myspace :: web site

It's becoming all too easy to see the name Hotel Café on an artist's bio and assume the music will be enjoyable. Whether it be Cary Brothers, Ingrid Michaelson, Jim Bianco or countless others, the consistency of the releases they put out is kind of staggering. Another name that will soon be on everyone's lips? Priscilla Ahn.

She's been touring around the world opening up for terrific artists, had her songs picked up the trademark TV shows (Grey's Anatomy), been signed by Bluenote and June 10th will mark the release of her debut record - A Good Day. I know I'm painting a description that could be easily transferred to every other artist from the Hotel Café, but Ahn's record is a bit more appealing to me than a lot of the other releases.

The record floats by effortlessly, exposing Ahn's playfulness and penchant for melody. Instead of drum machines and studio effects, her songs are more organic and expose a fragile falsetto and picked acoustic lines. There isn't a sheen of perfection over the record, and it makes it easier to relate to her words; it makes this effort believable.

The first single - Dream - has been looping a lot as we pack up our apartment and head East. The soothing guitar and the slow pulled strings that thicken up the sound off in the distance really set a quizzical tone for Priscilla to ask questions about life. The closing verse seems to sum up everything Nic and I have been talking as we pack box after box:

I don't know what's left to say about this life I'm willing to leave.
I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell. I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.

Despite their rather sizable buzz, I don't think I've ever even mentioned the Kidz In The Hall on the hill before. In fact, I hadn't even really listened to anything they'd done until recently. I think it had something to do with their "prep-rap" or hipster-heavy rep, but mainly it was the name. Essentially, that is a dumb reason, but you have to understand, if you're Canadian and my age, when someone says "kids in the hall", you think of the chicken lady, the head crusher, and the Daves Bruce McCulloch knew. Tight pants approved rap doesn't spring immediately to mind.

But whatever, now that I'm finally on board, I think these kidz are making some pretty impressive hip hop. The Kidz are the duo of DJ/Producer Double-O and Naledge who takes care of the MCing duties. These two have an unabashed love for golden age hip hop, as both the Know The Ledge inspired bassline from The Black Out and the awesome Born To Roll sample from Drivin' Down The Block can easily attest. And if you check the video below for Drivin' Down The Block, you'll see the kidz aren't afraid to have a sense of humour either. Something that's certainly missing from today's dour hip hop scene.

Anyway, the Kidz just dropped their second album, The In Crowd on Duckdown records yesterday, and if you're one of those who thinks hip hop has nothing for you anymore, you'd do well to check it out. Or at the very least, check out some jams below, including two remixes of Drivin', one a who's who of blogger MC faves and the other pairing the Kidz with a semi-spaced El-P beat and his take on cruisin' ("not until petroleum drops, ask for 4 dollars a gallon you can suck on my cock"). Word!

web site

The good people at Semprini Records have the whole promo thing down. Send out a track from the record and a non-album cut to get the bloggers happy and let the band reap the rewards. Such is the case for Montreal's Pas Chic Chic and their Haydee Morcelee 7".

The new track (b-side) - Blinde D'Attentions - is a nice change of pace by the creative band, as they opt for a slower, stronger gait. The gritty electro sludge that opens the track is replaced by a hint of whimsy courtesy of the keys and a solid bass line. Over the almost four-minutes the song build momentum and starts surging forward like a race horse eager to run.

Hopefully giving everyone another taste of this talented band will get some people interested in their work. It's well worth multiple listens.

There's been a few stories on the Internet over the last couple months about bands getting robbed, and now it's struck close to the hill's home, as Mount Uniacke's own Buck 65 has had $5000 worth of gear stolen during a show in Victoria. Now all theft is greasy, but there's something uber-grease about boosting from an artist when they're on-stage trying to entertain the people. And that goes double for someone like Buck and any other indie artist that gets robbed - I mean it's not like they're making money hand over fist, many are barely breaking even when they go out on tour.

So, if by some weird chance the person(s) responsible are reading this, here's the deal: you are huge bags of douche. There was also some 40 hours of video footage intended for a DVD stolen, and Buck is asking the person who has it to bring it back, no questions asked. So, to the sleazy thieves, I hope you consider bringing the footage back to Buck, it's really the least you can do.

Here's a song that likely encapsulates how Buck was feeling in the days after the theft.



