The RAA

So, ever since I stumbled across The Rural Alberta Advantage I have listened to this album way way too much. I think you should check it out too. and now you can as they have signed to Saddle Creek (you know, bright eyes, cursive, etc) so the album should be a bit more readily available. they get alot of neutral milk comparisons, which i find to be accurate, but every song is incredibly catchy, and also the fact that most of the songs are about alberta is an added bonus.

for real, check them out:

The Rural Alberta Advantage sing Edmonton



oh. you may get to see them sooner than you'd expect.

hyped!!

Sasquatch!!!

so. i have my tickets for sasquatch. i am going with some amazing friends, and we are going to have the greatest weekend ever. Bon Iver. Gaslight. Kings of Leon. Chromeo. Animal Collective. Explosions in the Sky. and so on and so forth. man alive it will be amazing. expect a smattering of writings and pictures from the greatest weekend known to man.

trust. also, watch this video. i lurve it.
you should too. mostly cause this song is fantastic.



zxo

Yowza I'm so Behind

Hey all, sadly I haven't written much in this little thing in quite some time. So I think it's time to change this and add a little bit.

So I have actually been super busy as of late, and have been doing lots with work and school, but also doing alot more shows. rhombus has been keeping me pretty busy, and I've been averaging about two shows a month. Tho this month is a bit different as I have three shows I have been working on. Mainly I've been stoked on the Library Voices show coming up in a couple weeks, as I love this band oh so much. If you haven't checked them out yet you should most definitely do so, as they are a phenomenal ten-piece from Regina and will blow your mind. Here's a vid of one of their upcoming songs that I can't wait to get an actual recorded version of.




As well another show that I'm excited to co-promo with Foundation Concerts is with Beast, this pretty ridiculous duo out of Montreal, but mainly i'm excited as the lead vocalist, Betty Bonifassi was responsible for tunes on Triplets of Belleville, one of my all time favorite movies. So the opportunity to work with this talented duos was something that I just couldn't pass up. Check out this video as well.



I have so much stuff coming up, but one of my favorite albums i've been listening to is definitely the new Matt Pryor album, Confidence Man. But I just thought I'd leave you with one of my all time favorite songs.

Top 5 Thus Far This Year

well the top ten lists are still another month or two away, but i needed to just quickly put down my top five thus far this year, but i won't put them in actual order. not just yet. but i figured i'd give a bit of love to my favorites so far.

the gaslight anthem-59 sound
i honestly cannot stop listening to this album. ever since i got it a couple months back, this is all i listen to. gaslight continue on with their jersey shore sound, but they definately have added alot more soul to their sound, as well as a bit more polish on the vocals, makes this one of the catchiest albums of the working class, and dancing the night away that i have heard. get into this album.

panic at the disco-pretty.odd.
an album that i didn't think would end up on any of my lists, let alone on my ipod, but i really dig this album. it definately is one of the best albums that was never released in 1970. near wall of sound production, some of the most bizarre lyrics since bob dylans early days, and a variety of songs that never ceases to impress. if you haven't given this disc a chance, i recommend it.

cut copy-in ghost colors
if new order were still pumping out music these days, this is probably what they would have come up with. insanely dancey numbers, as well as very tight lyrics, all around this disc has been a favorite for pretty much most of the year. catchy beats, and glorious harmonies, definately an all time favorite.

sigur ros-med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust
always been a fan of this band, but this album definately put that over the top. i found the variety in song tempos to be superb, and the addition of a song sung in english to be just what the doctor ordered. the harmonies will take your breath away, and they definately achieve what they have set out to do. one of their best efforts thus far.

library voices-hunting ghosts
this ep from regina super group (i would say they are, the bands these folk have all come from are superb in all their own rights) has been one of my favorite finds of the year. the ten piece plays a plethora of instruments, and every song has a different and distinct feel, but still all plays out as one amazingly crafted collection of tunes. the newer songs are even better, and i anticipate the full length in the spring. as should you.



anyways, there's some of my top ten for the year. look for albums from the notwist, the dears, sylvie, torche, carpenter, lucinda williams, chad vangaalen, woodhands, cadence weapon, oldfolks home, no age, and definately some more to possibly pop up. who knows what will end up on the top ten...

