CBC Radio 3 Searchlight Contest : Best Music Website in Canada

A big thank you to you kind readers who have nominated earbuds & ticket stubs for the long list of CBC Radio 3's Searchlight contest for the best music website in Canada! I'm overwhelmed and very grateful. You can vote for your favourite music websites here. You can vote once per day. I know I will be using that opportunity to vote for the many great sites that support Canadian music. Like Justin noted on my other musical project North by East West, we're all aiming for the same thing-- the exposure of the Canadian music scene.

Please support the good folks who love to bring you Canadian music-- vote, donate some money and spread the good word! (on twitter, please use hashtag #Searchlight)

To reiterate for those who may be coming across the blog for the first time, earbuds & ticket stubs is a Vancouver-based music blog by Brenda Lee. It's currently not at full capacity as I'm currently abroad visiting family in Taiwan... but I can't resist when something good lands in my inbox! For more information about myself and the blog, check out the About Me page.

So thanks again! It's all up to your votes! What should I do if I win? Donate my accolades to charity? Throw a Skype party? Feel free to suggest anything in the comments!

Diamonds in the Rough : Headwater, Harlen Pepper, Tariq and more

CBC Radio 3 has recently launched a recurring playlist challenge, the "ehList," which switches themes every week. For the past week, the challenge was to create a "diamonds in the rough" playlist, which would recommend undiscovered or underplayed artists to the staff at Radio 3. Naturally, I compiled a list of a few artists who have piqued my interest. Some old, some new, some borrowed, some blue. Although I haven't been able to devote blog time to many of these artists, I hope to remedy that now... Take a listen and let me know what you think!

Here's one of those artists, Headwater, whom I had the pleasure of catching outside on the CBC Vancouver Plaza on a bright summer day. So pretty much the opposite of what the weather is likely to be at your part of the country. Hope this helps make your day a bit warmer!

Track of the Day : Shimmering Stars

Shimmering Stars is a Vancouver 4-piece that plays dreamy, harmony-laden pop. The low production quality gives their singles a distant quality, as if you were overhearing a band practice next door. I recently had the pleasure of recording a Track of the Day over at CBC Radio 3, featuring their song "Sun's Going Down." You can download that over at Radio 3.

Shimmering Stars cite as their influences, amongst other things, "Bo Diddley, anti-socialness and anxiety issues." You can read an interview with singer/guitarist Rory McClure, along with a free download, over at The Line of Best Fit. If you like what you hear, their EP East Van Girls/Believe is available on iTunes. A full-length album is in the works for 2011 as well.


Shimmering Stars - I'm Gonna Try from Salazar on Vimeo.

FREE DOWNLOAD & TOUR DATES : The Pack a.d... and a contest!

Mint Recording artists from Vancouver, The Pack a.d. are leaving the fires of B.C. and heading back on tour yet again. This time in Canada. In order to celebrate they are offering up free downloads of fan favourites at the myriad of live shows they have played since releasing their critically acclaimed and chart topping third album We Kill Computers on April 27th.

Free Downloads:
MP3: “B.C. is on Fire”
MP3: "Crazy"

They are announcing the details of their new contest as well. Here are the contest particulars and rules according to the band:

The Pack a.d.'s Picture Contest

You know we love contests because we like getting things in the mail, right? Anyway, we think that others must like the same thing - so even if your entry doesn't officially win - you still get a handwritten postcard from us. Postcards are cool.

Here's the contest...

You: Draw a picture of us. That's right, however you want to draw it as long as it's by hand. It can be crayon, pencil, ink, oil - whatever medium you prefer. The only guidelines are that it can't be done on a computer and that it's to be somehow of us (Maya and Becky). That means you can draw us as like, even, errr, whalers if you want or perhaps to be more politically correct, you can draw us as The Wailers..minus Bob Marley of course...this isn't a Bob Marley contest.

We: Pick the ones we like. It could be 2 or it could be 30. No matter what the amount, the chosen pictures will be put into the album insert for our next album. Yes, it's true. The winners will be immortalized in a CD booklet just like Christopher Lambert...which reminds me, you can draw us as Highlander too...that would be sweet.

Entry Deadline: November 5, 2010

Send your pictures to:

The Pack a.d.
C/O Mint Records
P.O. Box 3613, M.P.O.
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
V6B 3Y6

CBC Radio 3 Presents The Pack a.d Canadian Tour Dates with Young Rival

09/05 – Vancouver, BC @ Victory Square Block Party (The Pack a.d only)
O9/O8 - Edmonton, AB @ The Black Dog
O9/O9 – Calgary, AB @ Broken City
O9/ll – Saskatoon, SK @ Amigo's
O9/l3 – Regina, SK @ O'Hanlon's
O9/l4 – Winnipeg, MB @ Lo Pub
O9/l5 – Thunder Bay, ON @ The Apollo
O9/l6 – Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Lop Lops
O9/20 - Montreal QC @ Le Divan Orange
O9/22 - London ON @ London Music Club
O9/23 - Windsor, ON @ Phog Lounge
O9/24 - Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
O9/25 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
O9/28 – Kingston, ON @ The Mansion
09/26 – Wakefield, QC @ The Blacksheep Inn (The Pack a.d. only)
10/22 – Halifax, NS @ Halifax POP Explosion (The Pack a.d only)

TOUR DATES : Library Voices & Paper Lions

Belfast, PEI's Paper Lions and Regina, Saskatchewan's Library Voices have teamed up for a co-headlining tour sponsored by CBC Radio 3 starting on September 28, 2010. Paper Lions will hold down headline duties in the East and Library Voices will headline on the Western leg of the tour. Most of the dates will be supported by Vancouver favourites Bend Sinister. Tickets are on sale now.

