Rah Rah’s “Little Poems”
Hearing a treasured band’s new song on the radio is like meeting an old friend—there’s time to take stock of what’s changed and how she’s aged, but your first thought is of how good it is to recognize...
View ArticleArcade Fire’s “Sprawl II” by Hey Ocean!
When someone asks me why I like Canadian indie music, I’m just going to point them to this video. It’s a cover of Arcade Fire‘s “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” by Hey Ocean! featuring Aidan...
View ArticleHey Rosetta’s “Young Glass”
From under your sheets out into the hall You sleepwalk through the rooms where you grew up Out through the porch and the old front doors Carried by the words that you learned when you were small Down...
View ArticleHey Rosetta’s “New Sum (Nous Sommes)”
Oh, see the great citizens With all their white sticks tapping brick They can’t see the wire strung in between them And all of that young scum reeling But oh, you do your blinded best With all these...
View ArticleLuke Lalonde’s “Undone”
Tone down the rowdiness of Born Ruffians but keep the signature voice, add a relentlessly catchy rhythm and some sweet harmonizing, slow it all down and mix in a story about a failing long-distance...
View ArticleUpcoming Canadian shows in Austin, TX
Here’s an authoritative list of the forty—count ‘em, four-zero—Canadian shows that are happening in Austin through mid-November. I’d say that these more than make up for the summer, throughout which we...
View ArticleCanadian indie bands at SXSW 2013
The first two rounds of SXSW 2013 artist announcements have been posted, and the list of Canadians expected to be in attendance is already quite lengthy. Though these bookings may change over the...
View ArticleMore Canadians booked for SXSW 2013
The organizers of SXSW 2013 just announced the third round of showcasing artists, which includes another 38 Canadian acts, including some of my favorites—The Belle Game, The Besnard Lakes, Elephant...
View ArticleThe Zolas’“Escape Artist”
Though last year’s album Ancient Mars by The Zolas has plenty of terrific tracks, the playlist for my past few weeks has included large amounts of their song “Escape Artist”. This song boasts smartly...
View ArticleSilver Mt. Zion’s “God Bless Our Dead Marines”
Over the past week or so, Silver Mt. Zion’s albums have been changing my life in a way I don’t yet have the words to explain. Each album is an experience—a near religious one, for sure. They put angels...
View ArticleJack’s Mannequin’s “Rescued”
Two to one Static to the sound of you and I Undone for the last time And there this was Hiding at the bottom of your swimming pool Some September And don’t you think I wish that I could stay? Your lips...
View ArticleThe Lumineers’“Stubborn Love”
She’ll lie and steal and cheat, and beg you from her knees Make you think she means it this time She’ll tear a hole in you, the one you can’t repair But I still love her, I don’t really care When we...
View ArticleEvery indie Canadian artist at SXSW 2013
This is the post to end them all—the complete and authoritative list of every independent Canadian artist performing at SXSW 2013. The majority of these shows are already scheduled, but some of them...
View ArticleYoung Galaxy’s “Pretty Boy”
Canadian space rock virtuosi (and SXSW 2013 performers) Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless—better known as Young Galaxy—have released a catchy new single called “Pretty Boy”. The band, making...
View ArticleFake Shark – Real Zombie! – “Paint It Gold”
I often poke fun at Wikipedia for being the place people go to invent new genres of music, or at least the names for them. Take a look at the Extreme Metal entry to get a sense of what I mean. How many...
View ArticleCanadian Tuesday at SXSW 2013
It begins tonight! There are (at least) 16 official SXSW showcases featuring Canadian artists today, beginning at 6:30 PM. Most of the shows (Half Moon Run, Leif Vollebekk, Lisa LeBlanc, Mozart’s...
View ArticleUpcoming Canadian shows in Austin, TX
I’m always excited when there are enough Canadian indie acts coming to town that I can make a list. If the 120+ Canadian acts at SXSW weren’t enough for you, here are even more artists coming to...
View ArticleThe Zolas – “Ancient Mars”
I want to believe in time travel That one day I’ll come back for you Find you in the campus library aisles and I’d say Oh, my ancient Mars When the rusty rocks were covered in groves And the pyramids...
View ArticleChris Kelly – “Cold Feet”
Vancouver-based Chris Kelly calls himself “a man for all media”… and he is probably right. Kelly, once a member of Analog Bell Service, has produced over 150 episodes of the CBC Radio 3 Podcast, and in...
View ArticleLeif Vollebekk – “Southern United States ”
No more words, just listen. Southern United States… I had a dream I was standing under the Memphis moon with William Blake painting and Crosby crooning. And his father was a sailor who left his mother...
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