It's not surprising that Matthew Barber's upcoming release - True Believer - is flying under the radar of most of the sites I read and most of the music loving public in general. Barber is easy to classify - essentially he's a rock solid song writer that could charm you with just an acoustic or a piano - but the surprising range he presents when he writes songs makes it almost to lock into a sound or style. His understated arrangements consistently display his talent, but really don't translate into press quotes and hyperbole. He can't be put in a box with a generic, "he sounds like X + Y and a little Z" and sadly, that leaves this incredibly talented musician in a bit of a critical purgatory.

Descriptors like effortless, timeless, and classic are easy to throw around but really don't equate to anything you can hold onto. At the end of the day - to bastardize a Miles Davis quote - music either makes you smile and tap your foot or it doesn't. It would be easy if saying that Barber's songs make you move was enough, but the undeniable shift in how we gauge song writers makes that almost impossible. Barber's influences are people that wrote songs for the masses, unashamed that their strums made people happy, dominated the radio and could be enjoyed by anyone that listened, so why should we not extend the same courtesy to song writers in the current age?

I guess in an ironic twist, Barber puts out record after record of songs that fit all of those qualifiers but you rarely hear his name mentioned among our nation's best. To be honest though, I think Barber is ok with that and if pushed, he might say that he'd rather his songs be compared to his predecessors instead of his peers. So when he and producer Howie Beck sat down to record True Believer and Barber says that he was influenced by Neil Young, Tom Petty, Al Green, The Boss and The Band, I think those names are listed as a sign of respect and a potential measuring stick but not a blueprint for his sound. Barber doesn't want to sound like them, he simply wants his catalog to stand alongside theirs. Even when he adds some summery Paul Simon-esque guitar and percussion, the song is still built on Barber's musical foundation.

That small but significant difference is why the stripped down melodies he offers on True Believer are so infectious. Instead of forcing comparisons, you simply settle into the record knowing Barber's sound is his own. With only some perfect harmonies and a picked guitar line, Barber captivates the listener on The Little Things. Even when he beefs up the sound, layers are added for impact, not novelty. The booming horns and strings that get you nodding on the title track or the banjo and finger snaps that catch your ear on Comeback Baby never detract from the guitar and vocals, they just complete the sound. The gentle swell of horns on Revolution of the Sun don't overwhelm you, they force you to focus on his words and feel his emotion.

The ten songs on True Believer show the trademark flexibility of his voice - it's hard to imagine another contemporary artist that can deliver a perfect road trip anthem (Hawks on the Highway) and still sound completely comfortable on the most spare arrangements (Suddenly) or sharing the vocals with his talented sister (@JillBarber) - and should help cement his status as one of Canada's greats. I guess it all depends if people are ready to say sounding like Matt Barber instead of the slew of artists on which we gauge every song writer is finally good enough or not. Hopefully you are, because I certainly am.

MP3:: Matthew Barber - Revolution of the Sun
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/mbarber
BUY:: outside-music.com

Labels: Canada, Matthew Barber, Music, Ontario, Reviews, Toronto

It's very fitting that BC's Aidan Knight is traveling the West Coast in the luxurious comfort of Dan Mangan's van. That comparison isn't based on a similarity of sound, more that both BC boys have that something... whether it's the ability to turn the simplest of chords into something meaningful, the subtle turn of phrase that puts you along side them as the story is told or how they can cram layer after layer into a beautiful composition and never get lost in the mix. Whatever "it" is, both young song writers possess that talent in spades.

The thing is while Dan is a bar room prophet, a man observing the human condition from the stool in the bar or restaurant, Aidan Knight comes across as more of an innocent, wide eyed poet. By no means is that a slight, as Versicolour effortlessly strips away the stress of life with each picked riff, vocal harmony (courtesy of the lovely girls in O'Darling) and subtle nuance that catches your ear as you listen to Knight's 8-song debut.

