favorite dance bands have musicians who can just as easily play in another genre. It must be easier for these artists to realize that they are still making music, not just dance music. It is no surprise then that some of my favorite dance songs are found immersed in non-dance albums (ie. Chad Vangalen- 'TMNT Mask'). These observations make me very excited for Caribous new album. An artist with loads of talent (see Polaris Prize 2008) whose first single, 'Odessa', from his upcoming album, Swim, sounds very dancey.

Sorry for the lengthy post but its my thoughts on a whole genre. Keep tuned this week as I will be posting a couple reviews and some awesome links. In other news, this video I took and posted of Tokyo Police Clubs latest single has garnered over 1000 views (new blog milestone!).

...Basia Bulat ('The Jump')

Every once and a while an artist comes on to CBC Radio 3 who you know will make the jump to Radio 1 quite quickly. From what I have seen, an artist with a good mixture of the following three things is most likely to make this jump.

First, the artists voice must be memorable/unique. You need this component for the normal CBC Radio 1 listener, the listener who lacks the motivation to remember and discover music (possibly due to increasing age, Im not calling R1 listeners old!!). The memorable/unique voice allows this less-motivated listener an easy chance to recognize the artist, and feel happy about doing so. Good examples of artists who used this component to make 'the jump' are Jill Barber and Hayden.

Second, you need to make Canadian songs. You are more likely to make 'the jump' if you make a song which highlights the CANADIAN Broadcasting Corporation. A great folk song with some unique Canadian instruments anyone?. This was exemplified by Joel Plasketts and Great Lake Swimmers latest works (Three and Lost Channels, respectively). In my opinion, not their best work, but clearly their most Canadian and therefore their most popular, helping solidify their 'jumps'.

Third, the musical talents oozes out of the artist to the degree that other musicians respect, talk about and recommend the artist. Who are we not to listen to our favorite musicians when they are all talking about the same artist. Chad Vangaalen had to be given a second listen by me (a listen which won me over) after other musicians talked so highly of him.

The latest musician to blend these three things is London, ON artist Basia Bulat. She has an unforgettable voice (even Katie recognizes it), she makes north-of-the-border sounds and fellow-artist-respect has been extremely high for her first two albums. So, I know I am making post-prediction, but you could see the formula being made for this artist to get some national mainstream attention (thats what CBC Radio 1 is right?). With Heart of my Own she has produced an album which gives her a chance to make her name a staple amongst the well-known Canadian indie-darlings.

...The Evolution of Wintersleep

I have known Wintersleep for some years now and I have seen them perform a number of times but that does not seem to stop my opinion on them from continuously changing. Seeing them this past weekend I realized I have done a complete 180 on my thoughts on them (and maybe this is to be expected from a constantly evolving band).
I really enjoyed Welcome to the Night Sky, their last album, but still felt that I missed the old Murphy-driven (lead singer) songs of old. I wanted more of 'Orca' and 'Avalanche', the highlights from there early albums. With there show this past weekend, I confirmed a few thoughts from the last time I saw them. One thing that has struck me interesting, is that Paul Murphy's voice just doesnt sound as good as it used to. Im not sure if it is him just trying to find new places in old songs but sometimes he pushes it to far and with the augmentation of his voice comes a cringe from me. The other thing which is clearly apparent is the success of the instrumental parts to there live sets. It is evident that this band has too many amazing musicians to not focus on making their sound more instrumental and experimental, and maybe as a fan of the band it is my duty to encourage this. How could you not love a 7 minute drum solo from Loel which comes with every edition of 'Nerves Normal' (see below). So although I usually want the stripped back version of "things" from bands, I love the sound which comes with forays into the instrumental, seen with below video.
This conundrum is solved with something that I usually see as a negative in the music world. Side projects are so-oft not my favorite but I am beginning to see the light with some of them. For instance, Paul Murphy the lead singer of Wintersleep has just released a side-project called Postdata. In addition, the rest of the band (Mike, Loel, Jon), have long played with a band called Contrived. These projects allow Murphy to pursue his song-writing talents (Postdata) while allowing the rest of the band more experimentation with sound (Contrived). Although, Im not completely sold on either side-project, I get there necessity.
The evolution of Wintersleep and its side-projects leave me intrigued to hear there latest work, set to be released in May, called New Inheritors (you can find a live version of a new song on my Youtube channel found here).

