Oh No Forest Fires Breakup Explained (sort of) and the New Album is Free (really)

Toronto's Oh No Forest Fires have announced that the January 23rd show at the Horseshoe will mark the end for the band. Today there was a bit of an explanation on their Myspace:

"All four of us are adults. Well, maybe not entirely full-time adults, but at least some of us are closer to adults than others, sort of maybe almost. And life has started adding responsibilities and commitments that weren’t there before. They are quite varied in nature, and that makes me happy- it is a reflection of the fact that all four of us are extremely different people. For some of us these responsicommitibilityments means starting a career in a very demanding and time-consuming industry. It also means finishing school. It also means quitting a job that you’ve been doing for years to try and figure yourself out a bit. It also means exploring how to be creative in a post-Napster/file-sharing/record-it-yourself-at-home kind of world. It also means trying to go back to a school that was never actually attended before, but I thought about it and now I’m actually applying in a way that I was expected to back in 2004 and maybe/probably/almost definitely having to move out of this wonderful city that I love because of it.

So with these things all happening, and the fact that we are what some people would call “between record cycles”- actually, you know what, maybe that doesn’t really apply to us, because we never really worked in that conventional timeline way before. Okay, let me rephrase. We put out an album in Nov 2008, and we got to do a lot of things with it that, frankly, we are still pretty surprised that we got to do. Surprised and incredibly grateful. But that was over a year and a bit ago, and we can’t really do much more with it. So at least right now the pressure was off a little bit (because there was SO much pressure to begin with- wait a minute- NO THERE WASN’T. Wicked) and it makes a little more sense than letting ourselves walk away from this when we were in the middle of doing something.

So now that I’ve gone and said that, let me totally contradict myself.

We decided to record a new album."

You can read the full thing here and get details on how to get the new unreleased stuff for free.

There is also an interview with the band on Bring Back the Boom Box today that you can check out. It's a good overview of the history of the band (for those of you who hadn't heard of them before they decided to break up).

New Cove Road Back Home (Live in a Forest)

Europe In Colour: 2 Songs from Beyond the Grave

Photo by Lesley Davies

Toronto's Europe in Colour (Myspace) split last year after a four year run. However the band had a few songs left under their belt and rather than let them gather dust in a vault the band has decided to give them away.

Cold Reaction (mp3)


Satellite (mp3)


"Alt Altman went on to create Digits, and two members of Europe in Colour, Dave Kates and Rebecca Applebaum play on half of Digits' first album Hold It Close. You can listen to Hold It Close at digits.bandcamp.com"

D-Sisive Drops Anvil (free download)

I won't say much about this because D-Sisive has already done it nicely. The big reason we encourage musicians to contribute to NxEW is because they are better at explaining than we are. As someone who writes about music I know that no matter what I say about a band/performer/album/song the only math that really counts is what happens between the music and your ears. In this case D-sisive has gone to the trouble of introducing the track himself so I'll just pass on what he said:

"Dear friends,

This is my official press release. For IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Weird.

My label (urbnet) usually takes care of these things. Take a few paragraphs from my bio. Add a sentence describing whatever it is they're trying to promote. Throw in a quote that I spend hours carefully crafting. Bam! Press release.

Not this time. I wanted to write it myself.

Many things inspired me in 2009, but not all moved me the way Anvil! The Story of Anvil (documentary) and Dead Man's Bones (LP) did. I knew I had to involve the two in my own work, somehow. And here it is.

‘Anvil' is an updated 'Brian Wilson', combined with samples from the documentary, Anvil, over the composition ‘Werewolf Head'. One delicious lawsuit waiting to happen.

If you haven't seen Anvil, please do. If you haven't heard Dead Man's Bones, please do.

Anvil Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF4H8lB2Y_o
Dead Man's Bones: http://www.myspace.com/deadmansbones

Hope you enjoy the song.
And thank you for making 2009 an incredible year.

Sincerely,
Derek Christoff (aka. D-Sisive)

Ps. Rappers... It's OK to compliment other rappers.

You can Grab the MP3 Here!