If I had to pick a single moment of Versicolour, it would be the gentle collage of banjo and steel that run alongside the summery guitar of Jasper, and the immediate release you feel. Be it the baggage of stress or heartache, it's hard to focus on Aidan's lyrics because the three and a half minutes transports you to a better time. It's impossible to see this song through Knight's eyes, as he paints a scene we all hold close. I'd say it's that freedom of youth, but that would trivialize the emotion he delivers. Some people find salvation singing in church, letting the sway of the congregation cleanse their soul. Aidan lets us feel that same relief just by triggering memories when life just made sense.

That's not to say this record lacks depth or maturity. Knight moves from sun to shade nicely throughout this quick hitting LP; the beautiful Altar Boys is heavy in melancholy, Knitting Something Nice For You makes a song about knitting like a metaphor for a heroine user and even the opening number, The Sun uses atmosphere and piano to set a darker tone before horns and harmonies brighten the affair) - it's just when his melodies float along Fighting Against Your Lungs, the songs tend to soar.

Regardless, whether he tends to look for the sun or relish the shadows, it's pretty obvious Aidan will be successful. I wouldn't bank on the astronomical leap his current tour mate has seen, but I'm pretty sure once people get their hands on Vescicolour and give the record a few plays, he's no longer going to be an unknown solo artist playing in support for other bands.

MP3:: Aidan Knight - Jasper
MYSPACE:: whttp://www.myspace.com/aidanknightmusic

Labels: Aidan Knight, Canada, Music, Reviews, Vancouver

As a blogger that receives hundreds of promo emails, when you hear a band describe as "Jonathan Richman meets Neutral Milk Hotel" you can't help but give a half hearted "meh" and start to dismiss the statement... unless the description comes from a band like The Sorrys, a local act long past the point of caring about being cool or impressing you (or me).

That quote was how I was introduced to Scott Withers and The Whisper Banshees, and while intriguing it's not how I will remember them. Instead of quirky melodies and whimsical lyrics, Scott and his band present a more honest, straight forward East Coast folk sound, unashamed by their roots and happy to proudly display their influences to the world.

Guitar, mandolin, strings and hand percussion all set the tempo for pub style stompers and drunken dances. The sextet sounds more finely tuned on these early demos them most folk acts sound after all the mastering and computer magic. A quick listen to the harmonies on riffraff or the way the melodies surges forward and retracts on Ne're-do-well shows the band's talent. Folk has evolved in the last few years, and in a lot of situations the song writers forget that folk music was written by the people, for the people. Scott Withers & The Whisper Banshees defy the current trends. They don't want to sing at you, they want to sing with you.

Chances are if you show up to see them play some songs March 2nd @ The Seahorse you will share some smiles and some drinks with a band that reminds us all that music doesn't have to be morose tales of broken hearts, murder ballads or snippets of a diary no one wants to read. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

MP3:: Scott Withers & The Whisper Banshees - Ne'redowells
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/whisperbanshees

Labels: Halifax, Scott Withers and the Whispering Banshees, Sunday Morning

So, you felt bad about missing Wednesday's show at St. Matthew's Church with Owen Pallett and chanteuse Basia Bulat? Well, how's your Thursday looking. The duo added a second show thanks to huge demand, and our friends at Secret City record are giving away two tickets to see the festivities.

All you have to do is send us an email with your contact info or leave the info in the comments below. Winner will be picked Tuesday night.

Good luck!

MP3:: Owen Pallett - Lewis Take Action
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/ffinalffantasy
WEB:: http://www.finalfantasyeternal.com/

MP3:: Basia Bulat - Gold Rush
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/basiabulat
WEB:: http://www.basiabulat.com

Labels: Basia Bulat, Contest, Halifa, owen pallett

Not sure if you've heard, but the Winter Olympics are starting next week, and they are in Canada! Vancouver to be precise. I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get that Winter Olympics fever pretty bad - there's nothing that heats up my February like some hot Biathlon action.

