From The Fembots camp comes news of their fourth album. Calling Out will be released September 16th on (weewerk) records. It features eleven tracks:

01 Good Days
02 Can I Be Your Mirror?
03 My Hands Are A City
04 Get In The Van
05 God Keep Our Hands Clean
06 JL Recalls His Amazon Adventure From A Comfortable
Chair In The Window Of No.5 The Kingsway
07 Hand Print In Wet Cement
08 Lost At Sea
09 The Ballad Of Lucybelle Carter
10 The End Of The Day
11 Ship Breaking

The album was originally intended to be recording using the junkstrument creations of Iner Souster. Eight months into recording the unpredictability of these creations simply made it too hard to sustain for a whole album. The sessions were not entirely scrapped and will provide rhythm and backing tracks throughout the record.

The two-piece, Dave MacKinnon and Brian Poirier, also enlisted Nathan Lawr on drums for the record. Paul Aucoin provided string and horns.

They've got a few Toronto dates late August before things heat up after the release of the album. Check those out at their myspace.

Fembots - Gilded Age mp3 (from 2005's The City)

She & Him, Opera House, Toronto, July 23, 2008

She & Him are M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel.

Mr. Ward you should already be familiar with. Whether it is his fine work on albums such as Post-War, Transfigurations of Vincent, and Transistor Radio or through various guest work with artists such as My Morning Jacket, Jenny Lewis, or Bright Eyes.

Zooey you may have seen in various roles on the silver screen. Whether it was in Elf, Bridge to Terabithia, or as the cool older sister you always wanted in Almost Famous. She seems to have taken the old actor's adage of "One for the studios, and one for yourself" to heart. It certainly has made for an interesting career trajectory.

A few years back while filming The Go-Getter, Zooey was introduced to M. Ward who was composing the film's score and soundtrack. They collaborated on a version of Linda and Richard Thompson's When I Get to the Border.

They got to talking about Zooey's home recording demo's she kept to herself and with some prodding her and Matt started working together on these. Via email from Zooey's home in Los Angeles to Matt's adopted city of Portland. Back and forth. Forth and back. In the interim She and Him, and their debut recording, Volume 1 was birthed.

Wednesday night at the Opera House brought the outfit to the fair streets of Toronto. Despite their moniker, leave no question, this is clearly Zooey's spotlight. Like on the album, Ward seems content to add flourishes and backing to Deschanel's vocals

The crowd was clearly putty in the hands of Ms. Deschanel, who to her credit never once offered anything aside to the fact that she was a wide-eyed ingenue. Aside from a few one-off shows, this was actually the first night of the She & Him extended tour. But even a few missed cues and confusion were not enough to put off the doe-eyed crowd. It speaks to Dechanel, whose "aw shucks" demeanor wins over even the most cynical. When faced with the chorus of groans that greeted her "last song of the night" proclamation, it only took a pluckish, "Hey, whaddya expect, we only got one album," to resign the masses.

Deschanel floated between vocals, tambourine, and piano through the set. Ward, playing to stage right quietly evoked until a short solo several songs in that brought yells of appreciation from the faithful.

The night featured a full backing band who rocked out a few numbers. As well received as they were, the highlight of the night was when the band departed mid-set leaving Ward and Deschanel alone on the stage. Through several songs they reminded the crowd of their moniker before inviting the band back on to close out the show.

Following one of the more resounding and heartfelt requests I've seen in a while, the duo returned for a pleasing version of Bring it on Home to Me, before concluding the evening with a run through of Ward's Magic Trick.

M. Ward - Magic Trick mp3 (from Post-War)
She & Him - I Was Made For You mp3

As previously mentioned they are out on tour. Check out their myspace for dates near you.

The Acorn

Photo Credit: Remi Theriault

Lift your head from wild and wicked sleep
where seven-headed serpents hiss soliloquies
and while picking snails from the river of the valley
you don't see the storm clouds piling up so quietly

The rushing river rattlesnakes your legs
and baby boy has got you drinking from the dead
you lick your lips and paddle for the levee
the sinking banks are sifting through your teeth

As you float up, see the river skins the valley
and strips the sleeping sediment of memory

You lift your head from wild and wicked sleep
the withered river sputters at your feet
and all around the sound is slow and muddy
the sunlight scatters pennies through the leaves

As you wake up see the river skins the valley
you'd love to wash this summer from your memory

I was struck by how evocative and visual the lyrics are. Alliterative too. I recommend picking up the first full-length proper, Glory Hope Mountain, on which this song appears.

There is a great article that talks about the band and the creation of Glory Hope Mountain from October of last year. Go here for a good and interesting read.

The Acorn - The Flood Pt. 1 mp3

Monday Mornings make me wanna holla

Some Monday morning grooves for you. Or Monday eve, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc., whenever you come across it.

