NEWS BITES : June 4, 2010

FREE STUFF
Audio Blood does North by North East Festival! Get a FREE MIXTAPE including artists such as Dinosaur Bones and Leif Vollebekk.

On top of that, Audio Blood is celebrating NxNE by throwing a free, invite-only party at the top of the CN Tower with The Balconies (one of my favourite finds this year), Hollerado and The Meligrove Band playing. Go to their website to win tickets!


NEW MUSIC
Arcade Fire has The Suburbs, due August 3rd, up for pre-order. All orders, whether digital, CD or vinyl,  come with instant downloads of the two already released singles "The Suburbs" and "Month of May."

Mother Mother is in studio finishing their upcoming album following the huge success of their sophomore album O My Heart. It's due out in early 2011. In related news, they suddenly became a lot more prolific (and friendly-sounding) on Twitter.

Sam Roberts is in studio as well with their upcoming fourth studio release following Love at the End of the World. Unfortunately, some personality conflicts in studio.

St. John's The Mountains & The Trees, otherwise known as Jon Janes, will release his first full-length I Made This For You on August 10 after critical praise for his EP Hop, Skip & A Jump.

Pre-order Stars' upcoming release The Give Ghosts on iTunes in deluxe and you will also get The Séance EP, which includes tracks remixed by the Album Leaf, Montag and Of Montreal - as well as other bonus singles.

REVIEWS

Rah Rah's new album Breaking Hearts is thoroughly enjoyable and all-around stronger than their first release. Their indie pop polish, combined with their tendency of using pop rocks and confetti cannons in their live shows, don't fully conceal their old souls and turns of cynicism. The elaborate album artwork involves some unfortunate passengers falling off the side of a boat and being torn apart by sharks. hmm.

Shad's newest release TSOL sees him solidifying his formidable position in the Canadian hip-hop scene, which involved selling out his (adopted) hometown show in Vancouver last night at the Biltmore Cabaret. The quick rhymes and clever word play, not to mention profound lyrics which touch on everything from politics to the origins of his name, would satisfy the most elitist of English majors. I see it on the Polaris short list.

Jamie Lidell, UK-based soul/funkster loads latest release Compass with grimy, experimental explorations of how technology expresses, however inadequately, sexuality and desire. It leaves you hot and bothered and a bit agitated, kind of like waking up with your lover on a stuffy summer day. This latest effort is joined by friends such as Feist, Beck, Gonzales and members of Grizzly Bear and Wilco. One of my favourite tracks off the album, "I Wanna Be Your Telephone," is below.


I Wanna Be Your Telephone from Jamie Lidell on Vimeo.

TOUR DATES
Two Hours Traffic from P.E.I. have released 2009's Territories internationally, more specifically in Australia and in the U.S. They will be touring Oz with Dead Letter Chorus.

Said the Whale announces all-ages tour dates on top of their Malahat Revue tour dates with Hannah Georgas, Jeremy Fisher and Aidan Knight.

MISC.

Voting is open in NxEW's 2nd Annual Shadow Polaris Prize.

Contribute to the newly established Canadian Music Wiki, brainchild of Amanda Ash working with CBC Radio 3 and the UBC School of Journalism.

Rah Rah announces new album Breaking Hearts

Rah Rah, Regina, Saskatchewan’s pop-rock collective announce, their new sophomore album, Breaking Hearts (Young Soul Records) will be released on June 1, 2010. It follows the widespread industry praise for 2008’s debut album, Going Steady and reinforces the increasing visibility that has accompanied Rah Rah’s relentless tour schedule. Rah Rah were crowned “Best New Canadian Band” and “Best New Alternative Band” by iTunes in 2009.

Breaking Hearts was recorded and mixed in Montreal by Kees Dekker (Plants & Animals). A companion EP to the full–length will also follow later this year. But don’t let their fresh faces, confetti cannons and constant sugar highs fool you, Rah Rah are old souls. This young, seven-member ensemble artfully bridge sincerity with the absurd. Despite lyrics that touch on underwater sea creatures, stockbrokers, Saskatchewan (and now Montreal) and impressionist painters - their songs are built to break your heart.

From the instantly ear-catching album opener "Arrows," to the piano intro of "Lightning" - which opens up into a chorus of female vocals, to the quirky "What About Love," Breaking Hearts is diverse, direct, duet-filled and the bands best work. It is also the recorded introduction of newest band member and guitarist Leif Thorseth to the band. His addition to the group, according to lead vocalist Marshall Burns “has really influenced the writing to be more collaborative and provided more sweet guitar interplays!”

