(Independent, 2008)

Let me give you the bad news first, as there’s really only one criticism I can think of when it comes to Organs for Sale, the solid debut from Newfoundland’s The Human Soundtrack: Simply put, it’s too much of a good thing.

Regular readers could probably see this coming a mile away, as I rarely let an album that’s close to an hour in length by without a slap on the elongated wrist.  That said, I can’t help but agree with the astute bloggerly veterans at Herohill who admit that they didn’t feel that there were any songs in particular that needed to be cut.  Basically, the lengthy track listing just makes it hard to really digest, but Organs for Sale is an enjoyable first effort to be sure.

That said, you know the situation isn’t very dire when my only complaint is that I’m being given too much of a good thing. In fact, the recommendations for this album are already coming from all over, as not only did i (heart) music have some glowing words for Organs for Sale, but it was fellow Newfoundlander Tim Baker of Hey Rosetta! who bid me to check out The Human Soundtrack in the firstplace (funnily enough, I found the new HR! album too long as well…).

Of course, even a nitpicking jerk like myself can’t help but be pacified in face of undeniable songs like “Baby’s Are the New Pursedogs”—which features Jenn Grant on back-up vocals (previously featured here)—and “All Those Staring People.” In fact, the former is tied with “Beggar’s Blankets” as my favourite song title of recent memory.

On a wider scale, throughout the entirety of Organs for Sale The Human Soundtrack manage to enviably present songs that are upbeat while remaining reflective; melodic, yet wrought with a concern for the human condition. The result is a listening experience that goes beyond simply being enjoyable, as it’s also uplifting, which is a commendable feat.

Sure, it might have seen more repeats in my headphones had it been paired down to a slightly more digestible size, but Organs for Sale has got so much going for it that I’m not about to let that stop me from enjoying it thoroughly.

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The Human Soundtrack - Allthosestaringpeople

Hear more at the band’s Myspace page or grab a digital copy of Organs for Sale here.

(Six Shooter, 2008)

Shamefully, aside from a few key tracks I never really got into Elliott Brood’s last album, Ambassador. That said, “The Bridge” was just so damn awesome that I vowed to reserve judgement. In that regard it’s time to take another listen, as the Toronto “death-country” outfit are back this week with the release of Mountain Meadows, their sophomore full-length.

So what’s the verdict? Let’s just say I’ll be revisiting Ambassador to see what I missed, as this new album leaves me wondering what could possibly have possessed me to doubt them in the first place. Scrappy and driven from start to finish, Mountain Meadows is the rustic and grassroots sound of dirt under your heels.

Standout tracks like the unstoppable “Garden River” and the serene and smooth whiskey-in-a-bottle vibe of “Without Again” assure that I’ll be coming back time and again.  Add to that the ridiculously catchy album-closer, “Miss You Now,” and any lingering residue of my previous doubts about Elliott Brood have been tossed aside with the tumbleweeds.

Of course, don’t let the mention of a few key tracks lead you to believe that the others aren’t worth namedropping, as that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Actually, if you ask me, the idea of “standouts” is something that doesn’t gel with Mountain Meadows, as the entire album is coated in an effervescent grit that is best experienced as a whole.

All told, it’s the sort of release that makes me lament having taken so long coming around to Elliott Brood in the first place. Don’t follow in my footsteps—avoid the shameful hemming and hawing and kick up some dust with this great Toronto band as soon as you can.

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Elliott Brood - Miss You Now

Hear more at the band’s Myspace page or grab a digital copy of the album here.

(Independent, 2008)

I love it when a great album seemingly comes out of nowhere. Of course, with an ever growing onslaught of PR emails, recommendations from other blogs and the general wheel of hype, being caught off guard by a release is an all too rare experience. In the end though, it’s those random acts of musical invigoration that keep me jazzed about writing a blog in the first place.

This time around it was Jason Kenemy’s UpSideDown Town that got the drop on me—one listen and I was left chomping at the bit to post about it. Basically, this solo debut from the Ontario ivory-tickler is an uplifting and unpretentious jazzy romp that will put a spring in your mental step.

From the delicate and eerie lead-in of the title track to the overt swagger of “The Turning,” UpSideDown Town starts strong and never lets up. In fact, “Joyful and Knowing” is simply a must listen—The Peanuts theme on drugs is the only description I can come up with to do it justice. Follow that up with the bouncy fun of “DB’s Blues” and there are some definite attention grabbers to be heard here.

