Free Album From the Michael Parks (Andy Swan, Sandro Perri, Greg Smith (Weakerthans) & Shayne Cox (Sports: the Band)

'Try Try Again' is the new album from The Michael Parks with Andy Swan, Sandro Perri, Weakerthans bassist Greg Smith, and Shayne Cox - drummer for Sports the band. It is the first in Andy Swans Binary Series:

"The Binary Series is my new outlet for music, and is all about stripping things back to the basics.

There are no labels, publicists, distributors, retailers, consolidators, manufacturers, lawyers, agents, interns or plastics involved.

The music is free, from me to you."

Swan recently told Exclaim that

“It probably grew out of all those times I had to move boxes and boxes of unsold CDs from home to home ... Releasing stuff for free online is really an extension of the punk rock DIY mentality of the stuff that inspired me when I was young, except that the Internet is way better than cassettes. I have a backlog of material and plan to release stuff at my leisure for free on my website over the coming months. I just figure that if enough people like the songs, I will see some benefit from that someday, somehow.”

According to the site the album was recorded in 2006-2007 at the home of Andy Magoffin of Raised by Swans and the Two Minute Miracles (also the producer of albums for the Great Lake Swimmers, Hidden Cameras, Constantines, Royal City, the Priddle Concern, the Burning Hell, and Jim Guthrie.) Swan says that this will be the first of many releases and recommends that anyone interested in keeping up join the Facebook Group: Andy Swan's Binary Series.

Chinese Laundry


Download the entire album for free at http://themichaelparks.com/try.html!

Weakerthans, Metric, Hey Rosetta to Play Verge Awards Sept. 22

According to Chartattack the performers at this year's Verge Music Awards (Toronto's Mod Club on Sept. 22) will be the Weakerthans (winners of the Verge's Artist of the Year in 2008), Hey Rosetta! (last years album of the year winner) and Metric (not an award winner but the top 6 results on Google when you search 'Metric' now are all about the band - not the measurement system - which says something, good or ill.)

You can still vote for this year's Verge Music Awards at http://www.thevergeonline.com/vma/voting.php

The Weakerthans - Civil Twilight



Hey Rosetta! - Red Song



Metric - Gimme Sympathy

Weakerthans on Vinyl Cafe Podcast

Stuart McLean's Vinyl Cafe was in Winnipeg for this weeks show (thanks to Julie Penner for the tip) and what do you do when you're hosting a show in Winnipeg? You get the Weakerthans to be your musical guest:

Have a listen



or just download it and take it with you.

VFMF Weekend Review (plus photos)

Writer's note: As Alex (AlexOfAnders) has been so thorough with his Vancouver Folk Music Festival daily recaps, I'll try my best not to overlap.

This past weekend was probably the hottest and brightest on record so far this year in Vancouver. Being located on Jericho Beach, Vancouver Folk Fest had the advantage of drawing in not only music lovers, but curious sunbathers as well. That, along with its tradition of having hippie-ish arts bazaars by its premises, meant that there was an eclectic mix of attendees, from mothers changing babies on beach blankets, to the most hardcore of indie fans.

The festival was run very well this year. There were an abundance of Christmas light-lit porta-potties, which were clean (!). The water refilling stations with local filtered tap water was a nice touch. I didn't eat much, but there was a whole section for food with over 2 dozen vendors. Cute kitschy vendors selling everything from hammocks to hats lined the walkways. I took public transit to get to the festival site, which took about an hour total in commute time from a local municipality (Richmond). So in conclusion, you would not be roughing it in the wild.

Onto the music; there were 8 stages in total, with the main evening stage complemented by 7 numbered, smaller stages.

Friday night (July 17)

I arrived the main evening stage to overhear Joe Pug, a singer-songwriter from the States. I was not super impressed with him; seemed like typical guy-with-guitar fare. However, he had a surprisingly old-soul voice for a 23-year old.

After a short meeting with fellow NxEW-ers at the beer garden (good view of evening stage), I went off to snap some photos of the Weakerthans' set at the main stage. They opened with Night Windows (my favorite song from them) and put on a strong, hits-filled set, especially near the end when they blazed through Civil Twilight, Aside, and Sun in an Empty Room.

John Samson was more than willing to banter back and forth with the audience. Before launching into One Great City!, he threw his support behind those who oppose the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in 2010. This was no surprise, looking at the topic matter addressed in the song. After agreeing to disagree with a few audience members, he mentioned that he'll be at the beer garden after the show, to continue the debate then. Sadly, I cannot confirm whether or not that happened. Read Alex's interview with John Samson here.

After the Weakerthans, Iron & Wine took to the main stage. I'm not very familiar with his music, but he played a hits-filled show as well, according to fellow blogger Lauren from Backstage Vancouver.

Arrested Development, the headliners of the night, were definitely a highlight for me. They've been performing "uplifting hip hop" for over 17 years, and the infectious and joyous noises they make roused the 1000+ crowd to their feet to dance. Everyone from grandpas to hipsters were flinging their hair and swinging their hips. It was a sight to behold and truly a pleasure to witness. The festival's Lantern Committee wandered through the crowds and complemented the music by their light show, and sporadic fireworks went off in English Bay across the waters. It was a magical night. I unfortunately do not have any (good) photos, as I was (fortunately) dancing.

