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 #17

Little known fact and totally unrelated to Threat Shark – the sweater #17 was the most frequently donned number in the NHL this past season. Don’t ask me why I know this. I chalk it up to the fact I work at a hockey magazine.

Earlier today, the 2012 Polaris Music Prize  shortlist was announced.

For those of you who don’t know, the Polaris Music Prize is meant to recognize and promote albums on the basis of artistic integrity, with no regard for genre, professional affiliation, or sales figures. A group of music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers comprise the panel of judges who vote on this list.

We here at Threat Shark wouldn’t be able to safely call ourselves Canadian indie music enthusiasts if we ignored this announcement. In honour of today’s list, this edition of Threat Shark Summer will feature all Polaris Muisc Prize nominees… except for one that I chose to leave out.

Drake.

You all already know Drake. He would probably say he knows you too. But he would be lying through his teeth.

I replaced Drake with an artist that I think should have been nominated for a Polaris.

POLARIS! -http://music.cbc.ca/#/profile/manovrboard/playlist/Threat-Shark-Summer—July-17-2012

1. Sharks by Cadence Weapon – Edmonton, Alta. (Upper Class Recordings)
2. Heavy Hands by Cold Specks – Etobicoke, Ont. (Arts & Crafts)
3. Chameleon/Comedian by Kathleen Edwards – Ottawa, Ont. (MapleMusic Recordings)
4. Cicadas and Gulls by Feist – Toronto, Ont. (Arts & Crafts)
5. Queen of Hearts by Fucked Up – Toronto, Ont. (Matador Records)
6. Vowels = Space and Time by Grimes – Montreal, Que. (Arbutus Recordings)
7. Damage by Handsome Furs – Montreal, Que. (Sub Pop Records)
8. Younger Us by Japandroids – Vancouver, B.C. (Polyvinyl)
9. Hoshi Neko by Yamantaka // Sonic Titan – Toronto, Ont./ Montreal, Que. (Yamantaka // Sonic Titan Research Laboratories)
10. A Link Between Urban Ties and Rural Relations by audio/rocketry – Edmonton, Alta. (Independent)*

* = NOT nominated for Polaris Music Prize

I apologize for the current lack of links to artist pages. Currently where I sit, I am working within limited means. I will add artist pages and full links ASAP.

Hopefully you enjoy this list comprised of fantastic Canadian musicians as much as I did.

Kergin will rock your socks on Thursday.

Peace, fleece and chicken grease.

-T

Threat Shark Summer – Playlist #14

So, the first couple of days in Fort McMurray have gone by and I’m all set up, kinda. But enough of my personal life blathering, this ain’t that kind of blog today.

I’m sorry I used ain’t, that’s not normally my style.

This week I have a theme again, of a sort. The Polaris Prize is widely considered one of the top music awards in Canada, especially for the independent and critically acclaimed artists across the country. The prize is similar to the Mercury out of Britain, with a huge hipster caché, but ismore based on Ireland’s Choice Music Prize.

The prize started in 2006 and annually awarded $20,000 (Canadian dollars, folks) until it bounced up to $30,000 last year. The money comes from a variety of industry organizations and companies and corporations.

I’ve discussed it in the past, and featured winners on the radio show or blog before, mostly Final Fantasy/Owen Pallett. Other past winners were:

2007 – Patrick Watson for Close to Paradise
2008 – Caribou for Andorra
2009 – Fucked Up for The Chemistry for Common People
2010 – Kwarka for Le Chemins de verre
2011 – Arcade Fire for The Suburbs

The prize works through three stages with jurors whittling down the competition. Recently (June 14th) the long list was announced. From that a short list is announced later this summer. The final announcement comes on a gala night with performances from those on the short list.

So from that long list I decided to highlight a few artists who I’ve enjoyed or found interesting. A quick note, not all the songs on this list are from albums nominated for the Polaris. Sometimes I just preffered their earlier work, so that’s what you get.

FOLLOW THIS NORTH STAR TO THE MUSIC!

