Indie-rockers Plants and Animals are planning to release their third studio album entitled The End of That on February 28th, 2012. Their first LP, Parc Avenue, quickly caught the ears of listeners across the country including Spencer and I. The album was shortlisted for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize and was nominated for a 2009 Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year... Not bad credentials if you ask me.
The first single, Lightshow, has been released and you can stream it below.
06 Jan 2012 Rialto Theatre Montreal, QC Canada
12 Jan 2012 Schuba's Chicago,IL United States
08 Mar 2012 Ritual Nightclub Ottawa, ON Canada
09 Mar 2012 Le Cercle Quebec, QC Canada
10 Mar 2012 Le Cabaret du Mile End Montreal, QC Canada
20 Mar 2012 Lucky Bar Victoria, BC Canada
21 Mar 2012 Rickshaw Theatre Vancouver, BC Canada
22 Mar 2012 The Crocodile Seattle, WA United States
24 Mar 2012 Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon United States
27 Mar 2012 Starlite Room Edmonton, AB Canada
28 Mar 2012 Republik Calgary, AB Canada
29 Mar 2012 Amigos Cantina Saskatoon, Canada
30 Mar 2012 West End Cultural Centre Winnipeg, MB Canada
31 Mar 2012 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN Canada
For those who have never listened to Plants and Animals - Check out Bye Bye Bye from Parc Avenue below.
This year Spencer and I will be tackling the best 25 songs and albums of the last 365 days. We choose 25 because it is a manageable number for the two us to write and it lets us still have a life. Throughout the course of the week we will be posting 5 songs/albums a day until we count down to the best songs and album of the year. We hope you enjoy!
Remember year end lists are a tricky thing to do, everyone has their own opinion - these are our choices.
#25
"Emerald Isle" - Whitehorse
Kicking off our list is the Canadian duo Whitehorse with their song Emerald Isle from their debut album. I first heard this song during the morning commute on CBC Radio 2 and immediately made a post when I got to the nearest computer. This pop tune may just be the start of something big for Whitehorse and it shows the talent that Canadian music has to offer. Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet have great harmony throughout the song and both of these artists have proved in their individual careers that they have what it takes.
Look for Whitehorse in the coming years.
#24
"Cruel" - St. Vincent
St. Vincent AKA Annie Erin Clark released Cruel as part of her third studio release Strange Mercy. St. Vincent has received critical acclaim for all of her albums and has established herself as a force among the indie rock scene. When listening to St. Vincent's Cruel, the music suggests that the song should be happy, however, the way she sings makes me feel like there's a darkness there too. That's the mystery of St. Vincent.
Beatrice Martin of Coeur de Pirate has quickly established herself as Canada's francophone darling. Singing in both English and French in many of her songs she closes the language gap so prominent in Canada and attracts listeners from both sides. Some people may not like the language barrier, but in all honestly I don't know what half the indie artists are singing about these days anyways. Coeur de Pirate is a true Canadian artist and she sure puts out some great tracks.
#22
"Time is Right" - Cuff the Duke
Blue Rodeo has dominated the Canadian alt-country scene for the better part of the last 15 years and no one is more fit than Cuff the Duke to fill those shoes. This band has proven album after album that they can write good songs and in some ways are a lot more relevant than a lot of bands are right now in Canada. Country music has a place in Canada - Cuff the Duke just makes it sound a lot better.
Time is Right comes from their album Morning Comes and is a catchy tune that that is sure to have you tapping your foot to. Listen for yourself.
#21
"Lose It" - Austra
Getting your album shortlisted for Polaris Music Prize is no small feat, never mind doing it on your first release. This electronic group from Toronto released their single Lose It and they got lots of love from all around the blogosphere.
I find this song both haunting and uplifting at the same time. The vocals are piercing and I love the melodies throughout the song. I expect big things from Austra in the years to come!
We would like to apologize for the delay on releasing the remainder of year end lists. We have been busy with various holiday activities. But with out further ado here is there rest of the top 25 track of 2011. (Sorry for the reduced track descriptions, they take a long time and 2011 ends in mere 12 hours).
#20
"Lonely Boy" - The Black Keys
Ps. If we had list for top video of the year this would be number one!