Saturday afternoon (July 18)

My first session of the weekend ("Folkestra") was hosted by Rock Plaza Central, and included members of The Breakmen and Great Lake Swimmers. There really is nothing quite like the experience of lying in the hot sun and listening to some of the most talented musicians serenade an appreciative crowd.

The bands alternated between songs and occasionally contributed to each others' instrumentation. At times, a song sounded like it had the help of a 12 piece backing band, which was what happened for Great Lake Swimmers' Still, which is a beautiful song off their Polaris-shortlisted Lost Channels. Expect my Youtube video of it up on this blog soon...

(On a side note, while they were playing, a pair of dragonflies were courting right up front and centre of the stage. They had the best view.)

Rock Plaza Central played a handful of songs off each of their albums, especially from their latest ...At The Moment of Our Most Needing and the thematic Are We Not Horses from 2006. After the frontman Chris Eaton borrowed Tony Dekker (of Great Lake Swimmers)'s guitar, they rounded up their set with the catchy song My Children, Be Joyful (mp3) which had the entire tent, as well as the audience, singing along.

The Breakmen

, a Vancouver-based folk/roots band, played songs such as That's Where I Lay Down ("written on a day much like this one"), as well as an unnamed one which had the whole stage singing "oohs" for back-up. I don't know their music well but am looking forward to checking them out more.

After the session, we made it over to a nice shaded stage for Basia Bulat's set. I was very excited to see her live for the first time, after falling in love with her voice two years ago. Due to a mix-up with scheduling, or the artist before her overstaying his time, her set began half an hour later than scheduled. That didn't frazzle Bulat, who launched into a high energy foot-stomping set, including hits like In The Night. Erik from the Great Lake Swimmers played guitar and banjo in her backing band.

She wrapped up her 12-song set with Snakes and Ladders and an a capella song, which had her crooning to the audience complete with foot stomping and clapping for percussion. You can read an interview between Alex and Basia here.

After Bulat's set, I raced over to Joel Plaskett Emergency's free set in Surrey, BC for the Surrey Fusion Festival. That adventure will be outlined in a later post.


Sunday evening (July 19)

After bolting between Surrey and Jericho beach (again) after a friend's bridal shower, I made it back in time to catch Rock Plaza Central and Great Lake Swimmers again at a side stage. GLS were headlining that particular stage.

They each performed several songs that they played during the sessions, ramped up, as well as several other songs.

Chris Eaton, lead vocals and guitar for Rock Plaza Central, was clearly appreciative of the large attentive audience. He connected with the audience well, which definitely complemented his band's amazing songwriting and his captivating "scream-folk" voice (as dubbed by me). Once again, they wrapped up their set with the two extremely catchy songs (Don't You Believe The Words of) Handsome Men and Be Joyful. Handsome Men has been stuck in my head ever since their set.

Great Lake Swimmers, whose performance I'd been waiting for the whole weekend, surpassed my expectations with their set. By the time they got on stage, a sizeable crowd had stretched far back, waiting to hear this ethereal band led by Tony Dekker's singular voice. They were not disappointed. The Swimmers played a 12-song long set, strumming through hit after hit. Let's Trade Skins, Chorus in the Underground, Palmistry and Pulling On A Line started the set, while the captivating Various Stages had the entire crowd sighing to the words,

I've seen you in various stages of undress
I've seen you through various states of madness

Basia Bulat joined the Great Lake Swimmers for the ending part of the set, adding a jolt of energy to Your Rocky Spine (which, by the way, totally blows John Mayer's Your Body Is A Wonderland out of the water). The entire set was wrapped up with the beautiful and hopeful Still. I'm sure I speak for the appreciate audience when I say that no one wanted the dream-like set to end. As the sun was setting and music from Mavis Staples floated over from the main stage, Great Lake Swimmers got a standing ovation for being a sparkling highlight of the entire weekend.

Sunburnt and sleep-deprived, I could not have wished for a more soulful, musically-filling weekend.

See a set of photos from Vancouver Folk Fest on my Flickr here.

Here's another very thorough VFMF review by my good friends Mel and Lauren of Backstage Vancouver.

Weakerthans and Jason Collett Wake Up the Sunset Strip

Wednesday nights can tend to be a little on the predictable side on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.  Yes there is an endless stream of Death Metal bands playing at the Whisky.  Something's always going on at the Viper Room that causes twenty or thirty people to spill onto the street after each band plays, but those crowds evaporate pretty quickly and soon it's quiet.  At the Rainbow aging 80's rockers relive the good old days while pounding a few beers with Lemmy from Motorhead.  

