A few months ago, Craig over @ songsillinois.net started a 'finger pointing, pass the buck session' amongst a few Canadian bloggers that enjoy the roots music. "Sure, I might have missed out on Cam Penner, but so did X, Y and Z! And they live closer to him!"

Since that time, it's been nice to see Cam's record - Trouble & Mercy (review) - show up on some best of lists and really shine a light on the amazing Alberta roots/country scene, but more importantly it's made me recalibrate my daily searches to include significantly more Albertans. Specifically - fearing another scolding - whenever I get a request from Calgary, I scan the details like an old fashioned detective, complete with magnifying glass, pipe and oddly constructed hat.

The latest artist to cross my path is PEI transplant and Calgary resident, Scott MacLeod. A seasoned story teller and song writer, Old Soul may only be Scott's second full length, but it takes on the aura of a veteran musician that is completely comfortable with his style and sound, and plays music with his friends because it's all he's ever wanted. MacLeod is lucky enough to have some extremely talented friends - Lorrie Matheson produced and played on the record, as did Cam Penner and Brooke Wylie (and many others) - but he manages to fuse the unique collection of voices and textures into a seamless tapestry without losing control of the songs.

Old Soul, like the title indicates, takes the listener back to simpler times. Whether it's the vivid image we all have of coal mines, the romantic feel of watching the world fly by your window on a long train trip or painful memories his family past down of the 1940's flood, MacLeod's voice is like an aural time machine. Remarkably though, he doesn't let the burden of nostalgia drag down the listener, often adding bursts of electric (Grain Elevators, Standing Still), group sing-alongs (on the terrific Drank the Ocean Dry and the fun closer Day by Day), beautiful harmonies or effortless shifts from full band arrangements to more stripped down confessionals.

MacLeod is never going to be a name that dominates the blog world - right now there is exactly 0 posts on hypem.com with featuring his music - or find a home among the blindly loyal country fans that simply want to sing along to country pop anthems, but he's a roots artist that will still be writing songs long after the popular sound stops including lap steel. Gritty songs like Let You Down fit nicely alongside more traditional numbers and show that MacLeod can write albums that fit your mood, whether it's simply for a casual listen, a tear-in-your -beer evening after love runs you over once again or when you and your friends just want to hoist some drinks and laugh.

MP3:: Scott MacLeod - Drank the Ocean Dry
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/scottmacleod
WEB:: http://www.scottmacleod.ca/

Labels: Alberta, Calgary, Cam Penner, Reviews, Roots, Scott MacLeod

There is a unique sadness that most Canadian’s eventually succumb to. Distance and industry drive a wedge between towns, friends, families, and lovers; one that feels even vaster than the 7500 kilometers that one must travel to reach the coast. Over fishing, clear cutting, and our society’s dependence on oil have made steady jobs and prospering towns a distant memory and forced people to follow the paycheck, no matter how hard that reality is for all involved.

For Alberta’s Trevor Tchir, the distance is documented in the subtle observations and stories that make up his new record, Sky Locked Land. Trevor’s songs have always touched on the state of the country, whether it be sustainability or just the people he’s met, but this time around he’s speaking softer, letting his eye and tongue tell everyone’s story. Instead of pushing a message of sadness, Tchir creates characters and relives moments that could apply to any of us, and with a fleshed out folk/rootsy backdrop, it’s hard not to give in to the swells of emotion.

The 11-song LP is laced with full band affairs. The songs emit the energy of a room full of friends playing music – the arrangements feature strings, horns, banjo, steel, harmonica, accordion and countless other instruments – but Trevor also knows when to pull back. The simple folk picking of Beneath the Mountain Ash gives an honesty to the tale that would have been lost by a heavy handed mix of sounds. The same can be said about the gut wrenching Stones in the Ground.

The amount of maturation Tchir offers up this time around is remarkable, so much so that the undoubted comparisons to other artists sort of seem hollow. Trevor does his best Eric Bachmann impression on the delightful (albeit sad) The Sweeter Air, and I’d be hard pressed not to mention the distinct Calexico feel of the record, but the songs reveal too much of Tchir’s life to be considered knock off.

Whether it’s a touching road trip (Are We There Yet?) or simply a political analysis masked by an every day event (Tearing Down the Garden), this collection of songs is carefully penned to let you into Trevor’s world - the little details and emotion that runs through songs like Stones in the Ground make you wonder is these seemingly fictional tales are actually a part of Tchir’s life that he offers up to anyone that takes the time to listen - but also show that we are all here together. Say what you will, but there's comfort in that, no matter how bleak things may seem.