...Olympics so far

The Olympics have been a great chance to see some amazing Canadian musicians. Ive not made as many shows as I had originally hoped but there are still a lot more left to see. I have put a bunch of videos online to show off some of the talent. You can videos to Elliott Brood (here), Belle Orchestre (here), Brasstronaut (here)and the Arkells (here). Ive put an Elliott Brood show embedded below to show the energy at some of these shows.

So you may have noticed that the nation is getting into the Olympic spirit and especially the city of Vancouver. I hope you were able to catch the opening ceremonies which was an exciting display of some great culture, graphics and symbols of Canada. There was a Canadian music connection in the ceremonies, and Im not talking about Nelly Furtado. Shane Koyzcan, the guy who had the long poem about the nation of Canada, can be found on one of Dan Mangans albums. The track Tragic Turn of Events/ Move Pen Move is a great combination of Mangans great song style with the talents of Koyzcans poetry. A moving song from the Roboteering EP which is a definite switch on a great album. Ive posted a live version of the song below.

...Evening Hymns- Spirit Guides

I picked up on Jonas Bonnetta's musical project Evening Hymns by living in Peterborough where he was commonly on local music bills and through his friendship with my old roommate. Throughout the two years in Ptbo I saw him put on some really great shows, being backed by Wooden Sky for one show was a highlight, and some really strange, less than awe-inspiring shows, including a projector-prop-based stinker. I started to think that he might be growing as a musician when I started hearing songs from his new album, Spirit Guides. I found a video of him singing a song called 'Dead Deer' from this upcoming album and I could not get enough of it (find the video below). I also started to become aware that he had some famous friends. The so-called Friends of Bellwoods is a group of artists from Toronto who have created a music community which contains the likes of Ohbijou, The Acorn, Wooden Sky and others. They created two compilation discs which have raised over 17 thousand for charity. I also saw Jonas pop up on a video playing drums for the Harbourcoats, the Constantines lead singer Bry Webbs side project which I desperately want an album from. When I found out that this was who Evening Hymns was hanging around with, I knew that we would eventually see his music gain some attention. So I was not surprised when he and his album popped up on CBC radio a couple of weeks ago for an interview and some spotlight. I decided I needed this new album because I did really enjoy his older album, Farewell to Harmony. I really like his style of music, which you can probably guess by now, is the slow dreary acoustic sound which apparently is "depressing music" but only makes me happy. This style is defined by 'History Books' which sounds similar to his previous work. With Spirit Guides he has added some different arrangements which has changed up his sound and made his songs take on a more alternative sound. This clearly works for 'Broken Rifle', where the additional sound allows for a catchy song. Unfortunately the other songs on the album fall short. 'Dead Deer' is an amazing song live but sounds a bit lost as a recording. The video of 'Dead Deer' below shows Jonas and Sylvie Smith (who is another up and coming singer with a great voice which you should keep your ears open for) really givin er for the song but you dont feel the same energy on the record. The rest of the album still sounds like a local artists work. The type you might buy to help support the local guy and get a couple good listens out of but its not going to make your list of favorites. I hope Jonas keeps the music coming though because he seems like a great fella.

...The Transit Tapes

Found a new cool site tonight called The Transit Tapes. Although there are not that many videos uploaded there is a good representation of the best Canadian Indie Music. The Sunparlour Players do a couple of songs and they are three extremely talented musicians. Ive included a link below to a video of Max and Dan from the Arkells doing a couple of their tunes. Good alternate versions to the original rock songs Pullin Punches and Hugo Chavez. Also some good Bill Priddle on there. Enjoy!

http://www.thetransittapes.ca/performances/arkells/pullin_punches

...Best Three Dollars I Ever Spent

Just wanted to give a heads up to the Hey Rosetta fans out there. About a year ago HR started playing a tune called Red Song and a great video for the track surfaced on Youtube. This song seemed to get some attention on the web, and rightfully so, and the band knew they had to record the track. This led to them releasing a three-track EP called the The Red Songs EP which according to ITunes was released this year. I just found out about it, and as one of my favorites live and recorded bands, I was extremely excited. At $2.88, the price of a caramel machiato, this is a must get. Three great tracks, as to be expected from a band which spews greatness. Red Song is a little bit of a move away from the crescendo-driven songs of normal and it highlights the songwriting and vocal talents of frontman Tim Baker. The other two songs follow the previously-seen but always refreshing Hey Rosetta formula: starting with the aforementioned talents of the lead singer on either piano or guitar, and slowly adding the guitar, drums and orchestral instruments to build to the climax of the tune. The formula usually gives me what I search for in a song and it has yet to wear on me.
You can also find a Hey Rosetta tune on the CBC Radio 2 Songquest CD where they made a song about Gros Morne Provincial Park in Nfld. Some great lyrics in this tune called Old Crow Black Night Stand Still, including the lines "There's another world. Better than this one. And that's where I'm trying to live. But I get dragged down". Heard him talk about his inspiration for the track, the national park, and he said how much he thought about how un-touched by man the park was and how it was like going in a time machine to another world. Can really see this in the lyrics with his idea of being dragged back to a world full of crazy human inventions, not seen in the park. Here is the Red Song video below.

