NEW VIDEO : Two Hours Traffic - Noisemaker

This upbeat rocker is from Charlottetown's Two Hours Traffic's latest album Territory. I'm very partial to this song in particular because of the distortion effects right at the end of the song. The video features the boys of THT playing to an animated, frightening looking city.

Two Hours Traffic just played two nights in a row at the Vancouver Olympics, rocking out in Atlantic Canada House. They'll be playing two more shows in Metro Vancouver for the Olympics before going up to Whistler and then back to central Canada.

25 Feb 2010 20:00	Minoru Park	Richmond, British Columbia
26 Feb 2010 20:00	Holland Park	Surrey, British Columbia
27 Feb 2010 16:30	Village Square - Whistler Live!	Whistler, British Columbia

Enjoy!

Live Blogging Olympic Music : Jenn Grant & Kathleen Edwards

Since I'm writing this a day late, I can also add-- first female gold medal for Maelle Ricker of North Vancouver in snowboard cross! My mom and I were watching--no, wincing-- throughout the preliminary rounds because of the choppy snow and heavy fog that lingered, necessitating a second qualifying round. And it was in this second round that Ricker came in third, sending her to the race which saw her beat her competitors by a mile and garner the third medal on the troubled Cypress Mountains. Very well done, Maelle, and what a big, contagious grin she bared to the TV cameras!

In a lot of ways, Ricker echoed a lot of the energy that dedication that Jenn Grant and Kathleen Edwards (and bands) demonstrated the night before in their shows at the Richmond O Zone on February 15th. Although the weather had been nice or overcast the entire day, the rain trickled in and came to a downpour once Grant's set began at 8:30. It wasn't just the rain; winds pelted sideways, bringing piles of accumulated rain down from the tarps above the outdoor stage onto the heads of front row listeners. Throughout the sets, especially Edwards', the band had to warm up their hands in between songs, and occasionally in between striking chords. Jim Bryson of Kathleen Edwards' band seemed to wince because some of his riffs simply couldn't happen because of his rigid fingers. But, needless to say, both bands stuck it through the set, and so did the soaked and shivering audience. So whether you were the ski officials up in Cypress or the fans down in the Cultural Olympiad, weather was the foremost thing on your minds.

Jenn Grant opened the night with her quirky voice and light pop. The show in Richmond was the second last of her 14 date Cultural Olympiad tour. Hailing from Prince Edward Island, I previously knew of Grant superficially from a few singles and the glowing recommendations from artists such as Hey Rosetta!. Unfortunately, the weather did not work in her favour, and the intricate and pretty pop orchestrations were largely distracted by the elements and the sheer size of the O Zone compared to the relatively small crowd. I wouldn't write off the show however; the crowd was still very pleased with her music, as well as her jovial banter. I would love to see her again in a smaller, more intimate venue-- indoors.

Kathleen Edwards and band stepped onto the stage amidst roars and applause, which was somewhat more muted than expected due to frozen hands. Edwards was warmly dressed in a poncho-- Peruvian and from her mother, as we were informed in between songs. Guitarist/keyboardist Jim Bryson (and established singer-songwriter in his own right) sported a toque and according to my friend, somewhat resembled Seth Rogen. It's fair to say that no layers were shed in this show. What was frequently shed were guitars; Edwards must've had no less than 5-6 guitar changes. She and band amped up the energy for the show, proving  to be better suited for the venue than their opening act.

Edwards kicked off her hour-plus set with the hockey-inspired "I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory." The show was filled with hits spanning from Failer in 2003 up to her latest, and the few times she went slower tempo, it worked in her favour. "Asking For Flowers," the title track off her latest 2008 Polaris short-listed album, was dedicated to the tireless Olympic volunteers. "Goodnight California" showcased Edwards' formidable fiddle skills, which was demonstrated in this one song in the whole set. That's not to say the band didn't pull their weight comparatively; both Jim Bryson and Edwards' husband and lead guitarist Colin Cripps switched between killer guitar solos and riffs and rhythm guitar alternately. Bassist Kevin McCarragher and drummer Joel Anderson kept the rhythm strong and thumping, and bodies in the crowd if not dancing, then at least shuffling enthusiastically.

It's perhaps apt that Kathleen Edwards played the day after Valentine's Day, as her songs are often filled with anguished love stories and fun kiss-offs. It's safe to say that it's always satisfying to listen to Edwards, whether on your iPod or in concert. And I'm very glad to have caught her live in one of her few, sporadic shows.

