What are you still doing here??? This is only serving as an RSS feed for podcasting. Please head over to the new and shiny 3am Revelations with a simple click here.
Combining my joy of production with my false sense of smug superiority in telling you what you should like* -- and since I've clearly failed at keeping up at full album write ups (the last one being over six months ago... yipes) -- here is another instalment of 3 Minute Revelations**
Slowly but surely, catching up on on 2011 albums. At this rate I'll be done... by this time next year! It took a few listens, but this one has grown into one of my favourite albums of the year, so far.
Here is the Let's All March Back Into The Sea by The Liptonians
Combining my joy of production with my false sense of smug superiority in telling you what you should like* -- and since I've clearly failed at keeping up at full album write ups (the last one being over six months ago... yipes) -- here is another instalment of 3 Minute Revelations**
Slowly but surely, catching up on on 2011 albums. At this rate I'll be done... by this time next year! Anyway, another favourite and, spoiler alert: a good chance of it being on my personal "best of" the year.
Combining my joy of production with my false sense of smug superiority in telling you what you should like* -- and since I've clearly failed at keeping up at full album write ups (the last one being over six months ago... yipes) -- here is another instalment of 3 Minute Revelations**
Okay, I'm just a little behind this year, as this is the first 2011 album I want to talk about... five months after its release. Hopefully I'll catch up soon? At any rate...
Combining my joy of production with my false sense of smug superiority in telling you what you should like* -- and since I've clearly failed at keeping up at full album write ups (the last one being over six months ago... yipes) -- here is another instalment of 3 Minute Revelations**
This will probably be my last 2010 album before I start in on this year, and it's another of my favourite albums of last year. Which shouldn't surprise any of the regular readers (all seventeen of you).
Combining my joy of production with my false sense of smug superiority in telling you what you should like* -- and since I've clearly failed at keeping up at full album write ups (the last one being over six months ago... yipes) -- here is another instalment of 3 Minute Revelations** (which will hopefully come at a better rate than one every two and a half weeks.)
Before I get into 2011, there were a few albums last year that I didn't get a chance to write about, and while I won't do them all, I'll catch up on a couple of my favourites of 2010 before moving on. I don't think any regular readers will be surprised when I say Henry & The Nightcrawlers is one of those favourites.
A couple weeks ago I posted the New Music Now features I was doing for Evolution1079. They combined my joy of production with my false sense of smug superiority in telling you what you should like*, and since I've clearly failed at keeping up at full album write ups (the last one being six months ago... yipes) I figured I would keep doing these (but with a more relevant name).
There were a few albums last year that I didn't get a chance to write about, and while I won't do them all, I'll catch up on a couple of my favourites of 2010 before moving on to this year.
So what better way to start out than with one of my favourite musicians, Nick Cave.
Enjoy the inaugural edition of 3 Minute Revelations**.
Regular readers (all sixteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about... well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next few weeks and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
All right. So. The thing is, I originally did six over a three week span, and this is the last of them. But I really liked doing them; it combined my love of production with my love of rambling about music and telling you what you should like. So the question is... should I continue to do these?
They would be on my own time and specifically for the blog, so I'd probably also need a new name, as New Music Now is from Evolution. Plus I'm sure I could think of something better. So far, the leading suggestion is "3 Minute Revelations Colon Subtitle Kirk Takes 3 Minutes Of Your Time and Awesomes It Up"
Thoughts?
Regular readers (all fourteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about... well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next few weeks and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
Regular readers (all fourteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about... well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next few weeks and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
Regular readers (all fourteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about, well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next few weeks and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
Regular readers (all thirteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about, well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next little while and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
Regular readers (all thirteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about, well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next little while and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
Given how the various members of Toronto's "musical collective" Broken Social Scene have gone on to their own success, Jimmy Shaw & Emily Haines of Metric and Feist perhaps the two best examples, and the pair of "BSS Presents" solo albums by co-founders Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, it was not unreasonable to be in doubt of the future of the group. But after "slimming down" to a core nine members, the group feels more like a band, and less like a loose gathering of musicians. There are still guest stars galore -- there are 30-something credited musicians on the album -- but most just pop in for a song or two, including BSS alumni Feist, Haines, Amy Millan, Jason Collett, members from The Sea & Cake, Pavement and many more. But will the new, streamlined lineup provide the same magic that previous albums hit?
