Reviews:: Julie Doiron / Calm Down It's Monday Heavy Snow 7"

I think of all the artists we post on, New Brunswick’s Julie Doiron might be leading the post count for the last 5 years. From her legendary years with Eric’s Trip to her lovely to her diverse solo career, it seems like JD is on the pages of herohill every few weeks.

Throw in her and Fred Squire’s contribution to the terrific Mt. Eerie LP, Lost Wisdom (review) and the frequent in-show transition from Fred on drums to Fred leading their “other” side project, Calm Down It’s Monday, and you wonder how either gets any song writing done.

I know right now you are probably asking why I’m giving you a history lesson on an artist that most consider a Canadian legend, but her new split 7” - Heavy Snow - is basically a perfect tie-in to everything I mentioned in the preceding paragraph. It features demo versions of two new Julie tracks found on her last LP (review) and two songs from Calm Down It’s Monday. Throw in the fact it was recorded by Calvin Johnson in Washington, and you see the Elvrum connections coming into play.

The two tracks Julie offers up are a bit rougher (you can hear her start It's Nice To Come Home with a "k... 1,2,3,4") but the changes from the LP version are minimal. For me, the real treat of this 7” is that CDIM finally put something on record. Fred is a vastly underrated songwriter that you might remember from Shotgun and Jaybird, and getting to hear Sweetest May in recorded form is a nice treat. I've been seeing them play this at shows for a few years, and the guitar and drums fills that finish up the song sound great. Monumental is another classic Squire slow burner, and honestly, this little slab of vinyl is a must have for any fan of either artist but it's also a perfect introduction to two of the East Coast's strongest presences.

MP3:: Calm Down It's Monday - The Sweetest May
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/juliedoiron
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/calmdownitsmonday
BUY:: Buy from KRECS - only 4 bucks

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