Great Lake Swimmers' The Legion Sessions

You see by the lines on my hands
I’ve been carrying a heavy load
You follow them across my palms
Where they run like roads

Trace the palm on the cover of Great Lake Swimmers' latest album Lost Channels. You'll appreciate the symbolism, listen to some lovely renditions of their Polaris-nominated tunes, and if you find all 9 hidden videos, get a free download of a previously unreleased song. (I'm currently stuck on 7...)

Click here to try your luck and listen to some gorgeous music!

If you like what you hear, Great Lake Swimmers will be in Vancouver on January 29, 2010 at the Vogue Theatre. They are also playing for free at the Whistler Village Stage as part of the Olympic festivities on February 13, 2010. Perfect Valentines idea if I ever saw one.

Tune of the Day: Class Notes and Dreaming

Tonight's Tune of the Day for October 4/5th is Dan Mangan's impeccable Journal Of A Narcoleptic, off of his debut album Postcards and Dreaming.

It truly has surprised me how this song has crept up on me. It's been the sleeper hit (pun intended) of the past couple of months, trumping even the incredibly lovable and sing-along-able Robots as my favourite tune of Dan's. In fact, I would go ahead with the large claim that this song is flawless. It's perfect. I've never ever had that thought about any other song before this. The quiet shudder in Hille's voice near the end, the entwining of the gruffness of Mangan's and Hille's clear tones, the suspenseful strings, the staggered emphasis on the word deep... the build up... wow. I'm so hooked.

The only thing that would make Mangan's (already Polaris-hyped) sophomore album Nice, Nice, Very Nice even nicer is if this song was tucked within it.

and sometimes I'm sleeping
and I'm still on my feet
and lord, its deceiving
how we're all in so deep

I'm sorry,
I'm sorry
but it ain't easy...
but it ain't easy

Constantines with words to live by

I wish you twelve lanes of peace and quiet
And all speed away from human sorrow
You and I, we're gonna break even
Two animals on the road to animal heaven

You do what you can do with what you got.

But I was also born and raised
To always speak and listen clear
To know the last sound that I make
Could be the last sound that I hear

I will not sing a hateful song.

Tune of the Day - Sept 15, 2009

Hey Rosetta! - Holy Shit (What A Relief)

Off their lush, orchestral and haunting Polaris-nominated disc into your lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood).

I can't find a Youtube clip or an audio clip anywhere (it's not even on their MySpace), so you'll have to take my word for it that this is a song that really, truly is excellent. It exemplifies the load-off-your-back feeling when you shed one of your long-lurking, dark demons, and you feel a relief that courses through your body. Try finding it off their website on the mini player in the top right hand corner...

Holy shit, what a relief

I pulled myself apart, couldn't breathe, tore my hair, bit my skin
I thought of all the dark, all the ash, all the blood, all the grief
I told myself look up - told myself look up and believe
and now this peace - like a blanket - enveloping me.

and holy shit
what a relief...
the worst has come
and turned to leave
and holy shit
what a relief!
all that weight falling from me
and all that breath finally free

This is another song I really like from them - I've Been Asleep For A Long, Long Time. I'm hoping that indirectly, you'll really enjoy this song and check out Holy Shit, which is really a song to heave a large sigh to after a long, difficult time in your life.

(thank you, God.)

Tune of the Day: Great Lake Swimmers - Still

The Great Lake Swimmers have just released their music video yesterday for the ethereal Still off their latest, Polaris-short-listed album Lost Channels, easily one of my favourite songs seen live this past summer.

I'm still turning myself on to the great key, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still mining for light in dark wells, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still a frequency swaying, a leaf in the wind, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still searching for whispers in between yells, I'm still, I'm still

I'm still swimming in harmony, I'm still dreaming of flight
I'm still lost in the waves, night after night

I'm still an arrow unshot, fixed in a bow, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still a fire unlit, ready to go, I'm still, I'm still

I'm still loaded and waiting, with anticipation to fly
I'm still studying the patterns in the night sky

I'm still a note that's unplayed, ink on a page, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still a cry in the night, lonesome and high, I'm still, I'm still

I'm still tuned to an instrument of greater and unknown design
I'm still looking for direction, some kind of sign

I'm still tuning myself to the great key, I'm still, I'm still

And here's my live recording of Still from the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, featuring members of The Breakmen and Rock Plaza Central providing back-up.
(Please pardon the slight garbles; my point-and-shoot is not great with picking up bass.)