Library Voices had been proclaimed  the “undiscovered band you NEED to hear now” by SPIN. They have been featured in The New Yorker. They’ve received generous airplay on the CBC and BBC. They have won a CBC Radio 3 “Bucky” Award. They have been nominated for a 2010 Western Canadian Music Award for “Independent Album of the Year.” They’ve been mugged twice and lost all their gear twice (once through theft, once through an act of God). Denim on Denim, their debut album, was released on April 13, 2010.

Library Voices

Paper Lions have sold over 12,000 albums independently and honed their live show by touring with some of North America’s finest acts such as Cake, The Rheostatics, Joel Plaskett, The Golden Dogs, and Hey Rosetta!. They have been nominated for 10 East Coast Music awards, taking home “Pop Recording of the Year” (2006), and been awarded the “National Touring Group of the Year” (2007, CAPACOA).

PAPER LIONS / LIBRARY VOICES – CANADIAN TOUR DATES –
**w/ special guests Bend Sinister

Tuesday, September 28, 2010 – St Catherines, ON – Mansion House **
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 – Hamilton, ON – Casbah **
Thursday, September 30, 2010 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe **
Friday, October 01, 2010 – TBA
Saturday, October 02, 2010 – Montreal, PQ – Petit Campus (POP Montreal)
Sunday, October 03, 2010 – Ottawa, ON – Café Dekcuf **

Paper Lions

Wednesday, October 06, 2010 – Charlottetown, PEI – Hunters Ale House **
Thursday, October 07, 2010 – Fredericton, NB – Capitol **
Friday, October 08, 2010 – Halifax, NS – Seahorse **
Saturday, October 09, 2010 – Sackville, NB – George’s Roadhouse **
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 – Sault Ste Marie, ON – Lop Lops **
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 – Thunder Bay, ON – Jacks **
Thursday, October 14, 2010 – Winnipeg, MB – Royal Albert Arms **
Friday, October 15, 2010 – Regina, SK – The Exchange **
Saturday, October 16, 2010 – Saskatoon, SK – Amigos
Sunday, October 17, 2010 – Moose Jaw, SK – Cultural Centre **
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 – Yorkton, SK – The Spot **

Friday, October 22, 2010 – Edmonton, AB – Avenue Theatre
Saturday, October 23, 2010 – Kelowna, BC – Habitat (*WCMAs – Library Voices ONLY)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 – Victoria, BC – Lucky Bar **
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 – Duncan, BC – Cowichan Theatre **
Thursday, October 28, 2010 – Tofino, BC – The Legion **
Friday, October 29, 2010 – Vancouver, BC – Pit Pub **

TOUR DATES : The Wilderness of Manitoba w/ The Mountains & The Trees

The Wilderness of Manitoba (above) is set to bring When You Left The Fire To Vancouver with the support of St. John's The Mountains & The Trees, otherwise known as Jon Janes (right). Both are promoting new albums; while the former saw their debut full-length released on June 22, the latter will see his debut I Made This For You released August 10, 2010.

The Wilderness of Manitoba, hailing from Toronto, will bring their folk harmonic tour de force to Vancouver on July 22 @ Little Mountain Gallery, presented By CBC Radio 3. Having just returned from a very successful UK tour, they will be touring coast to coast in support of When You Left The Fire the full length follow up to the band’s head turning debut EP Hymns of Love & Spirits.

Download The Wilderness of Manitoba - "Hermit"
Download The Mountains & The Trees - "More & More & More"

CBC Radio 3 Presents The Wilderness Of Manitoba & The Mountains & The Trees Tour Dates:

June 29 – St. John’s, NL @ LSPU Theatre w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 2 – Halifax, NS @ The Company House w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 3 – Charlottetown, PE @ Baba’s Lounge w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 8 – Montreal, QC @, Le Divan Orange w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 14 – Sarnia, ON @ Adams Apple w/ the Mountains & the Trees
July 16 – Sudbury ON @ The River and Sky Festival w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 22 – Vancouver, BC @ Little Mountain Gallery w/ the Mountains & the Trees
July 29 – Bruno, SK @ All Citizen’s Shop
July 30 – Saskatoon SK @ Caffe Sola w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 31 – Winnipeg MB @ ACU Hall, West End Cultural Centre w/the Mountains & the Trees
Aug 1 – Gimli, MB @ Icelandic Festival of Manitoba w/the Mountains & the Trees
Aug 11 – Windsor, ON @ The Phog Lounge w/ the Mountains & the Trees

More Dates To Be Announced Soon.

Here's a small taste of The Wilderness of Manitoba:


THE WILDERNESS OF MANITOBA - Orono Park from Mitch Fillion on Vimeo.

and of The Mountains & The Trees:

SHOW REVIEW : Hannah Georgas album release for This Is Good at Venue

After playing a packed hometown show in Vancouver last night, Hannah Georgas is wrapping up her album release tour for This Is Good in Victoria tonight. With her undeniably catchy pop tunes, Hannah excited and energized a crowd filled with friends and family, including more fellow musicians than you can count with all your fingers and toes. And that certainly was a good indicator of the quality of Georgas' musicianship. Although she started the night on a slightly nervous note, which is understandable given that this is the hometown show of her first headlining tour, she soon loosened up after a few songs bolstered by the audience's affection of the fiery haired singer.