On to some happier Buck news, he recently played a set with the Nova Scotia symphony orchestra, which got rave reviews from both the local media and other outlets that covered it. Well, CBC Radio2 has the concert up on it's site now, and I have to say, it really is quite impressive. So go have yourself a listen. But for those to cool to click on that link, here's a couple samples.

web site :: order record from zunior

The last few days at Casa D'Acker haven't been easy. We are up to our elbows in boxes and last minute details, trying to find time for friends, tie up loose ends and still make time for us. Today is Nic's birthday and I can't even get her flowers because we have no where to put them. Sometimes I have trouble seeing the forest through the trees, as I realize this move is something we have both been waiting for a long time, but seriously, Friday AM can't come soon enough.

So what does this have to do with Royal Wood? Well, this Canadian musician seems to be channeling the emotion that is running through my body lately. Each goodbye gets tougher. Every time our thoughts drift to our new life, well, the possibilities seem even more grandiose than we could imagine but at the end of the day, it's me and Nic trying to get this all done. So whether it's another final gathering or the thought of seeing our friends as we drive across the country, the simple guitar strums and confessional lyrics resonate deeper than they probably should.

We are on our way, it might be a hard way
But as long as I'm with you.
Yes, we are on our way and it may be in harms way
But as long as I'm with you.

At the end of a long, long day
There is not much more to say then love
I'm so glad I met you.

Happy birthday Nic.



This whole record is enjoyable. It's been out since 2007, but it's getting a bit bigger release courtesy of Six Shooter Records. I could talk about it greater detail; point out how at times he sounds like Rufus Wainright at times (when he sings "what could is a mirror without a face" I actually thought it was Rufus making a cameo) or how he is able to mix piano ballads with more fun arrangements (like fuzzy guitar solos or the lovely strings that fill up Juliet), but really, it's the type of record you can put on and let your thoughts consume you.

He's on tour opening up for Sarah Slean, and the tour date in Halifax is the same day we arrive - May 29 2008 @ the Rebecca Cohn - so I figure that has to be a sign that I was destined to enjoy the record.

We bloggers always say we are passionate about music. We talk about how much we love a new random band whose CD has shown up in our mailbox and with enthusiastic hyperbole, we try to bring attention to the songs (and our blog).

But in reality, the passion comes from the people writing the songs that inspire their peers and listeners. That passion sky rockets when you get to hear a musician talk about an artist that helped define a sound, and in the case of Vancouver guitar wizard (and his lovely wife) Steve Dawson, that inspiration has led to a project I hope everyone gets behind.

The Mississippi Sheiks were one of the first crossover blues bands from the 1930s. While this might not sound like a big deal, in the 30's black musicians sold records to black people, and white musicians sold to a white audience. The Sheiks changed that. With the help of a country blues style, amazing fiddle work and a prolific writing style, the Sheiks dominated the 30's and started influencing musicians.

Steve and his wife decided to try to raise the money to create a tribute record for the Sheiks while enjoying a vacation in Hawaii, and the idea blossomed quickly. Emails were sent, air miles spent and with enough support this project will be finished and released on Black Hen Music sometime in early '09. The Dawsons have enlisted the support of a stable of talented musicians who just want to show the world how the Sheiks influenced music. Whether it's Dylan covering Sitting on Top of the World or Muddy Waters telling people he'd walk ten miles just to hear the Sheik's play, the talent of this band is undeniable. So far the Dawson's have recruited Ry Cooder & the Carolina Chocolate Drops (who are playing the Sheiks in the upcoming Denzel Washington flick, The Great Debater), John Hammond, Canadian blues legend Jim Byrnes, Vancouver gospel vets The Sojourners, Kelly Joe Phelps, Geoff Muldaur, Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz, Wayne Horovitz and Robin Holcomb, Bob Brozman, and Deep Dark Woods.

So here's the deal. Steve and his wife are trying to fund this record out of pocket. Because the songs aren't Canadian, it's impossible to get a recording grant. While a lot of the artists are helping out for low costs or for free, the process still costs money. Steve is setting this up to be a more dynamic recording, with a house band here in Vancouver instead of trying to just get people to mail in tracks. They figure they need about 12 grand, and are looking for a few donations (be it air miles or cash) and we are trying to do our small part to help.

