Canadian Popsicles

Whoa. I was doing so well with the whole not abandoning this blog thing. And here I am again. Well over a month since my last post.

C'est ma vie.

But! I return with oodles of music to unleash onto the internets.

Let's start with a post I've been meaning to write up for a couple months now. A post of great, Canadian poppy bands who warm my heart with their melodic sounds. Onward.


THE SUPERFANTASTICS


The Superfantastics are from Halifax, Nova Scotia. And they sound like it. They're totally Sloan-ish with a slightly less epic New Pornographers sound. Your summer is begging for this band to be a part of it. They're on tour. Check them out.

MySpace, website and Facebook
mp3's: Turn On Me and Vantastic (Eastern Canadian Roadtrip Blues)

ANGELSHAKES


Two guys and a lady from St. John's, Newfoundland. This is a band with some ridiculously lovely melodies that you will be humming for days. They play the male and female voices so well off of each other and are the perfect soundtrack for washing dishes. Try it. You'll see.

MySpace
mp3's: That Was Hong Kong and An Honest Man

HOODED FANG


Torontonians, they are. I saw this wonderful band play (alongside Urban Aesthetics and The Rural Alberta Advantage) in January and they were a happyhappyjoyjoy to watch. They are composed of a cornucopia of uber-skilled lads and lasses. And so many instruments. And they all seem to play at least three different instruments and kept switching between songs. It was really great to watch.

They've also got a sweet male/female dynamic happening and do a great job of highlighting everybody's respective talents. But I must say I'm probably most enamoured with the lead male's voice (I believe his name is Daniel.) It has a really unique tone--kind of lazy and conversational. Overall, a really fun and playful band.

They're making the rounds right now, too. They're playing at Zaphod's with the Whitsundays on Wednesday, April 15th and I'm definitely hitting that up. So give yourself a little break from exam studying and come join the fun.

MySpace and Facebook
mp3's: Train Station and Fall Leaves

RAH RAH


Regina, Saskatchew-ians. I just came across these guys last week but I've been listening to their marvelous album Going Steady pretty much all the times.

Their sound reminds me of a less taking-ourselves-too-seriously Arcade Fire and a less frantic Winks. Once again, they have the male/female aspect to their vocals... is this becoming the thing to do for Canadian indie bands? Maybe. These voices are less polished than their other Can-counterparts, though. And it works so well. These wavering, genuine, untrained voices spinning you 'round for a good old fashioned frolic.

Anyway. They use scratchy, slightly out of tune string instruments. The percussion is always executed to its full potential. They play around with cutesy, hand-clappy acoustic numbers ("My Guarentee") but can pull off a slightly darker, gallavanting sound ("Fuck NAFTA") with total ease and zero awkwardness. They're not tied to any one style which makes for a fun and interesting listen. Unfortunately they're not currently road warrior-ing, but keep checking for tour dates. I have a feeling they'd make for a great live show.

MySpace and Facebook
mp3's: (I couldn't narrow it down to just two songs. These guys are really stellar. Please go buy Going Steady, if not for the band than for your ears.) My Guarantee, Duet for Emmylou and the Grievous Angel**, Fuck NAFTA and Cuba/Peru

Happy listening!


Thanks for stopping by,
Alie

** This is currently my favourite Rah Rah song. The girl's voice is just so soulful and real. Listen for the 2:20 mark, and the off-kilter rhythmic way she sings "These are the most desirable traits to be found in a man, I hear." You'll know what I mean. And the stomping chorus ("It is fashionable to be single / In big cities, but not in small towns / In Regina, Saskatchewan / I fell in love with her frown.") that slides into this great, creaky violin, jangle-guitar'd mini-instrumental bit... it's pretty damn amazing. And, like, sonically satisfying. True say.

Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink[s]

Montreal's The Winks are totally a baroque punk band.

I came across these lads and lady and couple years back and seeing as how I'm on some kind of chamber pop kick right now, I thought I'd sharesies.

This is exuberant music for people:
a] who enjoy unique blends of orchestral sounds AND/OR
b] who might have a strange liking for casually worn cummerbunds or hats with peacock feather arrangements.

Other than that, this is a talented group of Canadians who, at different points, remind me of Mother Mother and a sprightlier, sillier, less psychedelic-er Spiral Beach.

So here are some Winks-p3's.

Snakes [Revisited]
Ohio
Seasons

Also check out their MySpace and website.

And if you're in Montreal this Friday, February 6th, they're playing at the Green Room with Ryland Bouchard [an Oregonian!] and Emperor X-- all for the low, low price of $8.


Thanks for stopping by,
Alie

Wolfe Island Music Fest 2008: LET'S GET INTRODUCT'D

Friends, Canadians, countrymen, lend your ears – not to me – but to the Wolfe Island Music Festival… 2008 style.

Quite possibly the most marvellous and musical days that Kingston has to offer are going down August 8th and 9th this year. A.K.A. real soon. So if you don’t have your ticket yet, head over to Brian’s Record Option or Windmill’s or some other building where the kindly people inside will sell you as many vomit-green tickets as your heart desires, assuming you’re buying a Saturday ticket. You can buy tickets at the gate on the day of the fest, though, if you’re just too damn busy.

ANYway, I thought it’d be nice to do an overview of the line-up, post some mp3’s and get myself and others acquainted with this MOST EXCELLENT bevy of musicians that shall be gracing the elegant Marysville Baseball Diamond in a few day’s time.

I present to you, in order, the line-up for the Saturday portion of the 2008 Wolfe Island Music Festival. [NOTE: Left click for mp3 links. And I'm feeling kind of lazy, so for the bands that had downloadable songs either on their MySpace or their website, I just linked to that and didn't put any mp3's in here. So there.]


