Torontotopia is Nigh, I can feel it, guy.

This is war.

Here's a little Toronto sampler. We're just scratching the surface!

I have more to say, but after uploading songs for hours (!) I must retire. Jay is wrong, wrong, wrong about Toronto! But thanks for totally riling up me and my roommate, Jeff.

Consider this the first installment. There is more to come!

The Hank Collective - In the Middle of Crying
The Guitarkestra - The Torontotopia Is Nigh/I Can Feel It Guy
Russian Futurists - Precious Metals
Royal City - Bad Luck
Bob Wiseman - Born To Love You
The Creeping Nobodies - Treachery
Cuff The Duke - Ballad of a Lonely Construction Worker
Sick Lipstick - Thigh-Master I'm Your Master
The Pauls - Cantankerous Brute
Jim Guthrie - 3am
Thomas and the Evil Computer - Buy Me A Cello
Deep Dark United - Zut Alors
Tradition - Holy Land

SNEAK PREVIEW! Anagram - Looks Like It's Your Fault
Anagram put me in a deep floaty trance. I don't think you'll find this elsewhere for a few weeks.

we are having problems with blogger

I am an asshole...

So being that I am currently in exile, I went to see Elliott Brood on spec. I wasn't expecting much yet I still managed to be disappointed. They all could play well, and at times were not bad. They showed enthusiasm yet still managed to bore my socks off. Then I realized something, I have never liked a band from Toronto. There I said it, the awful truth. I then remembered that the Hidden Camera's are from Toronto and I had a very fun time when I saw them, despite the best efforts of the opening acts ( who were all from toronto). So the Hidden Camera's aside, what the hell is happening in that city? Am I missing something?

.......at least I'm honest

ps. This is a terrible list. I think best of the year lists are stupid. Especially directionless democratic lists. It lacks all meaning. BAH HUMBUG!

Color with a U

You've probably been in a band like this. This is the kind of band that thinks the Canadian spelling of 'colour' is somehow inherently funny; that would write a theme song and then fill it with staged laughing, bongo drums, unfunny jokes, funny jokes and a folk rock jam breakdown somewhere in the middle; that makes every chorus anthemic, even when it shouldn't be. This is the kind of band that would drag a song out an extra two minutes so as to immunize it against sounding too serious or sincere (even adding someone saying "Oh, we're so goofy" in a sarcastic voice at the end of song). I'm also pretty sure that this is the sort of band that would enter a high school talent competition and lose, even though everyone (including the judges) knew they should probably win.

Colourbook - Ten Tendencies
Colourbook - Theme Song

More than anything, though, this band has some potential for awesomeness. And badness. With any luck, the tendency towards the former will prevail.
[Find more MP3s at the Colourbook Website. Also, here's their New Music Canada page.]

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Thanks to AreYouFamiliar for introducing me to these folks.

Screamy Sheep

This is not even close to poppy.

I hope I don't scare regular readers away with my foray back into hardcore. Jay's of the opinion that plenty of us had at least a little love for screamy, heavy music at some point. I hope he's right! If we have closet ravers, surely we have some ex-(scr)e(a)mo kids, right?

Anyhow, I bought this album recently because I was feeling totally angst ridden and nothing I usually listen to was cutting it. I recalled this band I saw once in Ottawa (possibly at Barrymore's opening for Fugazi?) and Googled them - Buried Inside are still around! This discovery was perfectly timed and now I can't stop listening to their album, Chronoclast.

I'd recommend against listening to this song loudly while on the phone with your parents - they may become unnecessarily alarmed.

Time as Commodity - Buried Inside

See http://www.junkedcamera.com/ for more photos.

Happy American Thanksgiving.

Billy Childish - Playing Pool with a Salish Indian


Kiowarini - Le dernier souffle de sa nation

ESL

So here is the scene: The fishbowl, a Strathcona residence is having a party, hoping a few kegs can turn the lights back on, which have ceased to shine due to lack of payment. Being that there isn't any power, this is a candle light party, making the large old house seem all that more mysterious. After a little bit of awkward fumbling in the dark, we hear the musicians stir in the living room. Now you may not believe me, but there was a white grand piano in the hands of a pretty girl and following a few nervous laughs there was beautiful music.

Watching ESL's set was really a perfect moment, everything was right. This was especially true as they played "Polish" and everyone clapped along in the candle light , there even were some whoops! Did I mention that the drummer used chop sticks?

ESL - Side By Side

ESL - Polish


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I love this video of Matt & Kim (warning the file is on one of those upload sites). The crowd energy is simply amazing, we should all be having that much fun at shows. It was captured by Tod Steelie, who runs sucka pants. He also posted some songs by Cansei De Ser Sexy, a refreshing brazilian band. I have been waiting for this cd to come out ever since I ran across their difficult to navigate brazilian myspace type thing.

