SoundSalvationArmy

It’s a weird thing to hear Old Man Luedecke mad.

The banjo-pickin’ east coaster has such a gentle and unassuming air about him, both in person and on record, that to hear him so starkly call out war mongers and greedy capitalists in a song is a little bit jarring. Of course, Luedecke’s idea of strong language goes something like, “Woe betide the doer of the deed,” so it’s not like you’ll have to cover the ears of small children or anything.

We haven’t written extensively about Luedecke but I think I’ve sung his praises some. His songs have an easy way about them, a generally cheerful, upbeat frenzy of banjo picking and even-tempered bass. Nothing has really changed on his new album, My Hands Are on Fire and Other Love Songs; he still lives in a world where daughters are sent to fetch water from nearby rivers, men pine wistfully for ladies, rodeo men ride home to their women-folk, and (presumably) people still play the banjo.

But on “Woe Betide The Doer Of The Deed” he’s taking an uncharacteristically real-world, political bent. “The gravy train has thinned out in the rain of Wall Street washing down the drain,” he opens, “and when you made off I hope you got paid off, that your money tastes of blood and your hands are stained.” You might wonder if Luedecke got snowed by the market crash, so fierce is his venom: “May your white collar choke you,” he sings, “while the fires of hell stoke you. May your children ever live in shame.” It’s a moment that stands out simply because of its contrast to the rest of the material presented here. It spares no prisoners, going on to condemn the U.S. war in Iraq as the result of shameful entitlement.

I have to admit, it comes from an unexpected source. Folk music has always proved fertile ground for protest songs but coming from the guy that wrote “At The Airport”? Even if it seems like an odd fit, however, Luedecke does a brilliant job with the song. In an age where Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst performing a song critical of George W. Bush on Leno is as close as we come to protest singers this is a welcome addition to the genre.

The rest of the album is quite good too, by the way. You should check it out.

 

 Old Man Luedecke - Woebetide The Doer Of The Deed [3:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Old Man Luedecke - At The Airport [2:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You fan find the record through Black Hen Music here:
~ CD
~ Zunior
~ iTunes

Pat entries acoustic, Canadian content, folk, international relations, Old Man Luedecke, the economy

Oh my goodness you guys. I’m am so excited right now. This is the third time I’ve fallen totally in love with Basia Bulat and I’m falling hard this time (wait, it’s the fourth time; I almost forgot the Sam Cooke cover).

Just look at that video. So intimate. Her performance low-key but impassioned before an unyielding, unblinking camera. Her voice elegantly quivering, the melody patient and earnest. The hammered harp is the perfect accompaniment, its percussive tone just unfamiliar enough to the ear to keep it captivated while still carrying a bright but spare melody. This is a torch song for the ages.

That video was recorded roughly two years ago, when Basia Bulat’s new release, Heart Of My Own was likely just a flicker of a future possibility. She was in the midst of touring North America (and eventually much of Europe) playing and promoting her debut, which you might recall was lauded on these pages. All things considered, though, it shouldn’t be surprising that Bulat has had a gem of a song like this in her back pocket for a while. In an interview conducted a few months back with JAM she explains her process a bit: “I like making challenges for myself. It takes a while to know what a song is about because it has a life of its own. It takes a while for their meaning to develop. I need an audience.”

Hopefully the new album will help expand that audience. Having listened to Heart Of My Own dozens of times in the three days since it was released it would seem all of her time on the road has done her a lot of good. The album is more forceful, more propulsive. It just sounds stronger and there’s more in the mix to help reach that goal as well, including electric guitar (although I’m pretty sure that’s just one song). That might not seem too revolutionary, but the whole of Bulat’s debut was crafted with an exceedingly-acoustic aesthetic. To put it in the parlance of that debut, this record is more “I Was A Daughter” and less “Before I Knew,” with faster-paced numbers like “Go On” and “Gold Rush” setting the tempo in the early offing and eschewing the lilting, gentle sounds that marked much of her first record. The latter number serves as the album’s first single and for good reason; the strings that open the track give way to cascading cymbals, galloping toms, and a constantly-building instrumental track that matches Bulat’s strongest vocal performance on record to date. The song apparently triggered the only mosh pit in the history of her career, according to one interview. Several tracks are also punched up with very complementary string and horn sections that sound like they were arranged by Barry Gordy himself. Perhaps it’s a tribute to the AM radio that Bulat has stated was a major influence in her home as a child.