What I didn't predict tonight was the large crowd that turned out for The Weakerthans and Jason Collett at The Roxy.  I realized something was up when I found myself fiftieth in line for Will Call (Which I thought was supposed to make life MORE convenient?).  Twenty minutes later I was half way to the ticket booth and could hear Jason Collett singing away.  Ten minutes after that I was finally inside where I got to hear Jason, accompanied with only his guitar, play his last five songs to an appreciative hundred or so listeners while the scenesters at the bar chatted away like usual.  I can't explain how rare it is for that many people to listen attentively to that kind of performance in Los Angeles, especially in the setting of one of the definitive Rock clubs in the city.  Personally, I was hoping to hear "I'll Bring the Sun" or "Charlyn, Angel of Kensington" but those tunes either happened while I was outside or he didn't play them.

The crowds continued to pour in throughout Jason's set and the intermission and I'd guess it was over 250 and headed to 300 by the time The Weakerthans took the stage. 

This was my first Weakerthans concert and it was a mind-blower.  Over about an hour and a half set which went from intense to melancholy to intense and back again, from "Relative Surplus Value" to "Sounds Familiar" to "Civil Twilight" to "Wellington's Wednesday" the crowd was taken on a ride no one wanted to end.  And I've rarely seen a crowd like that in Los Angeles.  They were singing along the whole concert through and never stopped yelling requests between songs (Thankfully only one "Free Bird" request).  When John K. Samson played solo you could hear a pin drop they were so quiet and into the performance... except for "One Great City" where everyone joined in on the chorus and several people yelled out their love for Winnipeg.  And the Jets.

While we're on the subject of John K. Samson, what a voice!  And excellent songwriting and band of course.  And the more Canadian bands I see the more convinced I am that there's some sort of top-secret super-drummer-creation project going on up there.  Everyone I hear is amazing.  First Mother Mother.  Then Holy F**k.  Then Hey Ocean!  Now The Weakerthans and Jason Tait, incredible.

So after about fifty minutes or an hour the band left the stage, then came back for a four song encore.  I would have liked about another hour but of course it's good showmanship to leave 'em wanting more.

The only downside to the whole night was, as with Jason Collett, I didn't hear the song I wanted to hear most, "Virtute The Cat Explains Her Departure".  I think they played the other Virtute song though, which quieted down the guy next to me who was yelling, and occasionally meowing, his request for it.

So the show ended too soon and I wandered past the giant merch line and headed home.  Who knew a Wednesday night at The Roxy could be that much fun?

Vancouver Folk Music Fest Day 1 plus a short interview with John K Sampson of the Weakerthans

Photos by Justin Cameron


Now ends my first day at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, it’d been great and I can’t wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow promises many workshops and events from 10a till 11p so it should be pretty awesome. Tonight was a more focused singular kick off concert at the main stage featuring the Weakerthans who I’ll focus on as they were one of two Canadian acts playing. The first act was Zal Idrissa Sissokho and Buntalo from Montreal who sounded interesting but isn’t really something I’m in to, still give them a try. After this was Joe Pug, a singer-songwriter from Chicago. He was good, felt to me like he’s been channeling his inner Bob Dylan, has a somewhat similar sound. Now, back on to Canadian music we have the band I was waiting for, the Weakerthans.


I’m sure many of us know by now that they can put on a damn good show. They tore into hits right away such as Night Windows and they just kept coming. In all honest I wasn’t that into the Weakerthans until I saw them live, some bands just blow me away live and this is one of them so if you get to see the Weakerthans on the Western sweep they just started, I’d recommend doing so.





I was fortunate enough to get to have a short talk with John K. Samson, fresh off the stage...

Alex: First off, I was just kind of curious. Do they make you pay for beer still, as a performer?

John: You get three free, and yeah, I’d pay for them. They’re cheap.

A: Yeah, they’re not too bad. $3 is less than you’d pay at a bar. It was a great set up there, I like the ending with the horns coming in.

J: Thank you, I enjoyed that too.

A: Have you played the Folk Festival before?

J: Not this one but we’ve played a lot across the country. Done almost all of them except this one so it’s nice to get this one done. It’s good.

A: Nice, how’d you like it?

J: I really enjoyed it, it was really hot but I did have a good time, yeah, it was fun. The crowd was really engaged and nice and mellow.

A: Yeah, they seemed to start really getting into later on. So, you’re starting a new tour now?

J: Yeah, we leave tomorrow down the west coast and then back home, it’s very quick.

A: Ah, so it’s just like a small west coast back to Winnipeg tour?

J: Yeah, exactly.

A: I was just surprised coming off of the Rolling Tundra Revue. It was a whole sweep of Canada, right?

J: Well, we didn’t hit the states at all, so that’s what we’re doing this time. We’re going down to LA.

A: So hitting more of that North/South expansion. How do you find you’re received in the States?

J: Same as here.

A: Do you find you’re as well known in the States as here?

J: I dunno, maybe a little less, crowds are about the same.

A: Seems good, like you can fill up the Commodore up here.

J: Yeah, I guess that’s a bit of a fluke, we don’t always do that. That’s a bigger show for us in Canada too.

A: Well, I’d say you’re guy’s name is big enough that you can kinda do those things.

J: It’s big enough for me, I’m fine with it.

A: So, do you guys have anything new for us coming up soon?

J: Not right now, we’re just taking the summer off and writing and working on other things. So no real plans as of yet, takes us a long time but eventually we’ll figure it out.

