Tagged with Wolf Parade …

Nov 04 2012
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Best New Music

DEATH GRIPS FOR CUTIE

DIVINE FITS – BABY GET WORSE

For Fans of: Spoon, Wolf Parade… haha

If you ever wanted songs that sounded a little Wolf Parade, and a little Spoon, well then I have the perfect band. Divine Fits is a “supergroup” formed by Spoon lead singer Britt Daniels, and Wolf Parade co-frontman Dan Boeckner (and The New Bomb Turks drummer Sam Brown, but nobody knows him). And guess what, it sounds like Wolf Parade and Spoon! But just because the fusion of this supergroup did not create something grander than the sum of its parts is not really a let down. Because one: the two bands never sounded all that different (especially vocals), and two: both bands are good. My favourite of the batch, Baby Get Worse, is an ultra cool synth-assisted rock tune. Britt Daniels does his best Wolf Parade impression, with a chorus that would have fit nicely in Apologies to the Queen Mary, and sounds that are more nocturnal and emotional than Spoon really ever dares to go. The vocal pairing works perfectly, and although the song could have had a much better build at the end, it works as a great pop-rock track. But seriously, c’mon, let’s try to get more creative with our supergroups next time, maybe Death Grips and Death Cab.

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Aug 30 2012
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Best New Music

TAKE PRIDE WINNIPEG

DEPARTURES – PILLARS

Playwright George Bernard Shaw said that “Patriotism is a pernicious, psychopathic form of idiocy”. After checking Merriam-Webster for the definition of “pernicious”, I had to agree with the man. A feeling of pride in a place simply because you were raised there seems meaningless, especially if you played no part in its evolution. So why do I get so happy when a band from Winnipeg makes a great track? I played no part in the song’s creation. Their talent has no reflection on my abilities. They could have been any group of people from any place and the song would have been equally as good. So why do I benefit from a band like Departures when they make a great track like Pillars?

And let’s be clear, it’s a great track. Nick Liang and crew rock out with a high degree of lo-fi passion. Think WU LYF or Wolf Parade with a nineties’ indie rock studio sound.

I suppose it’s because when bands like Departures and Royal Canoe come out with first rate music, it proves to you that you don’t have to be from New York or London or Los Angeles to make great art. And although I don’t have inspirations of being a rock star, it is a great feeling to know where I come from doesn’t limit my potential. Even if I am from the city that is the butt end of Fountain Tire commercials, great Winnipeg music reminds me to take pride.

Oh, and an actual picture of the band…

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Apr 30 2012
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Best New Music

JE ME SOUVIENS

PLANTS AND ANIMALS – LIGHTSHOW

Montreal has been a hotbed for great new bands over the past decade. Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire, The Dears, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Stills, Sam Roberts, Karkwa etc. It has been easy to forget about a few. Plants and Animals made their big mark in 2009 with the stellar track Bye Bye Bye, with its epic backing vocals and grandiose drums. I loved the song, and it got plenty of plays on the ol’ iPod. But ever since, I hadn’t thought about the band. The French Canadians (well two of them are originally from Halifax) have happily re-entered my headspace with the great pub and commercial-ready track, Lightshow. The hearty strummed acoustic guitar and impassioned singing from frontman Warren Spicer makes it sound like home-cooked comfort music. It feels distinctly northern, even distinctly eastern, with a Stills and Sam Roberts vibe. It’s another fine addition to the world of music from The Beautiful Province. This time I won’t forget Plants and Animals.

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Apr 28 2012
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Best New Music

SEVEN WOLF SUN MOON SWAN FROG

MOONFACE – TEARY EYES AND BLOODY LIPS (WITH SIINAI)

Okay, wait. How many bands is Spencer Krug a part of now? There’s Wolf Parade, of course. And then this new band Moonface. That makes two. But there is also Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake, Frog Eyes, and Fifths of Seven. His life is literally music. I guess it is no surprise, since this Penticton B.C. native moved all the way across the country to Montreal to study music at Concordia University and enter the thriving scene that began to grow (only a couple of years before Arcade Fire would unveil themselves). That passion for music has always translated into his songs (especially my favourite of his – I’ll Believe In Anything), and it comes across in his new track Teary Eyes and Bloody Lips. The music charges forward like a bullet train, riding a wave of cymbals, guitars, keyboard synths, and piano. I hope Krug is happy enough with the sound he’s created to stay with this band for a couple more albums.

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