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 #3

Tres ball! Ice tres! Tres bien!

Ok, so maybe languages aren’t my strong suit, but you get the picture. I hope.

In case you haven’t already figured it out, this marks the second week and third edition of the Threat Shark Summer Playlist series.

Unlike Brendan, I’m staying away from the themed playlists for now. Usually I am pro-theme, but this time around, I don’t want to limit myself or the music.

This week, I’ve got a great variety of tunes for you. From Vancouver to Nova Scotia, we’ll hear from one of my favourite bands and some other artists that just might become your new favourites!

Welcome to Threat Shark Summer – Playlist #3!

CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE MUSIC!

1. Grab Me by the Lapel by The North Lakes – Hailing from the Atlantic coast of Canada, The North Lakes call Charlottetown, P.E.I. When I first heard this track, I was instantly reminded of Foxboro Hot Tubs, a 1960s-influenced rock ‘n’ roll side project of Green Day. Grab Me by the Lapel comes from The North Lakes’ Music PEI-award winning album, Grand Prix.
2. The Night by Lioness – Another of the up-and-coming indie-alt. rock bands from Toronto, Lioness features the deep and energetic vocals of Vanessa Fischer. With a catchy guitar track and upbeat sound, Lioness has been garnering attention in the industry, having recently toured with acts like k-Os, You Say Party and The Cult. The Night can be found off of Lioness’s album, The Golden Killer.
3. Strange Film by Caracol – Earlier this year I reviewed Caracol’s latest album, Blanc Mercredi, for TRU’s Omega. Unfortunately the review isn’t on the web. That being said, Caracol’s soulful folk vocals and overall pop sound are very pleasing to the ear. Blending a few French and English language tracks, the Montreal-based Caracol is a fantastic representation of what Canada has to offer with its unique indie music scene.
4. Turn Around by Eight and a Half – Eight and a Half is an interesting and intriguing indie group. To a certain extent, you might even consider it a Canadian indie-super group. Featuring Justin Peroff of Broken Social Scene and Dave Hamelin and Liam O’Neil, both of The Stills, this group calls Toronto home. Eight and a Half is not considered a side project for the band members, rather they say they approach it as an opportunity to reinvent themselves. Turn Around can be found on the group’s debut self-titled album.
5. How Darwinian by Dan Mangan – After spending our first four songs in Canada’s eastern region, we jump back to the beautiful west coast and Vancouver, the home of Dan Mangan. This Canadian folk songster lists his influences as including Radiohead, Wilco and Bon Iver, just to name a few. Mangan won an iTunes Album of the Year Award for his 2010 album Nice, Nice, Very Nice. How Darwinian can be found on his latest album, Oh Fortune.
6. Drain the Blood by The Rural Alberta Advantage – We stay out west for this next track, well, sort of. The Rural Alberta Advantage (The RAA) technically works out of Toronto, but the band members all originate from the golden prairies of Alberta. Upon listening to the indie rock ballads of The RAA, the Alberta influence rings loud and clear to anyone within earshot. Drain the Blood comes from The RAA’s 2009 album, Hometowns.
7. Darling, Darling, Darling by Cory Isenor – Sticking with the overarching and somewhat existent folk theme of this week, Cory Isenor is a folk singer-songwriter from Halifax, N.S. And if you ask me, Isenor is a man who doesn’t get nearly the recognition that he should. He’s toured with the aforementioned RAA, Said the Whale and Two Hours Traffic. Darling, Darling, Darling is an emotional track about the ending of a relationship and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t pull on your heart strings, even if just a bit. It can be found on Isenor’s 2011 release, The Hunting Party.
8. Sentimental/Oriental by Boxer the Horse – The fact that we are back in Charlottetown, P.E.I. for the second time this week amazes me. Until we started this little Threat Shark summer foray into Canadian indie music, I didn’t realize that the Maritimes had such a rockin’ indie scene! In 2010, Boxer the Horse received the CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award for Best New Band. Sentimental/Oriental comes from the band’s latest album, French Residency, released in March 2012.
9. No Common Ground by Gabrielle Papillon – When this track first found my ears via the CBC Music airwaves, at first I thought I was listening to a Caracol track. I was shocked to discover that I was listening to a different singer-songwriter, this one originally from New Glasgow, N.S., by the name of Gabrielle Papillon. With a very similar acoustic folk sound and deep soulful vocals, Papillon soothes the listener. No Common Ground can be found on her 2011 album, The Currency of Poetry.
10. I’d Raise My Hand by The Schomberg Fair – We spent most of this ten track trek listening to some relatively chill folk tracks. I figured I needed to kick it up a notch to close things out. The Schomberg Fair calls Toronto home and the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan as influences. This gritty track features elements of Audioslave’s heavy sound as well as backing vocals provided by gospel singers, making for quite the juxtaposition.

Thanks again for listening to Threat Shark Summer. I hope you’ve discovered some new Canadian talent that you enjoy. Share the love! If you liked the tracks, pass ’em on to your friends, family and pets! Music is meant to be shared, so do the world a favour and pass this along.

Tune in on Thursday for ten more tracks courtesy of Captain Victoria, Mr. Brendan Kergin! Cheers! – Taylor Rocca