The Acorn - Tin Fist EP

I was all excited to make a post about the new Feist song that's surfaced off her upcoming album The Reminder - but I was beaten to it. So go check that out, it's really worth a listen.


But now onto The Acorn's latest release, Tin Fist EP. Again proving how slow I am on the draw, this album was released Dec 2, 2006. It's among my favourite albums last year, hands down.

The intensity this band captures never ceases to imaze me. Which is why I'm absoultely thrilled to see they're stopping by Calgary on their Canadian tour.

This album is a journey; alebit a short one (which really is a shame). It starts off hauntingly with Heirlooms, a song that I promise you, will make your skin crawl if you listen to it somewhere alone with all the lights out. Hauntingly beautiful would be a good way to describe it.

From there, Tin Fist EP continues to grow, twisting and turning, giving and taking. Dents takes us on a softer ride, but the intensity returns in Spring Thaw.

Brokered Heart and Spring Thaw are both available to listen to on the band's myspace; along with some earlier songs (one of which, Blankets, you'll recognise from a WHYH mixtape).

Lets also throw in some links here: Go Jeff!!! is a band from Saskatchewan, who are going to do big things this year; Manic just recently released their EP Floor Boards, and I'll have a review of that up here shortly.

I can't promise that posting here will become more regular, but I am trying.

Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton

Emily Haine's debut solo disc, Knives Don't Have Your Back was released on September 12th of this year, making this review exactly a little late.

Her first foray from her band Metric, and then the Broken Social Scene (and all related) collective shows Haine's softer side: the lyrics do not differ much from Metrics, however the music is definately not only driven from a different place, but driven to a different place. Instead of a rock out and have a good time sort of feel, this album lets off a quiet desperation. Tracks like Doctor Blind and The Lottery both slowly grow, to then slowly fade away, as if they were never there at all.

To hear Doctor Blind, The Lottery, and Our Hell check out Emily's myspace. Trust me, it's worth it.

Now, the reason this review is following the cd so many months later: when I first heard this cd, I hated it. It didn't seem worth it. Roughly three days ago, I threw the cd in my cd player after not listening to it since September, and something clicked. It all made sense. I'm putting it down to me thinking that it's more of a winter album - it just does not give off an autumn feel.

[Purchace Knives Don't Have Your Back from the Metric Online Store.]


Coming soon to WHYH: Something vaugely holidayesque. Tis the season!

Feature: The Golden Dogs

Hey all...Ju here. And no, I am not, in fact, dead.

I am UNdead. As in, the witch administrators of art school killed me with cut paper assignments, then resurrected my corpse for their own, evil purposes.

*shrugs* You'll all get used to the change eventually. I already have; you wouldn't BELIEVE how much you save on food when all you consume is human flesh. In fact...I highly doubt you'll even notice the difference.

Anyways, my new lifestyle is not the topic here. What IS the topic is The Golden Dogs...a wonderful rock/pop/indie band from Toronto. Which means, of course, that they're right close-by. And they tour, once in a while. ^^

Not for those who require every member of the band to possess and eight octave singing range and the lungs of a sherpa, but the rest of you should be just fine. Bouncy and exuberant music, without ever being trite or overly studied. The one impression you get when listening to these songs is that somewhere in the world...people still have fun making music.

I know. I thought fun was dead, too. O_o

Jangling guitarwork over female/male vocals with more hooks than an Alberta slaughterhouse (I lied. You WILL be able to tell the difference, what with the disturbing imagery >.>)...you've heard it all before. And while the Golden Dogs never sound like something you've never heard coming through your eardrums before, it's a good thing. This is the kind of pop music that doesn't get made much, anymore, and trust me, it's nice to have it back.

Also, the absent Philip once told me that they sounded like the Ramones. Which is a bald-faced lie, but a comparison like that can never be a bad sign, since THAT band wrote some of the loopiest pop music ever. *grins*

The Golden Dogs can be found at their Myspace. Yes. Um...probably on a website, as well. They probably have a website, too. O_o

...

Wow, it's been so long I've forgotten how one commonly ends these things. A handshake? Is that...um...does that work?

*coughs*

>.>

~Ju

Mixtape: Again for the Winter

Yes, it has been a while, but we're taking a fresh start here at WHYH. Things are going to be a bit sporatic until a schedule can be found, so please bear with us, and accept our apologies for making you (if any of you still bother with this) wait.

Here's a little mixtape - it's not as organized as the other ones; there's no cover art, and the order and album isn't in the ID3 tags. All of the files are mp3 except the Death Cab ones, which are m4a. (Apologies to those who haven't discovered the bliss that is Macintosh, and don't already have any Death Cab. You should be ashamed.) Also, there doesn't seem to be a theme for this one. I was just rather annoyed that no album has jumped out at me as a "winter album" (like Arcade Fire's Funeral did last year), so I decided I must make my own.