Hannah Georgas blasted through the majority of the material off of her The Beat Stuff EP and her recently released first full-length, This Is Good. Venue nightclub had emblazoned her name in lights as her and the band entered the stage, which was definitely a nice touch. Opening with the ukelele-led closer of her album "Something for You," she immediately transitioned into her single "Bang Bang You're Dead!" sans the help of the kids at her daycare, whom she got to sing the backup vocals (it was past bedtime, probably). This worked to her favour, as some of us that grew up in the era of scary movies narrated with children's voices might find it hard to take kids' voices in songs seriously. Other highlights of the set included the always, always awesome track off of her EP "Mama's Boy," which opener Colleen Brown earlier aptly defined as a "ball buster" of a track. This fierce yet totally relatable kiss-off song had, I'm sure, many girls mentally high-fiving Georgas.

After a short pause after her proper set, Hannah came back on stage for a three song encore. Fans were delighted by the more than night club friendly track "Dancefloor." In a move that somehow works due to Georgas' immense likeability, she slowed things right down with a new song "Ode to Mom," a more sombre ballad which she dedicated to her father's memory. The end of the song had Georgas singing the words, "if there's magic on this earth, it's in the water... if there's magic on this earth, it's in my blood." This vulnerable and contemplative theme carried over into the last track of the night, "Shine," which saw Georgas on the keys and probing, "is there a place for me in your eyes?" to which the crowd emphatically responded, yes, with their glowing smiles and loud applause.

Hannah Georgas was backed by David Vertesi on guitar/bass, who also acted as her first opener of the night. Better known as local favourites Hey Ocean!'s bassist, Vertesi has recently started churning out material of his own. And boy, did he look all alone on the wide stage of Venue nightclub. The lighting technician didn't entirely help matters either, often turning off the spotlight after a song, making it appear as if the set had ended. He played short set of about 5-6 songs characterized by quiet guitar strums and a deep baritone voice, which included a Hey Ocean! song "My Friends" which he dedicated to the following two acts, Colleen Brown and Hannah Georgas.

In between sets, the audience was treated to CBC Radio 3 trivia questions and swag giveaways by co-emcees Tariq Hussain and Chris Kelly. Chris in particular seemed very amped up and was hilarious on stage. If you need someone to introduce you for anything, I'd give him a call!

Colleen Brown is an artist that has dwelt somewhat under the radar since she started writing her own music in 2001. A damn shame, I say, because after seeing her open for Georgas, I wholeheartedly agreed with emcee Chris Kelly's advice, to go and thank Hannah Georgas for introducing us to this amazing singer-writer. As someone who grew up listening to rhythm and blues and musical theatre during high school, I'd always lamented the indie scene's relative lack of vocalists. If you're like me, take a listen to Brown, who slides in between octaves seamlessly, whose joy in using her voice permeates throughout her songs, which she admitted, were all "sappy love songs." But you won't find only ballads on her recently re-released album Foot in Heart if her live show is any indication; her playful and warm voice is punctuated by punchy keys that encourage dancing and swaying. Her set brought increasingly louder applause until the crowd was clapping and whooping when she left the stage.

For the complete photo set of Hannah's show, check out my Flickr.

Some live footage of Hannah Georgas at the Communitea Cafe in Canmore:
"Let's Talk"


"Dancefloor"

SHOW REVIEW : The Bonfire Ball ft. Jason Collett, Zeus & Bahamas x2

"yes, it was good... but was it Bonfire Ball good?"

As the previous comment suggests, the Bonfire Ball tour featuring Toronto artists Jason Collett, Zeus and Bahamas holds as the golden standard for live shows from this point on. Where do I even begin to recount the camaraderie and phenomenal musicianship that I witnessed? It would be helpful to mention that I had the pleasure of attending the show twice, first in Vancouver at the Biltmore Cabaret on March 26, 2010, and then in Victoria at Sugar Night Club on March 27. So this review will be an amalgamation of both of these nights.

Firstly, a difference between the two nights. The Vancouver show was oversold-- I was told that 500 tickets were sold for the Biltmore, with a capacity of 380. Needless to say, the place was packed half an hour before the sets began, which is when I arrived decked out in a gown as promised to Grant Lawrence of CBC Radio 3, who had challenged attendees of the Bonfire Ball to dress with the "Ball" part in mind. The bands looked visibly surprised to see a crowd of about 10 extremely well-dressed indie kids at stage right, and commented as such when I chatted with members of Zeus post-show.

The low stage and wideness of the Biltmore contributed to being much closer to the band. On the other hand, the Victoria show was considerably more sparse, and the high stage, combined with a well-placed disco ball and other effective lighting, made the show at Sugar resemble prom night in the '70s. I even was asked spontaneously to slow dance during a Bahamas number, which was very fitting. Also, by the time of the Victoria show, which was the tour's second night back in Canada after weeks of touring down south, Collett and co. had caught wind of the challenge to dress up and spoke warmly of CBC Radio 3 during the show. In what was their longest stretch of banter, Jason Collett remarked to an audience member, asking him why he wasn't listening to "the most important radio station in Canada," chiding him for losing his Canadian spirit so soon after the Olympics had left.

Onto the music! Like I had alluded to in a previous post, the shows featured Bahamas, Zeus and Collett in 3 hours of collaborative play, as opposed to 3 distinct sets. This allowed the studio recordings to really come alive with full instrumentation which so often doesn't happen with touring bands. And from the moment Jason Collett steps onto the stage alone, seemingly to tune his guitar but actually starting the show with an acoustic number, the audience's expectations about show sequences are turned upside down.

