It's Friday and Shane is taking another day off so the concert listings post might not be coming. Instead, I'm putting up a terrific contest for locals.

Kestrels - not much else I can say about them really.They were the herohill/Music Nova Scotia band of the month. We invited them to play our herohill showcase last year (sure, Chad rejected us like we asked him to prom, but still... we asked and still recommended you go see them play because we don't hold grudges) and we've gushed about almost every song they've released.

Next week - July 9th to be precise - marks their CD release @ The Paragon and we are giving two lucky winners some sweet schwag. You get a vinyl copy of Primary Colours and guest list (+1) for the show. Throw in the fact that Doug Mason is opening, and that my friends is a fairly solid gift basket. All you have to do is drop us an email (herohill AT gmail DOT COM) or leave a comment with your contact info.

Take a listen to their latest single - Our Velocity - and enjoy.

MP3:: Kestrels - Our Velocity

MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/kestrelskestrels
BUY:: http://kestrels.ca

Labels: Contest, Halifax, Music, vinyl

When I reviewed the Apple Crisp magazine/CD comp, I kind of fell in love with Kingston folkers, The Gertrudes. In attempting to come up with a concise description, I used the words, "simply captivating" and after countless listens to their debut EP and comp tracks, I still feel the same way about the band. I also mentioned that their 2008 release was high on my fictional, "How did I miss this band?" list and in our constant attempt to right our wrongs here on herohill, I vowed not to miss the boat on the eleven member (maybe twelve now) band again.

Their new EP - Hard Water - is about to ship courtesy of Apple Crisp and with some big stops planned (Sappyfest and Wolf Island Music Festival), the effort should bring the band some much deserved attention. To be honest, when I did a bit of research, I was almost put off by their enormous size. I couldn't help but ask, why on earth do you need 10 people to play intimate folk tracks? But Hard Water not only proves the recipe works for the band, but how crucial each member really is.

The Gertrudes play folk music - honestly, the purity of the title track makes it feel like a classic track they've reworked - but with the amount of musical range and freedom the lineup provides, they are able to supplant the most intimate and gentlest sounds with layer needed to perfectly finish each thought. They rely more on sounds, texture and mood than classic narratives and storytelling. On most tracks, the vocals - although well placed and executed - act as just another instrument.

The opening number, The River, is a perfect representation of the band. The core of the song is some simple picking, Greg's vocals and brushed drums, but over the 4+ minutes, horns, harmonies and a spirited crescendo all help add drama and depth. The song seems to breath along with you, but unlike so many collectives The Gertrudes never let the urge to soar take over the song. They don't let folk foundations give way to another anthem. Which isn't to say they can't handle the transition, which they prove on the next song, Seymour. Annie and Greg sing over top of booming horns and the quiet, loud, quiet, loud transitions really lets the band stretch their legs.

The most exciting thing about the EP is how The Gertrudes contrast the old time feel of banjos, ukes and accordions with electronics, horns and theremin (sweet) to create modern, spooky tracks that are as thick and ominous, but also as breathtaking as a dense fog over the harbour. The seven minute epic, The Advancement of the Human Age, feels like it's been given a sepia toned layer, but the band pushes the limits by experimenting with nice harmonies, effects and horns. The album closer, A New Sound, the theremin weaves around the guitar and banjo and lets the band focus on delivering a nicely executed slow build.

Hard River is an exciting EP, and hopefully after playing some big stages this summer the Kingston band will start to get a bit more buzz. One thing is for certain, none of The Gertrudes records will end up on my How Did I Miss This list ever again.

The Gertrudes - Hard Water - TV DESSERTS ep. 5 from Lenny Epstein on Vimeo.

MP3:: The Gertrudes - The River


MP3:: The Gertrudes - Hard Water (Live @ the Queen St. Church)

MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/theothergertrudes
WEB:: http://zine.applecrisp.ca/

Labels: Canada, EP, Music

Honestly... I can't pretend that I discovered this artist. Normally we try to avoid bands that pop up on tons of blogs, especially when I've never heard of them before. In this case... I got a random email from a PR guy, asking me about a festival and if I was going. After hearing about their artist, I talked to Dr. Google, Professor Hype and realized that Seasick Steve is kind of a legend and by not knowing his songs, I was missing out.