A: I heard you talking about the Olympics a little up there. Got any thoughts on that that you’d like to expand upon?

J: Well, like the guy in the audience asked me, what I had against the Olympics and there are too many things. A lot of things really. I think there’s never been a city that’s benefited from hosting the Olympics. I think it’s actually been detrimental to the city as a whole. It increases the infrastructure of some cities but I think to the detriment of it’s citizens. It’s all money that could have been spent in much more progressive and interesting ways and this is an especially poor city. You know, it has a real underbelly to it that needs to be addressed and I think its an insult to those people who are living on the streets, who have real problems getting by that they’re spending a billion dollars or however much it is on this sporting event. Much as I love the sports, I do love them.

A: Yeah, they’re nice but still, like you said, there are a lot better uses for the money than this stuff. Well, it’s good to see people out of town getting behind us on this kind of issue.

J: Yeah, yeah. I just thought, you know, that a lot of people worked really hard and it must feel really kind of devastating for those people that just worked and worked on it. So, it must, in a way, feel like a failure but it isn’t. I mean, people have to go out there and express themselves and challenge the powers that be and those people should be recognized even if they don’t succeed all the time.

A: I was wondering if you’d heard of us at all, North by Eastwest?

J: No, it’s clever though, I like it.

A: All we do is cover Canadian music.

J: Oh cool, is it a web only?

A: Yeah, it’s a web blog thing started by a guy in Toronto and he’s just kind of gathering people. We all volunteer our time and try to cover whatever’s going on in Canadian music.

J: That’s great, I’ll totally check it out.

A: It’s a really easy website to remember, it’s just nxew.ca. Well, good luck on the rest of the tour and thanks for your time.

J: Thank you very much, it was nice to meet you.

A: Nice to meet you too, I hope you come back to Vancouver.

J: Ah, we will, we always come back here.

Afterwards there was Iron & Wine and Arrested Development. Both great bands that put on excellent sets but there's only so big I'm going to let this post get.

This is getting up in length so I'll stop here but all in all, a great line up. A pretty awesome start to this festival and I can't wait for more! Hopefully I'll get to comment more on the festival grounds and set up in later posts. Remember to follow both me, @AlexOfAnders, and Brenda, @kn0ttyn3rb, on twitter for updates throughout the day. Oh, and tip one about this folk fest I learned: bring a hat.

Thanks!
- AlexOfAnders

Vancouver Folk Music Festival in less than a month!

It's coming soon, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. Is a month too early to give this festival some exposure? I say not since it gives you time to still get in on advance tickets and such. This is the 32nd such festival and it seems to me that it's taken somewhat of a new direction, the bands are even better this year and they added a beer garden (sweet relief from the sun!). Let's get the key info out of the way first then onto the bands

Vancouver Folk Music Festival
When? July 17th - 19th (psst, it was up in the banner)
Where? Jericho Beach Park, Vancouver BC
What? The weekend will host over 60 bands from 14 countries including many different styles of music. As their press release states "They are coming from around the world and around the block." Of course there will be food, drinks, merch but also an art market and a Little Folks Village.
Website: http://thefestival.bc.ca/

Looking at the current line-up, this should be a pretty awesome year for the festival, there's some great Canadian artists coming like the Weakerthans, Great Lake Swimmers, Basia Bulat, Rock Plaza Central and Vancouver's own Dan Mangan. Not only this but it looks like a huge variety of styles so don't expect strictly "folksy" folk music. Down below is a list of the bands that are booked, I kept the description given to me by the VFMF but added in links to more info on the band (also available here) .

Being a Canadian music blog I thought it important to highlight the people from Canada so I split the list into home and away teams. I'll try to bring you guys more info as it comes. Hope to see you there!

Home Team (Canadian Artists):

