Pianos Filled With Flames

With your mother

2009-11-14T22:08:00.002-04:00

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend

Dear Mom and Dad:

College is really fun! Since I got here I've made lots of new friends. We've been kept very busy by our professors with homework. I've never written so many essays in my life! It's all good, though, because I do love my classes. The food is surprisingly good, too. The cafeteria is always making fresh, hot food. Spirits are high! Even the vampires can't keep us down.

Love,
Christopher

Dear Mom and Dad:

Thanks for your response, it was nice to here back from you. We just finished our midterms, and they were very hard. It was a good thing I studied hard for them. Only 2 of my friends have been bitten, so that's been fortunate. Still loving it here.

Love,
Christopher

Dear Mom and Dad:

I got in a scuffle the other day. I got cut, but I'm not sure if it was as bite. Not even sure if it was a vampire, so It's likely no big deal. Your Christmas present was amazing, the laptop was such a surprise! Anyway, nothing else really new over here.

Love you,
Christopher

Dear Mr. and Mrs. McTennant:

Your son Christopher was demonstrating strange behaviour. Upon examination, it was found Christopher had been affected by Violent Advanced Porphyria. We are sorry for your loss.

Regards,
St. Joseph's Boarding School

[The song is from Vampire Weekend's self titled debut, out on XL.]

Stick Up for Yourself, Son

2009-10-31T16:35:00.005-04:00

I'd like to start today off by pointing out how pissed I am that Marshall beat me to posting that Sleigh Bells song yesterday, but it's so crushing and dense that any potential readers need to download that shit. It's like being Emperor Nero while Rome is burning. Sleigh Bells don't give a shit what you think.

Ambling Alp - Yeasayer (link taken down by request)

Ambling Alp on The Hype Machine

Running running running. Over the mountains, through the trees, across rivers and lakes, into caves, across roads and highways. The world can be an unfair place sometimes. I occasionally pause to drink from the glaciers, running can be tiring. I see the Northern Lights and frolic with the penguins. I've seen the Taj Mahal and the Kremlin. I keep running. I've been told to slow down, but there's just so much still to see.

[Song is from Yeasayer's upcoming album Odd Blood, due out on Secretly Canadian. Photo is from ffffound.]

good shit - round 2

2009-10-29T19:18:00.003-04:00

Here are a few songs ive been spinning lately

Best Coast - Up All Night
fuzzed out, and sweet. another great song from best coast. This song is good for soundtracking the late nights.

Arthur Russell - Come to Life
This song has a summery feeling of sitting around in a field. Beautiful backing vocals bring the 60s folk vibe over the top. Great song, just released as split single with CANT (Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear)

Big Boi - Shine Blockas (feat. Gucci Mane)
Another song off Big Boi's upcoming Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. I don't know too much about Gucci Mane but if he keeps making beats and guest appearances like on this song, i have a feeling he's got a future.

Sleigh Bells - Crown to the Ground
Distorted screaming guitar - check
Huge drums - check
Sweet poppy vocals under it all - check

this song rules

Well that is all for now, until next time, this has been good shit with marshall

I have not yet been home tonight

2009-10-24T15:32:00.004-04:00

Home Tonight (ft. Colin Mutchler) - DoKashiteru

I'm sitting on my roof right now, wondering where the hell the day went. It seems like 5 minutes ago I was rolling out of bed, head pounding from yet another drunk night. I got up to make coffee, and the rest of the day is kind of a blur.

I actually don't remember most of the events from today, but I remember the feelings associated with them.

I recall, in the morning, feeling hazy. Everything passed by like time lapse photography. Actually, my entire day felt like that, but I digress.

There was a distinct feeling of hopelessness at one point. I don't remember why, but it was there. It must've passed, I suppose.

There was some elation in there. I think Rebecca was with me at the time, which would explain it. Rebecca always makes me feel happy.

I remember a stuttery feeling. It's tough to explain, but I felt stuck for a while. No sooner did it start, however, than it left.

Around 5 or 6 my moods got more abstract. I'd begin to feel like a photograph, or like a sound wave. I felt like clay, or I'd feel digital.

Now, though, I feel different. Sitting alone on my roof, music wafting out of my open window like an odor might, I feel like a human. More specifically, I feel like one human, swimming in a lake of many. I feel alone, but I can feel the existence of everyone. I know I'll never be alone.

[The music of DoKashiteru is licensed under Creative Commons, and can be found on his ccMixter page. Photo is from foundphotos.net.]

Won't ever happen like this anymore

2009-10-14T15:09:00.002-04:00

11th Dimension - Julian Casablancas

Like if Captain Kirk rock jumped out of his captain's chair and busted some sick dance moves with First Officer Spock. Like if King Henry had lasers. Like if robots had hearts. Like if aliens were robots. Like if guitars were strobe lights. Like playing the drums with glowsticks. Like having a a rave in the forest. Like watching fireworks from outer space. Like if A-Ha's "Take on Me" video were coloured. Like living inside Tron. Like shaking hands with Robocop. Like sound traveling through a Stargate. Like James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard starting a rock group. Like Data shedding a tear. Like an assembly robot dancing with a Model T. Like mechanical and organic fused with a light show.

[Julian Casablancas' new solo album, Phrasez for the Young, will be released on November 3rd, and can be bought from Rough Trade. Photo is from H. R. Pufnstuf.]

Are you really going to share that money?

2009-10-08T21:10:00.003-04:00

New Cove Road Back Home - Oh No Forest Fires

The trees can cower all they want, the bushes can shrink into the ditch. The speed signs turn their heads as I pass, stop signs bow to me. Nothing can stop me now, I'm a man on the run. The pedal touches the floor, ever so lightly. I'm in control, and faster than you can hope to be. Don't even try to stop me, I'm on my own now. Barreling down the highway, the Northern lands call my name as I escape what I once called my home. Maybe Moosonee holds better things for me.

[Oh No Forest Fires's new album The War on Geography can be purchased through My Merch Table for only 7 dollars (or 4 dollars for the digital copy). Photo is from Jena Ardell.]

You Remain My Friend

2009-10-07T15:45:00.004-04:00

Nico Canmore - Yukon Blonde

A steady rhythm and a throbbing bassline. Whatever else happens, you'll be steady. We'll be steady. Hands clasped, a sunset drops behind us. We stand mostly in shadow, but you can make out the expression on our faces: pained, but content. "This is not the end," you say, as the camera slowly moves around us. A quick cut to our faces, camera slightly angled, with my face closer to the screen. You turn away. "I will always love you, you know that..." you say, voice breaking. You let my hand drop as you turn to walk away. I watch you leave. The camera moves and looks over my shoulder to see you walking away from the sun. There is no crying, but there is sadness. I don't resent you, I know you have to go. Our voices cry in harmony, and we will weather what may come.

[Yukon Blonde's new EP, Everything in Everyway, can be bought from Nevado Records (well, soon, hopefully) or iTunes. Photo is from Sophia Rose.]

Now you can't see

2009-09-30T14:09:00.005-04:00

Happy Submarine - Eat Skull

Shawna was sitting on the dock, staring off at the sunset. The rest of the party was doing shooters and playing beer pong, and generally being loud and obnoxious, like any good high schooler. Shawna, though...I just couldn't stop looking at her.

Her legs were just dangling off the dock, swinging lazily against the darkening lake. Where less than five minutes ago I could make out the red of her sweater, the swirls of the design, and the white of her headband, she had quickly turned into a dark silhouette against the sky. I wondered what she was thinking, sitting there alone, watching such a beautiful fall sun, holding herself to stay warm for those last fleeting, glorious minutes of sunset. Maybe she wished someone would go out and join her, to enjoy this sight with company. On the other hand, maybe she just wanted to be alone, to escape the noise and hubbub in the house for a few minutes.

