August Updates

When I neglect my blog for a long time, I end up with a long agenda of things to do, which means that to get it all over with, I have to put everything I wanted to say in a condensed form over the course of an "Updates" post. This is one of those posts.

1) Adding to Edie's last post, Ryerson University has also announced their frosh concert line up. The biggest names on the list are Thunderheist, Zaki Ibrahim and Kardinal Offishall as the headliner. However, according to the below flyer, you'll need Ryerson student ID to get in. I s'ppose you could still take a visit to the Toronto island and just HAPPEN to stumble upon it... But don't take my word for it.



2) Earlimart's headed on tour with the Wedding Present and has asked us very nicely to list their dates. Aw shucks, we'd do anything for you guys.

September 18 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah

September 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

September 21 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall

September 23 – Eugene, OR @ John Henrys

September 24 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos

September 25 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge

September 26 – Vancouver, Canada @ Media Club

You know what would make this tour even better? If they came to Toronto. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.

Earlimart - For the Birds (mp3) (buy)

Wedding Present - Don't Take Me Home Until I'm Drunk (mp3) (buy)

Note to self: I still gotta do some writing about the Weddding Present. I've taken quite a liking to them. You can expect that sometime in the near future.

3) The Silent Years's album was officially released on two days ago on the 26ths. They decided to celebrate by putting the new album, "The Globe", up for streaming and also with a new video. What generous fellows!

The Silent Years - On Our Way Home



The Silent Years - Black Hole (mp3) (buy)

4) Expect more updates soon.

The Silent Years

The Silent Years' new album, The Globe, drops on iTunes today, although the physical copies won't be available until the 26th of this month. This Detroit band has been building up quite the indie following since their 2006 debut self-titled album. In fact, they're so pumped about their NEW album, that they're offering their entire FIRST album for free!

The Silent Years - The Silent Years (FULL ALBUM DOWNLOAD)



Now I'll be completely honest. When I first listened to the album, I had it as background noise while I played Mine Sweeper, expert mode. It was an intense game. I wasn't paying much attention to the music. The Globe debuted in my Windows Media Player with two stars as its default rating. Thankfully, I gave it a second chance. No more little grey boxes with numbers and flags to distract me. The thing with an album like this, that showcases the softer side of rock is that it might not strike you immediately. The Silent Years are not about having a single voice, or a particular riff or instrument demand your attention. Rather, the Silent Years are about a blend of these things and the subtlety of the end result. I almost feel as though the album is an understatement within itself, simply because it refuses the idea of having a single stand-out quality as the basis of an entire song. All of the qualities work to compliment each other. Needless to say, it gained a star or two on my media player. It takes some focus, and perhaps multiple listens. With just a little patience you'll understand.

Care for a free sample of their latest work?

The Silent Years - Black Hole (mp3) (buy)

If only to judge by this single, and their previous album, I'd say it'll be worth it to take a gander at The Globe.