We don't really ever ask for donations on the Hill, probably because this is just a hobby for us. Sure we have some ads, but we don't plug bands we don't like or ask you guys to pay our server fees, but this is something we really want to help with. So think about every time you'd ever downloaded a song from our site. Then think about every time you've downloaded a track from ANY blog, grabbed a leaked record on a torrent site or got free tickets from a blog. Then try to put a value on that. Is it $1? $5? Or maybe something more substantial? The thing is, this record IS important. Getting it heard is something that lots of people want to happen, and for the cost of a cup of coffee, you can help this project get finished.

If you are interested, click on the paypal link and donate. We are going to try to raise 500 dollars here on herohill. It's not much, but if we can do it, there's a good chance other people trying the same things can do it too and that will mean that the record will get made.


We are going to be running some contests and promotions to help the Dawson's raise the cash. The first event, a beautiful house party held last Friday was a brief introduction to the project and showed Jim Byrnes, Steve, and The Sojouners playing a few Sheiks tracks unplugged. Nicola took a lot of photos, but in all honesty the real music came when we all got to hear the musicians talks about the Sheiks and realizing how influential they were in shaping these artist's careers. Dawson has been adding Sheik's songs to his shows for years, and often getting any artist he records to do likewise. Byrnes talked with vigor about how he and Muddy talked about the band. For some of the people in attendance, the Sheiks were a new sound, but after the quick set everyone's energy jumped.

So, for any of you who haven't heard of The Mississippi Sheiks, here's a couple of their classic tracks - along with a few live tracks by The Carolina Chocolate Drops.

Somehow during a coversation with Ack this week I used the phrase "suave bola", which I've always loved even though I have no idea what it actually means. Awesome translation do-hickey Babel Fish tells me the direct translation to english is "smooth ball", which seems a little less cooler than I would've imagined. Although I guess if it means someone is a "smooth baller", then I guess that's cool. If the kids still say "baller", I have no idea. That's a lot of quotes right there, Eddy Rodgers would approve.

Anyway, I knew that Greg Nice said suave bola in a verse, but I was having a hard time placing it. Of course MC Google told me within seconds that it was used by Greg on 3rd Bass' Microphone Techniques. I then kicked myself as I love that song, long, long time, but the line in which he uses it is one of my all time favorites. I then decided to find some other old school jams that use the phrase, but the only one that worked (I generally post nothing post '95 on OSM) was Positive K's Nightshift. I already did an OSM post featuring Pos K last year, but I'll take any oppertunity to post Positive K songs, hopefully you agree.

MP3:: 3rd Bass - Microphone Techniques
This a jam I would've certainly featured on Posse Cuts if I did that more than once a year, so I might as well feature it here as it deserves some coverage. It's from 3rd Bass' 2nd and final album, Derelicts of Dialect, and of course features the legendary Nice & Smooth who had just become Def Jam labelmates with Pete and Serch around this time. The track itself is solid, with some nice horns and a keyboard sample I recognize but can't quite place, but the enthusiastic performances by the MC's carry this song. Greg Nice leads off with this immortal piece of wordsmithery:

She, said, her name was Lola
I, said, yo Lola, swolla
Suave bola, Ayatollah
Saudi Arabia, Coca-Cola
My Rolex watch is ran by solar

Yeah, I know what you're thinking, it's tremendous. So many questions, who is Lola, what on her person is swolla? Does Saudi Arabia even have an Ayatollah? If they do, what does that have to do with Coca-Cola? It's all so confusing and mesmerizing in its simplicity. Really, it's pointless in even trying to figure it out. In fact, even though the other MC's do fine work, there isn't much point going further as that's one opener that's tough to top.

MP3:: Positive K - Nightshift
Not sure how I passed up posting this song when I did the Pos K OSM. I know it's kind of borderline mis-to-the-ogynist with the greezy pimpin' is all too easy lyrics, but it's also really awesome. The video also features Big Daddy Kane doing pimp-based seques in-between verses while he combs his beard. That is easily the best thing I've typed in weeks. But the song itself is just funky as hell, with the crazy guitar licks, classic drums and the solid soul vocal sample, it's almost perfect. And Pos rides it perfectly, he's so comfortable and engaging, everything he says sounds like an great line. Although it helps that he does have a number of great lines:

I say, "Cupid, draw back your bow, let your arrow flow
and yo.. hit the hoe!"