But obviously, based on the above video, she hasn’t left behind her gentler side. “The Shore” is the standout ‘quiet’ song here, but there are other contemplative numbers as well. “Sugar and Spice” is a mournful lament on past mistakes with a lovely string arrangement. “Sparrow” is a spare ukelele piece with a lyric as fragile as the instrumentation. “I’m Forgetting Everyone” is nearly as sparse musically, seemingly focusing on the the lingering effects of a couple of years on the road. These songs succeed because of their simplicity and their reliance on Bulat’s incredibly expressive and emotive voice.

I’ve read a review or two that make loose comparisons to Neko Case, and I suppose fans of one could likely gravitate to the other. Musically the two are not entirely analogous, but as with Case there is an undefinable quality to Bulat’s voice that is completely disarming and impossible to ignore. I wish I could explain it. If I could I’d probably be a lot better at this whole music critiquing thing. All I know is it’s impossible to listen to Heart Of My Own and not be totally enraptured and enamored (for me, anyway, but like I said; I have a huge crush on her).

I mean, just look at that video up there at the start of this post. I think at our very core humans are simple creatures; I could be wrong, but I think we all just want someone to sing us love songs. And that is a goddamn gorgeous love song.

 

 Basia Bulat - Gold Rush [3:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Basia Bulat - the Shore [4:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Basia Bulat - Touch The Hem Of His Garment [1:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can purchase Heart Of My Own from Secret City Records (in Canada), Rough Trade (UK etc), and iTunes.

I’ve been looking forward to Bulat’s upcoming Saskatoon show since summer, when she was the first main stage performer of the entire Regina Folk Festival. Her presence was simultaneously demure and authoritative, her voice carrying over the fenced-off park and drawing those that had arrived early closer and closer. I can’t wait to experience the intimacy of her performance from a tiny stage instead of a grand one. Canadian tour dates follow!

Feb 02, 2010 - Kingston ON
Wed Feb 03, 2010 - Peterborough ON
Thu Feb 04, 2010 - London ON
Fri Feb 05, 2010 - Orillia ON
Sat Feb 06, 2010 - Guelph ON
Sun Feb 07, 2010 - Hamilton ON
Wed Feb 10, 2010 - Halifax NS
Thu Feb 11, 2010 - Halifax NS
Fri Feb 12, 2010 - Montreal QC
Sat Feb 13, 2010 - Ottawa ON
Thu Feb 25, 2010 - Winnipeg MB
Sat Feb 27, 2010 - Saskatoon SK
Tue Mar 02, 2010 - Calgary AB
Wed Mar 03, 2010 - Edmonton AB
Fri Mar 05, 2010 - Vancouver BC

Pat entries acoustic, Basia Bulat, Canadian content, crushes, folk, love songs

A couple years ago, I went to see Jill and Matthew Barber perform at the Dublin Street United Church in a blizzard. Outside it was snowing and blowing and inside, people crowded into the pews for a toasty warm celebration of sound. I love hearing music performed in churches. They’re such great spaces that are built to carry sound.

So you should not miss tonight’s show there by the saucy, harmonious, gorgeous Good Lovelies: Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore.

Ain’t they sweet?

They sang backup on Jill Barber’s last album (which was awesome) and they are fresh off a win at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, where they took home the prize for best New/Emerging Artist. They’re going to fill Dublin Street United to the rafters with their beautiful music and I think you should go.

I know for a fact that this trio from Toronto has been wowing the folk festival set this summer with songs from their first, self-titled album, their earlier five-song EP Oh My, and the newest addition to their discography, a Christmas album called Under the Mistletoe.

They don’t reinvent the wheel on the seasonal album, and why should they? Finding an album of Christmas Carols has lately become an exercise in annoyance and futility. For example, I saw the latest A Very Special Christmas album recently. And I realized that while I might have recognized a name or two, I couldn’t tell you what the performers looked like or name another song of theirs. Gone are the days when U2 and Springsteen and Bon Jovi played on those things. Look, I know Christmas songs are lame. But you are talking to a woman who knows all the words to Christmas Wrapping and Christmas in Hollis. So this throwback of singing classic Christmas songs beautifully is a nice respite and I should thank the Good Lovelies for their effort in stealing Christmas music back from Taylor Swift. I’m very sorry to say this, but she cannot sing. She’s terrible. I’m sure she’s quite nice, but her voice is just… not good. Please, instead of buying your mom her album for Christmas, maybe give the Good Lovelies a try. YOU might even like them!