MP3:: Trevor Tchir - The Sweeter Air
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/trevortchir
WEB:: http://www.trevortchir.com/

Labels: Alberta, Canada, Edmonton, Music, Reviews, Trevor Tchir

When you take a quick glance at the old-timey photos that adorn the inside of the debut eponymous disc from Edmonton’s The Secretaries, you kind of expect that the nine songs that are included will be heavy on picking, banjo, folk and tunes crafted for the earth tones of Fall or perfectly tailored for sharply dressed patrons of 1940’s gin joints.

Instead, you get hit with crunching riffs and a swagger you normally associate with matching denim jackets/jeans and devil horns, but The Secretaries do this with a feminine touch. The kick drum stomp of Hey Girl is softened with a playful cowbell, killer horns courtesy of The Brassholes and spot on harmonies do the same on Woman, Woman. Even more surprising is the effortless transition to pop on tracks like Accident, where the vocals that accompany the crunch are almost folky (dare I say they deliver a Joni-esque chorus) and reveal a fragility that most “chick rockers” try so hard to cover up.

They still have a hard edge – Maya and Becky of the Pack AD would approve of the bluesy sludge Makin’ Me Pay and feedback heavy Sold Out of Love/Fuck Dirt City show these women can crank it up and rock with the best of them (you just start nodding faster an faster when they start ripping on Fuck Dirt City) - they just have more tricks up their sleeves (or under their dresses). Even the seven minute slow burner benefits from horn crescendos that give your ear something else other than the expected powerful vocals and heavy guitar noodles.

They also do a good job of lightening the listen after those 14-minutes of heaviness, letting the double vocals, horn blasts and catchy-as-hell riffage of Tattoo and the insanity of the grunts, growls and nonsensical chorus of MFNDNTN (Dead of the Night) crank the energy back up for a finishing kick that Usain Bolt could be proud of.

The Secretaries are local favorites, but over the years they've had had their ups and downs. They've lost members, lost steam and desire but never lost heart, and this record is overflowing with just that. Bottom line, The Secretaries have put out a record that is fun, feminine but still can rock your face off. Basically the only question left is ... why aren't you downloading this record right now?

MP3:: The Secretaries - Accident
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/thesecretariesedmonton

Labels: Alberta, Canada, Edmonton, Music, The Secretaries

To be fair, naming your band Dress up Like a Hooker, I'll be Charlie Sheen, is the musical equivalent of that terrible speech from Tom Cruise in Jerry Macguire. You had me at hello (well, I guess you had me at the mention of the whoring around era of Chazz's life). Either way, Alberta lo-fi technician Jeremy Sroka has a couple of records full of home recordings and is trying to spice up your weekend by giving them away for free.

He describes his sound as, "if Jack Johnson and Bright Eyes made a baby and let Evan Dando raise it" but I actually have no idea what that means, so I’ll put my own two pennies into the mix. After a couple long listens to hi-five for lo-fi (LP), I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. In a typical cover of the book judgment, I kind of thought the songs would be lo rent, repetitive programmed beats and ridiculous lyrics. Instead, Jeremy uses barely audible guitar work, rough vocals, samples (including the awesome scene from High Fidelity where Cusack screams at his ex from the street), some harmonies and scattered textures to draw you close.

Despite the lo-fi recording techniques – and avoiding any of the inane posturing about the harmful rise of lo-fi electronic jams that got the interweb all in a tizzy – this record is surprisingly light and melodic. Tracks like Lovely Day are engaging and Sroka lets his fingers do the talking with some solid guitar work. The seaside shuffle of when one night stands go wrong worms its way into your cranium.

Admittedly, the 12 song LP is a bit much to digest, simply because even the strongest songs blend into each other after a couple of listens. But almost any track (Smile and because my headphones broke are probably my favs) would make a solid addition to a mixtape playlist. So do yourself a favor and head over to his myspace and get the goods.

MP3:: Dress Up Like a Hooker, I'll Be Charlie Sheen - Because My Headphone Broke

MP3:: Dress Up Like a Hooker, I'll Be Charlie Sheen - Smile

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

Labels: Alberta, Canada, Dress Up Like a Hooker, Edmonton, I'll Be Charlie Sheen, Music