Free Timber Timbre for Halloween

In celebration of Halloween, Timber Timbre are offering free downloads of their excellent self-titled album until midnight on Oct. 31. This album comes highly recommended, it's hauntingly moving.

Timber Timbre - Lay Down in the Tall Grass

Kids Don't Know Shit

Here are a couple must-listens, some summertime jams for kids, talking about kids, or otherwise kid-related. The first one is kid-friendly, while those from Morrissey, BSS, and Islands are, well, less so.

Little My is a collective from Cardiff and Bristol of 8-15 members, playing short cheery songs designed for the young ones. The Guess Who? themed website and cartoonish image are perfect for younger listeners and nostalgic adults, while songs like "All the Beeps Meep" are clever enough to give older peeps a smirk.

Morrissey's "Children in Pieces" and Broken Social Scene's "Horses" both involve kids in distress. The former is familiar Morrissey subject matter, delivering a slick condemnation of children's roles in organized religion. "Horses," a Patti Smith cover, is a brief and jarring tale of terror and escape, quite different than anything the Arts & Crafts collective has delivered before. It appears in Bruce McDonald's The Tracey Fragments starring Ellen Page.

Little My - All the Beeps Meep
Morrissey - Children in Pieces
Broken Social Scene - Horses
Islands - Kids Don't Know Shit

- BA

singing, "I'M NOT FINISHED, I'M NOT FINISHED! NO!"

Hey kids! How are you all? Haven't had a chat in a while and it's good to be back. Although I have been absent in posting my most 'recent' finds (although most not 'recent', just haven't posted about said 'recent' find) I've definitely been keeping up with the Jones'. One album that I just got my hands on was the Los Campesinos! album Hold On Now, Youngster. By golly! What a gem! I love an album that comes across as fun, bold and artistic at the same time. Not many albums fall under all three categories let alone just one!

Hailing from Cardiff, UK Los Campesinos! is comprised of 7 team members; 4 dudes and 3 lady friends (who might I add are super cute...and if any of you ladies are reading this, "Hello!"). Their latest output and their first full length entitled Hold On Now, Youngster is, as I mentioned before, a whole lot of fun. It mixes messy pop hooks and guitar solos with a playful atmosphere that gets you bouncing in your seat...or wherever you happened to be. The dynamics and obvious chemistry between the two singers make it possible for people to connect with them. They sound like to best friends having a conversation with each other which in turn draws you in. Another A+ goes to the team chanting moments...but I'm a big sucker for team chanting.

The album is available for digital download here and it comes highly recommended from this blogger.

Los Campesinos! - Death to Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos! - You! Me! Dancing!

Cheers,
MF Blaz

...And They All Look Just The Same

As a young child I observed the dichotomy of suburban and rural geography, the expanding borders of southern Ontario cities that were gradually encroaching on the surrounding farmland. From my first bedroom window I had a completely unobstructed view of Canada's busiest highway, the 401, lying about a kilometer from my home. The house itself, though a semi-detached unit, looked something like one of the miniatures on the cover of Population. As I grew, the vacant fields that guided my view of the highway began to see mass residential expansion, which plotted home after home of similar design all the way from my house to the expressway in the distance. Soon enough all I could see were homes, unique as they could be with buyer's choice of shingle, brick, and garage door colour. In such environments, it's almost as if the situation begs for something to stand out and distance itself from the pack.

I grew up in the northwest corner of Mississauga. The Most Serene Republic's hometown of Milton, On, is just a few exits down the 401. The landscape transformation I observed way back then is still taking place, churning out development after development that's slowly suffocating the remaining space between our neighboring towns. This happens in lots of municipalities, but knowing that The Most Serene Republic have viewed the same particular transformation that I have has given me a more personal motivation to think hard about the title and meaning of the band's latest album (which by the way, is excellent). Population (Arts & Crafts) deals with many subjects, including the fear of uniform monotony, using multi-layered, challenging songwriting the band is known for. Each song gives the same impression as a custom-built home jutting out of a carbon copy grid. They seek to cement a strong identity with ambitious music in a community filled with acts that too often hedge their bets, minimize risk, and stay safe. There aren't enough good things I can say about the album, just check it out and judge for yourself.

They're heading west touring Population right now with Dragonette, Mother Mother, and Small Sins (on some stops). Work got in the way of attending last night's Ottawa show at Zaphod's but my hope is that the album's popularity warrants another cross country tour in the new year.

The Most Serene Republic - Present of Future End [YSI]
The Most Serene Republic - Why So Looking Back [YSI]

- Brad

BSS Fans are the Lucky Ones

Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew just released his quasi-"solo" effort Spirit If... and it's quite terrific. It would be a waste of time going off on a superfluous summary of the album's bright spots and intricacies, instead let's just say that all things considered, Drew's record is a Broken Social Scene record and lives up to their catalogue. Feist, Amy, Emily, Jason, and other lesser known BSS contributors lend their voices to many songs, keeping the hour and five minute album as diverse as we've come to expect from the collective. Certain songs outshine others, but upon first listen it feels like a Silent Alarm or a Neon Bible, in that the prospect of any song becoming a favorite in the future is very possible. As of now the best song, hands down, is "Lucky Ones", which also happens to be Drew's longest. The primary guitar lick will get stuck in your head, be forewarned. Consistent as ever, this is both a safe and essential purchase for any Canadian music fan. Now that Arts & Crafts have signed The Constantines and The Stills to bolster their lineup, it seems as though the monopoly on Canadian indie rock is complete.

Kevin Drew - Lucky Ones
Kevin Drew - Bodhi Sappy Weekend

- brad