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tove-lo-habits

The dark pop continues to dominate today. Toronto’s Young Wolf Hatchlings (sometimes branded as YWH) sent over their remix of Tove Lo‘s red hot breakup jammer “Habits.”

They pitched the vocals way down low… added some guitar flourishes and little solo at the end. Nice.

YWH are Jarrel Young and Waqaas Hashmi. The duo met in University and have been producing out of TO’s Dream House Studio. That’s the place where the likes of The Weeknd, Crystal Castles and Metz go to record.

Things picked up for YWH when they worked with former Small Sins frontman Thomas D’Arcy to rework his cut “You Lovely You.”

I’m looking forward to YWH’s Party ep… fun electronic jams.

Go with yourself.

Kandle
Kandle and The Krooks made the trip over to Victoria for Rifflandia. I couldn’t make the set at the Alix Goolden Hall on Saturday which is a real shame. By trusted accounts, I missed a heck of a show.

Kandle grew up in Victoria before taking off to the bright lights and big city of Montreal. Her record is called In Flames and the current single is “Not Up To Me.”

Find out about Kandle from the Vancouver Sun then hit play on this!

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ROCOCODE 2014 by Lynol Lui

Laura Smith is another Victorian who peaced to pursue music…but Laura only took a ferry an hour-and-half East to Vancouver. There she partnered up with Andrew to create music as Rococode. We’ve been following the band for years on The Zone and they return home to visit often for festivals, shows, and sometimes just for Mom’s home-cooking.

Rococode just wrapped Rifflandia and now they are off to Germany for a festival date. Then BACK to Canada for a series of shows.

September 30     Calgary          The Gateway
October 1            Edmonton      The Artery
October 2            Regina           O’Hanlons
October 3            Saskatoon     The Capitolm Music Club
October 4            Altona            Krahn Barn

The current single is called “Banks.”

Go with yourself.

I’m the dude wearing a baby doing a high kick. Good times.

Go with yourself.

jon and roy

It is time.

Rifflandia is upon us.

Today I am broadcasting my radio show from Riff HQ. Downtown on Douglas at Pandora. I’ll be getting my family’s wristbands. Maybe taking advantage of Wristband Connect tonight for dinner. 10% off at Foo? C’mon!

Victoria’s Jon and Roy stopped by the show yesterday to talk about their set at the Victoria Public Market. They also performed their new song “Every Night.”

Jon and Roy
Friday, September 12th
11:30 PM, Public Market

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Roy (of Jon and Roy fame) is a teacher. I had to share with him a rant my 6-year-old did at the dinner table the other night. She started going off on the strike and because I carry a recorder with me everywhere, I captured it!

To Rifflandia and Beyond!

waters
San Francisco’s Waters signed to Vagrant Records the other day and announced a new EP for October 14th.

We first got involved with the California alt-rockers when we heard “Got To My Head.” (the title for the ep, It All Might Be OK, is a line from that cut).

 GTMH is a fun modern rocker and a song that hooked me in when I first heard it.

The new feature cut I”I Feel Everything” picks up where we left off. Big sounding alternative crunch.

Lead singer Van Pierszalwoski talks about wanting to put a little more rock back into alternative rock.

“This song came about after listening to alternative rock radio for the first time in ages and recognizing the lack of anything alternative or rock about it. Where are those dirty guitars? Where is that frenetic energy? Where are the songs that made us want to start a band in the first place? Most days don’t feel like they’re going to be the best days of your life. Most days are kind of fucked up. And it’s nice to have a sanctuary for those days, and for us—that’s always been rock and roll. ‘I Feel Everything’ is our rally call to get that back.”

Whoa…if this were TMZ we’d all go… “whoooooaaaaaa, Van is throwing shade at American Authors!!!!”

Most days ARE fucked up and Van screams at us to make it all feel better. The drums are going to pound and guitar riffs will cascade around you. The song reminds me of 80s alternative while at the same time utilizing the polish you’d hear on a modern 2014 recording. Here we go.

Waters are on tour…no show out west near us….but Toronto friends can see them on October 24th at the Opera House…and the next night in Montreal at the Cabaret Mile-End.

Go with yourself.

Little India

Little India are an indie-pop band from Vancouver. Riff says they have a crush on Two Door Cinema Club? I’ll believe that!Little India have not been trucking very long but already they’ve opened for some huge alt-pop groups like The 1975, Atlas Genius, St. Lucia and The Drums. They recently won the CFOX Seeds contest and now they’ll be in Victoria for Rifflandia! Pencil them into your Blackberry.

Thursday, September 11th
9:30 PM // Anian 

The radio single is called “Sleep.” 

That song is good…but their track “Oola” is great. Love the remix ep including these cuts….

Amazing… the Cedric Par remix is especially chill. I tells ya, its the small print bands where you find the gems.

I am hoping Conan from the band will stop by my broadcast on Thursday, September 11th for an interview!

Go with yourself.

skizzy-mars-come-over
Skizzy Mars is sitting at the top of the Hype Machine pops today with his new cut “The Way I Live.”

Earbuddy was saying the song will make you re-evaluate how you’re living

I don’t know what it is about Skizzy that I am so down with….but then I read WriteClickCookListen and he said, “the production, presentation and sound is much more mature. It something the old guys can hang with.”

That dude is 34, hey, I’m 34! Maybe that’s it?

Feeling that song….I hit play on his soundcloud feed today and came across the song “Come Over.” 

Go with yourself.

city and colour and pink

Dallas Green posted this on his Facebook today; 

You+Me

so…i’ve been keeping a huge secret and i’m ready to share it. A few months ago i headed off to California to meet up with my good friend Alecia, who you know as P!nk . i brought a guitar and a book with a few songs i’d been working on. I had no clue what would come of it, but was hoping for the best; the best being 1 song. Better than the best happened and after 2 weeks of just the two of us in the studio, we wrote and recorded a full album. I’m so proud of these songs and can’t wait for you to hear them.

its not City and Colour and its not P!nk – its You+Me.

Well ain’t that a pip…let’s put up the one song they’ve posted on soundcloud.

Pretty song. I really like P!nk’s voice. 

Go with yourself.

bear mountain

Have you seen the new Bear Mountain music video for the song “Congo?” It is pretty great.

The band is off on an adventure in British Columbia’s scenic back country. It makes liberal use of graphics and animation and then sends you on a bit of a trip at the end.

Go with yourself.

rich aucoin

I don’t know how many times I’ve seen Rich Aucoin, and I don’t know him many of those times have been at Rifflandia. More than once, but less a thousand? 

Rich is back on the West Coast for a Saturday, September 13th,  night-stage Rifflandia set at the Metro Theatre. He has a brand new record called Ephemeral. If you’ve never been to a Rich Aucoin show before….you better bring your helmet. Lots of singing, graphics on screens, internet memes blasting at you, maybe a parachute? 

The dude is a positivity warrior, singing about having fun and believing in love, and yourself, and each other. It’s a good time.

Go with yourself.