It's Thursday, which means videos here on the hill, and I'm not exaggerating even slightly when I say that this is easily the greatest blog post containing five Canadian music videos ever! Wait, scratch that, I just noticed it's all dudes, so I am likely exagerating a little bit, but it's damn good! (I think I'll have an all-female version of video hits next week, so hit me off with suggestions).

But come now, anyone could see the quality on display down below, both in the audio and the visuals. I think my favorites are the partially animated clips from hill-faves Zeus and Hours Traffic, but the rest are just as good. There's something un-hinged about the art house movie-esque video for Owen Pallet's Lewis Takes Off His Shirt, but it seems to fit the song perfectly. Things are slightly more hinged in the video for the like-able-as-ever Joel Plaskett's You Let Me Down, but I think most of us Haligonians mainly enjoy it because it features two of the city's most antiquated sports facilities (The Forum and Huskies Stadium). To wrap things up we have the haunting video for Caribou's Odessa, a song that I used to think of as a feel good, body movin' little number. Not anymore.

Enjoy the vids!

Zeus - Marching Through Your Head

MP3:: Zeus - Marching Through Your Head
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/themusicofzeus

Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Off His Shirt

MP3:: Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Off His Shirt
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/owenpallettmusic

Joel Plaskett - You Let Me Down

MP3:: Joel Plaskett - You Let Me Down
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/joelplaskett1

Two Hours Traffic - Noisemaker

MP3:: Two Hours Traffic - Territory
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/twohourstraffic

Caribou - Odessa

MP3:: Caribou - Odessa
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/cariboumanitoba

Labels: Caribou, Joel Plaskett, owen pallett, Two Hours Traffic, Video, Video hits, Zeus

Thursday was a chock-o-block full kind of day at M for Montreal. Starting with an afternoon schmooze session filled with managers/agents/promoters and more business cards than the free lunch bowl at any TGIFridays and shows going until the early morning, delegates were on the go.

That being said, Friday was just as busy. A few panels started the day - which I sadly had to miss to keep my day job rolling - but the afternoon church show/book launch was a perfect start for my Friday.

Mark Berube & The Few - Mark's the type of performer that can grab you as a solo artist, or shock you when he pulls countless friends onto the stage to thicken up the melodies of his touching indie-folk jams. Apparently, since moving to Montreal, he's settled into a nice three-piece (the addition of Kristina Koropecki on cello has really helped the tracks come to life), but at the end of the day, it's Mark's vocals that gives the audience chills.

Marks' traveled the world, and his observations and reflections really add a sincere, humane feel to the catchy melodies. The set time - an all too brief 15 minutes - didn't really let the band stretch their legs, but with some nice builds (Looking For Another), acoustic accordion that brought the crowd to a hush (Yebo Mama), and a driving closing track (Yesterday's Halo) Berube certainly made the most of his 15 minutes.


Elisapie Issac - We huddled into another room in the church for another quick set from former Taimu singer, Elisapie Isaac. Her new solo stuff, is more classic jazzy folk pop and with the support of two able men on keys/percussion/bass and guitar, she is given a solid foundation for her sultry vocals. Mixing english, french and her native tongue, the four song set might not have been my cup of tea, but it showed talent and I can see why people enjoyed her performance.

Valerie Jodoin Keaton - The highlight of the afternoon set was actually the fact that it was the release of Valerie Jodoin Keaton's photobook, Backstage. The former member of the Dears used her proximity to other musicians to photograph people moments before or after a show. While it might seem trivial, getting to see how a musician powers through the nerves or comes down from the adrenaline rush is quite amazing, especially when handled by a photographer with a keen eye and an understanding of what's going on. This book is beautiful - I've leafed through my copy a few times already - and being there while Valerie enjoyed the end result of years of hard work was amazing.

The night sessions were a bit more conventional. Starting with Two Hours Traffic, the evening session was full of hooks, synth pop, electronics and some of the most engaging indie rock Ive seen in a long time.

Friday Night - Two Hours Traffic, Silly Kissers, DD/MM/YY, Parlovr, Silver Starling, Le Matos and special guest BEAST.

Two Hours Traffic - We've been on the THT band wagon for as long as I can remember, so it's always a treat to see the PEI lads take the stage. Despite the differing opinions of Territory, without question the songs sounded crisp on stage. They tossed in a few classics (Nighthawks), but it was the new songs that took center stage. I actually like the track live more than on record - more bite, sounded much bigger and alive - but I'd be hard pressed to find fault with the band. In fact, I don't even want to try.


