Imagine a scenario where three of the best songwriters in the indie Canadian scene decide to make a record together. Not like a Monsters of Folk, but more haunting and pain filled like a Ghosts of Folk. Dan from Attack in Black showed up in New Brunswick, and presented Julie Doiron and Fred Squire (Calm Down It's Monday, Shotgun & Jaybird) an idea.

The premise is so simple, but so amazing. Lets sit in a garage and bang out some arrangements of classic folk tracks from the 40s, throw in some songs we write once the mood hits us and record it in a garage without any studio magic. Oh, and lets get it done in a couple of days. The record - aptly titled Daniel, Fred & Julie - is probably my favorite record of the year, but I won't get into it just yet. Daniel is working on a little piece explaining the song choices and I'd like his words be the first you read.

That being said, they decided to release the first single today so I can't NOT post it! Runner was written by Daniel but sounds like it was discovered on tattered old sheet music that fell behind the bookcase in an old farmhouse. The weight of the track fits the project perfectly and shows just how talented Daniel really is. Hearing a song about escaping and the need to move is captivating, but wow, when the harmonies kick in it's breathtaking. These aren't the flavor-du-jour harmonies (read - trying to be Fleet Fox-y), meticulously mixed for affect. No they are simple, and as honest as the admissions of a man knowing he's no good for no one.

This record is one that might fly under the radar, but for the lucky people that make the effort to pick it up, the rewards are unbelievable.

MP3:: Daniel, Fred & Julie - Runner
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/juliedoiron
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/calmdownitsmonday
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/attackinblack

Labels: Attack in Black, Daniel Fred and Julie, Fred Squire, Julie Doiron

Today we recieved a preliminary lineup announcement for HPX '09 (full post on that coming soon, but suffice to say that with names like Japandroids, Ohbijou & The Acorn, things are shaping up well already), and this reminded me that we had yet to post anything on what might be the best summer music festival for indie music fans in this part of the world: Sappyfest.

Now in its fourth iteration, Sappyfest is put on by the fine folks of Sappy Records (Julie Doiron, Jon Claytor and Paul Henderson), and takes place in the lovely town of Sackville, New Brunswick. It all goes down at the end of this month, July 31 - August 2, and based on the incredible feedback we've heard from folks who've attended, it's a proper blast for all involved. So I'd suggest that if there's any way you can make it, do so. The full schedule has been released, but just have a gander at this eye-vexing list of this year's performers:

100 Dollars, The Adam Mowery Organization, Attack In Black, Baby Eagle, The Baird Brothers, BA Johnston, Bloodsport, Brent Randall & His Pinecones, The Burning Hell, Calvin Johnson, Cat Pontoon, Clues, Destroyer, Dog Day, The D'ubervilles, Eric Chenaux, Eric's Trip, Fembots, Fuerermusik, Gambletron, The Gertrudes, Harbour Coats, Horses, Jon Rae Fletcher, Jon Mckiel, Julie Doiron, Julie Fader, Justin Haynes, Ladyhawk, Laura Borealis, Lonnie James, Lovesinger, Luyas, The Magic, Motion Ensemble, Old Man Luedecke, Ohbijou, Rick White, Rock Plaza Central, Ryan Driver, Shapes & Sizes, Shotgun Jimmie, Snailhouse, Spring Break Up, Timber Timbre, We Are Action, Windom Earle, Wintersleep & Woolly Leaves, Castlemusic, Mount Eerie, Slowlover, Snowblink, The Memories Attack

There's more to Sappy than music though:

Run in conjunction with Sappyfest, the Ok.Quoi?! Arts Festival will feature curatorial projects by Elisabeth Belliveau (www.elisabethbelliveau.com), Peter Flemming (www.peterflemming.ca), Rita McKeough, and instillations by Jean-Pierre Gauthier (http://sites.google.com/site/jpgauthiermachines), Vincent Levy (http://vlevy-expos.blogspot.com / http://vlevy.installations.free.fr), Lisa Lipton, and Anne MacMillan. The festival will also feature films by Nelson Henricks (http://www.nelsonhenricks.com), Helen Hill (http://www.helenhill.org), Allyson Mitchell (http://www.allysonmitchell.com), Kate O'Connor (http://www.kateoconnor.ca), and Chad Van Gaalen (http://www.chadvangaalen.com).

I think you have all the info you need, so get some tickets.

MP3:: Julie Doiron - Sending The Photographs

MP3:: Ladyhawk - I Don’t Always Know What You’re Saying

MP3:: Castlemusic - Heaven

MP3:: The Gertrudes - The River

MP3:: Spring Breakup - Leaky Pail

Labels: Julie Doiron, New Brunswick, Sackville, Sappyfest, Summer Festival