She looked cold. I wanted to go out and give her my jacket, to watch that giant star dip beneath the water and submerge us in darkness. We'd sit out there and talk about space, and how small we were. We'd wonder just what happened to Pearl Jam to make them so boring now. We'd laugh at that time Tim thought the capital of Brazil was Peru. We'd stay out on that dock long past the sunset. I'd be cold, wearing nothing but my thin sweater, and she'd offer to give me back my jacket. Of course I would refuse, but we'd have that moment.

Maybe, after a particularly touching conversation about how, just once, I'd love to see Paris and really experience the history, and how those pictures of a bombed out french countryside looked so hauntingly beautiful to me, we would lean in and share such a perfect, organic kiss. Maybe we'd date and maybe we wouldn't, but that moment would remain just as perfect.

The sun took a breath and dropped underwater, finally, and the sky got darker. Shawna got up, rubbed her arms and walked back to the house. I lost my chance.

[Eat Skull's album Wild and Inside is available on Siltbreeze. Photo is from Foundphotos.]

Some bassline in your mind

2009-09-28T20:40:00.003-04:00

Vapours - Islands

What's really the meaning of good food? Does it have to be an impeccably arranged portion of food, sitting on a blank white plate in a dark, quiet atmosphere? Is that really the only way to enjoy fine cuisine?

I don't think that's true. I think food can be just as good eaten out of a red striped cardboard trough, covered in ketchup and supported by nothing more than your other hand. Quiet background noise can give way to screams of children on rides and carnies yelling about prizes. The food doesn't have to be prepared by a world renowned chef, it can simply be coated in batter and dunked in a fryer. The point of food is enjoyment, and I had much more fun buying a 2 dollar corn dog and sharing a night with my gal than sitting in a stuffy restaurant for 2 hours and paying heavily for the privilege. Let's be honest here, as redundant as it sounds, fun is fun.

And just listen to that fucking chorus.

[Island's new album, Vapours is now available through Anti-, and is a magnificent return to the fun, poppy sound of their debut. Photo by Redskynight.]

back with some new (&old) faves

2009-09-26T18:54:00.002-04:00

Kings of Convenience - I Don't Know What I Can Save You From (Röyksopp Remix)
Sweet remix of indie pop duo KoC by Royksopp.

Prince - If I Was Your Girlfriend
off his landmark Sign ☮ The Times LP. Classic Prince song, sung by his alter-ego Camille, and like all the best Prince songs, confusing, sexy and catchy at the same time.

Animal Collective - Leaf House
Leadoff track off AnCo's breakout album. It shows they've come along way, but they've been a great band for a long time.

Obsession is my Favourite Drug

2009-09-25T19:22:00.004-04:00

God Damned - Girls

God dammit. These drugs are turning on me, I think. I'm starting to get scared. I don't even know which one the problem is. It can't be the Vicodin, it's just numbing me. Numb isn't the problem, it's just making it all seem further away. It isn't far away, right? I'm still right there? I haven't moved? Fuck.

Maybe the amphetamines are fucking with me. Is everything going faster? Slower? I don't even know.

Shit, maybe it's that acid. That's got to be it. It's all turning on me. Things are popping at me! No, that really happened. Nothing makes sense, it's all so random and disjointed. I need to sit down...

No, wait! I'm wrong. It's everything! It's nothing! It is going faster and slower. Everything's so random, but it's all so...right? In place? I don't even know. I just know I don't want it to stop. I still feel so far away though. That still might be the Vicodin.

[Girls' new album Album is out, and can be purchased through Matador. I would've blogged about Hellhole Ratrace, but Said the Gramophone already did it right, so I went with another one I liked from Album. Photo by rjrphoto.]

Wake Up

2009-09-20T13:50:00.006-04:00

Up Up and Away (The Wake and Bake Song) - KiD CuDi

I once had a friend who told me he "didn't like rap". Now, I can appreciate this, people have different tastes. I asked him why, though, and he told me he didn't like how dark and serious it was. "It's all about beefs and hos and money, it's just not fun". So I showed him CuDi.

"Listen to that guitar strumming," I said. "Listen to it bounce."

"He still sounds serious, though. I want something fun," he retorted.

"But the song's about getting high when you wake up, how is that serious?" I asked.

"It just is. It doesn't have that melody."

But then the chorus hit, and his head started moving, he started bopping along with it. The carefree free-form, the full kit beat hopping with the song.

And that synth. Oh lord, that synth. That fun little melody waltzing along, buried in the chorus. That sound of a summer day, of a day spent skateboarding, or surfing, or doing something fun outside. The sound of waking and baking, I suppose. A smile creaked across his face, he couldn't help it.

"Okay, this is fun, I'll give you that" he finally conceded.

"But I still don't like rap.

That's fine.

[Photo by Marla (I need to find more photographers to use). The song is from KiD CuDi's debut full length, Man on the Moon: The End of the Day. You can buy it pretty much anywhere.]

This is the golden age

2009-09-19T17:25:00.008-04:00

No Cigarettes - Withered Hand

Somewhere far away, many light years away in fact, there is a rock, and it is spinning away, dancing around a giant ball of fire. On this rock, there may be trees, there may be animals, there may be water. However, it is just as likely that this rock is barren, dry, and dusty. Whatever happens to be residing here, that rock will continue dancing. It will spin and spin and move around this star. It will do this whether I am here on earth or not. If governments fall, a nuclear winter erupts because of war here, this other planet will continue to exist. It will be unaffected, and it will dance.

This knowledge makes me feel small and insignificant. However, this does not make me feel sad. Whether I love, I become famous, I die in a gutter, the planet will spin, life will continue. This realization means that, while nothing I do will affect the universe in a meaningful way, nothing I do will adversely affect the universe either. So live, love, lose, none of it matters to anything but myself, in the grand scheme of things. This insignificance makes me able to really try, to fail, to do whatever I want.

And that far away planet will keep dancing, regardless of the tune I play.

[Photo from the Hubble Gallery, Withered Hand albums can be purchased through their website.]

They Can Never Understand

2009-09-17T17:47:00.005-04:00

He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot - Grandaddy

Dress Rehearsal:

It's a little rough. We're trying, and there's a spark there, but everything's not quite coming together. Not yet. Lines are dropped, pauses go on a little bit too long, there's background noise from the builders. I can see where it's going, and with a few more months it could be brilliant. But we don't have a few months, we have the rest of today before it starts. Well, I guess we're going to have to see what happens and do our best. Are you ready?

Opening Night:

It all came together! The extras are hitting their cues, the actors are getting the right emotional response. I can feel myself speaking along with the actors, saying the lines. Nothing is out of place, all the lighting and sound is spot on. This is the show we wanted, the show we've been working towards. I don't know where it came from, or how it happened, but we did it.

Afterparty:

It's a low key event. Someone's playing a slow dirge on the piano, and the mood is professional, but there's happiness here. Lines from the production are repeated, we express the regret that the show is over. We're all going our separate ways now. As the drinks flow, more and more people are joining in. Tears are shed, but it's okay. We've all taken part in something wonderful, we shared a moment. It's a bittersweet farewell.

[Photo from Found Photos, you can buy Grandaddy's music on iTunes or in a brick and mortar shop (yes they still exist)]

Under the sun, Under the moon

2009-09-15T15:41:00.005-04:00

I Wish That I Could See You Soon - Herman Dune

The beauty in this song lies not in the angelic female backing vocals, nor does in lie in the playful strumming. It doesn't reside in the solitary tambourine, dancing on the beat like a leaky faucet, falling in regular time while appearing to be random. It's not in the harmonies, dancing around each other. It's not the horns, coming in at just the right time, then falling out to make way for the voices (tambourine still dripping away). The beauty isn't in the lead guitar line, adding character without being overwhelming. All of these things are beautiful, but they are not the beauty.

The true beauty in this song comes from the throw away lines. When David-Ivar Herman Dune says "you know,", or when he precedes a chorus with a little "And I'm like, well...", or when he directs the backup vocals with "Angels, ". They're little toss-offs, seemingly expendable, but wholly instrumental to the song. It's like when you're a child, eating soup from a restaurant. You don't want it, because it's got vegetables, but your parents tell you "you can't even taste them". You wonder why they even bother putting vegetables in the soup at all.

