Threat Shark Summer – Playlist PAYDAY

Technically this is playlist #29, but considering the circumstance, I had to amp things up a bit. Hence we have Playlist PAYDAY. Boom.

First off, huge thanks to Mr. Kergs for covering for me last week. I was wrapping up my last week in Toronto and between packing things up and tying up loose ends, I was doing my best to see a few sites last minute. This marks the third new location that I have published a Threat Shark Summer playlist from. Previously, I had fired things up from New College on the U of T campus. A quick move down the street brought me to Whitney Hall on U of T campus. Right now, I’m pitstopping in Calgary at my parents’ place before heading on to Castlegar for a wedding and finally Kamloops for the start of (what will hopefully be) my last year of school.

For this week, Brendan and I decided we wanted to wrap things up with a recap of our favourite tunes of the summer.

For you, I have 48 tracks compiled from my previous playlists as well as two brand-spanking new tunes that have yet to appear this summer. Hope you enjoy!

Musicschmuzick

1. Make A New Dance Up by Hey Ocean! – May 22
2. Lose It by Austra – May 22
3. My 5 by Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party – May 22
4. Out on the Shield by Said the Whale – May 22
5. Darling, Darling, Darling by Corey Isenor – May 29
6. Grab Me By the Lapel by The North Lakes – May 29
7. How Darwinian by Dan Mangan – May 29
8. No Common Ground by Gabrielle Papillon – May 29
9. The Sheriff by The Strumbellas – June 5
10. Hondo by Beta Frontiers ft. Becky Ninkovic – June 5
11. Ciao Monday by Emm Gryner – June 5
12. If I Get Old by Elliott Brood – June 5
13. In Came the Flood by Wintersleep – June 12
14. Bloodlines by Arkells – June 12
15. Echoists by Young Liars – June 12
16. Oceans by Topanga – June 12
17. Fisticuffs & Affidavits by Parlovr – June 19
18. Come On Out by The Elwins – June 19
19. Hallways by Islands – June 19
20. Americanarama by Hollerado – June 19
21. Pool Hoppin’ by Octoberman – June 26
22. Two Feet Stand Up by Cookie Duster – June 26
23. Ropes That Way by Dirty Ghosts – June 26
24. One Shot by Bend Sinister – June 26
25. Last Parade by Matthew Good – July 10
26. Who Do We Care For? by Sebastien Granger and the Mountains – July 10
27. What Are You Waiting For? by Hexes and Ohs – July 10
28. Arms Tonight by Mother Mother – July 10
29. Chameleon/Comedian by Kathleen Edwards – July 17
30. Queen of Hearts by F*cked Up – July 17
31. Vowels = Space and Time by Grimes – July 17
32. Hoshi Neko by Yamantaka // Sonic Titan – July 17
33. Chit Chat by Hannah Georgas – July 24
34. All My Friends by Lindi Ortega – July 24
35. Life on Earth by Dala – July 24
36. Quelque Part by Caracol – July 24
37. Florentine by Cinderpop – July 31
38. Edmonton By The Rural Alberta Advantage – July 31
39. I Don’t Know by The Sheepdogs – July 31
40. Scar That Never Heals by Jeremy Fisher – July 31
41. I’m Just Me by Diamond Rings – August 7
42. What Do You Wanna Do? by Louise Burns – August 7
43. When I Write My Master’s Thesis by John K. Samson – August 7
44. Favourite Kisses by Henri Faberge and the Adorables – August 7
45. Ontario by Will Currie and the Country French – August 14
46. Hallelujah Halifax! by Audio/Rocketry – August 14
47. West Simcoe County by Dinner Belles – August 14
48. I Drove the Coquihalla by Chixdiggit! – August 14
49. Waikiki by Belle Plaine – August 28
50. The Discocalypse by Tupper Ware Remix Party – August 28

Kergin will hit you with another phatty playlist on Thursday. After that, we hope to be hearing you listening to us on the airwaves back in Kamloops on X 92.5FM!

Cheers to the few remaining days of summer! Make the most of ’em!

-T

Threat Shark Summer – Playlist #13

Thankfully this isn’t a Friday. Otherwise we might be looking at a very unlucky playlist. I’m superstitious like that.

While Kergin’s interning adventures have just begun, I was lucky enough to have mine extended.

I was unexpectedly offered another two months, this time paid, at The Hockey News here in Toronto. I was due to be done on June 29, this past Friday. The extension came with such short notice that I am scrambling to find a new place to rent. My current lease expires TOMORROW and I am supposed to be back in the office on Thursday. Good times. But totally worth it.

Thankfully for me, our good friends Bend Sinister along with Exclaim magazine have done a massive favour. As you all know, Bend Sinister is set to release Small Fame, their newest full-length album, on July 10. However, partnering up with Exclaim has allowed the Vancouver boys to live stream their album a full week in advance!

