Smiling at Disaster

Washington, DC's Daddy Lion has got it right:

What you want may never come
Don't stay fastened to the ride you're on
We may not live another day
Let's not let our time slip away

Don't waste your time being down, kids. Sure, the narrative throughout some of their songs are about how everything sucks, everything's boring and general angst (much like the rest of us), but the final track puts everything in perspective. We all complain about life all the time, but usually it's not that bad.

The EP is available for free from their official site, so download it and share in the ups and downs that is Daddy Lion.

Daddy Lion - Tomorrow (mp3) (download for free on official site)

Dear Babe

Most handshakes won't make a significant impact on your life. You shake a hand, you mentally judge the person on how weak or strong their grip was. You wipe your palm on your jeans because their hand was rather sweaty, and you move on.

When Hamilton, Ontario's Matt Paxton was a year old, his parents took him to see Bob Dylan who was in town to to shoot a film that would never go on to be released. The two shook hands that day. As I said, most handshakes won't have much of an impact on your life. This might just have been one of those happy exceptions. Matt Paxton is all about pretty melodies, intricate guitar lines and simple lyrics that capture human complexity. Complete the sound with a warm and honest voice, and you might start to think there really was something to that hand that was shaken years ago.

Matt's second full-length, Until the Sky Begins to Change, is scheduled for release during the summer of this year. In anticipation of that, he's giving us one new track off the upcoming album. Your heart doesn't stand a chance against it.

Matt Paxton - Dear Babe (mp3) (mySpace)

If Dear Babe doesn't break your heart, it's going to warm and melt it.

Top of the World

Hand claps. Sunshine. Sha-la-las. Ice Cream. If you like all of the above, you'll like A B & the Sea. Originally from Wisconsin and now based in San Francisco, CA, these guys have the sunny west coast sound down pat. Like a modern day Beach Boys.

They're also releasing their first five singles for free from their official website. So head over and get some new songs. It's like Prozac for your ears!

A B & the Sea - Bone Dry (mp3) (download for free from official site)

Tardy Post #6

This is the sixth official installment of the Impressionable Youth Tardy Series. Sometimes (a lot of the times) great music ends up getting lost in our inbox. If we eventually find it and like it, you'll see it here. It's old news, but it's good news. Sorry we were tardy!The Band: Pixie Carnation

The Album: Fresh Poems EP

Date Received: November 2009

Why You Should Give It A Listen If You Haven't Already: Its Americana by Scandinavia.

Pixie Carnation - Step out of line (mp3) (buy)

Holy Moly, Me Oh My!

I was browsing around NPR's All Song Considered: Tiny Desk Concerts and found this band.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

The band is fronted by Alex Ebert, who according to Wikipedia, broke up with his girlfriend, moved out of his house and joined a 12-step program for addiction. Normally, this would be enough to keep a person depressed for a good long time, but Ebert then went on and created a story "about a messianic figure named Edward Sharpe... (who) was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind... but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love." Ebert subsequently met Jade Castrinos, the other vocalist in the troupe, and began touring with, like, 10 other musicians.

Normally, I would have a snarky remark and head for the exit when I see a band like this. But I found myself won over by their infectious energy. It is so... endearing! The official video for the single "Home" can be found here. It looks and sounds like a 60s western movie, which I know is not a ringing endorsement. Fear not, this is why I embedded the Letterman clip. Live, this band just shines.

My favourite thing about this video is the dynamic between Ebert and Castrinos. Maybe they are in love now or were in love in the past, or maybe not, but with the energy between them and lyrics like these:

"Alabama Arkansas I do Love my Ma and Pa

But not as much as I do Love you

Holy Moly Me oh My your the apple of my eye

Girl aint never loved one like you."

How can one not be charmed and won over?

In addition, this band is ambitious to boot! They're releasing a 12 part feature length musical, one music video at a time! The second part can be seen here. Visit their website, but be warned, it's liable to give you seizures with that flickering background.

I really encourage you to visit Tiny Desk Concert, they have a really great video of the band live.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home (mp3) (buy)

Glow

Finnish-French duo the Dø, (rhymes with "glow") releases A Mouthful April 6th, 2010. Don't worry, it's in English. And even if wasn't, it'll still make the hair on your back stand up. They're hailed as akin to the Cardigans by the press and other bloggers. I can see that. Olivia B.Merilahti has a very pretty voice and Dan Levy is capable of complex arrangements. And like the Cardigans, there's a darkness underneath the shiny pop surface.

What's different here is that there is a strange tension in their songs. Written in minor key, there's a kind of tension that is reserved for empty room scenes in movies and the kind of tension you feel creeping up on you in your twenties. What is that sound? Is it loneliness? Is it the dizziness of dealing with "real" life? What is it?