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

Tune of the Day: Peter Elkas - Sweet Nancy

This is an oldie but a goodie... Peter Elkas and his sweet, sweet soul. A short description by New Scotland Records:

For fans of The Boss, Tom Petty and Sam Cooke. Peter used to play in The Local Rabbits while delivering ice cream for Nestle in Montreal.

Also, watch the video below and see why he was given the CBC Radio 3 Bucky award for Sexiest Musician. He has a smile that could make mermaids swoon... and he writes songs accordingly. His music is earnest and warm, and incredibly charming. I'm looking forward to digging more into his discography.

Peter Elkas - Sweet Nancy
Album: Wall of Fire

Sweet Nancy we gotta stop dancing
This song is getting much too long
And all our friends can’t be wrong
Sweet Nancy we gotta stop dancing
All these people cutting in
They’re deepening the rut we’re in

I know you don’t believe me
But I think it’s time you leave me now

Sweet Nancy we gotta stop dancing
Don’t tell me you don’t know it’s true
I found a love with someone new

Sweet Nancy we gotta stop dancing
Though I could never be your man
There’s someone out there who can

And I know you don’t believe me
But I think it’s time you leave me now

And I’m tired of being sorry but I’ll always be
Sorry for the times I should’ve set you free
And when you go away you know I won’t write
But I hope you find someone who wants to hold you every night
I hope you find someone who wants to hold you every night

And in another video with CBC Radio 3, where Elkas reveals his day-time occupation...

Tune(s) of the day, et al.

Two songs for the Tune(s) of the Day for Aug. 23, both by female Canadian artists.

1. I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Amy Millan, a cover of Death Cab For Cutie. It will appear on her upcoming album Masters of the Burial, due to drop September 8th.

If you like what you hear, she's coming to the Biltmore Cabaret on October 24th.

The song is a beautiful little love ditty, and Millan's take on it is light and airy. Download the track for free below.

Amy Millan - I Will Follow You Into The Dark
Lyrics

Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

(FYI: them Catholic nuns need some re-education.)


2. Misstress Barbara (ft. Sam Roberts) - I'm Running, from her debut album I'm No Human.

What happens when you throw one of Canada's best electronica DJ with one of its best rock front men? You get this song, of course!

The video's pretty trippy actually. And what do you know, it's filled with... running.




Lyrics

I'm running from the past and from all my mistakes
I'm running and im sorry if I cant stay in one place
There's no where I can go that can stop me from running
And I'm running, I'm running to you

----------
The Peak 100.5FM in Vancouver has launched a project called The Peak Performance Project, meant to prepare and launch local bands into the limelight. The winner will be awarded $150,000 to assist the artist's business plan. That, is a decent chunk of change.

Local favourites in the top 20, who are currently preparing for an extensive music biz boot camp next week, include Adaline and Bend Sinister.

Check out the Vancouver Sun's thorough piece about the project here.

Driving home singing at the top of my lungs

There's a few pleasures I enjoy in life, and one of those is belting out songs in the car, after having an awesome meal at the Templeton consisting of veggie poutine and a root beer float. Tonight's soundtracks of choice:

Dan Mangan's newest - Nice, Nice, Very Nice
Joel Plaskett Emergency - Truthfully Truthfully

True love is sharper than stones and sticks
Louder than bombs and clocks that tick
I feel as deep as the ocean blue,
when I'm standing here with you
and the world keeps spinning faster
What am I to do
in the face of our disaster
I've been here before
but I don't know what comes after
The night's a lonely place to be
When the lights go out
I want you here with me

When I could not trust myself
I put my trust in someone else
But she led me astray
and then she went away
All my lessons learned
after all my bridges burned
Everything felt wrong
until you came along

It's quicker than sand, thicker than blood
It's like a slight of the hand, a stick in the mud
It's as deep as the ocean blue
What am I supposed to do
now that all your fire's gone
How do you want me to play along
I know it's true, somewhere we went wrong
But tonight's a lonely place to be
When the lights go out
I want some company

Tune of the Day

So my weekly-ish recommendations kind of fell through after two editions... No matter, I press on to bring you the Tune of the Day for August 13, 2009! Written on my last day at my summer job. In fact, writing this blog entry might be the last thing I do before leaving.

