Threat Shark Summer – Playlist #1

Well folks, it has been quite some time since Brendan or myself took the time to update this good ol’ blog.

But, I am happy to inform you that we are back…with a vengeance.

It is the summer and Mr. Kergin and myself are both conveniently located outside of the Kamloops area. I am in Toronto and Brendan is back in the glorious Victoria. Unfortunately, this means no Threat Shark over the airwaves of 92.5FM in Kamloops during the summer of 2012.

Considering how much Kergin and I love music, but more importantly, considering how much we love YOU, we decided we would throw together twice-weekly playlists featuring 10 great Canadian indie tracks for you to check out.

From here on, every Tuesday and every Thursday we will feature a new playlist. I will take care of things on Tuesdays, while Mr. Kergin will handle the duties on Thursdays.

Each playlist will be available for your listening pleasures online at CBCmusic.ca.

We hope that this gives you the opportunity to hear some songs you haven’t heard, encounter some bands you haven’t encountered and enjoy the treasures that are hidden within the Canadian music scene.

Without further ado, I give you Playlist #1. <— CLICK ME for MUSIC!

1. Are You Gonna Waste My Time by Zeus – Hailing from Toronto, Ont., Zeus is a four-piece indie rock band whose latest album, Busting Visions, was hot on the CFBX airwaves earlier this spring.
2. When I Write My Master’s Thesis by John K. Samson – Samson, lead singer of The Weakerthans, takes his talents solo with his Jan., 2012 release, Provincial.
3. Child of the Valley by The Wooden Sky – Another Toronto indie band, The Wooden Sky’s newest album Every Child A Daughter, Every Moon A Sun is available for streaming on CBC Music.
4. Obedear by Purity Ring – Self-categorized as a hybrid of space pop and R&B, Purity Ring’s unique electronic sound is intriguing. Their upcoming album, Shrines, is set for release in July 2012.
5. Lose It by AUSTRA – The second so-called space pop band to appear on today’s list, AUSTRA calls Toronto home. Lose It is featured on their May 2011 release, Feel It Break.
6. Make A New Dance Up by Hey Ocean! – Now we head to the west coast for some indie pop courtesy of Hey Ocean! The Vancouver trio has taken the Canadian indie scene by storm, quickly making a name of themself.
7. Surprising Me by Will Currie and the Country French – Coming from Waterloo, Ont, Will Currie and the Country French are winners of a CBC Radio 3 Award for Best Collaboration thanks to the song Push Pins, which they recorded with Canadian rock heroes Sloan.
8. Out on the Shield by Said the Whale – Back to the west coast we go. Said the Whale is a Juno Award-winning band and this catchy track can be found on the 2009 album Islands Disappear.
9. Sidecar by Kathleen Edwards – This pop singer song-writer from Ottawa has a habit of charming me with her smooth sound. Her newest album Voyageur has been getting positive reviews and Sidecar, featured on the album, gets two thumbs up from me.
10. My 5 by Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party – When I saw this band roll up on my CBC Music player, my first thought was, “well, this should be interesting.” I was pleasantly surprised. Fun and upbeat, this Vancouver space pop group has upcoming shows in Vancouver on June 7 and Toronto on June 13.

Hopefully you enjoyed my playlist for May 22, 2012. Come back on Thursday for 10 more great tunes courtesy of Brendan! – Taylor Rocca