I'm what you'd call a smooth microphone controller
My lifestyle's like suave bola
Keep my hair in a cameo, gettin gas from Amoco
The only thing I'm sniffin' is your girlfriend's pantyhose

I'ma quote an old song, that's if I might
What they used to say? "The Freaks Come Out at Night"

Positive never disappoints, and this song is no exception. Check it out if you've never heard it, or Pos, before.

Right now my apartment is lousy with boxes. Nicola and I are moving to Halifax in 5 days, and everything we own is either in a box, a dumpster or somewhere in between. Basically, we'd had the Itunes working overtime as we cram everything we own into perfectly arranged compartments.

Here are a few tracks that have made the effort bearable:

I feel a little bad billing this show as only The Coast, but typing the names of the other bands in the title would make it uber long, and in reality it was The Coast I dragged myself downtown on a rainy Thursday night to see. The Toronto quartet was sandwiched between fellow Torontonians The Matavaras and Halifax odd squad Heavy Meadows. It was a slightly strange mix, considering the different styles of the three bands, but overall I think the smallish crowd was pretty pleased with the evening.

The Matavaras kicked things off, and although based in Toronto, three of the members hail from Nova Scotia. They seemed pretty happy to be back in NS and even happier to be playing before a decent sized, receptive crowd. Sounds like they've played some less than stellar gigs on this tour, and I'm sure they were doubly pleased by all the friends and family that showed up. I knew nothing about these guys, but as I discovered, they play a riff-heavy, almost 70's sounding rock that was warmly received by the crowd. I thought they were solid, if not spectacular, but they seem, to me at least, to be a young band still learning their craft. Their stage presence is developing too, and if I could offer them one piece of surely unsolicited advice: if you're going to bring up a dude to make a cameo on the mandolin, perhaps it should be plugged in. At the very least make sure we can hear it.

The Coast were on next, and quite frankly, they killed it, even though only a few people noticed. I wasn't even sure it was them at first to be honest, as they ripped through three songs before identifying themselves. But even when I wasn't sure if it was them or Heavy Meadows (of course after seeing Heavy Meadows it would be impossible to ever mix them up again), I was thinking to myself "man, these guys are good". Other than perhaps some witty banter, they had pretty much everything you like in a love act - tight sound, efficiency (they went from one song to the next in mere seconds), and boundless energy. The whole band brought the energy, but frontman Ben Spurr led the charge, bouncing from his electric to acoustic for a great version of Killing Off Our Friends, and on to the Piano to do Nueva York. Just a great set in my opinion, despite the fact there were a lot of people talking while they were playing. I'd certainly recommend checking out The Coast if they're playing your town (check their dates in our show preview post).

Heavy Meadows finished the evening. Boy did they. I knew nothing about them, other than hearing their name a couple times, so although I was tired and saw what I came to see, I thought I should stick around and see what the Meadows are about. They're kind of about strangeness, as they tried to add an eclectic/arty flair to their set. It was kind of an odd setup, that brought to mind an Arcade Fire song being done on the Christmas Daddies telethon. That sounds meaner than I intend it to be, but that's what came to mind. They started with some slower songs, and gradually increased the tempo with some loungey rock songs that got some people out grooving on the floor - they definitely had some fans in the crowd. They also had their female tambourine/shaker/clapper boards player bring our a big bag of balloons and bat them into the crowd, which kind of went over like a balloon of the lead variety. It was interesting, but I don't have much else to say as I bailed about five songs in.

Anyway, it was a solid evening and I should say big up to herohill associates Malcolm, Barbara, and Kimber for making it out to the show.

myspace :: web site

I've been on a nice run of piano driven pop lately. I still throw on Brent Randall countless time each week and the new Royal Wood record is out of sight, but first things first. Will Currie and the Country French have just released their debut full length on Murder Records and quite honestly it's no shock that the band was discovered and subsequently signed by Jay Ferguson.

Will Curries crafts piano pop songs that could have been enjoyed in the 60's, 70's or any generation thereafter and his pop stylings lie directly in Jay's wheelhouse. It would be easy to starting dropping names like Newman, Folds, Folds and McCartney, but it's the energy the tracks command, not the influences that make Will Currie stand out. Even on the most tender ballads - like Maybe - Currie's voice conveys emotion and immediacy.

