New Music 2010 - Part 13 - Canada & Brooklyn again...

I sometimes comment on various music awards, not least Eurovision, but this is one I've never mentioned before. It is has only been going for five years, unlike the Juno Awards, and is for Canadian artists and music.

This is the short list, some of which are already familiar to this blog.

• Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
• Broken Social Scene -  Forgiveness Rock Record
• Caribou - Swim
• Owen Pallett - Heartland
• The Sadies - Darker Circles
• Dan Mangan - Nice, Nice Very Nice
• Tegan and Sara - Sainthood
• Radio Radio - Belmundo Regal
• Shad - TSOL
• Karkwa - Les Chemins De Verre

Some more links above now.  I read loads and eventually chose just one for each artist that, in my opinion, provided the most relevant information in a nutshell.  You can find more if you wish and these are a place to start.  There is no way that I will ever get to grips with the gamut of Canadian music.  It is something to which I have long been resigned and also a good place to be.

Caribou is confirmed for 'End Of The Road 2010' and a band that I am very much looking forward to hearing live.  On the topic of Canadian bands that I have followed for a long while, congratulations to Metric for providing the title song to the 'Eclipse' soundtrack and for lending several members to the collective that is Broken Social Scene.

Although not included above, if only because the album 'Wilderness Heart' is not yet released, Black Mountain is gaining a considerable amount of attention here in the UK - Zane Lowe included it, and a glowing report, on his BBC Radio 1 show this evening and tracks from Arcade Fire - The Suburbs are an everyday occurrence now.

Now Brooklyn:  I mentioned that I'm looking forward to seeing School of Seven Bells again, at Latitude 2010, and their sophomore album 'Disconnect From Desire', the follow up to 'Alpinisms' sounds like a winner to me.  It is released in the UK next Monday - 12 July - so Latitude will be their first festival appearance after its release.

Just recently I mentioned a band called Warpaint - who are certainly not from Brooklyn (or Canada) - but who have a UK tour planned for this Autumn and while the US dates in late summer are with The XX it looks likely, though I can make no promises about this, that they will be supported by a band that have received good reports over here and I have liked that which I have heard, I must say. They are from Brooklyn. That band is Beach Fossils and this is their eponymous début album.

I've not heard enough to yet make a reasonable review possible but this makes it pretty certain that I will, and sooner rather than later.

To say that this is even scratching the surface of the new music coming out of either location would be a ridiculous claim, which only goes to show that so much music is just there waiting to be found and enjoyed: don't wait to be spoon-fed.
You can legally have the music for less, and also give more of your money to the artists who made it, if you look and act wisely.  The latter comment is important: if something looks "too good to be true" then it probably is.  It may be that you will become a victim of crime but, possibly worse still, you may even be committing one yourself.  Think first!

Festival wish list - New Music 2010 - Part 8

To finish what has, aside from music and a great weekend in North Wales, been a rather lack-lustre month I thought I would add some things that have caught my attention in the last few weeks. When I started about two hours ago I had a pretty clear plan in mind; that it became well and truly wrecked on the rocks of new discoveries is just one of those things and also for the longer term good...

These are just some of the acts I originally intended to mention. I've mentioned some of these artists, if only in the side-bar, already so here are a few of them. In truth the list of those still to mention is actually now longer than it was when I started!

Esben and The Witch, Brighton, UK.

Exquisite, romantically inclined, comfortingly gothic (and occasionally electro-acoustic) new-traditional: I recommend any song you can find and they are confirmed as playing Truck Festival 2010. Last year's 'Marching Band' served as a shot across the bows of the competition, and my God has the competition become formidable on all fronts, but the one track that sticks in my mind just now is the more recent 'Lucia At The Precipice'.

The Ruby Suns, New Zealand.
Their album 'Fight Softly' is already available (released by UK label Memphis Industries) and they are confirmed to appear at End Of The Road 2010.

Ones that I have not mentioned before, and that I'd like to see live, are:

Beach Fossils, Brooklyn, NY.
I have heard a few songs and 'Day Dream' is not atypical.

Islands Lost At Sea, Bolton, UK.

The début album is 'are having a lovely time' and to be released in the UK on 26 April.

I could, and soon will, add more but it is past that time tonight. A few throw-away suggestions including, perhaps, some returning acts less well known:

Operator Please! - Australian five-piece in support of their second album 'Logic', due shortly.

New Young Pony Club - new album 'The Optimist' represents a distinct realignment by Ty Bulmer and the crew following 'Fantastic Playroom', which was their 2007 début. For more on this album see here:

http://rpgreenhalgh.blogspot.com/2010/04/optimist-difficult-second-album.html