Joel Plaskett - Shine On, Shine On, Shine On (I'm not sure if the link works or not)

Three (disk 2), 2009

Why I picked this song:

Really, who's surprised that Mr. Plaskett's my first pick?

The longing for home in this song is palpable and almost envelopes you as you hear him croon about his loneliness while touring down in Australia. Also, the lyrics have been stuck in my head all day.

Why I love this song:

It plays like a narrative, like a letter written to Plaskett's wife from Scarborough Beach. It's not until the last verse that the song title enters, in a delicate crescendo, framed by traditional folk whistles. (that's a good interview, btw)

His gift is his burden, his home propels him forward, and his motivation is always rooted in the love waiting with the front porch light on.

Damn.

I set my sails for the New South Wales
Trying to get ahead of the sun
The day I left for the New South Wales
You said, “Babe, don’t forget where you’re from.”

Wading in the water on the Scarborough Beach
Taking pictures of my feet in the sand
I should be writing you a letter from the Scarborough beach
Saying, “Babe, you won’t believe where I am.”

Stopping on the highway at the side of the road
Staring at a whole new set of stars
I go where I go and I do what I’m told
But it’s easy to forget who you are

Oh, you read my mind
Your beauty can leave me blind
The truth can be cruel and so unkind
But I can’t lie to you
Sometimes I get so blue
I don’t want anything to do with myself

I set my sights on my front porch light
Trying to shake this feeling that took hold
Dreaming that you’re leaving on the front porch light
Maybe turning lead into gold
Singing, “Shine on, shine on, shine on traveling light”
Sing a song, sing it for all the right reasons tonight

Taps Reversed - Lyrics

-- Christine Fellows and John K. Samson

All the unpaid bills wrestling interest rates
while past due dates wait with their boutonnieres

And the slumping bike
strangled with the lock that we forgot the combination to

The old house drinks everything we hide
and hum sad songs that keep us up all night

With the doorknobs loose
and the pipes that burst
with the fuses blown
and the taps reversed

The calendar requests a meeting to discuss the time we waste
when would be good for you?

And the sidewalk cracks spell the way back home
in one uninterrupted palindrome

The old house keeps all of our receipts
in envelopes secured with rubber bands

Oh the blinking snow
and the dark dispersed
with the smeary moon
with our taps reversed

-----
Note: This is transferred from my old writing collection blog, as I had noticed that it was the most popular page and search referral from Google. Thought it'd be more at home here.

Enjoy; I listened to it numerous times labouring over the different words, and it is a lovely song. It can be found in CBC Radio 3's Make Out Podcast from 2007.

Backstage Vancouver interviews Shad

Ask my roommates, I live off drive through fries, two shirts and a tube of toothpaste

I live in a new place, every few days

How I'm living is never staying a minute too late

The full piece at Backstage Vancouver. It's actually an excellent example of incorporating an interview into the body of your text, as opposed to having a floating back-and-forth format. And I'm always a big fan of using lyrics in write-ups. Kudos Lauren :)

My first dose of Shad was on 21 February 2009 at the Biltmore Cabaret, and I’ve been addicted ever since. He is an emcee from London, Ontario, and has been living in Vancouver for over a year now. His shows present his energetic live personality, entertaining freestyle skills, and the unique ability to play guitar and rap simultaneously. What struck me at the concert was his sincere and down-to-earth presence, elevating him immediately to the rank of one of the most genuine people I had ever encountered. You get what you see, and you can’t help but love it. Shad says that the balance between being himself and being a performer is that the music is "still you, but it’s entertaining people and it’s having fun, and to me that’s inseparable.” This is especially evident in his lyrics, which have as much profound yet understated self-reflection as his conversation.

Shad’s awareness reaches much farther than self-reflection. He describes his song “I Heard You Had A Voice Like An Angel/Psalm 137” as his reflection on “an industry that is, to a great extent, damaging culture and damaging people, and yet the face of it is smiling, singing and dancing.” ...