And of course, it's always nice to get a customized thank-you tweet from the band. Come back anytime, y'all.

And here is the set list for Kathleen Edwards' show. As you can tell, there are 2 new songs, "Mint" and "Empty Threat."


For some free tracks off her older records Failer and Back To Me (2005), check out Edwards' website under the Music section.

For more photos of the sets, check out my Flickr!

Live Blogging Olympic Music : Hey Ocean! & First Canadian Medal!

February 13 marks the first Canadian medal - a silver - in the 2010 Olympic Games. Jennifer Heil won it for women's moguls skiing. Congratulations! When the medal was announced, a loud sustained roar rang throughout the O Zone, briefly confusing Hey Ocean! on stage.

Onto the music; Vancouver's own Hey Ocean! braved the pelting rain and wind, playing to a massive crowd at the Richmond O Zone. They were opening for Bedouin Soundclash. As the Dutch filtered out from the Holland Heineken House (ridiculously full), HO! saw their crowd size swell throughout the set. Not to say that they didn't draw a sizable crowd of their own; it was clear from the adolescent crowd that many had ventured from Richmond and nearby Vancouver and its suburbs to see this young and energetic band put on their famed live shows. And although they weren't able to bring out the sunshine in actuality, they sure kept the crowd warm with spirited pop songs guaranteed to move feet and shuffle bodies.

Hey Ocean! played a long set which featured a large amount of new songs, including the delightful "Bicycle Song" and "Uh Oh" which they had previously played live, as well as other ones that were brand new to me. And of course, they played mainstay favourites such as "Beatboxer (Who Broke My Heart)," "Alleyway" -- which inspired the obligatory lighter-waving -- and "A Song About California."

They even busted out a very enjoyable cover of The Cardigans' "Love Fool," which was very apt for the eve of Valentine's Day. If the crowd around me is any indication, many boys were smitten by Ashleigh Ball, who oozed her characteristic unassuming sex appeal, which was especially evident during this cover.

They also took the time to introduce Adam Cormier, their new drummer. Adam won over the crowd with an extended drum solo which ended with him doing a somersault. I assure you, with his afro-like mass of hair, it was very endearing.

Hey Ocean!, as one may have guessed by the sheer amount of new material, are in the process of releasing a new album, likely sometime in later in 2010. Until then, you can hear them in one of the two other Olympic shows they're playing-- February 19th at Robson Square, or Feb. 20th at Surrey 2010 Celebration Stage.

As for those of you wondering about Bedouin Soundclash, sorry to disappoint. I had to leave the crowd after HO!'s set because when you mix teenagers with alcohol, you get another different beast altogether-- a really annoying one.

Handy handout #6 - Canadian Indie Highlights

This table consists solely of Canadian indie artists that I've taken an interest in. Consider it a compilation of all other lists on my blog, or my comprehensive show times list of highly recommended shows.

**Updated February 1 (again) - Ontario Pavilion, Saskatchewan Pavilion, Alberta House and free CBC shows now added. **

If this is helpful to you at all, please share it / forward it on with a link back to this blog. All of the information courtesy of their respective websites.

If you would like a Word document forwarded to you, please email me at brendahlee [at] gmail [dot] com. 

Metro Vancouver Canadian Indie Highlights. Free unless italicized.
Date	Time	Artist	Venue
Feb. 12	5:30	Jeremy Fisher	Surrey House Stage
	9:00	Nathan; The Deep Dark Woods	Performance Works
	9:00	Bedouin Soundclash	Ontario Pavilion
	9:30	Malajube	Place de la Francophonie
Feb. 13	6:00 - 8:00	Jets Overhead; Current Swell; Wil	Surrey Celebration Stage
	8:00 - 11:00	Bedouin Soundclash; Hey Ocean!	Richmond O Zone
	11:30	Jeremy Fisher	Robson Square GE Plaza
Feb. 14	8:00	Mother Mother	LiveCity Yaletown
	9:30	Elliott BROOD	LiveCity Downtown
Feb. 15	8:00	Malajube	LiveCity Yaletown
	8:00? - 11:00	Jenn Grant; Kathleen Edwards	Richmond O Zone
	8:00	City and Colour; The Rural Alberta Advantage	Queen Elizabeth Theatre
	9:30	Jets Overhead	LiveCity Downtown
	10:30	Sloan	Atlantic Canada House
Feb. 16	9:00	Elliott Brood	Ontario Pavilion
	9:30	Buck 65	LiveCity Downtown
	10:30	The Trews	Atlantic Canada House
Feb. 17	6:00	Karkwa	Place de Francophonie
	8:00 - 11:00	Hawksley Workman; Jill Barber	Richmond O Zone
	8:00	Feist; Gonzales	Orpheum
	8:15	Bend Sinister	Surrey House Stage
	9:00	The Arkells	Ontario Pavilion
	9:30	Corb Lund	LiveCity Yaletown
	11:00	Cadence Weapon	Alberta House
Feb. 18	4:00	The Breakmen	Robson Square GE Plaza
	4:00	CBC Q Live	CBC Vancouver Studio
	8:30	The Arkells	Richmond O Zone
	9:00	Corb Lund	Surrey House Stage
	10:00	Bell Orchestre; Brasstronauts	Great Northern Way Campus
Feb. 19	5:00 - 10:00	Sam Roberts Band; The Arkells; Dan Mangan; Goodbye Beatdown; We Are The City	Surrey Celebration Stage
	8:00	Stars; Hey Rosetta!	Orpheum
	8:15	The Dudes	Alberta House
	9:00	The Constantines	Ontario Pavilion
	10:00 - 11:30	Said The Whale; Hey Ocean!	Robson Square GE Plaza
Feb. 20	6:30 - 11:30	Sam Roberts Band; Coeur de Pirate, The Arkells	LiveCity Yaletown
	7:30 - 11:30	Mother Mother; Hey Ocean!; Said The Whale	Surrey House Stage
	7:30	In-Flight Safety; Hey Rosetta!	Atlantic Canada House
	9:00	Library Voices	Saskatchewan Pavilion
	9:00	“Surprise performance TBC”	Ontario Pavilion
	10:00	Chromeo; Team Canada DJs	Great Northern Way Campus (SOLD OUT)
Feb. 21	7:00	Jill Barber	CBC Vancouver Studio
	9:00	Library Voices	Saskatchewan Pavilion
	9:00	Great Lake Swimmers	Ontario Pavilion
	9:30	In-Flight Safety	LiveCity Downtown
Feb. 22	8:00	Jill Barber	LiveCity Yaletown
	9:00	Library Voices	Saskatchewan Pavilion
Feb. 23	8:00 - 11:00	Wintersleep; Constantines	LiveCity Yaletown
	8:00	Julie Doiron	LiveCity Downtown
Feb. 24	7:30	Julie Doiron; Jill Barber; Catherine MacLellan; Wintersleep	Atlantic Canada House
Feb. 25	7:00	Songwriters’ Circle (ft. Shari Ulrich, Joel Kroeker, Tariq Hussein, Adaline and Ryan Guldemond)	CBC Vancouver Studio
	7:30 - 12:00	Rose Cousins; Julie Doiron	Atlantic Canada House
	8:00 - 11:00	Wintersleep; Two Hours Traffic	Richmond O Zone
	8:00	K’naan; Tinariwen	Orpheum
	9:00	The Wooden Sky	Ontario Pavilion
Feb. 26	5:15	Ben Sigston	Surrey House Stage
	5:30	The Deep Dark Woods	Saskatchewan Pavilion
	7:00	Two Hours Traffic	Surrey Celebration Stage
	7:00	The British Columbians	CBC Vancouver Studio
	9:30	Tokyo Police Club	Richmond O Zone
Feb. 27	5:30	The Deep Dark Woods	Saskatchewan Pavilion
	6:00 - 11:00	Wintersleep; Tokyo Police Club; You Say Party! We Say Die; Hey Rosetta!	Surrey Celebration Stage
	6:30	Matt Mays	LiveCity Yaletown
	7:30 - 12:00	David Myles; Matt Mays	Atlantic Canada House
	9:00 - 11:00	The Stills; The Dudes	Richmond O Zone
	11:30	Mother Mother	Robson Square GE Plaza
Feb. 28	3:00	Maurice	Surrey Celebration Stage
	7:30	The Deep Dark Woods	Saskatchewan Pavilion
Mar. 18	9:30	Martha Wainwright; Jorane	Commodore Ballroom

*Note: highlighted sets indicate ones I plan on attending.