A love letter to his origins, Provincial is the personal, inevitable debut solo LP from John K. Samson, better known as the frontman, singer, and songwriter of the Weakerthans. "Personal" because the songs has touches of vulnerability, even awkwardness, that demonstrate the intimacy of John's lyrics; "inevitable" because that same deeply personal tenor is the [...]
Back in '10, when writing about John K. Samson 's Provincial Route 222 EP, I called it "a succinct, lush 3-song set that makes the listener beg for more." Perhaps my begging wasn't emotive enough, for no new work showed last year, but Samson wasn't resting on his laurels. He recently told Exclaim! magazine "I decided to do this project of three seven-inches covering three different sections of road in Manitoba. And then after I did two, I realized I wanted it to be four ― there wanted to be [...]
Jan 27, 12:50am
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John K Samsons neues Solo-Album «Provincial» ist der Soundtrack für die Rückkehr in die Heimat zwischen Verdruss und Nostalgie. Ein Nachhauseweg, der gut tut, schmerzt und an Vergessenes erinnert. Zuletzt hatte Samson 1993, damals noch Mitglied der Politpunk-Band Propagandhi, ein Solo-Album veröffentlicht. Das rockig jugendliche «Slips And Tangles» vertickte er nach seinen Konzerten in seiner kanadischen Heimat Winnipeg. Danach kamen The Weakerthans und mit ihnen der Erfolg. Vier Langspielalben, unzählige Konzerte, jetzt auch ein Dokumentarfilm. Hauptschlagader der Band sind und waren jedoch schon immer Samsons sensible [...]
John K. Samson – Provincial | CD Vinyl MP3 John K. Samson, the lead singer of The Weakerthans, released his full-length solo debut. Six of the twelve songs are rerecordings of the tracks from Samson's two solo EPs, City Route...
![[Review/Listen] – John K. Samson – "Provincial"](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4017042_lg.jpg)
Tweet If there is one man whose songwriting truly embodies the spirit of humanity, it's John K. Samson . He first made his name in the activist punk-rock band Propagandhi, then started his own band, The Weakerthans, one of my personal favorites. He's made a career writing songs that take the mundane and melancholy and turn them into beautiful, truthful statements about society and humanity in general. We've been waiting with bated breath for five years (that seems like such a long [...]
Frank Yang Though his punk credentials are beyond reproach thans to his tenure in Propagandhi , John K. Samson has always cut a bit of a curious figure in front of The Weakerthans . While his bandmates are more than willing and able to play the part of rockers in turning out muscular guitar riffs and solos, Samson by comparison has always been a bit slight of stature, reedy of voice, sheepish of grin; the thoughtful and verbose folksinger who somehow ended up fronting a rock band. I don't know if the [...]
Lots to consider this week as you contemplate parting with some funds for this week's spate of new releases. From the hi-energy pop/rock of Nada Surf and Hold Steady's Craig Finn to the smart adult pop of Madi Diaz, Ingrid Michaelson or Alexz Johnson to the alt-pop indie finesse of Cheyenne Marie Mize, Laura Gibson and John K. Samson of The Weakerthans, we've got something for you. Try a 70's Laurel Canyon country/folk excursion with Sweden's fantastic First Aid Kit, ogle the 75+ Bob Dylan covers in the charity-supporting Chimes of Freedom box, or dig the beat-friendly vibes of Polica. [...]
If 2012 is really the apocalypse, we'll at least be serenaded by lots of great music as our world goes up in flames. Yes, it's another great week of new releases filled with KEXP favorites, new and old. In fact, we've long been fans of Nada Surf , who return with their sixth album this week, which according to our Music Director, Don Yates, "finds them injecting some welcome additional energy and aggression into their melodic pop-rock sound via quicker tempos and some bristling electric guitar lines." Fans needn't fear that the New York band is trying to recapture [...]
Hello everyone and welcome to the 4th full week of January. This week we have quite an interesting array of artists whether you're looking to get tripped out visiting Gonjasufi's webpage or listening to some dance beats from Visionquest . But let's kick it off with our most anticipated artist, Nada Surf , who's lengthy-titled album Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy . We're excited to get our dirty paws on this one. Their last album If I Had A Hi-Fi (2010) really fit out fancy. We think this should [...]
