New Junior Boys

The newest Junior Boys album, Begone Dull Care will be released on March 24, but it leaked a couple weeks ago, and I couldn't help but download it. I only recently discovered their last album, So This Is Goodbye and i instantly became a fan once I did. Begone seems to pick up seamlessly from Goodbye and continues with great electronic songs that are instantly catchy and awesome. usually when I listen to an album for the first time, I have to get used to it before I can like it. This was not the case here, as it seemed as though i was listening to old favourites. I am definitely going to purchase this album when it comes out, and I would recommend you do the same.


-&Him

Hey Rosetta! / Two Hours Traffic

I think these boats have been sailing for a while but I have been missing the voyage so here I am delivering some more goods incase you were like me and have yet to check em.

Hey Rosetta! - great sound, newfoundland group, 6 piece indie folk band (including lots of violin- gotta love the violin) and overall have a unique sound that fits nicely into other canadian indie rock categories.

Album: Into Your Lungs
Songs to Note: Red Heart, New Goodbye, Tired Eyes, We Made a Pact and pretty much the entire album is solid
Myspace: www.myspace.com/heyrosetta

Two Hours Traffic - again great sound, four piece grounded in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Definitely have that outdoor festival sound that bands like Wintersleep, Band of Horses, Vampire Weekend, Born Ruffians etc bring. Those are not a "sounds like" but give the same vibe for me. The 2nd full length was produced by the very talented Joel Plaskett so its garunteed to have a good sound. Check it out;

Album: Little Jabs
Songs to Note: Heatseeker, Nighthawks, Stuck for the SummerMyspace: www.myspace.com/twohourstraffic

-she

Sigur Ros Feat Bjork

Wonderful, watch and enjoy

-She

Feist vs. Bon Iver

Came across this bad boy a month ago (thanks to a friend for pointing it out) but forgot I had it


Enjoy!

The Park (Feist Cover) by Bon Iver

-she

Overlooked

I have recently discovered/re-discovered some great albums that somehow escaped my attention or I didn't feel like checking out that I should have.

The first is 2007's Person Pitch by Panda Bear, of Animal Collective. I first thought it was just boring/weird, and I couldn't get into the 12 minutes songs. Now that I have, I am in love. The style is expectedly strange and not very accessible, but if you give it a chance, you won't be disappointed. The long songs, "Bros" and 'Good Girl/Carrots" are fantastic songs and you don't even notice how long they are once you are wrapped up in them. The first two tracks, Comfy In Nautica and Take Pills are also great. This album is definitely worth looking into if you haven't already or passed it over at first, as I did.

Next, is one from last year that made many tops-of-2008 lists, but was ignored by myself. This album is Saturdays=Youth by M83. I love the electronic sound and synth use in these songs. Considering M83 is basically one guy makes it even more impressive. Digital Shades, Vol I. is the predecesing album and is also great, even if it is almost all instrumental.

Finally, Is the 2006 album, So This Is Goodbye by Junior Boys. I had the title track forever, but never really gave it a chance. It can on shuffle one day, and I loved it. I got the whole album, and the rest, as they say, is history. The sparse minimal electronic sound really drew me in and made me like the songs, especially "Caught In a Wave" and "Double Shadow" in addition to the title track. I couldn't have discovered the album at a better time, either, since Junior Boys have a new album Begone, Dull Care that is due out March 24, but has recently leaked. I will likely have something to say about that one soon.

Well that's it for now, be sure to check out this music if you haven't already!

-&Him

Bon Iver- Blood Bank EP

Seriously, who created this man and when can the cloning begin? Actually, I lied. I don't think anyone can be thee Bon Iver. That being said, a talented musician, gifted vocalist, excellent lyricist- what more could one ask for? I must see this man perform live before the end of 2009.

His most recent release, the Blood Bank EP:

Track Listings:
1. Blood Bank*** I couldn't get passed this track for about 5 listens - the rest... im not sure on yet
2. Beach Baby
3. Babys
4. Woods
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4635791/Bon_Iver_-_Blood_Bank_[2009]

Happy Birthday Liz!!!

I would just like to take this opportunity to wish a very Happy Birthday to my friend and fellow blogger, Liz. Hope you have a great day/night/weekend of being 21!!!

-&Him

Fever Ray

When I first heard that Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife was releasing a solo album, I was very excited, since I love The Knife, and was desperate for more music from them since I heard they were on a long hiatus. The excitment grew when I heard the first single, "If I Had A Heart." In retrospect I should have seen that my excitment would make for unrealistic expectations, but I didn't see it at the time. After all, by the time the album came out, on March 24, the excitment would have subsided. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by what I heard when the album was realeased early on iTunes Tuesday. While The Knife's trademark dark, sinister sound is still present in Fever Ray's album, I still feel like its lacking something I can't put my finger on. Most of the songs just don't jump out at me, and I found most of the album forgettable. I'm not saying that it is a bad album, and maybe it will grow on me, but for now, it will remain a disappointment. Again, it's not terrible, and if you like The Knife, it's worth a listen. In addtion to the single, tracks that did stand out and I did enjoy were "Dry and Dusty" and "Now's The Only Time I Know"

-&Him

White Lies

Bam!
Got another one. This was a quick love for me, literally after a first listen. It's quite wonderful. Go Listen to these cool cats:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DLF-yypNH4

White Lies
www.myspace.com/whitelies

Album comes out in stores January 19th... thanks to the internet, it leaked.
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4634079/White_Lies_-_To_Lose_My_Life_[mp3-224-2009]

enjoy
-She

NEW HANDSOME FURS!!!

Well, it's here, the album I was most looking forward to of 2009. Because I love this band so much, I sorta felt bad having a leaked copy of Face Control, the new album from Dan Boeckner/Alexei Perry duo Handsome Furs almost two months before it officially comes out, on March 10. That guilt was quickly forgotten when I started listening and realized how kick-ass the music is. While I'm not sure they can ever do better than Plague Park, one of, if not, my favourite all-time album, Face Control is pretty damn good. I was afraid that it would be more upbeat than Plague Park, and it is. But it doesnt really bother me that much. While Plague was so dark and gave a kind of helpless feeling of longing, Face Control is a little more upbeat, rocky, and has a faster tempo, but it still has great hooks to make you love the songs. Plus, I basically love anything that Dan Boeckner sings (his songs were by far the ones that saved Wolf Parade's At Mount Zoomer for me), since his voice has such a raw, unique sound that I can't get enough of. All of this is a recipe for a great album. Handsome Furs are definitely going to be a contender for my album of the year again. Maybe I'm biased, but I just love this album, and you should definitely check it out. So far (I haven't listened to the last bit of the album much yet), my favourite songs are definitely the first 3 - Legal Tender, Evangeline, and Talking Hotel Arbat Blues.

ENJOY!

-&Him