...FLART- Devendra Banhart- Cripple Crow

On the advice of one my initial music influences, my brother, Ive given a Devendra Banhart album a listen, and the following are my thoughts after one good listen or as I like to call it my FLART (First Listen Album Review Thoughts). With FLARTs maybe I can review some of the newer albums/releases so Im a bit more novel, even though I know opinions can change drastically over time with albums. Cripple Crow was the Banhart album which I received and it seemingly has two types of songs. On one hand he does slow acoustic numbers like 'Mama Wolf', 'Now that I know' and 'Heard Somebody Say'. This is where I feel that his talent is found, if musical talent was defined through my enjoyment. What I didnt enjoy was the other type of song, the whimsical, lyrically-different jingle which you can find characterized by "Chinese Children', 'Long-Haired Child' and 'Little Boys'. These songs are memorable and quirky, and maybe thats enough, but I found myself slightly annoyed by either the lyrics, melody or sillyness found with them. This may just be another example of me preferring the simple, straight-forward, voice and acoustic guitar method over the extraneous sounds brought in when an artists tries to fill out his raw embryo. Now I know you cant detail a whole album by describing two different songs, but at 23 tracks, I feel he really could of made two completely different albums, one which I could listen to and one which I could throw away. Banhart is indeed different than most things coming out of North America, maybe thats what attracted Natalie Portman, but I think I need to hear his other stuff before Im sold on his talent. Nat, I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on it, doing a non-Canadian artist was a big step for my blog.

...Olympic Size Music Lineup

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, Ive been...not blogging. Wanted to share my excitement for the event about to hit Vancouver. Not necessarily the Olympics, but the music that is coming with it. The list is huge and includes Malajube, Deep Dark Woods, The Arkells, Mother Mother, Dan Mangan, Said the Whale, Jill Barber, Constantines, Coeur de Pirate, Wil, Sam Roberts, etc. Highlights for me include the lineup of Tokyo Police Club, Hey Rosetta and Wintersleep all in the same night. In addition, I have purchased tickets for a Belle Orchestre show which should be a couple hours of instrumental genius on stage. This band boasts some musical heavyweights with Arcade Fire members (who are geared up for a HUGE year with their HUGELY anticipated follow up to Neon Bible) and Mike Feuerstack (who I mentioned in the Snailhouse post below). Unfortunately, the Orchestre show occurs on the same night as a Neil Young tribute with all kinds of musical draws (including Land of Talk, Sun Kil Moon, Jason Collett, etc.). This seems like an event which someone would not want to miss but with a ticket price of 60 and up, this unemployed fella will not be going. I hope to see a lot of music during the games and although I dont have a media pass to report on the games, I'll give you an update on the good sounds.
Some other news of interest, I saw that Land of Talks video for Its Okay landed on Time magazines Top 5 music videos of 2009. This is the video I posted below, only days after it had been released, so dont say Ive never handed you anything of noteworthy value.

...2009

As the year draws to an end I thought it a good time to summarize some of my favourite (Canadian) listens of the year. I did a top 30 songs at the end of 2008 and put in on facebook and some of the artists had great years this year. I had the likes of the Arkells, Dan Mangan, Hey Rosetta and Wooden Sky who all have had really great year. So here is to hoping that some of these mainstream unknowners described below gain a little attention for what has been a great year for them.

Timber Timbre- Timber Timbre (Acoustic)- This Toronto guy put an album on the tiny ‘Out of this Spark’ label and the 8 tracks drew the attention of the biggest label in Canadian independent music, Arts and Crafts. Now supported by the same label as the likes of Broken Social Scene, Stars, Feist, Constantines, etc. his next album will surely garner plenty of press. But before we get ahead of ourselves, this latest album shows off his talent and ability to create some great music which for some reason I feel would be perfect music played during a movie scene. Maybe it is because it is my favourite while listening to the Ipod on the bus or walking in a busy mall (a sort of life soundtrack). As many of my favourites do Timber Timbre creates simple music, and uses a haunting voice and a dark style to create pleasure for the ears (or for your eyes here).

