Threat Shark Summer – Playlist #27

I’m doing an odd number this week! Taylor will return next week, but he’s taking this week off. I’m not sure of all the details, but I’m going to assume it’s because he’s some big shot hockey reporter now. He’s probably replacing PJ Stock on HNIC (I just don’t really like that guy).

Anywho, to keep the spirit of Rocca on Tuesday I’ve gone through the songs he’s picked through out the summer and made a mega mix. Yes, you heard right. MEGAMIX.

Ok, so that just means 15 songs, cause I couldn’t choose 10. Looking back at all the songs we’ve featured, you try to choose 10, it’s brutal.

Since we’ll be taking a larger chunk of your time this week, let’s jump to it.

1. Gabrielle Papillon No Common Ground from the album The Currency of Poetry
   This Nova Scotian caught me with that chorus and melody. Something about the way she tosses out “I heard Rome was burning, and this was all they found,” I just really like the way it sounds. Simple. Nothing cerebral or critical. It just sounds pleasing.
2. Coeur de pirate Adieu from the album Blonde
   To continue with the softer female vocalists, Montreal’s Couer de pirate. Like Taylor said, I have nothing against the French speaking part of our nation, I just don’t understand the language. It’s the reason I don’t choose more Fracophone songs for Threat Shark, I’m not sure what they’re talking about. However, that being said, there is some astounding material coming out of that cultural niche. This sounds like it fits in with other Canadian indie music, yet still retains something that sets apart because of the language. Ideal.
3. Amy Millan Towers from the album Masters of the Burial
   Amy Millan is one of the busiest musicians in Canada, you gotta figure. Stars is releasing a new album, which she is a part of, which is great, but I really enjoy her solo material as well, and kinda hope she’ll work on a new album now, though she’l probably be touring with Stars for a little to support their new piece. I’ll forgive her for the delay if they make it into the Okanagan.
4. AUSTRA Lose It from the album Feel It Break
   The only reason I didn’t put this on one of my lists is because he beat me to it. I think this is off the first  summer playlist, and it killed to see he’d snuck in with it right away. A really interesting direction of Canadian music is developing with some strong vocalists working over some more digital or synthesized sound landscapes. Here, we hear one of the more unique voices, and talented. Right around 3:10, yeah, that’s just great.
5. Grimes Vowels = space and time from the album Visions
   A bit of a buzz has come from media around this young woman. As much as Austra is recognizable, Grimes is off in her own category in a lot of ways. Here we get some of that skitchy-techno rhythm with a spacey synth and her voice just lightly over top. Again, lots of layering of vocals.
6. Diamond Rings I’m Just Me
   Something a little more aggressive now. It’s a bit of a slow burner. It seems fairly tame for the first and then really comes alive at the minute mark. The band apparently was taken too serious at first, by those in their seen, but hearing them without any foreknowledge, it sounds like this is a pretty together group, fitting nicely into that modern electro-pop sound. Lead singer John O has got a great voice for it.
7. Rah Rah Little Poems from the album Little Poems
   Switching directions a little bit here, this is totally reminding me of some of the new My Morning Jacket or others playing with that new found twang. It’s developed separately from the “New Country” garbage on the radio, and this song, and many others are reaching into the past for inspiration. I’ve never liked country, but that was because the few times I heard the current crap it was Alan Jackson or Shania. While my Dad introduced me to stuff like Gram Parsons and similar artists, my generation wasn’t producing anything worth while in that arena. Now, we seem to be seeing a rediscovery from the indie scenes and new bands influenced by the past folk, country and folk rock greats like the Band, CCR and old Dylan, which in turn is bringing us something country flavoured in it’s own way.
