I'm not sure I remember any Canadian indie band that grinded it out to achieve the success The RAA is now reaping. They spent a year touring the country, playing shows as a relative unknown, before catching a huge break when they were named the eMusic band of the month. We all know how it ended up; The RAA opened for Grizzly Bear, got signed to Saddle Creek, became everyone's favorite - including Stephen Harper - and days of them playing for about twenty people at Coconut Grove are long gone. But instead of getting big headed like Christina Ricci, the trio remains down to earth and three of the nicest musicians you will ever get to meet and you wish every good thing they've had happen to happen again and again.

Obviously, the good people at Paper Bag Records agree because they have decided to release a super limited pressing of Hometowns on vinyl... 180gram BLUE VINYL with a hand silk screened cover. There are only 300 up for grabs, so I'd suggest you enter now and pre-order before the stock runs out. If I was less honest, I'd rig this contest so the winner was me because Hometowns is one of those record you never get tired off, and as a Canadian indie fan, it's one that proves how talented the Canadian scene really is.

To enter, just drop us an email (herohill AT gmail DOT COM) or leave your email in the comments section below.

Here's a special little treat for anyone that hasn't gotten the chance to see RAA live in the last year or so. Nils usually throws in a heartfelt, kitsch-free take on Survivor's Eye of the Tiger and the band has added as a b-side on their 7". It's the perfect start to your day, no matter what day it is.

MP3:: The Rural Alberta Advantage - Eye of the Tiger
MYSPACE:: http://www.theraa.com/
BUY:: http://paperbagrecords.com/shop/hometowns

Labels: Canada, contests, Music, Paperbag, Rural Alberta Advantage

It's Thursday, and we've yet to do a Video Hits 2010, so this seems like the perfect time for one, wouldn't you agree? I thought you might. Well today's bouquet of Can-con clips has a distinct Maritime flavour, with two from Halifax-based acts and another from PEI. To complement those, we have two from Upper Canada, specifically your favorite mega-metropolis and mine: Toronto.

P-E-Islanders Raccoon Bandit came to our attention when were compiling our PEI mixtape, and so we were happy to check out their video for Hat, which is a fun automated-band themed clip for their catchy tune. Perhaps you've heard of this Rural Alberta Advantage band? Well they've been doing big things for themselves as of late, and since we helped alert the masses of their awesomeness (that's not just us saying that, it's a fact, look it up!), and since the RAA are really such great folks, we're always happy to post anything from them, so here's their stakeout themed vid for Drain The Blood. TO's Whale Tooth have the perfect cure for your winter ills - the video for Hibernation Song finds them embracing the great outdoors for any and all kind of activities (although they likely wouldn't be frolicking quite the same way if they shot the video in today's icy temps).

We've mentioned this a few times, but The Got To Get Got simple crushed their set at this past year's Herohill showcase at HPX, and so we'll happily post all their videos henceforth. Here's them getting silly in their vid for Gettin' Dirty in the Afterlife. As they always say, "save the most visually video for last", and the Iceberg-filled vistas in the video for Jenn Grant's You'll Go Far are stunning indeed. Enjoy!

Racoon Bandit - Hat

MP3:: Raccoon Bandit - Bloody Bone
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/racoonbandit

Rural Alberta Advantage - Drain The Blood

MP3:: Rural Alberta Advantage - Don't Haunt this Place
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/theraa

Whale Tooth - Hibernation Song

MP3:: Whale Tooth - Hibernation Song
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/whaletooth

The Got To Get Got - Gettin' Dirty In The Afterlife

MP3:: The Got To Get Got - Gettin Dirty in the Afterlife
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/gottogetgot

Jenn Grant - You'll Go Far

MP3:: Jenn Grant - Heartbreaker
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/jenngrant1

Labels: Jenn Grant, Raccoon Bandit, Rural Alberta Advantage, The Got to Get Got, Video hits, Whale Tooth

I spent most of last week in Montreal trying to balance my day job with the heavy lifting we do for herohill, abusing my liver and neglecting my fatherly responsibilities. Before I get into the music, I have to say that M for Montreal is the type of festival/conference we could really use here in Nova Scotia. Sure, we might not have the sheer mass of bands that you find in MTL, but the premise was fantastic.

Eighty journalists, radio programmers, booking agents, and festival promoters traveled from all over the world to be inundated with Montreal culture and music. Four days of shows, panels, schmoozing and booze are always great, but when you consider the attendees included the likes of ABC-TV, CMJ, CBC3, CBCTV, SXSW, European Festival promoters, Polaris Prize and of course, herohill, well you can see how a great set from a band might just be enough to launch a bigger tour and larger fan base.