Free Download: Patrick Watson Live in Melbourne

Via CBC Radio 3 - on a blog called Fan Made Recordings they've posted an entire Patrick Watson show, recorded in Melbourne, Australia on Jan. 6.

Visit http://fanmaderecordings.blogspot.com/2010/01/patrick-watson-northcote-social-club.html for details on the show, the track list and the download links.

Another Free Sampler from Zunior

In the hope of helping you find new artists you like so that you'll buy their albums the folks at Zunior have posted another free sampler. This one has songs from The Balconies, BA Johnston, By Divine Right, Way to Go Einstein, Windmill, Lisa Bozikovic, Omon Ra, Texting Mackenzie, Pointed Sticks and John Southworth. To get the free sampler you'll have to set up a Zunior account, but it's free and they don't spam you or share your info. Get it at http://www.zunior.com/product_info.php?products_id=2783

Live Video: Megan Hamilton covers Lady Stardust (free MP3)

A little new year's present for everyone from Megan Hamilton & the Volunteer Canola - their cover of David Bowie's Lady Stardust. You can download the MP3 here.

Downlooad Two Free EPs from EP Island

EP Island (Myspace) is a project of Vancouver's LL Schultz and Melanie Covey who wanted to work together without the usual format of a band. Instead they write and record in short, intense sessions and crank out a few songs at a time.

The duo's first two EPs are available for free, for a limited time. Visit Bandcamp to download

Rad'ish and
Good'ish

If you're unfamiliar EP Island sounds a whole lot like this:

Free Download: 3rd Floor Sessions from Ohbijou and the Wooden Sky

The 3rd Floor Sessions on Spiritlive bring you live Canadian music off the floor from Ryerson University. The latest Sessions from Ohbijou and the Wooden Sky are now up and ready to go. Visit SpiritLive for 10 live (320 Kbps) tracks from the Wooden Sky ( http://spiritlive.net/?q=TFSmp3_thewoodensky ) and another 8 from Ohbijou ( http://spiritlive.net/?q=TFSmp3_ohbijou ).

Third Floor Sessions: OHBIJOU - The Woods



Also, if you somehow missed them there are sessions posted from Gravity Wave, DD/MM/YYYY and Kay Pettigrew.

Spotlight: Novels (a free EP with an all star lineup)

Nearly a year ago, in January of 2009 Graham Wright of Tokyo Police Club, Luke Lalonde of Born Ruffians, Will Currie of Will Currie and the Country French, Dean Marino of Ex~po and Jason Sadlowski locked themselves into Chemical Sound Studios for 24 hours and wrote and recorded the EP that would become Novels in a single session.

You can't buy Novels anywhere but they are giving it away for free and encouraging you to give it away as well. The Read Me file that comes with the download says:

"Again thanks for downloading these songs!

Feel free to give the URL to your friends and have them download it too!

After you do that burn it to a CD!
Burn it to a few CDs. Give one to the girl that works at the coffee shop. Leave one in the library. Leave one on the bus seat. Put one in a random mailbox. Find a random address and mail it to them. We just want people to have this music and to share how much fun we have had with it.

If you do end up burning some CDs take a photo and send it to us. We want to see where you have hidden the CD or the people you have given it to.

[email protected]

Let us know what you think!

Sincerely
Jay, Dean, Luke, Will, Graham, Wade, Marshall, and Lesley"

You can get Novels, see photos from the recording session and watch a short documentary on the project by Wade Vroom at okaynovels.com

Another Xmas Present from Library Voices and Julia McDougall (free download)

Another holiday gift to you from your friends Library Voices and Julia McDougall.

"Well this is it. Christmas Eve. The stockings are hung, our tummy's are filled with holiday baking, and the spiced rum is coursing through our veins like a morphine drip.

Earlier this week we spent an hour rehearsing and recording a little holiday duet written and performed with our beloved friend Julia McDougall (www.juliaandherpiano.com)

It feels a little loose and rough, but so do we after all of the festive "cheer" we've been taking in this week.

Download HERE : www.myspace.com/thelibraryvoices

Wishing all the best to you and yours,
Michael, Carl, Mike, Amanda, Paul, Eoin, Brennan, Karla, & Julia."

