Kwaya Na Kisser

New Centro-Matic / South San Gabriel!!!

2008-06-06T07:37:00.008-06:00

Okay, I haven't heard the whole thing yet, but the two sides of Will Johnson and the band can never be a bad thing. I still haven't stopped enjoying Fort Recovery, but here's hoping that I can finally get over that and move on. I managed to get some legal tracks off the new double split LP, so enjoy!

Centro-matic
"Quality Strange"

"I, The Kite"

South San Gabriel
"Trust To Lose"

Get from iTunes

Poll Time: The Smiths

2008-05-26T17:17:00.005-06:00

Okay, forgive me for asking again, but it is all the fault of Travis, who it turns out, thinks a certain Smiths album is the best when its not and such and such.

Vote away, and enjoy some random Smith goodies below.

more at twiigs.com...

Sweet & Tender Hooligan
London
Shoplifters of the World Unite
Wonderful Woman
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (Live)

Ad: OrtzRoka - Planets

2008-05-18T11:12:00.001-06:00

Planets -
Planets - Neon Coyote Remix

The Charlatans Have A New Record!

2008-05-15T08:27:00.004-06:00

Does it not say a lot when it takes a new Charlatans record to bring me out of my self-imposed silence? Oh Charlatans, thank you for making blogging fun again!

Better still, it's being offered as a free download on XFM. Thanks Radiohead!

Too lazy to download the full thing? Then hit up these two songs.

Oh! Vanity
Bad Days

In other news, if you like in Vancouver and love Oasis or Ryan Adams as much as I do, hit me up for two tickets to see both live in concert in August. Real good seats too.

Poll Time! Morrissey Records

2008-03-24T16:38:00.006-06:00

So this is from a debate Travis and I are having. I have my favorite picked out for sure, but I don't want to influence the vote.

more at twiigs.com...

And as a bonus for voting, ladies and gentlemen, some outtakes from Viva Hate.

Please Help The Cause Against Loneliness
Please Help The Cause Against Loneliness (Sandie Shaw on backing vocals)
Dial-a-cliche (rough cut)
Hairdresser On Fire (Vini Reilly on vocals)
I Know Very Well How I Got My Name (orchestra ending)
Dial-a-cliche (Moz speaking at end)
Dial-a-cliche (wrong key)
Moz discusses Everyday is like Sunday

Old Songs Discovered

2008-03-14T11:33:00.002-06:00

Knock That Door Enon (very Blondie, with a pleasant twist)
Sound & Vision David Bowie (always fresh)
Receptacle for the Respectable Super Furry Animals (Better than the Beatles?)

Spitzergate: And the Singer Sings Her Song...

2008-03-13T08:40:00.003-06:00

So Mr. Spitzer's "Kristen" is an aspiring singer! It's our job then as music bloggers to do the best we can to hype her to stardom, isn't it? I would have voted for her on American Idol. Isn't she lovely!?

Ashley Alexandra Dupre: What We Want

Vancouver, Venison Burgers, and Jeff Buckley Live

2008-03-08T16:14:00.009-07:00

So I am hanging out in Vancouver right now, loving the city. Lunch break escape from a meeting where there's a lot of talk going about things called "assays" and "in vivo". I took the bus down Main St. and discovered Neptoon records, where I found some cool LPs. Favorite find - Eno & Bryne: My Life in the Bush of Ghosts ($10). The guy at Neptoon made me check out, and buy the new Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings record (which for reason I had stayed away from - hmnnnn...), and then told me to grab lunch at Locus Restaurant on Main (intersection: King Edward's). Best Venison burger and hash browns combo I ever had. Best any kind of burger I ever had. Faaking A.

Anyway, here's some live Jeff Buckley. The details are in the tags.

Intro
Dream Brother
So Real
Last Goodbye
What Will You Say
Lilac Wine
Mojo Pin
Grace
Eternal Life
Lover, You Should Have Come Over
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Hallelujah
Kanga Roo

New Hot Chip

2008-02-22T14:30:00.002-07:00

Made in the Dark

Absolute 9 - The A Side

2008-02-19T16:43:00.005-07:00

Here's a treat for my friends who read this blog, and for those of you with uncool bosses. My boss, currently a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, used to sing lead in a number of bands in the New Wave/"New" Weezer era. I like the alt rock incarnation better, but the dance pop grooves of the self-titled Absolute 9 record was alright too. Just so you don't think I am sucking up, check it out for yourself.

Stop Thinking
Love and Work
The Fence

Recorded from vinyl, so there might be some pitch issues. Best enjoyed in 80s mode, with baggy pants and great hair.

Feist Live

2008-02-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

Haven't listened to this, but it's Feist. Get it?

Live, SWR3 New Pop Festival, Kurhaus, Baden- Baden, September 20, 2007

When I Was A Young Girl
So Sorry
The Limit To Your Love
Mushaboom
I Feel It All
Secret Heart
Inside And Out
The Water
Sea Lion Woman
1234
Let It Die
My Moon My Man

Now I have to go watch this:

My Aunt's Playlist: CBS/Pepsi Special Offer - Simon & Garfunkel/The Tremeloes

2008-01-21T18:16:00.001-07:00

This is a special find - not sure how many of this are still in circulation. Google and Ebay searches confirm that this guy and this guy have one, so that makes me the third person who is known to possess one for now. Just in case you are a fan of The Tremeloes...