P.S. I LOVE YOU



Despite my most searchiest efforts, I came up with diddily crap. All I found were a bunch of MySpace profiles, Facebook pages and websites pertaining to the movie, P.S. I Love You. All very well and good. But not so good when I’m trying to find out what these cats sound like. I have a few predictions, though.

1] They'll be Canadian,
2] There will be instruments involved in their act,
3] They'll be human [?]
And who knows, maybe they’ll pull a Spiral Beach, come out of nowhere, and shoot everybody up with awesome bullets.

MUSIC MAUL


FROM: Kingston, ON
SOUNDS LIKE: Nasal-voiced, lo-fi, slightly electric pop ditties. As of right now I'm a little confused by Music Maul. I can't quite figure them out. It'll be interesting to see how their live show compares to the studio stuff.
MYSPACE: Bang
WEBSITE: Boom
MP3's: You can listen to and download both albums from the website.

RUBY COAST


FROM: Aurora, ON
SOUNDS LIKE: Sing-songy, boppy, happydancey songs with poppier tinges of Born Ruffians and Tokyo Police Club. [NOTE: The D'Urbervilles, who were set to perform in this time slot, had to pull out due to an illness in the band, just in case anyone's confused as to where these Ruby Coast kids came from. But for all I know, this is old news, and I'm just slow on the uptake.]
MYSPACE: Bang
MP3's: More Than Television and Neighbourhood

THE ACORN


FROM: Ottawa, ON
SOUNDS LIKE: Superbly melodic, wonderfully percussed slices of mellow, folk pie. The older tunes aren't as hand-clappy, multi-instrumental or as expansive as the newer ones, but honestly, you really cannot go wrong with these guys. I'm just surprised that they're on so early in the day. They're a pretty well-known band. But, I'll takes what I can gets.
MYSPACE: Bang
WEBSITE: Boom
MP3's: Crooked Legs and Blankets

TONY SCHERR


FROM: Brooklyn, NY [WHAT?! A non-Canadian perfomer at the Wolfie fest? Isn't that like... sacreligious?]
SOUNDS LIKE: Easygoing, summer bluesy-rocky-folksy fare, well-suited to an easygoing, outdoor summer music festival. He's got a Ryan Adams thing to him, too, which is very cool. Plus, he's got a song on the upcoming Hottest State soundtrack. And that is a killer soundtrack. I think we're in for an enjoyable set.
MYSPACE: Bang
WEBSITE: Boom
MP3's: Come Around

PLANTS AND ANIMALS


FROM: Montreal, QU
SOUNDS LIKE: Road trip-worthy, big, happy, sixties/seventies rockness that I am hoping and thinking will set the stage on fire. Everybody will just eat this up. Plants and Animals have a really inviting sound that'll bring out the inner [or not so inner] hippie in all of us. I'm expecting to grin throughout the whole set. I'm expecting to feel a little restless and childish, in a good way. I'm expecting to see people spinning out in the field with their arms outstretched. I'm expecting lots of platonic love to be flowing around. I'm expecting good things, good times, and excellent stage banter.
MYSPACE: Bang
WEBSITE: Boom
MP3's: Bye Bye Bye and Feedback in the Field

JASON COLLETT


FROM: Ontario
SOUNDS LIKE: Summer! Chill, laidback, very singable folk-pop-rock Americana [Canadiana?]. And he's part of that crazy Arts&Crafts label, so you know he's good. This will be awesome.
MYSPACE: Bang
WEBSITE: Boom
MP3's: Out of Time and Pavement Puddle Stars

LAND OF TALK


FROM: Montreal, QU
SOUNDS LIKE: Really cool, hip stuff. Assuming the sun is down by this point, kids'll be dancing in really cool, hip ways. I just hope that Land of Talk don't take themselves too seriously or think they're too hot. I like their music, but that kind of pretentious stuff gets in the way of a band being awesome live. So, here's to hoping they're just really nice people who make cool songs. [And yay! The singular female performer! Unless there are one or two kicking around in the very mysterious P.S. I Love You...]
MYSPACE: Bang
WEBSITE: Boom
MP3's: Young Bridge and Street Wheels

CADENCE WEAPON


FROM: Edmonton, AB
SOUNDS LIKE: Really fresh hip-hop that's weird and charismatic. I'm counting on a personality-packed performance. And while my friends and I are quite bummed that Holy Fuck doesn't have their seemingly annual slot in the line-up, I think Cadence Weapon is a pretty sweet replacement. We'll dance. There's some inventive electronic stuff going on here. So it's alllllll okay.
MYSPACE: Bang
WEBSITE: Boom
MP3's: In Search of the Youth Crew and Sharks

WINTERSLEEP


FROM: Halifax, NS
SOUNDS LIKE: A whole lot of dark-ish, macabre-ish, catchy, downtrodden, poetic, full-on rock powerhouses and softies. I haven't seen Wintersleep live for about two years now and I am stokeified to see how their Welcome to the Night Sky material has taken on new life since its release. What else... oh! Right. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
MYSPACE: Bang
WEBSITE: Boom
MP3's: Dead Letter & the Infinite Yes and Nerves Normal, Breath Normal


And there you have it, the 2008 line-up for the Wolfie fest. I'm super looking forward to hearing some awesome music, dancing around like a foo' with buddies, and hopefully seeing some new-to-the-festival-but-familiar faces. And that's from me until the epic review post.

Soooo... see you there?


Thanks for stopping by,
Alie

P.S. For more information, check out the official WIMF website.