Thursday night for me started with an non-festival show - the delegates had a special show from Dead Wives and Red Mass, but I snuck down to see The Rural Alberta Advantage and The Great Bloomers at Club Lampi. 2009 has been the year of the RAA - in fact, they had a full page write up in the Globe on Friday (where herohill was mentioned as one of the catalysts to their success), and the jam packed room and screaming fans helped cement the fact that they might be the most popular band in Canada right now for indie kids. They sound so much tighter than they did even a year ago @ our HPX show, and Nils stripped down take on Eye of the Tiger had the crowd freaking out. The openers - The Great Bloomers - did well too, convincing a lot of new faces that the Ontario band's roots pop was something to pay attention to.

But really, it was about M for Montreal. over the next few days, I'll post about all the showcases and hopefully you will enjoy some of the bands we saw and find a few new acts to check out. That was the point of the festival, and from all the banter, the diverse lineups were perfect as almost everyone had a different favorite. Throw in the fact the dual stage, short set approach the organizers used, and almost no one could complain even if a band didn't meet their tastes.

Thursday Showcase: Final Flash, The Luyas, Miracle Fortress, The Rural Alberta Advantage, You Say Party! We Say Die!, Think About Life.

Final Flash - This was an interesting choice for an opener. The boys were into their songs, pushing forward with arena rock anthems and lush, dreamy soundscapes that seemed a little too safe from a band a little too green. They were enjoyable, just not ready for the stages they hope their songs end up on and admittedly, the songs blended into the same malaise.

The Luyas - Wow. When I first looked at the lineup, this was one of the sets that had me giddy with anticipation. I loved The Luyas last record, but the word around the venue was that they were "even weirder" now. That was an understatement. Jessie came out rocking something that sort of resembled what you'd get from PlayStation if you bought sitar hero - found out it was actually a Moodswinger - but the collage of quirky art pop the band delivered was 100% in my wheelhouse. The mix of keys, drums, African/Middle Eastern tones courtesy of the Moodswinger and of course strings and horns all set a perfect stage for Jessie's vocals. I had high expectations for this set, and they were more than met.



Miracle Fortress - After spending most of the day telling people that this was Graham's less electro, more Beach Boys-y project, Mr. Van Pelt came out and performed a set of all new songs. The only guitar was played with a lightbulb, and with all the sirens/disco lights and effect, he was more blinding me with science than with the shimmer of summery pop. The tracks were programmed beats with a few samples tossed in and an more animated GVP dancing around playing with lights and busting out his falsetto vocals. It's a huge shift in sound, as he's scrapped the band and opted to put the spotlight(s) back on him. I'll hold off until I here the recorded versions, but obviously GVP isn't ready to sit still and the potential for a great headphone record is already there.





The Rural Alberta Advantage - I'm not sure any band has had a better '09. From playing small clubs and having day jobs, to opening for Grizzly Bear at a Church Show in SXSW and getting signed to Saddle Creek is a Carl Lewis style long jump but the trio seems to be taking it in stride. They still put every ounce of their hearts into every set and even the truncated, industry-type populated 25-minutes seemed like they were playing as if their lives depended on it. I just wish the venue and audience was more suited to the style they play.



You Say Party! We Say Die - After just seeing the band power through an energy filled set in Halifax, sadly I'm come to realize YSP!WSD just isn't my thing. The band was hyped up - and considering how dead the room was - they got the bodies starting to move, but I just don't get it. I should like the Blondie inspired stuff more, I just don't. Sorry YSP!WSD!

Think About Life - The final act of the night was more GVP. This tecno-inspired dance outfit really got people shaking their ass. Throw in a Cadence Weapon cameo on Sweet Sixteen and you can imagine how hyped people got. Easily the set of the night, and the foreign press may have found something better than a bottle of maple syrup to take home in their suitcase.

MP3:: New Song - Miracle Fortress (live @ M for Montreal)

MP3:: The Ballad of The RAA - Rural Alberta Advantage (live @ M for Montreal)


MP3:: Cat in a Bag - The Luyas

WEB:: http://mpourmontreal.com/

Labels: M for Montreal, Miracle Fortress, Montreal, Rural Alberta Advantage, The Luyas, Think About Life

Hot damn. Thank you Daytrotter. The RAA dropped in to record two new songs and rework two classics. So, make with the ole left click and head over to Daytrotter, peruse the ads and download tracks from the darlings of the Can-indie scene.

In all honesty though, Nils, Paul and Amy have been working hard to get their music out there and Hometowns (review) is well worth the duckets you should be shelling out to buy it if you haven't already.

This session is a treat for any fan. The mix on The Air is heavier and more muscular, In the Summertime benefits from some fantastic piano and you get a sneak preview of what the band has been working on over the last few months (the spare strums of Two Lovers and The Barnesyard both grab you fast and hold you tight).

MP3:: Rural Alberta Advantage - Barnesyard (Live @ Daytrotter)
MYSPACE:: whttp://www.theraa.com/
DOWNLOAD:: http://www.daytrotter.com

Labels: Canada, Daytrotter, Music, Rural Alberta Advantage