Beyond the Christmas album, I really love what the Good Lovelies are doing elsewhere. I’m biased though, cuz harmonizing is one of my favourite things to do when I’m singing along to stuff while puttering around in my apartment. I frequently entertain the thought of putting together a smart, sassy girl group that would perform retro pastiche songs in kicky matching outfits. Though I gravitate more to the Phil Spector wall-of-sound girl groups when I do this in my head, I also love the straight-ahead harmonies of the 40s.

The Good Lovelies are what you would get if the Andrews Sisters met the Be Good Tanyas in a saloon. Their songs are upbeat and swinging and fun and they’ll leave you with a smile on your face. Who could resist such lush harmonies? Don’t front. It’s not you.

My favourite song of theirs is “Whiskey.” It’s a charming little ditty about bad behaviour encouraged by sipping on whiskey and tequila and the ramifications of the resulting hangover. You’ve been there, swaying slightly in your nylons and party dress in the kitchen, staring bleary-eyed at the bunch of bananas on your counter, your drunken brain telling you that you should eat one because electrolytes. It won’t be the first time your foggy mind betrays you that night. Bonus material on this track: Listening to the post-track patter as the Good Lovelies try to work up some burps.

You can hear some of their best harmonies are on the track “Sleepwalkin’” from their debut. Just gorgeous. Keep up the good work Good Lovelies!

I command you to buy their albums from Maple Music. And check them out on tour, especially if you live in Guelph and want to hear some magic tonight at Dublin St. United Church with Roxanne Potvin. Doors are at 7:30, the show gets started at 8 p.m. and tickets are $20 at the door.

 

 Good Lovelies - Santa Baby: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Good Lovelies - Whiskey: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Good Lovelies - Sleepwalkin' : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tanis entries folk, Guelph, live music, mp3, the Good Lovelies

-photo courtesy of Tyrannous’ flickr

A fresh pair of ears can do wondrous things for a song. Like Whitney Houston did to “I Will Always Love You” or Jimi Hendrix’s take on “All Along The Watchtower” or the Manfred Mann Band’s cut of “Blinded By The Light” (which the Boss calls the definitive version of the song; I couldn’t disagree more) a different perspective or way of thinking can completely transform a song, superseding the original to become the definitive performance of the tune. Today we’re talking about much lower-profile musicians, but the effect remains the same: Laura Stevenson is rocking the shit out of a cover on her latest release.

In a lot of ways Stevenson sticks out like a sore thumb. The folk(ish) artist was/is a keyboardist for Bomb The Music Industry!, one of the noisiest punk bands around today. But while she’s served that role she’s also been performing solo material that is leagues apart from the over-compressed, thousand beats-per-minute, shriek-howls that denote BTMI!’s sound. With her first release, A Record (recorded with her backing band, a loose and free-flowing collective known as the Cans), out on BTMI! frontman Jeff Rosenstock’s donation-based download label Quote Unquote Records, she still sticks out amongst the myriad punk rock bands that make up its roster. Luckily she doesn’t seem to mind.

Stevenson’s sound can be all over the map. A Record sees her transitioning from hushed acoustic/banjo’d balladeering to 20 second interstitial tracks to crunchy electric guitarded rock songs. She frequently writes about herself, her insecurities, the impact a personality or attitude can have on a relationship. On the surface that may sound like fairly typical singer-songwriter fare.

But Stevenson’s songs propel her above that. The loose feel of her recordings and the simplicity and passion that drive them are given a strong boost by her sprightly vocals. That’s likely the thing that will catch your attention, especially on the standout track from her latest release, a split 7″ recorded by and with her bandmates in Bomb The Music Industry.

As lovely as the Stevenson original (”Halloween One & Two”) is in the lead slot, the BTMI! cover is astounding. A song titled “It Ceases To Be ‘Whining’ If You’re Still ‘Shitting Blood’” might seem difficult to class up, but Stevenson and her Cans (that sounds kind of wrong) strip away the layers of noise and grit to completely transform it. The original is a coarse song (boasting the most “eff words” per-second I’ve heard in a long, long time) that is lyrically rife with the tension and pressure that seeps into every crevice of a band’s being when they’re on the verge of hitting the big time, of the crushing expectations a songwriter feels when they expect every song to be the one that will put them over the top.

In Stevenson’s hands the track is given a crushing fragility, her lilting soprano clearly enunciating every line as though the fate of her career hangs on every syllable. Her voice enhances the message, reading like a self-affirmation, a promise to herself to continue writing songs that she feels have merit regardless of the opinion of others. A gradual build leads to an emphatic climax in the last chorus, exploding from the speakers as a joyous, ebullient revelation. It leaves me exhausted and ends far too abruptly.