Beat Show AfriKola

I try to avoid songs that last longer than 1'30" but it turns out that it takes about 4'35" to put on a wetsuit and wax up a board. I get super stoked on the wah guitar and German yelling. "blah blah blah for business, fuck fuck fuck for money" The Mozart reference is embarrassingly stupid (exactly!). Sitting out in the water, I get stuck on the soft muffled bassline that carries that brief bit of melody. Riding a wave I get caught on the wonderful chorale ending.

Floh De Cologne - Fliezbandbaby, manchmal traum ich

Teen Music

The mellow sounds of Les Sultans can still be heard through AM car stereos across Quebec. This is just one of their hits and the hits last. Their albums are otherwise filled by angst fueled, fuzzed out party anthems. They once opened for the Rolling Stones and caused fights to break out in the audience! They played L'Olympia. They released a record that featured photos of the band in authentic cowboy apparel.

Les Sultans - Poupee qui dit non


30 years later. South western Ontario. Real teen angst.


Our Lady of St. Fatima - A popular television theme

Firsts for Everyone!

Julienne recorded this track in 1982 under the arrangement of a man named Russel. Russel was more or less a musical genius, particularly good at writing, arranging, producing and coaxing the talent into a long term relationship. From the little information that surrounds this magical LP, Julienne and Russel had a summer gig somewhere on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. They drove a car from the 30's. They recorded in San Jose at a still functioning studio that never responded to my querying emails. Julienne perfected the delivery of Mystery over a thousand restaurant shows and the ocassional park gazebo appearance. Russel recorded it to a perfection with intricate woodblock (cowbell would have been too harsh), twirling synthesiser countermelodies and the ultimate guitar tone.

Julienne - Mystery


Moncton, New Brunswick, 1965. Although they were only teens at the time, The Brunswick Playboys have a slightly more sophisticated melancholy sound. Covered bridges? Magnetic Hill? Long winters? Their instruments chime together like The Shadows with all the goofiness and showman stripped stripped away. I Need You is only slightly sentimental, just glossy enough to get these a guys a record and a performance on CBC television but not much more.

The Brunswick Playboys - I Need You

List! Of Songs!

It's that time of year again: the season of lists! I've always been envious of the 'music journalists' and 'record store clerks' with their fancy year-end lists, hoping that some day I would have the power to prove how amazing my taste in music is. This year, now that I've harnesed the awesome power of the INTERNET, I've decided to pre-empt all the list makers out there and post a year-end list in *gasp* November.

This was going to be a list of my favorite songs of the year, but it started to get too long and contained entire albums. As an alternative, I've decided only to list my favorite songs that are also condusive to spastic dancing around my apartment. Consider this list, the 'best solo dance party songs of 2005' (in no particular order).

Herman Dune - Not on Top
I think that this might just be the best song of the year. Perhaps it's because I empathise with the way the song laments a wasted youth ("I thought I'd never say that I bought Nevermind and it changed my life some fifteen years ago"), or maybe it's the fact that the guitar solo is almost a parody of a guitar solo. Or maybe it's that the song is unadorned with effects and pedals and fancy recording but, instead, is grounded in witty lyrics sung in heavily accented English by a band that doesn't take themselves too seriously. And, I mean, they managed to get Julie Doiron as a backup singer! This song basically has just about everything I could possibly want.
[buy]

The Mountain Goats - This Year (Video)
For a while I was convinced that the song Dance Music was the greatest song the Mountain Goats ever produced, but I've been recently converted by the even more excellent "This Year". In the course of 3 minutes and 52 seconds the song manages to condense an entire novel worth of character development and a lifetime of teenage angst into a seemingly upbeat pop song. It is at once beautiful and dark and hopeful and depressing.

(I've linked to the video because it's really good and I assume some of you out there might not have seen it. Beware the annoying popups and whatnot at the site, though.)
[buy]

Black Mountain - Druganaut
You know that first dance that the bride and groom do at a wedding? I forget what that's called, but this is the song that will be playing if I ever get around to doing that dance.
[buy]

Smog - I feel like the mother of the world
I read somewhere that this is an anti-war song. I probably could have figured that out for myself if I wasn't for the fact that I'm completely paralyzed by how beautiful everything else about the song is. In fact, it's only recently that I've been able to get past the sounds that the instruments make on this album enough to really listen to the lyrics. And, holy shit, are they good.
[buy]

Floatation Toy Warning - Popstar Researching Oblivion
I said some stupid stuff about this song a few months back. I should have just let the song speak for itself because I only diminish its goodness by describing it.
[buy]

Chad Vangaalen - Clinically Dead
Even if you don't like Chad Vangaalen (which I think is kind of weird), you have to admit that this is the catchiest song you've heard this year. Seriously, listen to that sweet, sweet distorted guitar in the chorus and that almost-falsetto on the lyrics "prank call".
[buy]

P:ano - T. Hatch says 'Round Every Corner'
Best. P:ano. Song. Ever.