Maybe it's true, maybe they aren't the overpowering taste, but eventually you learn that they serve a purpose. It just wouldn't be the same without them. The song would still be a nice pop song, but it wouldn't have the charm. It wouldn't have the beauty.

[Picture from Found Photos. You can buy the I Wish That I Could See You Soon single, along with other full length, from Herman Dune's website.]

I'm a million miles away

2009-09-14T21:57:00.006-04:00

Not Your Lover - Blitzen Trapper

I miss it beside you. I know you're with him now, and things can never go back to the way they were before. There's too much...space, you know? Well, yes, clearly there's space, in the literal sense. A couple continents worth. But I mean there's an emotional distance. I'm sad that it's there. I am really sorry, for what it's worth. Just thought you should know. We had some good times, though, didn't we? Remember that picnic we had at Turtle River? I packed sandwiches at the site, but we took a walk and by the time we got back they were gone? It didn't matter though, we still had a good time. Plus, those hot dogs from the gas station weren't so bad. Anyway, I saw The Louvre the other day. It was nice, but it mostly made me think of what I lost. You don't have to call me back. I know you won't. Just...know that I'm thinking of you. Bye, I guess.

[Once again, picture by Marla. Song off Blitzen Trapper's Furr. Go out and buy it.]

I Love to sing All Yr Songs

2009-09-14T19:15:00.008-04:00

these are songs i like

Diamond Rings - All Yr Songs
Sometimes a song comes along and you can't help but put it on everytime you think of it. Also, you know all the words and sing along to it. All Yr Songs is a perfect example of those types of tunes. The electronic drum in the background holding the song together, as Diamond Rings aka strums an acoustic guitar and crafts a melody perfect for summer. Expect good things from him in the future.

Naomi Punk - N/A
A song from a seattle band i don't know too much about, but the Rwandan choir singing sounds beautiful and dusty. definitely check this song out.

Atlas Sound - Shelia
The side project of Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox has been around for a bit and released a lot of great songs through his blog and EP's and such. But his newest album Logos is a great cohesive experience and worth checking if you havent all ready.

Uilab - St. Elmo's Fire
And the last song i leave you with is a cover of Brian Eno. It's a collaboration between Ui and Stereolab from a few years ago. It is very good

well thats it for now, i'll be back with more good stuff soon

We live half at night

2009-09-13T13:53:00.005-04:00

VCR - The xx

I hear longing in your voice. You put on that front, make yourself appear strong, but I know about you. You're the person in high school who would talk about everyone like you were better than them, but cry to yourself when nobody was around. You may have been popular, but now you know that meant nothing. You quickly learned that life won't just fall in your lap, that you'd have to work for it, but you didn't entirely know how to start.

Yeah? Well you're no better. You thought you had everything figured out when you were in high school. You weren't popular, but you were liked, and that made you feel good about yourself. You've drifted through life with this knowing aloofness, without really forming true connections. You never really got hurt, but you almost wish you had. Well, guess what, I know how to hurt you.

Hurt me.

[Photo by the wonderful and talented Marla M, song from The xx's album xx, which you can buy from Rough Trade.]

I will never be the same man

2009-09-12T15:03:00.009-04:00

Seasun - Delorean

This is the sound of not doing anything productive, and not feeling bad about it. It's the sound of going to the beach instead of cleaning the house, of strolling in the park instead of getting groceries. It's to the tune of bird watching, the beat is comparable to a nice frolic. The background vocals sound like lying on the grass and watching the clouds go by. The keyboards plink and pop like neighbourhood children in the sandbox. The bass is going to the beach on a whim and playing frisbee. The lead vocals are telling you to go out and enjoy yourself, without explicitly saying this. Sure, we may have important stuff to do today, but the weather is nice and summer is running out. Sometimes procrastination isn't so bad.

[Photo courtesy of foundphotos.net, go buy Delorean's brilliant EP Ayrton Senna]

Room to Grow

2008-09-09T16:54:00.002-04:00

The flames licked at my feet. This I can still remember. I felt like whole city was burning down, instead of just a small field in the middle of nowhere.

I remember being so scared. We were just messing around, playing with matches, lighters, whatever normal ids do. Sure, we knew that it was dangerous, but we never thought anything would happen to us.

We were smarter than that.

But sure enough, a match fell out of my hand, and before I could stomp out the fire, it ignited on the dry grass. The flames spread so fast and quickly grew out of control. I started stomping at the fiery tongues, and called to my friends for some help.

They were gone.

For the first time in my life I remember feeling really alone. It was a new experience. Sure, I had been by myself, but never truly alone.

I was scared.

The wall of fire grew quickly, and the smoke enveloped me. I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe. I imagined being in front of a group of people. The judge had sentenced me to death, and I was tied and awaiting being burned alive. It served me right too.

I deserved this.

I was being so stupid, playing with fire. Everyone told me not to, but I did.

And now I was alone.

I remember blacking out. Or, rather, I remember not remembering blacking out. Regardless, I know it happened. Apparently, luckily, someone had called the fire department. A fireman found me and dragged me to safety, and I was taken to the hospital.

I guess the burns were so severe they weren't sure if I would ever survive. There I lay, attached to tubes and wires and God knows what else. Every passing day my chances of survival were getting lower and lower. The doctors resigned themselves to just waiting to see if I would awake.

I didn't.

The Stills - Everything I Build

[Go get Oceans Will Rise if you like the Stills at all. I might even like it more than Logic Will Break your Heart. Maybe]

Between You and Me

2008-08-27T21:02:00.004-04:00

I've been a lot of places in my life. I saw Australia, London, Dublin, Paris twice, New York City three times, and once I took a road trip through the former Eastern Block countries (that trip was kinda depressing, it's mostly slums and broken dreams, I don't recommend it).

I've also done a lot of things nobody else has. I've ridden on the wind, tasted colours, felt sounds, gazed upon the knowledge of the world and watched the birth of time (not our time, another time. Someday I hope you can understand).

I've also done all this without video games, dreaming or psychedelic drugs of any kind. I've merely led the kind of life everyone wishes they could experience.

Still, there are things I've missed. I haven't felt let down. I've never had a broken heart. Nobody has broken my trust. I haven't felt crushing sadness. I've never been bored. I've never been misunderstood, I've never misunderstood something, nor have I ever felt confused.

My entire life has been one giant good experience, but I've never had a bad one. It's because of this I've never had a great experience, nothing is extraordinary to me, because there's nothing lower with which to compare it.

I don't have any regrets, and yet my entire life is one big regret.

Sometimes it's good to hurt.

David Byrne and Brian Eno - Life is Long

[Thanks to Said the Gramophone for posting this track first. I know I plug that site a lot, but I don't think I do it nearly enough. It's easily the best music blog on the internet, and you should be reading it right now. In case you haven't noticed, it influences me pretty heavily, so...I dunno...just go! Also, you can buy the new David Byrne and Brian Eno album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today directly from David Byrne.]

With that smile

2008-08-25T23:05:00.004-04:00

Love is a lot of things. It can be a tremor, or it can be the full earthquake. It can be the first snowflake, or it can be the entire snowfall. It's not always easy, and it doesn't always work, but at least you can say you've given it a shot.

In this case it's a single butterfly (or an entire swarm, depending on what type of person you are). From afar it can be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. It flaps its wings majestically, the colours swirling and coming together. It's the most simple and graceful thing alive.

But then you look a lot closer. It has all these tiny legs, it kind of looks like a creepy crawly, and all in all is sort of ugly. It really depends on where you want to look.

But even so, good luck finding many people who would say a butterfly is ugly. They see what makes them happy, they see it as they want to see it.