Instead of sounding like a man pouring out his sorrows over the same old piano line, the songs come of as fresh and vibrant and that has a lot to do with the song length and the support of the Country French. Currie doesn't drag out any track, opting for quick hitting riffs with the occasional surprise (the horns and feedback on Thunder Bay Coastguard Radio for example) and whether it’s a simple vocal accompaniment like Amanda Currie offers up on Mannin Veen or the flushed out arrangements (like the three part harmonies, drums and nice bass line of Friendly Fire), the band seems to be there whenever Will needs support.

If this doesn't put some pep in your step to star the weekend, something might be wrong with you.

web site :: myspace :: label

We are starting to put the finishing touches on the Alberta edition of the Great Canadian Mixtape - tentatively called Alberta: Hoodoo You Think You Are? - and not to toot our own horns, but we have some good exclusives coming as well as some under appreciated acts from the Energy Province.

One that I couldn't continue to sleep on is the Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir, and the name gives you a good idea of what they are about. Feverish energy, banjo, stand up bass and soulful, ragged vocals are just the tip of the iceberg. It's easier to picture these guys playing in a tiny joint deep in the South than at a club in Calgary, but it makes no difference. They will take you to the crossroads, leaving you whiskey fueled and sweat soaked.

This track is from their '05 release - Fighting and Onions, but we are hoping to get a sneak preview from their upcoming record for you all on the Mixtape. Need more convincing? They are friend with William Whitmore... that's enough for me.

Well I'm sure this lovely Friday morning finds you thinking about your plans for the weekend, and if you're in Halifax I have a pretty impressive option for you: Biz Markie at the Marquee Saturday night. Chances are if you are actually in Halifax you've already heard about this show, but I'd be very remiss if I didn't at least mention it on the site. It's the Biz after all!

At this point in his career, the Biz is known more for his DJ sets, so this is a pretty rare chance to see him do his classic jams. And yes, I imagine he'll play the song everyone and their 12 year old sister wants to hear: Pickin' Boogers. I keed, I keed, but the desire to hear Just A Friend will likely send the drunken college girl numbers through the roof at this show. Seriously, they were out in force for the KRS show at the Marquee ("Oh, I love him, he's so great!" Yes, yes he is.), so this show is going to be lousy with them.

Regardless, it should be an entertaining show, I mean it would likely be entertaining if he just stood up there. Halifax vets Universal Soul are also on the bill, and I imagine they'll do a good job getting the crowd nice and hyped up. So if you have the chance, go and check out the latest big-time Halifax hip hop show. For now I'll leave you with a song that is not only my favorite Biz song, but also perfect the arrival of some long overdue warm weather: Spring Again. Enjoy.

It's becoming a disturbingly all too common trend for punk/hardcore rawkers to jump onto an acoustic and sing poorly crafted whisky soaked ballads. Sadly, artists think twang equals credibility and fail to realize that country fused tracks aren't as easy to write as you'd think.

That's why I was a bit skeptical about the debut LP from Sleepercar, appropriately named West Texas. Basically, if you read any of the press you'd know it was the new side project for former At The Drive In, current Sparta member, Jim Ward.

While I happily can listen to the technical fury that was ATDI, I kind of never bothered with Sparta since they followed the same path and I kind of thought there would be very little addition by subtraction. What I didn't know is that Jim's been writing these stripped down tracks for years and finally took the time to release the songs and tour. Naturally, being the hater I am, I assumed any venture into country would be a tough listen.

Well, this is me eating my words - well, sort of. The press surrounding the record is very misleading. This record is more than just a collection of tear-in-your-beer tracks. It offers a lot of melody, diversity and density. Even at it's dustiest (tracks like Fences Down and Wednesday Nights), Ward's arrangements scoot along and have an energy crackling through them. Instead of trying to re-invent himself, Ward has used his experience to help put his stamp on an oversaturated genre. As he screams the outro to Wednesday Nights over some heavy electric and drum crashes, you get transported from the open air to the grit of the city. More importantly, you realize the power some of these songs have.

Heavy Weights reveals itself slowly, stepping out of the scattered noise into a graceful acoustic/slide number, but still has some heavy backing vocals and a surge of energy that continues to build on Sound the Alarm. What I like about this effort is that unlike so many of his peers, Ward wasn't limited by a sound. He didn't set out to make an alt-country record or even any "type" of record at all. It's a collection of songs that he's been working on for years and really demonstrate how talented he is. As a result, a lovely duet like End of a Year (which vocal help from Denali's Maura Davis) doesn't sound out of place compared to some of the heavier tracks like Wasting My Time.