You could say Shad is religious. He believes in God, and it comes through in his lyrics. His clever integration of references sees such variety as Ne-Yo and Moses in sequential breaths. However, Shad’s beliefs lie in something as big as God: love.

... This wisdom of man / is foolishness to God / Don’t build on the sand / or trust in the odds / Be shrewd as the snakes / and innocent as doves / Don’t succumb to hate / overcome hate with love (“Exile”). Shad feels that “the highest wisdom in the world is loving people,” despite the fact that it is counter-intuitive in today’s capitalist society. Shad calls us to action in his songs, even though getting up after being knocked down is a well-known adage. His response to the apathetic and desensitized nature of our generation is that we must do something: “if nothing else we have to take charge of our own life, not let life pass us by and not just become whatever life makes us. We have to be deliberate about choosing who we want to be.” This drive and motivation has propelled Shad this far, and promises to carry him as far as he chooses to go.

For all the times I've seen him around Vancouver, as well as performing for friends, I'm looking forward to delving deeper into Shad's musical musings.

Condensed, sleep-deprived weekend review

Yays:
- Got to catch the following artists at VFMF: Weakerthans, Iron & Wine, Arrested Development, The Breakmen, Basia Bulat, Dan Mangan, Rock Central Plaza, and Great Lake Swimmers among others
- Caught Joel Plaskett Emergency (+ Peter Elkas) for free
- Chatted with Basia, offered pie to Dan, and Tony Dekker drew me a guitar
- Grabbed set lists from JPE and GLS shows
- Had my interview questions for Basia used although I couldn't make it personally due to a close friend's bridal shower
- Dancing and praising God in a flowy skirt during Arrested Development's twilight (and night time) performance. (Now how to distill that magnetic, spiritual energy into Sunday mornings?)
- The Lantern Committee's light show at night time during AD's set, and then lining the pathways to lead the crowd out of the park
- "Banjo Wars 2009" between Rock Central Plaza, The Breakmen and Great Lake Swimmers during their session. Lying down right up front feeling like I could float, I could fly, like branches and boats and birds in the sky. (Joel Plaskett)
- Basia Bulat's stomping heels, rich voice and warm attitude
- Hanging out with Alex(OfAnders), Justin, Mel and Lauren. Singing along with Dan Mangan to Robots with Alex and a thousand other people at the main stage.
- Great Lake Swimmers were plucked from the ear of God themselves. Tony Dekker has a voice that not only makes memories, yet takes previous ones and puts a sepia tone to them. Dreamy yet grounded, and singularly spectacular. Read these words:

I'm still a note that's unplayed, ink on a page, I'm still, I'm still
I'm still a cry in the night, lonesome and high, I'm still, I'm still

I'm still tuned to an instrument of greater and unknown design
I'm still looking for direction, some kind of sign

I'm still tuning myself to the great key, I'm still, I'm still
(Great Lake Swimmers, "Still")

After that, it's hard to go over the ughs. I'm extremely sleep deprived and have skipped most normal meals for the past three days, but that's not because of the set up of the festival but how entranced I was with the music. And how long it took to upload pictures and videos onto my computer.
I'll upload some pictures onto Flickr and write a proper write-up on NxEW when I get home. There are a lot of photos, and a couple of videos... depending how the bass turned out in them, I might upload them onto Youtube as well. Don't forget to check back :)

Emily Haines dissects Fantasies track by track

From Drowned In Sound

Some of my favorite exerpts:

'Satellite Mind'
This song was inspired by some paranormal events in my life. Jimmy sent me the track when I was in Los Angeles for the funeral of a friend, an occasion that was filled with eerie David Lynch moments. I found myself asking the question, "How can you protect your privacy from invasive ghosts?"

'Stadium Love'
Imagine an apocalyptic Noah's Ark transplanted to the Thunderdome, with animals of every stripe fighting for their lives for the entertainment of the human race. We are at the point on this planet where the line between spectator and participant is not just blurred, it has disappeared completely. Everything we do is part of the "show", none of us have the option of sitting out a round. The natural world used to be something we thought we could exploit for our pleasure forever but those days are gone. The natural world is fighting back, and the natural world will win.

Fantasies, on an aside, is also a fantastic album to listen (and mock perform) to in the shower. Just putting it out there.