Sweet Sixteen - Think About Life

Sweet Sixteen and you’re on your own,
And your family, family kick you out of the house.
Working part-time at diners, saving money for college,
At least you’re passing with Bs, so it’s no real tragedy.

Montreal based Think About Life released their sophomore album Family back in May of 2009. After trying to determine what this band was all about, the one descriptive word that seemed to reappear again and again was 'fun'. Listen to more at their Myspace.

Sleepwalking - Whale Tooth

For now, we're just sleepwalking through the city,
I know that life won't always be so easy.

In February 2009, Whale Tooth released an EP made up of short and sweet pop songs. All which create a fun energetic sound that's great for dancing.

I like this particular track for the warmth in Elise LeGrow's voice.

Listen to the EP here: http://whaletooth.bandcamp.com/

Heart of the Continent - John K. Samson

As I stand before an unresponsive automatic door,
Just another door that won't open for me anymore,
The exit red gets brighter then blinks off,
Presses me into
The crumpled dark.

I first came to love John K. Samson from Reconstruction Site, an album released by The Weakerthans in 2003. A favourite of many, One Great City! can be found on this album in which John signs about his home town, Winnipeg. The title of this song used to be the city's slogan and appeared on a billboard that could be seen when driving into the city. According to John, this slogan recently changed to Heart of the Continent, so he decided to write a song about it. Hence the title of this song, from his new solo EP City Route 85.

Holly, Ontario - Said The Whale

Holly far from home,
First time on the road,
Drives beside the lake,
For the first time in north Ontario.

Another quieter, but great track off Islands Disappear.

Emerald Lake, AB - Said The Whale

We scratched our names all in a row,
Into a tree, in hopes it would grow,
Into the tallest tree the forest ever would know,
We'd climb up to the top and shout to below,
What a fine life we are living.

Said The Whale!
This track comes off the newly released Islands Disappear, and if you like this track I recommend listening to the whole album. It has everything from soft folk to lively pop rock. From start to finish it tells stories about their hometown Vancouver and other Canadian experiences, which often include mountains, forests, lakes and cold winters. Now I'm tempted brave the cold weather tomorrow and enjoy the snow.

Radio Kaliningrad - Handsome Furs

We all are just waiting for,
The futuristic radio slipping,
In the hallway in the sky.
You can wait outside,
You can wait outside.

I wish I had listened to this album earlier.

Face Control was released last March by husband/wife duo Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry. I was always a fan of Wolf Parade, mostly because I like Dan Boeckner's voice. But he gives us so much more to love on Face Control. Also worth listening to is All We Want, Baby, Is Everything.

Another great Canadian release of 2009.

When I Get There - Graham Wright

And when I get there,
Will you smile,
and greet me like an old friend,
Or act confused,
And just pretend that nothing ever happened?

This track is from The Lakes of Alberta, an EP released by Tokyo Police Club's keyboardist Graham Wright. With a low-key acoustic sound and lyrical references to the Alberta landscape, Wright has created a nice mellow album for a winter's night.

The Lakes of Alberta can be downloaded for free here.

I Can See Your Tracks - Laura Veirs

Oh I can see your tracks,
But I won’t follow them,
I’ll just hope for rain,
Or some kind of crazy wind,
To erase them,
And chase them into oblivion.

Laura Veirs, a signer-songwriter from Portland, Oregon, will release her new album, July Flame, on January 12th via her own Raven Marching Band Records. With a unique voice and powerful sound, Laura has put together a much anticipated album.

Lowiza - The Lovely Feathers

She wonders: Jimmy, Jimmy, are you sexual?
(Jimmy) just a dog, (Jimmy) just a cat.
Jimmy doesn't know. Can't you hear people sigh?
Won't you know they're wrong? Can't you hear them sigh?

I love the variation of melody and energy in this track. And its strange lyrics.
Quirky indie-rock exactly how it should be.

I saw the Lovely Feathers live in Kingston this week and was impressed by their performance. They were opening for Hey Ocean! and by the end of their set a sweaty dance floor had formed and left most people in need of a break and a cold beer. It was hard to resist moving to their catchy obscure sound.

The Lovely Feathers are a Montreal based foursome, and are currently writing the follow-up to this year’s Fantasy of the Lot.

Ohio - Damien Jurado

Out from my window across from the city,
I have what's considered a good view.
Two blocks from the subway, three from the fountain,
Where I walk to break in new shoes.

A classic Damien Jurado song off Rehearsals for Departure, released back in 1999.

False Alarm - The Wooden Birds

These foolish arms, they don't know that they hold so long,
Or they're heavy cause the feelings gone,
And if they're listening to us at all,
Then they weren't really friends of ours.

When I first heard this song, I thought it sounded familiar. Then I discovered that it was Andrew Kenny's voice I recognized. He's most known as the singer/songwriter behind mellow indie favorites the American Analog Set. I also have the split EP he released in the Home Series (Vol. V) with Ben Gibbard back in 2004.

Andrew Kenny's latest project, The Wooden Birds, is turning out to be a favourite among new and old fans. This track comes of their LP Magnolia, which was released in May 2009.

My Delirium - Ladyhawke

Stop playing with my delirium,
Cause I’m outta my head and outta my self control.

Ladyhawke has been described as a retro pop-rock, catchy, synthy guitarist. She's an original artist who plays all the instruments and does all the programming on her self-titled debut record which was released in September 2008.

Animal - Miike Snow

But I'm still trying to make my mind up,
Am I free or am I tied up?

From the producers of Britney Spears Toxic, comes the single Animal which was released back in February of 2009. The self-titled album consists of melancholy ballads and upbeat dance tracks for those looking for more.

Finish Line - Fanfarlo

I stopped racing years ago,
I stopped listening – I stopped speaking.
The world has kept you on your toes,
Speak to me with your hands.

Fanfarlo is a London based group that created quite a buzz with the release of their debut LP, Reservoir. Reservoir sounds like orchestrated pop with pleasant arrangements and vocals that remind me of the wavering voice of Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. If you have yet to hear of Fanfarlo, I recommend giving them a listen.

If I Were A Tree - Forest City Lovers

If I were a tree I'd shake you off,
Who needs all those dying leaves?
I'd follow my roots to the underground,
Drink wine with all the thieves.

Forest City Lovers!
Reasons for this post:

1. FCL are from Toronto. And a Canadian folk indie pop band.
2. Kat Burns has an effortless, polished voice.
3. The string arrangements.
4. They have a new single out, Phodilus and Tyto.
5. This song is charming, quirky and uses a tree for a metaphor.
6. FCL were featured on Friends in Bellwoods I & II.

1901 - Phoenix

Counting all different ideas drifting away,
Past and present they don't matter.

This is a great song by the French alternative rock band Phoenix. It's off their fourth studio album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix that was released in February 2009. 1901 is a catchy mix of electro-rock and a great upbeat track for the weekend.

My Girls - Animal Collective

I don't mean to seem like I care about material things,
Like a social status, I just want,
Four walls and adobe slats for my girls.

If by chance you have not heard this song, check it out. Released almost a year ago, its the stand-out track off Animal Collective's eighth studio album Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Sunlight - Harlem Shakes

Sunlight, sunlight baby,
We just let go of the night now slowly,
We won't dance, we won't sing, we won't talk,
We just gonna watch how it bends.

I recently acquired Technicolor Health, an album by Brooklyn-based Harlem Shakes. Inventive instrumentation makes for a unique sound mixed with danceable progressive pop.

This ambitious debut LP is all sorts of fun.

Sleepyhead - Run Toto Run

They crowd your bedroom like some thoughts wearing thin,
Against the walls against your rules against your skin.

A noteworthy cover of Passion Pit's Sleepyhead by Run Toto Run.

Edmonton - The Rural Alberta Advantage

And what if I'm only satisfied when I'm at home,
Sitting in a city that'll never let me go.

The Rural Alberta Advantage has a great Canadian sound worth listening to. This up and coming Toronto-based trio re-released their debut album Hometowns, this past summer. The album is a full blend of acoustic rock, energetic rhythms and grand orchestral arrangements. Most songs reflect feelings of homesickness, heartache, and pride. The RAA are currently on tour and played a sold out show at the Grad Club last week in Kingston.

Admit Defeat - Great Bloomers

If i can't find comfort here, I'll leave you and admit defeat.

On this track, Toronto quintet Great Bloomers give us an almost acoustic slow start followed by an energetic end with the same arresting vocals throughout.

Great Bloomers’ full-length debut, is a rollicking mess of saloon piano, cymbal crashes and warmly bubbling guitars wrapped around Sostomi’s sweet, questioning vocals. Though their music has an unbridled sense of playfulness, Great Bloomers’ great strength lies in their ability to gently coax their punchy energy into solid, classic songwriting. - Eye Weekly

Hannah - Freelance Whales

Please grab me a martini and meet me on the balcony,
I've prepared a light show, you could fake a melody,
We could argue over where and when the cymbal hits should be.

Freelance Whales stand have a unique sound created by delicate instrumentation including everything from harmonium, banjo, glockenspiel, synthesizers, guitars, bass, drums and waterphone. They create a full, powerful sound that makes them stand out among your typical indie pop.

This track comes off their full length debut, Weathervanes, released in late August 2009.

You've Got the Love (XX remix) - Florence And The Machine

Sooner or later in life, the things you love you loose.
But you got the love I need to see me through.

An interesting mix from The XX. It strips down Florence and the Machine and adds a softer melodic beat creating something completely different than the original.

When The XX does things like this, I support the hype. Check out their recent debut album xx.

In Steps - Letting Up Despite Great Faults

I'll always try to move with you, I can hardly wait for our second fame.

Ambient electronic fuzz brought to you by Letting Up Despite Great Faults. This one is off their latest self-titled LP.

Fables - The Dodos

I don't want to go in the fire,
I just want to stay in my home.

This track has the fresh acoustic and percussive sound that is found in so much of The Dodos' work.
The Dodos released their newest album Time to Die this past summer. The rest of the album is just as pleasurable to listen to as this first track.

Too Too Fast - Ra Ra Riot

I could tell you were there lying awake and aware,
I'm feeling I got no sense of what's left or gone,
What's left or gone.

Give me something to leave with, the feeling that you're not mine,
We're feigning words in the place, of people we used to know.


Ra Ra Riot delivers another upbeat track with all their orchestral pop power. This is off an album called The Rhumb Line released in 2008.

Sentimental Tune - Tegan and Sara

Unnerve the nerve,
You're nervous, nervous that I'm right.

Here's a track from the forthcoming Tegan & Sara album titled Sainthood. The album is set to release on October 27th.

Someone Great - LCD Soundsystem

And it keeps coming, till the day it stops.

A little bit of electro pop for your day.
I heard this one this weekend while on the road.

P.S. I Can Change - Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker (USS)

If your heart only knew what I was thinking,
You'd be thinking it too maybe.
And if your brain only knew what I was feeling,
You'd be feeling it too maybe.

USS is another duo from Toronto with catchy drum and bass pop. Their first full-length album Questamation was released last March.

Wildfires - Ohbijou

You're fierce and spread like wildfires
So I run to take cover in sinking ships
And it'd be no surprise...

If the shore closed in on the water.

A little indie pop wonder from Toronto.

Heartbreaker - MSTRKRFT ft. John Legend

You're in my mind,
You're in my heart,
I wish I knew right from the start.
All my friends said you break my heart,
A heartbreaker right from the start.

A track off MSTRKRFT's second album Fist of God. Jesse F. Keeler formerly of Death from Above 1979 and Al-P are both from Toronto and have put out some great electronic music in the past few years.

Alleyways - Hey Ocean!

Fast or slow,
Take the shortcuts inside roads.
Pay no mind to the signs or highway lines,
We'll get there our way.

Hey Ocean! is a diverse indie pop band from Vancouver. With amazing talent and sound they bring together a variety of style in vocals, instruments and rhythms.

As the opening act for Joel Plaskett I've never seen a band warm up the crowd as well as they did that night. There was so much energy on stage and they had you thinking, what are they going to do next? The mutual consensus of the crowd was Hey Ocean! put on an awesome show. Worth a listen.

Check out their most recent album It's Easier to be Somebody Else.

Bruised Ghosts - Amy Millan

Hold it up, you've lost enough,
You've still got your luck, you're miles away,
From the love you made, even heaven gets rough.

