It's really about time I gave Five Roses a proper write-up. After all, the album by Miracle Fortress has been my favorite for several weeks now, and it has certainly become my number one recommendation whenever someone asks me "what have you been listening to lately?" I must have introduced a dozen people to the album by now and have yet to find a disappointed listener, so not only am I beginning to think the record is universally enjoyable, I also think it's pretty safe to say that [...]
Check out this week's episode of Blog Fresh Radio as Andy, who contributes here once in a blue moon, highlights Miracle Fortress' Five Roses - the new solo album by Think About Life's Graham Van Pelt . I haven't really given a lot of time to the album myself, so you'll have to download/stream the episode to find out more! The few tracks i've heard have a Brian Wilson-esque quality to it's sound, but I just tend to gravitate more towards the pop aspects of music more [...]
"And the river grew higher and wider/ deeper and darker as I was closing in" I just finished reading a post on The Vegan Dessert (a recent start-up by my friend JT at Amherst that, I can only assume, was inspired by The Canals) about the dangers of bio-fuel. Apparently, rising gas prices are driving up demand for ethanol-based fuel, which is driving up the price of corn, which will eventually kill starving children in Ethiopia. But the two problems here - filling the gas [...]
As hip as it may be to list ambiguous names as primary influences, there are usually two extremely popular bands who are labeled as major influential factors by the majority of contemporary artists. Miracle Fortress is one in an infinite number of bands that proudly calls The Beach Boys their most prominent inspiration. Alongside The Beatles, it is difficult for a modern artist to ignore the contributions of Brian Wilson and associates, with a sense of songwriting brilliance that most proceeding artists can only dream of. When I read that the Montreal-based Graham Van Pelt was the leading [...]
"Have You Seen In Your Dreams"/"Little Trees" With the endless number of Brian Wilson wannabes and harmony obsessed indie poppers, I'm surprised I haven't sworn off every Pet Sounds carbon copy I've come across. But for some reason, they keep coming, and I keep eating them up. The latest being Montreal's The Miracle Fortress, and their debut album Five Roses . With a combination of Beach Boys charm, innocence and earnest, Graham Van Pelt (the man behind the moniker) churns out [...]
Photography "Back From Holiday" by roidrage Have I got a Memorial Day post for you.... close your eyes and, wait, hold on a sec, don't close your eyes, because then you would be able to read and we'd be stuck until you happen to open your eyes again and that would just mess this up. Let's try again. Miracle Fortress is exactly what would come to your head if I told you to imagine to mix equal parts Canuck-indie [...]
After having spent the past two months with Miracle Fortress' Five Roses, the new solo album by Think About Life's Graham Van Pelt, I can say that it's one of my favorites to come out so far this year. MP3: Miracle Fortress - Have You Seen In Your Dreams? MP3: Miracle ...
Graham Van Pelt, the brains behind Montreal's Miracle Fortress, must have idolized Brian Wilson as a child. How else do you explain the similarities between the Beach Boy's and Miracle Fortress' style? But, if you're going to copy someone, you might as well copy the best. Miracle Fortress expertly recreates the vocal harmonies and walls of sound that made that brought Brian Wilson so much fame. But, rest assured, their new album, Five Roses , is no Beach Boys rehash; Miracle Fortress add their own touches, blending the shimmering guitar lines and hypnotic melodies of psych-pop in to that [...]
Though the legacy of Brian Wilson is a constant presence in pop music, his influence has been particularly evident this year. It was only recently that I truly began to understand the insane genius of the man behind Pet Sounds , probably one of the greatest musical works ever created, so the prevalence of worthwhile followers has been welcome. One of the finer, and maybe more indebted, Wilsonian acts of 2007 is Miracle Fortress , the solo project of Graham Van Pelt from Think About Life . His upcoming full-length debut, Five Roses , is littered [...]
Miracle Fortress - "Little Trees" An unexpected honey sandwich from the brains (as opposed to brawn) behind Think About Life. The Miracle Fortress album is (literally) covered in bedsheets and kittens, which act perhaps as an asterisk to the style, but they need not. Graham Van Pelt's approach is straightforward, and simple, and unafraid. I like it. The songs may not all be to my taste, but neither are Think About Life's, I didn't expect anything different. But here. Here, the song seems to ask "hey, little buddy, can I get into bed and snuggle with you?" at the beginning, [...]