Sleepercar is playing here in Vancouver on May 21st/08 with another punker turned alt-country guy, Dallas Green (from Alexisonfire) aka City & Colour.

myspace :: label

London, Ont. MC Shad was in Halifax in February to play the Marquee with Classified, and only three short months later he's back to play the Pavilion as part of the Skate4Cancer tour. I'm a big fan of what Shad does - I thought his last album The Old Prince was awesome, certainly deserved its Juno nod, more so than most of its fellow nominees - and so that would be reason enough to check out this show. But add in the fact that it's connected to a great cause in Skate4Cancer (more about S4C at the bottom of this post) and really it's win-win for everyone.

Shad actually took the time to answer some of our questions to help promo the Pavilion show and S4C in general, and I think it's a pretty solid read, so check it out for yourself:

hh:: Congrats on The Old Prince, I think it's fantastic, what's the response to the album been like as you've toured since its release?
shad:: I've been pleasantly surprised with the response. I'm glad you dig it.

hh:: I think you toured a bit with Classified and the Halflife crew, what was that like considering your respective audiences are likely a little different?
shad:: It was different night to night but generally the crowds were just excited for a show. I'm used to playing for a wide range of audiences so this was actually a closer match in terms of fan base than I'm used to. They were a fun crew of guys to tour with.

hh:: Congrats on your Juno nomination, how was that whole experience for you? Were you hoping to win? (Shameless suck-up, but I would have voted for you easily) I know the hip hop community in Canada has always had a bit of a skeptical view of the Junos, what's your take on it?
shad:: Thanks. I wasn't expecting to win to be honest. It was an honour and the nomination was unexpected so it was great to be there in Calgary with some of the people that I work with and perform with and sort of enjoy the honour together. I think the Junos and awards in general are a nice way to get a lot of people together and celebrate whats going on musically in this country cuz there is some exciting music being made here. I think its kind of lame that some of the categories are based entirely on sales. Not that there's a perfect way to decide who wins these things, but basing it entirely on sales just kind of takes the fun out the process I think. With any awards it's never gonna be perfect, and it's not the reason people should be making music, but it's still a cool thing and especially if it keeps improving and reflecting more and more accurately what's happening in Canadian music. It's important to celebrate accomplishments in anything.

hh:: I'm not even sure where I read this, but did you ever wear that shirt that said "black people love Feist" to the Juno's?
shad:: haha. No. I was too scared to introduce myself let alone wear that shirt! that was something i wrote in my myspace bio at some point as a joke. I'm a huge fan though. And her performance on the Sunday was incredible... love that woman.

hh:: How did you get hooked up with Rob and Skate4Cancer?
shad:: I met rob through a friend, Justin Broadbent, who did design work for both of us in the past. I played a show for skate4cancer in... 2006 i think and we kept up the relationship. we're friends. We have lots of mutual friends. I'm continually impressed by the guy and what he's dedicated his life to. He has vision and he has a genuine love for people and for what he's doing. I'm glad I can be a part of whats he's doing.

hh:: Have you done any work with an organization like this before? Sometimes it almost seems a bit cliche, but do you think kids are likely to be more receptive to getting involved with something like this if the message is coming from people they look up to like skaters or musicians?
shad:: I think the music brings the people together and from there, the message can be spread. Music usually plays some part in of most social/charitable/political movements. I help out with some different not-for-profit programs. As musician, as an organizer - I'm a pretty lazy dude I have to admit, but I try to support people I see doing positive things when i can.

hh:: Skateboarding and hip hop have always had a pretty good relationship, did you have any skating connections before getting involved? Have you ever skated?
shad:: ha. Nope. No balance. Fear of falling... I'm more into basketball.

hh:: Likely because of the frivolous direction mainstream hip hop has gone in over the last 10 years or so, I don't think rappers on the whole are looked at as the most socially aware group anymore. Based on your experience, do you think more hip hop artists would participate in this kind of initiative if given the chance?
shad:: The music business is a weird thing where so much is focused on the individual or the band. It can be really hard to escape the mentality that it's all about you and your career. It's hard for anybody really, no matter what you do in life. I think hip hop artists and musicians in general would love to see their music used to help spread a message or support inspiring people and help them do their thing, but the modern go-for-self mentality in hip hop and in music and in society at large makes us forget whats really important and what really makes us happy at the end of the day. So I guess all that to say I think more artists would get down with this sort of thing if there wasn't those pressures to push their own agenda all the time.
That being said, there's of course the reality that artists can't donate their services all the time if they hope to make a living at what they do. Also, theres a lot of CDN hip hop artists out there that support social and political movements on the underground level. For example, just yesterday a friend in Montreal was telling me about a collaboration between a hip hop artist there and an Algerian man seeking refugee status here in Canada and the project raised awareness about his situation. A Toronto based group called LAL came up and did their CD release show along with them in MTL to help support, so there's lots of things going on in the hip hop community that fly under the radar...