Actuall, this may rival the Herman Dune song for the title of 'best song of the year'.
[buy]

Wolf Parade - Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts
I know that this song is on an EP that was released last year, but I didn't hear it until this summer so it is now officially 2005 list worthy. I don't know what to say about this song except that it is the best song of the year. Or have I said that already?
[I think they stopped selling this EP, but I'll post a link if I can find one]

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Ok, I hope you liked the songs. I know we've posted some of them before but, well, we post some pretty awesome songs. They deserve to be on the list. Before I stop writing (I know!) please note that we've been really enjoying the reader comments. Please grace our little comments section with some lists of your own. Thanks for all the love!

This song has nothing to do with water

We have been focusing on downer songs so I thought that I needed to lift the spirits high. How better to do that than Loudon Wainwright the III. The Swimming Song never fails to move me. What I mean by move is that I feel a compelling urge to stand up, then I start dancing like your grandpa. Then a grin crosses my face, and I know at that very instant that everything is going to be alright.

The Swimming Song - Loudon Wainwright The III from Attempted Mustache

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Being that I so enjoyed your downer suggestions, why not alert me to the songs that make you grin uncontrollably, heaven knows we all should do that more.

More sad songs

I feel like a sad song, so more sad songs today. The day has been grey lacking in life. My sad song comes from what in my mind is one of the saddest albums in history. It is sad in an entirely different way than Loren Mazzacane Connors. Where Connors' music is immediately recognizable as sad this album masquerades as a pop album. What they can't hide is that the band, who were all romantically involved were falling apart, and not only falling apart, but being forced to all work together in a studio recording an album about their failing relationships.

Thunder only happens when it's raining.


Song Here


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I'd like to hear what you the readers think of as the best sad songs. If you like you can email them to us.

Sad Song

Loren Mazzacane Connors and Suzanne Langille – Horse Blues
Playing a sad song is not the same thing as playing the blues. Anyone can play a sad song and make it sound at least somewhat convincing. But unless you’re able to play your song as though you’ve got nothing to lose - as though your life has been fixed from the beginning against all possibility of success - you can't reasonably expect someone to mistake your song for the blues. Personally, I listen to the blues to make me feel better about myself: it reminds me that my life is very good and that, at the very least, I’m not going to break down crying for days on end or lash out in violent anger at any given moment.

I have a feeling that this song is so good because Loren Connors can never be happy. He is sad so that we don’t have to be.
[Buy]

Francois (with a thing over the "A" and a thing under the "C")

I had a wonderful interlude this summer just before I moved when I had an French house guest. Arriving with nothing other than a entwined guitar case(which was jammed with merchandise) and a small side satchel I knew that we would get along just fine. His name was Francois and he resides in Bristol England where he creates wonderful 4 track cassette music. It is the kind of music that even if it wasn't recorded on a 4 track Tascam would still have its essence: experimentalism, playfulness, honesty. During his stay we set up a outside show at the Vancouver Public Library, I took the above photograph there, you can see some fellows from Bristol assisting Francois. Rumour has it that Kayla's mom cried during his opening song, which unfortunity is not on the album!

If you would like to buy this cd or just say hello you can contact Francois at fcsmarry (at) hotmail dot com


il Stragniero

Ghost Pirates Without Heads

With no hesitation, I can tell you this is the best album of the year. This isn't just the honeymoon talking, I have had this album for most of the year and we are growing old and saggy together, but the love is real. The thing that most impresses me about P:ano is their ability to read my mind. Nick manages to write the songs just the moment after I realize that those are the songs that I want to hear. Stylistically they are difficult to pin down, because of their constant change and shuffle. Which describes how I listen to music, so therefore P:ano are the perfect band always anticipating what I want and never lingering long enough that they aren't welcome. The most difficult aspect of this post was deciding which song to share, as the album is so damn good, I just want to make everyone listen to the whole thing. So here is one song. You should go buy the rest right now from the ITunes music store, or wait for the CD on November 15th. The other bonus is that it is classified as an EP even though it is well over 20 minutes, so it is selling for ridiculously cheap. Also of note, This half of this album was written in one afternoon before Nick played a solo house show with just his ukulele and finished in the following week, it was then recorded in a few days. This is especially surprising considering the glacial pace of previous P:ano recordings.


T. Hatch Says "Round Ev'ry Corner" - From P:ano's new album Ghost Pirates Without Heads