#MoNM The rest, and a new project for December
Oh, what the hell. Rounding off the #MoNM in a decidedly half-assed form: Day 27: Duffy and the Doubters’ Scriptural Supplies Tiny songs from the Ladyhawk frontman. With most of the tunes clocking in at less than 2 minutes, Duffy’s solo debut(?) is over practically before it starts, and the lo-fi production only adds to … Continue reading
#MoNM Day 14: Jenny Omnichord’s All Our Little Bones
Jenny Omnichord is a girl after my own heart. Smart, quirky, self-referential… heck, her latest album doubles as a board game if you shell out for the vinyl. Not a bad deal. But while the packaging is in line with her previous projects (the last album of hers that I bought was packaged in plywood), … Continue reading
Dan Mangan: What comes after Nice
There was something nice about being a completely honest and absolutely unknown artist a couple years ago. But these are the things that you dream and ask for, you can’t really be all of a sudden upset when they start happening…
#MoNM Day 12: The Cape May’s Central City May Rise Again
A.K.A. It’s shameful that I haven’t heard this yet: Calgary edition. To be sure, I have heard The Cape May. I wouldn’t even hesitate in citing Glass Mountain Roads as one of the best albums to come out of this city. It’s one of those albums that comes across as almost unprecedented, so crisp, so … Continue reading
#MoNM Day 8: Bran Van 3000’s The Garden
When I was asked to take part in a survey to name the 100 best Canadian singles ever, the first song that came to mind was “Drinking in L.A.”. There’s some weird bottled-lightning magic in Bran Van 3000’s breakthrough single that was irresistible even to my then-punk-rock-loving self. Naturally, the song didn’t even make the … Continue reading
Kris Ellestad – No Man is Land
I’m not going to post a formal review of Kris Ellestad’s new album, No Man is Land, which is available for streaming right now for free. Kris is a good friend of mine, and that kind of bias is too hard to work around. But now that he’s officially releasing it to the public, I … Continue reading
#MONM Day Two: Fond of Tigers’ Continent and Western
Fond of Tigers — Continent and Western (Drip Audio) “Soheb,” the opener on “post-everything” Vancouver septet Fond of Tigers’ latest, is a hell of a track to wake up to. Starting with a simple melodic line, it quickly descends into swirling madness and atonal skronk, eventually returning to its opening theme by increasingly demented routes. … Continue reading
#MONM Month of New Music day one: Lullabye Arkestra’s Ampgrave
First off, a note: I’m going to have to be realistic about this Month of New Music thing. I won’t have time for elaborate posts about every album I listen to, so some of these will be quick blurbs. Others might ramble a bit longer (like this one). I’m not one for live-tweeting, so I … Continue reading
An interview with Danny Michel
“I guess it’s just a natural kind of evolution of me just trying to write songs. I just kind of got really sick of rock music. I got really sick of – I find it all really whiny, you know? And myself included, I pointed a finger at myself, too, but I find that there’s probably more to say in the world other than whining about breaking up with somebody.”
Folk Fest announces lineup
The Calgary Folk Music Festival, the one weekend when the city’s hoola-hoopers, hipsters and suburban soccer moms come together as equals, has announced its 2010 lineup — and it’s a bit of an odd one. Soul legend Roberta Flack, indie-pop darlings Stars and protest-rock mainstay Michael Franti are nothing to turn up your nose at, … Continue reading
The Consumption 