Summer jams don’t really need anything than a hook or a chorus you want to scream at the top of your lungs, but Winnipeg’s Royal Canoe offer more depth to the formula. “Bathtubs” sounds better the louder it gets, but the song is full of surprising layers and transitions. Strings, group vocals and even church bells dance around your headphones, but never detract from the crisp percussion, big bass line or huge chorus.

So yeah, is this song had a smell, it would be of coconut scented lotion, spilled beer and grilled meat. It would feel like condensation on skin and ice cold bottles. It would have no regard for the eight hours of hungover work that is waiting around the corner, or that your heart could be torn to shreds when the leaves start to change color.

WEB:: http://www.royalcanoe.com/

Hey there! You should read this original post on the hill by going here: Quick Hitters:: Royal Canoe Bathtubs

Jim Guthrie’s latest, Takes Time, means something to me. It’s a collection of humble, pristine folk pop that nears perfection. Not in execution – as music can and never should be everything to everyone – but in construction. Takes Time is a collection of tenderness, terse movement and heartfelt sentiments. Horns, strings, electronics and acoustic strums supports Jim’s amazing vocals. These songs are complete thoughts. They are more than hypothesis and guess work. They are proven conclusions.

In today’s music scene, good enough is considered good enough. Just get it out there. Quality isn’t important. Jim’s sonic obsession swims against the current, to the point the effort almost pulled him under. Ten years in the creation, Takes Time was only revealed after it was fully baked, but make no mistake. Nothing Jim recorded was stumbled upon by accident.

That’s why Jim’s b-sides record, Takes Time (Instrumentals & Demos), is more than an add-in or a collector’s bounty. These fragments are the building blocks, the pencil sketches that would have been good enough for almost anyone else. They show where these songs started, but more importantly, help us celebrate where they ended.

But Takes Time is more than sonic beauty, it’s a reminder. We are inundated with make money choruses and flossy anthems. You only live once has become a rallying cry, but for all the wrong reasons. Jim knows we only get once chance, and that’s why instead of fame, he sings of a more simple and achievable goal. Love yourself, those in your life and what you do. Loving those three things is all we need to be happy. Everything else is secondary. Anything else can slip through your fingers.

To celebrate his place on the Polaris Prize Long List, Jim is offering up his auto-tuned take on the Simon & Garfunkel classic, “Only Living Boy in New York.” Sure, this song is one that we all know and despite the fact it was written in anger and in isolation, it’s the perfect punctuation mark on Takes Time and the demos from which the songs grew.

Happiness is a rare commodity, often dictated by things outside of our own control. We search far and wide to find exotic locations and monumental experiences, when everything we need is at our fingertips. Sunshine. Friends. Song. These things are enough, and with Takes Time, Jim reminds us all of that simple, overlooked realization.

Grab Takes Time and Takes Time (Instrumentals & Demos) on bandcamp now.

WEB:: http://www.jimguthrie.org/

Hey there! You should read this original post on the hill by going here: Polaris Pondering:: Jim Guthrie Takes Time (Instrumentals & Demos)

Forces is a different beast. O’Connell still lets delicate picks and frantic percussion meld into hypnotic grooves, but as Forces progresses, O’Connell offers songs more rooted in North American/European indie rock sounds. Percussion, brass and beautiful harmonies are still vital to his sound, but he’s able to do more with less when he so chooses.

Forces starts strong with “Avalanche”, a lovely combination of double tracked lead vocals, female harmonies and an understated “Chameleon Pt. 1” like bass line that smooths out the funky pics and hand percussion. The song is hard to ignore, but Forces really takes off with “Quicksand” and “Talkin Easy.”

The former starts out dark, but O’Connell’s falsetto and delicate horns come together to offer a head nodding, dreamy wash of textures. Clacking percussion keeps the song moving, but the end result is incredibly smooth. “Talkin Easy”, the high point of this EP, explodes into your ear holes courtesy of machine gun percussion, rapid fire harmonica, xylophones and beautiful horns that help the melody take flight.

O’Connell changes gears on the b-side of this EP, but the results are just as engaging. The final three songs are surprisingly straightforward; swirling harmonies and spare guitar provide the support for O’Connell’s voice, but these tender moments work as well as the bigger, bolder arrangements. It’s rare an artist can move freely from high impact, intricate hooks to sedate confessionals without losing voice or vision, but that’s what Forces does. It’s also a complete listen that combines so many diverse influences the end result is completely unique and unidentifiable.

WEB:: Culture Reject

Hey there! You should read this original post on the hill by going here: Favorites-of ’13:: Culture Reject Forces EP

Construction & Destruction were born of peasant stock. Their songs, much like their Port Greville home, were built through determintation. Hands were blistered, muscles sinewed and skin was bronzed. This empire however was not built on war or ego, but love. Today, their songs, like their Port Greville home, are a fucking kingdom.

“Cato” is full of gritty vocals and huge guitars; a distorted offering to the gods delivered by Colleen’s angelic harmonies. An anthem worthy of those willing to stand at the gate and draw their sword.

WEB:: http://constructionanddestruction.ca/

Hey there! You should read this original post on the hill by going here: Listen Up:: Construction & Destruction Dark Lark

On the other hand, I shouldn’t be that surprised I guess, after fronting one of my fave Halifax outfits (The Sleepless Nights) for years, that A.A. knows his way around a pop song. And when it comes down to it, that’s what we’ve got on this record, some great pop songs mixed with some experimental, sound-collage-like efforts. I don’t care what genre or style you want to compare them to, songs like Offline, Feels Too Real and Temporal Suspension are classic pop songs, through and through. Pretty damn impressive for an album that was created “on a laptop in a bedroom without a bed” by “using sounds found on dollar bin records and broken toys”.