Without any further ado; Again for the Winter.
01. Kid Dakota - Ten Thousand Lakes
02. Jonas Bonnetta - Ebb and Flow
03. The Acorn - Blankets
04. Death Cab for Cutie - A Lack of Colour [m4a]
05. The Album Leaf - Wishful Thinking
06. The Decemberists - Right Red Ankle
07. Woolly Leaves - Sans Luis Rey
08. VAST - Cello Song*
09. Howie Day - She Says
10. Great Lake Swimmers - Song for the Angels
11. Death Cab for Cutie - Stable Song [m4a]

Zip file with all the songs.

Enjoy

*The track is labelled as Cello Song, but that is not the actual title. I believe it is actually called Flames. When I first heard the song a few years ago, it was introduced to me as Cello Song, and being as stubborn as a mule, I still refuse to call it anything else. Again, apologies.

Slow Runner

I'm going to let these guys sum themselves up, rather then struggle to write something that not only describes the band's sound, but comes across coherently (and, in doing so, probably fail miserably.)

this is what we hope our music sounds like: interesting, lyrical pop music shot out into space, bouncing around the satellites and getting mixed in with all their beeping and blipping. like if r2-d2 had an aching heart and a love for the noisiest beatles songs. ideally, if you took out the depressing lyrics and substituted in educational stuff about sharing with others and the states and capitals, you could sit down at a piano and have a classroom of kids singing along within minutes. that’s the idea anyway. weird sounds get added later. and then we get to play live and see if we can make every heart in the room burst with pent-up feelings. it’s a good job.

Now, I've taken that from the Slow Runner website. Well, I think that about sums up all that there is to be said.

from No Disassemble
01. Break Your Mama's Back
02. Streamlined
03. Moody Suburban Teenage Love Song

Enjoy!

A Quick Apology, and some Tapes 'n Tapes

Yes, I realize there hasn't been a post in about two weeks. I'm working more then full time hours, and Ju is settling into a new job (and celebrating her birthday, which is today! So, if anyones reading this, they should take a second to leave a comment wishing her a happy birthday. *nods*). So, there are many apologies.

Unfourtinately, things don't look good for the next couple weeks. We're both starting school, and I, for unfathomable reasons, am keeping up working full time in addition to this. Yes, I know, I don't get it either. I think insanity runs in my family.

Don't give up on us just yet though! I'm going to be trying my hardest to start posting more regularily.

So, just because I can't post without some songs, here are some Tapes 'n Tapes songs for you:
01. Omaha
02. The Iliad

Please excuse the lack of fanfare around the songs. I figure that by now most people have heard of Tapes 'n Tapes, as they've made the rounds on the music blog circuit long ago (I'm just slow on the uptake, that's all.)

So, while you're listening to (and enjoying!) those songs, take a second to wish Ju a happy birthday, and maybe let us know what you'd like to see from WHYH, or what you wouldn't like to see (if you're that way inclined).

Again, my apologies!

Touring: Broken Social Scene with Do Make Say Think

I think it's quite obvious to anyone that we here at WHYH are quite the Broken Social Scene fans. We also have quite the soft spot for their instrumental relatives Do Make Say Think. If you haven't clued into that by now, then you have been living under a rock, therefore we do not wish to deal with you; good day.

Now for the rest you: the tour dates for Broken Social Scene's and Do Make Say Think's tour have been announced. The ending of this tour brings on a break for BSS (although, not an ending, they assure us), and is the first glimmer of life we've had from DMST in a while (well, that's not counting their announced then quickly cancelled tour, after Justin broke his collarbone).

However, among all this good happy music news, there is bad news. Horrible news. Tragic news. This tour, of two bloody brilliant Canadian bands, is only in the US.

...I suppose that isn't such bad news for the Americans, but, for us Canuks? Devistating. Which is why we must indulge ourselves in songs from these two bands. I've some BSS goodies for you all, and then some album tracks for DMST.

Broken Social Scene:
7/4 (Shorelines) [an early version of the song; some would call it the original. I think it stands on its own.]
Stars and Spit [a mashup of Stars and Sons and Lover's Spit from the 7/4 single]
Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day) [live on NPR's world cafe. Thanks to the kind folks at b(oot)log for this file!]

Do Make Say Think:
107 Reasons Why [from Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn]
End of Music [from & Yet & Yet]

Enjoy. And if you're going to be in the states while they're touring, do yourself a favour and check them out. I promise you won't regret it.

Covers: Beatles

Okay, this is just a quick post. A very quick post, but it must be done!

Lately I've been obsessing over Slow Runner. There will be a more indepth post on them in the near future (read: when I get my next paycheque and can afford their cd - yay massive overtime!), but this cover of the Beatles' song I've Just Seen a Face is... well, it's pulling at those ol' heartstrings.

Slow Runner - I've Just Seen a Face

This track is labelled as being taken from This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul. According to amazon.ca, it's not. However, I'm linking the cd anyways, as Rubber Soul is quite possibly my favourite record ever (although, that's blatently a lie, it's not, but it's way up there.) and just look at some of the artists on there... Sufjan Stevens, Ben Harper... definately worth checking out.