So then, how about something a little patriotic to get us all fired up to dominate all those Estonians and Slovaks who are heading to Vancouver next week to try and deprive us of our destiny of winning the overall medal competition. Well I can't think of anything more suitable for such a purpose than Classified's Oh Canada. Last month, Class put the call out for folks to come out and help him film the video for this very pro-Canada song from his last album, Self-Explanatory, and the results are pretty fun.

However, the point of this series is to post some of the remixes we're sent, and it just so happens we have one that's Classified-related. Halifax native, and DJ extraordinaire Skratch Bastid has flipped a rather ubiquitous radio favorite from Iyaz with Classified's The Maritimes - not a likely combo by any means, but the results are rather enjoyable. So, enjoy.

VIDEO:: Classified - Oh... Canada

MP3:: Iyaz - Replay (Skratch Bastid Classified Maritimes Remix)
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/hiphopclassified
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/skratchbastid

Labels: Classified, Remix, Skratch Bastid, What's This A Party?

This is going to be a super quick hitter as my time is being occupied by many non-hill activities this week, and my mind is having trouble thinking about anything other than my beloved Saints and their impending Super Bowl debut this Sunday night in Miami. So here is the crux of this post:

If you're in Halifax, go see By Divine Right at The Seahorse tonight. If you aren't in Halifax, go buy yourself a copy of Mutant Message right now.

Because I've already said it like 5 times in the last 2 or 3 weeks, I'm not going to say "I've been meaning to write about By Divine Right since last year", but I have. I stumbled into their last set at The Seahorse during HPX when I wandered into the Hand Drawn Dracula showcase in hopes of catching the end of Julie "Shitballs" Fader's set, but although I had missed hers entirely, Jose Contreras & Co. were getting setup for theirs. I'd heard the name By Divine Right often, but knew nothing about them, so I thought I'd check them out. Contreras ended up breaking a string on the first song, so he asked Brian Borcherdt if he could "borrow his nastiness" while BB replaced the string, which I enjoyed for some reason. I also enjoyed their set a great deal, and was humming "Que Paso, Que Paso" to myself for the next couple days.

So when we were sent Mutant Message, I eagerly loaded it up on the ole iFizzle, and I've been enjoying it ever since. I kept trying to carve out some time for a proper review of it, but that time escaped me as it so often does. But let me just say that on MM I think Contreras chops as both a musician and a producer shine through, as it sounds effortless, catchy & fun, but it also feels rather painstakingly crafted in many spots. It's a great record in my humble, with songs like I Love A Girl, Que Paso, Wings Too Big, Kiss My Chakras, and I Will Hook You Up all surely to inspire a lot of smile & singing along tonight at The Seahorse.

MP3:: By Divine Right - I Love A Girl
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/bydivineright

VIDEO:: By Divine RIght - I Love A Girl

Labels: By Divine Right, Halifax, Hand Drawn Dracula, Live, Quick Hitters, Shitballs, Toronto

We've already beat you into submission when it comes to Saturday's scorching Seahorse sets (alliteration, you know you love it). Toronto's The Balconies are blogging their way across the Maritimes and partnering with some stellar local talent to make sure you get rocked. Cold Warps and Soaking Up Jagged are two acts familiar to many local music lovers, but the diamond in the rough for this show is Bad Vibrations.

Led by front man KC Spidle (The Hold, Husband & Knife, Dog Day), for the most part this three-piece is a wall of guitars, bass and drums; nothing more and nothing less. Topping out at 20 minutes, pounding chords and keep time drums (apparently, Meg had never played drums before the band started) are the backbone of most tracks (Got to Run, We're Dead and Care About Yourself), but when you really get into the 9 songs (well 8 really, as one is just an odd answering machine message) you realize there is something more to Bad Vibrations.