Of course, being a piano driven jazz album (albeit with pop leanings), it isn’t always an upbeat affair, but that’s not to say that it isn’t uplifting. “Slow Red Building,” for instance, crescendos beautifully into a graceful and captivating number that is vastly becoming my favourite song on the album. In fact, while the aforementioned heavy hitting songs like “Joyful and Knowing” definitely drew me in, it’s the more subtle tracks that are delivering the knockout punch.

As I said at the outset, it’s albums like UpSideDown Town that fuel my blogging fire. Powerful from start to finish, Jason Kenemy is a name that a hell of a lot more people ought to be familiar with.

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Jason Kenemy - The Turning

Jason Kenemy - Joyful and Knowing

Hear more at Jason Kenemy’s Myspace page or grab a digital copy of UpSideDown Town from Zunior.

(Independent, 2008)

It’s taken me a while to get around to writing about this great EP by Ruby Coast, but with NXNE, work, moving…blah, blah, blah—excuses, excuses. In any case, omniscient blogger extraodinaire, History Jen, has been on my case about these guys ever since I met her in person at the Born Ruffians gig a while back (Ruby Coast was in the audience and she pointed them out with euphoric glee).

Basically, my tardiness means I’m not really going to be able to offer anything new to the list of accolades or comparisons that this EP has already garnered from the likes of Herohill or i (heart) music. What I can offer, however, is another voice shouting through the Ethernet cables for you to get yourself a copy of this EP ASAP.

It’s funny that I first caught wind of these guys at a Born Ruffians show, as they bear an uncanny similarity to that Toronto band. That said, if you ask me there’s something much more likable about Ruby Coast (on record anyway—Born Ruffians were great when I saw them live). Less jangly, but still exhibiting fun backing vocals and sporadic melodies, these guys seem to be able to hold my attention a little more (sure, much harder to do on a full-length, but they’re off to a good start).

There’s just so much here to like. From the manic pop-iness of “Little Bones” to the seductive groove of “Neighbourhood” (which strikes me as a favourable mix of HILOTRONS and D’Urbervilles), each of the 5 songs represents a well-crafted dose of addictive indie-goodness.

Sure, you’ve heard all this before, but there’s a good reason for that. Now get off your ass and check it out for yourself.

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Ruby Coast - Brittle Bones

Hear more at the band’s Myspace page.

(Out of Sound, 2008)

It’s rare that I really feel the urge to put on some fist-pumping hard rock, but when I do there’s a shortlist of bands that I turn to. In the realm of modern independent Canadian music that list usually starts and stops with C’mon. However, with this latest EP HotKid have made an impressive bid to get me revved up.

Brought to you by Guelph’s Out of Sound Records, The Cost is a three song EP of good ol’ fashion balls-out rock. Furthermore, featuring both the driven beats of Peter McIntosh and the incendiary riffage of Shiloh Harrison, HotKid are one of the noisiest two-pieces around.

The EP opens strong with the fury of “Southern Rock,” which features Harrison offering up some slightly muffled, but haunted wailing. For my money though, things really kick into high gear with “The One You Hold,” a rollicking and briskly paced ditty that is the sound of relentless movement, after which “Counting” brings the EP to a seductive halt.

Of course, in keeping with Out of Sound’s Digital DIY theme (a movement that will be discussed in detail soon, as I’ll be posting an interview with the guys), included with The Cost is a 10 page PDF booklet complete with instructions for printing your very own HotKid poster.

All told, it’s looking like I might just have another go-to band when it comes to kicking out the Canadian indie jams.

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HotKid - The One You Hold

Hear more at HotKid’s Myspace page or plunk down the measly $3.33 and grab a digital copy of The Cost from Zunior.

(Independent, 2008)

I have to admit, I’ve been sitting on this album for a little while now. What can I say, between general lethargy and an increasingly hectic schedule I just haven’t found the time to give it proper focus. That said, I’m glad that I didn’t rush, as What Keeps Us from Sleeping at Night—the latest from Montreal’s Heroes & Villains—has really grown on me.

To be completely honest, I had no idea who Heroes & Villains were before someone in their camp approached me to take a listen. Turns out What Keeps Us from Sleeping at Night is their second full-length album—who knew? That said, it turns out these guys lost their lead singer prior to recording this latest release (as pointed out by i (heart) music), so all bets are off anyway.

In that regard, if you’re looking for a comparison between this and the Heroes and Villains of old then this isn’t the assessment for you. However, a fresh take on What Keeps Us from Sleeping at Night tells me that, For my money, these Montrealers are at their jangly best when laying down the slightly sloppy and undeniable grooves of songs like “A Letter.” In fact, once the distinctive vocal qualities (re: accent) had gotten my attention it was the bouncy rhythms of tunes like “Pedestrian Ping Pong” and “Val Kilmer” that kept me listening.