Sometimes it's good to have some perspective, to really understand something. But sometimes that knowledge just ruins things for us. Our ignorance is bliss, as they might say. People may argue that we should embrace knowledge, that it's what separates us from the animals. But isn't the point of life to enjoy it? There needs to be a line, where what we know doesn't destroy what we love.

David Ford - Go To Hell

[Wow, 15 days since my last post. Hopefully once I move into residence updates become a little more regular.]

He's trash people

2008-08-10T20:40:00.002-04:00

ThoompThoompThoompThoompThoomp

WeeooWeeooWeeooWeeooWeeooWeeooo

DanceDanceDanceDanceDanceDance

OohOohAahOohOohAah

1,2,3 Freeze.

The Rapture - No Sex For Ben

We only do what we're told

2008-08-06T22:06:00.003-04:00

I can't find anything about this band. They have one EP (that I know of), they play fast, furious music (from what I've heard), and they might be broken up (I think).

The choruses explode, the solitary synth line meanders along, the vocals in the verses are restrained, the drums don't take any shit from anyone, and the rest of the music is no-nonsense and punk.

If you need a reference point...The Minutemen?

The Sea Attacks - Versus the Shores of Arch

[Speaking of the Minutemen, did you hear Mike Watt's bass was stolen while on tour with Iggy Pop? The whole band's equipment was stolen. Sucks too, that bass was a real piece of art.]

Thunder only happens

2008-07-31T22:23:00.003-04:00

A couple new ones today (again), so I'll make the blurbs short (hopefully) and sweet (possibly). Maybe I'll get to a point this time (we'll see).

The Morning Benders - Dreams (Fleetwood Mac Cover)

This song is much more restrained and lo-fi than the original Fleetwood Mac song, which is fitting for a song made in a bedroom using a couple acoustic guitars, some soaring voices and more reverb and chorus than any band should know what to do with. Regardless, The Morning Benders have turned a song I'm a little iffy about into a song I can leave on repeat at night and enjoy. It sounds like a late night pity party turned into an inspiring life-changing event. If you like what you hear, The Morning Benders have their entire covers album for download at their website.

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Frank, AB

A song about the town of Frank, Alberta that was destroyed by a landslide, (according to Music for Kids who can't Read Good, who posted the track first. Check out that blog for some damn good tunes by the way.) and sounds the part.

The track begins and slowly gains speed and barrels forward culminating in the awe-inspiring chorus consisting of nothing but whoo-ing and chanting and the music builds and it doesn't stop kind of like this sentence and it makes you feel like maybe you can't handle it because it's just so electrifying kind of like a mudslide might be like except I've never been in a mud slide and then it stops.

And the town is levelled.

The bands sounds a little bit like Neutral Milk Hotel (As MFKWCRG pointed out), but have the modern canadian indie pop sound, with the cynicism of a band that's learned some shit. If Jeff Mangum doesn't come back, at least we have someone who can step up to the plate.

[Once again, if you like this then The Rural Alberta Advantage has 5 tracks from their new album, for download at their website. You should go check it out.]

It's new year, and I'm glad to be here

2008-07-31T12:38:00.004-04:00

In the near future, the world has become bleak. The threat of war has caused the major powers to begin building up nuclear armouries. Countries that were previously under-developed have become world powers based on previously unknown weaponry. Europe is in a state of flux, with the smaller countries being, for all intents and purposes, enveloped by the larger ones. A strike is launched. All hell breaks loose.

2 years later most of what we now know as the modern world has been wiped out. There are scattered outposts that have been sheltered from the radiation. The north is relatively safe, and also warmer from the outcome of the war. Tribes have sprung up, and we've been sent back to the early days of civilization, with only scattered guns and twisted metal to remind of what was a reality but 3 years ago.

And still, there is song. Tribes chant, drums are beaten, children yell in tune. Despite our fears prior, those that survived are much happier. Life is harder, but it is also simpler. Technology no longer rules us.

400 years later, knowledge of the past has brought about the evolution of society much faster than before, and we are further ahead technologically than we were in the 21st century. There are superpowers and weaponry again. A war is imminent. It is all cyclical.

Yeasayer - 2080

All my life I'm looking for the magic

2008-07-28T02:38:00.004-04:00

The circus rolled into town the other day. I went, if only because I had nothing else to do. This carnival had been built up so much by my six year old mind. I remembered lions, fire, elephants, a charismatic ringleader. I looked forward to this carnival like Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one. I wasn't even disappointed when I went, it was all a huge spectacle, larger than life, everything I wanted it to be.

But the circus never came again. I remember waiting for an announcement every summer, wanted so badly for it to roll back into town. Perhaps because of this it had been built up so much.

Anyway, it came back, many years later, and I bought my ticket to go. I sat in my seat and waited for the ringleader to arrive, jubilant and peppy. Imagine my surprise when an older and less self-assured man strolled out, speaking into a microphone (a microphone for God's sake). His voice was a little more warbled, less confident in himself. I was let down immediately.

Then out came the animals, but they weren't as big as I remembered them. The lions didn't seem as terrifying, the elephants weren't as towering.

But then I realized, it was these little things, the cracks and flaws, that made the circus so endearing to me as an adult. I wasn't as easily awed or scared anymore, instead I found the magic in the way the lions were so agile, and less barbaric. I found the ringleader to overcome his insecurity and begin clicking wit the audience.

It wasn't the same as my six year old's circus, but I loved it all the same.

Dwight Twilley Band - Looking for the Magic

I'm Tired of Fighting

2008-07-26T01:57:00.003-04:00

This is a song about sipping whiskey by yourself. It's a song about sitting in the dark. It's a song about quietly strumming an acoustic guitar and imagining a piano and strings and drums behind you. It's a song about giving up. It's a song about trying again. It's a song about moving on. It's a song about looking at the future. It's a song about rooting yourself in the past. It's a song about losing someone. It's a song about finding someone. It's a song about realization. It's a song about being naive. It's a song about love. It's not a song about hate.

Why do we insist on clinging to things we can't have? We understand they are unattainable, and yet we fight for them with every fiber of our being. If only we could move on and accept our fate, we would be happier and healthier, and even if we lose our shot, we can always gain another. Life is a one shot deal, there's no need to spend it fighting for a lost cause.

Here's the best song Beck has ever done.

Beck - Lost Cause

I'll lean on your arm

2008-07-24T02:13:00.005-04:00

I'm not a religious person, but not too long ago I stopped into a church. I don't know why I did it. Maybe I wanted to believe in something, maybe I wanted to make it seem like I was more spiritual than I am, maybe I was just curious about what happened in this place of worship.

Regardless I stepped in and found a seat near the back. The tone was very reverent, with heads bowed and hands clasped. It was so alien to my usual nightlife style of living.

I was seconds from leaving, disappointed in what I had seen, ready to give up on religion forever.

But then they started singing.

The choir was, at a glance, a motley collection of parishioners. Some old, some young, not the uniformed clapping women we expect to see. Just some people who truly love their God and want to praise him the only way they know how. They sang, occasionally out of tune, but always with a conviction that made you believe them.

They sang.

And I wept.

I walked out of the church at the end of the mass. I still wasn't sure what I wanted to find when I walked in. I hadn't found religion or anything.

But I found hope.

I found love.

I found strength.

I found myself.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - I'll Be Glad

I'm wondering why

2008-07-20T01:43:00.004-04:00

So I was lying in bed the other night, listening to some M Ward and thinking about the future, when I just started smiling. This feeling of happiness came over me. This unrelenting joy. Then I realized, I couldn't remember the last time I felt like that. The last time I was really happy.

I wish I could feel like that all the time.

I think we all wish we could feel like that.

We all walk around, looking for that magical something or someone that will make us happy. Some of us find it (at least for a while), some of us don't.

I don't know, maybe I force it upon myself, maybe I don't really want to be happy.

I mean, let's face it, it's easier to write when you're depressed.

But when you truly feel happy, and not just content (which I have felt), you never want to give it up, as much as you know it will leave. They say happiness is a state of mind. Maybe they're right.

