So last night was a little crazy, wasn’t it? I left downtown as soon as the game ended, thereby avoiding the rowdiness completely, but here is a photo of the smoke that I shot a couple of hours later from my balcony. The news footage of the rioting was fascinating in a completely appalling way. You know how people say they can’t look away from a car wreck? Well last night was about 100 car wrecks.
I’ve got a whole load of great Vancouver bands to post in the next week or two, but for now, here’s the awesome “Fuck Her Tears” by Times New Viking. I interviewed the band for the Georgia Straight.
This song comes from Dancer Equired, out now through Merge.
I have lots of good business ideas, but not the time or effort to put them into action. For any aspiring entrepreneurs, here are a few of my brainwaves that are free for the taking:
-A science-themed prefab R&B group called Density’s Child.
-A Japanese-Mexican fusion restaurant called Wokamole.
-A Tex-Mex food cart called Taco the Town.
-A blissed-out intergalactic electro tune called “Surface,” featuring a wash of gorgeous synths and echoed vocals.
Oh wait! The last one already happened. It’s by British Columbia chillwave master Teen Daze. It comes from his upcoming EP A Silent Planet.
Go to Exclaim! to read my article about his upcoming tour dates.
Belle and Sebastian is one of my favourite bands, so why didn’t I post anything from last year’s Belle and Sebastian Write About Love? Like I said at the time, I just didn’t like it very much.
That said, “Come On Sister” is one of the collection’s standouts. Yes, it sounds a bit like a castoff from 2006’s The Life Pursuit, but I loved that album, so I’m happy to hear the band returning to its poppy, keyboard-heavy sound.
The song is being released as a single, and it just got its own (delightful) music video. This reminds me that I have ice cream in the freezer.
Tonight, the Vancouver Canucks have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. I’m a bandwagon hockey fan at best, but as a lifelong Vancouverite, I’m still pretty excited.
On a completely unrelated note, here’s the new single from Twin Sister, a band that totally kills live. Entitled “Bad Street,” it’s a vaguely funky and catchy slice of dance pop. Go to Exclaim! to read my article about the band’s upcoming album (and see this one about the band’s EP reissue).
The last time I posted an Apollo Ghosts song, I complained that it had been a long time since I had heard from the band. That was only a week ago, so it’s safe to say that the wait has been a lot shorter this time around.
The band has shared its new 7″ for free online. Go to Exclaim! to read my article about the five-song collection, and see the totally bizarre artwork.
Below you can hear the song “Lightweight.” Holy shit! This one is dreamy and atmospheric while still being crunchy and catchy as hell. It’s got a series of repetitive refrains broken up by watery guitar lines and sweet falsetto harmonies.
Joel Plaskett certainly has a knack for putting out a lot of songs all at the same time. In 2009, he released Three, a triple-disc album with 27 tracks. This year, it’s the 20-song B-sides collection EMERGENCYs, false alarms, shipwrecks, castaways, fragile creatures, special features, demons and demonstrations.
Here’s the acoustic ballad “When I Go,” which finds Plaskett in stripped-down, folksy form. It features little more than his voice and guitar, plus a few distant harmonies. It’s truly lovely.
Just like last year, I waited until the very last day to submit my Polaris Music Prize ballot. This year had two albums that stood out as shoo-ins and a slew more that were strong contenders for my list. I imagine that I’ll have a chance to vote for one or two of those near-misses in the next round, so stay tuned for my second ballot in a few weeks from now.
He’s already put out eight previous LPs and a smattering of smaller releases and collaborations, but Kaputt just might be Dan Bejar’s best work yet. It’s a masterpiece in kitsch, with new age-tinged synths and soft rock horns that manage to sound charmingly hokey and completely gorgeous. Below is the poppy opener “Chinatown”
Screaming distortion. Yelping vocals. Thundering drums. Primal aggression. Shred solos. Talkbox. I’ve written about how much I love this album way too many times for me to have much new to write, so let me just reiterate how completely badass this debut LP is. Don’t believe me? “Facelove” is below.
Style over substance? Possibly. But Alex Zhang Hungtai has a hell of a lot of style, so he still manages to pull of this scuzzy, ultra lo-fi take on retro blues and no-wave experimentation. There are also striking ballads like “Lord Knows Best” (below) and “True Blue.”
John O’Regan’s first album as Diamond Rings has three of the best singles of the year: “Wait & See” (below), “Something Else,” and “All Yr Songs.” And while the deep cuts aren’t quite a enduring as those singles, there’s no denying that this album completely owned my iPod back in the fall.
The Vancouver trio’s first LP was a long time in the making, but this eight-song collection definitely doesn’t disappoint. Krautrock influences mingle with tropical guitars and ambient soundscapes to make for a chilled-out summer album that’s perfect for hot, lazy afternoons. Chill out with “Rainforts” below.
To start off your week right, here’s a gorgeously fuzzed-out shoegaze cut from Vancouver’s Weed. The tune is called “Release Party,” and its a seductively narcotic blend of buzzsaw guitars and blissed-out vocal harmonies. This would probably sound extra good after indulging in some of the band’s namesake. Summer’s here!
The song comes from the EP Down in the Valley, available from Bandcamp and on cassette via Orchid Tapes.
On a side note, the Polaris deadline is tomorrow. I’ll post my picks then.
Two Hours Traffic has released some killer upbeat rock songs, but I’ve never been much of a fan of the slower, sentimental material. That’s why I went into singer Liam Corcoran’s sparse, folksy side-project the Express with some hesitation.
Luckily, the first single doesn’t miss the mark. Entitled “Nobody Knows,” it taps into a rootsier side of Corcoran’s oeuvre, with strings from bandmate/cousin/Hey Rosetta! member Kinley Dowling.
Go to Exclaim! to read my article about the Express’s upcoming full-length.
It’s been more than six months since I last heard from Apollo Ghosts, which is a long time for this prolific trio. Well, the silence is over. The band just dropped a new EP, For What They Do, They Do, alongside a short story book.
Read my interview with frontman Adrian Teacher over at Exclaim!, and read about the EP in the Georgia Straight. Listen over at Bandcamp and order here.
Below, listen to the jangling and insanely catchy title track. Apollo Ghosts are back!
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