You can also download the mp3 here.

Free Holiday Music From Adrienne Pierce

Adrienne Pierce is the latest Canadian musician to offer up some free holiday music for you. Visit http://www.thesixtyone.com/#/adriennepierce/album/Winter/10348/ to get your copy of "Joy Is WIthin Reach". You can also check out her new video for Museum from the upcoming album Oh Dear at http://www.mtviggy.com/content/25367!

Free Download from Michael Duguay and Evening Hymns

Got a little song via email from Michael Duguay, he and Jonas Bonetta (a.k.a. Evening Hymns) put together for 'Cannery Holiday Companion: Holiday Songs from the Streets of Downtown Peterborough' - a comilation album produced by Michael and Jill Staveley (the Staveley Project, the Burning Hell) as a benefit for Trent Radio.

Download it Here: Hallelujah (m4a)

Dan Mangan covers the Smiths (free download)

It's that time of the year, the time when music bloggers do their final 'best of' lists. That's what they are doing over at Herohill but there is a surprise mixed in with the albums. There is an MP3 of Dan Mangan covering the Smiths "There is a light that never goes out".

Go get it at http://www.herohill.com/2009/12/favorites-09-canadian-lps-10-1.htm!

Free Holiday Sampler from Zunior

We shone our spotlight on this year's Zunior Christmas Album for the Daily Bread food bank last week, now Zunior has posted their bi-weeklyish Free Sampler with music from this year's Christmas album and Christmas albums past including tunes from the Kelele Brothers, Ben Gunning, the Violet Archers, Dan Bryk, Dave Clark, the American Dollar, Hawksley Workman, the Great Lake Swimmers, Baby Eagle and Raising the Fawn.

Go get it for free at http://www.zunior.com/product_info.php?products_id=2766

Free Download: In Flight Safety and Jenn Grant - Fairytale of NY

This may be the best version of this song since the Pogues did it. They've even replaced the F word that gets the original in trouble. Via Myspace In-Flight safety and the angelic voiced Jenn Grant take on "Fairytale of New York" grab it for free and nothing at http://nightdanger.com/ftonyc/!

Free Xmas Offering From Way to Go Einstein

A note from Vancouver's Way to Go Einstein regarding the contents of their Christmas gift bag. You can grab it free at http://www.sendspace.com/file/e9tvpe.

"track one in your gift bag is a free copy of 'look.' if you already have the record, thank you, and here it is again. if you don't have the record, here is a pretty good indication of what you'd be getting into. actually maybe not, as it is probably our most accessible song, and let's be honest, some our songs need some time to breathe. but still, we like this song, and you might as well.

geoff and kevin, our resident electro-tards, make music with computers under the warm and cozy name, 'dirty bears.' they have been working on a record for close to three years now, and one day it will be done. but for now, they decided to take 'look,' and mangle it.

track two in your gift bag is the dirty bears remix of 'look.' if you hate the original, you might like this one, and if you like the original, well, i'll just say it, you'll LOVE this one....oh confidence, you are a silly mistress.. it is a complete departure from the original, and it is a dancey mess, just the way the dirty bears like it. enjoy!!

the final bit of your gift bag is a holiday picture of all of us. i think it speaks for itself, but let's just say, the faces made in this picture are, well, i just can't even put it into words. maybe if corky from that tv show was eating salt and vinegar chips and then got kicked in the face by a donkey? regardless, we just love the holidays, and it shows.....except for andrew....

here is the gift bag, in a zip file. download it from sendspace. it is safe and easy.

way to go, einstein presents way to go, christmas"

Said The Whale release 3rd Annual Free Xmas EP

Via Myspace: Said the Whale have released their 3rd annual West Coast Christmas EP. You can get the two song EP for the low, low price of an email address at http://www.saidthewhale.com/christmas.html. Also, if you've missed the other two you can still grab them (no email address required) at

http://www.pop-machine.ca/stw-xmas08.htm and http://www.pop-machine.ca/stw-xmas07.htm!