The Hombres - Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) mp3
The Hombres were a bit of one-hitter with this tune from '67. Modelled after Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues, which according to the band was a lark masquerading as profound.

The Fugs - Kill For Peace mp3
Oldie but a goodie. It feels like the spiritual brother of Country Joe's Fixin' to Die.

James Brown - Your Cheating Heart (Hank Williams) mp3
From Dirty Laundry: The Soul of Black Country, which has soul artists covering and doing originals of country tunes. I'm not sure when the song was recorded, but it sounds like peak James Brown. All swagger and tight as fucking hell.

Cath

I wouldn't consider myself a Death Cab For Cutie fan by any stretch of the imagination. Neither before or after their Seth Cohen moment did I ever find them pleasing to my tastes. Yet, I found myself struck by a melody the other day. Upon further investigation I found the source to be Cath by Death Cab. From Narrow Stairs, their latest disc, the song has invaded me.

Cath describes a woman standing at the altar in resignation. Despite his loving her she is marrying him out of a fear that she may never be loved again, thus, she must commit or face a life alone (possibly). The plaintive "Caths," nearly yelped, the sonics that set the mood and enhance the picture, and the detailed lyrics that add texture to this portrait all combine to create a bold song.

Death Cab For Cutie - Cath mp3

The Death Cab play the Pemberton Music Festival in British Columbia on July 27th.

They recently released a video for Cath. It sticks fairly literally to the lyrics but still worth checking out

Polaris Shortlist announced

For those unfamiliar, the Polaris Music Prize, in its third award season since its inception, awards "accolades" and a $20,000 payday to the single best Canadian album (at least 8 songs and plus 30 minutes) of the last year. Any album released in-between June 1, 2007 and May 31, 2008 is eligible.

this year's shortlist, with the winner to be announced September 29th, is:

Black Mountain - In The Future
Basia Bulat - Oh, My Darling
Caribou - Andorra
Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers
Holy Fuck - LP
Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue
Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War
Shad - The Old Prince
Two Hours Traffic - Little Jabs
The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour

I've listened to all of the nominees minus Caribou and Shad's offerings and my early pick is Plants and Animals. A fantastic album, although considering last year's winner was from Montreal and Final Fantasy/Owen Pallet won the first year and his well known Montreal connections, P & A could suffer from a slight Montreal backlash. Of course, this thing is debated on "artistic merit" alone so that couldn't happen.

Now there were 40 albums long-listed a while back so there is bound to be some debate over who didn't make the cut. For my money, The Constantines' Kensington Heights and Welcome to the Night Sky by Wintersleep deserve to be there. Alas, I am no judge or jury.

The Weakerthans cordially invite the rest of the nominees to settle the matter of a winner the old fashioned way. If by old fashioned you mean a croquet tournament, which i do.

New Kings of Leon for September

Photo Credit: KOL website

Out of the Kings of Leon camp comes news of an impending album. Titled, Only By The Night, their fourth disc is set to come out September 23rd.

Their last one, Because of the Times, showed a welcome maturity. Written off by many, it's an album that I've only grown fonder of with repeated listens.

Youth and Young Manhood was a gut shot, a cannon off the balcony that tipped our ears to these so-called "Southern Strokes." Aha Shake Heartbreak repeated the format of the first, but with more cynical stories of the touring life. A bit of a dissapointment when all was said and done. But Because Of The Times was fantastic. Flawed enough in those interesting ways that beg you to delve deeper.

After two aborted/misses of amusing details with seeing them live I finally caught them last summer here in Toronto. About time.

They're doing the festival tour through till August, including a headlining slot at Glastonbury this week. I have to say, I'm surprised they nailed the headline gig. I didn't realize they had that big the audience. Either way, Good on 'em.

Kings of Leon - True Love Way mp3 from Because Of The Times

Kathleen Edwards' Asking For Flowers

Kathleen Edwards' latest came out about two months ago. I've been playing it fairly constantly since then. Crystal vocals and a songwriter's eye that continues to develop and mature make this , her third album, her strongest to date.

There's a lot to love on the album and I recommend any and all to pick it up and spend a few quiet evenings getting to know it.

Probably my favourite track off the album is Alicia Ross:

Alicia Ross may be a name familiar to anyone who lives in and around the Greater Toronto area. She disappeared in August 2005. Her body would be found later and eventually her neighbour would confess to her murder. In 2007, her neighbour was given a life sentence. Alicia Ross is a song written from the perspective of Alicia. It hits pretty powerful, though I wonder if it would as much if I wasn't already familiar with Alicia's story. I am a girl with a forgettable face, it opens. And I think how much I enjoy the song begins with these opening sentiments. Too often we romanticize the dead. But bookended with the closing words Now I'm a girl who's face they'll never forget, it drives home this idea of a very ordinary person, who in death remained an ordinary person, but had an out of the ordinary experience, which, for the most part, and unfortunately so, will be what most remember of her.