Erin Passmore, drummer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist in Rah Rah, offers the following about the new record; "You still have Marshall's recognizable voice and lyrics, all the quirkiness and instrumentation, but it sounds more mature, more complete. I really think this record displays better what we are as a group of artists.”

Rah Rah will tour Breaking Hearts this summer. Full dates will be announced shortly.

BREAKING HEARTS TRACKLISTING:
1. Arrows
2. Ghosts
3. Henry
4. Beaches
5.Communist Man
6. Salty Cities
7. Hurt You Bad
8. Joey
9. What About Love?
10. Lightning
11. Waltz
12. Breaking Hearts
13. Parkade

Check out a video from good friend Christine McAvoy of the making of Breaking Hearts...

Rah Rah Announces Tour Dates & New Album

 

Rah Rah are currently putting the finishing touches on their follow-up, as yet untitled, full-length album, set for release this summer on Young Soul Records/ EMI. This new album was recorded and mixed in Montreal by Kees Dekker (Plants & Animals). A companion EP will also follow later this year.

Having previously shared the stage with Wintersleep, Holy Fuck, Mother Mother, Malajube & The Rural Alberta Advantage, Rah Rah are embarking on a tour through February and March to continue the reach of their debut, Going Steady.  Conjointly, over the next month the band will finish work on their forthcoming album. Release details for the new Rah Rah record will follow soon.

RAH RAH – TOUR DATES – FEBRUARY & MARCH – 2010

Feb 10 – Broken City – Calgary, AB
Feb 12 – Railway Club – Vancouver, BC
Feb 14 – Pawn Shop – Edmonton, AB (with Hot Panda)
Feb18 – Lo Pub – Winnipeg, MB
Feb 19 – Black Pirate’s Pub – Thunder Bay, ON
Feb 20 – Townehouse – Sudbury, ON
Feb 21 – This Ain’t Hollywood – Hamilton, ON
Feb 23 – Phog Lounge – Windsor, ON
Feb 24 – Blackshire Pub – London, ON
Feb 25 – The Garrison – Toronto, ON
Feb 26 – The Green Room – Montreal, PQ
Feb 27 - Café Dekcuf – Ottawa, ON
Mar 02 – Exchange Community Church – Winnipeg, MB
Mar 05 – The Exchange – Regina, SK (Haiti Fundraiser)
Mar 06 – Amigo’s – Saskatoon, SK

http://www.myspace.com/rahrahband

Tune of the Day: Rah Rah - Duet for Emmylou and the Grievous Angel

Rah Rah, a band from Regina, Saskatchewan, have this little gem in their latest Going Steady that I almost forgot about until a fellow blogger at NxEW brought it up... The lyrics are pure gold, and it's definitely the most refreshingly blunt "see-ya" song I've heard in a while.

Rah Rah - Duet for Emmylou and the Grievous Angel
To listen to the song, go to their MySpace.

I don’t miss you now but I will when you’re gone
And this is the reason I keep holding on
Because you are lovely and because you are old
And these are the most desirable traits to be found in a woman I am told

It is fashionable
To be single
In big cities
But not in small towns
In Regina
Saskatchewan
I fell in love
With her frown

I won’t miss you now but I will once we’re done
Sometimes I strain myself trying to recall the last time we had fun
‘Cause you’re soft as smoke and you got no fear
And these are the most desirable traits to be found in a man I hear

I won’t kiss you now but I will once you’re gone
I won’t miss you now I won’t miss you at all
I won’t kiss you now too afraid that you’ll cry
I won’t miss you now and I won’t give a shit if you die

Some upcoming tour dates:
Sept 17th – Vancouver, BC – Wise Hall
Sept 18th – Kelowna, BC – The Habitat
Sept 20th – Calgary, AB – Broken City
Sept 23rd – Regina, SK – The Club
Sept 24th – Winnipeg, MB – Lo Pub
Sept 25th – Thunder Bay, ON – Black Pirate’s Pub
Sept 26th – Sudbury, ON – Adenac Ski Lunge
Sept 28th – Toronto, ON – El Mocambo
Oct 2nd – Montreal, QC – Bar St. Laurent II
Oct 3rd – Montreal, QC – 3 Minots
Oct 10th – Fredricton, NB – The Capital
Oct 11th – Halifax, NS – Gus’
Oct 16th – St. John’s, Nl – The Rockhouse
Oct 17th – St. John’s, NL – The Ship
Oct 22nd – Toronto, ON – El Mocambo
Oct 23rd – Hamilton, ON – This Ain’t Hollywood
Oct 26th – London, ON – Black Shire Pub
Oct 27th – Windsor, ON – Phog Lounge