The Bandwidth Not Quite Christmas Special

In case you missed it yesterday, check out the Bandwidth "Not Quite Christmas" special . Join host Amanda Putz and say goodbye to Intrepid Mega Intern Meg Wilcox with traditional and non-traditional Christmas music including a few tunes from people who aren't totally sure it's all that great an idea.

Download the MP3 or Press Play:

Happy 10th Anniversary to Jim Bryson

Ottawa's Jim Bryson may not be a household name but just about every Canadian under 50 will know his work. Byrson is a touring and/or studio member of the Weakerthans, the Tragically Hip and Kathleen Edwards backing band (among others). He is also celebrating his 10th anniversary as a solo performer.

There is an article in the Ottawa XPress that does it more justice than I can:

What a banner year 2009 was for Jim Bryson. After developing something akin to hidden-treasure status following years of gigs supporting the likes of Kathleen Edwards, Sarah Harmer and The Weakerthans, Bryson can add supergroup The Tragically Hip to his ever-growing list of admirers after joining the Kingston legends as a tour musician since mid-April.

Such good news, while certainly appreciated locally, was likely also greeted with little surprise in the Cap, where Bryson's reputation as a musician of note has been ironclad for many a year - perhaps even a decade? Yes, in fact, a decade is accurate (it's true, my team of crack researchers left no stone unturned). Look no further than the evidence: Bryson's hugely popular holiday gig at Wakefield's Black Sheep Inn celebrates 10 big ones in 2K9.

read the whole thing here

And of course they are celebrating at Jim's home at Kelp Records. Head over to http://kelprecords.com/blog/2009/12/jim-bryson-10th-anniversary-the-black-sheep/ for info on Jim's two shows this weekend at the Blacksheep in (with special guests a plenty) and you can download a free, previously unreleased live track from the birthday boy himself.

A Gift a Day from Veda Hille

From Veda Hille's Blog: "hey team. here begins my little series of presents for you. there’ll be a free song up every day or so until christmas. kind of like a stunted advent calendar!" Keep an eye on vedahille.com for your presents!

New Video & Free Download: The Heavy Blinkers (feat. Jenn Grant) - Silence Your Drum

Silence Your Drum is a new Christmas Song from the Heavy Blinkers forthcoming double album Health. You will recognize the lovely voice of Jenn Grant helping the Blinkers out on this one.

Download Silence Your Drum (mp3)

Free Download: (almost) Oh No Forest Fires Christmas (not an) EP

Got an email from Rajiv Thavanathan of Oh No Forest Fires. He said that he was working on a Christmas EP but just never got time to finish it. What he did have was three songs. Technically, 3 songs could be considered an EP, but Rajiv says it's not done, so here are 3 songs but not an EP just for you, for the holidays. A few notes from Rajiv:

1) I played everything on Feliz, what a fun song, I love that jam.

Download: Feliz Navidad (mp3)


2) Winterland was sung by Lesley Davies from "The Ghost Is Dancing" a band I played with for a good chunk of this year, and probably will continue to in the future. I accompanied her on guitar. This one was originally done for a present for Lesley's mom, where a bunch of her friends and her are covering Christmas songs.

Download: Winter Wonderland (mp3)


3) "Almost Silent Night Crimes" sampled the a 2-bar drums intro to "Almost Crimes" by Broken Social Scene and then everything else was played by me. Yes, even the BSS guitar riff at the start, I re-recorded it hahaha

Download Almost Silent Night Crimes (mp3)

Eggnog Experience: Free Mental Beast Xmas Album w/ Lightning Dust, Vancougar, Analog Bell Service, Brasstronaut & more

Via CiTR (Vancouver) - the Mental Beast has put together the Eggnog Experience an album of Christmas, and Christmas like music from a variety of Vancouver artists and it's all totally free. The album feature:

