God bless Spin Magazine… they also are talking about some new sounds for 2013… #1… loud fuzzy guitar rock.
Purling Hiss recorded a song for a public radio station in Philadelphia called WXPN. They laid down the track “Lolita” with Adam Ganduciel (drummer for The War on Drugs) and it sounds mighty. When their record Water on Mars comes out on Drag City later this year… I can already tell I’ll be all about it.
BEHOLD!
Go with yourself.
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The BBC does an annual poll to find out what will be the biggest thing of 2013… and this year they have ordained California sister trio Haim as the Sound of 2013.
Gigwise went to the trouble to tell you ten things about Haim (lists win the internet).
Their first single that has the internet in a fine lather is called “Don’t Save Me.” Its pretty punchy.
Sunny and bright and everything nice, I can see why this song is turning into a hit.
Go with yourself.
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The band is from Ann Arbor, Michigan, but they are called Ontario.
The website Noise Trade featured this new-ish indie rock band and I clicked play on a couple songs over the holidays. The style is very reminiscent of that traditional indie sound of most the 2000s. Very pretty, lots of harmonies, dainty, jangly guitars.
The band has their ep up on Noise Trade…. its free and you can “tip” the band if you’re into it. I think today they are pushing fr the downloads and trying to drive up the chart so maybe trade the email for some songs. CLICK HERE!
Imma on Facebook (just like everybody else).
Go with yourself.
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We travel to the distant and foggy lands of San Francisco to have a listen to Before The Brave. A swingin’ alt-country or indie folk vibe. I listen to these guys and I hear a little Lumineers filtered through Ryan Adams. The sound does share a lot of similarities to what’s popular on the radio right now with Lumineers or Of Monsters and Men. Before The Brave’s Great Spirit ep came out in November. Of the 5 songs, I heard two jaunty hoedowns.
The bands elevator pitch is a bunch of goobly-gook like; “Before the Brave fits into the current alternative music scene while not being wholly defined by it.” What does that even mean?
I guess. I am hearing that indie folk sound that is dominating right now, but with a little more grit and a little more alt-country. The ep is solid but to my ear, missing that one great pop song. I think you can get into this record if you are in the camp that can’t get enough of “Ho Hey.”
Record cover is pretty cool.
Go with yourself.
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Tiemen runs a record shop on Pandora called Talk’s Cheap. He posted on the Victoria Record Club page the other day about a buddy of his in Edmonton named Jeff. Jeff is involved with a little record label outta Calgary called Kept Records (Embalmed sounds for your listening and dancing pleasure).
Tiemen says their pressing everything up on 7-inch. Contemporary groups recording a vintage soul, psychedelic, afro-beat sound. Rad.
You gotta hit some of this stuff… I know these sounds will be making their way to the set at the Veneto Lounge (also on Pandora because its the BEST street downtown).
This group is called Brownout. These hombres are from Texas, land of Texas Funk! Dig it. Fuuuuuck, that’s groovy. They call it desert-psych-funk. Yeah.
Tiemen as a punch for $5. Go get one.
Go with yourself.
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Happy New Year! When the odometer finally ticks over to a new year I can’t help but think of that Death Cab for Cutie song “The New Year.”
“So this is the new year, and I don’t feel any different.”
I do reflect on the year that was, and I suppose like anyone I dream about the one to come. But at the same time, today was a day like any other. I mostly cleaned and looked after my kid.
January 1st is just a date on a calendar, but it is the first date on the calendar. It is the beginning of 2013 and here is a song for new beginnings.
The duo based out of Germany is called Boy. Not to be confused with the Canadian band by the same name, these ladies met while attending a music workshop in Hamburg. Their record Mutual Friends is a big deal already, going Gold in Germany with 100,000 sold., and music videos that attract millions of views. They have a song called “This Is The Beginning,” and I thought how perfect for January 1st.
Boy – “This Is The Beginning”
Their record features Thomas Hedlund on drums…. he’s the dude from Phoenix! Well ain’t that a pip?
***
To think about New Year’s resolutions….
01) Drink organic milk.
I think my four year old is growing little boobies… and for that matter so am I. Maybe its the hormones maaaaaaan, maybe its the lack of push-ups, but we’re flipping to organic milk.
02) Go Camping
2011 2012 2013 here we go! I feel in my bones I want to be a camper/hiker, ADVENTURER, but I just don’t prioritize it. I’ve gone a few times over the past couple summers, I wanna go more. Basically, I want to be National Geographic magazine with everything I do.
