Bands Undone: Parlour Steps and Bonjay

I'm late on this post, but thanks to Bands Undone, I've been exposed to a couple really good acts. Last week featured Parlour Steps for the the third installment and Bonjay for the fourth.

I was fortunate enough to catch Parlour Steps' solid set at Canteen where the group played a couple tracks off their most recent release Hidden Names. Their sound is far from groundbreaking, but they're a good band. The track "Sleeping City" was a stand out for its yearning for simplicity, I think its a testament of strength when groups can strip-down their music to its strongest roots.

Parlour Steps - Sleeping City

Now I'm truly bummed that I missed Bonjay's set, but for a glimpse into the duo's sound check out the track and the video of Bonjay's Feist cover. These guys are sure to make a dent in the party scene.

Enjoy!

Bonjay - Gimmee Gimmee

Bonjay-"Honey Honey"(Feist Cover) @ Canteen. from Brian Goldschmied on Vimeo.

Whisky, Smoke, Piano Key Stroke.

First off, I have to admit that I have a thing for female jazz vocalists, maybe it's the sultry sweetness of their voices, but I will truly sit and listen to any female jazz vocalist.  For me, there's nothing better than the beautiful airy voice of Blossom Dearie, accompanied with a choice scotch on a cold December night, to keep the soul warm.  There's something about her ability to connect with your subconcious and slowly settle your thoughts from a roar to a faint hum.  There are very few singers who can touch Miss Dearie when it comes to this, in my opinion.  Not to neglect Piaf, Fitzgerald, or Holiday, but Miss Dearie has won my heart.  Her songs seem to lift my spirit.

I recently came across a couple women who carry Dearie's legendary vocal approach.  Thanks to my good friend and former NAC Ochestra oboeist Lawrence Charge, I have come to know the music of Athens Georgia's Madeleine Peyroux.  Peyroux's French-American background has allowed her to penetrate the highly critical French jazz scene and earned her a BBC Jazz Award for Best International Jazz Artist.  There is a time and a place for Peyroux and the above mentioned scenario would suit quite well.

Halifax's own Jill Barber, better known to me as Matthew Barber's sister, is a real gem.  From the first track on her new album Chances, I was sold.  She may have replaced Feist in the category of Most Attractive Voice in the annual Mookie Awards.  Her music is mostly jazz-influenced, but it doesn't prevent her from folk-like tendencies creeping through.  She's going to keep my ears warm this winter.

Enjoy!

Blossom Dearie - Manhattan

Madeleine Peyroux - I'm All Right

Jill Barber - Chances

Jenn Grant tags along w/ The Weakerthans

Canadian readers can attest that for years now John K. Samson and his Weakerthans have been among the nation's finest songwriters. While the band's latest, Reunion Tour, is difficult to rank against their back catalogue, it certainly retains the carefully constructed lyrics we've come to expect from these vets. The band sounds a little more polished than usual, production maybe? Whatever the case...... the Winnipeggers have a reputation of showcasing up and coming Canadian talent as opening acts on tour, and the Reunion Tour tour shows are no different, bringing forth Jenn Grant, whose voice can be described as something close to Feist, but with something a bit different to distinguish her own style.

The Weakerthans - Night Windows
Jenn Grant - Dreamer

- 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

Remix Sunday - Feist Attack!

Here I present three top notch remixes of some already fantastic Feist tunes from her not so recent release, The Reminder (if you didn't already know it came out in May...). Needless to say, it got a lot of play time this past summer and these mixes worked overtime. So if you didn't hear them grab them post haste.

Feist - 1234 (Van She Technologic Remix) [zShare]

Feist - My Moon My Man (Boyz Noize Remix) [zShare]

Feist - Sea Lion Woman (Chromeo Remix) [zShare]

Word.

-A.W.

June Tunes

Summer's almost here, again. It feels like I was just saying that at the end of April, but now I'm saying it again about the summer course on Bollywood cinema I'm taking for two and a half more weeks. That combined with a bi-weekly commute to the camp I work at make for a lot of traveling and iPod charging.

Here are some tracks that have been in high rotation recently:

Kanye West - Stronger (feat. Daft Punk)

Justice - Phantom Pt. 2

The New Pornographers - My Rights Versus Yours
Handsome Furs - Dead+Rural
LCD Soundsystem - No Love Lost (Joy Division cover)
- LCD was solid-sounding live and played most of Sound of Silver along with a couple older tracks, like Movement, Yeah and Daft Punk (obviously).
Feist - Sea Lion Woman
Arcade Fire - Antichrist Television Blues
- I agree with Bowie that these guys are the best band in the world. I had a brutal seat but it was so worth it.

-Andrew W.

Take It Slow, Take It Easy On Me

Several new Feist tracks are floating around, and what I’ve heard so far shows huge promise for her upcoming album The Reminder. The bouncing piano chords, up-tempo beat and catchy electric guitar hook on “My Moon My Man” remind me of some of Spoon’s best work. This raw live version of “1 2 3 4” is strong as well, and piques my interest as to what the fully produced album version will sound like. Feist’s new album is set for a May 1st North American release and debuts here in Europe on April 23rd. A European mini-tour will bring the lovely Canadian songstress to London on April 17th, and you can expect her in Ottawa on May 31st, smack in the middle of a flurry of North American engagements early this summer. Do yourself a favour and go see her.

Feist - My Moon My Man
Feist - 1 2 3 4 (Live)

- Andrew (the one in London)