No Gold - Wonderful Christmastime
Machu Picchu - All I Want For Christmas Is A Hoverboard
Apollo Ghosts - Run Run Rudolph
Nick Krgovich (of No Kids) & Rose Melberg - Coldest Night Of The Year
Lightning Dust - Ho Ho Ho
Brasstronaut - Diwali TIme
Vancougar - Dysfunctional Family Christmas
Dylan Thomas Band - For Christ’s Sake (It’s Christmas)
Tight Solid - I Hate Christmas
Makeout Videotape - Let It Snow
Needles & Pins - Armenian Christmas
B-Lines - I’m Watching TV On Christmas Day
Blue Violets - Blue Christmas (feat. Neil Osborne of 54-40)
Fanshaw - All I Want For Christmas Is You
Kellarissa - The Eve Of Christmas Eve
Adjective - Black X-Mas
Al Boyle of Hard Feelings - Star Wars, Annie Hall
Analog Bell Service - Greedy Kids Can’t Sleep
World Club - Little Drummer Boy
Dandi Wind - The Gift Giver
Secret Mommy - Woody Allen, David Koresh
Basketball - Zima Dodje (Winter’s Come)
Fine Mist - I Wanna DJ For Christmas (feat. Cam Dales)
Jody Glenham - Oh Holy Night
Collapsing Opposites - The Cost of Music
Paul Anthony - Silver Bells
Haunted Beard - XXX<MA>SSS
Noobie Noobinson - Yule Love This
Lust - Asleep In The Snow

You can get the whole thing at MentalBeast.com!

Mental Beast Episode Ten from the shots on Vimeo.

A Holiday Gift for You from The Mountains & the Trees

Photo: Adam PenneyAn email came in last night from Jon (the Mountains & the Trees) Janes. It reads:

"Hey all,

I got asked to compose/write a Christmas tune by a couple different people this year, so I threw something together with the help of Leo Bruce @ Henge Studios and this is what came out of it.  We didn't spend a lot of time on it, but sometimes that's the fun of music, isn't it?  Hope you all enjoy and feel free to pass it on (or, if it's really bad, clutch it very tight and tell no one)."

Personally I think it's pretty amazing, but like Jon said - if you like it share it, if you don't like it don't share it:

Download All Together Now (For the Holidays) (mp3)

Holiday Gift from Library Voices: Download New Track "Book of Love"

Got this note from Michael Dawson of Library Voices a little earlier, along with a free gift for you all. A new, previously unreleased track for the holidays!

"Where does the time go?

Has it really been a decade since Magnetic Fields released their masterwork 69 Love Songs.

Despite the fact we're all a little grayer and a little rounder, it still feels like only yesterday we were standing on the doorstep of Y2K. Armed with bottled water and canned goods we braced ourselves for a digital meltdown. Stephen Merritt's prolific triple-album served as our soundtrack, a record so vast and comprehensive that Dave Eggers likened it to David Foster Wallace's sprawling Infinite Jest. Somehow singing along to "I Don't Want To Get Over You" just made it a little easier to swallow the fact that not only had we still not colonized space, we were still light years away from the hover-boards and time travel promised to us 15 years prior by Back To The Future.

As our gift to you, in hopes we can all share some love this holiday season, we would like you have have our rendition of the Magnetic Fields 'Book Of Love'.

Wishing the best to you and yours this holiday season,
Library Voices"

Download Book of Love (MP3)

Free Woodpigeon Downloads, Tour Dates and a Special Offer on New Album

Via Boompa: Woodpigeon has cranked out two new songs that are yours for free for the holidays. They've also announced Woodpigeon Canadian tour dates and have a special offer running for people who pre-order the new Woodpigeon album "Die Stadt Muzikanten". People who order the album now will get it by Jan. 12 and will get an entire second album with acoustic version of each of the songs.

Go here to order the album!

Go here to get your free downloads of "Empty-Hall Sing-Along" and "xoxmas"

and go here to see Woodpigeon live:

Jan 16: Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore Cabaret
Jan 22: Calgary, AB - Broken City
Feb 11: Toronto, ON - The Drake Underground
Feb 12: Guelph, ON - Jimmy Jazz
Feb 13: London, ON - TBA
Feb 15: Hamilton, ON - The Casbah
Feb 16: Sudbury, ON - The Townehouse
Feb 17: Kingston, ON - The Mansion
Feb 18: Montreal, PQ - La Sala Rossa
Feb 19: Quebec City, PQ - Le Cercle
Feb 21: Ottawa, ON - The Blacksheep