Never again will you witness so much harmonizing and guitar duets in a single show. Nor like Jen Polk noted for Sticky Magazine, so much testosterone-- i.e. sex, oozing out of fingers and voices. Although appearances did come into play, the appeal of the Bonfire Ball which drove the audience into frenzies were Bahamas' sly, dirty charm, Zeus' tireless enthusiasm and Jason Collett's commanding sway. It's hard to say which was the most popular act of the night, as excited expressions were made anytime the acts were shuffled up. However, when Bahamas was on, you could expect a sexy, bluesy number with smirks and jesting with audience members. When Zeus took the stage, you knew minutes of pure groovy pop bliss were soon to follow... but never knew who was going to play what. And when headliner Jason Collett headed the band, you were taken by his soulful drawl to an era of rock-and-roll that frankly, I wasn't even around to be nostalgic for.

And when the show resumed for the encores, the audiences were treated to an entire set of inventive and totally danceable covers. The Vancouver night saw Neil Quin of Zeus cover R. Kelly's "Ignition" without a hint of irony, and Bahamas' rendition of "I've Never Found A Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do)" pretty much left no females with a libido standing. For the Victoria show, the 3 bands came together and covered Kylie Minogue's "I Just Can't Get You Out of My Head." Both nights also had the (better than Genesis themselves) amazing Zeus cover of "That's All," which is on their EP Sounds Like Zeus.

Do me a favour; see the Bonfire Ball if you haven't. And if you have, see them again. You won't regret it!

For another more thorough write-up, check out 3amrevelations by my good friend Kirk.
Below are the set lists from the Vancouver and Victoria Bonfire Ball shows:

Vancouver (1&2), Victoria (3):

More upcoming Bonfire Ball dates:

31 Mar 2010 20:00
Pawn Shop, Edmonton, Alberta
1 Apr 2010 20:00
The Legion, Calgary, Alberta
2 Apr 2010 20:00
The Exchange, Regina, Saskatchewan
3 Apr 2010 20:00
West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
4 Apr 2010 20:00
7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, Minnesota
6 Apr 2010 20:00
Majestic Theatre, Madison, Wisconsin
7 Apr 2010 20:00
Schuba’s, Chicago, Illinois
12 Apr 2010 20:00
Casbah, Hamilton, Ontario
13 Apr 2010 20:00
Starlight, Waterloo, Ontario
14 Apr 2010 20:00
Zaphods, Ottawa, Ontario
15 Apr 2010 20:00
Petit Campus, Montreal, Quebec
20 Apr 2010 20:00World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
21 Apr 2010 20:00
The Iron Horse, Northampton, Massachusetts
24 Apr 2010 20:00
Union Hall, Brooklyn, New York

Prepping for the Bonfire Ball

I thought I'd prepare any Vancouver readers for what's shaping up to be one of the best shows of 2010-- The Bonfire Ball, featuring Bahamas, Zeus and Jason Collett, all hailing from Toronto. Their tour, which has the three acts sharing the stage for one another's songs as opposed to 3 distinct sets, has already gathered rave reviews across the country. Another highlight is that a challenge has been sent out by Grant Lawrence of CBC Radio 3 for all Bonfire Ball attendees to dress to the nines, like you would going to an actual ball. Can't wait to see if only a few indie kids glammed up!

Firstly, let's have Bahamas seduce you with his bluesy guitar. He opened for Amy Millan a couple of months ago, and half stole my heart since then.


BAHAMAS - Already Yours from Mitch Fillion on Vimeo.

Next, we have one of the most exciting upcoming bands out of Toronto, Zeus. Having played as Jason Collett's backing band for some time, these boys have since shown that they have more than enough chops to strike out on their own. When I caught them at Rifflandia Festival back in September, the first word that came to mind was "groovy."

Zeus - "Marching Through Your Head"



And last but certainly not least, we have the band leader, the rough and tumble veteran of the bunch. Collett, known prior to his solo career as part of the Toronto supergroup Broken Social Scene, is Canada's answer to Dylan. He has a characteristic drawl and a certain nostalgic warmth to his tone.



And here's a taste of what the collaborative show will sound like: Collett, Zeus & Bahamas cover Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" at Canadian Music Week in Toronto.



And for those elsewhere in Canada, here are the remaining tour dates of the Bonfire Ball:

26 Mar 2010 20:00
Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, British Columbia
27 Mar 2010 20:00
Sugar, Victoria, British Columbia
29 Mar 2010 20:00
Communitea Cafe, Canmore, Alberta
31 Mar 2010 20:00
Pawn Shop, Edmonton, Alberta
1 Apr 2010 20:00
The Legion, Calgary, Alberta
2 Apr 2010 20:00
The Exchange, Regina, Saskatchewan
3 Apr 2010 20:00
West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
4 Apr 2010 20:00
7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, Minnesota
6 Apr 2010 20:00
Majestic Theatre, Madison, Wisconsin
7 Apr 2010 20:00
Schuba’s, Chicago, Illinois
12 Apr 2010 20:00
Casbah, Hamilton, Ontario
13 Apr 2010 20:00
Starlight, Waterloo, Ontario
14 Apr 2010 20:00
Zaphods, Ottawa, Ontario
15 Apr 2010 20:00
Petit Campus, Montreal, Quebec
20 Apr 2010 20:00World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
21 Apr 2010 20:00
The Iron Horse, Northampton, Massachusetts
24 Apr 2010 20:00
Union Hall, Brooklyn, New York

Joel Plaskett's reaction to ECMA wins

This has been a great year for Halifax's Joel Plaskett since release of his latest triple album Three. He racked up plenty of awards and accolades since then, including being short-listed for the prestigious 2009 Polaris Prize, a CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award for Best Lyrics for his infectious single "Through & Through & Through." Juno nominations, Indie Award wins, and great demand for the reunion tour for the band of his teenaged years, Thrush Hermit.

