We were the weird kids, We got the job done, Did everything the wrong way.
Summer has been great and I've been outside much more than I've been inside updating this blog. However I would like to take some time to leave you with a summer tune. (And a free download!)
Sleepless Nights are a great band from Halifax. Check them out if you like what you hear.
And now you're finding that you can't stop singing all my lyrics, And you're feeling sick cause all you want to do is hear it, You try to sleep at night but can't because you can't get near it, I make you crazy and you want to but you just can't fear it.
This, this ain't your parents music.
Hawksley Workman is a Canadian electro-rock singer-songwriter from Toronto and has been releasing albums since 1998. This year Workman has been working to release two albums, Milk and Meat. Having produced debut albums for many people like Tegan and Sara, Hey Rosetta, Serena Ryder and Great Big Sea, Workman says that only now is he beginning to feel comfortable producing music of his own using all that he's learned throughout the years.
After listening to Meat, I have to say I've become a fan. It's something a little different that you can either rock out to or play on a hazy Saturday afternoon.
Dans un camion de glaise la braise sur le moteur mutants couverts de terre à l'intérieur
Nos dents fines et longues déchirent le décor Nos yeux vides et froids escortent la mort
Released in March 2010, Les Chemins De Verre is an excellent album from the francophone band Karkwa. Also a Polaris Prize shortlister, Karkwa's latest effort is a lovely blend of intricate mellow folk, atmospherics and energy contributed by tracks such as "Les Chemins De Verre". On my first few listens, the beautiful sounding French lyrics are what really drew me in.
She's not one for love, But she sure loves the chase, Don't act so amazed when she drifts, And she sways.
And she sails away, And she wanders off, Ohh some wonderlust.
With the Love, Saskatchewan festival coming to Harbourfront this week in Toronto, I though I would give you a sample of one of the great bands coming to perform.
Library Voices is an indie pop group from Regina, Saskatchewan. On April 13, 2010 they released their first full length album Denim on Denim. With down to earth lyrics and an anything goes style, Library Voices is starting to get some well deserved attention.
Sitting on your doorstep, Waiting for you to come home or come out, Well apple seeds have cyanide, That we don't care about.
So here's to now, Here's to now.
Ugly Casanova is the side project of Issac Black, the lead singer of Modest Mouse. The last thing we heard from Ugly Casanova was an LP, Sharpen Your Teeth, released in 2002. However, recently Issac Brock was back in the studio recording some new songs for the documentary 180 South: Conquerers of the Useless. The soundtrack is simple and perfectly captures the empty landscapes of Patagonia featured in the movie. Complementing the sounds of Ugly Casanova are tracks from James Mercer and Jack Johnson. The album was certainly a refreshing addition to my music collection.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
We were the weird kids,