• Matt Anderson (NB) Sprawling blues and a honey-tinged voice – a raw, rare and real rising talent.
• Geoff Berner (BC) Folk, punk and klezmer with witty lyrics delivered with frenetic, contagious energy.
• Mark Berube & the Patriotic Few (QC) Sophisticated folk, savvy writing, stirring vocals and impeccable delivery.
• The Blue VooDoo (BC) Intriguing blues with rootsy twists and turns delivered with soul, heart and a hint of magic.
• Bop Ensemble (AB/BC) Folk maestros Bill Bourne and Wyckham Porteous link forces with up-and-coming singer-bassist 'Jas' Ohlhauser.
• The Breakmen (BC) A potent blend of bluegrass, old-timey folk and vintage country.
• Basia Bulat (ON) Melodic and poetic folk/pop – timeless, yet surprising and utterly original.
• Canefire (ON) Afro-Caribbean traditions meet Trinidadian carnival and jazz on steel pan, piano, horns, bass and percussion.
• Eliana Cuevas (ON) This Venezuelan-born vocalist and songwriter creates original world jazz, supported by a stellar band.
• Joel Fafard (BC) This gifted slide fingerstyle guitar player writes stirring, melodic compositions painting vivid pictures.
• Roy Forbes (BC) With his soulful voice and master songwriting skills, Roy has a lifetime of great tunes in his back pocket.
• Fito Garcia (BC) Afro-Cuban beats performed live by four bass players, two percussionists and three vocalists.
• Amos Garrett Acoustic Trio w/ Doug Cox (AB/BC) Among the planet’s finest guitarists, Garrett (and Co.) hook up with a dobro maestro.
• Great Lake Swimmers (ON) Haunting and heartfelt folk-pop featuring great instrumentals and Tony Dekker's captivating voice.
• Veda Hille (BC) Fierce, independent, an original – Veda writes and sings what amazes her, always amazing us in the process.
• James Keelaghan (MB) This celebrated songwriter’s rich voice illuminates folk’s keystones of humour, lore, document and adventure.
• Labess (QC) Rich, festive melodies: Spanish flamenco and Cuban guaracha to the music of the Arabic/Berber world.
• Anne Loree (AB) Brave, insightful ballads and rockin' politically-edged commentaries from the writer of Jann Arden’s hit “Insensitive”.
• Dan Mangan (BC) With a uniquely rich voice and well composed melodies, his folkie template approaches alt-Canadiana.
• Jorge Miguel Flamenco (ON) Full contact, glorious flamenco music, dance and song with original compositions true to Andalucian tradition.
• Mr. Something Something (ON) Mashing-up compelling Afrobeat grooves, syncopated melodies and layered vocals with politically aware lyrics.
• Pacifika (BC) Global pop, jazz-infused and Latin-tinged, that nods to diverse influences while forging a fresh new groove.
• Steven Page (ON) Barenaked no more, Page goes solo with a mix of familiar BNL tunes and road-tests of new material.
• The Paperboys (BC) No-holds-barred Celtic-laced global music served up with brilliant musicianship and passion.
• Lester Quitzau (BC) From gutbucket blues to ballads to free improvisation – a mster guitarist, singer & songwriter.
• Kate Reid (BC) A whip-smart wordsmith with a knack for candid songwriting charged with humour and social-political observation.
• Sara Rénélik (QC) This singer/dancer blends her Haitian roots with Afro & Franco-Caribbean worldbeat and forays into pop, folk-rock and soul.
• Rock Plaza Central (ON) Troubadour-pop, neo-chamber folk-rock relaxed in its own creative realm of humble origins and unbridled imagination.
• Zal Idrissa Sissokho & Buntalo (QC): A descendant of a Senegalese griot family, Zal energizes centuries-old Mandingo music traditions.
• Shari Ulrich (BC) This singer/songsmith’s ever-vital music has touched countless hearts for three decades. Now there’s a new generation of fans in the wings.
• Suzie Vinnick & Rick Fines (ON) Carving a new niche in the Canadian blues canon with great songs and a down-home style.
• Vishtèn (PEI/QC) New-Acadian traditional music powered by fiery fiddling, spicy step-dancing and sweet vocals.
• VOC Soul Gospel Choir (BC) Mixing eclectic sounds into a positive and spirited world music chorus.
• The Weakerthans (ON) Punk-inflected folk rock with literate, witty lyrics have rocketed them to the top of Canada’s music scene.
• Jamyang Yeshi (BC) Want Tibet? A talented artist from a nomadic family in Tibet’s Amdo region sings the songs of his people.
• d’bi .young (ON) A celebrated young poet/artist and a passionate word-warrior whose originality and ingenuity matches her creative courage.

Away Team (International artists):

• Los de Abajo (Mexico) Multi-instrumental Latin ska, tropipunk & reggae rhythms fueled by a quest for social justice.
• Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara (UK/Gambia) The deepest trance-blues this side of Timbuktu.
• Darol Anger, Mike Marshall w/ Väsen (US/Sweden) Eclectic new-acoustic folk from two continents – a five member virtuosic symphony.
• Arrested Development (US) Grammy -winning alt Hip Hop pioneers mixup positive grooves and a social conscious into a pulsing celebration of life.
• Bellowhead (UK) Rollicking, theatrical 11 piece world folk big-band and 3 time winners of BBC Radio’s “Best Live Band”.
• The Ebony Hillbillies (US) With banjos, fiddles and washboard, this quartet keeps the rich African-American string band tradition alive.
• Jonathan Edwards (US) Since his 70’s hit “Sunshine”, Jonathan’s ear for a good story, strong melody and beautifully crafted song thrives on.
• Liza Garza (US) A poet/vocalist and activist whose words simultaneously whisper power and strength; peace and grace.
• Dick Gaughan (UK) For over three decades, one of Scottish music’s best-loved performers, guitarists and raconteurs.
• HAPA (US) Song, chant, the sacred hula and inspired slack key guitar, Maui’s HAPA creates pan-Polynesian music for the 21^st century.
• Corey Harris (US) A globetrotting reggae/blues/roots alchemist who carries the African-influenced blues tradition forward.
• Iron and Wine (US) Sam Beam is a classic, lyrically-evocative American tunesmith for a whole new generation of folk music fans.
• Patty Larkin (US) A constantly evolving yet fully-realized singer/songwriter at the height of her prodigious vocal, lyrical and instrumental powers.
• Los Misioneros del Norte (Mexico) From accordion-driven Norteño dance music to storytelling “corridos” – viva la musica!
• Tony McManus (Scotland/ON) “The world’s best Celtic guitarist” plucks new life from an ancient tradition.
• Mutabaruka (Jamaica) Acclaimed reggae dub resistance rebel and outspoken people's poet whose righteous convictions have not mellowed with the years.
• Idy Oulo (Cameroon/France) Performing on a garaya, a papaya with two strings, and electric guitar, Oulo’s music combines African, world music and reggae.
• The Proclaimers (Scotland) No havering – over 20 years on, the Reid twins deliver great folk/pop tunes, from love songs to outspoken political commentary.
• Joe Pug (US) This talented folk troubadour carries on a venerable tradition with heartfelt ballads and new songs that matter.
• Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band (US) Rural Indiana-based three-piece band delivers an energized sound steeped in classic blues tradition.
• Mavis Staples (US) Legendary gospel, R&B and pop singer who infuses each song with a soul-quaking depth fired with dignity and faith.
• Tarhana (Netherlands/Turkey) A tribe of Amsterdam music nomads blend Sufi sounds, Gypsy melodies and Afro-Anatolian grooves.
• Umalali (Belize) Women’s voices and potent rhythms - the stories, struggles and spirit of the Garifuna people of Central America.
• Cheryl Wheeler (US) A gifted songwriter with a gorgeous voice, and a fantastic storyteller with a razor-sharp wit.
• Women in Docs (Australia) This duo’s down-to-earth humor, soaring harmonies and catchy tunes are bright as a midday Queensland sky.