8. Audio/Rocketry Stompin’ & Strummin’ from the album Buskin’ Songs with Audio/Rocketry
   These guys also play a bit with that prairie country sound I’m talking about, but also use some of the acoustic punk (from bands like Against Me) to infuse a bunch more energy through the vocals. I can totally see these guys sitting on some crates playing at some small town pub playing songs like this. Just some acoustic guitars, a harmonica and a bunch of energy coming from the voice.
9. Cuff the Duke Count On Me from the album Morning Comes
   I’m a bit of a Cuff the Duke fan, and again, we’re hearing some of what I’m dubbing prairie country. It’s not that southern rock, or pop country, or traditional/blue grass. There’s definitely indie rock, it’s a border genre, with themes of the land, unity and trying hard. Anyways, Cuff the Duke haven’t quite become a big name, but they’ve been playing for a few years now and are slowly building up fans and awareness. I think they’re playing TO just as TR leaves.
10. Andrew Vincent Cover It Up from the album I Love the Modern Way
    This guy might have the most Canadian lyrics ever. He’s singing about stuff that happens to everyone. Here, it’s the season’s and how you look. The Alberta Wheat Board and Much Music make appearances. How much more Canadian can you be? He adds some humour at the end, singing about his street.
11. The Rural Alberta Advantage Frank, AB from the album Hometowns
    If you don’t know about the Frank Slide, that’s essential to the lyrical portion of this song, so we’ll just wait a second while you go wikipedia that shiznit. Go ahead. Threat Shark will wait. Fine I’ll do it for you. Ok, with you now informed, listen to the song. I always have a soft spot for songs that go back to almost forgotten historical events and pen a song on it. Often these events were incredibly important to a lot of people and may have altered societies, on a local level at least. As time marches on, the impact of the events can be forgotten, and people can lose touch with the fact people experienced something then and there. So yeah, I’ll just get down from this high horse now.
12. Said The Whale Holly, Ontario from the album Islands Disappear
    Ok, so Said the Whale has become a staple in the Threat Shark diet. It’s kinda strange, since I saw them a few years ago, just after Camilo came out, and I found them rather bland. But the studio work they’ve put out is actually pretty strong. This is off the same album as Camilo, and I really enjoy it, so there’s hope, and maybe they’re excellent live now.
13. Dan Mangan Post-War Blues from the album Oh Fortune
    I don’t know exactly what it is about this song, but I really enjoy it. The war imagery diluted by the Vampire Weekend-esque guitar. The driving beat and big sound coming from a guy I don’t really expect it from? SOmething clicks every time I hear it though.
14. John K. Samson When I Write My Master’s Thesis from the album Provincial
    One of the first songs I heard when I got back into CBC R3 (back when hat was a thing) was this song, and I had no idea it was the guy from Weakerthans. It’s a song I think a lot of university students can get behind, especially my age. While I can’t speak to the master’s part of it, there’s a lot I do get intuitively. It just seems to capture the lifestyle really well, in an honest way.
15. cub My Chinchilla from the album Betti-Cola
    These women should reunite and write lots of new songs. That is all.