it's been too long

so now that i have a bit more access to this, i'm going to hopefully write a bit more about what i've been listening to, or just ramble, or write about whatever i guess.

i mostly just wanted to write down what i've been digging as of late. this year, that's mainly been Gaslight Anthem. i just can't get enough of their newest album, The 59 Sound. it definately has that east coast vibe that you'll find from Springsteen to Against Me to Less Than Jake, and it definately has a lot more soul though than probably any of those other bands. the songs are incredibly catchy, and have a wide range of influences, but i just enjoy it alot. definately something that you should catch out, it kind of even sounds like the killers, but, better. and i'm going to see them in vancouver soon which i really can't wait for. i've seen so many bands over these years, and everyone else that is playing that show i have seen numerous times, so it's always good for me to get to see someone new that really gets me excited about live music. awesome.

i'll write more later on, about other favorites of the year, experiences at virgin music fest, and western canadian music awards, and other random music things. you know, whatever i feel like writing about. laters.

Random Tunes

So thanks to my Music class I have been enjoying a plethora of new music. and by new music I mean old new music. I've been listening to alot of Gershwin, Mavis Staples, Carter Family, Hank Williams, Josephine Baker, and more. and it's been amazing. i spend a fair amount of time finding new music to listen to, and finding out about the newest happenings in music, and often forget about the music from years past. even over the last little while i've been listening to alot of Pavement, whom i never really listened to when they were, umm, relevent i guess. i knew nothing of these sweet college rock bands from the early 90's, growing up in my podunk town. but thanks to a bit of research, and some heads up from my favorite music journalist, Rob Sheffield, i've found out about mr. Malkmus and his wonderful bandmates.

There's so much amazing music, how do we even have enough time in our lives to even hear a portion of it? and why are people so content to just dwell in radio-land mediocrity? i'll never understand it. but i guess some people are content to hear the music that is spoon fed them, and be done with it. or i guess they just don't get it, is that a good way of putting it? i'm not sure, but i'll keep finding something new, and old to listen to.

On a side note, i went to see Joel and his band of merry men play on friday night, and they were pleasant as always. wonderful tunes, good energy, joel's fantastic humble awkwardness. they played a good set, a bit sloppy as i guess they haven't jammed much lately, but still played decent. But then right after them Arshe played, accompanied by Janet and Jim on a number of songs, and i had forgotten how much I enjoy his music, and his voice. one of Arshe's songs in particular was so beautiful, it sent chills all over. getting wrapped up in his lyrics and imagery, and the combination of his vocals, and the 3 musicians instruments, this one song in particular was so mind-blowingly good, it really reminded me why i go to see live music, especially local talent. and it also reminded me of how talented my friends are and how thankful i am to know these brilliant people.

sometimes i wish i was more talented in musical ways. but i shall be content i suppose in playing the parts i play, with multiple shows coming up, and promoting people that i believe others should hear. that works for now.

Top Ten for 07

So, here we are, the year has gone by, and I have spend an excessive amount of time and money on music. Thus it is now time to come up with my picks for my Top Ten of the year. Once again, as I note every year, these are my favorites, and not so much which albums i think were the actual best ever of the entire year nothing else is better.

I don't roll that way.
I love music and I'm going to let you know what I loved the most this year.
Hopefully you find something of interest and maybe you will enjoy it too.


here goes:

10) Chelsea Lindley-Scott - Demo 07. Chelsea was one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. so much of my life has changed thanks to her influence and i am forever grateful for her. one of the things i loved was her music and how much she put into making it her own. we have since broken up, but are still good friends and though she lives far away, when i need to hear her voice, i just pop this cassette in. it's a bunch of her own songs, kind of prog acoustic as well as covers of rocky raccoon and wonderwall, a very important song. you probably will never hear this, but maybe some day you will hear her. i guess this isn't really a demo, but i'll call it that for now, just to make me happy. hippy songs for a pretty boy.

9) The Octopus Project - Hello Avalanche. I randomly stumbled across this album, mostly based on the fact that I loved the cover art and had randomly heard my brother talking about them a whiles back. so i grabbed the album. and have fallen in love with the dancey wonderfulness that is this album. especially Truck. definately especially Truck. just another fun filled album to have around, it puts a smile on my face when i need it most.