Maybe I'll find it someday. Maybe you will too.

Cloud Cult - Happy Hippo

Split Myself In Two

2008-07-17T01:15:00.006-04:00

We all get the feeling that we want to go home sometimes. Even when we haven't left, we feel like we want to go back. We've been pushed away so much, we just want to be the way we were before.

Even so, we can't help but look back. Our lives are perpetually conflicted between yearning for the past and striving for the future, and this is what tears us apart.

M Ward - You Still Believe in Me

I sat on our couch one day, alone, when she came in. This was another night that she was out and I was in. It was kind of our thing. All our friends wondered how two best friends could be so different, with one striving for human contact and the other striving to avoid it. Truthfully, I couldn't bear to see her when we were out. I hated seeing her with other men. But I digress.

She walked in the door, visibly tipsy, but still making sense. Too much sense if you ask me.

After the requisite greetings and waiting for her to shed her jacket, she sat down on the couch beside me. A little closer than usual. My heart skipped a beat.

She told me of the night she had, the shooters, the guys, the dancing. Getting more and more drowsy as her story meandered on. Finally, her head drooped over and landed on my shoulder, her eyes closed.

"You know I love you, right?" she asked.

I was speechless. I love you too, I thought. I wanted to say it out loud.

"You've been my best friend for so long. I wish I could find somebody just like you."

That ain't enough I thought, you want me to run.

She turned her head towards me, opened her eyes the slightest bit, and gave me that smile that made me die inside.

"I almost feel like I've waited too long to have you"

No, you haven't I thought.

I waited what seemed like an eternity. I grappled with myself.

I didn't kiss her that night. I don't know why.

I should have.

I never had that chance again.

M Ward - Carolina

[I know this is yet another M Ward post. I'll try not to post another one for a while, but I can't promise another song won't grab my heart. Just bear with me, and I'll move on to someone else soon enough.]

The First One to Ask Where You Were

2008-07-11T01:37:00.003-04:00

I thought I forgot about you, but then you come back into my life. Not even with a roar, but a putter. Like you can waltz back in any god damned time you want, and I can forget everything, forget what I felt for so long.

Well guess what, you can't.

That's right, I'm past you. I pined over you for so long, more than you'll know. Just when I thought I was fine, I wasn't, and then you left.

Just left.

I finally moved on. I was perfectly happy with everything.

And then you returned.

Well guess what, not this time. I've got my vinyl, I've got my old transistor radio. I'm fine without you.

Who am I kidding, I'll always be your bird. I'll come back anytime you want. I can refuse to help you, I won't be your "DJ on late night radio", but I'll still do whatever you want. I can't help it.

I'll be your bird.

M Ward - I'll Be Yr Bird

[If you get the chance, pick up M Ward's delightful Transistor Radio, on vinyl if you can. I don't know how he does it, but the man manages to sound like he's singing on old time radio all the time. As well as make beautiful music.]

Play Me a Sad Song

2008-07-04T00:56:00.003-04:00

The happy, poppy music and chipper vocals betray the actual message contained in the song. The fact that we all must separate eventually. There will be people in our life that we will grow extremely attached to, and we will lose them. They will leave our lives, or we will leave theirs, and we will never see each other again.

There will even be those we love, those we have grown attached to. Maybe we never told these people we loved them. Even after reading/writing this, we will immediately think of somebody we are or were madly in love with that we never told, and we will tell ourselves that we will make this fact known.

This will not happen.

We will not tell them anything. This unrequited love will be our little secret, and eventually we will grow away from this person. We may not love them forever, but we will regret the fact that we never told them.

We will live with this.

And we will need a sad song.

This one will not be it.

Au Revoir Simone - Sad Song

P.S. You don't know who you are, but I love you. You may never know.

All the Songs I Know You Hate

2008-07-01T00:29:00.006-04:00

I'm sure we all remember making mixtapes, or at the very least mixed CDs. Tapes were always the way to go. Something about the time it took to wait for the right song on the radio, or line up the needle just right, or to wait through the song previous on the CD just so you could press down the record button with just the right amount of hissy tape silence to separate the songs. There was always something about the clunk of the button that was more satisfying than the click-click-click of burning a CD. There was something about knowing how much time and effort you put into it, of thinking about the choices of songs, of thinking about the order. There was much more planning than making a playlist, listening through it a few times and changing the order before hitting the burn button.

Even the minor imperfections of the mixtape felt nicer than the crisp perfection of a CD. The hissing between songs, the pops of the magnetic tape (amplified by the pops on that record you recorded from), the barely audible clunk of the button used to stop the tape while you cued up the next song. Even the handmade liner notes felt better to make than the photoshopped CD cover you printed out. The little printer lines aren't enough to make you forget about pulling out all your pencil-crayons and making an incredibly personal cover, tailored especially for the one you made the tape for. Flipping over the sheet of shiny plastic/paper, you write the song titles and artists, being careful to mask your terrible writing so the person can read the song list. You though carefully about this, and a copy paste from your music player of choice just won't cut it.

Beyond just the songs you chose, the order in which you chose them is extremely important to you, especially since this was ordered especially for the one you wish to give the tape to. If you wanted Song A to follow Song B, the person has little choice but hit play and let the songs fall as they may. On the other hand, with a CD, they'll look at the song list (typed) and skip to their favourites. The effect isn't there. Every song was chosen with love and precision.

You then had deliver the tape to this person, and with any luck, they will hear it and realize exactly how you feel. And maybe, just maybe, they'll feel the same way.

Daniel Ledwell understands this. He sings soothingly, with a love and dedication that he has undeniably felt while picking out the perfect songs. He places all his hope on this selection of songs. "And if you think it's alright/can I come see you tonight?". Honestly, this is what we do with a mixtape, we put everything we feel into it, and hope it translates. Then the song ends, abruptly, like we hit the stop button just a second too early. But we "took the songs from the radio", so this was our only shot.

And it's these imperfections that we love about mixtapes.

Daniel Ledwell - I Have Made You A Mixed Tape

Don't Live Your Life

2008-06-06T18:28:00.003-04:00

From the opening squalls to the actually melodic mishmash (clip-clop? clam-tram?) of the mid-song, Napoleon IIIrd (no relation to the dictator, I hope) wants us to cease living our lives 'through the TV', and we are wont to believe him, as he seems to be making a fine run of things living his way. He's not polished, but he makes his case.

It's very British, but not in a 'hail to the queen' way (and no, I don't mean the punk song), it's more of a small British town, overshadowed by London, but still quaint enough to maintain itself. Though the tourism and cash may not flow through, this town is happy enough in its analog glory, sustaining itself through local radio (classical, soft-rock, talk shows) and the stray scrambled television station that they receive (news? soccer?). This doesn't bother them, they live just fine in the small pub and the large town wide festivals. They aren't run by the rest of the country, they just exist.

And so does this.

Napoleon IIIrd - This Is my Call to Arms

What You Know Can Only Mean One Thing

2008-05-04T22:09:00.004-04:00

A short one today, because I'm tired and want to get back to absorbing this.

No metaphors. No long winded explanations this time. I honestly couldn't think of one that would live up to this. The omnipresent Wolf Parade wall of sound is present, the rolling, the building, the growing. The song is a beast if it's a kitten (of which it is both). The song is a civilian if it's a soldier (okay, so a pun and a small metaphor). The song, nay, the album opens with a light guitar hook that is quickly overcome. A great statement for a great band. "There won't be space here. Go find that somewhere else."

Early in the song, Dan Boekner, in my opinion the weaker vocalist on Apologies, opens up and starts wailing, and has never sounded better. Perhaps his time with side project Handsome Furs has made him more confident, maybe the new songs are more suited for him. Either way, while I still find Spencer Krug the better singer/songwriter overall, it's Dan that really steals the show here.

And now so I can get back to soaking this album up, here is the mp3 you've been waiting for, the song that Wolf Parade has chosen to be the first thing you hear after the entirely too long of a wait (aside from Call it a Ritual, if you grabbed that): Soldier's Grin.