Maybe that tension comes from songs that straddle between different genres, referencing from all over, but never falling into one category. It's whimsical with an indie weirdness. Blues, jazz, doowop, rock and glossy pop are all covered here and it makes for a very compelling listen.

The Dø - On My Shoulders (mp3) (buy)

The Long Now

Melbourne, Australia's Children Collide is huge in their native country. They've sold out multiples shows and are headlining major festivals. They've also been touring relentlessly here for the past few months, playing three shows at last week's Canadian Music Fest and jetting off to SXSW and a few other states for more shows. They've just finished recording their sophomore LP, set for release later this year.

Their debut, the Long Now, is filled with angular guitar, high energy and spastic performances. Their songs are brash and giddy with excitement, drawing influences from grunge, electro-clash and punk. All this gets transferred into some powerful rock. And if this is any indication of the next album, I'd say the momentum is definitely building for these guys in North America.

Children Collide - Social Currency (mp3) (buy)

Children Collide - Skeleton Dance(mp3) (buy)

True Lovers

If you ever wanna strut around town with your leopard print jacket and Pulp Fiction dance moves, the True Lovers have your soundtrack for the night. It's a raw, lusty affair, hidden behind layers of gritty distortion, swagger and hushed tones.

Comprised from the break up of D4 and Boxcar Guitars, this Auckland, NZ by the way of Los Angeles/New York group's sound wouldn't seem out of place in dusty bars or dark back streets.

True Lovers - Cougar (mp3) (buy)

True Lovers - Death Threat (mp3) (buy)

Tardy Post #5: Local Natives

This is the fifth official installment of the Impressionable Youth Tardy Series. Sometimes (a lot of the times) great music ends up getting lost in our inbox. If we eventually find it and like it, you'll see it here. It's old news, but it's good news. Sorry we were tardy!

The Band: Local Natives

The Album: Gorilla Manor

Date Received: Jan. 25, 2010.

Why You Should Give It A Listen If You Haven't Already: There's much talk of the Local Natives sounding like a folkier Arcade Fire or a groovier Fleet Foxes. Not that the Local Natives are derivative. While they sound somewhat familiar, there's an organized chaos that pushes the envelope further and further. Like the aforementioned groups, they have the technical ability that layers rock-classical-world music together in a way at anytime could burst forward with jittery energy or the most dramatic sonic swells before bringing it down to a quiet hush.

Local Natives - Sun Hands (mp3) (buy)

Audio Blood Showcase at CMW!

Yesterday marked the beginning of Canadian Music Week in Toronto. So with 700 artists at 45 venues spread over 5 nights, have you made your schedule yet? As with every big music festival, it'll be impossible to catch absolutely every show that you want to see. Tonight I've got work until the sun sets and then an hour and a half commute to get downtown so I'm going to try to pick a combination of a guaranteed good show, and the chance to find some new artists that I haven't seen or heard before. Hence, you'll be able to find me at the El Mocambo tonight for Audio Blood's Showcase.


I mean, how can you go wrong with a showcase where the musicians trained SO hard to prepare? Check out the intense workouts that they've been put through just to put on the best show that they can, for YOU!



The Darcys - House Built Around Your Voice (mp3) (iTunes) (download full Audio Blood Mix Tape!)

Make Your Exit - Through the Winter (mp3) (iTunes) (download full Audio Blood Mix Tape!)

Sandman Viper Command - Strawberry Quick (mp3) (iTunes) (download full Audio Blood Mix Tape!)

These are actually a few tracks off Audio Blood's CMW mixtape, featuring all of their artists playing the festival. Hot damn, free music! Download the entire 10-track mix tape HERE!

More CMW suggestions to come!

She and Him in School

She & Him (consisting of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, the new Mrs. Ben Gibbard) have a new video for their single In the Sun. How adorable is Zooey Deschanel? She makes going to school look a lot more fun and cooler than it is in reality.

Music Box

It takes most bands a while to find their sound, one that's unique to them only, one that you would recognize immediately upon hearing. I would confidently say that a lot of bands will get it right on their second or third album, and some bands just never find it at all. On the rare occasion, we get bands like Hamilton-based trio Dark Mean who seem to have completely skipped those metaphorically awkward pubescent years of being a band. They seem to know exactly who they are and what they sound like. They have only just released their second EP, Music Box, and already they've got a truly wonderful, distinct soundprint.

In four tracks, Music Box captures Dark Mean's signature style of composing songs that are strikingly powerful, and at the same time soothingly restrained by the most delicate of melodies. There is a bit of a surreal quality to it, set most notably by an experimental blend of guitars, piano, banjo and strings, and it's all tied together by a voice that's both familiar and sincere. If you've had the chance to listen to their first EP, frankencottage, you'll know just what to expect from Music Box. The first and title track is both pretty and dreamlike, even disregarding the idyllic lyrics about dreaming and waking up to songs, probably sweet and pleasant just like this one. Piano & Beat follows up as the second track with a richer, darker tone and dynamics that shift from the almost chaotic swelling of instruments to a soft solo. And still, it flows seamlessly from note to note. Completing the EP are more subdued third and fourth tracks, Acoustic and Dark Banjo, an aptly titled, haunting response to the first EP's "Happy Banjo". Collectively this little batch of songs is standout among EPs. It's beautiful to listen, no matter how many times you listen.