I love Stevenson’s work and knowing her interpretive abilities are at least on par with her writing skills is a nice surprise. Hopefully it leads to some BTMI! fans checking out A Record. Her songs may not be breaking barriers, but I feel like they are slowly but surely chipping away at them. With loveliness.

 

 Laura Stevenson & the Cans - It Ceases To Be "Whining" If You're Still "Shitting Blood" [2:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Laura Stevenson - the Pretty One [3:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dig on Laura Stevenson at Quote Unquote Records, where you can download her songs on a honour-based donation-payment system. The BTMI! split, which I love ever so dearly, is out now on Kiss of Death Records.

Pat entries acoustic, folk, Laura Stevenson & the Cans, punk rock, Quote Unquote Records

Austin Lucas is an anachronism, through and through. The American (and sometimes Czech resident) writes songs that seem to insist they were born on a back porch overlooking a wheat field as the sun recedes on a painfully-warm day, flecks of sweat springing off his guitar strings with every strum. A pitcher of lemonade would be adjacent.

Lucas has a lot in common with another rising roots/depression-era country artist, William Elliott Whitmore, but with one diametric difference: while both pen songs that reflect old-timey tropes, one sings like the bastard son of Tom Waits and a gravel crusher while the other croons like Sinatra’s country-bumpkin sibling. In fact, as previously mentioned on this site, Lucas’ voice is so overwhelming it tends to overshadow how gifted a guitarist and songwriter he really is.

The release of his latest long-player, Somebody Loves You, comes just a few months after he dropped the astounding At War With Freak Folk. That vinyl-only EP is a stark affair that seems to consciously play up Lucas’ aptitude as a guitarist, concentrating on one-take versions of six songs with zero accompaniment outside of his guitar and voice. His songs have always boasted some incredibly intricate guitar work and the fiery spirit that moves his fingers definitely seems to be informing the songs he presents once again.

From a musical standpoint Somebody Loves You don’t step too far outside the boundaries Lucas has set with his first two long-players and the collaborative LP he recorded with Chuck Ragan. Musically it consists of what some might call predictable country music instrumentation, most of which continues to be provided by Lucas and his father Bob (who has played numerous instruments and helped arrange songs on nearly all of Lucas’ solo releases). The template is set in the album’s first seconds, as Lucas immediately erupts into ten seconds of convoluted picking, followed by Bob’s banjo and some brooding electric slide guitar. The latter is the real backbone of the title track, reflecting a murky and conflicted lyric about the nature of love and how it can often seem unwarranted or misplaced.

As in all country music, love is the fallback lyrical theme. Lucas tells stories of emotions that are tortured and inexplicable yet somehow easily-relatable, be they the reluctant letting-go that ends so many relationships (”Go West”), the realization that one can’t make it through life on their own (”Shoulders”), or the genuine surprise that some maligned souls feel when someone offers their heart (”Somebody Loves You,” “Singing Man”). “Wash My Sins Away” and “Fountain of Youth” provide a little more lyrical hopefulness, but Lucas stays far away from the stereotypical banality and cheap puns and wordplay that plagues so much modern pop-country.

Those familiar with At War With Freak Folk will easily recognize more fleshed-out versions of two of those cuts. In revisiting the marvelous “Go West” and “She Did,” Lucas wisely avoids the temptation to add too much to the mix or significantly alter the skeleton of the song (mis-steps that hurt the studio version of the Ragan/Lucas composition “Hold My Bed;” that song was so stunning in its vocals-in-the-red, recorded-in-a-bathroom early version but the studio cut on Bristle Ridge felt too clean, too overworked in comparison). The heart and soul of the songs remains unmarred, some tasteful fiddle and the ever-present banjo of the elder Lucas serving to propel the tracks. The same goes for the sombre “Shoulders,” which die-hards will recognize from an earlier version released on Lucas’ myspace. Here it’s wisely translated into a duet with sister Chloe Manor on lady vocals, a plaintive bed of steel guitar offering a counter-point to the resigned yet hopeful chorus.

