And The River

Once again the evil badness that is Myspace brings forth some pristine goodness from its annoying depths. Jon Rae and the River has just finished recording a new album and the kind people at Permafrost Records have posted a few unmastered new tracks on their myspace page. Judging by these teasers, this album is going to be enormous. It's going to require Pitchfork to bring out their most obscure and elitist critic to prevent their weekly ratings bell curve from being completely thrown off. The Globe and Mail is going to need to publish an article on how Jon Rae is the new Broken Social Scene and how West Toronto is the new East Vancouver.

Jon Rae and the River - Just One More (unmastered)
Jon Rae and the River - Just What I Needed (Cars Cover)

Jay first posted "Just One More" last year back when it was only a demo, but age has treated it well. Even in its current unmastered state, it is a perfect expression of the pornographic gospel music that has become the band's current fixation. Prior hearing this song, I had no idea that a grown man's desperate sexual frustration could sound so good. The other song is in all likelihood a live song and not an unmastered track from the new album like I'd said earlier, but that doesn't denigrate its goodness. The multipart harmonizing starting at 3:05 and the explosion at 3:45 are almost enough to make me forgive Myspace for all of its past transgressions.

For our Toronto readers, Jon Rae is playing at the Tranzac on Tuesday night, so I recommend that you go there and bear witness to the glory that is these new songs.

*****

Ladyhawk - the Dugout

With two members of the previous incarnation of Jon Rae's River, and one of Jay's former roomates, Ladyhawk is also set for some world domination. Their new album is coming out in June on Jagjaguwar and, while I haven't heard it yet, this song seems to indicate that massive amounts of alcohol and a healthy diet of guitar solos can occasionally combine to form something beautiful.