I have no qualms with promoting this album because I really feel these guys deserve the attention. Therefore, this week, I present to you an ENTIRE Bend Sinister playlist. Enjoy their newest album, in its entirety.

P.S. You get 12 songs from me this week, but don’t tell Kergin.

Small Fame by Bend Sinister <— CLICK FOR MUSIC!

1. She Don’t Give It Up
2. Don’t You Know
3. Man of Faith & Virtue
4. One Shot
5. Got You On My Mind
6. My Lady
7. We Know Better
8. Give It A Rest
9. Hot Blooded Man
10. Black Magic Woman
11. She Lost Her Rock & Roll
12. Quest for Love

Kergin will be back on Thursday with his very first Fort Mac edition of Threat Shark Summer!

-T

Threat Shark Summer – Playlist #11

Kergin made a big deal when we hit playlist #10 last week and deservedly so. Who ever knew we would make it to 10? For those of you who don’t know, both Kergin and myself have a bad tendency to chew off more than we can handle. But this time we have broken the trend!

I am going to make a big deal about playlist #11 this week. Why? Because 11 is my most favourite number ever. I wore for a few years playing minor hockey and for whatever reason it just stuck with me.

Without any more delay, let’s roll along to the music.

BOOM BOOM BOOM MUSIC PUMPS WHEN YOU CLICK HERE!

1. Tearing Me Down by Old Time Machine – For the first time in the history of the Threat Shark Summer playlist series, we travel north. And I don’t mean north, like northern Alberta north. I mean past the northern border of the provinces and into the Yukon! Old Time Machine is a two-piece bluesy folk rock act from Whitehorse. Tearing Me Down can be found on their self-titled 2012 album.
2. White Doves by Young Empires – I say it almost every week, but considering my current locale of Toronto, you can expect us to spend a lot of time listening to Toronto-based bands. It just seems appropriate. Young Empires is an electronic rock group based out of Toronto. Something about their sound really reminds me of Foster the People. White Doves was released as a single in Nov. 2011.
3. Pool Hoppin’ by Octoberman – Staying in ‘The Big Smoke,’ next up we have Octoberman, a six-pack alternative rock act. Quiet, calm and catchy, Pool Hoppin’ is a fun little song that will get your foot tappin’. It can be found on Octoberman’s 2012 album, Waiting in the Well.
4. Count On Me by Cuff the Duke – Hailing from Oshawa, Ont., Cuff the Duke have a little bit of a country twang in their music. Nothing overpowering, just enough to give them a folky sound. Morning Comes is their most recent release, hitting shelves in October 2011. It features Count On Me.
5. Two Feet Stand Up by Cookie Duster – First off, this may be the single best band name that I have ever seen. If Cookie Duster isn’t a fun band name, then I don’t know what is. The four-piece act from Toronto features the gritty female lead vocals of Jeen O’Brien. Fast paced and upbeat, Cookie Duster bears some similarities to Canada’s alt. rock heroes, Metric.
6. wOW! by Artist of the Year – Electro dance pop from Montreal sounds like a good time and Artist of the Year proves that it in fact is. Up Yours is the latest album from the Montreal group. wOW! has a very funky sound to it that at times reminds me of LCD Soundsystem and Ratatat.
7. Ropes That Way by Dirty Ghosts – Another Toronto rock group, Dirty Ghosts features more strong female lead vocals courtesy of Allyson Baker. Baker lists XTC and The Police as just a couple of the significant influences on her music and there are definitely hints of each in Ropes That Way, which can be found on Dirty Ghosts’ February 2012 release, Metal Moon.
8. Think So Now by Cedar Park ft. Esthero – I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, for whatever reason I am really digging female vocalists right now. This track is no exception to that current trend in my musical tastes with Esthero providing the vocals. Cedar Park is a one-man band, Dylan White. His latest record, Way Back Home, features guests vocalists such as Esthero and was produced by Emm Gryner, who was featured on Threat Shark recently.
9. The Villain by AUSTRA – The more I listen to AUSTRA, the more I fall in love. The ghostly and eerie lyrics of Katie Stelmanis and Maya Postepski just give me chills. The Villain comes from AUSTRA’s 2011 release Feel It Break.
10. One Shot by Bend Sinister – This Vancouver pop-rock act treats our ears and teases us with one more sneak peak from their up-and-coming album Small Fame. One Shot is another fun track with simple but catchy keys that roll along nicely with the vocals provided by Daniel Moxon. I’m loving this band right now and hope you do too!

That does it for another week of Threat Shark Summer for yours truly. Mr. Kergin will return on Thursday with *GASP* playlist #12!

-T

Threat Shark Summer – Playlist #9

I spend a lot of time riding transit. This is something new to me. While it is something I hope I never get used to doing, it is the reality of living in a city the size of Toronto.

One thing that this has allowed me to do is read books I’ve been meaning to read for far too long.