8) Annuals - Frelen Mas. another band that i stumbled across, pretty much by just picking random things off of daytrotter, but after listening to the songs that i had gotten i was hooked. over and over again the harmonies get stuck in my head and this album keeps getting play. as well, seeing them while i was in vancouver in november was definately a highlight, especially when all the members of manchester orchestra joined the band on stage, creating something i would define as epic, with, a guy playing air guitar on the side of the stage as there was no more room for him. beautiful tunes for beautiful days.

7) Battles - Mirrored. I got this album totally randomly, as you can read further down the page as part of the original creation of this blog, to get random cd's and write about it. that kind of died off once school started rolling, but i'm still a fan of the battles album, and more so of the video for Tonto. super catchy song, and really trippy video. this is probably at the top of alot of peoples lists this year, but it'll do fine at seven for me. definately a gem though.

6) the weakerthans - reunion tour. yes, this album should actually probably be higher up on my list, but here it is placed. still a phenomenal disc that sounds of the same quality of site, but with the same quirkiness and sadness of leaving. i've really enjoyed the album and there are some highlights, but i've still gone back to left and leaving and reconstruction site probably more still since this came out. the continued tales of virtute tho definately stand out, tho, i think i cried a bit the first time i heard that song. music is a powerful thing, and once again emotions have been toyed around with. curse you john k. for making music that moves me. and doesn't fool me with an empty hollow interior buried beneath that sweet candy coated exterior.

5) In Irons - Rome ep. the local edmonton music scene for me over the last little bit has kind of bummed me out. alot of my favorite bands that i loved to see and hear broke up, or moved away, or stopped talking, or kidnapped president's daughters and haven't been heard from since. i've been down, not gonna lie. some artists have stepped it up a notch and i have fallen in love with. but. not as much as In Irons. yes it's friends of mine from other bands that i have loved forever, but, the genius, skill, and emotion that are behind this creation have excited me since the first time i saw them in megan elizabeth's basement. the cd itself is only 2 songs, and really makes me want more and more tunes. but. it will do for now. and it gives me happy thoughts in regards to the local music community that i love so dearly.

4) Miracle Fortress - Five Roses. ever since i saw them this summer and that crazy evening that ended this band, as well as 2 other bands, on the floor at my apartment, i have loved this album more and more. live they put on such a delightful show, and that is carried over onto the disc. majestic tunes, and a brian wilson vibe that you can't deny has kept this disc in constant rotation, and makes me excited for the next time they're through town that's for sure. sweet people + sweet tunes = sweetness of epic beehive drenched proportions.

3) Poisonthewell - Versions. still personally one of my most favorite metal bands around, I had been greatly anticipating this disc, especially once i had heard that they had headed over to europe, deep in the heart of the great metal kingdoms to work on this new outing. and did it ever pay off. still evolving in leaps and bounds over their hardcore startings, and working past the phenomenal you come before you, versions still wows me every time with technical skills, and constant shifting between divine harmonies and unrelenting screams, and a seemingly unending assortment of instruments not normally used by most metal bands. thoroughly enjoyable, can't wait to see it reproduced live. intense.

2) Most Serene Republic - Populations. one of my most anticipated albums of this year, and one i had been waiting for for quite some time, i was overjoyed when it was finally released. and. was it everything i wanted and more? oh yes, yes it was. the songwriting has improved over the enjoyable cinematographer, but especially though, Populations just seems alot more approachable than the last. alot of people were generally either love or hate as far as Most Serene goes, but this album is such finely crafted that really no one can find a fault with it. enjoyable by everyone, even your aunt Ida.

1) No Age - Weirdo Rippers - i hadn't heard of this duo up until a couple months back, when i was working in the cjsr library. i was labelling and shelving cd's, and had put aside a couple that were of interest that i wanted to hear. one of them was this 'No Age' disc. on the back it said Noise-Pop. Noise-Pop, now this i had to hear. i listened to it beginning to end, engrossed in the sweeping sounds of waves, random noisey bits, awesome keys, 60's pop vibe ( a little more brian wilson i think as well, seems to be the way to go), and a disc that i go back to time and time again. i have a hard time describing it to people, and generally just bust out the ipod and let people hear for themselves, but it's definately one of the greatest things i have heard in a long time, and will continue to for even longer i hope. beautiful, beautiful.



so there you have it. my picks for the year. i enjoy them, and maybe you will too.

zxo