I’m going on vacation so I won’t be posting much, if at all, in the next couple weeks.
I’ll leave you with “Hey Judas” by Vancouver’s Fine Times. This pop tune has a fantastically cinematic synth riff that sounds as it was nabbed from an ’80s teen movie. I swear I’ll never get bored of string synths.
Fine Times will release a self-titled album on September 18 through Light Organ Records. Go to Exclaim! to read more.
A.C. Newman’s 2004 release The Slow Wonder is one of my favourite albums ever, so I’m pretty excited about the upcoming Shut Down the Streets, due out October 9 on Matador Records.
“I’m Not Talking” is a promising (and surprisingly synth-tinged) preview of the new collection. Here’s hoping that this is indicative of the quality of the rest of the album.
My girlfriend just asked me if I’m listening to a TV show theme song. Okay, it does kind of sound like that.
“What You Wanted” has all the hallmarks of a Seapony tune: twee vocals, guitars that balance grit with jangle, and a soft indie pop melody. But it’s also got a slightly darker, more full-bodied sound that benefits from the addition of live drums and synth.
Falling is out on September 11 through Hardly Art.
I’m faintly embarrassed to liken a female Canadian singer-songwriter to Kathleen Edwards because it seems so lazy, but I can’t help it when it comes to Maritime musician Jennah Barry. “The Coast” definitely has a whiff of Edwards, albeit with a slightly most rustic charm. This probably won’t conquer the radio, but its lack of pop sheen isn’t a bad thing.
Vancouver’s Hermetic specializes in grungy, ’90s-influenced rock, but local boob Jay Arner (who, in the interest of full disclosure, is my bandmate) gave the band’s tune “Portlandish” a synth-heavy remake.
It’s a surprisingly natural fit, especially considering how far removed it sounds from the original.
White Poppy is the latest project of Vancouver’s Crystal Dorval, who previously led the band My Friend Wallis. She recently released a tape called I Had a Dream. Get lost in the echoing haze of the title track below.
Weed has certainly gotten my attention with its first couple of releases. The latest is the fantastic Gun Control EP, which I reviewed for the Georgia Straight. It’s available on vinyl, although I’m rather partial to the cassette version that’s out through Green Burrito.
I’ve already posted the best song from the collection, so here’s the fuzz-laden “Tie to Everything You Own.”
Listen to the altogether lovely “Your Hand in Mind” from the upcoming The World Is Too Much with Us below. This is much prettier and more laid back than the band’s previous material.