One of my favourite things about this album is that Lucas seems to be taking a more concise, tempo-focused view as a songwriter. A number of tracks from his previous album (”How Are You My Lover?,” “Breaker, Breaker,” and “Tall, Dark, and Handsome,” especially) seemed to crawl at a dirge-like pace, demanding a patience that at times is hard to grant. While I can appreciate the mood and tenor of those songs is serviced by an almost non-existent tempo, six minute songs that feature nothing but slow-moving acoustic guitar figures and vocals can come off as tedious at times. “Breaker, Breaker” and “Shipwrecked (Glass Bottom Boats)” are devastatingly-good numbers, but I’ve always felt that they might have even more weight if they meandered a little less. The songs on Somebody Loves You don’t rely on slowly-strummed, minute-long musical intros to convey that mood and I feel like they’re better off for it. Take for example “Farewell,” an absolute barn-burner of a tune with racing guitar and banjo that clocks in at less than two and a half minutes. The speedy tempo is something we haven’t seen since “Pigeon Father,” the third track on Lucas’ first album. For a man with a voice and fingers that are so obviously agile its kind of surprising he doesn’t wander into that territory more often.

I’ve made a lot out of Austin Lucas in the past, but perhaps the most important thing I can say is that he keeps exceeding my growing expectations time and time again. The dude just continues to get closer and closer to knocking the entire fucking world’s socks off. It’s downright inspiring.

 

 Austin Lucas - Go West: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Austin Lucas - Live I've Got: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Somebody Loves You and other heartbreaking works of staggering genius can be bought from Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective (just search his name, fools) and iTunes.

Pat entries acoustic, Austin Lucas, country, folk, Somebody Loves You, Suburban Home Records

Black comedy is an acquired taste, and it’s probably fair to say that Mathais Kom’s tongue is acutely tuned to the flavour.

I might be getting ahead of myself. Hopefully you were paying attention the last time we talked about the Burning Hell. That’s Kom’s band. He’s a supposedly virtuosic ukulele player from Ontario (who knows how that works) that has the good sense to minimize the uke in the songs he and his band perform. He also boasts a hauntingly-deep baritone voice, frequently Leonard Cohen-like in his delivery. You might also remember them from Tanis’ entry a couple weeks ago or so.

When last we heard from the Burning Hell they’d released their debut CD for Ontario’s Weewerk Records, Happy Birthday. Its a glorious juxtaposition of dark-sounding, baroque indie/folk/rock music and Kom’s twisted tales of aged cover bands, zombie brides, possession-less minimalists, and the end of the world. But 2009 is looking to be the band’s year, as a year of constant touring has not only produced a brand new album (Baby, pictured above) but also a re-issue of the group’s first independent release, Tick Tock.

First: Baby is flawlessly produced despite being recorded in sessions all over Canada and Europe, a well-mixed record that showcases the wide range of instruments played by a roster of roughly two dozen musicians. Kom has apparently called in every favour owed to him in creating the music here and the attention to detail betrays the seemingly dashed-off recording process.

The instrumentation has a very “and the kitchen-sink” mentality much like its predecessor, but the songs also boast a solid increase in energy and tempo across the board. That’s undoubtedly a result of the rigorous touring schedule, which seems to have brought the energy and sense of fun up a considerable amount.

But as far as fun goes the Burning Hell begins and ends with Kom’s lyrics, a trip through a psyche that embraces the darkly comic side to international diplomacy, the horrors of being born, and the awesome potential in (once again) the end of the world. The sequel to a cut from their first CD (”The Things That People Make, Part 2)” bears numerous great examples in an analysis of the dichotomy of an uneven relationship: “You be the dictator, I’ll be the oppressed…You be the last giant panda bear, I’ll be the last giant panda bear’s sperm/You be the dead baby bird, I’ll be the regurgitated worm.” Later on the excellent “The Berlin Conference” (which actually is about a conference in the 1880’s that was responsible for regulating the colonization of Africa and trade within its borders) Kom unleaches the random, genius line, “You say tomato, I say dividends.” Its that knack for flipping the listener’s expectations while keeping what could be a throw-away line inside the context of the larger lyrical picture that really sets off Kom’s writing. Near the end of the record we get “When The World Ends,” a roller-coaster ride of possibilities pertaining to the ultimate undiscovered country: how the world will end and whether or not we’ll still be able to party when it all comes down.

There’s a sense of humour at play, obviously, but these aren’t throw-away words. This isn’t the Lonely Island or Tenacious D. There is substance, meaning, and insight to the lyrics that reveal themselves slowly upon repeat listens. This is music worth coming back to.