Wolf Parade - Soldiers Grin

Top 10 of 2007

2008-04-22T22:54:00.012-04:00

Because I realized that I never posted this at the end of 2007, here's my belated list. mp3s might come later.

10. Spoon – GaGaGaGaGa
A great example of rolling and rocking, of not looking back, and of putting the basics into rock music. There’s some filler on this album, but the best songs are so good that it makes up for it. The brass section in The Underdog, far and away the best song on the album, almost makes the song, and You Got Yr Cherry Bomb, and Don’t You Evah are both amazing as well.

9. The Besnard Lakes - …Are the Dark Horse
The CD flows, wanes and holds your attention. It’s not a ‘busy’ album, and is one you could easily throw on in the background, but when you give it your attention it gives everything back. Besnard Lakes didn’t exactly make a splash this year, despite a stellar effort, making the title quite apt for them. Check out And You Lied to Me, and For Agent 13.

8. Okkervil River – The Stage Names
This is still a new find for me, but the entire album is a wonderful mix of Alt-Country and traditional rock values. The opening song, Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe builds and builds into an explosive chorus, while Savannah Smiles, and A Girl in Port are both nice pretty songs, with an alt-country twist. For fans of country and rock, this is an album that you can't afford to miss.

7. Panda Bear – Person Pitch
The first of two Animal Collective-related albums on the list, and one of three released. This is a very solid solo release from Noah Lennox, also known as ‘Panda Bear’. Person Pitch is a sprawling example of sampled sounds, tribal drumming, reverb-laden chants, and the freedom to do whatever he wants without the rest of his band. Comfy in Nautica opens the album with machine related sounds, and melds into chorusy vocals and a driving drum beat, which describes this album perfectly: Obviously machine-made, but obviously organic.

6. Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover
Coming off making the best album of 2006, Random Spirit Lover is a let down from frontman Spencer Krug. However, even a letdown from Spencer Krug is top-10 worthy, and he’s crammed some of the best, and quirkiest, sideshow chants and poppy masterpieces, punctuated by his trademark yelp, into an album also crammed with filler. Not as good as Shut Up I Am Dreaming, better than a lot of what else was released.

5. Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
Possibly the best live show I’ve ever seen, and one of the best albums of their career. Strawberry Jam is chock full of the some of the best pop songs, the best melodies, the best sheer experimentation of the year. The whole thing is very upbeat, from the opening Peacebone, the randomness of For Reverend Green, and the melodiousness of Fireworks. You may have to dig deep to find it in Strawberry Jam, but it contains some of the best pop music of the year, easy.

4. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Who hasn’t been moved by Keep the Car Running yet this year? If that song hasn’t made you realize good music is still being made, you’re either a robot or you don’t have a soul. Arcade Fire have made some bloody amazing music this year, and even played with Bruce Springsteen when he came to Ottawa, performing Keep the Car Running. The remake of No Cars Go, the swells of Intervention, Neon Bible deserves the number 4 spot.

3. Radiohead – In Rainbows
It’s Radiohead. It’s not as good as OK Computer or Kid A, but it’s a close third. That should be all you need to know. Listen to Faust Arp, 15 Step, or Bodysnatchers.

2. The National – Boxer
The National have followed up the stellar Alligator, with the equally stellar, if not more so Boxer. While the songs here are more restrained than on Alligator, they carry a sense of polish and urgency not yet seen. Matt Berninger’s distinctive Baritone pushes the music along, spouting stream-of-consciousness lyrics without pausing to think about them. The frantic drumming of Bryan Devendorf drives the music with his calm, yet intense drumming. Apartment Story and Start a War are standout tracks, with each showing the two extremes of the album.

1. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
Up until a few weeks ago, Boxer was the frontrunner for album of the year. Once I heard Skinny Love, however, off the new album from Bon Iver, my mind was completely changed. Skinny Love was by far the song of the year for me, with the perfect amount of emotion, songcraft and lyrical abilities. It simply blew me away. After a frantic search, I finally found the rest of the album, praying that the rest would be as good as Skinny Love. While I expected to be let down, the rest was pretty close. While nothing was quite as good, the whole thing was a rewarding listen, with closer Re:Stacks being another standout. For Emma, Forever Ago would be on this list based on Skinny Love alone. The fact that the entire thing is wonderful makes this no contest. Boxer, you’re a great album, Radiohead, you’re a great band, but you’ve been usurped. Expect good things from Bon Iver.

My Mind has a Mind of its Own

2008-04-22T22:32:00.011-04:00

Have you ever heard a song that made you so happy and so sad at the same time? A song that was a complete cacophony of mixed sounds from alternate sources, yet was so original at the same time? A song that was so sure of itself that it allowed itself to fade in and out of the background, confident that you would be awaiting its calm return.

You have?

Well then here's another to add to your list. Another song that you can pore over, put on repeat, ignore other songs with, and grow to love.

You haven't?

Well then I truly feel sorry for you. You have what we in the medical field like to call "no soul". There is a prescription, though it is quite experimental. It's a little something we like to call music.

In this case, I recommend "The Future, Wouldn't That be Nice?" by seminal acoustic/cut-up artists The Books. The track opens with a sparse handclap, and builds to emotional vocals, strings that linger just long enough to loop back upon themselves, and a chattering crowd that occasionally overtakes the music, until it subsides, as if it too is awaiting what comes next.

You find yourself wanting the music to continue, to never end, to carry itself with you wherever you go. If only this were your background music, you think, you could do anything. You'd never be apprehensive or scared.

But it doesn't. It ends.

And you play it again.

The Books - The Future, Wouldn't that be Nice?

Maybe If I Lay Low

2008-04-13T22:59:00.004-04:00

Opening Credits

Some fireworks explode. More shoot into the air. From afar we see a couple sitting on a large rock. They hold each other as their silhouettes are deepened with every burst. The music kicks in. The title flashes onto the screen.

The Rising Action

The couple are fighting, there is love in their eyes, but also a growing resentment. They've come to the end of their ropes as they both realize that they may be stuck in a situation neither wants to confront. "your cold eyes, baby, tell me I should be looking for love with some other girl", he shouts, before the slamming the door behind him.

The Climax

He sees the girl with another man, before confronting her. He tells her he loves her, but as the camera pans out and the music builds, we see her letting him down. In anger and sadness, he shouts "maybe if I lay low, love will fall around my door".

The Resolution

In a fit of drunken agony, our hero leaves his house for a walk. He sees a pair of headlights, and considers leaping in front of them. A woman sees this, and grabs him. As they look into each others eyes, we see that spark of love missing since the beginning. The picture fades as the closing credits rise.

Glue Girls - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers

2008-04-06T00:40:00.003-04:00

You sit a a table, hands folded. The woman across from you looks down, averting her gaze. She is shy, this much is obvious, but what confidence she actually holds is a secret. It is entirely possible that she knows exactly what she is doing to you, what she stirs up inside with that quick smile, the casual glance, another aversion of eye contact. You know each other, but no words are uttered.

This is not an awkward silence.

You admire the freckles on her face, but only in secret, for you are as shy as she is. She looks at you and you look away, afraid to let her know you were staring. She knows, and you know she knows, but neither says anything about it. You both look away.

This is an awkward silence.

You search for something to break the spell upon you both, but nothing comes to mind. The music is bare and dense all at once. Layers are added, but still nothing is said. There is an electricity between you two, as her slender frame changes position. You are the only two in the room, even while there is hubbub and commotion all around. More music is added. Sounds and beats intertwine between you both.

This is no longer an awkward silence.

Her mouth opens, and the words that erupt break the silence.

Kaki King - Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers

I married Her At Once

2007-11-18T14:38:00.002-04:00

I'm aware this is very old news, but honestly, this song is so good it warrants being posted about, even if it will be a brief post.