Silly Kissers - The synth poppers from MTL were up next, and despite their tender age and relative wet behind the ears appearance, the band did well considering the audience that stood before them. They tore through the songs on their EP, offering little banter except the guitar man's constant big-upping the local crowd, but the set was fun. I'm not sure they are quite ready for the spotlight, but they are on the right path for today's sound.

Probably the highlight - at least from an energy point - was having Cadence Weapon step on stage for a cameo. He cranked up the dance moves on You're The One and instead of kicking out the hyper sniper electro raps, he crooned along side Jane Perry is a playful love filled duet.


DD/MM/YY - more angles than a geometry test. Honestly, these guys cranked up the noise and got the crowd moving. The songs were driving, fragmented, proggy and the double drums, multiple keyboards, guitar blasts and bass really got everyone excited. This was the first point in the night where people were responding to a band. It was more than just delegates there to politely listen, it was people there who really dug the band and wanted to have a good f*cking time.

Parlovr - Honestly, this might be the set of the weekend for me. I loved Parvlor's self-titled (review), but they are a whole different, floppy haired beast live. Behind the strength of some heavy drums, the unique combo of surf rock, out-of-tune guitar, noise, pop hooks and energy brought the delegates and local fans to life for the first time all weekend. The human mic stand and constant smiles were just icing on the rock cake. If I had to pick a crayon fromt he Crayola box about how I feel about the upcoming 2010 release, it would be "waiting on baited breath".

PS - I know this pic sucks, but the blur and energy trapped inside is more representative of the set they played than another sterile black and white bad boy.



Silver Starling - I was excited for this set as well, only recently discovering their record (review). It was really beautiful, dark stuff heavy on strings and emotion. Truthfully, it's the type of songs that would have been unbelievable in the afternoon venue, taking advantage of the acoustics and intimacy to really let the songs sounds as big as they do on record. I thought the set started strong, but kind of got lost in the mix as people lost interest and wanted to dance.

Le Matos - Not much to say about these cats. They got the crowd moving, throwing in their own stuff and other people's jams. They were dressed to the nines and cranked the energy to the max. People danced, sweat was flying and really, what else do you want at 12 PM on your Friday night? For me, it was the perfect night cap, ending my long day of music on a high.

Wait! You left? I know some fans of trip-hoppers BEAST might be in awe, but to be fair, I'm not a fan of the band, so sticking around for the special guest set after party was far less appealing than the after party that involved me getting some sleep and trying to shake 8 hours of booze from my system.

MP3:: Two Hours Traffic - Territory


MP3:: Mark Berube - Yesterday's Halo


MP3:: Silly Kissers - You're the One ft. Cadence Weapon (Live @ M for Montreal)


MP3:: Delphic - This Momentary (Le Matos remix)

WEB:: http://www.mformontreal.com

Labels: Cadence Weapon, DD/MM/YY, Le Matos, M for Montreal, Mark Berube, parlovr, Silly Kissers, Two Hours Traffic

Back when European settlers first arrived on what would become Canada's smallest province, the act of claiming one's territory was a back-breaking act of survival. Over the last few years, Two Hours Traffic has gone in the reverse direction to claim their territory: heading out into the vast musical wilderness of our big-ass country to stake their claim as the best young band in Canada.

As that bit of semi-strained metaphor-ary indicates, THT's new album is called Territory, and if it doesn't put them at the top of that hypothetical "best young band" list, they're certainly in the conversation. I mean there are plenty of great bands in Canada, but how many are comprised of members as young as the fellas in THT, and have consistently produced such finely crafted songs? This shouldn't be a complete surprise, as the band has been under the tutelage of Joel Plaskett, a master of song craft himself, for a while now. Although Joel was back to produce Territory, credit must be given to Liam Corcoran, Alec O'Hanley, Andrew MacDonald, and Derek Ellis for delivering when the pressure was on. A Polaris short-list nomination in 2008 meant expectations were way up, and THT has come through in the clutch.

