Sweet Hallelujah

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm not very good at checking my emails. Sometimes there will be a delay. But when I got an email telling me that Hawksley Workman is releasing For Him and the Girls on Nov. 17, 2009, I had to do a double take! Wasn't this already released? I was just listening to it a few days back and the CD was sitting on my desk. I couldn't have missed a recent email from 2000, right?

It turns out that his debut For Him and the Girls, which had been released in Canada years back is finally set to be released in the States.

If you haven't heard his material yet, you don't know what you're missing! Truly an original performer and songwriter, I don't even know how to describe his music; it's so unique. I've always loved his work yet I've always been at a loss whenever I've had to describe his music. He's been compared by critics to Tom Waits, David Bowie, Rufus Wainwright and Freddie Mercury.

All at once, he can be glam/humble/playful/folky/indie/classic/modern/nostalgic, switching between the role of the troubadour and the rock and roll performer. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but it all works brilliantly, combined with his expressive vocals and dynamic onstage persona.

Check out some songs from the debut below. And remember that this is only the debut, he's had a few Canadian albums out since then. You ain't heard nothing yet!

Hawksley Workman - Maniacs (mp3) (buy)

Hawksley Workman - Bullets (mp3) (buy)

Beat Radio

Lemme tell you a little something about Beat Radio. This New York indie-pop band have got a really special thing going on. Blend front man Brian Sendrowitz' humble and unassuming indie croon with lyrics that only a genuine lover of music could write, add some atmospheric synthesizers, cover it all with a blissful calm and you get Beat Radio's sophomore release, Safe Inside the Sound.

Beat Radio - Sleepwalking (mp3)
Bear Radio - Memoir of a Lightning Bolt (mp3)
Beat Radio - Sunday Matinee (mp3)

By the way, Beat Radio wants you to have their entire album, Safe Inside the Sound, for free. Go get it!

The title of the album comes from a lyric in the track The Lion and the Lamb and I think it's a truly fitting match to embody this collection. Something that Safe Inside the Sound manages to achieve unlike any album I've heard before is its ability to be so honestly self-reflexive about the presence of music in daily contexts. These simple references to getting lost in sound, to broken guitars, to violins in your bedroom, radio shows and title tracks, queens of all ages shows, and to simply making noise are dispersed throughout the entire forty or so minutes of day-dreamy tunes. The album relates to all those strange little personal worlds that music fans have created for themselves, "safe inside the sound", if you will. More colloquially, it'll make the indie nerd inside you reminiscent for all of your previous musical, youthful and optimistic experiences. It's an album that makes up for every conversation with someone that "just doesn't get your music". This whole indie spirit culminates in the Sunday Matinee romance:

We hear the band start up and then we rush inside
And when the bass drops out
And the singer screams and shouts
And you say this is that song that I was talking about
Push your hair behind your ears and you close your eyes
And when you lean in close
Then tell me it's the part you love the most
When you pull me out into the light
I don't care about the song

I think it's safe to say that this is a successful case of the write-about-what-you-know approach. Brian Sendrowitz and Beat Radio obviously know music, and they know what it means to people like us that write and read music blogs. It's bands like this that we want fronting the music scene, what with their catchy tunes, agreeable album ideologies and simple goal of spreading music farther. Yeah, that sounds like a cause I can fully support!

Download Beat Radio's Safe Inside the Sound in its entirety here, and if you like what you hear, spread the word!

Car-Jacked

Aw man, I feel for these guys. They're facing a touring band's worst nightmare. Five-piece folk rockers from Vancouver, Minto, are visiting Toronto for the first time. They're supporting their sophomore release, Lay It On Me with a show tonight at Rancho Relaxo. And their van got jacked. Please keep an eye out for them. It would be a shame for them to have to end their cross-Canada tour early because of such unfortunate circumstances.

Vehicle: 1998 Plymouth Voyageur
Colour: mauve
License plate: 530 AWX (British Colombia plate)
Taken from: Dufferin and Dupont, between 10pm and 8am October 26/27

It should look something like this:


Please keep a weary eye and spread the word if you can.

