News:: Olympic Symphonium, Don Brownrigg Live This Saturday

This will not be a revelation to those who know me, but my brain is a random, mysterious organ. I have tremendous difficulty remembering things my wife told me to do five minutes ago, yet I`m fairly certain I could easily score 90% on a quiz asking me to match Golden Age MC`s with their backup dancers (Leg 1 & Leg 2.....MC Lyte!). Anyway, this morning on CBC radio there was discussion of a CBC documentary called Where The Women Went, the story of Newfoundland women coming to NS to work as home care workers. The clip they played profiled a woman in Newfoundland`s Codroy Valley, a name that I recognized, despite my relatively minuscule knowledge of The Rock and its geography. After a few minutes, I remembered: Don Brownrigg.

The Halifax-based Brownrigg hails from the Codroy Valley, and he also happens to make some really beautiful, country-tinged folk music. So this CBC-induced remembrance, along with the knowledge that Don is also playing the Bus Stop Theatre in Halifax this Saturday as part of the Olympic Symphonium's album release party show compelled me to re-visit his debut, Wander Songs. I have to say, it's a great album and also a great companion for a rainy fall day such as the one we had here today. That wasn't a surprise to me though, after all, I said this about the album in my review from earlier this year:

Every now and again I use the phrase "rewards repeat listens" to describe an album, and this album is one the most appropriate uses of that phrase I've come across in a while. Don's songwriting is honest and vivid, so no matter what the subject, you'll find yourself immersed in the song.

High praise indeed, and I hear that Don inked with weewerk earlier this year, and those fine folks subsequently re-released his album, so lucky you, no matter where you are you can score a copy of Wander Songs for yourself.

As for the Olympic Symphonium, here's all you need to know about them: The Ack has proclaimed their latest release, More In Sorrow Than In Anger, to be "amazingly digestible". This is excellent news, as there's almost nothing I hate more than poppy folk music that gives me gas. Also, the Symphonium used that exact quote on the poster for this Friday's show, which is just smart business really, and show's that they are a band of discerning taste. So Halifax, why not hit the Bus Stop on Saturday night and show them you've also got some discerning taste .