Speaking of local festivals , I think everyone was at least a little bit surprised to see Bloc Party show up in the roster for this year's Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in Fredericton. I'm not exactly sure how that deal went down, but kudos to the organizers for making it happen and venturing outside the normally genre boundaries of the festival. Other names turning heads this year include Buddy Guy and Derek Trucks Band. Tickets go on sale Saturday, July 19th. For even more excitement, it seems Bloc Party also has a [...]
First of all, happy late Canada Day! And what better way to mark it than a post about a young, Canadian-born festival focused on all things indie? Even better, it's right here on the East Coast. The third annual SappyFest (hosted by Sappy Records ) takes place August 1-3 in Sackville, New Brunswick and they've assembled a huge roster this year (I counted 61, plus some documentaries). Some of the names are definitely new to me, but I suppose that's bound to happen when you have this many bands lined up . Still, there are many [...]
On their new album "Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust", Sigur Rós finally released a song in English. I really thought it would never happen. I mean, I know the band can speak English, I heard them do some pretty horrible interviews a few years ago. They seemed to be much more fluent in Heima, I just thought that since they are so proud of there heritage they would never want to do a song in English. Jónsi must have had something pretty important to say. He sings with quite a strong accent so it is kind [...]
You will most definitely recognize the voice of Simon Lord ( Simian ) who is one half of The Black Ghosts along with former Wiseguy Theo Keating. Like an old fashioned romance these two met on the internet and collaborated significantly online before meeting in person. The sound that was produced could not be more fitting for the bands name. The album is dark and eerie with a clear horror/suspense influence. Apparently Lord's grandfather was a director of horror films ( Alan Gibson ). Keating as a child lived with an graveyard [...]
Let's keep it simple as we kick off the week. Here's a trio of remixes featuring Four Tet (and Caribou , aka Manitoba ). I don't have much comment about these, except that I've consistently enjoyed the remixes these two have worked on over the years. Even in cases where the remix barely resembles the original song (see "This Room"), I'm typically still able to get something out of it as a standalone track. Let's hope this week treats us as well. [mp3] Radiohead - Skttrbrain (Four Tet Remix) [...]
I had a completely different post planned for today, but then this band sort of blindsided me. The Weeks are a young band from Jackson, Mississipi and do that sort of southern indie rock we've heard from types like Kings of Leon (the most obv ious comparison, given that unmistakable drawl in the vocals). The sonic palette is different though, with these particular songs showing off a more structured pop sensibility and a bit more chaotic energy in the way they attack their instruments. Like an unhinged pop version of what we might expect [...]
Most fashion lovers will probably tell you that the history of the fashion show is not well documented because the only important thing is what is on the runway right now. This is a hilariously astute way of brushing off the lack of history but I can guarantee that one thing that has always been a strong ally of the fashion show is music. I am not a huge fashion expert or anything but I probably have significantly more interest than the average guy is willing to admit. Of course the fashion world is always about trying to [...]
California's Earlimart was a pleasant surprise when I stumbled upon their Avenues EP back in 2003, so it's great to hear that they have new music on the way. At the time, I thought they were a bit Grandaddy-esque, though a little more introverted and without the loopy sci-fi atmosphere. The full-length Hymn and Her comes out July 1 and it seems they haven't strayed too far from the sound I came to know them by. "Song For" chugs along contently; touches of piano, acoustic guitar and bowed strings mingle with spacey [...]
I'm still feeling the aftertaste of that Bridges album and I think I need to clear my palate. It's also been a while since we touched on some cancon (Canadian Content, yo!), so this satisfies both of those needs. Sarah Slean has played in our town several times and I've managed to miss her every single time for one reason or another. I always regret it later, because I actually really like her albums. I realized today that I've yet to hear her latest album, The Baroness , in its entirety. [...]
Call me an optimist, but I'm typically willing to write about almost anything people send my way. But what can you write when the album in question doesn't inspire anything beyond a "meh." I might not even have bothered with The Bridges ' debut, Limits of the Sky , except that I happened to notice they were produced by Matthew Sweet , who I at least recognize, even if I can't remember any of his songs off the top of my head. As it turns out, maybe I should have left it at that. [...]