The most impressive of feats, arguably, is the 7 East Coast Music Award wins that he took home for Entertainer of the Year, Male Solo Recording of the Year, Recording of the Year, Single of the Year ("Through & Through & Through"), Songwriter of the Year ("Through & Through & Through"), and Pop Recording of the Year, as well as Producer of the Year Awards.

Below is his reaction. From Joel Plaskett's website:

Hey Internet,
I’m truly honoured to have won some awards at the ECMAS in Sydney this past weekend although I’d like nothing more than to carve them up and share them with my super talented fellow nominees and friends: Dave Marsh, Classified, Jenn Grant, Catherine MacLellan and Two Hours Traffic amongst others. Best part of the weekend was seeing some killer music in the various venues. Smoking sets by Carmen Townsend, English Words, Mardeen, THT, Dead Letter Chorus from Australia, The True Love Rules and Amelia Curran were all inspiring. Old Man Leudecke rules too.
CMW then the Hermit. Let’s roll.
- Joel
PS- Just unpacked my bags and I found the crumpled poem I wrote as an acceptance speech:
This is an honour I thank you sincerely
It’s great to sing songs and have some body hear me
Awards are bizarre and they make me feel strange
But I love playing music in my home on the range
The boys from the beach said “hang on to your ego”
Marsh’s new rocker’s called “Super Amigo”
My hands they hang heavy and my feet they feel lighter
I’m a songwriting singer, not a singer-songwriter
So many friends deserve this acclaim
They rock in the fire and they roll in the flame
They write for themselves and they fight for their peoples
They sing like the Byrds and they scream like the Eagles
Musicians musicians in nooks and in crannies
I miss my old grandpa and I miss my granny
But coming to Sydney it makes me feel merry
‘Cause they are buried uptown in that beautiful cemetery
So thank you Cape Breton above and beyond
Your stars in your sky and your tar in your pond
I’m a deer in your headlight, a tear in your eye
I hope I get old before I die
You’re sitting there watching me standing here sweatin’
So here’s to good music and here’s to Cape Breton

CBC Radio 3's Extended Play #7: Do Music Bloggers Have All the Power?

CBC Radio 3's Lisa Christiansen (that's her on the left) hosts a really interesting podcast every two weeks named Extended Play. These podcasts focus on issues concerning music, current events and so on, which veers from the Radio 3 norm of musical podcasts. Some issues that have been addressed in the past include technology and music and the "colour" of indie. The most current podcast, available here, features yours truly and focuses on the issue of music criticism and how music blogs such as this one affect the field, the artists, and the readers/music lovers. The podcast also features Carl Wilson of the Globe & Mail, as well as Vancouver band Yukon Blonde.

I encourage you to take a listen and think about the sources of musical information you take in and trust. And while on my little pedestal, make sure you support your favourite music bloggers, either with a nice comment here and there or a drop in the Paypal bucket. It goes a long way for those of us who don't write to get paid, but to support you, the music lover, and the artists. Thanks for sticking with me!

And also, I want to thank CBC Radio 3 for finding new and innovative ways to support not only artists, but Canadian music lovers such as myself as well. Grant Lawrence in particular has put me on the air several times to mention the blog, as well as provided vital advice. Please remember that when you hear about budget cuts to the CBC.

Live Blogging Olympic Music : Mother Mother, Elliott BROOD and GOLD!!!

Gold!!! Alexandre Bilodeau got the first gold medal in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics in Men's moguls! 7.3 million people watched Bilodeau's winning run and approximately a third of the Canadian population watched the run at least in part. Wow. That's a good trivia fact to remember kids. February 14 --Valentine's Day -- first Canadian gold medal on Canadian soil ever.

I found out about this great piece of news through the mesh fences of LiveCity Yaletown, the venue which Vancouver's own Mother Mother was to be playing at 8:00. The lineup around the site exploded with cheering and spontaneous singing of O Canada and the excitement was contagious. A man walked through the streets with a full-sized Canadian flag perched on his back, flapping in the wind. What a sight; the uncharacteristic exuberance and patriotism I'll never forget.

 

Mother Mother was introduced to the stage by one of the Olympic emcees. Although generally cheesy, this one seemed to know and be quite enamoured by MM, declaring that the reason why the band sells out venues nationwide with lineups winding around street corners is because "they're fricking AWESOME!" It was a highlight for sure and got many yelps and cheers from the crowd.

And awesome, they were. Every time I see Mother Mother live, I'm reminded why they were the recipients of the 2009 CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award for Best Live Act. The inventive, unpredictable chord progressions and harmonies explode in real life, and the confidence and style which the band execute their hits bring me back time after time. Lead guitarist and singer Ryan Guldemond stirred the crowd into an insane frenzy with wiry solos and his characteristic falsetto. Jasmin Parkin got some unintentional solos in the first part of the show due to some poor sound mixing; Molly was inaudible for a good bit and the typical three-part harmonies weren't restored until about 4-5 songs in. But there's no use dwelling on a short part of what was otherwise a killer set. The crowd was jumping and flinging about in no time, and of course a couple of crowd surfers graced us with their presence as well.

Seeing as it was Valentine's Day, the choice of "Arms Tonite" for the opening track of the set was very suitable. Mother Mother then blitzed through, hit after hit, their two albums Touch Up and O My Heart. Overheard in the crowd: "if they don't play 'Hayloft' I'm going to cry." Well, there was no need to fret, as MM saved the best for last and had the whole crowd go bananas with their latest single.

Much like the set by fellow Vancouverites Hey Ocean!, Mother Mother's set was sprinkled with new songs. Two, "Simply Simple" and "Eureka," were played previously in their live shows. Another new song, which started as a normal love ballad, got MM'ed rather quickly and turned into a rock out dance-fest a verse in. Can't wait for the new album, whenever that's slated to be out.