C ye,
Kergin

Threat Shark Summer – Playlist #18

Wow, we’re almost at 20 playlists. That’s actually a sizeable number of playlists. So I figured it’s time to go off the beaten track a bit.

One of my favourite niche’s of music is the eclectic area, which is really not a niche at all. It’s all the bands and musicians that create music that isn’t quite in one genre or is definitely outside of mainstream tastes. So I’m going to shine my light on those people for a bit.

A note, while I’m a fan of the strange, different, creative, outsider styles which are a-plenty, I’m a big fan of alt-folk, swing-punk and similar styles, so the majority contain notes of gypsy styles and more traditional styles modernized in some way, or at least removed from a strictly roots category.

So now that you’ve been warned, let’s get start off with not the most outrageous stuff.

Take the musical path less trod! CLICK THIS LINK (and then play)!

1. Fanny Bloom Annie from the album Apprentie guerrière
   We start off with some francophone electro-pop. So I have no idea what they’re singing about, but I have a weak spot for a soft melody and fast rhythm, which is exactly what this song places too, with male-female vocals and a minimalist musical style, except for what I assume is the chorus. I know, a drum machine isn’t exactly something to praise, but used in the correct way it can add to a song.
2. Rodney Decroo A Boy’s Prayer Of Stones from the album Allegheny
   Existential time here folks, as Decroo gets into questioning his childhood-self versus his current-self. A little bit like Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann, a spoken word style piece with a simple musical backing, but instead of advice for the young, it’s considering memories and the past of a man growing older.
3. Hank Pine and Lily Fawn We Can Take You Apart from the album North America
   Another Victoria band, these guys opened for the Red Elvises once, which is saying something since I’ve seen the Elvises open for themselves, partially due to the fact it’s hard to find a band that COULD open for them. When your talking about eclectic, Red Elvises set the bar, but as a band of Russians based in Cali, they aren’t part of our mandate here, so I’ll go with a more than adequate Canadian alternative. This is alt-folk at it’s quirky best, with militirstic beat, back and forth vocals between female and male, a big full sound, it’s all there.
4. Cuff the Duke The Ballad of Poor John Henry from the album Cuff the Duke
   The most mainstream of all the bands on my list today, they’ve still got a bit of that country flair mixed with roots style folk, and this song has some pretty strong threads pulling through. A bouncy beat with some indie melancholy in there it’s just such a nice song. Feel free to take it home to mom.
5. Bananafish Boo Radley’s Last Dance
   Ok, into some instrumental work here. I don’t actually know much about Bananafish, I found them by accident looking for the Victoria ska band Bananafish Dane Orchestra, and instead got a surprisingly similar sound from this Montreal band, but with a bit more of a jazz/blues feel. I love chaos in my music, and while this isn’t as out-of-control as I often like, there’s still an urgency with that fiddle that I’m a fan of. I’d also like to point out the variety of instruments used here. Maybe not many super eclectic, but their is a great variety which creates a complicated, well woven song.
6. The Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra Otter Song
   Yet another Vic find, this group is a mainstay. I’m not sure if they tour that much, but if they do, go get your old-school on. If this is what country music was, what happened? Full of rootsy charm and a variety of folk to pull from (I hear bits of blue-grass to gypsy in there) this isn’t for the cutting edge crowd, this could feel at home in a barn, but at the same time it’s not hick-ish. It’s too…I dunno, something, to really feel connected to the country-pop scene we see today. It’s blazing a new trail in the old west. With otters.
7. Bucan Bucan 8
   Ok, so the recording quality on this isn’t great, but I had to include this marching band in my eclectic list. Yes, I said marching band, because that’s where I’ve seen them play. Another instrumental, they do have singers, but the voices don’t come through well. However, this track, which sounds like it comes from a gonzo version of the Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show, shows the talent of the players in the band. Where else is a top-notch tuba player going to play? And yes, it was the Great Canadian Beerfest I some them march at first, but they’ve taken the stage at a wide variety of events in Vic, which is always great with the costumes and energy they bring.
8. Bruce Peninsula Satisfied from the album A Mountain is A Mouth
   I’ve mentioned these guys before, so I wont go into this power-folk group’s history too deep again, but this is by far my favourite track by BP. Too bad it’s so short, I end up playing it twice when I hear it. I think it’s the pounding drums, it sounds like some ancient song, mixed into a slightly more modern mold with the lead singers great voice layered on top.
9. The Stanfields Jimmy No More from the album Vanguard of the Young & Reckless
   I’ve played these guys before as well, but not going to take any guff about playing them again. This is less punk and more celt-blues than most of their other stuff. I feel real bad for Jimmy after all this. The crows got him, they got him the best I think, but not the only. He was also got got by the crowds, the pirates, the river and a gun. If you’re gonna be dumb, then you better be tough. Also is that a Ukranian melody played in the guitar solo? Almost Rasputin-ish in someways, this.
10. THE LAUNDRONAUTS STAIN from the album “The Laundronauts Come Clean”
    Ok, so some more punk like material, but this time it’s…well, retro in someways, but with a definite modern twist. It’s unfortunate this is the only song by the Laundronauts on CBCMusic. Another opening act for the Red Elvises, that really is a badge of being something special on stage. You can’t just be a band opening up for them, you have to be a brand almost, with an image and stage presence and unique style. In this case, well, after hearing one song I think you might get it.

Ok, so that’s my list for today. If you need more eclectic stylings out there, it’s hard. The gypsy/celt-punk scenes are growing, and alt-folk as well, but the nature of these niches and other, smaller ones, is to be hard to find, see and hear, simply because your not part of a big scene or group with places to meet and exchange ideas. Which is why internet!

-Cheers
Kergin

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.

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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