As ever, I didn't attend this year's EMP Pop Music Conference, but as ever, I'm always anxious to hear what sort of discussions went down. I caught this bit over at The Stranger : During the final event in a long weekend of geeking out about music, an open discussion about "The Future of Thinking About Music For a Living," Pitchfork news editor Amy Phillips stood up in a Thermals t-shirt and told a room full of critical and academic heavies that they are basically dinosaurs. "Kids don't care about Robert Christgau or [...]
I wanted to post a few examples of music similar to that of Lewis & Clarke. (You can see I'm really living by my words about personal music and the feeling I don't have to share it.) Here are three more very personal artists: Miracle Fortress - Have You Seen In Your Deams Paul Duncan - The Lake Part 2 Magic Arm - Outdoor Games None of the albums from which these songs are taken are available yet, but check [...]
From the wonderful new Miracle Fortress record "Five Roses", to be released on Secret City Records... Poetaster A song from the critically acclaimed new album "Boxer" by The National (who are opening for Arcade Fire!)... Fake Empire From The new TV on the Radio live ep "Live At Amoeba Music"... Wolf Like Me New Islands song From the Tomlab 7" Series... Dnttakemy Wingzz Away
From around the blogs, here's this week's top hits. Straight To The Band - 50 Cent From "Curtis," produced by Dr. Dre Some Say Yes - Freeway w/ Sleepy Brown Via Spine Magazine Little Secret - Sam Champion (new song) Parking Lot Nights - Ghosthustler This Thing [...]
Handsome Furs, the project of Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade, are perhaps the highlight this week, certainly in terms of anticipation. The band is releasing their debut album toward the end of May. Heartbeats from Thrushes sends me back to a shoegaze conversation on the site a few weeks ago. There's a b-side from Bright Eyes, a great little number from The Features as well as a couple of other oddities. Listen: Handsome Furs – Handsome Furs Hate The City [...]
Under Byen, courtesy of Doron Gild Every Monday-Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. The podcast features exclusive in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent musicians that KEXP DJs think you should hear. Today's featured selection is from Under Byen , who blew us away with their SXSW performance on Day 3 of our broadcast. The featured song is from their 2006 album Samme Stof Som Stof : Under Byen - Palads ( MP3 ) [...]
That guy in the drawing up there is Montreal's Graham Van Pelt , and you may recall we went nuts over his other band, Think About Life , sometime last year (check them out if you haven't). Well Graham also has a band called Miracle Fortress (Jordan from Sunset Rubdown is also a member) who happens to be getting some serious blog-love these days from such esteemed hot spots as MOKB , YANP , and BV , and for good reason. I'm really digging anything that has a distinct [...]
The Bird and the Bee - I'm a Broken Heart The subject matter might not be the best spring music, but the music certainly sounds it. This reminds me of what a girl version of Peter, Bjorn, and John might sound like. I really feel bad for this girl being "a broken heart", she seems so sweet...who could do this to her? They are sure to pay. Great trumpet solo in the middle as well. Buy Here Sun Kil Moon - Kentucky Woman I [...]
John Cale's Paris 1919 , released in 1973 and re-released last year with some additional tracks, is one of my favorite albums of all time. From the title to the album cover to the gauzy beauty of the songs to the sophisticated yet accessible arrangements, it is impossible not to be drawn into Cale's world. Over the years several artists have covered songs from the album, notably Alejandro Escovedo, Yo La Tengo and Hope Blisters. Here's a new cover of "Hanky Panky Nohow," by Miracle Fortress, from Montreal. Miracle Fortress - Hanky Panky Nohow [...]
Miracle Fortress just completely knocked me upside the head with a handful of great songs. The band is pretty much just Graham Van Pelt's (Think About Life) solo project and will have a record out sometime next month. Until then, enjoy these. MP3: Miracle Fortress - This Thing About You MP3: Miracle ...
out the other...
The Yellow Stereo
The Canals
Obscure Sound
The Music Miz
T S U R U R A D I O
You Aint No Picasso
Shameless Complacency
Chickens Don't Clap!
Said the Gramophone
The Catbirdseat
Be Hear Be Now
Snakes Got A Blog
Some Velvet Blog
The Muso
KEXP Blog
Gorilla Vs. Bear
Quarterlifeparty
I’ll Just Leave This Here #161
REMIX SUNDAYS- May 27th, 2012
Photos: Justin Bieber Reportedly ‘Strikes’ Paparazzi During Scuffle