A-side: The Tremeloes Here Comes My Baby
B-side: Simon & Garfunkel The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)

Both from a 1967 7-inch single Pepsi-Cola Offer through CBS Records. Enjoy.

My Aunt's Playlist: Twiggy

2008-01-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

So while vacationing in Nigeria I found a bunch of precious goodies on vinyl in my aunt's "very dusty" collection. I plan to post these here over the next few weeks, not just to show how cool my aunt was and still is, but also to take a break from the usual "live music" posts. Not even sure I want to do those anymore.

My reaction when I first saw the Twiggy single? Somewhere between surprise and disgust. Kinda like how I felt about Tyra's Shake Ya Body (some things shouldn't happen). But I was being merely ignorant - apart from the fact that this was a high-charting single (#17, UK), Twiggy is actually more than a decent singer. The single, "Here I Go Again" is a cover of 60's folk rock band Country Joe and The Fish, but the real treasure here is the B-side ballad, "In Love Together". Enjoy.

Here I Go Again
In Love Together

Explaining the Hiatus

2007-12-24T05:23:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have wondered about the lack of new posts here, here's your reason. I am on vacation in Africa right now, and internet access where I am situated is a bitch. There you have it. A reason. However, I am collecting some really kickass exciting music on vinyl here, and will be totally prolific when I get back. I even managed to find some single released by Twiggy (sure to go on ebay when I return), a 1964 promotional single by The Beatles, the Declaration of Biafran Independence speech by President Ojukwu, some really old Fela, and some badass highlife music. It's on.

Have a happy holiday!

destroy0r

2007-10-30T12:23:00.000-06:00

destroy0r's myspace tells me that the band is from Burton, UK, and that its members are Glynndiana Jones, Glynnt Eastwood, and Arnold SchwarzGlynnegger. Whatever. I stumbled upon their music during some late night mindless web surfing, in between boring parts of my TiVo replay of The Pursuit of Happyness (stupid movie with stupid message). First it was their myspace, then some persistent googling uncovered some more, and now I can't stop playing this. Great stuff. Think Daft Punk meets Depeche Mode.

Here's two of my favorite tracks. These guys are unsigned, so good luck finding the music. If you do find somewhere to purchase, please drop me a line.

Your New Beard is Aerodynamic
Autuhm

Some more tracks on their myspace.

The Antlers: Cold War EP

2007-10-28T19:22:00.000-06:00

A while ago I informed you of the existence of the seriously talented Peter Silberman, aka The Antlers, and his seriously fantastic new EP, In the Attic of the Universe, which was a free download for some period of time. Well, Fall Records picked it up, and it's going to be released November 20th. You can pre-order it here. Highly recommended.

In the meantime, here's a 3-track EP titled Cold War that this talented busy fellow just recorded, while working on a full-length follow-up to Attic called Hospice. Haven't heard it yet, but I am looking forward to it. Grab it kids, for the commute tomorrow.

Cold War (zip file)
or
mp3s
1. East River Berlin Wall
2. Apple Orchard (Beach House Cover)
3. Cold War

Phosphorescent; A Million Hits!

2007-10-25T21:17:00.000-06:00

Okay, I am not a big fan of the Greek philosopher pose too, but Matthew Houck and his rotating band of players are the hottest thing on the web and indie music right now. Run quickly to the band myspace and check out four songs from Pride and Aw Come Aw Wry, his last two releases. Aw Come is very Bonnie Prince Billy, but Pride is the sound of a band defining its own sound. Dark, contemplative lyrics, and a brooding minimal sound that will keep you coming back to one of the best albums you'll hear this year.

Listen: Pride
Buy: Pride

On another note, 1 MILLION of you just made it to this blog, all in less than two years since I started posting my lame thoughts on music. I thank you for reading.

Radio Free Europe

2007-10-24T19:07:00.000-06:00

Streaming all night long. The best songs you never heard on radio. Clicky.

The Rad Report #1

2007-10-23T16:14:00.000-06:00

So what's rad in my playlist this week?

This Modern Love (Bloc Party cover) by Final Fantasy, Live at the Myer Horowitz Theatre, UofA, Edmonton, 17 Oct 2007. Awesome cut - this taping only approximates seeing this live. Thanks to John A. MacDonald for doing the taping honours.

Trading Twilight for Daylight by Great Northern. My fave album discovery of the week. This LA quartet with a seriously cool website should please those of you who like Stars. Melodious hush pop I'll call this one. Love it. Definitely check it out. They have some songs streaming on their website.

Not About Love: The rejected Jon Brion-produced version of the Fiona Apple song. Kicks serious ass. If you wish, you can compare with the album version.

See you soon.