hh:: What is up next for you in 2008, are you working on a new album?
shad:: Hopefully getting this record out in a couple other places. maybe tour japan a bit - the album was just released there. we'll see what happens...

Thanks to Shad for the excellent interview, and I encourage everyone to check out the show tomorrow (it's an early one I think, 6:30 according to the S4C myspace). If you can't make it to the show, check out the other events Skate4Cancer has going on and see if there's a way for you to get involved.


Skate4Cancer is a organization/movement started buy Rob Dyer, who skated from LA to Toronto a few years ago to help raise cancer awareness in youth. It's really an amazing story, and Rob and his crew are involved in a number of events right now, so please check out the S4C myspace for more info.

A lot of the things I said about Matthew Barber's record hold true for the latest effort by The Violet Archers. I'm not trying to say they sound the same, because sonically they aren't even close, but both understand how important the little things are when it comes to making a song complete. With Barber, it's a result of a methodical approach to song writing, but for Tim Vesely and the rest of The Violet Archers it seems to be more the benefits of experience.

If you look at Insecure, you get an idea of the confidence and experience the band has and how it helps their song writing. If you asked a bunch of teenagers to hop in a car and drive six hours, they'd speed along, trying to get there as fast as possible, leaving lulls and disappointment. They'd get bored and looks for ways to have fun. For bands, that translates into adding unnecessary layers, huge out of place solos and a tendency to race through a melody.

The Violet Archers are able to treat the drive as an adventure, taking the time to see the sights and just enjoy what creeps over the horizon. On the surface, the track should be able to break the 5-minute mark, but the band shows patience and understanding by adding snippets of horns, dueling vocals and guitar work at just the right times; no element stays too long or takes away from the keep time drums and acoustic riff, but each part has something to say that is worth hearing. Taken on it's own, no element would command attention, but the arrangement builds nicely and really rewards the listener.

That's not to say this record comes off like a drive with your parents. The Violet Archers sequenced the album beautifully. The 90's minor tones (and vocab - as they chorus drops "lame") and crunch of Tired fuels the middle section of the record and really takes you back to a time when Indie rock was not a generic moniker slapped on music. The hook breaks down into some sonic, chaotic wash and really gets you excited for the next track (the single and most enjoyable track on the record), Sunshine at Night. The road trip ready rocker Don't Talk infuses another jolt of energy that pushes you through to the end of the record.

For people outside of Canada, Vesely's involvement with The Rheostatics might not be a selling point, but even without the solid musical pedigree of him and the band (all staples in the Canadian scene) there are countless tracks to be embraced. Whether it's the John Roderick like whimsy of Sunshine at Night, the unashamed catchiness of the "bonus track", Another Round or the Nada Surf like vocals on Transporter, the Violet Archers reveal new wrinkles that will appeal to music lovers everywhere.

You get to a point in life where you stop caring what people think and what is cool. Instead of trying to write songs that fit a little niche, The Violet Archers are just writing the songs that work for them and as a result they make a connection. When they sing "this is love" on You and I, you really get the feeling that love is exactly why they keep playing music and why you are listening.

myspace :: web site :: buy the record from Zunior

It's fixing to be a big summer for the wonderful people at Mint Records. Some big signings - Hot Panda and Kellarissa - and now some concrete information on the new record from The Awkward Stage. Street date is June 10/08 and the title is Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights.

Front man Shane Nelkin seems to hold onto every doubt and insecurity we ever had as teenagers and channels each and every powerful emotion into hook after hook of glowing Indie pop. The new single - Anime Eyes - cranks up the rock, and benefits from a great bass line and trumpet work, and more or less sounds terrific from the opening note till the final fade out. Like a confused teen finally finding out where he fits, this track displays a surging confidence. Remarkably, he's able to add a face melter before the final verse that not only doesn't distract from the track, it manages to complete it.

