Zunior.com is celebrating its 5th anniversary this weekend. In honour of that milestone, Canada’s little digital music store is throwing a big hootennany at The Tranzac on Saturday night that promises to be an amazing evening of excellent music.

Set aside the fact that I work for Zunior. Hell, even overlook that I’m playing this show myself (come early…!). I don’t need any ulterior motives to peddle this show, as the sheer strength of the lineup alone leaves me salivating.

Check it out for yourself:

Add to that the fact that they are going to announce the inaugural inductees for Zunior’s Independent Music Hall of Fame (check out the short list here) and this is going to be one hell of a night!

Get your tickets ($10 for all 3 rooms AND a rarities compilation of all bands involved) here:

tickets.zunior.com

—

Culture Reject - Inside the Cinema

Dog Is Blue - Seacaptain

Entire Cities - Dancing with My Brother

I have to admit, I wasn’t exactly taken by the whole of Eats Darkness, the latest album from Apostle of Hustle. That said it took a definite upturn for me with the addition of “Blackberry,” the last song on the album.

Upbeat, rollicking and catchy, this tune distills everything I’ve liked about Apostle of Hustle since Folkloric Feel into one beautifully bouncy romp.

Apostle of Hustle - Blackberry

Hear more at the band’s Myspace page or grab a digital copy of Eats Darkness from Zunior.

A first look at the SappyFest 2009 lineup has just been posted at the Sappy Records website and I think I just peed myself a little in excitement. Take a look at it yourself and see if you don’t loose a little control:

http://sappyrecords.com/SappyFest_09/lineup.html

What a collection of bands! I missed the boat on submitting to perform this year, but I’m sure as hell going to try to make it to Sackville anyway this summer, as this lineup looks top notch (with more TBA).

Info for purchasing tickets can be found below:

http://sappyrecords.com/SappyFest_09/tickets.html

Here are some tunes from a couple of the lesser-knowns performing this year that I think ought to be better-knowns:

The Gertrudes - The Gertrudes (Myspace page)

Bloodsport -My Last Trip to Salem (Radio 3 page)

I’m pleased to announce that Wax Mannequin, WHK favourite and all around awesome character, has a new album in the can. It’s called Saxon and will be released on the Zunior Label at some point in July of this year.

I’ve had the pleasure to see a lot of these new songs live over the last year or so and I don’t mind saying I think it’s his strongest stuff yet. Don’t want to take my word for it? Fine, be that way. Zunior is offering up a free 2 song taste of Saxon right here to prove that very point.

Here’s one of the two, an excellent touring song called “End of Me”:

Wax Mannequin - End of Me

Grab both tunes Zunior is offering up free at Zunior and keep posted for more info on the release of Saxon.

Hot damn! This is just what the groove doctor ordered. Family, the latest album from Montreal’s Think About LIfe, is simply fantastic. It’s a wonderfully layered, upbeat and candy-coated work of sheer exuberance that makes you forget your dog is dead.

Frenetic, soulful, and infused with an ability to make you move, listening to Family is pretty much the most fun I can remember having in a while. Hell, if Graham Van Pelt wanted to leave Miracle Fortress behind for good in favour of doing Think About Life fulltime it wouldn’t bother me at all (and I like Miracle Fortress, so that’s saying something).  Suffice to say that I’ve been pumping this album pretty consistently since the moment I first popped it in the ol’ CD player and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

The highest accolade I can levy on Family is that it’s the sort of incredibly enjoyable album that makes me giddy to share it—to force it on everyone I know. I want to throw a party just to watch people have a good time and ask what it is they’re dancing to, or buy a car so I can be that douche-bag blaring his tunes at stop lights and gas stations. Don’t make me go that far. Do us all a favour and just go get it yourselves.

—

Think About Life - Johanna

Hear more at the Think About Life’s Myspace page or grab a digital copy of Family from Zunior.

New Pornographers front-man, A.C. Newman, has an undeniable gift for crafting engaging and epic tunes. This lead off track from 2009’s Get Guilty is a perfect example of his ability to blend monumental flourishes with subtler melodies.

Short in length, but huge in spirit.

A.C. Newman - There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve

Hear more at his Myspace page or buy a digital copy of Get Guilty from Zunior.

Every time I want to throw in the blogging towel (which, as you can probably tell by the eradic posting schedule lately, is often) something comes up that I just can’t help but write about.  The most recent musical firecracker-up-my-butt is The CFL Sessions, the latest project from Henry Svec.

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Henry’s (Peter Mansbridge and The CBCs, The Boy from ET). He’s one of the most charismatic live performers around (see here) and his song writing is top notch. In fact, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been salivating in anticipation of the release of The CFL Sessions since I heard him perform these songs last year at the Tranzac. That’s saying a lot, as I’m far from a sports nut and don’t know much about the Canadian Football League at all. These are just damn good tunes.