Weakerthans Tour Dates

Just got an email from the Weakerthans mailing list. Not much to add to it so I'm reposting it basically as is (Civil Twilight video tacked on to make the post sound better)!

*The Weakerthans - Tour dates.*
The Weakerthans will be performing through out the United States this summer and fall. Full tour dates are being announced on our site as they are confirmed. While we’re at it, we will playing a couple of Canadian shows as well: in July, we are starting in Western Canada with a performance at the Vancouver Folk Festival, then heading down the West coast of the USA. Later in the year we will be playing at various stops across the Mid-West and North East USA.

Here are the concerts dates so far:
July
7/17 Vancouver, BC @ Vancouver Folk Festival
7/18 Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
7/20 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place
7/21 San Louis Obispo, CA @ The Downtown Brew
7/22 Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
7/23 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
7/24 Eugene, OR @ WOW
7/25 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theatre
7/26 Nelson, BC @ Spirit Bar

September
9/15 Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
9/16 Boston, MA @ Paradise
9/17 Brooklyn, NY @ Williamsburg Music Hall
9/18 NYC, NY @ Bowery Ball Room
9/19 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
9/20 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
9/22 TBA
9/23 Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
9/24 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
9/25 Chicago,IL @ Bottom Lounge
9/26 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
9/27 Madison, WS @ High Noon
9/28 Waterloo, ON @ Starlight Lounge

*Itunes Session.*
The Weakerthans will be releasing their recent Itunes recording session, tracked while we were on our Rolling Tundra Revue Canadian Tour at Metal Works in Mississauga, ON. Keep an eye on your iTunes home page it will be released June 30th, 2009.

*Thanks.*
Thanks to all those who came out to Rolling Tundra Revue 2009 Canadian Tour concerts. We hope you all had as much fun as we did.

The Weakerthans - Civil Twilight

Indie Rockers and Others Fill Cameras for Charity

Some of your favorite Canadian indie rockers and other celebrities have filled disposable cameras to support DOXA. DOXA is a documentary festival presented by the Documentary Media Society of Vancouver. To raise funds the festival (who's 2009 fest. launched on Friday) is auctioning off some used single use cameras. Those cameras were filled by Jason Collett, Bob Wiseman, the Weakerthans, Ladyhawk, Tegan Quinn, Stars, Nardwuar the Human Serviette, Great Lake Swimmers, Veda Hille and even CBC folk like Peter Mansbridge, Mary Walsh, George Stromboulopoulos, Colin Mocherie, Brent Bambury and Ian Hanomansing.

So what's on the cameras? What did they take pictures of? They're not saying but bidding on all the Cameras opened on Friday and will continue until Sunday May 31, 2009.

Winnipeg based project puts musicians on the hot seat!

The Record of the Week Club is a celebration of the Winnipeg music scene and was engineered by local Winnipeg producer/musician Mike Petkau( Les Jupes, The Liptonians, Ian La Rue).
Every Wednesday for 16 weeks, 3 musicians showed up at MCM Studios in Winnipeg. What would follow could be compared to a blind musical date. A couple of artists had the evening to create a piece. What would come out of it are co-creations between members of The Liptonians, The Weakerthans, Chic Gamine, Mahogany Frog, Nathan, Novillero, The Waking Eyes, Tele , Oldfolks Home and many more. The album is due June 16th and is already available via the ROTWC web site. See who was paired with who on the ROTWC myspace here. Profits are set to be donated to the legendary West End Cultural center, which is being renovated as we speak.

Here is a nice little mp3 for you all to enjoy. It features John K. Sampson of the Weakerthans, aboriginal singer Nikki Komaksiutiksak and minimal electronista Blunderspublik. Enjoy and buy yourself a copy of this CD!