03) Be Silly
Creativity doesn’t flow out of me like it used to. I also used to smoke a lot of pot. Maybe my resolution is to smoke pot?
Basically, I don’t fuck around much anymore. Too worried about what people think, or ratings, or getting fired. But in the process I play like the number 4 defence-man….you need him in the playoffs, but nobody’s buying his jersey.
04) Start a business
Not that I need MORE work…but there have been thoughts bouncing around my brain since I met Coral. We’ve brainstormed about it for what? 6 years? We always say, “we should do it!” Maybe we should?
***
OK, I got one more song for you on January 1st and it too is not new…but new to me and fitting with these here times….
I’ve told you before about Sweden sister-act First Aid Kit. The Baauer remix of their song “Winter Is All Over You” came out at this time last year…but for whatever reason it was charting on Hype Machine (I have no idea how their algorithms works yet). I hit play the other day and really enjoyed the sounds coming out of my shitty computer speakers. Sounding even better at home through the headphones and also sounded good matched with Boy.
I got tomorrow off at the radio factory so I am going to spend the day returning some mis-fitted Christmas gifts, meet wedding couples and go ice skating!
Please hit the blog on Facebook!
Go with yourself.
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I took Madelyn ice-skating for her first time (and my first time in a year) yesterday. Did you know there is an out-door rink in Langford? There are palm trees ringing our out-door rink, neat.
Took a few days off for the holidays…but knocking the dust off and going through all my emails and facebook messages from bands. Thank you!
Let’s start by talking about Victoria (or Cowichan Valley) band Small Town Villains. Here is their elevator pitch: “Small Town Villains is a pleasant mixture of expressive guitar, rhythmic drumming, jack daniels, and petty crimes…”
OK then, here we go….
Beautiful soft-rock jam. A little horn back there being sad.
Go with yourself.
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Music at Christmas time is the best. My wife picked up The Replacements documentary Color Me Obsessed from Ditch Records. The story is a second-hand account, told by the fans (and few producers/ancillary insiders, but no band members) of America’s unknown greatest rock & roll band.
The movie travels in a linear path through their creation, their records, the ups, the downs, and then the end.
I loved how the film went through every album and talked to fans who then said why different songs or records were their favourite.
I didn’t discover The Replacements until I was in my 20s and I first purchased the box set Left of the Dial, then later the compilation Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was? If you’re scratching your head going, The Replacements? there was Alternative music in the 80s? You’d do yourself a service starting with either of those compilations to get educated. Both solid collections that I still listen to often to this day.
Since the 2006 collection of Replacements songs I have gone on a mission to collect Replacements records/books/now films. I have most their discography except the first and last albums which JR at Ditch said can be a little harder to find unless I get all internety and pay some bucks. I am not there yet in my fandom. Just waiting for either to show up in the bin at Ditch for a moderate price. After watching the documentary I found out their live record, Shit Hits The Fans was a cassette only release. Limited and never re-issued. So maybe that might be a mission to track down one day. Their ’82 ep Stink was originally issued with a hand-stamped cover. That would be a fun thing to try to track down one day too.
Trolling the net today I stumbled on a cover from Edmonton singer Jessica Jalbert. She does a very pretty and dreamy cover of the Tim era cut “Swingin’ Party.”
Happy New Year! I’ll be DJing at The Veneto Lounge on the big night….. and this here blog has a Facebook page. I would appreciate a “like.”
Go with yourself.
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A dark dance floor jammer for your wintery party… Toronto’s Death Ledger will have his remix of the Avicii sunshine goodtimes jam “Seek Bromance” (reminds me of every song you hear in Las Vegas) available for download on December 21st.
Go with yourself.
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Perth, Australia’s psych band Tame Impala put out a record October called Lonerism. A very groovy record revered by the folk’s in the know. I like to hit the vibe-out music while plugging away in the office.
The song “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” is an interesting reflection of style and sound. Dig it from All Things Go:
“Tame Impala’s musical time travel is a beautiful, post-modern adventure elevated to high art. This isn’t conscious revivalism, but a sort of subconscious exploration of our musical id. And it’s updated by new school technical tact. Their psychedelic collage of 60s and 70s rock is married with a more modern electro-psych genius — pairing classic rock instrumentals with electronic tinkering in a way that’s reminiscent of the musical canvases of Beach House or the Flaming Lips.” – ATG
I wanna live in this song.
While plugging around… the song ended and another random Tame Impala song came on Soundcloud…. “Jeremy’s Storm.” Hey, that’s my name!
Go with yourself.
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