Toronto's Elliott BROOD played in LiveCity Downtown shortly after at 9:30; this LiveCity had a fraction of the capacity compared to LiveCity Yaletown. This resulted in two separate lineups- one to get into the plaza, and another hour long line within the plaza to get into the venue where the BROOD boys were playing. Lame, I know. Most of the set was spent outside watching the boys on a large screen, hearing the enthusiastic crowd banging their wooden spoons and cookie sheets to hits such as "The Valley Town" and "Write It All Down For You" from EB's latest Mountain Meadows. Not to be outdone, the 20-30ish people watching the screen outside, as well as some in the lineup, danced, jigged, and swung about to the music filtering out from the venue and the large TV outside, yours truly included. And boy, was it good dancing music. My legs were jelly by the end of the night.

For the very last song of their set, Elliott BROOD dedicated "Miss You Now" to their good friend Dan Mangan of Vancouver, saying  that they hope to see him soon. Dan, of course, returned the love via Twitter. By last half of the song, the lineup had disappeared, and I was able to run in quickly and snap the photo you see above of the dancing, enthusiastic, noisy crowd.

What a night; running from the show of the winner of Best Live Act to one of the finalists. Maybe next time I'll catch EB in real life real life, as opposed to on a screen, separated by glass and a lineup.

Said the Whale - Bear Bones EP & Tour

 

(Said the Whale playing the UBC torch relay)

Beloved Vancouver-based indie-pop quintet Said The Whale announce the digital release of Bear Bones their new five-song acoustic EP available February 16, exclusively through iTunes. The mini-album was recorded in band member Ben Worcester’s bedroom and features a stripped down version of "Emerald Lake, AB" - the track that won the band a 2009 CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award for Most Canadian Song. Bear Bones also features previously unreleased Said The Whale songs, "Pretty City," "A Song For Me" and "The Fish And The Stars."


Said The Whale are currently taking preorders for the vinyl version release of their Islands Disappear  sophomore album. The disc came out last year, but the 12” vinyl release will be available nearer to Said The Whale’s upcoming Canadian tour this spring. You can place a preorder through the bands website, www.saidthewhale.com

Said The Whale will be playing in their home province of B.C. over the upcoming Olympic Winter Games. The band will be on the road again in March with In-Flight Safety and have confirmed April and May tour dates across Central and Western Canada with Plants and Animals.

Bear Bones EP Tracklisting:

1. Pretty City
2. Strong Swimmers
3. A Song For Me
4. The Fish And The Stars
5. Emerald Lake, AB

SAID THE WHALE - UPCOMING LIVE DATES:

February 19 – Robson Square – Vancouver, BC
February 20 – Surrey House Stage – Surrey, BC
March 25 – Green Room – Montreal, PQ^
March 26 – Zaphod’s – Ottawa, ON^
March 27 – El Mocambo – Toronto, ON^
March 28 – Casbah – Hamilton, ON^
March 29 – Mansion House – St. Catharines, ON^
March 30 – Music Hall – London, ON^
March 31 – Blind Dog – Windsor, ON^
April 01 – Red Dog – Peterborough, ON^
April 28 – WECC – Winnipeg, MB*
April 29 – Amigo’s – Saskatoon, SK*
April 30 – Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB*
May 1 – Royal Canadian Legion – Calgary, AB*
May 2 – Habitat – Kelowna, BC*
May 4 – Sugar – Victoria, BC*
May 5 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC*
^ - dates with In-Flight Safety
* - dates with Plants and Animals

Haiti Web-a-thon (#haitiwebathon)

As many of you may have heard or seen on TV over the past week and a half, the island nation of Haiti had been hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake (and a series of significant aftershocks), crumbling the already impoverished nation and paralyzing almost all of its emergency services and vital infrastructure. For more information, check out the Wiki page. Needless to say, hundreds of thousands of Haitian citizens have died and many remain buried in the rubble. International rescue teams and aid groups have rushed to the scene and monetary contributions from all over the world started to pour in almost instantaneously.

This blog entry is a personal call from me to you, that we have a great responsibility as global citizens to give generously in aid of the citizens of Haiti. The impoverished and high ranked alike are struck to the ground and your money can help pull them upright again. Money is a creative power; it can create opportunities for survival, it can purchase food and water, it can recreate infrastructure. I pray that we will know money as powerful only in transaction; that only in donating generously will we balance the scales of power which have too long been tilted against our brothers and sisters in Haiti. And I pray for compassion and the understanding that these victims are not to blame for their circumstances, that it is now up to us to give joyfully in hope and love so that they will gain peace and dignity.

If you're into attending live shows as much as I am, make sure you check out CBC Radio 3's list of upcoming benefit concerts in aid of Haitian relief efforts.

And if you're anywhere near a TV tomorrow night (Jan 22), top personalities from the Canadian music, film, television and sports worlds have signed on for CANADA FOR HAITI, a one-hour, commercial-free special produced collaboratively between CBC Television, CTV and Global Television.

Canada for Haiti starts Friday January 22nd at:
7pm ET/PT, 8pm AT/MT, 8:30 NT, 9 CT
Hope for Haiti Now starts Friday January 22nd at:
7pm CT, 8 ET/PT, 9 CT/AT, 9:30 NT

For a list of Haiti relief organizations, check out this list compiled by the CBC.