It's been, like, months since I've written something about ...And You Will Knows Us By The Trail of Dead . WTF! I must be sick, or dead, or something. What's that? No, you're right. It's unlikely that I'm dead. As it turns out, there's actually stuff going on now that's worth talking about. The band is without a major label for the first time in years and a new album is scheduled for sometime in the Fall. They've signed with newish label Superball Music for Germany, who claim on their MySpace that the [...]
Yeah, I really agree with The Trick and even MOKB (that's a first!). The "Young Folks" cover is drab and boring. Try not to judge the Kooks because of this though, their last album was gold and their new album, although not terribly innovative in any way, is full of fun pop tunes. Here they are redeeming themselves with a tune off their new album, Konk . [mp3] The Kooks - Always Where [...]
Like many other music bloggers, we were contacted this week with the offer of a recording of The Kooks covering "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn & John . I hit Hype Machine and, as I expected, numerous other blogs already had the song up. What can I say, bloggers are fascinated by hearing new versions of songs we know and -- at some point -- have enjoyed. I'm just as guilty of that as anyone. But as it turns out, the comments that accompanied the song were more interesting than the tune itself. [...]
How have I gone all this time without mentioning the new Ladytron ? Oh right, I haven't really been posting. Anyway, it's out next week, it seems to be awesome, and you should probably own it before it owns you. For the uninitiated, Ladytron's music has an icy cold goth tinge, but there's also plenty of pop appeal to make you want to dance and hum. Actually, "goth" makes it sound like it might be all mopey and weepy, but that's not really what Ladytron is about. It's dark, but it's all rather badass. It's everything I [...]
Today, this Hollywood Reporter article reunited two things I haven't thought about in a while: Garbage and The Terminator. Apparently Shirley Manson has decided to pursue an acting career and landed a role in the Sarah Connor Chronicles tv show. I was fond of Garbage in high school and have good memories of seeing them live on the 2.0 tour, but like many people, I found that my interest waned on the two following albums. As for the Sarah Connor Chronicles , I'll admit that I haven't really given the show a fair shot, but [...]
Damn, it's been nice out this week. Today's a bit cooler than yesterday, but still... I think it's officially starting to feel summer-y here. I felt I need to post something to mark the occasion. Hmm... I remember this song being better when I was 12, but I'll leave it for nostalgia's sake anyway. Or how about the song sampled in this, Kool and the Gang's "Summer Madness": [mp3] DJ Jazzy Jeff & The [...]
There are several albums I've been looking forward to this year and one of them is the new Ratatat , which is out in early July. As expected though, tracks have already been showing up around the web. "Shiller" came out of the gates first as probably one of the stranger things I've heard from the duo, but undeniably interesting. The vibe I'm getting from most of these songs is that they're more developed than most of Classics and certainly a bit more experimental. I think that's a good thing, although a lot of people [...]
We've only been semi-active this year, but if our e-mail inbox is any indication, publicists never sleep. Multiple tips and requests for reviews come in on a daily basis. I wouldn't want all these people to think they're wasting their time, since we usually just write about things we enjoy anyway, so I'll make an exception today. You want to get reviewed? You got it! Are these artists "Awesome" or are they just "Guilty"? Mindi Abair - Soft rock with occasional touches of new country and r&b thrown in; also, lots of saxophone. I keep [...]
I suppose if we're only going to post once every two or three months, mixes are a good way to go. A friend recently introduced me to Muxtape , which is a pretty neat concept, I think, even if it is a little lacking in features right now. I put together a quick mix of some stuff I've been enjoying recently. I'm pretty excited to have some new Ladytron and Portishead (pictured above) this year, not to mention new stuff by The Notwist. The rest is a collection of tunes old and new that have been keeping me company. [...]
It sure has been a while for me... here is a mixtape that represents what I have been up to lately... [mp3] Side A [mp3] Side B On Side A: Stars - The Night Starts Here (remix) Kaiser Chiefs - Love Is Not A Competition But I'm Winning (remix) Röyksopp - What else is there? (remix) Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger (remix) [...]
Awesome Until Proven Guilty
Azealia Banks - '1991' [Listen]
THE MASTERSONS — BIRDS FLY SOUTH