The album does tend to languish slightly on occasion, but there’s an overall charm to the relaxed vocal approach in conjunction with the un-pretentious and somewhat lo-fi sound. It also seems to showcase a large range of potential influences—I couldn’t help but conjure up instant comparisons to the likes of The Velvet Underground or The Modern Lovers, and Matt pointed out some Pavement as well.

All told, in the last few weeks What Keeps Us from Sleeping at Night has gone from a background album that I didn’t know what to make of, to a jangly and enjoyable collection of raw and untamed tunes to which I’m glad to give my attention.

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Heroes & Villains - A Letter

Check out the band’s Myspace page to hear more from Heroes and Villains as well as to order copies of their albums.

(Orange Music, 2008)

Every now and again I get emails from bands asking me if I’ll accept a copy of their album for review. The first thing I do in such cases is take a trip to their Myspace page for a quick listen, as I don’t want to commit to anything blindly (and I don’t like slagging people too much—I mean, who the hell am I anyway?). Usually, at least in the case of Canadian bands, I take the ol’ “what the hell” approach and opt to give it a go ’round with no promises by way of what I’ll end up writing. Thus far, this has resulted in some great stuff I hadn’t previously come across (Construction and Destruction, for instance) and some that just wasn’t really my thing (The Dress Whites). As for Plajia, I’d have to say that their debut (?), Beautiful Explosion, falls somewhere between the two in terms of my tastes.

The first thing that strikes me about Plajia is their overall polish. I mean, everything from the Montreal band’s website to the album’s production has a certain level of sheen beyond that of most bands I would usually feature (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). That said, it’d be a bit pretentious of me to let that get in the way of the music in question, as there’s definitely some merit to Beautiful Explosion.

If I had to use one word to describe the album it would have to be pleasant. Of course, since it’s my blog and I can use as many words as I want, allow me to elaborate: Plajia have a good handle on creating lush and full tunes that always have a lot going on, while at the same time throwing down some sweeping melodies (“A Love Song for Everyone” comes to mind), but there’s not often anything that jumps out and grabs me for the long haul. That said, there’s an interesting interplay between ambient colour and epic, sprawling pop throughout the release.

To be perfectly honest, I find the more overtly upbeat moments on this album a bit derivative (ie, “Beautiful Explosion”). That said, there’s nothing here to make me want to turn it off, it just so happens that I’m not particular invested in listening either. As I said before, it’s pleasant—a comment that can just as easily be translated as not exactly gripping, but enjoyable nonetheless.

All told, Plajia seem to be at their best when juggling the colourful layers and interesting accompaniment that make Beautiful Explosion such a lush release.  At least, that’s what has made me keep listening, as it’s obvious that these guys know how to build a solid tune.  Of course, while I prefer the more ambient moments, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to hear a couple of these tracks in some big money commercials.

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Check out a couple tunes from Beautiful Explosion below:

Plajia - Beautiful Explosion

Plajia - A Love Song for Everyone

Hear more at the band’s Myspace page and take a look at the many places where you can grab a copy of the album here.

(Arts & Crafts, April 15, 2008)

This is it folks—Kensington Heights—the release we’ve all been waiting for, or at least the one I’ve been waiting for. What can I say, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the new Constantines album since it was announced. Of course, these days “waiting” is a relative term, as this album in particular has been available online since the new year. That said, there’s nothing like the warm and fuzzies of holding the physical copy in your hands, which is one of the reasons why I’ve held off giving my thoughts on the album until closer to the official date.

Cutting right to the meat of the issue, is it good? Damn straight. Does it stand up to repeated listens? Definitely. If you ask me, this fourth outing is a definite step up from 2005’s Tournament of Hearts and may even reach similar…well…heights, so to speak, as their excellent 2003 release, Shine a Light.

Put it this way, Kensington Heights is a rounded release that knows when to rock—ie, right out of the gate on the unstoppable “Hard Feelings”—but bolsters the high-octane instant gratification with a healthy dose of slow growers—“Time Can Be Overcome,” for instance. Personally, I find the album at its most enjoyable when it manages to combine the two approaches in crescendoing epics like “Trans Canada” (a terrific tune that makes me think of Hulk Hogan every time: “I had that vision, brother. The one about you, brother.” —what’cha gonna do, brother?). Other highlights include the warmth of “Our Age” (which online forums are calling this album’s “Soon Enough”), the driven rhythm of “Brother Run Them Down,” and the subtle and intoxicating power of “New King.”