#19
"Montana" - Youth Lagoon
An ambient and epic song!
#18
"Video Games" - Lana Del Rey
Expect very big things from Lana Del Rey and her forthcoming album Born To Die in 2012.
#17
"Kiss Cam" - Arkells
Great rock song from a great Canadian band.
#16
"Calgary" - Bon Iver
The first single from Bon Iver, Bon Iver that set the mood for a uplifting, optimistic and spiritual album from Bon Iver.
A late Bluesloth discovery in 2011 but just an incredible song that builds throughout leaving you satisfied.
#12
"I Feel You" - Sam Roberts
Does much need to be said about Sam Roberts, one of Canada most consistent songwriters and musicians and "I Feel You" is no exception to his brilliance.
#11
"Killer Crane" - TV On The Radio
One of the most uplifting and beautiful songs of 2011, I still find myself listening to song when I need a little pick me up.
#10
"Don't Carry It All" - The Decemberists
A fantastic song from a fantastic album. The Decemberists are at the top of their game here.
#9
"It" - Rich Aucoin
Rich Aucoin established a name for himself with "It", a shout out loud anthem with a epic video as well, second only to The Black Keys "Lonely Boy" video.
#8
"Someone Like You" - Adele
Undeniably the biggest song of 2011, it showcases her amazing songwriting and incredible, heart-piercing voice. This song is absolutely epic!
"Helplessness Blues" gives a sense of direction in world where we all feel lost at times, and almost helps to come to terms with it. Robin Pecknold has developed more depth in his songwriting, didn't know that was possible.
#3
"Fuck This Place" - Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit went in a different direction with their third album Winter of Mixed Drinks but have returned to heart-wrenching songwriting and Scottish raw emotion with "Fuck This Place" from their short three song EP this year. Stay tune for details on what is likely to be a new Frightened Rabbit album in 2012.
#2
"Holocene" - Bon Iver
Watch the video for "Holocene", you will feel like you can tackle anything alone and be happy about it. Justin Vernon is in a better place and it comes across here.
Well there it is, the top song of 2011. We don't want to say much about it, just listen and enjoy. Dan Mangan has grown as songwriter since Nice, Nice, Very Nice and it very evident here. And the drums in song are amazing.
That is the top 25 tracks of 2011, I hope you enjoy these song as much as we have and we can't to see what we will have for you next year. Happy New Year everyone.
Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia Jon Mckiel's brand of folk-rock is in my opinion refreshing. Every time a new song comes on from his album I don't know what to expect... the guitars have a heavy sound but the songs maintain catchy melodies. He recently released a new album entitled Tonka War Cloud which features 10 songs. Jon has toured across Canada several times and will no doubt be touring again sometime in the near future.
I suggest you head over to his Bandcamp Page and stream the new album in it's entirety. Some of my favorites are: Ice Man, Confidence Lodge and several others.
A while back I posted A Frightened Rabbit's EP, featuring three new songs from my favorite Scottish band Frightened Rabbit. Today, they released more free music in the spirit of Christmas. The song is titled "Cheap Gold" and you can listen to it and download from the soundcloud embed below. Also check out a cover of a melancholy Christmas classic "Walking In The Air". Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Hey everyone, hope all of your Christmas preparations are coming along!
The Arcade Fire recently released a video for their song Sprawl II and they also made an interactive video for it. You can check out the interactive video at http://www.sprawl2.com/ and the regular video below.
In October of 2011, Vancouver's Kathryn Calder of The New Pornographers released a solo album titled Bright and Vivid. It is her first solo LP and I am surprised it took this long for this amazing singer/songwriter to venture on her own. I suggest you check out Bright and Vivid, however, if your short on time at the moment, listen to "Who Are You?" to start.
A while back Bryce posted Youth Lagoon's epic "Montana" from the album The Year of Hibernation and since then I have become a big fan of their sound. The gentlemen of Youth Lagoon recently were at the Sirius XMU studios and played John Denver's Classic "Goodbye Again". Check out this awesome performance below.
I saw this trailer a while ago, but I'm sure some of you haven't. Say what you want about The Kings of Leon, but they sure are successful... can't deny that. Hope you enjoy the trailer which gives an inside look at The Kings of Leon.
The movie was released on November 1st of this year.