Given the progression of the last two albums Kom’s debut CD Tick Tock stands somewhere between curiosity, footnote, and blueprint. Perhaps unexpectedly, much of the album’s first half is built primarily around electric rock guitar, an unusual fit for songs written by a professional ukeleleist. There’s a definite sense of what’s to come, but in an unmistakably embryonic stage: “Municipal Monarchs” would be re-recorded for Happy Birthday, “I Love The Things That People Make” serves as the basis for a sequel on the new record, and “All The Stars and Parking Lots” sets the tone for the slower jams on future records.

Listening to the two in close quarters illustrates how far one songwriter can come in a short time when they put themselves into their craft whole-heartedly and without constraints on creativity. Kom’s playful nature and unique songwriting voice will undoubtedly carry them as far as they want to go, at least in the indie pop world.

 

 Burning Hell - Everybody Needs A Body To Be Somebody [5:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Burning Hell - Grave Situation Pt. 3: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Burning Hell - I Love The Things That People Make [3:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Burning Hell - All The Stars and Parking Lots [5:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can pick up all three Burning Hell CDs from Weewerk Records’ website. If you want to buy more than one at a time just send them an email with payment information and hook it up. Check them out on Zunior as well.

Pat entries avant pop, baroque, Canadian content, folk, Mathais Kom, the Burning Hell

12. Shad - the Old Prince
Was 2008 a banner year for Canadian hip-hop? I don’t know. I don’t know what it would take for Canadian hip-hop to have a good year, but I suspect that the simple fact that at least five rap albums were released over the year would show that it was a pretty good one. While former Pitchfork writer Rollie Pemberton’s Cadence Weapon project got most of the attention and acclaim, more consistent and entertaining artists like Buck 65 and Shad fell somewhat by the wayside. Shad made a play for attention by inexplicably remaking the intro to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with his excellent single “the Old Prince Lives At Home.” That track is a bit of an anomaly though, as the number of love-lorn, world-weary, introspective think pieces on the album are far more prevalent. For me the standout is “I Heard You Had A Voice Like An Angel/Psalm 137,” wherein a sombre, almost defeated-sounding Shad laments the impact of the music business on talented black performers. The gorgeous musical arrangement (featuring Shad’s underrated guitar playing) fits perfectly with the heartbreaking and understated delivery, a perfect example of the depth and candor he’s capable of. The two tracks are excellent counterpoints and in a year where mainstream hip-hop was virtually non-existent (aside from Lil’ Wayne) it’s artists like Shad that make me hopeful for the future.

11. Basia Bulat - Oh, My Darling
This terrific debut LP from the Ontario singer-songwriter with the unusual name struck a chord with me from the first time I heard the opening track. While “Before I Knew” was later reprised in it’s full, expanded form on a 7″ single (with a great Sam Cooke cover on the A-side), the version that opens this album is the perfect introduction to an artist the entire nation has slept on for too long. Leading into “I Was A Daughter,” without a doubt one of the finest tracks of the year, shows the value of attentive sequencing. After that one-two punch you’re hooked and you won’t want to stop listening until the end. While it may seem like folk artists have exhausted the genre’s ideas, songs as well-constructed as these aren’t rote by any stretch of the imagination.

10. Hold Steady - Stay Positive
They may never again reach the dizzying heights of Boys and Girls In America, but this bands second-best is still superior to most of what’s out there. While choruses are more prevalent and Craig Finn is even taking singing lessons, the changes are subtle enough to make for a smooth transition. If you can get past “Constructive Summer” without smiling, playing a little air guitar, or sing-talking along then you may not have a soul.

The Old Prince is available at your local music store (if you’re Canadian), sometimes through CDBaby, and iTunes.
Oh, My Darling is available through iTunes and Rough Trade
Stay Positive exceeds the hyperbole; find it on the web and iTunes

Pat entries Basia Bulat, Best of, Buck 65, Cadence Weapon, folk, hip hop, Hold Steady, indie rock, rap, rock, Sam Cooke, Shad, Stay Positive, the Old Prince

15. Chuck Ragan & Austin Lucas - Bristle Ridge
When I heard this album was being recorded I nearly lost my mind. Chuck Ragan, one of my all-time favourite songwriters recording a full album with one of my favourite up-and-coming songwriters — how could it miss? They went a whole lot more “Appalachian family band” than I was expecting, but it’s got everything I like from both of them and more, all in one convenient package. If you’re not afraid of hill folk making jug music in your stereo, you can’t live without this. We’ve covered plenty of Ragan and Lucas in our extensive archives, by the way.