Snailhouse- Lies on the Prize (Acoustic)- With a great musical pedigree (Belle Orchestre, Wooden Stars), it is no surprise that Mike Feuerstack solo work under the moniker Snailhouse has caught my ear. Originally heard his tune, ‘Dollar Signs’ and loved the lyrics and found similar fondness throughout the whole Lies on the Prize album. Look forward to seeing him at the Olympics with Belle Orchestre.

Ruby Jean and Thoughtful Bees (Dance)- This album got me moving the first time I caught wind of it and although I don’t give it to many more listens it is great for getting you moving. Starring the works of Nova Scotias Rebekah Higgs and Middletons Colin Crowell, this band really gets the dance floor gyrating. Higgs is as charismatic a female frontwoman as youll get and the well-crafted dance beats help to really get the bones twitching. Attended a show with this band with a total of 8 people there, and those 8 were left without inhibitions to shake their tailfeathers thanks to the beats coming from the stage.

Patrick Watson- Wooden Arms (Experimental Sounds that sounds Acoustic, I guess, oh genres)- This band is just extremely talented, that is all you can say. The way they makes the music almost float it reminds a little bit of Radiohead, if you take out the computerish sounds and substitute instrumental sounds. Wooden Arms, Big Bird in a Small Cage and Tracys Water were all some of my favourite songs from the past year. Hopefully this video sucks you in.

Elliott Brood- Mountain Meadows (Folk rock)- Probably one of the best live shows going these days. Do not miss a chance to see them. Hard hitting with their sound they take folk rock to a whole new place. Incredibly unique sound due to the lead singers voice and the use of banjos. You would not think that they could translate their energy to recordings but they have done their best job to date with Mountain Meadows. Best for house parties, if the house is a cabin in the woods. On Q.

Honourable mention- Hey Rosetta, Bruce Peninsula, Brian Borcherdt, The Acorn, Sunparlour Players

Specifically not mentioned- Fleet Foxes

Looking forward to in early 2010- Paul Murphy (Wintersleep), Jason Collett, Plants and Animals

...Said the Whale and Hannah Georgas @ St James Hall

I took a trip down to St James Hall for the first show of a two show performance by these two Vancouver groups. It was the early show designed to invite the all ages crowd but it worked best for my schedule so I took my old wrinkled self to see it. First thing I noticed was how stylish these teenage youngsters were, seems they have taken the indie look and made it a movement with some young enthusiasm. Another thing the youngsters brought was great energy for the music and it was nice surprise because the shows so far in Vancity have lacked a little on the crowd enthusiasm side.
First up was Hannah Georgas, whose sound has been getting a little attention lately as Ive heard she has a few songs in the commercial arena. Her sound does make you think of something Starbucks would endorse. Unfortunately, I do not find anything new in her stuff, she sounds an awful lot like Missy Higgins to me and she does not bring the uniqueness that other Canadian female singer-songwriters can bring (thinking of Jill Barber, Julie Doiron and recent listen Valery Gore). Her set did start off strong with some of her better songs, 'Chit Chat' and the 'Beat Stuff', but she tried to increase the tempo in the middle and it went a little off the tracks for me.
Next was the set by Said the Whale. Second time for me with these guys but the first was at the Red Dog in Peterborough with some horrible sound so I was keen to give them another shot. Their set was a little dissappointing for me and I was continuously contemplating leaving early but the fact they had not played 'Curse of the Currents' kept me there in hopeful anticipation. It seemed they were not going to play it after finishing up their second song of their encore and then they turned the lights down, pushed away the mics and belted out an amazing version of the tune as their last song of the night. This made the show all the worthwhile and you can find a video of this performance here.
P.S. Phoenix just did a take-away-show, awesome

...Arkells at The Venue

One thing a fan needs in order to enjoy a show is a band/artist who are also enjoying themselves. The Arkells pull this off in many different ways. First, their on-stage energy is unparalleled and this fivesome bring it for every show (or at least for the five I have seen). Second, their lead singer, Max Kerman, comes across as genuinely nice guy who legitimately appreciates his fans. Third, they have encorporated some classic covers with their own touch (an idea of these capabilities can be seen in the video below). Fourth, they seem to really enjoy each other and this helps for non-generic stage interaction.
It was interesting to hear them discuss a little bit about their meteoric rise stating that they had always wanted to be able to play at a large venue such as this one and how a year ago they were playing in strip clubs in Vancouver. Now they are headlining their own national tour and a deserving reward after the success of the Jackson Square. They have also been doing a tour blog for this fall tour and that can be found here.