Violent Kin: Free Daily Downloads for the Holidays

Photo by Tyler Dunn

Regular CBC Radio 3 listeners will remember Maygen and S.J. Kardash from the (now defunct) Blood Lines. In case you didn't know they are now Violent Kin and they are giving away their new album as a holiday gift to you. Via Myspace:

"We're in the spirit of giving this holiday season, which I must admit, is a welcome change from our usual spirit of hoarding.. And as we bask in our new found generosity, we've decided to give our entire album to you for FREE. So, happy holidays.. I know it doesn't quite measure up to Oprah's 12 days of Christmas, but our cheque bounced for the 3000 sleep number beds and this was the next best thing.."

Visit http://violentkin.bandcamp.com daily to collect the whole set!

Japandroids on Daytrotter

Japandroids are the latest Canadian act to pay a visit to the studios of Daytrotter.

King frantically strums his guitar and Prowse beats his kit with malice, making a sound that reminds us of the awakenings that Braid was coming into back in the 90s, knowing that there wasn't a lot that could be done to right the crooked world or even to get it to just take its time with us all. All that was wanted was to not be swallowed up into the greedy abyss and to have a chance to just mess around with their toys and to try and make some girls want them as badly and they wanted those girls. It wasn't considered wasting away if there was a pretty, warm hand that wanted to hold yours and Japandroids' best laid plan for trying to get the spinning to slow down is to make its own spin busier and dizzier. It works and it certainly makes you feel more alive. We hope it works in reverse, on the other side of the window.

Visit Daytrotter to download the songs and japandroids.com for more info on the band.

The Backyard: Japandroids - "I Quit Girls"

Happy Holidays (and a free Holiday Song) from Ohbijou

Over on their website Ohbijou has posted a recap of the amazing year they've had and is offering a free download of their cover of Wham's - Last Christmas. Of course if you signed up for their newsletter like you were supposed to (you didn't forget did you?) you've already gotten all of this. Go over there and get your free song and fill in the paperwork. I mean all they've done this year is release a brilliant album, get signed, toured pretty much everywhere spreading the love of Canadian music, played numerous big shows, small shows and festivals, and release Friends in Bellwoods II to raise money for food banks in the middle of a recession.

Give them some love and get some back at http://ohbijou.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/happy-holidays/

Elliott Brood in Session at HearYa

HearYa is a US site that records and posts sessions with artists - sort of like Daytrotter. Today they have our own Elliott Brood

Visit http://www.hearya.com/2009/12/08/elliott-brood-live-session-61/ for videos and MP3s of Garden River, Chuckwagon, T-Bill, Edge of Town and Riding in Time.

Elliott Brood - Edge of Town" - HearYa Live Session 10/20/09 from HearYa.com on Vimeo.

Christmas At the Oldfolks Home Week II (with art by Julie Fader)

Singer/songwriter and member of the Great Lake Swimmers, as well as the backing band for Chad VanGaalen and Sarah Harmer Julie Fader provides the 'cover art' for this week's free Holiday single from Oldfolks Home. Last week the posted the original song We Won't Cry at Christmas Time, this week it's a cover of Almost a Full Moon, this one though is exclusively available at Herohill so head over there and grab it.

Another Free Sampler from Zunior: Jill Barber, Rose Cousins, Daniel, Fred & Julie and More.

In the hope of getting you to buy more music Zunior regularly hands out free samples. Their latest sampler is up with songs from Jill Barber, Parkas, Daniel, Fred & Julie, Cousins, Prairie Cat, Rose Cousins, the Consumer Goods, Silver Starling, Picastro, and Mushkat.

Download it at http://www.zunior.com/product_info.php?products_id=2759!

Free Download from new Woodhands Album

Just a day after I posted details on Remorsecapade the new album coming in January from Woodhands, sadly you can't download it here. It's on Urb.com and is being billed as an Exclusive Download, so I'll behave and not give you the direct download link but you can get it at

http://www.urb.com/2009/12/03/woodhands-pockets!