Forgiveness Rock Record starts as the almost seven minute long "World Sick" slowly creeps in, before swelling to grandiose proportions. The sprawling song is reminiscent of their previous work, but once the frantic and frenzied "Chase Scene" kicks in, you know the album is going to be their most diverse yet. The topical "Texico Bitches" is an effortless song, and "Forced To Love" is a more straight ahead rocker, featuring Sebastien Grainger. Those gives way to the more electronic-y "All To All", the first song to showcase the vocals of relative newcomer Lisa Lobsinger, who proves she is right up there with the rest of BSS's talented female vocalists. The horn-laden "Art House Director" is another high energy rocker, where the influence of Apostle of Hustle's Andrew Whiteman shines through. "Highway Slipper Jam" slows things down with a more chill, loose, acoustic-y vibe to it, and the lo-fi and twitchy "Ungrateful Little Father", crawls to a dreamy ending. But then the energy is right back up with the epic "Meet Me In the Basement", an absolutely intense instrumental battle of guitars and horns that leaves you drained at the end. Which is probably best to be followed by "Sentimental X's", which starts a little more subdued, but then builds to a grand climax. It also, if I am not mistaken, marks the first time Feist, Haines and Millan have sung on the same song. The sexy bass line of "Sweetest Kill" belies some of the darkest lyrics on the album, which seem to have a focus on romance, abandonment and death, as "Romance To the Grave" also does a good job of showcasing. After a few slower tracks, "Water In Hell" brings the energy back up with another great cacophonous rock song. The album ends with a kind of strange song, "Me and My Hand", which sounds like it's a one-take screwing-around song that should be a hidden track rather than the closer.
In the end, the album manages to be their most eclectic, yet most accessible. It is less sprawling, and while at first it may seem a bit too focused, the more you listen to it, and peel back the layers, the more you see new elements you missed the first, second, or even fifth times. Is it their best yet? No, probably not, but that is only a testament to how brilliant their previous albums are. But it is definitely their most engaging, and absolutely worthy of being short listed for a Polaris Prize.
I don't know what it is about Vancouver, but it seems like an abundance of musical talent has popped up in the last few years. It's not like there has been a dearth of talented people from here, but it just seems like the last little while, a huge pool of talent has formed. Case in point, Hannah Georgas (even though she is originally from Ontario, which we forgive her for). After last years stellar EP, The Beat Stuff, she is back with This Is Good, her debut full length. Produced by Ryan Guldemond (of Mother Mother, who also plays on the album) and Howard Redekopp (who has done a crap load of great albums from excellent artists), there is certainly no lack of creative force behind the album.
The punchy "Chit Chat" opens the album, and sets a good tone for what you're in for. While never crossing the line into Morisette-esque bitterness, when she acerbically spits out "is it just that you like to hear yourself speak?" you know she isn't afraid to say what's on her mind. Or wear her heart on her sleeve, for that matter, as seen with the fantastic harmonies on the revealing "Lovesick". Electro-pop infused "Dancefloor" was, as the title implies, made for dancing and it's impossible not to at least bop along to. The album doesn't stop its twists and turns, with the lush and encouraging "The Deep End" showing off Georgas' talent at arrangements and layering sounds. Her sharp tongue returns in both "Lovers Breakdown" -- "winners lose and lovers break down" -- and "Thick Skin", an eerie song, full haunting strings that builds to a dramatic crescendo (with an interesting video). A great one-two punch follows, with the more straightforward, but catchy "This Is Good" leading into the even catchier "Bang Bang You're Dead", bringing back a little synth for a great sing-a-long track. The album then brings things down for a bit with two slower songs; "Your Ghost" features more harmonies and lush arrangements, and has perhaps grown to become my favourite off the album, and the most [heartbreakingly] beautiful song on the album, "Shine". And to wrap things up, a song that is completely out of left field, in the best way possible. "Something for You" sounds like it was taken right out of a 50s jazz club. It is quirky, fun, a perfect way to end an album, and it is impossible not to listen to with a big grin on your face... and maybe even fall in love a little with Ms Georgas.