MP3: John K. Sampson, Nikki Komaksiutiksak and Blunderspublik - Keewatin Arctic

Opening Eyes: Lightning Dust

There are people out there that will not go to a show when doors open, or even a hour after doors open. I have never been one of these people so I thought I'd try to shed a little extra light on those opening bands that get us warmed up for the show but inevitably end up playing to a half empty hall.

Concert: Rolling Tundra Revue featuring the Constantines & Weakerthans (Saturday night show) opening with . . .

Lightning Dust

Hailing from East Vancouver the band Lightning Dust took the stage about a hour after doors open and as they started into their first song a small group of us had gathered at the stage. Their first song breathe started with a brooding heavy tone, something that brought up images of dusting crypts covered in fog. As the vocals start in what I would describe as a sorrowful plea, it was very well matched with the entire tone of the song. It had drawn me in and as they continued into their set, I'd say they kept that slight brooding and dark feeling which really worked for them. Their third song "Listened On" made me realize why the name Lightning Dust was so familiar as they get fairly regular play on CBC Radio 3 with the track. All in all, this is one band that I had not given enough attention to and was glad to have gotten to see live. I hope that you check them out too.

I was hoping to get a chance to talk to the band members but the Commodore is often harder to get that kind of access. If I was willing to give up my front and centre spot, I would have gone to the merch table as I believe there was a note that they would be there. Sadly, they left by the time the show was done even their merch was gone so I couldn't grab a CD. Looking up on them, the band is Amber Webber and Joshua Wells from Black Mountain and I can only guess but it looked like Ashley Webber joined them on stage.

I highly recommend you check out this band and it looks like you might have a chance to see them in your neck woods as they're going on tour!
06-May-09: The Pawn Shop w/ Jon Rae Fletcher - Edmonton, Alberta
07-May-09: Broken City w/ Jon Rae Fletcher - Calgary, Alberta
11-May-09: The High Noon Saloon - Madison, Wisconsin
12-May-09: The Crofoot ballroom w/Bonnie Prince Billy - Pontiac
13-May-09: Beachland Ballroom w/Bonnie Prince Billy - Cleveland, Ohio
14-May-09: Queen Elizabeth Theatre w/Bonnie Prince Billy - Toronto, Ontario
15-May-09: Ukranian Federation w/Bonnie Prince Billy - Montreal, Quebec
16-May-09: Iron Horse Music Hall w/Bonnie Prince Billy - Northampton, Massachusetts
17-May-09: Wilbur Theatre w/Bonnie Prince Billy - Boston, Massachusetts
18-May-09: Higher Ground Ballroom w/Bonnie Prince Billy - South Burlington, Vermont
19-May-09: Union Pool w/Soft Drugs and Family Band - Brooklyn, New York
20-May-09: Santo’s Party House w/ Bonnie Prince Billy - New York, New York
21-May-09: The Apollo w/ Bonnie Prince Billy - New York, New York
23-May-09: Schuba’s w/Cotton Jones - Chicago, Illinois
24-May-09: 7th St Entry w/Cotton Jones - Minneapolis, Minnesota
26-May-09: Hi Dive w/Cotton Jones - Denver, Colorado
27-May-09: Kilby Court w/Cotton Jones - Salt Lake City, Utah
29-May-09: Triple Door w/Cotton Jones - Seattle, Washington

As for the following show, it was pretty awesome as one would expect. The opening band Lightning Dust was something that was not so expected, a very welcome surprise.
- AofA

Victoria Shows for the Weekend of April 25-26 (and beyond)

I already did one post about April shows in Victoria, but I've found a few new ones since then and this weekend is particularly full of quality performances. So just to be brief:

Saturday:

If you won tickets, 1/2 of Metric is putting on an acoustic afternoon show at the Zone/Victoria Dance Connection radio station, just like the one in Vancouver yesterday that fellow NxEW blogger B. Lee wrote about


Metric - Help, I'm Alive (acoustic)



And at 9:30 Logan's is hosting a CD release show for alt-country groups the Gruff and the Deep Dark Woods.

The Deep Dark Woods - All the Money I Had Is Gone



Sunday:

The buzz-worthy, Perez Hilton wooing Montreal/Toronto electropophip-hop duo Thunderheist play Lucky Bar. The Nirvana-loving (seriously, check out their myspace) electro-pop group Winter Gloves open.

Winter Gloves - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)



Monday:

In promotion of his new release that has, in the words of fellow NxEWer Tagish156 "A veritable who's who of Canadian hip-hop... and Joel Plaskett," Nova Scotian rapper Classified is playing two shows at Element, an all-ages in the afternoon and another that night.

Classified f. Joel Plaskett - One Track Mind



And of course, Thursday sees the Rolling Tundra Revue with the Weakerthans and the Constantines roll into town at Element.

I'll be at at least one of these, and probably more, if that's any incentive. Not that you should need any.

Rolling Tundra tour rolls into London

The Weakerthans and The Constantines
April 3, 2009 | The Music Hall | London, ON

When I first heard the The Rolling Tundra Revue 2009 Canadian National Tour was going to toboggan through London, I knew immediately that I was going to be at that show. Having never seen The Weakerthans live but being a fan of their music just felt like an epic fail to me.