Of Polls & More Polls

2007-10-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks to those of you who were kind enough to take a second of your time to participate in this highly acclaimed poll, which is still ongoing. Personally, I'll pull for Josh or Sam too, and it appears most of you agree. However it did occur to me sometime yesterday (yes, that's how long it takes) that my poll question is too one-sided (typical man), so to redress my wicked ways, I have put up one for female singer-songwriters. Next poll coming up: pull both genders together and see who wears the crown. I am stoked.

more at twiigs.com...

And the musicalities, for those who need reminding:

He War Cat Power
Let it Die Feist
Dying Breed Marissa Nadler
I Wish I was the Moon Neko Case
A Love Song Nina Nastasia
When Under Ether PJ Harvey

As usual, like a song, buy a record.

Hype Against the Machine

2007-10-15T23:15:00.001-06:00

Hello online world,

The hype machine has apparently decided to manufacture some hype using it's large scale hype-production factory. This unfortunately elimantes my primary intake of new music and frees up lots of time for trivial things such as homework and work.

Final Fantasy is here in town again on Wednesday. I saw him last year with The Phonemes and Bob Wiseman, which began my love affair with The Phonemes. Anyway, he's in town at the Myer Horowitz in Edmonton. More after the concert.

While hype machine is down, I'll take this opportunity to mention my band, Scientist. We're mosty a two piece band with a few other members who drop in and out as time passes. Listen to the Orca Song, which is recorded on four track and is our best recording. The other two are under construction at the moment. Here's our purevolume page.

It's getting colder here in Edmonton. Have a great few days, everybody.

Jens Lekman: Swedish Radio P3 Live Session, October 10, 2007

2007-10-13T09:51:00.000-06:00

If you've never heard of this seriously talented Swede, do yourself a favor and grab this. And feel free to thank me later when you brag to your friends that you're hip because you just heard this Swede who sang a Paul Simon song better than Paul Simon. I own all Jens records, and you should too, so be sure to buy a record for all the goodness this will make you feel.

Intro
Into Eternity
Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo
Higher Power
The Opposite of Hallelujah
A Postcard to Nina
Sweet Summer
I Saw Her In The Anti-War Demonstration
You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon cover)
Shirin
Lönnlöv (Swedish version of Maple Leaves)

Jens' backing band: Gothenborg Svenska GrammofonStudion.

Buy Jens' records. All recommended.

Challenge New Pornography

2007-10-12T00:04:00.000-06:00

Ninety-nine percent of the time, I'll do my research before a concert. I'll know the openers, I'll know which band members are on tour, and I'll know what to expect from the show. I just got home from the New Pornographers, one of the few shows which I hadn't researched at all. A little surprise, then, was that the whole band would be touring. Thus, Dan Bejar and Neko Case were there on stage. Neko hit a tambourine for almost the entire show, while Dan wandered around clutching beers and adding his own unique touches. Hearing him sing "Jackie, Dressed in Cobras," was an experience in itself.

While talking to Jace Lasek of The Besnard Lakes last Wednesday, he confirmed that while Bejar is an amazing artist, he hates performing and usually gets drunk before he goes on stage. Tonight was no exception. However, he adds to the Pornographers' show so much with his completely, dangerously unique voice, that it was a pleasure to see him on stage. Besides, he wasn't as drunk as when he came on his own in the summer as Destroyer. Watch for him to come back with Swan Lake later this year at the Jubilee here in Edmonton.

The Pornographers' latest CD was a little dissapointing to me. However, when performed live, songs such as "My Rights Versus Yours" (a personal favourite off Challengers), "All the Things that Go to Make Heaven and Earth" and especially "Myriad Harbour" where electrifying. Again, Bejar's presence in "Myriad Harbour" made the song. Neko Case also added depth to the show with her explosively powerful lyrics.

It was a treat to see the New Pornographers as there were supposed to be: touring all together. Too bad they didn't play "The Jessica Numbers."

Some tunes:

Myriad Harbour
The Jessica Numbers
Mutiny, I Promise You

Buy Challengers.

John A. MacDonald Was The Dark Horse

2007-10-10T20:27:00.000-06:00

Hi All,

The Besnard Lakes were in town last Wednesday at the Starlite Room here in Edmonton. They were the first of a number of shows that I'm going to this month. DJ Champion lived up to everything good I've ever said about his shows the day after the Besnard Lakes. The next of these series of October shows in Edmonton that I am attending is the New Pornographers. They're in town tomorrow, the 11th.

Here's two tracks from the Besnard Lakes. "And You Lied To Me," was the reason I missed the last train away from downtown. I wanted to stay longer to hear them play it. "You've Got To Want To Be A Star" is 9 killer minutes from the Besnard Lakes' elusive first CD "Volume 1."

And You Lied To Me
You've Got To Want To Be A Star

Follow the Radiohead

2007-10-10T14:42:00.000-06:00

This might be the best news piece I have read all day. Big bands, including Oasis, Nine Inch Nails and Jamiroquai are ditching the record company model to become free agents, a la Radiohead's lead. I knew this day was coming, and I applaud it. Read all about it here.