Anything I could say about this guy has already been said. How many other people road the rails, were a carnie, produced some of Modest Mouse's records and have lived in 56 houses? Whether he's playing gritty blues on his own custom junkstruments (a 2 X 4 with one string, held on by nails??), being the subject of a BBC documentary or just basically tearing the roof of Jools Holland set... Steve is the man. Lots of people already knew it, now I do and after you take a listen, you will too.

The North American release of his debut record - Dog House Music - has been a long time coming. Every song hits hard and amazing and Seasick Steve is the type of artist you WISH you stumbled upon first so you could claim his as your own. Either way, go buy his record and then his back catalog and then tell your friends.

MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/seasicksteve
BUY:: http://www.seasicksteve.com/

Labels: badass, Music

Summer is probably not the ideal time for listening to a collection of songs detailing a relationship slowly breaking apart into unsalvageable pieces, but sometimes timing can't be helped. Yukon songwriter Kim Barlow and The Burning Hell front man Mathias Kom have joined forces to write a break-up record that tugs on your heartstrings but still manages to make you laugh even when the two lovers cry.

Their new band - Spring Breakup – uses nothing more than simple ukulele and banjo riffs and traded couplets, but anyone familiar with either artist knows that is all these songs need. Spring Flings starts the record and tells a story we’ve all been through before. Kim and Mathias offer up their thoughts on a new relationship with a foundation of attraction not substance (the fabulous hair of an underwear model) and one that flies too close to the sun, quickly burns its wings and plummets to a watery grave.

As you'd expect, the disc flies by – 10 songs and a slight 32 minutes – but the duo’s humor and charisma make it more entertaining than you’d think it could be. The heartache and anger of Came up Roses sets the tone perfectly for the record. It should be sad to hear a couple talking about their love falling apart, but the imagery makes it impossible to not smile along (perfect example? Mathias admits Cupid must have been drunk when he fired his arrow). Young Love is a collection of overused clichés, but somehow Kim and Mathias manage to play turn those common phrases into a touching 3-minute affair. On the closer - Hummiah - Mathias uses a simple drum machine beat and some lovely placed guitar and harmonies on the chorus to create an engaging spoken word of the icy cold of an unrequited Artic love.

They make you laugh and they make you cry; actually, on most songs they accomplish both, but Spring Breakup isn't just clever phrasing or cute images. With a few picked notes they trigger the nostalgia of that new love that consumed our every thought so many moons ago (just listen to the two-minute ditty, Cosmic Sea). Kim and Mathias also know when to change the emotion and give the listener moments of tenderness and beauty. The classic banjo that drives Peepers & Howlers lets Barlow and Kom show off how well their unique voices work together. Leaky Pail is stunning and out of nowhere, they drift into the beautiful, instrumental sounds of Deep Dark Waltz, a sophisticated track that you wouldn’t expect it to be found on this quickly record LP.

Like love itself, Spring Breakup seems so simple on the surface, but once it gets a hold of you, it can control your emotions and dominate your days. Speaking of which, the duo will be in town after Sappyfest and playing a day show @ The Company House on August 15th.

MP3:: Spring Breakup - Came Up Roses


MP3:: Spring Breakup - Leaky Pail

MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/springbreakup

Labels: Best-of '09, Canada, Music, yukon

It's Canada Day. Basically, for all of you not in the know, July 1st is our Nation's birthday (which would explain that old Chixdiggit record to any punker that still had questions). It's a day of bbq and beer here for most and for us it's no different thanks to herohill founder Shane and his wife.

It also means radio stations all over the country will be filling the playlists with Neil Young, The Hip and, of course, THE BAND. I won't go on and on, but The Weight is one of my Top 5 favorites of all-time, and if you don't smile when you hear it we probably couldn't be friends. So, some classic video and a couple of covers thanks to Aretha Franklin and The Staple Singers. Happy Canada Day, eh!

The Band - The Weight


Gillian Welch & Old Crow Medicine Show


Travis - The Weight

MP3:: Aretha Franklin/Duane Allman - The Weight


MP3:: The Staple Singers - The Weight

Labels: Canada, Music

With tomorrow being Canada Day, I wanted to come with some kind of Canuckian angle for this OSM OST, but that can be like trying to come up with a "Top Dunks by a Canadian" list - there isn't a ton of material to work with. But while pondering this, I re-read last week's All-Canadian edition of BOX!, and the inclusion of NY-based, but TO-bred DJ/Producer Marco Polo brought a certain pair of Canadian DJ's to mind. Of course you know who I'm talking about: Sir Scratch and K-Cut from the legendary Main Source.