The Superfantastics Live in London (405 Sessions)

Halifax's Superfantastics recently did a quick tour of England and someone has saved some souvenirs. Over at the 405 they have live videos and MP3's of "Oh How You Used to Know Me Well" and "Rites of Spring". Head on over to thefourohfive.com and watch and read and download!

Free Download: Olenka and the Autumn Lovers Holiday Song

The only players on the song are Olenka Krakus (guitar and vocals) and Simon Larochette (trumpet) so, it's really Olanka and a Autumn Lover but it is a beautiful, and simple song and "Holly, Jolly Chirsmas" it ain't but that detracts nothing from it's value as a statement on the holiday season from an artist who has become one of my favories this year and who I am still liking more by the day.

Download "Red and Green Blues" (mp3) here compliments of Olenka and the Autumn Lovers and/or Press Play and sing along.



Red and Green Blues

"have you heard the news?
'tis the season for the blues.
although carollers abound,
there's a lonesome sound in the bustling queues:
it's the red and green blues..."

Ohbijou Live at Hillside on Radio 3 Sessions

This Week's Sessions podcast was recorded at the Hillside Festival in Guelph, Ontario in July. Recorded during a thunderstorm Ohbijou revisit some songs from their 2006 album Swift Feet for Troubling Times and songs from Beacons which was not released yet when the show was recorded.

Download the
M4A or the MP3 or the OGG or just press play:

Christmas at the Old Folks Home

Winnipeg's Oldfolks Home have launched "Christmas at the Old Folks Home". Starting today they will release a new christmas carol every week in December. Each song will include artwork by people like Julie Fader, Howie Tsui, Garland Lam, and Kerri-Lynn Reeves.

The concept took shape in the summer while they were recording "White Christmas" for a compilation and over October and November they also recorded "Almost a Full Moon" and "Frosty the Snowman," and an original number called "We Won't Cry at Christmas Time" which starts off the releases. Each song will be sent as a postcard to the Oldfolks home mailing list and contacts and will be available via their Myspace and Facebook pages.

Grab your copy of We Won't Cry at Christmas Time (mp3)



Artwork by Kerri-Lynn Reeves

Jenocide Delivers Electronic Girl Power and Machines to Make Us Wet on Dec. 9

If you've been reading this blog or listening to CBC Radio 3 for awhile, you may remember the Women in Music audio doc and pod-cast from August (which inspired the ladysound.org blog. Halifax's Jenocide (Jen Clarke - ex Wimdom Earle, HOTSHOTROBOT) would fit in well on either. She has been writing songs based on her experiences as a female musician and will drop Machine to Make Us Wet an album of upbeat electro dance music with themes geared towards women’s empowerment. 

I haven't caught one of her live shows yet, but they sound promising. According to Clarke: "“I try to be spontaneous and create a spectacle for the crowd to accompany my music. This often ends in comedic and unexpected hijinks, because I'm kind of a clutz."

Check out the tracks
junglefk (I want it) (mp3)
28 Mansions (mp3)

And watch for Jenocide on tour and Machines to Make Us Wet on December 9!

Jenocide @ The Paragon, July 10th | 2009

Download Eleven Do Make Say Think Shows for Free

Archive.org is a great site. I keep finding stuff like, for example - today I found no less than eleven entire Do Make Say Think shows recorded between October 2002 and October 2007 that you can download for free and nothing. Because they are downloadable in a wide variety of qualities and formats I've just linked to the pages rather than specific files. You can get them in Flac, OGG, or MP3 (you can even stream them if you don't want to download).


October 22, 2002 Paradox Theatre, Seattle, Washington

October 19, 2002 Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, California

October 13, 2004, Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco, California

October 14, 2004, Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, California

June 30, 2005, Empty Bottle, Chicago, Illinois

November 11, 2006, Michigan Theatre, Ann Arbor, Michigan

February 23, 2007, The Magic Stick, Detroit, Michigan

Date: May 22, 2007, La Maroquinerie, Paris, France

August 3, 2007, The Evolve Music and Awareness Festival (Forward Stage), Antigonish, NS

August 5, 2007, The Evolve Music and Awareness Festival (Sunflower/Main Stage) Antigonish, NS, Canada

October 18, 2007, Mavericks, Ottawa, ON