Dark Mean - Music Box (mp3) (Get the full EP FREE!)
Dark Mean - Dark Banjo (mp3) (Get the full EP FREE!)

While I don't want to overstress how unique I think Dark Mean's sound is, it's something that I haven't gotten over since hearing them for the first time during the summer of last year. Rarely do I get introduced to a band that I have difficulty comparing to any other. It's a real treat when it happens.

Dark Mean are planning to release their full-length debut, The Constant K Determines the Ultimate Fate of the Universe, later this year. It will include some of their tracks off their first two EPs as well as a handful of new ones. In the meantime, you can download both EPs for free by visiting their official site.

Lady Dior

What do you get when you put Marion Cotillard and Franz Ferdinand together? Lady Dior.

Since Marion Cotillard was selected as the new face of Lady Dior, there have been plenty of print ads by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz. The latest addition to the campaign is an original song by Marion and Franz and a rockin' music video by Jonas Akerlund. Some of Jonas Akerlund previous works include Lady Gaga's Paparazzi video (featuring fellow Swede Alexander Skarsgard, who is ridiculously good looking) and Madonna's Ray of Light Video.

Isn't she pretty? For more on the lovely Lady of Dior, visit http://www.ladydior.com/.

Franz Ferdinand (feat. Marion Cotillard) - The Eyes of Mars (mp3) (buy)

Dance, Mother Fucker!

For the last two years, I've been urging all of my friends to see Sweet Thing whenever they had a show around Toronto. I'd tell them about how great of a concert they put on and how much fun was guaranteed with the purchase of a ticket to see them. I would make sure to describe in detail the band's musicianship and the intricacies of their vocal harmonies. Most importantly, I'd tell them that their lead singer always wears the best of vests, and that he'll get you clapping along until your hands are aching and then some. He's got such a great stage presence, you'll be absolutely giddy when he raises the mic stand dramatically or hits those high vocal wails. Yeah, smash that tambourine, boy! Fist pump that air! Damn it, I think I love this band! Collectively, Sweet Thing are without doubt one of the best live acts around Toronto. And of course, after my long glorifying speeches prasing this band, few of my friends would believe me. A band can't possibly be that great. On occasion, one of my smarter friends would follow me to a show and every time that happened, I got the opportunity to grin at their stupefied faces, and say "I told you so".

After what seems like years of having only a five-track EP to appease fans and being signed to EMI, then opening shows for everyone from LIGHTS, to Dragonette, to the Arkells, Sweet Thing is finally preparing to release their debut full-length. There's no set title or release date yet, but they've put the first single up for download on their official site.

Sweet Thing - Dance Mother (explicit version) (mp3)

Maybe you don't want to dance. But Sweet Thing gives you no choice. Laden with their signature high energy guitar hooks and group harmonies in all the right places, Dance Mother will not only have you dancing, but it'll also have you telling all of the other mo' fo's around you to do the same. Try not to offend anyone by doing that. You can also get a clean version of the single, (without all the f-bombs in the chorus) over at the official site, if you feel so inclined.

As much as I love the single, epic over-the-top lyrics and all, Sweet Thing is definitely a band you have to see in concert to really appreciate. Seriously, catch them around southern Ontario and Montreal for their quick tour before they bring it back home to Toronto for Canadian Music Week.

March 9th @ Call the Office, London
March 10th @ Starlight Room, Waterloo
March 11th @ La Sala Rossa, Montreal
March 12th @ Maverick's Bar, Ottawa
March 13th @ Lee's Palace, Toronto ** CMW

Canon Logic - FM Arcade

The Canon Logic have been around since 2006, releasing EPs and making rounds in various music festivals like CMJ and Warped Tour. On March 9th, they'll be releasing their debut full-length, FM Arcade.

Pure American power pop is the best way to describe their sound. It's fun, harmony driven, rock music with influences referencing both the Beach Boys and the Killers. It's upbeat with mainstream appeal and I can imagine someday turning on the telly and seeing one of their videos on MusicMusic or hearing one their songs on product commercials (ie. Rogers Home Phone, iPods etc). Hey, all you marketers and PR people, get on that!

Oh and by the way, they have the best endorsement ever! According to their myspace, Bill Murray says "Oh, I've heard of them."

The Canon Logic - Nights at Armour Mansion (mp3) (iTunes)
The Canon Logic - Avenues of Criminals (mp3) (iTunes) (download from official site)