Well maybe you didn't know that, but these Toronto natives were indeed the DJ's for the group fronted by Large Professor, and I don't mind telling you that Breaking Atoms is one of my favorite hip hop albums ever, and if you don't agree it's a classic, I will fight you. Well, at the very least, we can't be blog friends anymore. But it shouldn't come to that, as Main Source's debut really is a tremendous album, which, to me anyway, still sounds just as great today. It's full of great songs from top to bottom, but once I realized I had never posted posse-cut extraordinaire Live At The BBQ, that was a must. I love that whole song, but not only is it Nas' debut, but he absolutely kills it. The mysterious Joe Fatal also does excellent work.

I have to say, Extra P is fantastic throughout the whole album, he was never the most complex MC, but his phrasing and cadence is top notch. So, along with Live At The BBQ, we have a remix of Just Hangin' Out which was the A Side on the 12" that BBQ came out on. Just Hangin' Out was always a favorite of mine, and I'd never heard this remix, but I enjoy it.

But let's get back to the Canadians, because after all, Main Source did have a bit of an ugly breakup (Extra P on ATCQ's Keep It Rollin': "from the projects, the PJ's, fuck them two DJ's". tsk, tsk). Obviously Large Professor went solo, and despite not quite reaching the levels one might have predicted, he's more well known than Sir Scratch and K-Cut. But Scratch and Cut made a attempt to keep the Main Source magic going, recruiting another Queens MC, Mikey D, to make another album, Fuck What You Heard, that unfortunately never got, uhhhh, heard. However, thanks to the magic of the interwebage, now we can hear it, and so here's the big jam from that album, What You Need. Scratch and Cut show their production chops, and even thought Mikey D is solid, but no Large Pro, the jazzy, early 90's goodness of this one shows they weren't lost without him.

It turns out K-Cut went on to do a bit of production and remixing for others, and upon perusing the list of his work, a certain fairly popular jam that, features a gargantuan basketball player that's been in the news recently, caught my eye. So I'll leave you with that, I'm sure you'll pick out which one it is below. Enjoy your Canada Day.

MP3:: Main Source - Live At The BBQ

MP3:: Main Source - Just Hangin' Out (Your Hood Remix)

MP3:: Main Source - What You Need

MP3:: Fu-Schinkens - What's Up Doc (Can We Rock)(K-Cut's Fat Trac Remix) With Shaquille O'Neal

Video:: Main Source - Just Hangin' Out


VIDEO:: Main Source - What You need

Despite a few releases and multiple PR companies running with her sophomore album, Catherine MacLellan still remains one of the most understated and underappreciated talents on the East Coast scene. I know I’m not exactly a crucial cog when it comes to driving musical popularity, but the simple intimacy that MacLellan presents with her as pure as fresh snow voice makes it shocking that her songs aren’t a staple on at least one of the CBC iterations that work so hard to showcase Canadian talent.

Hopefully, Water in the Ground is the tipping point for her career. In the past, she relied on little more than her god given voice and the chords that resonated from her acoustic. Now, she pushes forward with jazzy, upbeat and catchy arrangements and a subtle energy that fits more in line with patios than those solitary evenings when the chill of the house is like an anchor. The news songs still showcase Catherine’s voice, but also some of the best folk talent we have to offer in the Great White North. Whether it’s a helping hand from James Phillips, some of Nathan Wiley theremin or a plucked bass-line from Kyle Cunjak (his work on Hotel Stairs is terrific), MacLellan is happy to play with bigger sounds.

Without question, Water in the Ground is a more spirited effort and finds MacLellan writing some remarkably catchy country/folk hooks (Take a Break or the sing-along ready Set This Heart On Fire), but even when she ventures into darker subject matter, like the beautiful Sorrows Drown or Something Gold, the sadness is balanced by harmonies, a quick picked mandolin or a gentle bass line. It's almost as if the songs all seem to have been given an extra breath of life and instead of another mopey collection of tear in your beer country anthems or folk sing-alongs, the record is a fun optimistic look at the simple world MacLellan loves.

Before long time fans get nervous, don’t think that these extra hands crowd the space or muddle the songs. I could write another paragraph or two but the definitive proof is the powerful album closer, Flowers on Your Grave. The song burns slowly and Catherine’s voice stands front and center. Without any support, the song could have been one of the gems of her previous efforts but harmonies, piano, and keep time drums thicken up the song and make the narrative that much more engaging. The subtle textures provide the support to let Catherine’s voice wander and the songs have the freedom to run.