Minto - Train Bridge Blues (mp3) (amazon) (iTunes)
Minto - Home Away (mp3) (amazon) (iTunes)

Something's Changed

Okay, so after reading NME yesterday that Pulp may be getting back together and playing Glastonbury 2010, I had to calm down. I mean, I'm sure many of you Pulp fans were hyperventilating at the prospect of this much speculative excitement! Sure we ignored the fact that the article was unclear, vague and not an official press statement, but still, we only wanna believe what we wanna believe, right?

But alas, you can't believe everything you read.

Today, Jarvis Cocker denies the Pulp reunion, stating that his words were misinterpreted.

Pulp - Do you remember the first time? (mp3) (buy)

It's Not You, It's Me

I feel like I just got dumped.

The Rakes broke up on Oct. 22, 2009. According to an official release on their site:

"To our fans, sorry if this abrupt end is an unpleasant surprise and might piss any of you off, particularly those who were coming to see us on our UK and US tours. Under the circumstances we just couldn’t continue… We of course don’t want to piss anyone off, we never took canceling shows lightly - but it’s best to leave you all on a high note, rather than unimaginatively continue, on and on, until before you know it you’re playing an OAP home in Eastbourne and discover all the audience are younger than you.

Sincere thanks for all your support. Here’s our collective thoughts:

The Rakes have always been very adamant and proud of the fact that we give 100% to every gig we’ve ever played. If we can’t give it everything then we won’t do it. That was the rule we set ourselves from day one.

After much deliberation we have come to the shared conclusion that we can’t give it 100% anymore and regret to announce that The Rakes are calling it a day. We are sorry to let down all the people who were coming to see us on the UK & US tours. Writing your own obituary is a surreal thing to do but we want to give particular thanks to our much-loved fans, all the great people we’ve worked with over the years, our management and loyal record label. We feel privileged to have had the opportunity to write music together and perform around the world. Genuinely, thanks for the good times…. That was one hell of a party! But now, we really must get some sleep."

I'm so distraught, I'm not even concentrating on homework. I don't think I can go to work tomorrow. Can't I see them one last time? At the ModClub in Toronto? Where they were supposed to play on Nov. 9?

Well, that's JUST great. You know what Rakes, I don't need you. I've moved on! I saw tons of other bands.... (sniff).

And by the way, in the words of the Flight of the Conchords, "I'm not crying, it's just raining on my face."

Rakes - 1989 (mp3) (buy)

Rakes - Shackleton (mp3) (buy)

Rakes - Little Superstitions (mp3) (buy)

Go fish!

Little Fish, composed of singer/guitarist JuJu and percussionist Nez have got swagger. It's loud, raw, garage-punk music with a strong, forceful howlin' female vocals. Sources have said JuJu's voice has traces of PJ Harvey and Patti Smith, and I think that sounds about right. Their Darling Dear Mini EP is out now.

Little Fish - Darling Dear (mp3) (buy)

Quirky

I've wanted to check out Battles On from the Ghost is Dancing ever since it came out in April. The bright red of the cover art and the track "Dream of a Failed Architect" piqued my interest, but somehow I never got around to it until now.

It's what I expected! It's joyous, quirky, Canadian kids with an ear for hooks and aptitude for the fun. Their press release states theydraw their favourite bands, the Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene and Modest Mouse as major influences, but I also hear the a little of the Los Campesinos! in there too.

Ghost is Dancing - Dream of a Failed Architect (mp3) (buy)

Ghost is Dancing - This Thunder (mp3) (buy)

Outta Control

Exciting, no?

I adore the Raveonettes. There is just something about their sound that creates a kind audio technicolour world that's both steeped in reality and fantasy. It's like a soundtrack to some imaginary space that's normally found in films. It's got a nostalgic quality that alludes to the kind of heightened drama that you may have had when you were young and idealistic (or just idealistic in general). When every tiny thing, every love, every curiousity about the big bad world seemed more important than it might have been and it's about how the future looks so exciting and cool. It's about the scuffy boys in leather jackets, the girls who couldn't care less, the nights of wandering around a newfound city.