14. Frightened Rabbit - the Midnight Organ Fight
The success of this Scottish band in 2008, consisting mainly of two Scottish brothers, came as a surprise to many. While they had issued an intensely lo-fi debut LP, it was not nearly as widely heard as the Midnight Organ Fight (which, aside from being awesomely named, is totally interesting to listen to). The band keeps it as simple as they ever have; songs mostly don’t have any bass guitar in them because at the time they recorded the band didn’t have a bass player. They’re constructed from acoustic bed tracks up, coloured with keys and highlighted by the frantic caterwauling of lead singer Scott Hutchison. I’m a lyrics guy, so when someone can throw together mild violence on someone else’s eyeballs, the word “cunt,” and possibly the prettiest melody of the year into one track (”Poke”) I’m pretty impressed. Probably the most outstanding moment comes in just the second track, single “the Modern Leper.” Likening his consistent romantic failures to the titular medical condition, he paints a uniquely expressive picture of a man who is nothing more than alone. That is worth recognizing.

13. Why? - Alopecia
No album in 2008 straddled so many lines and genres as this one (at least none one that I enjoyed quite as much). It’s an engrossing listen that plays equally well whether you’re on your sofa with a hangover or driving along a desolate highway as the sun goes down. There are six or eight extremely well-developed, pure pop songs rendered even more entertaining by the often dour world view of songwriter/lyricist Yoni Wolfe. He brings the kind of clever wordplay and twisted turns-of-phrase that straight-forward hip-hop wishes it could come up with to his songs, even going so far as to correct his grammar on “the Fall of Mister Fifths.” Along with the latest TV On The Radio album, this is engaging, eclectic music that deserves a wider audience than it will get.

 

 Why? - Fatalist Palmistry [3:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Frightened Rabbit - the Modern Leper [3:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Chuck Ragan & Austin Lucas - the Light: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Bristle Ridge is available here: iTunes and cd/vinyl
The Midnight Organ Fight can be found: iTunes and physical
Alopecia is purchasable: iTunes or physical

Pat entries Alopecia, Austin Lucas, Best of, Bristle Ridge, Chuck Ragan, country, folk, Frightened Rabbit, indie rock, rap, the Midnight Organ Fight, traditional, Why?

So about a week or so ago I had the immense pleasure of seeing Neil Young, Death Cab For Cutie, Feist, and Hayden all live in concert in the span of two days.

They were separated into two different concerts, of course, but the unusual anomaly being that they played the same venue on back to back nights, leading to a very unusual juxtaposition.

Neil Young, of course, is a legendary musician with a long and storied history that is all but guaranteed to sell out every venue he wishes to set up his pipe organ in. Feist is an emerging artist that has had her first slight break into the mainstream and is obviously doing her best to try and figure out where she’s fitting in the grand scheme of live settings.

Death Cab For Cutie served as a fairly big-time opener for our small city, which is something we aren’t entirely used to here. In fact, from the floor it appeared there was a significant portion of the audience that was more psyched for them than Neil Young. Their set was serviceable, thankfully relying more on guitar songs than the weepy, piano-based songs that have permeated their last couple albums. Hell, the second song they played was “We Laugh Indoors” from the drastically under-rated the Photo Album. The only thing missing was what I consider one of the finest lyrical pieces of the last ten years, that album’s standout “Styrofoam Plates.” Dig it below.

Mr. Young and his band took the stage a short time later, and I wonder what they were thinking. The Brandt Centre is I believe just 6,000 seats, undoubtedly a fraction of the size Young and Crazy Horse have played over the years but sold out and packed to the gills nonetheless. Granted, Crazy Horse was not in for this tour; Young instead was backed up by a small five-piece combo including his wife. From the drop of the hat, Young laid out the plan for the evening: rock the lid off the place like he was 25 again and didn’t have a potentially-deadly brain aneurysm three years ago. Seriously, he played the guitar like he was just coming up, handling nearly every solo in a set heavily-slanted towards the rock and roll numbers that have dominated much of his career. I wish I could give you an idea of a set list, but by the time “Keep On Rocking In The Free World” came around my mind was sort of shattered (speaking of which, I finally get that song; after hearing it live in 2008 I swear it’s just as relevant as it was in 1989 or at any time since). The only thing that could have made the show more enjoyable was if there wasn’t a bunch of old people drunk off their asses and chattering ceaselessly right beside us. Seriously, nerdy accountants: don’t go to rock and roll concerts unless you’re ready and willing to appreciate the living legend that is performing for you.