Just a note about NGOs-- although the large ones like the Red Cross will be needed to sustain long term aid and restructuring, the people on the ground doing the most good right now are the small aid groups/individuals, whether charity- or missionary-based, which have been on the ground for considerably longer. They are more cognizant of the cultural differences, the language, and already have established relationships with the community. Many are feeding 20-30 people under their own roof at this time. Consider giving to them directly or the organizations who fund their living expenses.

Some that I have a personal connection to:
Apparent Project
Heart to Heart Haiti

But no matter whom you donate to, give generously!

Thank you very much.
Brenda Lee

Hannah Georgas : New Album and BC Dates

Hannah Georgas, a Vancouver favourite and recent winner of CBC Radio 3's Bucky Award for Best New Artist, is releasing her first full-length album This Is Good on April 27, 2010. So mark your calendars and start save your nickels and dimes!

In anticipation of her new release, Hannah will be playing a few shows around BC in support of other Canadian indie favourites, including good friends Said The Whale from Vancouver, and with Joel Plaskett as part of the Coldsnap Festival.

January 23 - with Said The Whale @ Sugar - Victoria, BC

January 24 - with Joel Plaskett @ Prince George Playhouse - Prince George, BC [SOLD OUT]


Click here for some photos of Hannah Georgas with Said The Whale back in November 09 at St. James Hall in Vancouver.

Also, keep your eyes and ears peeled to NxEW for more upcoming news about Hannah's new release, including an interview and contest giveaways!

Photo Credit: Vanessa Heins

FREE DOWNLOAD : Hannah Georgas - Christmas Touch

This holiday season, Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Hannah Georgas would like to wish you a merry Christmas by serenading you with her quirky, upbeat pop stylings. This free song by the recent winner of CBC Radio 3's Bucky Award for Best New Artist will only be available for the next week, or for the first 100 people, so grab it while you can!

[editor's note: never mind, we've changed the download location. it's available forever and ever and in infinite quantities!]

Hannah Georgas - Christmas Touch

Visit Hannah Georgas' MySpace if you like what you hear.
She currently has an EP out called The Beat Stuff that you can get online at iTunes. If you can hold out until the new year (and really, why would you?), she has a new album coming out called This Is Good.

(Photo from her recent show opening for Said The Whale's album release in Vancouver. More here.)

Concert Review : Rose Cousins & Royal Wood at the Media Club

Rose Cousins and headliner Royal Wood put on a fantastic show on November 17, 2009 at the Media Club in Vancouver-- one full of switching roles, great laughs and even greater appreciation of your loved ones.

Halifax-based Rose Cousins, touring her new album The Send Off, began her opening set by the strumming of her guitar and the clear, warm tone of her voice. Well, not completely accurate. She opened her set by commenting on the amount of people surrounded the stage and how it made her feel "popular." And indeed there was a unusually large crowd for an opening set, which consisted of a dedicated base of "Rosebuds," which included Vancouver artists such as Jill Barber, Nat Jay and T Nile. She also thanked Grant Lawrence of CBC Radio 3, who was in the audience, for interviewing her earlier on during the day and heaped praise on the CBCs across Canada.

It wasn't long into her set that the rest of the people in the room were equally captivated by her honest lyrics, perfect (can I say that?) voice and gut-busting banter, which ranged from touchingly personal to hilariously inappropriate. She also accompanied herself for the entire set on keyboards, guitar and mandolin, save the beautiful "All the Time It Takes to Wait" which was accompanied by the "talented and handsome" Royal Wood.

Rose had the attention of the entire crowd in the usually chatty Media Club. Mid-set, she put the audience on the spot by asking for things in a den-- with the crowd yelling things like "chesterfield!" and "Jenga!" and her constructing a vivid image of that idyllic childhood den with her descriptive imagination. She then transitioned into her song "The Dancers" which imagined an elderly ballroom aficionado couple waltzing around this constructed den.

This was not the only time she called out for audience participation, of course. In another great switching of roles, she called out for an audience member "who's good at keeping rhythm" before playing the last song in her set, "Sadie in the Kitchen." I volunteered hesitantly, and soon found myself sharing the stage with Rose accompanying her on the shaker egg. She gladly regaled myself, an audience member, with the spotlight (and microphone!) while she led the rest of the audience in a sing-along, complete with "random vocal projections." The adorable refrain "before bed, before bed, B for bed, B for bed..." was written with her friends' young daughter in mind, and meant to be an "adult children's song" that she composed for said friends' wedding. Her willingness to share the stage and completely engage the crowd in participation recalls the show by her good friend, Joel Plaskett, whom she supported in a Vancouver show in May.

So yes, I'm going to include that in my resume and CV from now on.

Royal Wood took to the stage with guitarist Dean Drouillard inconspicuously, launching into their first of many songs. Playing many songs from his latest The Lost and Found EP as well as his 2005 A Good Enough Day, Royal filled the Media Club with his romantic, melancholy ballads without his usual backing band. And was the show romantic! Couples lined the perimeter of the stage, as well as filling the rest of the venue, while Royal told of the songs inspired by his brother's wedding, his parents' love, his own love and that of his friend's grandparents. In one of the more poignant moments, he told the audience to never settle for less than the reverberating, lifelong love that they deserve, and for which he sings. These touching anecdotes were nicely interspersed in the song-heavy, banter-light set, which included hits "Juliet" and "Don't Fall Apart."

Royal invited Rose back on stage for 2 songs near the end of his set, and wrapped up with an extended, passionate "Acting Crazy (It's a Breakdown)." Before returning on stage for the encore, he seemed confounded by the presence of washrooms where backstage is supposed to be. The Media Club's backstage is actually at the back of the room, and he commented that he wasn't sure whether to enter the men or the women's washroom in order to get there. Matching Rose's incredible sense of humour, he poked fun at the men in the room by encouraging a final sing-along by saying "this is to show your sexual confidence," which of course, got a burst of laughter and the desired louder audience participation.