It's a fantastic song. Even better, all royalties from this song are being donated to Project C.A.N.O.E., a charity for "at-risk" youths that now works closely with the Ross family and represents Alicia's great love of the outdoors. So no free download for that. Hit it up at Itunes, or better yet go to ye olde record shoppe and grab the whole album. Also visit AliciaRoss.ca to learn more about Alicia and the various charitable endeavours in her honour.

Asking For Flowers can be found in all the usual hot spots. Get it.

The Deadly Snakes provide an aural document of their last show (s)

Photo Credit: Carrie Musgrave

Those familiar with me know I have a special love in my heart for two recent-times Canadian bands. The first, The Constantines just released their newest album a few weeks ago and I'll have some thoughts on that tomorrow on the eve of its U.S. release date. The second, The Deadly Snakes, played their last notes August 26, 2006, nearly two years ago (where has the time gone, etc., etc.).

The Snakes were a deadly rock and roll band. Four albums over their ten year existence. The last two, Ode to Joy and Porcella, are of desert island pick quality. Call 'em what you will. I myself like Garage Soul. There was always a real Jesus on the mainline, pipeline to the heart evident in their music and live shows. Of all the great acts I've been fortunate to see and hear, there are very few that keep punching me in the heartbox like the Snakes do.

Ten years after their inception the band decided to call it quits, never achieving much more than regional adoration. Their demise coincided with the rise in recognition of the indie scene in general and the Canadian indie scene specifically. These were days of Arcade Fires, Wolf Parades, and Broken Social Scenes. Good days all around, never mind you, but days that passed without the Snakes getting the true recognition they deserved. Forgotten in the back alley no doubt.

The last show was tipped to throw down at the Horseshoe Tavern on the 25th of August. Word circulated that the last real throwdown would take place the next night at the Silver Dollar. Indeed it did. That Friday and Saturday were pretty darn close to being the best weekend I've ever had.

Two years later comes news via Myspace that "The Snakes' last show live album should be out sometime in 2008 on In The Red. It's a 37 song monster and it sounds great."

I wasn't even aware that the last shows were being taped. I'm assuming it is only of the Horseshoe gig, where the band played two sets and covered nearly every damn thing they had ever put to tape. Either way, it will serve as a great addendum to the Snakes' ongoing legacy. Keep your ears open for that.

There is a plethora of Snakes related video on Youtube. Both the Horseshoe and Silver Dollar gigs have a presence there. Those with time and interest should head there.

I'll leave you with a great track from Porcella. "If a man can't love when he is young, there'll be no love for him as he grows old."

If this is your first exposure to the Snakes and you wish for more take the yellow tinged road, or better yet get in touch with this kind soul and ask to come over for a rock and roll night. Nothing makes me happier then to share.

The Deadly Snakes - Oh Lord, My Heart mp3 (sendspace link)

Entire Cities

"My personal contribution to the ol' pigeonhole is 'psychedelic cow punk'; I'm not really worried about it though, because I've tried to define the music myself and failed miserably. If I don't know what it is, then how the fuck is anyone else gonna know?"

So sayeth Simon Borer, guitarist/vocalist for Toronto's Entire Cities. I'd like his band just for the simple fact he acknowledges the futility of defining a band's sound. I'm just bowled over with these guys. A 7-strong core outfit with a revolving cast of additional players. Live show, by all accounts, is a ruckus. If that matters to ya. Don't know because I haven't seen them yet.

I'm not a lyrics guy naturally. I have to work at it. My ADD tends to kick in and I normally have songs hit me for how they sound. How they feel. How they hit me in the gut. Entire Cities meet all these instant criteria, but I'm enamoured by their lyrics too. they just have these lyrics that get you in that good part of your heart. Take Sunshine, to hear it go to their profile at CBC Radio3, backed by a banjo and some vibey guitar, these words economically oozed out like a fourth Followil brother, "I'm fucked up. On sunshine. Heartbreak. For a lifetime".

Or Dancing With My Brother, destined to bring back acid recall of cowboy hoe-downs gone awry, and one of the best chorus' I've heard lately, " I'm my brother's snakeskin motherfucker".

Coffee reminds me so much of a friend of mine when it opens with " She said, 'I ain't been without a man since I was a little girl of thirteen. Now's my chance to find out who I am without a man". I like those moments; when the music gets personal with you.

Keep your eye out for Entire Cities, They hit real pure.

Simon wrote in to say that they are holding their cd release April 11th at the King & Niagara Legion Hall. Be on the ball with that. No April 1st gig as previously mentioned.

Entire Cities - Dancing With My Brother mp3
Entire Cities - Coffee mp3