I'm always wary when an artist puts out an excellent EP because I've found it can sometimes be followed up with a sub-par full length; the same amount of awesome, spread out in twice the length, watered down with mediocre. But that was definitely not the case here. It was long-listed for the Polaris for good reason (and probably even deserved to be short listed) as it is an excellent debut. And I can't wait to see where she goes from here.
(Also, I am somewhat proud of making it through the review without making the obvious [and overused] "This is Good" pun!)
"Pop as fuck!" That is how Regina eight piece Library Voices describes their music, and their debut full length Denim on Denim exemplifies that. Even though it is full of gang vocals, and more instruments than some acts have in their entire library of music, they never step on each others toes, creating an incredibly rich and vibrant sound. And even though there are more than a couple references to the apocalypse, the whole album is just fun and energetic.
"Drinking Games" kicks off the album, starting out very quiet and subdued, but adds instruments one by one until the whole thing erupts into something impossible not to sing along to. The energy is kept up with the insanely infectious "Insider Trading (On Outsider Art)" and "Haunt This House", both of which overflowing with hooks that will get anyone moving. "Party Like It's 2012" is one of the more obviously apocalyptic on the album, with them urging us to "Do the oblivion shuffle / Do the redemption twist / Do the salvation shimmy" and proclaiming "we'll party like it's 2012 / like they'll be no morning after [...] let's hear it for the rapture!" Another prominent theme on the album is literature, and "Write Me a Myth" is one of the better examples of that. Mark Hamilton (of Woodpigeon) guests on vocals for the next two tracks, "Bookish", a twist on the age old tale of falling in love with the cute shy girl and another not-quite-love-song "Bodies of Fiction" which is "just another song about love" with a "nameless narrator" that "starts with 'I' and ends with 'we'". They bring the tone down for a moment, with "Model City", whose beauty shows that they can do more than just the energetic pop songs. "End Time" seems like another upbeat song about embracing the end of the world, but when they tell you "but you can live your life fearing death / ... or you can just get on with it" you believe them. But then "Family Night" turns around and warns that the perfect life may not be so perfect -- it's interesting when the song about family life is the darkest on an album full of apocalyptic songs. The anxiety is played up when the end adds layers upon layers of vocals which gets so close to overwhelms the listener, before grinding to a halt and almost stopping dead. The slow end leads into "Balloon Menagerie", another soft and somewhat nervous song, thematically, which features scratch and distortion. The album wraps up "Hello Cruel World", an interesting choice for a closing track. Again, the upbeat track belies the somewhat ominous lyrics, starting with a near-death experience (or perhaps not-so-near?) and coming to a close with the lyrics "Sometimes a man just needs to get away / or think he got away..." and then drawing to an end with the sound of footsteps walking away. It definitely gives a sense of finality to the album.
The other thing about the album that struck me was the packaging/artwork. It is not anything too fancy or elaborate, but it has some nice touches, like the lightning bolt cut out to show the denim-sleeve, or the mini-poster that comes with in. In fact, instead of me describing it, just take a look for yourself. And since the artwork was just this morning nominated for a West Coast Music Award (as well as the album itself, for Independent Album of the Year) I know I'm not the only one to notice it.
No doubt Denim on Denim will remain one of the most fun albums of the year. Catchy hooks. Energetic songs. Clever lyrics. Pop as fuck indeed.
From the moment I first saw Wilhit the stage, years ago, I was drawn in. His live show was just so incredible and energetic that I was an instant fan. But while I enjoyed his first album, Both Hands, it seemed to be missing a little piece of what made him so special live. His next album, By December, was a huge step forward, both in his writing and music, and seemed to capture that live quality. So needless to say, I was more than a little excited for his third album, In This Together, hoping it would be as big a leap as Both Hands was from By December.