... Update:Brian Borcherdt and Paul Murphy

I just recently urged artists to not be afraid of going for the stripped down method. Now news this week that my fellow Nova Scotians have heard my call. Brian Borcherdt has just released 17 new/old tracks/demos recorded over the last couple years. Torches is exactly what I had requested and I have had this at the top of my musical brain since the release. Early favorites are 'Worn Thin', 'Steady Hands' and 'Furnaces'. The best thing about this album is it is completely free for download from Borchedts own label Hand Drawn Dracula.
Also released this week is news that Paul Murphy, lead singer of Halifaxs Wintersleep, is releasing a solo album early in 2010. A step back for Murphy, whose indie-rock recently has been coming up with novel and acclaimed instrumental genius to accompany Murphys voice. You can listen to three tracks from Murphys Postdata side project here. These songs signal a return to some of Wintersleeps earlier sound, with more focus on Murphys voice and more acoustic underlying than the recent electric guitar/drum based releases from the Wintersleep ensemble. Maybe while Murphy is off promoting this album the rest of the band will go off and make another album with their side project, Contrived (whose latest album grew on me a bit but Im still hoping for more from this band).

...Two Hours Traffic - Territories

The consensus review for Two Hours Traffics sophomore album has been that it is a darker, deeper, more grown-up album then Little Jabs which really shows the maturing process of this young band. For me, this album shows that Two Hours Traffic have been able to repeat the SAME formula as Little Jabs. This album contains undeniably catchy tunes which linger until it ultimately forces you to go out and by the whole album or make you listen to it once again. The assertion that Territories is a complete overhaul of the teenager pop they created with their first album is just not apparent to me. The songs are still melody-driven, happy and up-beat, repetitious jingles with relatively little complexity. And this works incredibly well for Two Hours Traffic. We want to be reminded of a summer day at the beach when we hear PEI's finest and these islanders indulge us.
Sure some of their lyrics are a little more grown up than previous but its pretty hard to say something profound with five-word lines. Therefore, the music industrys natural search for musical growth and change in a young bands sophomore album, is not found here. Territories is similar to Little Jabs in another important way, it is a must listen. I guarantee you will be singing along after only a couple of spins.
It was one song that encouraged me to 'Just Listen' to this album (oh the pun). 'Territories' is a solid first single from the album and they even slow it down for 'Sing a Little Hymn'. If your looking to liven your spirits with some indie-pop this album is a great mechanism to do so. You can see their lead singer, hes the second in from the bottom left in my new website picture (yay!) courtesy of my good friend Kyle Borrowmans pictures.

...Land of Talk (@ the Biltmore)

I had really fallen for the Some are Lakes album by Land of Talk but was hesitant to see them live as I thought I would be disappointed. This was because I had heard Land of Talk on Q (CBC radio with Jian) and was not overly impressed. I decided I would give it a shot, with a chance of ruining my love for the band if they were horrible on stage. I went to the Biltmore Cabaret this past Saturday to see their set and it was quite a show, at a good venue I might add.

Elizabeth Powell showed no signs of recovering from surgery due to a hemorrhagic polyp on her left vocal cord, which temporarily slowed down her meteoric rise last year. Powell was masterful on the guitar and the band were very in-sync even with the many changes they have had to her three-piece. Powell may be the most legitimate Canadian female indie rock star I have seen live to date, rivaling the likes of Julie Doiron. Their set allowed for them to keep the intensity high with their up-tempo songs, including incredible versions of ‘Yuppy flu’ where the drums and base played the opening sequence for minutes working the crowd into a frenzy and ‘Corner Phone’ which was an intense closer. They still managed to throw in some of their softer classics including ‘It’s Okay' which is definitely a classic and a ‘Troubled’ encore. She seemed to be quite surprised about the number of people there but with the quality they were putting out it was no surprise to me. It sounds like they have garnered most of their fame down south and don’t due to much up north anymore, as evidence by their two stops in Canada on a 16 gig tour. It is a shame that we didn’t grasp a hold of them before they made it big down south.

An evidence of their fame is the 'Its Okay' video that they put up online just weeks ago. It has been garnering over a thousand views a day and was made by a couple of Canadian artists who call themselves We Were Monkeys. They have also made videos for Malajube, another band from Land of Talks’ hometown, Montreal. It is an interesting video, seen below, and I am still on the fence if I enjoy these types of videos which do not have any connection to the music although I am sure the artists would argue they do. Land of Talk have a new EP out called Fun and Laughter and I am looking forward to getting my hands on that.