Harmonies and surprising melody creep into the chaos, and the band shows nice depth considering how new they are. Nowhere is this more clear than the harmonic, atmospheric opener Think About Life. The strums of the acoustic and echoing vocals that hover in the distance show that Bad Vibrations isn't just here to reproduce sounds that have been around for decades. No, Bad Vibrations want to form their own sound in a genre that makes it incredibly tough to do so. More importantly, this EP lets anyone born after 1980 that punk ain't quite dead yet, it's just grown up and left the mall behind.

MP3:: Bad Vibrations - Care About Yourself
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/bdvbes
BUY:: Buy from Zunior

Labels: Bad Vibrations, Halifax, Music, Reviews

Today is Thursday, and that means one thing here at the hill: we tip our cap to the late great Dan Gallagher and then we fire up the ole video-hit-o-matic machine. After all, people are still making videos, and if moderately successful outfits like ours don't show them, how will they get seen? Exactly, so let's get to the business at hand.

Pick A Piper leads off, mainly because it's kind of a cool song from a group of folks who have, of course, also played in various other bands, like Caribou for one, but also because when I first listened to it on my headphones, my wife asked me if I was listening to Christmas music. I thought that was funny for some reason. Vancouver's You Say Party! We Say Die! are up next with Dark Days, a stylized performance vid that was, I believe, shot in their rehearsal space. I thought XXXX was some of the catchiest stuff I heard last year, and now that they are allowed back in the US, our American friends can hear them live. I'd heard of Hollerado, but heard nothing from these enthusiastic gents until being sent this clip for Juliette - which features Lois Lane, for what that's worth. It's catchy stuff, something the kids would likely go bon-kares for on MuchMusic, if, you know, MuchMusic was still a thing. Rock Plaza Central is up next with a clever video for (Don't You Believe The Words Of) Handsome Men, which lampoons a bunch of dudes that certainly need a lampooning.

As a special treat I'm adding a live vid of Matt Barber doing something from his upcoming album True Believer. It's really rather good.

Pick A Piper - Rooms

MP3:: Pick A Piper - Rooms
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/pickapiper

You Say Party! We Say Die! - Dark Days

MP3:: You Say Party! We Say Die! - Laura Palmer's Prom
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/yousaypartywesaydie

Hollerado - Juliette

MP3:: Hollerado - Juliette
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/hollerado

Rock Plaza Central - (Don't You Believe The Words Of) Handsome Men

MP3:: Rock Plaza Central - (Don't You Believe The Words Of) Handsome Men (via Daytrotter)
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/rockplazacentral

Matthew Barber - Revolution Of The Sun

Labels: Dan Gallagher, Hollerado, Mathew Barber, Pick A Piper, Rock Plaza Central, Video hits, YSPWSD

Honestly, I'm not sure if too many people equate Chris "Old Man" Luedecke and the idea of a traditional "single", but around these parts the Old Man is as much a Nova Scotian treasure as Schooner Beer and Peggy's Cove, so any new song gets us excited. He's a unique combination of story teller, melody, and wit that makes him an absolute delight to see live but a strong enough story writer to make a banjo record one you play until the grooves wear thin. He's also one of the only artists that get a thumbs up from both herohill writers AND our wives (Dan Mangan is one of the only others I can think of right now).

So yesterday, Chris released the first song (Rear Guard) from his new album, My Hands Are On Fire and Other Love Songs and naturally, it's amazing. Claw hammered banjo notes make a path for Chris' tales and within seconds you are hooked. The record - which is due out March 30th and will certainly be featured here closer to that time - is dyn-o-mite, with Chris fingers picking fierce melodies, but Vancouver's Steve Dawson's fingers doing some heavy production work. The duo has worked together in the past, but I really feel like Dawson pushed the sound and the banjo shares the spotlight with blazing fiddle, guitar, and drums and really makes an already great artist even better.