So, if you are looking for a terrific voice from the East Coast, I'd ask you to give Catherine a chance. There isn't a bad song in the collection, which is remarkable considering the risks and change in sound Water in the Ground represents. Halifax readers, Catherine is playing a show @ The Carleton on Aug 12th and to help convince you to head out to say hello, here's the single from the record - Take a Break.

MP3:: Catherine MacLellan - Take a Break
MYSPACE:: http://myspace.com/catherinemaclellan
BUY:: http://www.catherinemaclellan.com/

Labels: Canada, East Coast, Music, Reviews

When you watch a film, it's not often you focus on the subtle character that hovers off the main plot line. I'm not talking about a slapstick cameo or the drunken asshole that is presented to ease tension and provide cheap laughs. No, I'm talking about perfectly uttered dialog or concise, pure emotion that allows the stars to run with the scene. Afie Jurvanen – aka Bahamas – spent years providing backing support for some of the biggest names in Canadian rock (Feist, Jason Collett, Howie Beck, Hayden and my new favorites, Zeus) without demanding any of his own shine and was more than happy to bolster their sound.

But with the upcoming release of his debut solo LP, that’s should change. Pink Strat plays to the lonely life of a traveling musician and a world where sometimes your only friend is the guitar that lets you hammer through your pain and passion without judgment or opinion. The plaintive strums that start Lonely Loves showcase Afie’s broken heart, but it's the delicate touch of his fingers up and down the neck of his guitar that show us all who his one true love really is.

Guitar skill aside, Jurvanen presents his thoughts in such an honest way that you can't help but pay attention. Obviously, Afie’s had his heart broken a few times and the songs show exposes his fragility and as confident as Jurvanen is musically, Pink Strat shows he’s equally unconfident in true love. It’s not a new story – he’s a mess and probably no good for you or anyone else - but instead of over thought phrases turned over and over again until they become too perfect, Afie delivers simple couplets that hit harder than you’d expect. Much like East Coast hero Al Tuck, Jurvanen’s straightforward lines (his delivery on the delightfully uptempo Already Yours for example) make his confessional something personal and treasured, instead of another guitar player whining about the one that got away.

Without question, Afie’s songwriting falls in line with the peers he’s played with – especially Collett on Hockey Teeth and What’s Worse - but I think this just shows why so many talented people want him in their band. Almost every track could find a home on someone else's record, but the intricate, well placed guitar flourishes and the rough edge of Afie’s voice make his songs distinct. Years of playing understated notes that momentarily grab the spotlight before returning to the background helps him keep an even keel, and he knows how important making a point quickly and powerfully is for a musician.

Pink Strat ends as surprisingly and strongly as it begins. Throwing the listener a change-up, Afie pours his heart into a fantastic take of Wreckless Eric’s two-chord classic, Whole Wide World. Jurvanen beefs up the snotty song by giving it a more tropical feel, but it’s the message he ends the album with that he wants you to remember; he’d travel to the end of the earth to meet his true love. The simple two-minute closer shows that even after 11 songs worth of heartache and pain and no matter how broken he might be, Afie wants things to work out and that little bit of hope is exactly what makes this artist so much like all of us. It’s also shows that Afie Jurvanen deserves to stand along side of the great artists he’s spent year supporting.

MP3:: Bahamas - Lonely Loves

MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/bahamasbreeze
BUY:: http://www.nevadorecords.com

Labels: Best-of '09, Canada, Music, Reviews

It's Sunday and I'm about to head out for a long run. Pretty standard fair around these parts, but when I was making my play list for the 10K jaunt I was completely baffled by one of the songs in the ole "to review" folder. Truth be told, I only clicked on it because it had MASH-UP in the title and I was shocked because me and mash-ups stay away from each other like Chris Brown and Rhianna.

Luckily, Extra Happy Ghosts!!! - aka Matthew Swan of Hot Little Rocket - is not your standard lo-fi artist. While other tracks on the How The Beach Boys Sound To Those With No FeelingsEP rely on the classic echoes, drone and fuzz you expect from artists recording on inexpensive gear in apartments studios, Mash-Up: Neither Being Nor Nothingness shows what he can do when he finds a catchy melody and runs with it.

Really, the song is one of those creations where the output is so much more than the sum of the parts. The sounds grab you instantly, but when the organ and supremely catchy do-do-do's he adds on the chorus kick in, I challenge you to try to turn off the track without hitting repeat.