The song is "Window Display", by Enon. Enon was formed out of the ashes of Braniac, when the lead singer died in a car crash. The song is off Enon's second album, and is rooted in Braniac/Enon's electroclash, while being much more accessible than a lot out of either band's catalogue.

If you like this, go pick up High Society, or even Enon's new album, "Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds", which is also quite good.

Enon - Window Display

Stupid Thing I Rigged Back When I Had a Thing for Lead

2007-09-18T22:23:00.000-04:00

After an extended absence (I'm lazy, so sue me), I return to post a song I've been listening to a lot lately. Since I don't feel like typing much, I'll go straight into it. The song is Prism Me by Warren Hixson. The song is an intimate little acoustic ditty. Warren Hixson was a member of the now defunct band Tadpole Fad, and currently makes music that sometimes sounds like Elliott Smith, and sometimes sounds like...a wussier Tadpole Fad. This song is more Elliott Smith-y, and included are the studio version (off Moose), and a live performance for an Arkain Records podcast.

Warren Hixson - Prism Me
Warren Hixson - Prism Me (Live)

Who Was Your Friend

2007-08-22T00:58:00.001-04:00

Daniel Johnston is a magnificent songwriter. While his voice may be off-putting for some, his genious is almost unparalleled. The perfect remedy to this may very well be the final track off Matthew Good's newest album, 'Hospital Music'. Performing a cover of Johnston's Iconic track, 'True Love Will Find You In The End', Matthew Good's smooth, reverb drenched vocals cascade over a calculated strumming guitar, adding a coat of polish and a personal touch to the decade-plus old 'classic'. While it may not be quite as good as the original, it may very well introduce fans of mainstream radio to the works of Daniel Johnston, or, at the very least, give people an appreciation of Daniel Johnston's work, even if they don't know it.

Posted is the original Johnston track, as well as the updated Matthew Good track. Decide for yourself which is better. And while you're at it, pick up Hospital Music. It's definitely a welcome surprise, and features an amazing first single, in Born Losers. Also, for good measure, the Beck cover of True Love, from 'The Late Great Daniel Johnston'. Just for the hell of it.

Maybe you should also buy some of Daniel Johnston's back catalog. If you can find it...

Daniel Johnston - True Love Will Find You In The End
Matthew Good - True Love Will Find You In The End
Beck - True Love Will Find You In The End

I Shall Keep With Thee

2007-07-20T00:53:00.000-04:00

Here Marshall, this is the song I was telling you about.

Yeah, it's a good, americana song. Listen to it. Love it.

I'm not going to make a long post.

Royal City - I Am A Raw Youth

Keep the losers feeling lucky

2007-07-06T21:46:00.000-04:00

I heard this song a few nights ago on the Arkain Indie Podcast, and it absolutely blew me away. It's by Unbunny, and it's called In A Way. The album is called Black Strawberries. That's about all I could figure out. All I know is that the song is amazing. The lyrics paint such a wonderful picture, the vocals are wonderful (and double-tracked, for those who like that, ie. me), and the song has a nice pop feel. I really don't know how much more I can push this, it's just an amazing song.

Unbunny - In A Way

Let Your Long Rope Down

2007-06-25T19:56:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's taken me this long to post this song, but late is better than never. M Ward's music makes me feel really melty inside. Not only is he a great lyricist and vocalist, but his guitar work is just amazing. The layered vocals add a fuller effect to the song, and when he reaches that high note in the chorus, you just can't understand how anybody could do something like that, but you wish more people would.

This post if I were "Said the Gramaphone":

M Ward's music flows through your heart like a river of mercury. It poisons your veins with it's melody and lodges its death into your head. It's a death that seems so very worth it. If this is how beautiful death is, one must wonder why they lived for so long. The vocals intertwine upon each other like newborn birds awaiting food from their mother, climbing over each other and trying to reach the top of the pile. The guitar plinks along with the song, never exactly conforming to it, yet never pulling too far away, like if the Tiananmen Square fiasco had merely been a shouting match, as opposed to a massacre. The song shows that beauty can exist in the world, even if one wishes to escape from it.

This is what happens when you read all the posts on the front page of Said the Gramaphone.

Translation: This song= awesome.

M Ward - Helicopter

Best. Music Video. Ever.

2007-06-24T16:08:00.001-04:00

Just so everyone knows, this was all in one take, and there was no editing save for the text at the beginning.

Maybe You'll Make the Evening News

2007-06-16T21:25:00.000-04:00

I saw his video on Muchmusic's The Wedge a week back or so, and now that I got my internet back I had to post this track.

Just Jack's Starz in Their Eyes is not flawless, but damn is it catchy. His style reminds me a bit of Mike Skinner (of The Streets), and that's not just because he's British. It's less grimy, and a little bit more electronic and glammy, but it's such a fun song. If British rap does anything for you, check this out.

Just Jack - Starz in Their Eyes

Drums, Guns and bears, oh my!

2007-05-20T23:59:00.000-04:00

This post is half for a friend, and half for anybody out there in internet land. The song is Belarus, by Low, off the new album "Drums and Guns". I hope you like it. Very droney, very beautiful.

Low - Belarus

Stupid Computer

2007-05-20T21:31:00.000-04:00

Finally got my internet to work again (by the way, tech support sucks. Reinstall your OS my ass...), and can get back on here more.

Since I had no internet, not as much new stuff I've found, but the new Bjork album caught my ear. Her new album, Volta, is a stunningly weird outing, with a few other artists chipping in to help occasionally (most notably Antony from Antony and the Johnsons on My Juvenile). The Standout track for me is still the first single, Earth Intruders.

Warning: The files are .m4a, so unless you use iTunes (or something else that uses mp4s) or have a converter, you're SOL, sorry for the inconvenience.

Bjork - Earth Intruders Video (youtube link)
Bjork - Earth Intruders
Bjork - My Juvenile

Adam Youth Will Eat Your Babies

2007-05-08T16:59:00.000-04:00

Is it just me, or does Of Montreal need to be mixed with a rap song? No... Well, it's been done anyway. Adam Youth! Thunder Shark has mashed up Of Montreal's Gronlandic Edit with Nas' Hope, creating a rap with a rolling bassline and beat, and the occasional input of Of Montreal's crooning lead vocalist, Kevin Barnes.
Adam Youth! Thunder Shark - Gronlandic Hope (Of Montreal vs. Nas)

Remixing a Remix

2007-05-07T21:54:00.000-04:00

Fine, so it's not so much a remix as a mash up. Basically, it's We Takin' Over by Lil' Wayne, mashed up with We Takin' Over Remix (which is actually just a few extra Lil' Wayne verses), with a few little things thrown in. But frankly, who doesn't want more Lil' Wayne in that song. In the end it turns out just being about 7 minutes of Lil' Wayne goodness, which, really, isn't that all we want?

Lil' Wayne - We Takin' Over (Adam Youth Thunder Shark Remix)

The Perks of Being Rejected by Hype Machine....

2007-05-05T22:10:00.001-04:00

Well, apparently, a bunch of blogs have been attacked by Web Sheriff for posting Icky Thump. They are caught sharing the track by Web Sheriff checking Hype Machine for the song, so the fact that I haven't been around long enough or something to be accepted by The Hype Machine lets me do illegal things, like post this magnificent track!

The White Stripes return with a vengeance, attacking the attackers of Immigration apparently. All I know is this track is fueled by such a blistering riff that I had no choice but to listen again. It was out of my hands. Jack White, in my opinion, can do no wrong.

The White Stripes - Icky Thump

Stupid computer....

2007-04-27T15:03:00.000-04:00

Sorry for a lack of updates, but my sound card went kaplowee during an intense recording session (and by intense, I mean I tried to record disjointed guitar noodlings) , and now sound is terrible on here. As such, I haven't been listening to much new music, and have mainly been catching up with my CD collection. Once a new sound card is installed, updates will continue.

Thanks to my reader (if that) for sticking with me.

Sing! Until Your Lungs Give Out...

