Blog: Chipped Hip

When I spoke with professional chill dude Kurt Vile for Exclaim! a few weeks ago, he had just wrapped up a music video shoot. He didn't give many details about it, but I'm guessing that this clip for "Never Run Away" is it. This comes from the excellent Wakin on a Pretty Daze .

I've spent the past week staying at my grandparents' house in London, ON, where the internet was broken on my only online access was at the local Tim Hortons. Now I'm soaking in the scenery at the Winnipeg airport. I recently interviewed Vancouver pop-rock group the Belle Game for the Georgia Straight . The shadowy Ritual Tradition Habit is out now. Stream it below.

• The Belle Game - "Ritual Tradition Habit"

As you can see from Digits ' home page , the Canadian songwriter and producer also known as Alt Altman has an extremely prolific output. One of his most intriguing projects is In the City of the Dead , a serial novella/album that was released in a string of 12 chapters (plus a prologue and an epilogue), each with an accompanying song. I previously premiered "I'll Play for You" for Exclaim! , and he's since rolled out the remaining instalments in the series. The story is a futuristic dystopia, [...]

• digits - In the City of the Dead

Said the Whale has a new EP called I Love You coming out on June 18, and the Vancouver band has shared a lyric video for the title track. It's a catchy new wave number. Check out the clip below.

Frank Ocean has released a video for "Lost," so I'll use this opportunity to write about how I've become obsessed with channel ORANGE . I was initially a naysayer, but I didn't bother to delete the album from my iPod, and I gave it another shot a couple of weeks ago and was totally blown away. The atmosphere and production are beautiful, and Frank's voice is wonderfully unaffected.

This is shaping up to be a damn good year for Vancouver's Mint Records . The label just released a self-titled LP from Pick a Piper , led by Caribou associate Brad Weber. These bubbly electropop tunes puts the emphasis on the "electro" rather than "pop." Listen to Pick a Piper in its entirety below. Pick a Piper by Pick a Piper

Vancouver songwriter and bass wizard Robbie Nall previously played in the band Sleep Holiday , but he recently released an album under his own name called Elba . It's psychedelic pop album that harkens back to lush '60s pop while at times evoking Elvis Costello 's mellower moments and making the occasional synthesizer foray. Listen to the nine-song collection below or buy it from Bandcamp . Elba by Robbie Nall

For the last few years I've focused this blog exclusively on individual tracks and videos, but that seems a little pointless when so many albums are streaming for free online. Why bother selecting a track when I can just as easily share the entire thing? I recently reviewing White Poppy 's rough-around-the-edges (but thoroughly enjoyable) Song a Day for the Georgia Straight . The whole thing is streaming below. Song A Day by White Poppy

My life has included a lot of Hollerado lately. I interviewed singer Menno Versteeg for Exclaim! , and reviewed the band as part of a show with Billy Talent and Sum 41 for the Georgia Straight . The new album, White Paint , is one of the year's best albums so far. Below is the new single "Pick Me Up."

As I previously mentioned , Apollo Ghosts are calling it quits. It's a total bummer, although it's always nice to see a band go out on top without ever falling from grace. Right, Weezer ? I interviewed singer Adrian Teacher about the band's final show for the Georgia Straight . Below is the first Apollo Ghosts song I ever fell in love with, "Dobermans." Not coincidentally, it's the first song from their first album, 2009's Hastings Sunrise . Dobermans by Apollo Ghosts

Now that Apollo Ghosts are breaking up , Vancouver is looking for a successor to claim the title of best local live act. I nominate Gal Gracen , a band that recently released an excellent tape called Blue Hearts in Exile through Green Burrito Records . My favourite track, "Sylvan Tragedy," is below. I interviewed frontman Patrick Geraghty for this month's issue of BeatRoute . SYLVAN TRAGEDY by Gal Gracen

I first heard of Aaron Read from to his work as part of the Vancouver improv troupe the Sunday Service , but it turns out that he plays music as well, and is a member of How to Dress Well 's live band. He recently released an excellent album called Even Rats Can Feel the Sun through Green Burrito Records , and I wrote about it for The Tyee . The album isn't available digitally, but you can hear "Woman in the Dunes" below. Aaron doesn't [...]

This month, the Shilohs put out their long awaited debut album, So Wild , through Light Organ Records . I reviewed the release show for the Georgia Straight . The band has filmed a video for the sunny folk rock tune "The Place Where Nobody Knows I Go." Watch that below.

I'm a juror for the inaugural instalment of the Prism Prize , a Canadian music video award that recently announced its top 10. Go to Exclaim! to read my story about that. This isn't a Canadian music video, but it's probably my favourite one of the year so far. It's a by Darwin Deez for his fuzzy tune "Free (The Editorial Me)." It's a bit like Groundhog Day , except time resets itself every few seconds rather than every day.

Last weekend I went to San Francisco and didn't have internet access for four days. In that time, fucking My Bloody Valentine released an album. Insane! Here's my favourite song from the long awaited m b v , "New You." It's one of the only My Bloody Valentine songs that could be described as "bass heavy."

Toro y Moi 's new album is called Anything in Return and it features catchy electro tunes like this one, "Say That," which contains some awesomely repetitive synth chords. Watch the wonderfully silly video below, and go to Exclaim! to read my interview with songwriter Chaz Bundick.

Yesterday, I picked up my vinyl copy of Apollo Ghosts ' new single, "Nightwitch," which is out through the Kingfisher Bluez singles series. I wrote about this for Exclaim! a few weeks back. I am putty in Apollo Ghosts' hands. Nightwitch 7" by Apollo Ghosts

Here's a little slice of sunshine on this rainy January hump day in Vancouver. "Pineapple" is the new single from local band BESTiE , and it's a tropical pop number that comes complete with a thematically appropriate music video.

Hot damn—the new album from Edmonton's Renny Wilson , Sugarglider , is fantastic. It's a collection of sweet disco jams that are catchy, atmospheric, and wonderfully schmaltzy. It's coming out on January 22 through Mint Records . Read more at Exclaim! and watch the video for "Could've It Been Me?" below.

We're only two weeks into 2013, which means that A$AP Rocky doesn't have too much competition for the title of the year's best album so far. I wrote about the excellent LongLiveA$AP for The Tyee . The video for "Goldie" is below. Be forewarned that there's some nudity, so don't accidentally leave it open on your desktop before you give a powerpoint presentation at work.