Laura Gibson's La Grande is hands down my favorite album released in 2012 so far. A solid week for new music also includes Cloud Nothings' Attack On Memory , Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn's solo album Clear Heart, Full Eyes , The Darcys' full album cover of Steely Dan's AJA , Weakerthans frontman John K. Samson's solo debut Provincial , and Rodrigo y Gabriela's Area 52 [...]
"We tend to do things the same way. We aren't super adventurous". Thus spake Nada Surf drummer Ira Elliot nearly three years ago on this very site, at that point discussing their last full-length, Lucky . Now, there's no need to use a quote taken out of context as a rod with which to beat a band half to death with – and yet here we are. Nada Surf are a band that actively prefer playing acoustic sets to full band gigs, and whose records from a decade ago sound nearly identical [...]
Photograph by Jason Halstead Provincial is John K. Samson's first full-length solo album. Collecting re-recorded versions of songs from his previously released EPs City Route 85 and Provincial Road 222 , along with a few extras, the Weakerthans' frontman finds himself able to explore a bit musically and indulge in a bit of weirdness. Not that anything here would be particularly out of place on a Weakerthans album, but the subject matter is certainly more varied, and as a whole the album is more subdued. Most noticeable is [...]
Photograph by Jason Halstead Provincial is John K. Samson's first full-length solo album. Collecting re-recorded versions of songs from his previously released EPs City Route 85 and Provincial Road 222 , along with a few extras, the Weakerthans' frontman finds himself able to explore a bit musically and indulge in a bit of weirdness. Not that anything here would be particularly out of place on a Weakerthans album, but the subject matter is certainly more varied, and as a whole the album is more subdued. Most noticeable is [...]
John K. Samson, the frontman of Canadian folk-punk band the Weakerthans, has branched out to write his debut solo record Provincial, due out Jan 24. via Epitaph Records. Samson explores what he knows best, but leaves interpretation open so that anyone can experience the sense of home and travel he sings about on Provincial. You can listen to Samson's debut full-length below. Read more »
1. Jim Guthrie - So Small - intimacy. delicacy. aplomb. whimsy. harmony. eloquence. this one is for you, Jeff. Love you, buddy. [from Now, More than Ever | buy ] 2. Haywood - Plow - Wow, this song is 10 years old, a fact that I find easy and hard to believe simultaneously. I miss music like this. It's hard to believe I'm 29. This song is about plowing snow, but it doesn't have to say so lyrically for you to feel it. Maybe it's that Weakerthans-esque air lying coldly between [...]
Weakerthans frontman John K. Samson has a stream of his debut solo album, Provincial which is due out January 24th, 2012 . The record contains newly recorded versions of songs from Samson's previous two acclaimed EPs, City Route 85 [7 inch] and Provincial Road 222 alongside a number of new tracks. Stream John K. Samson's 'Provincial.'
Allo Darlin' / photo by David Greenwald Without using the word "best," here are eight bands, all new (or maybe new to you?), worth keeping an eye on this year. Mostly indie-pop, because that's mostly what I like. Release dates if they exist. What are you excited about this year? Let me know in the comments or @daverawkblog . Michael Kiwanuka: The UK singer's getting an inordinate amount of hype for sounding like a Platonic ideal Starbucks CD rack option, but if people [...]
Frank Yang I like a break as much as the next guy - believe me - but coming up on two and a half weeks since I'd been to a live show and with the January concert calendar looking pretty sparse by any measure, I was getting pretty anxious to go and see something. Happily, it was Wavelength to the rescue. I hadn't been to a showcase in almost two years - certainly not since they wrapped the weekly series and went to the intermittent schedule - but their first presentation of [...]
The Smith Street Band , who released their debut LP No One Gets Lost Anymore last summer, managed to respond to some questions during their current tour. Their folk punk approach to the music that they create, along with lyrics ranging from themes of melancholy to partying, really make this band distinct. I encourage you to check out their Bandcamp page and download both of their releases. If you own a turntable, you can also purchase the vinyl records of the 7 inch from Jackknife Music and their LP from Poison City Records [...]
John K. Samson is the frontman for the Winnipeg folk-rock band the Weakerthans, and he was also in Propagandhi, which means he has punk rock cred for life. Provincial , his first solo album, is out later this month. And below, listen to a track from that album, the prettily still "Letter In Icelandic From The Ninette San." Read More...
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