Live: Calgary Folk Fest, Part 2

Elliot Brood - picture taken by Mariella Villalobos (c) July 2006

Part Deux: Elliot Brood, and the arcane magical nature of "folk" music

Day two of Folk Fest was, basically, same procedural layout as the day before; things kicked off in the afternoon, though this time there were other acts in addition to the mainstage. For which, we all must thank whatever higher power is out there. O_o

This means, of course, that we tried to avoid the mainstage as much as possible, going out to watch Elliot Brood's show at the Sunterra Stage, far on the distant fringes of reality. No kidding. O_o You had to walk across half the park, and under a bridge, and perform many arcane ceremonies of unusual nature in order to reach it. >.>

The show itself, however, was definitely worth it. Even if we missed most of "Second Son" due to the ridiculous nature of reaching the stage, the rest of the songs were just as wonderful to hear live. Though you won't find any crazy stage antics here, the boys of Elliot Brood play with a sort of straightforward earnestness that's both charming and endearing. Less desperation than I've seen in other bands, and while desperation is definitely something incendiary to watch onstage, the fact remains that these guys really don't need it. The music itself is, while not exactly laid back, a kind of dusty, solid presence that just seems to want to jam out, labels be damned. Plus, their drummer plays suitcases. SUITCASES. COME ON!

The mainstage itself, however, was a bit of a letdown in the way that...well...to be fair, we had just watched Feist and Broken Social Scene create magic there the evening before. By comparison, having Bedouin Soundclash and Macy Gray to look forward to is akin to eating at the most amazing restaurant ever, then being hauled off to eat at Earls the next day.

There were unexpected surprises, of course, like the previous day. Robbie Fulks, for example, and Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards were actually quite enjoyable...though by far not the kind of music I usually listen to, I know when to surrender and admit that, yes, it doesn't have to be "rock" to kick ass. Though rock would kick my ass to hear me say that. >.>

Also a surprise were the in-betweeners: especially Kris Demeanor and Chantal Vitalis. It was only later, however, that we would learn of just how decent these guys were...but that, of course, is another story. In the mean time, we just figured that, yeah, they weren't that bad...better than that unfunny comedian from the day before, anyway.

At this point, however, Bedouin Soundclash took the stage; from our perch on the haunted/cursed picnic table near the gates (inside joke, don't ask), we listened and realized two things: one, DAMN they wish they were Bob Marley, and two, it's such a shame that they're the ones who wrote "When The Night Hears My Song". Though not a bad band...well...personally, I just have to say that I find myself, once again, on the outside of understanging indie tastes. Here is a band that many people, friends of mine who have introduced me to WONDERFUL bands or whose opinion I usually highly respect, are crazy about...and I just can't see the attraction. It's like the flurry of attention around Gnarls Barkley, or the 'Fork's obsession with the Pipettes, or Liars. Sure, I understand that people like it...a LOT of people like it...but it just doesn't make sense to me the HUGE deal that is made about these artists. Every time you read something written about them, or see the overwhelming numbers of people tuning in, you get the impression that somewhere, someone thinks that these bands will save music from the jaws of oblivion.

As if they were all Spencer Krug, or something. Keh. >.>

In any case, the band finished playing...and we then proceeded to run out the gates as fast as the gravel road would permit. See, our location was a strategic one. Regardless, we almost didn't make it; the strains of Macy Grey seemed to chase us down, across the bridge and down into Eau Claire Market like the plague of dark locusts. You know...those ones that eat your soul.

I'm kidding, of course. That was a close one, though.


Next: Part 3, in which we meet Feist and Elliot Brood, and discover the evils of wisdom tooth removal.

Teitur

I was going to hold off on this post until Ju finished her Folk Fest recap, however, somewhere along the way I decided not to. Impatience always wins, you see.

Teitur is from the Faroe Islands, which are somewhere between Norway and Iceland - the sheep islands, they're called. Now, I find this highly amusing, as the folk pop Teitur creates is so calming, it can calm you to the brink of sleep - just like counting sheep!

Har har, oh, the humour.

I have some songs for you from Teiturs first major album, Poetry & Airplanes, which was released in 2003. Since then he has dropped his old record label (Universal), and released Stay Under the Stars, but only in Scandinavia so far.

To me, Teitur is that warm cup of tea on a cold evening, or the cold drizzle of rain while the sun is still shining. He creates a soft sound, which just melts away everything hanging on your heart. Maybe this is why I can't drag myself away from his music long enough to listen to anything else. But that's enough from me, lets get to the music!

From Poetry & Airplanes (2003)
01. I Was Just Thinking
02. Sleeping With the Lights On
03. Poetry & Airplanes
[ buy the album from amazon.com]

Keep an eye out for Stay Under the Stars, which will be released in North America later this year. Until then, you can buy it here.