Every band/musician creates a kind of audio image of some world in their songs. Who's world would you like to visit? Send us an email and thanks to the lovely folks at Vice Records, we have an LP, CD and poster of In and Out of Control to give out to the best response. Please put "Bang!" in the subject line and your name and mailing address in body to impressionableyouth@gmail.com by noon on Tuesday October 20, 2009.

Raveonettes - Last Dance (mp3) (buy)

Raveonettes - Suicide (mp3) (buy)

On My Way to Canada

I've written about the Sweet Serenades before. They're from Sweden, but I thought their sound was very Canadian. It's a rock sound with lots of handclaps, upbeat melodies with just enough cynicism to take them seriously. It's so much fun, I've been playing their songs on repeat. You must pick up a copy of their LP Balcony Cigarettes!

Anyways, back to the main point. Look at this press shot. Checkered shirts. Lumberjack attire. Gruff facial hair. Coniferous trees. What's the deal? Are these boys secretly Canadian? Or does Sweden and Canada have so much in common? I mean, we both have a happenin' rock community...

Sweet Serenades - On My Way (mp3) (buy)

Take It Upon Yourself

Sloan has a new single, and they want you to have it for free!

Sloan - Take It Upon Yourself (mp3)

The guys will also be in Toronto on Monday October 19th at the Dakota Tavern, playing a benefit show for War Child Canada. Tickets are $30, and for such an intimate space and great cause, there's no doubt that it'll be worth it. Not to mention, I hear the band is absolutely fantastic live. But as it's an intimate space, tickets are limited, so go get 'em fast! Go!

Horchata

Horchata is a type of traditional beverage made from almonds, sesame seeds, barley and/or tigernuts. I didn't know that before! Now I just gotta find the proper meanings of an oxford comma, and cape cod kwassa kwassa (it's a place?).

Vampire Weekend - Horchata (mp3)

Vampire Weekend is offering this new track off the upcoming album, Contra, coming out on January 12th for those of us in North America. They're in Toronto on October the 8th playing the Horseshoe Tavern. Unfortunately, it's already sold out. If you're really into them though, you can still try getting an audience spot at MTV Live for a short afternoon set at the Masonic Temple for October 7th.

Corduroy

Before I even listened to them, I had an image of Toronto band Corduroy as cute, lovable and fuzzy because I associated "corduroy" with that picture book series about a stuffed bear in green corduroy overalls. But in all fairness, "cute, lovable and fuzzy" really aren't too far off for a description of the band.


Although this four piece has been around since 2007, I hadn't heard of them until fairly recently. They had one previous release, Whatever Happened to Corduroy, which got them enough attention to land gigs at festivals like the Cutting Edge Music Festival and Canadian Music Week. Since then they've been working on the Corduroy Demoroys. Ha, cute. They've already released the first one!

Demoroy Vol. I Track List:

1. The Lighthouse Keeper (mp3) (visit Corduroy on mySpace to download all of Vol. I free!)
2. Nicolas Cage
3. Shiny Shoes

And by the time the first line of the first song was through, I had been won over. Some new words to live by? "If you and me were meant to be then we'll be eventually". Short, simple and sweet. Just like the rest of this demoroy. It consists of three tracks with bright guitars, well-placed hand claps and an overall optimistic feeling. The only bad thing that came out of this is that some people misread one of the song titles for the name of the band and then they laughed at me for listening to "Nicolas Cage" on my iPod.

Each of the demoroys to come will also consist of three tracks, available free for download through mySpace as the band releases them. You'll also be able to get them at their shows (Rivoli on October 23rd and Rancho Relaxo on November 21st for those of us in Toronto) and they'll come with original artwork by either the band itself or by local artists. Fancy!

Crush Luther has something good to give.