1. Yukon Blonde  – Choices from the album Fire//Water EP
   Ok, so this is one of those songs not from the Polaris nominated album, but rather from the also recent ep they released, and we played some of it on Threat Shark. I just like it better, the mellow, Bon Iver-esque sound mixed with some great lyrics. Really, the vocals are the perfect finishing touch for me. Most of there other stuff is much like their fellow Kellownians, Bend Sinister, but the mellow works for this guy.
2. Joel Plaskett – Lightning Bolt from the album Scrappy Happiness
   This is on the Polaris nominated album, which came together in a really interesting way. While I wont go into all the details, the band recorded (Joel Plaskett Emergency) a song each week for 10 weeks and released that song later that week or day to the CBC and on iTunes. Lightening Bolt was the last track released but is the opening track on Scrappy Happiness (which is a lyric in Lightening Bolt, meta!). I’m a big fan of the indie/bluesy sound to this one, and as always I’m a fan of a song with a slow burn in it, starting sparsely and building to something more in the end. Joel Plaskett has been around for awhile and a bit, hailing from Nova Scotia’s scene.
3. Kathleen Edwards – Chameleon/Comedian from the album Voyageur
   A woman who’s been around the biz a bit as well, she’s bound to get some awards soon. I’m not sure what it is about this song, though, again, I’m citing vocals as something I’m a fan of, and the jangly guitar. Ottawa should be proud of this singer/songwriter.
4. The Barr Brothers – Old Mythologies from the album The Barr Brothers
   I wasn’t sure who all I was going to put on this list, so I was going through the long list, listening to the tracks and bands. Many I hadn’t heard before, and these guys are probably my favourite find of all. Just great for a rainy day, droplets splashing against a window. It reminds me slightly of Great Big Sea’s lighter work, but with better harmonies (and two of the guys are actually brothers). While these Montrealers are relatively new, they’ve already attracted a lot of attention.
5. Great Lake Swimmers – Easy Come Easy Go from the album New Wild Everywhere
   An indie outfit I’ve been hearing about for a few years now, I’ve never really gotten into them. It’s pretty easy listening stuff, but nothing that has really stood out to me. They were even nommed for the 2009 Polaris and have received recognition from the Junos as well. The folksy, upbeat material is solid though, so if that’s what you’re into, go for it guys. I do have to say, I do appreciate a band with a piano and violin in there, especially in the rootsy way they got goin’ on.
6. Japandroids – The House That Heaven Built from the album Celebration Rock
   Possibly the biggest buzz band recently, it’s no great surprise this Vancouver duo is on the long list. The punky up beat rock they got goin on has got a great gritty edge to it and seems really positive. It’s the music I’d suggest to any small town kid arriving in a big city, getting off the bus at night. You can take on the city kid, just jam this track on, look up at those glass, steel and concrete behemoths and put some rubber on those sidewalks.
7. Handsome Furs – What About Us from the album Sound Kapital
   Another duo, this time from Montreal. However, after releasing this album they’ve decided to break up. Boo. The electro-pop just couldn’t sustain them I guess. Definitely the urban-artsy music you’d expect from pretentious big city hipsters, it’s here for a reason folks.
8. Fucked Up – The Other Shoe from the album David Comes to Life
   Past winners often make strong competitors. While this Toronto based band is often classified as hardcore punk, there is a lot more going on here. The screaming of Damian Abraham is visceral and violent, but the band provides a different style then most other hardcore acts. The combination has created one of the most critically acclaimed groups in Canada. They’re also a super interesting group, so if you enjoy this music at all, go read more about them. Even if you don’t like the music at first, learn a bot about them before making a final judgement.
9. YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN – Hoshi Neko from the album YT//ST
   Another interesting band, these guys are relatively new, but I think they’ve found an interesting direction with metal, Japanese culture and big epic songs. Moving from Montreal to Toronto, they’re still maybe finding their niche, and for this unique band I hope they find it. There is definitely room for new sounds in Canada.
10. A Tribe Called Red – Electric Pow Wow Drum
    And for the final track, I’m calling on perhaps the most unique band I’ve heard lately. Mixing the old and the new, these guys are trying to take their traditional first nation songs and create a music integrating that into an urban, 21st century sound. A trio of DJs, the music is a great combination of the two genres which can be considered ground-breaking in some ways. Personally, I haven’t heard much traditional North American First Nations music entering pop culture, so this may be the first step of a new trend.

Ok folks, thats it for me for now. Hopefully next week I’ll be better set up and have this ready for you a little earlier in the day. Also, if your looking for other new music, definitely check out the full list of Polaris nominated bands and past work that was noticed by the award.

 Ta,

Kergin