2007-04-18T19:34:00.000-04:00

I've changed my mind, Fall Out Boy are the best band recording today. No question.

KIDDING!

The real band that's been wafting through my speakers lately is the 42nd (oh emm gee! One of the numbers...) side project to emerge from the Wolf Parade camp. No, Spencer Krug hasn't started yet another band, this one is the new project featuring Dan Boekner and his wife Alexei Perry. Granted it sounds a hell of a lot like Wolf Parade, but since it's been almost 2 years since the magnificent Apologies to the Queen Mary, I'll take what I can get. Alternately Lo-Fi and well produced, sparse and dense, crackling and clear. Frankly, I think this could be almost as good as Spencer Krug's work, and I ranked Shut Up I Am Dreaming the number one album of 2006.

Handsome Furs - Sing! Captain

Now, on another note, Lost anyone?

And the Award for Most Costume Changes During One Song on Network Tv Goes To...

2007-04-16T21:03:00.000-04:00

For anyone who didn't see Of Montreal's insane performance on Conan O'Brien (including me), here's the video, in all its crazy, network TV glory.

And dig the obscene amounts of costume changes. Why aren't more bands this showy?

Of Montreal Conan
Uploaded by smalltapes

Walk Away Now

2007-04-03T22:22:00.001-04:00

The National's new album, Boxer, leaked a while ago, and I have to say I am absolutely enthralled with it. Their 2005 album, Alligator, was a very good release, with a few stand out tracks, but Boxer easily trumps it. With many a guest star (including Mr. Indie Rock, Sufjan Stevens), and Matt Berninger's distinctive baritone vocals. The music flows along well, connecting the songs and sending the whole album into a wave of sonic energy. While each song may flow into the next so that it's easy to mistake one song for another, there are still a few standouts. Fake Empire, the album opener is a wonderfully sleepy track, but one that builds to such a climax that when the next track, Mistaken for Strangers, hits, you have no idea how they will tops such a promise. But alas, they do. Mistaken for Strangers, is in my opinion, the best track on the album. Such a great 1-2 punch. Start a War is another on of my favourites, as it has such a mellow feel. Here are the first two tracks, and Start a War. and I sincerely hope you buy the CD. It's my favourite album of the year so far.

The National - Fake Empire

The National - Mistaken for Strangers

The National - Start a War

Conor Oberst, You've Done it Again

2007-03-28T22:17:00.000-04:00

I just got the new Bright Eyes disk, "Cassadaga", and I'm very impressed. He's thrown off the shackles of his emo/singer-songwriter roots and expanded his sound, adding a full band for all the tracks, strings, and extra studio polish so lacking on most of his back catalogue. He's even managed to learn how to sing! While his voice still has the trademark quaver, it's less prevalent, and overall it works much better in my opinion (although some emo kids may be upset over it. But let's face it, they're always upset.). An overarching tone I've noticed seems to be the fact that the album sounds sort of 'alt-country'. I don't know what Conor Oberst was thinking of, but it seems to work, and so far this has been my favourite work of his.

Here's a few tracks. Four Winds, which seems like it's going to be the first single, and If The Brakeman Turns My Way, because it seems to exemplify everything I like about the album. For all of those that feel like being all legal and shit, the disc drops Tuesday, April 10th. I will likely buy it when it hits, provided I find it for cheap.

Bright Eyes - Four Winds

Bright Eyes - If the Brakeman Turns My Way

What!? Again With the Plugging?

2007-03-22T21:01:00.000-04:00

Alright, new song, new pseudonym (Mankind, Take Flight!), same comm tech assignment. This time I was going for a more Ambient/Minimalist/Post-Rock feel, and I think for the most part I succeeded (except possibly the minimalist). I'm really digging the strings, even if there were a few mistakes during it.

On a final note, all of this was done with my sister's keyboard. Woo.

Mankind, Take Flight! - Let Thy Banners Fly, Our Enemies Are At the Gate

Edit: Here's another one, recently recorded.

Mankind, Take Flight! - Revolutionary Acts Breed Revolutionary Acts, Ad Infinitum

This one has been described as: "It Scared the shit out of me"
"What the hell is that voice?" and "Holy Shit that is scary". So watch out.

It's not worth dying alone

2007-03-21T15:53:00.002-04:00

Sorry for being away so long! I'm sure all two of my readers were disappointed. A combination of not finding any new music and not feeling like writing contributed to my inactivity.

On a different, more music oriented, note, Wonderful! No, not the exclamation, the band! This Seattle based five-piece make happy, poppy music that evokes The Flaming Lips, The Beach Boys, and a little bit of The Beatles. Use of synthesizers, shakers, horns, guitars, bass, drums, a wonderfully poppy voice and more combine to drive these fun songs forward in a way that will hopefully break them into the mainstream (or at least just under the mainstream). These songs are from their last release "God Bless Our Pad" (which can be found here, and is available for free on their website. Just follow the links, and download either all the mp3s, or the .zip file), and show some of the strengths, though there are some longer and different tracks on the album. Pagoda is by far the strongest track, but Golden Rays is a strong showing as well.

Wonderful are currently recording their next album, which is yet unnamed. Until this drops, be prepared to want to visit the beach, because that's what you will want to do after hearing this album.

Wonderful - Pagoda
Wonderful - Golden Rays

No Direction, Period

2007-02-06T21:48:00.000-04:00

So Bob Dylan wrote a bunch of songs. Mr. Tambourine Man, Like A Rolling Stone, My Humps?

Apparently he wrote every popular song of the past 35 years...

This is new information to me.

That WAS me? ooph, My bad...

Shameless Advertisement? No Way

2007-02-05T22:14:00.000-04:00

So, since this is my blog and everything, I figured why not shamelessly promote myself.

Anyway, I made this mash-up that's pretty cool, if I do say so myself, so I'm going to post it as soon as garage band uploads it. It is a mash-up between ROYGBIV by Boards of Canada, and Triple Trouple by The Beastie Boys. I called it Rainbow Trouble, and I hope you like it.

Adam Youth! Thunder Shark - Rainbow Trouble (Beastie Boys vs. Boards of Canada)

A Good Local Band? Do Those Exist?

2007-01-29T22:43:00.000-04:00

These guys are actually from here in Ottawa, and have such a neat sound. They do have an EP (located here), but are currently recording their debut full length, which should feature the superb song Ghoul Pounds. And, I've been told Quarter Past Humans is a good song as well (actually, I know so, nobody told me). Enjoy 'em, and if you're over 18, check them out at Barrymore's on February 5th. They're opening for Grizzly Bear with As The Poets Affirm and The Dirty Projectors. Damn I wish I could see that...
Their Website

Crush Buildings - Ghoul Pounds

Crush Buildings - Quarter Past Humans

But Everybody Looks Like Zombies...

2007-01-20T13:20:00.000-04:00

These guys are a solid semi-local band, who grew up around here (and the lead singer's family still does, not sure about the others though), and are based out of Peterborough. They've got sort of an indie feel, but are still true rock revivalists, with simple guitar-bass-drum song structures, and a somewhat lo-fi feel. They're recording songs for their new album, but here's a little ditty from their old one, Burning on Fumes.
James McKenty and the Spades - Apple of My Eye

You Know I'm Up To No Good

2007-01-19T17:27:00.000-04:00

I caught these guys opening for Emily Haines a bit back, and was very impressed. They manage to create sonic textures with two guitarists and a drummer. They did a great job, and the album I bought there is definitely a solid purchase. This song, called The Woods was easily the high point of both their set and the album.
Tall Firs - The Woods

An Obscure Way to Start, I Guess

2007-01-18T18:00:00.000-04:00

I've been listening to this band called Winston a lot lately. They're from Vancouver, and are just about to release their debut album called Passengers in February. They sound very poppy, with an abundance of hooks and pianos. Overall its a very entertaining, fun listen. Though they aren't exactly very original, they do what they do, and they do it well.

Winston - Lonely

Winston - War I Can't Lose

Their Website