Baby Eagle fans might feel slighted that Steve Lambke only has one lead-vocal appearance on Kensington Heights (the cacophonous “Shower of Stones”), but I’d wager that Cons supporters would rather hear Bry Webb anyway.

All told, I’ve had a few months to warm up to this release, but I probably didn’t need more than a few listens. Constantines fans rejoice.

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Check out my favourite track from Kensington Heights below:

The Constantines - Trans Canada

Hear more at the band’s Myspace page and check out The Constantines live at the Phoenix on May 1. You can buy a digital copy of Kensington Heights here.

Hot damn this is a fun record. Seriously, you want a review? There it is in a nutshell.

What can I say, the Hilotrons make the type of upbeat, infectious music that makes wordy bastards like me just want to shut up and enjoy. Their Latest release, Happymatic (out today on Kelp Records) is so full of catchy and uplifting jaunts that I actually started giggling the first time I put it on. In fact, I was going to simply make this one of my weekly song posts, as I can’t get enough of “Lovesuit,” but there were just so many other great tracks that I had to give the album a larger mention.

Wasting no time, Happymatic starts strong right out of the gate with “Lost in Yichang,” a bouncy, clap-along number that assures that you’ll be listening to this album again. Other highlights include the laser-beam reggae of “Dominika” and the forceful confidence of “Emergency Street,” not to mention the amusing backup vocals (I’d love to see the Hilotrons cover Baltimora’s “Tarzan Boy”…I mean it) and mid-song burst of dramatic and deep-voiced spoken word. Of course, for me it all comes back to the quirky charm of “Lovesuit,” complete with the “Old Man River”-esque background humming—seriously, I can’t stress this song enough, even if I have to mention it every paragraph.

It’s funny, initially I couldn’t help but compare the Hilotrons to the catchy hooks of Ottawa’s Clark, only to find that they share two members (albeit, Clark is now defunct, but their sophomore album, The Woods, is still excellent). Also, let it be a compliment to lead-singer Mike Dubue that his confident vocals are reminiscent of Hey Rosetta!’s Tim Baker on endorphin overload. Of course, comparisons really don’t matter when the music is this much fun (and “Lovesuit” is just that).

All told, my biggest complaint with Happymatic is that album closer, “Teen Dreams,” ends a bit abruptly, as I was hoping the album might go out with a bigger bang. That said, it’s all the more reason to restart the whole thing from the beginning (”LOVESUIT”!).

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Here are a couple of tracks from Happymatic:

Hilotrons - Dominika

Hilotrons - Emergency Street

Hear more at the Hilotrons’ Myspace page or grab a digital copy of the album here.

Also, catch the party live, as the Happymatic CD release is at the Horseshoe on April 10 where the Hilotrons will be joined by both The Sunparlour Players and Andy Swan (incidentally, the Hilotrons do an awesome cover of the former’s “If the Creeks Don’t Rise”).

(Independent, 2008)

There’s a lot to like on Homebodies, the debut album from Nova Scotia’s Construction and Destruction. Granted, with 15 tracks resulting in over an hour of music, there is A LOT on this album in general. In fact, my biggest criticism of Homebodies is simply that there’s just too much.

That said, things start out strong—and short—with the melodic and lush “Feet.” This brief introduction to David Trenaman and Colleen Collins is immediate evidence that they know their way around a catchy tune, a trait that is demonstrated quite often over the next 14 tracks as well. In fact, most of the songs on Homebodies are very enjoyable in their own right. I suppose my attention span just can’t cope with an hour and seven minutes straight of much of anything.

Breaking it into three chunks, there are some great tunes towards the beginning of the album, such as early standout “The Unconsolable,” which is delicate, determined and lovely. However, things start to wane slightly around the middle of the record, with certain tracks wandering a bit aimlessly (“The Detective”). The steam definitely picks up again though, as, for my money, the final segment of Homebodies is by far the strongest. There’s just some real power in the colourful grouping of “Batteries”—which has the amicable zest of a hot-air balloon ride—“Thank You”—reminiscent of the wayward grace of Neutral Milk Hotel—and the alternately charming and raucous fun of “The Long Now.” Were these last 4 or 5 tracks an EP I’d be forcing it on everyone I know. As it stands they serve to admirably reinvigorate the album.

Basically, an impressive collection of songs as is, were it paired down to 10 or so of the best tracks Homebodies could have been something really great. That said, Construction and Destruction have definitely proven they’re a band to watch.

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Check out a couple of tracks from Homebodies below:

Construction and Destruction - The Unconsolable

Construction and Destruction - Thank You

Hear more at Construction and Destruction’s Myspace page.