Fast forward a few months and the usual cacophony that is being a newish parent of a two year old, and the week of the show had jettisoned itself into my lap and I still hadn't remembered to get a ticket – I blame the London promoters, as its better than thinking it was my usual lazy complacent self missing a show and not realizing it till a week later.

Thankfully CBC Radio3 and a friend came to my rescue on the day of the show and rather than griping about missing the show, I was answering a text from said friend who was alerting me that someone had mentioned having a spare ticket to the London show. Two and a half hours later I am on my way to nab free tickets…

Sadly I got to The Music Hall on the late side and missed entirely the $100 set. I know I am total knob for doing that, but remember that 2 year old daughter I have? I do not - as much as I can - ever miss bath, bottle and bed time with her. Plus who starts a rock show on a Friday night at 8:00pm?? Seriously! So I can't tell you how it was except the one person I got the tickets from who I ran into inside the show, said, "her voice is incredible". I get the impression she got the evening started just right. Albeit early.


Now I am going to put this out there right now. When it comes to The Constantines I wasn't really sure I knew where I stood with them: I mean I had heard enough of their music, and had enough friends recommend them, but I never really had gotten much further.

That was until their live show.


They came right out and kicked my posterior! And while they hammered through their set, I realized I knew and recognized a lot more of their song work than I had anticipated. And what's more to the point, is there was an energy in the songs that I don't think can ever be encapsulated in the context of a studio recording. And I realized that was the secret to this band that had so many of my friends calling themselves fans. That anyone who has seen this quintet from Guelph live knows just what I am talking about. They played through an hour or so long set and left me thoroughly impressed, highlights of course being Hard Feelings and Trans Canada. They even had John K Samson of The Weakerthans come out and sing a ditty with them much to the delight of the jam packed club.

And to close out the night, was of course, The Weakerthans. I have such a hard time picturing John K. Samson manning a bass for the punk/ska outfit Propagandhi and yet it sort of makes sense in his music, him coming from those roots. There's no doubt that this group from Winnipeg has a strong, and devoted following in London as I'd hazard a guess that a good chunk of the first 6 rows at stage's edge knew the words to literally every song. And it wasn't gender specific either – it seems his lyrics have a broad appeal that runs deep. Especially considering the dude behind me which proclaimed every song was "his total favourite" as he sang the lyrics over the my left shoulder. They cobbled a set list from a good cross section of their current album as well as pleasers from albums gone by.

The highlight of their set had to be when they pulled a guy who was front row centre, and all night was air jamming and singing along the words to ever single song, up on stage. As Samson had him put his air strumming to real life he played the chords and that kid was beaming ear to ear by the time the song finished. But also I was a fan of the encore of "One Great City" solo by Samson or the all Casio keyboard version of Anchorless.

In the end I left a renewed fan of one band and a new fan of another. A great show, a great night, and me on my way home happy to have not missed it.

The Weakerthans "Reunion" Tour

As someone who has yet to see the Weakerthans live, I can say without a doubt that their upcoming show in Kingston is one I'm extremely excited about. Naturally, through this excitement I feel I should spread the word a bit, even though many people may already know that Winnipeg's greatest band (a much sincere apology to all the Guess Who fans) is currently on tour. Having skipped the recent fervor of South by South West this year to play for those of us still in Canada, it will (hopefully) make missing out on a plane/road trip ticket to Austin all that much better. Up coming tour dates include:

Mar 25th: Quebec City, QC - Le National

with: Constantines, Emilie Clepper
Buy On line
Also available from 1.800.361.4595/514.790.1245 Cheap Thrills, Soundcentral, Underworld Station 21

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Mar 27th: Peterborough, ON - The Montreal House

with: Constantines, Castlemusic

19+ Venue. Charge by phone at 705.748.2955 or pick up at Blue Streak Records

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with: Constantines
http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/1000418AA5CA60F0?artistid=828989&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

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Mar 28th: Ottawa, ON - Bronson Centre

Mar 29th: Kingston, ON - The Alehouse

with: Constantines, Castlemusic
MapleMusic

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Mar 31th: Toronto, ON - Phoenix

Check out www.theweakerthans.org/concerts/ for more dates as they are going all across the nation. Hurry up and get tickets if there still available and see you at the show!

And just for fun, a video

Some Great Indie Shows Coming to Winnipeg

Now that it is warming up outside, Winnipeggers can once again venture out of their houses to all of the great Canadian indie shows that are happening around the city. Here are a few you should check out: (links to the artists' CBC Radio 3 pages can be found at the bottom)

Plants and Animals: March 24 Park Theatre $13

Hey Rosetta!: April 9 Shannon's Irish Pub

The Weakerthans & The Constantines: April 17 Burton Cummings $29.50

Melissa McClelland: April 21 Park Theatre $15

Bloc Party & Hot Hot Heat: May 3 Burton Cummings

Joel Plaskett & Friends: May 5 Garrick $20

The Stills: May 16 Garrick $20