Right now I’m leafing through the pages of “Open Ice” by Jack Falla. “Open Ice” is a compilation of essays on “reflections and confessions of a hockey lifer.”

Fitting considering my current place of employment.

The other day I finished reading one of Falla’s essays that touched on hockey and mortality, all structured around the great Maurice “Rocket” Richard.

You might be wondering, “what does Maurice Richard have to do with Threat Shark?! Just gimme the damn music!”

If we were speaking face-to-face, I would simply tell you to scroll past my mutterings and get to the music. The only thing stopping you from doing that is yourself.

This is playlist #9. “Rocket” Richard wore #9 during his great days and despite the fact that he has been gone from the game and earth for quite some time, I still think about him whenever the #9 comes to mind. I think about someone else when the #9 is brought to attention as well, but that isn’t as fun of a story.

If you don’t know who “Rocket” Richard is, I seriously encourage you to go pick up “Open Ice” by Jack Falla. Read that one essay. I found myself a hardcover copy for only $6.99 at Chapters. You don’t have to be a hockey fan. Falla’s essays are about life and its many tales, simply using hockey as the lace to tie everything together.

And now, onto the music.

CLICKETY CLICK FOR TUNAGE.

1. I Got You Babe by bahamas – From right here in Toronto, Ont., bahamas is chilled out folk rock courtesy of Finnish-Canadian Afie Jurvanen. He has worked with Canadian folk pop darly, Feist and typically performs solo and acoustic. I Got You Babe can be found on bahamas’ album Barchord.
2. 300 Pages by The Balconies – Kergin did a throw back to groups with strong female vocals during the eighth edition of Threat Shark Summer and I’m going to piggy-back on that a bit. The Balconies features Jacquie Neville on lead vocals and guitar. Her voice is powerful and carries throughout 300 Pages. Another Toronto group, 300 Pages can be found on The Balconies’ July 2011 EP, Kill Count.
3. Fisticuffs & Affidavits by PARLOVR – Hailing from the city where the aforementioned Maurice Richard’s name came to fame, PARLOVR is a three-piece alt. rock group. Fisticuffs & Affidavits even has hints of early 1950-60s rock ‘n’ roll; it might not have been so out of place during the Richard’s glory years. Fisticuffs & Affidavits can be found on PARLOVR’s 2012 release, Kook Soul.
4. Walk With Me by memoryhouse – More soothing female vocals. I can’t get enough! memoryhouse defines themself as space pop. I certainly can’t argue because Walk With Me definitely gives me the feeling that I’m floating peacefully, as if gravity had nothing to do with me whatsoever. From Guelph, Ont., memoryhouse released The Slideshow Effect in February 2012.
5. Come On Out by The Elwins – Apparently I am getting very attached to Ontario bands. The Elwins call Keswick, Ont. home and their track Come On Out has received the most plays of any of their songs on CBC Music. So now you can take someone else’s word for it when I tell you that this is an awesome song.
6. Tuff Ghost by The Unicorns – Breaking away from my Ontario spell for another moment. The Unicorns hail from “no home, Q.C.” Wait, that can’t be right. Ok, so maybe they are just claiming to be from Quebec in general. Let’s go with that. Tuff Ghost is a fitting title for this track, because the organ present throughout gives a very chilling feeling, almost as if the listener is wandering the halls of a haunted house, forever lost. Tuff Ghost can be found on The Unicorns’ 2003 album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone.
7. New Wild Everywhere by Great Lake Swimmers – Back into Toronto with the Great Lake Swimmers. This folk band has been around since 2003, with their self-titled debut release. New Wild Everywhere was released in April 2012.
8. Hallways by Islands – Back to Montreal! Islands also hails from the home of Les Habitants and Maurice Richard. The catchy piano track is what first caught my attention on this track. I couldn’t help but tap my foot along. Hallways can be found on Islands’ 2012 release, A Sleep & A Forgetting.
9. Americanarama by Hollerado – Last Ontario band of the night, I promise. Coming from Manotick, Ont., Hollerado has burst onto the Canadian rock scene in recent years, most well known for their song Good Day at the Races. Americanarama comes from their 2009 release, Record in a Bag. If you aren’t already thinking about it, I can confirm that, yes, the record does in fact, come in a bag. It’s a Ziploc too. Ok, maybe a cheap knock-off of a Ziploc.
10. She Don’t Give It Up by Bend Sinister – Finally! We’ve made it out west for the last song of the night! Bend Sinister! I have been eagerly awaiting the release of a new song since I saw these guys rock Kamloops, B.C., a few months back. Well, Bend Sinister is back and set to release a new album, Small Fame, in July. She Don’t Give It Up can be found on that record. If you’re a fan of Supertramp, you better give this song a listen RIGHT NOW! I’m not even going to say why. You just need to find out for yourself.

That’s it for me tonight, folks. Kergin will be back on Thursday with some more rockin’ tunes for ya. Enjoy your Tuesday evening.

Cheers,

-T