The very next night we were in the same venue for Feist’s big (Regina) arena debut. As I mentioned, she’s in a tricky spot; despite her rising profile she only managed to sell about half the seats in the place and for those that were there the previous night it looked very, very empty.

Renowned Canadian songwriter and baritone-throated crooner Hayden warmed up the comparatively sparse crowd with a set that was about as light as the frequently-maudlin troubadour can likely manage. Supported by members of the also terrific Ontario roots-ish rock band Cuff The Duke, he switched from electric guitars to piano to acoustic guitars, matching his gentle songs with story-telling introductions relating awkward meetings with fans on this summer’s folk festival circuit (among other topics, or course). As a long-time fan it was a treat to finally see him live, even if the audience wasn’t terribly receptive. Then again, it’s Regina so that should really not surprise me anymore.

I have to say however that Feist’s set was everything I could have expected from her and more. It was downright revelatory in it’s incredibly creative imagining of a live rock and roll light/video show. As her profile grows bigger her staging also grows, but she does it by minimizing. She began by running out on stage with just a simple candle-lit lantern before hiding behind a screen that was then back-lit by her gaffers, a tribute to her album cover. Later, a closed-circuit camera was projected onto the sixty-foot white screen at the back of the still-dark stage; using “night vision” it zoomed in on her shoes (on which a tribute to the Golden Mile Shopping Centre was written…she grew up her for a time) as she stomped and stomped until a spotlight came on above her. From there most of the show is powered only by a simple overhead projector, straight out of the classroom. Using paint, tiddlywinks, costume jewelry, and paper cut-outs they projected tableaus, pictures, dramatic renderings, and abstract interpretations of the lyrical content of the songs onto the huge screen. It was like watching an art project unfold before you, although you could easily argue that on the slower, gentler songs it became the entire focus while the songs sank into the background.

Her playing of course is flawless. Even with the slow, introspective songs that mark much of her albums, the rock and roll spirit is still burning deep within her. She played guitar through the entire set, which culminated with a roaring, extended version of her interpretation of the traditional “Sea Lion Woman.” It peaked with full-on power chord distortion, stomping percussion, and frantic caterwauling. It was awesome, to put it into one word.

An interesting exercise to take in on a single weekend, to be certain, but I’m feeling very confident in the state of Canadian music past and present. The creativity and energy of each show was overwhelming, each in its own way.

 

 Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Walk On [4:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Death Cab For Cutie - Styrofoam Plates [5:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Feist - Sea Lion Woman [3:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Hayden - Lonely Security Guard [4:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Neil Young’s various merchandisery can be followed in his official webstore.
The good Death Cab For Cutie albums are available via Barsuk Records, their once and future home.
Feist’s acclaimed releases are available through Arts & Crafts and their webstore.
Much of Hayden’s catalogue is for sale from Maple music.

Pat entries acoustic, Canadian content, Death Cab For Cutie, Feist, folk, Hayden, musical legend, Neil Young, rock

In the interest of once again shamelessly promoting one of my favourite new artists of the last several years, this week’s vinyl spotlight is shining heavily on Austin Lucas.

I’ve featured Mr. Lucas several times before since first hearing his latest LP, Putting The Hammer Down. He’s primarily an incredible vocalist, a great guitarist, and has really tapped into a unique “roots” sound. Up to this point that’s had a great deal to do with his father Bob, a life-long country musician and gifted arranger and instrumentalist.

On his latest 10″ vinyl-only release, At War With The Freak Folk, Lucas steps up to the mic for a truly solo effort; the six songs were recorded in live one-takes, just him and the microphone. Most of his previous releases haven’t exactly been choked with excessive instrumentation, but this presentation really leaves it all laid bare, unflinchingly exposing his songwriting to the listener.

Like his other records, there are faster-paced songs that have a bit of bounce, paeans to departing lovers, countered by excruciatingly slow and pained minor-chord treatises on heartbreak. But the stark presentation shows the seemingly effortless grace that Lucas pulls it off with. He’s proving himself to be a prolific songwriter, and even better than that a prolific songwriter that doesn’t skimp on the quality of his compositions.

Here’s a demo version of the first track (which is really kind of redundant, considering the nature of the final product) and the first track from the b-side. Please pick this business up, you will be won over if you aren’t among the converted already.

 

 Austin Lucas - Go West (demo) [4:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Austin Lucas - She Did [3:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

At War With Freak Folk can be found here. Other material can as well. Also from itunes.

Pat entries acoustic, Austin Lucas, country, folk, roots, vinyl