If you go to the homepage of High 4 Records between now and October 13th, you'll see a large spread featuring Toronto pop-rock darlings, Crush Luther. Click on the left, and you can make your claim as a "starving student" and access the band's new album Some People Have No Good To Give at no cost. Click to the right, "the band eats this week", and you choose the price you're willing to pay for some quality tunes and snappy PDF album art. Behind these two choices is a black and white photo of the band. If you look at it long enough, they begin to look a little forlorn. It would take a man with a very small heart not to pay what he could.

Pay what you can and we get to eat this week! :D

Shortly after the release of their debut self-titled, Crush Luther achieved heavy rotation on MuchMusic but thankfully they stayed cool enough to make an appearance on YTV. They toured the country for a while, experienced a significant line up change, lead singer Luther developed a Twitter addiction, and of course, they've released their second album online.

Some People Have No Good to Give Track List:

1. A Light (mp3) (amazon) (iTunes) (Pay-What-You-Can!)
2. Daisy
3. Oh No Not Me
4. Cute Like the Movies
5. The Scratch
6. Sandbox
7. Gospel Music
8. 28
9. I Was Electric
10. Everybody Dies
11. We Are Kings
12. Makes You Weak

Some People Have No Good To Give. It has a pop-rock sound and incredibly endearing songs that have the potential to appeal to massive mainstream audiences. Strangely enough, it's still difficult to compare them to other bands. I think what's throwing me off is the unexpected match of vocals to their musical style. He may not look it with that preppy white collar and sweater but Luther's got one of those strong-man voices with a slight pleasant rasp that you'd hear more traditionally in bands that wear all black and abuse fog machines during shows. But instead, here we have him singing these adorable lyrics about being cute like in movies and being excited to reach the age of twenty eight so that he can be like a friend he admires. Again, unexpected combination but oddly complimentary to each other. Add some fun and cheeky guitars to the mix and bam! Unabashedly heart-warming pop-rock goodness.

Crush Luther's having their CD release part at the Horseshoe Tavern on October the 9th, this coming Friday. I've never seen them at a venue, but from the short acoustic set I caught during Busking for Change, I'm sure it'll be kick-ass. Charming and interactive, it's obvious that they love their fans. As if it wasn't already obvious enough from their compulsive Twitter and youTube updates.

Visit High4Records.com and you can name your price for the new album, Some People Have Nothing Good To Give. Or wait til October 13th, and get a fancy physical copy at your local record store.

Hey Ocean!

Ashleigh Ball of Vancouver's Hey Ocean! has got one of the sweetest voices I've ever heard. In my mind she's one of those girls who could say anything, doesn't matter what, and it would immediately cheer you up on a bad day. So take that voice and pin it to a 15 track album that's got the feel of a trendy jazz club on the side of a beach on a summer afternoon and you've got a hell of a feel-good album. Hey Ocean!'s It's Easier To Be Somebody Else is exactly that. Vocals with a bit of a swagger, swanky guitars, and horns with a flair.

In addition to having a truly unique sound, Hey Ocean! is also a band that has a knack for fantastic music videos, which is rare nowadays. For example:







It's Easier To Be Somebody Else Track List

1. Too Soon
2. Alright
3. A Song About California (mp3) (amazon) (iTunes)
4. Alleyways
5. Liar
6. Jimmy Switch (instrumental)
7. Vagabond feat. Shad K.
8. Fish
9. Fifteen Words
10. Greeko
11. Humaita
12. Moving On
13. Terribly Stable
14. My Friends
15. Mama Cries

They've toured the album across Canada three times in 2008, and now they're doing it again. I suppose it's a huge encouragement to do more live shows when Gene Simmons flies out specifically to see your show with great interest in signing you to his label. Too bad for him. It's Easier To Be Somebody Else was actually released on Pop Machine. That's Hey Ocean!'s self-owned label. Impressive!

Hey Ocean! will be in Toronto on October the 17th at the Rivoli. Head on down for what's sure to be a rip-roaring good time.