The Awkward Stage is holding court at the Railway Club the day I leave Vancouver (for ever), but if you are in town, you might want to check out these three shows:

• Thu May 15, 2008 - The Railway Club
• Sat May 17, 2008 - The Railway Club
• Fri Jun 13, 2008 - The Biltmore Cabaret

myspace

The Coast are billed as one of the hardest working bands in Toronto's indie music scene, and a quick look at their touring schedule seems to back this up. This Thursday night, those of us in Halifax will benefit from the The Coast's extensive touring as they play the Marquee (along with The Matavaras and Heavy Meadows).

We've covered The Coast on the hill before, and when I say we I mean mainly the Ack, as he reviewed their debut EP, and previewed their latest album Expatriate. I, on the other hand, am like a fresh-faced, ultimate frisbee toting Upper-Canadian teen arriving in Halifax for university - new to The Coast. And after a few listens to Expatriate, I have to admit I'm kicking myself. I also thought "These guys are great, why didn't the Ack tell me to check them out?". That's typical Ack though, hoarding all the good bands for himself and leaving me to do the dance music and Alberta rap (NOTE: This is slander. I constantly recommend bands to him).

Anyway, back to The Coast and Expatriate, an album full of the kind of anthemic indie pop songs that I wish would actually become anthems on a wider scale, instead of the mostly un-inspiring songs that do. In his review, the Ack talks about the Brit-pop influence and soaring textures found on their EP, and while I wouldn't say those elements aren't found on the new album, the band has tightened their sound and turned the tempo up a few notches. The results are pretty hard to deny.

The opening track, Tightrope, is all echo-y synths, guitar jangle, cymbal hiss, falsetto vocals, and fist pumping hooks (hey, hey, you!), while Nueva York follows that up with pounding, insistent drums and driving pianos. Two songs with slightly divergent sounds that combine to form a fantastic 1, 2 punch. Being the standout track on an album full of standouts isn't an easy task, but Killing Off Our Friends tackles the job with peppy drums, strummed guitar, spontaneous handclaps and a chorus made for singing along to. The tempo changes and mournful trumpet of Ceremony Guns make it another favorite. Expatriate isn't all indie rock-outs though, as the lovely plink of Song For Gypsy Rose Lee can attest.

So long story short, The Coast are headlining a great show tomorrow night at the Marquee, tickets are but a mere $8, and you'd be a fool to pass it up. I mean, I wouldn't think you're a fool, you're aces with me, but others may think so. The Coast are also playing in New Brunswick this weekend (Fredericton, The Capitol on Friday, Saint John, A Khord on Saturday) so any of our NB peeps should think about checking them out as well.

myspace :: Buy Expatriate on Zunior

Making a cup of coffee. Having a first kiss. Public speaking. Grilling a steak. Dressing up. Mixing a solid martini.

All of these things seems so simple, so easy to do but most people get it wrong. So much so that we excuse a bad cup of coffee, overcooked food or a badly mixed drink with a disappointed acceptance. Instead of pushing it back, we simply shrug as if we have no other choice. Well, the same can be said with a radio ready roots/acoustic track. We are bombarded daily with song writers writing about the love that never faded, and we listen begrudgingly to almost anyone, offering up nothing more than "it's ok."

But when a song crackles through your speakers with purity, simplicity and enough soul to make you believe, well, it's special. And when Matthew Barber strums his trusty acoustic on the intro of Easily Bruised, you are willing to sit down and let the man speak. The slight melding of letters when he sings "PEI" gives the track a nostalgic 70's radio feel, but everything comes across so smoothly, without a trace of pretension and transforms his new record - Ghost Notes - from just another average cup of coffee to one you savor.

The rest of the record follows suit. The songs don't use complex arrangements, often exposing Barber's guitar and vocals with only the support of a smattering of keys, minimal percussions or a well placed harmony. He can use run of the mill phrases like "I'm going settle my accounts with you" or "there's you and then there's me" as choruses and you never think anything of it, because everything just seems to fit.

He adds layers at just the right time, like the female harmonies and steel that grab your ear on You and Me, but isn't afraid to stand alone (like he does on the touching Modern Woman or the piano ballad Where The River Bends). Really, Barber doesn't do anything that should make him stand out from the masses, it's just how well he does the things other people take for granted that makes the record such a treasure.


web site :: Buy from Zunior