There’s probably an endless number of reasons an email from Carly Maicher might sit untouched in your inbox for weeks or you might miss her record on the shelves of your local record shop. The Manitoba based songwriter writes and performs subtle, spare folk songs under her own name and prefers to move amongst the [...]
Canada
Favorites-of ’12:: Woodpigeon For Paulo EP
For Paulo, the new EP from Woodpigeon, may have started as a tribute to family road trips and Mark Hamilton’s mandatory musical roots, but there’s more at play here. Hamilton cites touch-points like Fleetwood Mac, Boys Don’t Cry and Iron Butterfly as the inspiration for his melodies, but underneath those lasting nostalgic hues is something [...]
Win a pink 7″ from Weekend Dads
Sure, the headline sounds like the creepiest, sexual predator Craigslist ad possible, but Halifax/Moncton pop punkers Weekend Dads are making some ear pleasing noise these days and we are more than happy to help them get the word out. Their debut 7″ is out on It’s Alive Records and the four-songs will warm the [...]
Long Weekends Don’t Reach Out
When we last heard from Halifax’s Long Weekends, they were giving away a four-song EP that filtered their fun loving, hard driving garage hooks through a swampy filter with fantastic results. Since then, the trio has stormed the stages of Sappyfest and started to deliver on the hooky potential that slid through the ooze of [...]
Cold Specks / Basket of Figs Holland Demo
Last month, newest Arts & Crafts signee Cold Specks cannon balled into the blog buzz pool and the splash created some 50-year storm, Point Break sized swells (“no way Cold Specks is bigger than Waimea, bro”). Her dark gospel gem, “Holland”, hinted at a voice that could stop you in your tracks and the [...]
Shotgun Jimmie covers Apollo Ghosts
… and the world rejoices. Exaggeration? Yes, but honestly, if we were allowed to pick two bands to play the last show we’d ever attend, Shotgun Jimmie and Apollo Ghosts would be in the running. It’s so refreshing to find a talented band blessed with humility that actually gives a shit about playing and giving [...]
Quick Hitters:: Brooker Buckingham
For those immersed in the Calgary music scene, Brooker Buckingham is a well known name, but for most, the talented guitarist is a new name we didn’t realize we knew. The consummate guest – Brooker has supplied textures for the likes of Lorrie Matheson, Woodpigeon, and Samantha Savage Smith – Buckingham has tidied up his [...]
Khingfisher – Speakin Easy (Prohibition Blues)
On the anniversary of Roy Orbison’s death, it’s fitting that I immediately thought Khingfisher’s reinterpretation of “Scottish Choro” would fit perfectly alongside “Bayou Blue” on a fictional mixtape.
Craig has many of the same qualities as the great song writer (although this tale of prohibition sounds more like sharing a bottle of wine on the patio of a cafe than needing to return to N’Awlins to reunite with a lover) and his use of melody and delivery hit me with the same type of impact. Great stuff.
Christmas Party:: The weirdest holiday song ever thanks to Jim Bryson
It’s no secret we here at herohill love us some Jim Bryson. Jim’s got a back catalog of fantastic songs and a never ending supply of quirky, gut busting stories he offers up when you see him live. Oh, he also delivered one of the best records to be recorded in the last few years. [...]
Quick Hitters:: Cold Specks
I don’t like contributing to the hyperbole and instantaneous nature of music blogging. I really don’t. We all get the same emails, the same promo packs and often opinion is determined by persistence and availability, not pure talent. For every pure artist, we are overrun with Odd Futures, Kreayshawns and Lana Del Rays. Flash in [...]