All in all, the show was a heartwarming experience, and concert goers exited the Media Club with muted smiles, holding their loved ones into the windy, rainy Vancouver night.

For more photos of the show, visit my Flickr set.

You Say Party! We Say Die! - XXXX ing catchy

"...my heart needs a lap dance...your heart needs a romance...my heart needs a lap dance..."

Abbotsford-based You Say Party! We Say Die! has released quite the sparkling gem with their latest, XXXX. There was an immense amount of hype prior to and following their release, which includes being the X3 Artist of the Month for October, as well as the glowing reception of music bloggers such as Amanda Ash, and being featured prominently in CBC Radio 3's recordings of the just-passed Halifax Pop Explosion. Oh, and the fact that they've topped Canadian campus charts for 4 weeks in a row since XXXX's release.

And let me tell you, the hype is well-deserved. XXXX is an album you can at once chill and frantically dance to. The sound is expansive and it's easy to imagine tracks such as "Lonely's Lunch" driving audiences to a frenzy in stadium settings. "Make XXXX" has a wicked bass intro. "Glory" packs a satisfying oomph ("sex! (gasp) drugs! (pause) ... GLORY..."), and the opening track "There is XXXX (Within My Heart)" is one you can't help but sing along to, even upon the first listen. The current single, "Laura Palmer's Prom," dare I say, takes the best parts of '80s synth sound and makes it even better. The album, simply put, is excellent.

By now, you may be wondering what the heck XXXX stands for. Simply put, it stands for LOVE. But it goes further than that. XXXX is lead singer Becky Ninkovic's conceptualization of a hope and love that keeps her afloat. The unnameable force that inspires continually. And after repeated listens through the entire disc, XXXX might as well stand for the kind of magic within music that captures first-time listeners and sucks you in, because that's exactly what happened with me with this album.

(Last note, I absolutely love the above photo, and completely understand why Ninkovic was on the final ballot for the Sexiest Musician category for CBC Radio 3's Bucky Awards.)

You Say Party! We Say Die! - There is XXXX (Within My Heart)



Buy XXXX on Zunior.
Find You Say Party! We Say Die! on Myspace, Twitter, Facebook.

Concert Review : Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees & Dragonette

(First of all: wow. Electro-dance music live. So much better than the recorded stuff. The show last night was a great continuation after seeing Champion and His G-Strings at Rifflandia.)

Now I admit up front I knew neither Dragonette nor Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees well going in to the concert and had little to no expectations. Rebekah Higgs of Ruby Jean is mentioned quite frequently on NxEW, so I assumed good things. A friend had invited me to the concert last minute and he's quite familiar with Dragonette's music, showing an interesting contrast where I knew the opening act while he knew the headliner. This review focuses mostly on Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees.

The show was held on October 17, 2009, and the venue, laconically named Venue (don't you love ironic un-creativity), was originally the Plaza night club. It was quite classy, in fact, which was a nice deviation from many of the Vancouver clubs. There was a high stage, much like the Commodore Ballroom, and similarly has a well laid out floor plan. High ceilings and a balcony enabled a back wall LED light display, as well as a hanging ceiling light displays. Both of those were put to good use during the two sets.

A few notes about Dragonette-- the lead singer Martina Sorbara oozes confidence. She knows how to grab attention and hold it. The crowd, which consisted of everything from screaming club girls to Gucci-sporting men to gamer-looking huge guys, ate up whatever she served during the hour set. It was amazing to be up so close to the front and see the amount of arms reaching and longing to touch her grey body suit or shake her slender hand. Sorbara was visibly pleased and thanked the full house crowd for their full attention and adoration.

Now onto Halifax's Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees. As an opening act, they complemented Dragonette very well, as both bands have strong frontwomen, backed by solid trios of supporting men. They both played electro-dance rock which moved you involuntarily.

Ruby Jean launched into You Don't Miss Me, the one song I was familiar with from CBC Radio 3, as the first song in their set. They then proceeded to blitz and grind through the remainder of songs from their eponymous album.

Although their time slot was quite early (7:30 on a weekend?), which Rebekah apologized for, the area in front of the stage soon filled up with bobbing heads and swinging hips. And with good reason. Rebekah Higgs is a hell of a show-woman, clutching two microphones, swinging her mess of blond hair around, kicking the air, craning her back down where previously thought humanly impossible, punching her suitcase of buttons and pedals... in short, it was amazing. She oozed confidence (and sex appeal!) in a fully sequined blue mini-dress, matched by guitarist Jason Vautour in a leather vest (no shirt) and leather short-shorts.

It was a pleasure watching the band rock out on stage, visibly having fun, with chemistry and what may be sexual tension building up to the (very high) roof. Rebekah thanked the audience frequently for their high energy, and reached out into the crowd quite a few times for audience participation.

I immediately bought their album and shirt after the set, which came to a very reasonable $20, and got to chat briefly with Rebekah, who's really sweet despite (?) her onstage persona.

On stage, Higgs mentioned that this is only the second time that they've played in Vancouver. Well, that has to be remedied. and fast.

For more pictures from last night, visit my Flickr!

Tune of the Day: WOW

The Pack A.D. - Black Out
The growl in that voice, the leather jackets, Grant Lawrence and the Radio 3 office, turning it way up, throwing shit around... that, kids, is how you rock out.

I'm just LOVING Vancouver artists right now. Never mind Canada, I could live off of BC music for a loooong time. ... But I'd miss Joel Plaskett.