MP3:: Extra Happy Ghost - Mash-Up Neither Being Nor Nothingness
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/extrahappyghost

Labels: Canada, Music, Sunday Morning

I'm not sure if it's due more to the fact that it's summer, and lots of local acts are away on tour, or just my laziness, but the number of shows in our listings that couple weeks has been kind of small. Never fear though, this promises to be one of the biggest music-related summers Halifax has ever seen, what with all the big Festivals (Virginfest's Halifax debut, the no-nonsense-ably named ROCKFEST) and huge one-off shows (Paul McCartney's only Canadian tour date this summer? Right here in Halifax, and kudos to friend of the hill Joel Plaskett for snagging an opening spot) that are going down.

But how about this weekend? Well there's one rather big name in town tonight, well I guess that depends, if you are even 1/25th the Beasties fan that the Ack is, the mention of Mix Master Mike's name would get you a little hyped. MMM is playing the Paragon Theatre tonight with local turntable wizard DJ Cosmo, and if turntablism and/or shaking your tight jeans is your thing, this is your show. Tomorrow sees a show from the always solid Ruth Minnikin at the Company House, along with Sherry Ryan and Sheree Plett. I'm not familiar with the other two ladies beyond their myspaceseses, but I have to think the CoHo is a perfect venue for this show.

Sunday you can see fuzzy, bluesy Toronto duo Little Foot Long Foot return to Halifax again to play reflections. They shall likely rock the house, but if the weekend leaves you too tired to venture out, they'll be at the Seahorse next weekend I believe.

MP3:: Mix Master Mike - All Pro

MP3:: Little Foot Long Foot - June Bug

VIDEO:: Beastie Boys - Three MC's and One DJ

Honestly, this week can’t end fast enough. Even the pleasure of seeing Christina Martin and Matt Charlton play to only a few close friends last night doesn’t cushion the impact of the work week I’ve suffered through. Throw in another overcast, grey day here in Halifax and it’s not surprising I’ve continued to leave the new LP from Luxury Pond on repeat lately.

Luxury Pond is the vision of Dan Goldman with percussive and vocal support from Daniela Gesundheit. The duo is heading out East and playing small spaces in an effort to showcase the subtle percussion and tenderness of melancholic tracks like I Don't Believe You and the xylophone/acoustic infused The Bones, but their self-titled LP is much larger in sound and scope.

Dan paired his delicate melodies with the Owen Pallett arranged, St.Kitts String Quartet and the result is full of life. Instead of adding an overpolished sheen to the mix, the strings actually breathe life and spontaneity into the tracks, soften the impact of the sadnessand allow Dan and Daniela to focus on vocal interplay and mood.

I could easily jump into discussion about the intelligence of the recordings or the lushness the band creates, but the thing that really impresses me is that even with the comfort of perfectly arranged strings, the duo doesn’t use the quartet as a crutch. Dan and Daniela treat the strings like just another element and I think that will show when the band plays smaller shows. Whether its the picked riff and dual vocals on Your Truest Nature, but never overpower the track and Dear Shark lets the strings enrich the vocals and to provide depth.

Luxury Pond is an ambitious project, but not one that drifts too far to the artistic side of the equation. Make no mistake, these songs are pop songs... meticulously constructed pop songs, but pop songs none the less. Luxury Pond is bringing their unique sound to Halifax for some house shows, but will also be playing July 4th at the Company House.

MP3:: Luxury Pond - The Bones

MP3:: Luxury Pond - I Don't Believe You

MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/luxurypond
BUY:: http://www.luxurypond.com/

Labels: Canada, Music, Reviews

Sad. That's my simple, yet all-encompassing, reaction to the death of Michael Jackson. Sad, of course, that he has passed so early and so suddenly, but also because of the way the latter part of his life played out. No matter what you think about Mike, he was pretty much as iconic as icons get during the last thirty years. I mean, my mother bought Thriller on vinyl back in the day - and considering she has perhaps purchased less than five albums during my lifetime, that is saying something.

Anyway, the song above was/is my jam. In Junior High we'd hang out in hill alumnus Mario "Mr. E" Eleftheros' basement watching videos. When we played Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, I would put on his sisters sandals and get my dance on. I have no idea why I did this, but it's a fond memory, and one of many memories I'll always associate with Michael Jackson.

MP3:: Shivaree - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough