Restoration - The Acorn

Concentric circles signal dinner time,
The tidal waves skim the surface.

I have always enjoyed the joyful, folk melodies of the The Acorn. Hence my excitment over the release of their new album, No Ghost. With the familiarity of Glory Hope Mountain, it's a great album with eleven beautiful songs. I was happy to see The Acorn featured on Southern Souls last week. Here's one of the three videos that were posted.



Video courtesy of Mitch Fillion at http://www.southernsouls.ca/

mp3: Restoration - The Acorn

Arrows - Rah Rah

I feel just like an arrow,
Shooting high,
Shooting high away.

Rah Rah is a group from Regina, Saskatchewan that have just released a new album titled Breaking Hearts. Breaking Hearts is the follow up to their debut album, Going Steady, released in 2008.
Their energy is what caught me a first, but I have come to enjoy the male/female vocals and diverse instrumentation. Definitely a band worth checking out.

Check out their site here: http://rahrahband.blogspot.com
Listen to more at MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rahrahband

mp3: Arrows - Rah Rah

Juliette - Hollerado

She's got houseplants,
To keep her company.
I bought her a goldfish,
She named it after me.
We look at old photographs,
Of lovers come and gone.
Ask her if it makes her sad,
She says "Son you've got so much to learn."

I don't think I've mentioned this before but I really like Hollerado. Hollerado is this awesome band from a small town just outside of Ottawa that have a great energetic sound. Their album, Record In a Bag, is actually a record in a bag. (see more here) How cool is that? This one belongs on the summer playlist.

I've also heard their shows are a lot fun, so check them out if they're in town. (Shows)



Learn more and listen to their full album: http://www.hollerado.com/

mp3: Juliette - Hollerado

Road Regrets - Dan Mangan

We drive until the gas is gone,
And then walk until our feet are torn,
Crawl until we feed the soil,
Film the whole thing.

Now, I've heard of Dan Mangan before but it wasn't until his recent Polaris Music Prize nomination that I decided to download his new album Nice, Nice, Very Nice. A classic indie-folk singer-songwriter from Vancouver, Dan Mangan has given us a refreshing, enjoyable album that I hope to see on the short list.

Learn more: http://www.danmanganmusic.com/site/

mp3: Road Regrets - Dan Mangan

More & More & More - The Mountains and The Trees

Sold my only guitar,
Put all my money into a broken car,
And I drove halfway across the country to get away,
From the very thing that follows me to this day.

Newfoundland folk singer Jon Janes, who goes by the name The Mountains & The Trees, gives us a beautiful tune from his upcoming album I Made This for You, due out on August 10, 2010.

Listen to more at MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/themountainsandthetrees

mp3: More & More & More - The Mountains and The Trees

Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Moats & boats & waterfalls,
Alleyways and pay phone calls,
I’ve been everywhere with you.

We laugh until we think we’ll die,
barefoot on a summer night,
Nothin’ new is sweeter than with you.

Stop staring out the window at the wind and rain and turn on some music and remember that it's summer. Or at least it's supposed to be. Maybe Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros can help with that.

This cheery summertime track is off Up From Below, the band's first full length album released last summer. Below is their new video for Home.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros "Home" from Edward Sharpe on Vimeo.

Home - LCD Soundsystem

If you're afraid of what you need
Look around you,
You're surrounded,
It won't get any better.

This Is Happening picks up right where Sound of Silver left off in 2007. James Murphy has given us nine new fresh tracks that blend fuzzy synths, drum rolls and his reflective lyrics all into one fantastic album. This Is Happening is set for release next week.

This particular track is eight minutes of happiness that remind me of one of my LCD favourites, All My Friends.

Listen to the new album here:http://www.lcdsoundsystem.com/thisishappening

The National - Hannah Georgas

What about love,
What about you,
What about me,
Say hello,
Say good-bye,
To what we used to be.

Newmarket-raised, Vancouver-based Hannah Georgas released her debut album, This Is Good, last week. As winner of the 2009 CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award for "Best New Artist", everyone seems to agree Georgas has talent. With confident, quirky pop her songs have been heard on everything from a Wal-Mart commercial to shows like Heroes, Degrassi–The Next Generation, Flashpoint and Peak Season. Her album has something for everyone and this fearless artist is worth checking out before everyone knows her name.

Listen to more at her MySpace page:http://www.myspace.com/hannahgeorgas

Much music also seems to like her and is currently streaming her album:
http://watch.muchmusic.com/first-spins/first-spin-hanna-georgas---this-is-good/

Afraid of Everyone - The National

With my kid on my shoulders I try,
Not to hurt anybody I like,
But I don't have the drugs to sort,
I don't have the drugs to sort it out.

Your voice has stolen my soul...

After writing and rewriting, recording and rerecording, The National have their newest album, High Violet, ready for release on May 11th. High Violet encompasses everything we've heard from The National plus more. This time around there has been a few changes, with slightly less intense vocals and an overall lighter tone to the album. Despite these adjustments, there's still a emotional momentum throughout the record and Matt Berninger's odd fragmented lyrical phrases that help us develop a personal connection with every song.

The National is composed of the identical-twin guitar-playing brothers Bryce and Aaron Dessner; a second pair of brothers, Bryan Devendorf, the drummer, and Scott Devendorf, who usually plays bass; and Matt Berninger, the band’s vocalist.

The band has a unique layered rock sound, paired with emotional intensity and distinguished by Matt’s voice. His classic baritone lacks range and variation which causes him to often half-talk his vocals. Textured instrumental sound beneath the vocals makes up for this limitation and gives The National a sound of their own. The National are also a band worth seeing live. If you've ever been to one of their concerts you would understand when Dawidoff writes in the NY Times article, "They are a riveting live act, both because their pent-up songs explode, and because Matt drinks a bottle of wine onstage and then starts climbing things."

The National shine on this particular track with a build up to a powerful finale of repeated cries, "Your voice has stolen my soul". It also features Sufjan Stevens on background vocals. Download the track for yourself here: http://stereogum.com/339721/the-national-afraid-of-everyone/mp3s/

High Violet is now streaming now through April 27th on the New York Times website: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/magazine/25national-t.htm

mp3: Afraid of Everyone - The National

Down In Your Valley - Dead Letter Chorus

You fold in the edges of projects unfinished,
That once were a source of your egos replenishment.
Down in your valley,
Flowers are blooming,
It's clear that in their millions,
Your heart's deluding them.

Australia’s Dead Letter Chorus is touring Canada in support of their debut album The August Magnificent which was released in Canada March 16, 2010. I saw them open for Two Hours Traffic in Kingston a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed their set. Cameron Potts and Gabrielle Huber share lead vocals for the group, creating a wonderful dynamic and making them unique addition to the indie alt-folk scene.

On stage, DLC held smiles through most of the set, a sign of an easy going group that likes to have fun with their performances. A combination of excellent stage presence and amazing harmonies made for a great show. So good that I went home and listened to their debut album, which I highly recommend.

More info and a free download can be found here.

mp3: Down In Your Valley - Dead Letter Chorus