Trust me, this is an album that’ll come in handy over the next few months. It’s got uptempo joints for festive good times, yet it’s also perfect headphone music for blissful summer days. And it comes in 12″ vinyl form, which you know you love, so go ahead and get yourself one.

Hey there! You should read this original post on the hill by going here: A.A. Wallace – (disambiguation)

Here’s the deal. If you write a very catchy rap song, name it after a delicious french sandwich, film a video for it here in Halifax that is like a somewhat less mustachioed version of Sabotage, I’ll post said video on the hill no questions asked. That’s what we have right here, the new video from SJ The Wordburglar for Croque Monsieur off his last album 3RDBURGLAR. If you’re not familiar with SJ, he’s a very witty dude and you can bet a Wordburglar song will be packed with more good lines than a party at Rob Ford’s house (GET IT), and Croque Monsieur is no exception. Throw in a dope, action adventure beat from Beatmason, Uncle Fester’s razor sharp cuts, and you’re living large.

Enjoy the vid, and if you’re in T.O. for NXNE, you can catch him Thursday, June 13th at Sneaky Dee’s.

Hey there! You should read this original post on the hill by going here: Wordburglar – Croque Monsieur

I know picking a favorite release from Three Gut is a Sophie’s choice for indie rock fans, but of that collection of talent, I feel like Sea Snakes were the most overlooked.

But this isn’t about Sea Snakes, it’s about Miserere. The band is set to release their debut LP on Idee Fixe records, and finds Jim and Kristian Galberg revisiting their creative relationship. The lead single, “Why Not a House”, is guitar song, taken from a guitar album. While that may sound obvious, it’s become a lost art. Somehow, this song is a throwback in execution and composition, but pushes forward.

The guitar dances, exploring tone and space. The truncated lines add punctuation to Jim’s thoughts. Traditionally, a miserere is a call for mercy, but this song feels more like an unrelenting will to live. These four-minutes are here to renew our faith.

Pre-order this now. Please.

Hey there! You should read this original post on the hill by going here: Listen Up:: Miserere Why Not a House

I’m posting this video for Indio, the most recent single from Matt Mays’ hill-endorsed Coyote for a few reasons. Mainly because I love the song, but only saw the video for the first time the other day, and, despite my complete lack of surfing experience or knowledge, the tropical setting of the video made me want to go there Liz Lemon style.

So, great song, cool, stylized video, win-win. But also, Matt & Co. are playing a hometown show this weekend on the Halifax waterfront on some kind of Optimus Prime-ized Red Bull bus that transforms into a stage via science and/or magic. It appears the RSVP list to access the show is closed, but if you were to say, be right beside the parking lot where the concert is taking place, I’m sure you could very easily enjoy some of the bus-propelled jams just as well (looks like it’s going to rain on Saturday, but that’s another issue all together).

Finally, this post is just another reminder that you can still donate to the family trust of Jay Smith, who passed away much, much too soon back in March.

Hey there! You should read this original post on the hill by going here: Matt Mays – Indio

But a chemical reaction is a perfect analogy for what you hear on Impersonator. Simple elements collide harmlessly constantly with no impact, but in the right conditions, those same elements can form bonds that are unbreakable and cause explosive reactions. Welsh and Otto seem to know the exact environment needed to make their simple chord changes and moody atmospherics transform into something spiritual and transcendental.

Welsh’s songs are direct. Nothing is masked by turned phrase or fake persona. Minimal accompaniment highlight Devon’s unique, drawn out phrasing and the emotional heft he offers. Chris Martin offered us all a rush of blood to the head in some forced, campy attempt to seem significant. Welsh more subtly adjusts the communicators that affect our neurotransmitters. He and Otto are effectively building emotional triggers, ones that force us to process our own sadness, pain and love.

In today’s world, one where our flaws and fears are masked by edits and character limits, Welsh’s directness is a gift. These songs are targeted asks, frank responses and heartfelt honesty. There is nothing to hide behind and that makes these songs liberating. Welsh pulls back the curtain, inviting us to into his most personal thoughts, hoping only to be heard clearly. We’d be wise to try the same.

WEB:: http://majicalcloudz.com/

Hey there! You should read this original post on the hill by going here: Quick Hitters:: Majical Cloudz Impersonator

At the risk of having DL’s press release write this entire post (and let’s be honest, that would likely be a step up), it sums up DL’s approach better than I could:

It’s no gimmicks with DL Incognito. What you see is what you get. Beats, rhymes and life. One song may be a trip down memory lane, the next a rocket into the future. DL’s voice is the guide, the microphone is his muse.

There you have it: simple and plain, yet dope. That’s exactly what DL offers on Someday. He’s got braggadocious skills to flaunt (Simple Math, Super, Icon) and the perspective now to look back on past wins & loses (Days Gone, Memories of my Youth, Mysterious Ways). Refreshingly, the guests are few but well chosen (Adam Bomb, D-Sisive) – DL lets his skills and the music carry the album, which very few emcees are confident enough to do these days. The production is solid throughout, lots of big drumswith a nice mix of uptempo head-nodders and smoothed out soul-influenced sounds.

Long story short: Someday is Less Than a Second Away further cements DL’s rep as a talented, hard-working guy making great records. In true Canadian style, he’s been doing it in somewhat of an unheralded fashion (props to me for fighting the urge to make an incognito refeence….kind of) for over 10 years, so give this record a listen and help spread the word.

Hey there! You should read this original post on the hill by going here: Listen Up:: DL Incognito