"Long Kiss Goodnight" opens the album heartbreakingly, lamenting on a ruined relationship with the music matching the emotions that swing between angry and melancholy. The album picks up from there, though, with "Why Ask Why?" slowly building to an explosive climax and the infectiously catchy & roots-driven "Baby Baby" both taking a more positive (or at least less bleak) look at relationships. "The River" -- a song he's been playing live for years now, so it's great to finally have recorded -- has an upbeat tune that belies the dark lyrics. "Cooder Mountain" is another track that just builds and builds; starting somewhat ominously and then piles on the intensity until the end leaves you breathless. "If You Want Me Too" brings the mood down slightly, as it sounds like it should be a gloomy song, but is actually quite touching, lyrically. The worst least good song on the album is probably "Way Too Long", which isn't really all that bad, just a little... forgettable, not sticking with you like the rest. That is quickly remedied as "Uh Oh!" bursts forth with energy and enthusiasm, though "The Deal" brings the dark intensity back, with another building song, this time about sacrifice. The moody and longing "Hold Me Tonight" seems has an optimism to it, when Wil begs "hold me tonight / and everything's going to be all right", a sentiment that leads perfectly into "Together", an aptly named song which gives closure both musically and lyrically, assuring you that "the days ahead get better". The combination of the two songs is an excellent way to bring the album to a close, and is a great counter to the opener.
The first thing I noticed about the album is that it does not have that one song on it that was head and shoulders above the rest, like both previous albums had ("Spitfire" and "Honey Pie"), but it is more evenly good. And while I may have been a little unenthusiastic towards the album, at first, the more I have played it, the more intricacies and nuances I find, to the point where I think it might be his best yet.
When I heard the news that Sigur Rós -- one of my four favourite bands -- was going on a hiatus, I was crestfallen. But then later that same day (perhaps it was even the same article) I heard that lead singer Jón Þór Birgisson, aka Jónsi, was going to be doing a solo album I perked up a little. Even though I was mildly disappointed by the Riceboy Sleeps album by Jónsi & Alex (Alex being Alex Somers, Jónsi's partner and founding member of the band Parachutes), I was still excited by this prospect. Surrounding himself with some excellent musicians, including the aforementioned Somers, Jónsi does something quite unique: while the vast majority of Sigur Rós songs are in either Icelandic or Hopelandic (save one song on their last album), all but two (and a half) on this album are sung in English.
"Go Do" starts out a little twitchy and a little low key, but then slowly builds up to a grand start for the album, before "Animal Arithmetic" absolutely explodes with unbridled joy; it is impossible to hear this song and not have a huge grin on your face. "Tornado" very much lives up to its name, as it starts very soft and gradually builds into a swirling cacophony of sound and noise, with the chaos actually evoking the feeling of a storm. "Boy Lilikoi" picks up the energy again, and is fantastic example of Nico Muhly's absolutely beautiful string, brass, and woodwind arrangements, which grace the whole album. The piano-heavy and atmospheric "Sinking Friendships" is heartbreakingly gorgeous and leads perfectly into the string heavy and soaring "Kolniður", which is one songs sung in his native Icelandic. "Around Us" is another undeniably optimistic song which, both musically and lyrically, is the opposite side of the coin as "Grow till Tall", the climax of the album. While the former proclaims "We all want to grow with the seeds we will sow / We all want to go with the breeze we will blow / We all want to know when we're all meant to go / To a place you and I..." the latter counters with "You'll know, when's time to go on / You'll really want to grow and grow till tall / They all, in the end, will fall" Starting off very calm, "Grow Till Tall" builds in intensity and gradually adds instruments until the whole things washes over you, before abruptly ending in a fuzz. Finally, the album is brought to a close with the tender "Hengilás", a perfect denouement to end the album.
The album, on the whole, seems to be much more upbeat than the average Sigur Rós album, and even the slower songs seem to still be bursting with beauty. It is a phenomenal album that is as joyous as it is unique, and I have a hard time imagining another album will come along and surpass it as my favourite of the year.
Every once in a while something comes along that completely and totally takes you by surprise. For me, this was Mt. Chimaera, the full length debut from Brasstronaut. I am not quite sure why, but for some reason I was expecting them to sound completely different than they do -- which is funny in retrospect, as their name is a perfect indication of their sound. The Vancouver band is fronted by Edo Van Breemen on keyboards & vocals and he is joined by a roster of great musicians playing a wide range of instruments: Bryan Davies (trumpet/flugelhorn/glockenspiel), John Walsh (bass/guitar), Brennan Saul (percussion), Tariq Hussain (lap steel/electric guitar), & Sam Davidson (clarinet/EWI); the EWI being a great and underused instrument which looks like a Space Clarinet. Their website points out that while all play in a number of other projects, they are quick to profess that this is their one and only golden egg. And with the recent inclusion of the album on the Polaris Prize long list, it looks like "golden egg" may be an apt metaphor.
The album starts out with "Slow Knots", which gives you a good idea of how the next 40 minutes are going to go. Cinematic, atmospheric, haunting and intense are all words that could describe the band, and they manage to exemplify all of those adjectives in this break-up song (Do you really think that I betrayed you / honey don't you know that I'm too dumb for that / you kept a list of all those bad nights / and we both know it got too long). "Hands Behind" shows off the bands jazz influence and weaves trumpet with acoustic and slide guitars together seamlessly. That leads in to "Lo Hi Hopes" which is more of a rocking, upbeat track, yet still finds time for woodwind solos, and almost grinds to a halt for the breakdown, before exploding again at the end. The energy isn't let up with the piano driven "Six toes", a song that is all over the map, but never in a sloppy way. "Hearts Trompet" is my favourite track off the album, and quite possibly one of my favourite songs of the year thus far. It starts out with a laid back bass line and slowly adds things like horns and strings until it hits the midway point, and then just launches into a breathtaking symphonic climax, before stopping almost dead in its tracks, trickling it's way into "Ravan", which takes the opposite approach, as it slowly fades to a gentle ending. "Same Same" is given an ethereal quality with the echoing vocals and dramatic horns and well placed flourishes of guitar. The album draws to a close with the epic eight minute "Insects", the darkest track on the album, which also drips with emotion. This single song does more than I have heard some bands do in an entire album, flowing perfectly through what could almost be called separate movements within the song, encapsulating the band almost perfectly.
With the amount of stuff going on, it would be easy for a band like Brasstronaut to collapse under its own weight into a complete mess, but it a s testament to the musical abilities to all involved that it comes together as perfectly as it does. The more I listen to this album, the more it grows on me, and the less doubt I have that it will make it on to my "best of" list this year.
I admit, it can be somewhat strange to listen to music in a language you don't understand. As someone that pays attention to both music and lyrics, being cut off from half that experience can make it harder to really get into a band. Harder, but not always impossible (one of my favourite bands, for instance, sings both in a language I don't understand, and one that no one understands).
The band in question here is Montréal's Karkwa -- who amazed me away the minute I first saw them live, in a show where they blew out a speaker at the Biltmore -- and Les Chemins De Verre is their fourth album. From what I can piece together through my own (very limited and rusty) French and Google Translate (there are not a lot of English articles on the album, which is a great shame) it was recorded partially in Paris, with very little preproduction; a lot of it was based on spontaneity, improvisation and impulse. It was about capturing a moment, not recreating it, and the album somehow manages to be more complex, yet more accessible than their previous, Le Volume De Vent.
"Le pyromane" starts, appropriately enough, with a crackling fire before the band kicks in, gradually building to a roaring blaze, and introduces their rich and lush wall of sound which continues right into "L'acouphène". The gorgeous "Moi-léger" slows things down, at first driven solely by a piano, but one by one the full band joins in finally basting in full force, only to drop back out at the end. "Marie, tu pleurs" is a more upbeat and catchy track that is impossible not to join in on the handclaps, and it leads well into "Le bon sens", whose seemingly cheery beginning seems to hint at something darker, that kicks in midway through the song. The first single from the album, "Les chemins de verre" brings the high energy back as it races through, only pausing briefly to catch its breath before screeching to a halt. "Dors dans mon sang" is breathtakingly beautiful, featuring a heartbreaking piano that melds first with Louis-Jean Cormier's haunting voice, then a chorus of ooh's as it swells and intertwines with well placed feedback, before suddenly dropping, ending again with Cormier over light piano. This is juxtaposed by the frantic "La piqûre" which sees the layers voices and cacophony of noise adding to the frenzy, and segueing into "Les enfants de Beyrouth", keeping up the same level of intensity with its plinking piano keys. The moody "Au-dessus de la tête de Lili-June" is mostly spoken word, and the layered, repeating lines -- along with the sparse music, and even the tone of voice -- makes it sound creepy as hell. But "28 jours" comes in light and calm, melodic and almost reassuring and it, too, builds to a grand ending, though never shedding its optimism. "Le vrai bonheur" ends as the album began, with a cracking fire in the background, and a song that seems, thematically, the opposite of the opening track, and gives you a feeling that lives up to the title.
It is kind of amazing how something like this can instill so much emotion. No, I do not understand what he is singing, and yes, I am just hearing his voice as another instrument; but despite that, I am filled with a variety of emotions throughout the album. Maybe even more so that songs that I understand, as with these there is more room for interpretation. That is why I am afraid to find out the translations of the songs. Sure, part of me does wants to go through each song and find out what they mean, but I fear that this would ruin them for me. That it would be drastically different from what it is in my mind. And to say nothing of the poetry of the songs. No doubt the translations would never match up perfectly and would most likely come across clunky and awkward. I may not ever fully understand the meaning behind the songs, but what I do know is that the five members of Karkwa are all brilliant, and that Les Chemins De Verre will no doubt end up being one of my favourite albums of the year.
If you are familiar with Jason Collett, then his latest album, Rat A Tat Tat, likely won't surprise you. That doesn't mean, however, that it isn't full of excellent music. Collett has always been rooted in the 70s, and this album simultaneously pays tribute to his influences and pushes the boundaries on his own sounds; even though you can tell what, and who, inspired him, it never sounds derivative or ripped off. The Broken Social Scenester is joined on his fifth solo album by some excellent musicians, including (but not limited to) all four members of Zeus, Afie Jurvanen (aka Bahamas) and Jason Tait (of The Weakerthans).
The album has an incredibly laid back feeling, like it was conceived and recorded on a lazy summer day, and that is immediately apparent. "Rave On Sad Songs" starts stripped down and acoustic-y, but gains momentum adding instruments and backing vocals for a lush ending. From there is launches into the more upbeat and hypnotic "Lake Superior", which grooves perfectly into the brilliant bass line of "Love Is a Dirty Word", an insanely catchy song that is impossibly not to at least sway along to. "Bitch City" seems completely effortless, as it slows down again while Collett drawls "You gotta walk light when you're stepping in shit". The sexy "High Summer" is a great example of how Collett firmly roots his music in Canada, (seamlessly) working in a mention of Penetanguishene, ON and -- singing of a summer fling -- the lines: "so we pushed off in her canoe / and she showed me what a real Canadian can do, oh my". "Cold Blue Halo" could easily be a forgettable track, but Collett weaves layer upon layer of autoharp, wurlitzer piano, banjo, moog synth and backing vocals that draws you in. From there, "Love Is a Chain" is another high energy and playful song which could easily be the albums next single and "Long May You Love" and "The Slowest Dance" are both a little more basic tracks; the former having a galloping beat that builds to the chorus where Collett's voice soars and the latter sounding like they were just flat out having fun. I wouldn't be surprised if that one was recorded live off the floor. The moody "Winnipeg Winds" is dark and as chilling as the title implies, again drawing strength from its layers and the album comes to a close with "Vanderpool Vanderpool" which may not be the best choice to wrap things up, but is certainly not a bad song. Again, feeling laid back, it sneaks in some Spanish guitar flourishes before the song slowly, and almost lazily, jams to the end.
Throughout the whole album, Collett oozes confidence and charm, and it all just seems so effortless. Possibly because where he seems strongest is his craftsmanship. While he is not without his musical talent, or captivating voice, what drives the album -- and what sets him apart from any other "indie-folk" artists, if that is what you want to classify him as -- is the composition of the songs. Be they dense & layered or stripped down & minimalistic, they always seem to be the perfect fit.
Regular readers (all sixteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about... well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next few weeks and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
Regular readers (all fourteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about... well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next few weeks and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
Regular readers (all fourteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about... well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next few weeks and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
Regular readers (all fourteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about, well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next few weeks and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
Regular readers (all thirteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about, well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next little while and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
Regular readers (all thirteen of you) may know I am currently schooling at BCIT, in the Radio Broadcast program. In our second, and final, year we take over the station Evolution1079 and are given various jobs. For the next little while, I am doing New Music Now; a three minute feature about, well, I think it's pretty self explanatory. I will be doing six of then in the next little while and I figured I would share them with you here because why not.
Given how the various members of Toronto's "musical collective" Broken Social Scene have gone on to their own success, Jimmy Shaw & Emily Haines of Metric and Feist perhaps the two best examples, and the pair of "BSS Presents" solo albums by co-founders Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, it was not unreasonable to be in doubt of the future of the group. But after "slimming down" to a core nine members, the group feels more like a band, and less like a loose gathering of musicians. There are still guest stars galore -- there are 30-something credited musicians on the album -- but most just pop in for a song or two, including BSS alumni Feist, Haines, Amy Millan, Jason Collett, members from The Sea & Cake, Pavement and many more. But will the new, streamlined lineup provide the same magic that previous albums hit?
I don't know what it is about Vancouver, but it seems like an abundance of musical talent has popped up in the last few years. It's not like there has been a dearth of talented people from here, but it just seems like the last little while, a huge pool of talent has formed. Case in point, Hannah Georgas (even though she is originally from Ontario, which we forgive her for). After last years stellar EP, The Beat Stuff, she is back with This Is Good, her debut full length. Produced by Ryan Guldemond (of Mother Mother, who also plays on the album) and Howard Redekopp (who has done a crap load of great albums from excellent artists), there is certainly no lack of creative force behind the album.
"Pop as fuck!" That is how Regina eight piece Library Voices describes their music, and their debut full length Denim on Denim exemplifies that. Even though it is full of gang vocals, and more instruments than some acts have in their entire library of music, they never step on each others toes, creating an incredibly rich and vibrant sound. And even though there are more than a couple references to the apocalypse, the whole album is just fun and energetic.
From the moment I first saw Wil hit the stage, years ago, I was drawn in. His live show was just so incredible and energetic that I was an instant fan. But while I enjoyed his first album, Both Hands, it seemed to be missing a little piece of what made him so special live. His next album, By December, was a huge step forward, both in his writing and music, and seemed to capture that live quality. So needless to say, I was more than a little excited for his third album, In This Together, hoping it would be as big a leap as Both Hands was from By December.
When I heard the news that Sigur Rós -- one of my four favourite bands -- was going on a hiatus, I was crestfallen. But then later that same day (perhaps it was even the same article) I heard that lead singer Jón Þór Birgisson, aka Jónsi, was going to be doing a solo album I perked up a little. Even though I was mildly disappointed by the Riceboy Sleeps album by Jónsi & Alex (Alex being Alex Somers, Jónsi's partner and founding member of the band Parachutes), I was still excited by this prospect. Surrounding himself with some excellent musicians, including the aforementioned Somers, Jónsi does something quite unique: while the vast majority of Sigur Rós songs are in either Icelandic or Hopelandic (save one song on their last album), all but two (and a half) on this album are sung in English.
Every once in a while something comes along that completely and totally takes you by surprise. For me, this was Mt. Chimaera, the full length debut from Brasstronaut. I am not quite sure why, but for some reason I was expecting them to sound completely different than they do -- which is funny in retrospect, as their name is a perfect indication of their sound. The Vancouver band is fronted by Edo Van Breemen on keyboards & vocals and he is joined by a roster of great musicians playing a wide range of instruments: Bryan Davies (trumpet/flugelhorn/glockenspiel), John Walsh (bass/guitar), Brennan Saul (percussion), Tariq Hussain (lap steel/electric guitar), & Sam Davidson (clarinet/EWI); the EWI being a great and underused instrument which looks like a Space Clarinet. Their website points out that while all play in a number of other projects, they are quick to profess that this is their one and only golden egg. And with the recent inclusion of the album on the Polaris Prize long list, it looks like "golden egg" may be an apt metaphor.
I admit, it can be somewhat strange to listen to music in a language you don't understand. As someone that pays attention to both music and lyrics, being cut off from half that experience can make it harder to really get into a band. Harder, but not always impossible (one of my favourite bands, for instance, sings both in a language I don't understand, and one that no one understands).
If you are familiar with Jason Collett, then his latest album, Rat A Tat Tat, likely won't surprise you. That doesn't mean, however, that it isn't full of excellent music. Collett has always been rooted in the 70s, and this album simultaneously pays tribute to his influences and pushes the boundaries on his own sounds; even though you can tell what, and who, inspired him, it never sounds derivative or ripped off. The Broken Social Scenester is joined on his fifth solo album by some excellent musicians, including (but not limited to) all four members of Zeus, Afie Jurvanen (aka Bahamas) and Jason Tait (of The Weakerthans).