Last night I saw Amy Millan at the Grad Club in Kingston. If you ever get a chance to see a show there it's definitely worth checking out. This summer it was listed in the Toronto Star under one of Joel Plaskett's top ten venues to play. Also on the list was the Horeseshoe Tavern, a favourite of many in the Toronto area. (http://www.thestar.com/article/659381)

As for Amy Millan, she was wonderful to watch and listen to. With her guitar and beautiful voice she created a comfotable, mellow atmosphere in the small room where we stood enoying song after song. In between songs she conversed with the audience and entertained us with her words of honesty and realness. I was impressed with her performance and would jump at another oppotunity to see her live.

This track is of her recent solo album Masters of the Burial which came out last month. It also features a few cover songs two of which are written by Sarah Harmer and Death Cab for Cutie.

Face of the Earth - Joel Plaskett Emergency

Woo-ooo, do you take love
Woo-ooo, or do you leave love
How come happiness is something you cannot conceive of?

Joel Plaskett put on an entertaining and energetic show this past week in Kingston. From humorous comments, rap interludes and allowing an audience member dance on stage, it was a memorable night. Most people I knew attending this concert had seen the band perform before and were back again knowing they wouldn't walk away disappointed.

Joel Plaskett is originally from Halifax and has been in the Canadian indie rock seen since the 90's. His most recent release was Three back in March of 2009. This among other releases leading up to it consist of a collective span of acoustic sets and an energetic fusion of folk, country and rock.

Some of his more well known songs include Nowhere With You and Fashionable People.

The Ballad of Hugo Chavez - Arkells

It was a bad idea to give me this kind of time.

The most recent single from the energetic Hamilton indie group Arkells.
A fresh sound for a warm September day.

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Broken Scocial Scene

Why is the bedroom so cold, turned away on your side?
Is my timing that flawed, our respect run so dry?
Yet there's still this appeal, that we've kept through our lives.
Love, love will tear us apart again.

Broken Social Scene covers Joy Division for The Time Traveller's Wife soundtrack. Kevin Drew delivers a heartfelt melodic cover in a way we've never heard it before.

The Calculation - Regina Spektor

So we made our own computer out of macaroni pieces,
And it did our thinking while we lived our lives,
It counted up our feelings and divided them up even,
And it called our calculation perfect love.

When I was out last night at the bar amidst the sounds of remixed hip-hop and top 40, The Calculation's quirky lyrics and upbeat sound ended up repeating themselves in my head. Not sure why but this song had stuck with me.

When I first listened to her album the first thing that came into my head was what the heck is she singing about? I later read that Regina Spektor's eclectic lyrics are based on scenarios and characters drawn from her imagination. It's different, but I like her for it.

Regina Spektor's latest release, Far, hit stores this past June.

Dog Days Are Over - Florence And The Machine

Happiness, hit her like a train on a track. Coming towards her, stuck still no turning back.
She hid around corners and she hid under beds. she killed it with kisses and from it she fled.

Florence Welch is a fantastic mix of indie pop foul-mouthed soul. Dog Days Are Over is a fun track off her debut album Lungs which was released this summer.

I initially fell in love with her first single Kiss With a Fist, which was described in the Rolling Stone as a fiery, Pretenders-esque punk song where Welch documents going apeshit on a cheating lover. "You smashed a plate over my head and I set fire to our bed," she sings in her raging, smokey howl. But happily the song isn't literal: "It's a metaphor for the kind of love that is so intense, it tears both of you apart."

A Love Song - Amanda Blank

I need love, got my mind made up.

Awesome combination of LL Cool J's I Need Love and Santigold's I'm a Lady. First time I heard Amanda Blank was live in Toronto as she crammed rap, energy and soul into song after song. She recently released her debut album I Love You. Definitely worth checking out.

Feel it in My Bones - Tiësto with Tegan & Sara

Left hook, I didn’t see it coming, Left hook, you’ve got dead aim.
Rushes out, run away, Rushes out, you always run away.

The latest track off DJ Tiësto's fourth studio album Kaleidoscope, set for release in October 2009. Dance to it. Sing to it. Whatever. Tegan and Sara are cool.

Skinny Boy - Amy Millan

And there you are on the fence, with those lips I could spend a day with.

Amy's upcoming release, Masters of the Burial, on September 8, 2009, is the reason I decided to delve into her previous album from 2006, Honey from the Tombs. Lovely song.