MP3:: Old Man Luedecke - Rear Guard
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/oldmanluedecke
BUY:: http://www.oldmanluedecke.ca/

Labels: Black Hen music, Matt Dillons Soul Patch, Music, Old Man Luedecke

Kae Sun can count himself amongst the larger-than-I-would-like collective of folks that I meant to cover late last year but didn't get to for one reason or another. I've said that most of the records in that stack were Canadian hip hop, but although Kae Sun's earlier material might've been more hip hop-orientated (and featured him rapping much more), his recently released full-length debut, Lion On A Leash, finds him favouring a more traditional singing style.

A number of those songs have a real reggae feel, and so it's no surprise that Kae would try his hand at a Bob Marley cover. It might, however, be a surprise to learn that Kae (aka Kwaku Darko-Mensah Jr.) doesn't hail from the Caribbean at all, but rather Accra, Ghana, where he was born and raised until relocating to the Hammer with his family. That said, no Caribbean heritage is no matter for Kae Sun, whose album contains some of the most emotive & heartfelt vocals I've heard in a while, and his songs often deal with being strong in the face of struggle - which Marley himself was certainly familiar with.

Anyhoo, I've heard that folks enjoy the Bob Marley, and so, in loo of a review post of Lion On A Leash from yours truly, I thought this cover would be the perfect way to introduce folks to Kae Sun and entice you to check out his album. Well that and the fact that it's pretty damn good. Either way, enjoy.

MP3:: Kae Sun - Natural Mystic (Bob Marley Cover)
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/kaesun

VIDEO:: Kae Sun - Lion On A Leash

Labels: Bob Marley, Cover, Kae Sun, Matt Dillons Soul Patch

When people think of Winnipeg, thoughts undoubtedly drift to the Golden Boy, Louis Riel's home and frigid winters. Thanks to talented song writers like John K. Samson, we all have vivid mental images of a city most have never even stopped in; the music we love has made their stories our stories. We've all been on that bus or alone in that shitty apartment. We've all spent cold nights with broken hearts and broken dreams, trapped in The Gateway to the West. Undoubtedly, we've all hated or loved the Winnipeg Jets and muttered, "I Hate Winnipeg" with more conviction than we have about any other city.

Without typecasting the sound - especially after we found out just how diverse the sound was on our Manitoba mixtape - I've found a surprisingly high number of acts that effortless blend emotion, energy, characters and heart into surging anthems that make you move, even when you focus in on what's being said. Whether it's The Weakerthans, The Paperbacks (a band Ian shares a sound and member with) or new to me, but seasoned vet of several releases, Ian La Rue & The Condor, Winnipeg seems to be full of artists that pen songs tug on your heart strings, but sound better the louder you crank them up.

A History of Layers is heavy on sing-alongs and fist pumpers (Sanguine Cursive, Cadence) and slow burning ballads (A Crow's Flight, Altruist's Anthem), but La Rue never hides his narratives behind the music. On every song, you get the impression the words La Rue sings mean something to him, and as a result, they mean something to us. More importantly, no matter how much emotion the Winterpegger adds to his songs, he never drifts into the emo-esque emotional realm that caters to angst ridden mall teens and no one else. The record is accessible and easy, but has a depth you don't get from people that haven't experienced life.

La Rue's songs move with a sense of purpose. The undercurrents that run through the record's narratives (fear is the one that you get hit with most often) are matched with atmospheric undercurrents that add drama and electricity to even the most restrained of songs. The B-side of the record is slowed in pace, but the Condor (his band) really thickens up the mix and keep things interesting. The nicely executed slow build of the penultimate track - And It All Comes Down To This - is heavily influenced by Death Cab for Cutie, a band La Rue sites as a potential jump off point for new fans. A History of Layers may never reach the heights of Gibbard's best work, but it certainly fares well enough to warrant the comparison.

MP3:: Ian La Rue & the Condor - Sanguine Cursive

MP3:: Ian La Rue & the Condor - A Crow's Flight
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/ianlaruemusic
BUY:: http://www.ianlarue.ca

Labels: Canada, Ian La Rue, Music, Reviews, Winnipeg