Of course, with Henry there’s always more to it than just individual songs. As the name would imply, this particular high-concept involves Canadian football. The official byline is as follows (from The CFL Sessions website):

“The original CFL Sessions were captured in the 1970s by the late Canadian folklorist Staunton R. Livingston. The tapes (of Canadian football players performing both original and traditional works) collected dust in the National Archives of Canada until the summer of 2008, when they were discovered by resident folklorist Henry Adam Svec. Now, with the help of ethnomusicologist and composer WL Altman, Svec has transposed the rough, deteriorating recordings into lush and contemporary orchestrations.“

Basically, these are meant as songs performed by CFL players, lost decades ago, but found and given new life by Svec. Whatever the case, they are astounding songs—“Song Written Upong Getting Cut By the Argos” has pretty much been a favourite of mine since seeing it live for the first time last year. They capture an honour and dedication to craft (football or otherwise) that is humble (it is Canadian football…), masculine and divine. All of this is exemplified by the wonderfully forthright admission in “On Discipline”:

“I’m a bad lover and I can’t dance, …but you should see me down in a three-point stance. I’m a terrifying machine. Some of you know what I mean.“

Perfectly unpretentious lyrics like that combined with Svec’s undeniably charming delivery combine to make some truly compelling moments throughout the album (“Linebacker Passing Through” is another prime example).

Another thing that adds to The CFL Sessions‘ overall capacity for repeated listens is that Svec went straight for a collection of songs this time out, unlike The Boy From ET (read about that concept here) which included a large spoken word component.  The stories on that album were hilarious and very entertaining, but made for a far less casual listen.  With The CFL Sessions you’re able to enjoy the excellent songs and impeccably convincing delivery simply as is or dig deeper into the intriguing overall concept.

Whatever the case I can’t help but count my blessings that people like Svec are out there pushing the conceptual envelope while at the same time delivering such an engaging listen. It’s either that or resent him for making me get off my lazy butt and write, but I’d prefer to choose the former and simply sing along.

Oh, did I mention the whole album is free? Get it here.

—

The CFL Sessions - Song Written Upon Getting Cut by the Argos

The CFL Sessions - On Discipline

The Paper Cranes have an album (Chivalry’s Dead) coming out later this year and that is a very good thing. In case that’s not enough to get you drooling, they’ve offered  “Telephone” in the meantime to tide us over.

Imbued with the band’s trademark bounce and featuring some delightful lead-guitar, this is a great omen for things to come.

The Paper Cranes - Telephone

Hear more at the band’s Myspace page.

The hard-hitting duo of Cambridge, Ontario’s HotKid have just released a brand new full-length called Someday Somehow.  Just in case 10 adrenaline-filled tracks weren’t enough to get your ears salivating (…or waxing, I guess?) the album’s price should ought to seal the deal…because it’s FREE!

That’s right, you can download the whole shebang for zero spacebucks from Zunior. Just click image below and get your fists ready for pumping:

Here’s a track from the album to get your tails wagging, but seriously, just go download the damn thing already:

HotKid - Burning Daylight

The band is also currently on an eastern tour with Andrew DeVillers and you can find dates at their Myspace page.

What albums do you take with you on a 3 week drive from Toronto to Newfoundland and everywhere in between? The answer: ALL OF THEM, as it’s a damn long time in a car. Thankfully, between a bevy of iPods, stowaway CDs stuffed in the car doors and those that we would accumulate on the way, there was more than enough music to go around.

Of course, just like how Entire Cities won me over on a drive to Windsor last year, a few albums clawed their way to the dashboard more memorably than others this time around. Here are the ones that stood out the most for whatever reason:

Al Tuck - Food for the Moon

The latest from this east coast troubadour extroardinaire was in heavy rotation in more than one of the vehicles in our convoy. Of course, there’s good reason for that, as it’s an excellent addition to an already fine catalogue. Al Tuck’s croon is soothing music to highway bound ears.

Al Tuck - Every Red Road

Shotgun Jimmie - Still Jimmie

The sophomore solo effort from this Sackville resident is nothing short of a triumph. Full of endearing lyrics and infectious melodies, Shotgun Jimmie is cementing his status as one of the best songwriters around (not to mention an all-around good dude). It’s no wonder this album was the soundtrack to a debaucherous night of hanging-out just outside of St. John’s, as it really is solid from start to finish.

Shotgun Jimmie - Mind Crumb

Jon-Rae and the River - Knows what You Need

This album has been kicking around for a few years now (released by Jon-Rae and The River in 2006), but I’ve never really given it the attention or love that it deserves. Consider this my pennance, as Knows What You Need is a raucous and spirited hootenanny like no other. Unabashedly frantic and overtly sexual, this album made the perfect soundtrack to a wild dance-party in Sackville.

Jon-Rae and The River - Nothing to Do

Add to that a smattering of Paul Simon, a whole lot of Chad VanGaalen and a few oddballs like King Biscuit Boy and you’ve got the makings for a great soundtrack to an even better trip.