After all my "best young band" talk, it seems kind of trite and obvious to say that THT's sound has matured, but I think it has. It says something that my favorite songs on the album are slower paced ones like Wicked Side, Just Listen, and Lost Boys rather than the more uptempo ones they are known for and that I would normally gravitate too. But never fear, there are still plenty of the uptempo, harmony-filled rockers that THT fans will be expecting, and a looser, rockier feel has been added to songs like Happiness Burns, and that's a good thing.

Peppy album opener Noisemaker is one of those rockers, akin to Little Jabs' Nighthawks, and it's a riff-heavy ode to those loud mouth scene crashers that bring everyone down. The afore-mentioned Wicked Side is simply a fantastic song - it's simple, yet really well written, and a bouncy bassline provides the backbone for an addictive track that brings in the handclaps at just the right time. This is easily one of my favorite songs from '09. The title track, on the other hand, is a perfect example of why THT are awesome: loud guitars, supremely singable hooks, and fantastic work from the rhythm section - I could listen to the drum fills alone from this song all day long.

Weightless One is another keeper in the classic THT mold, with lighter than air harmonies telling the story of a directionless love interest. Another of my favorite songs on the album is a bit of a departure: Just Listen has a drum track that sounds somewhat like an 80's drum machine, but its clearly & cleverly written and has a chorus that soars. I've played this one a lot.

Compared to what one might have heard from THT in the past, the latter portion of Territory is a change of pace, a little more subdued. The somewhat anti-booze anthem Drop Alcohol shows that the band can create a sing-along without loud, pacy riffs, and the rollicking campfire feel of Lost Boys makes it stand out somewhat for me. it might just be me, but the playful Sing A Little Hymn seems to have Plaskett fingerprints all over it, from the little Casio backbeat to the playful, metaphysical lyrics - it's the kind of thing Joel does better than most. This is a good attempt at it, but I'm not sure they nailed it.

As I mentioned in my preview for this album, I've been on the THT bandwagon for a while now, and Territory has nothing to make me want to get off. If anything, I'm on the bandwagon gathering supplies to build some kind of shelter, a shack or lean-to perhaps, so I can bunker down for the long haul with THT. If you've never been on their bandwagon, have a listen to this album and then hop here with me so we can simply nod smugly when the "best of" and Polaris-like praise starts rolling in for this one.

MP3:: Two Hours Traffic - Territory
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/twohourstraffic

VIDEO:: Two Hours Traffic - Happiness Burns

Labels: PEI, Reviews, Two Hours Traffic

I know. I know. This took forever! We were hit in the grill with real life and then were waiting on some songs that took a bit longer than we expected, but like Tag Team says - "Whoomp. Here it is." The Great Canadian Mixtape:: PEI style. Even though PEI is the smallest province, the scene is unreal and several bands are already getting National attention. Finding good bands was easy... whittling it down to the final was the hard part. Well, that and tying in an 80's hip hop reference to the whole affair.


Of course we are heavy on the Collegan Rock acts. Two Hours Traffic is one of the best bands out there right now, but The Danks have been know to crank up the party and Smothered in Hugs - at least according to Matt Charlton - might be the best band out there. But PEI is more than just cruching riffs. The Grass Mountain Hobos. Meaghan Blanchard. Catherline MacLellan. Pat Deighan. Tim Chaisson. Eric Broadbent. The Barnkats! The list is endless, so take the time to get to know some of these bands. You won't be sorry.

Thanks to Matt Charlton, Lloyd @ Sandbar and Killbeat Ken for getting us some exclusive and new tracks for the mix.

Great Canadian Mixtape:: PEI - The (Confederation Bridge is Over)
Download entire zip here.

Armchair General - Milks & Rectangles || MP3
Die Young - The Danks
Territory - Two Hours Traffic
Don’t Touch That Dial (demo) - Paper Lions || MP3
Should’ve Said No - Battery Point || MP3
Bloody Bone - Racoon Bandit
Tiny Paws - The Robots || MP3
Jackson Leftfield - Boxer the Horse
Say What You Want - Pat Deighan & The Orb Weavers
Broken Hearted Beat - Tim Chaisson & Morning Fold

Tired - Meaghan Blanchard || MP3
Take a Break - Catherine MacLellan
Don’t Know What You Got - Grass Mountain Hobos
Haunted Hearts - Haunted Hearts
Dear Departed - Nudie and the Turks
Cold Ottawa Wind - The North Lakes
Live and Die by the Cut - Eric Broadbent and DJ Ghost
Dance - The Barnkats
Ghost Believah - Smothered in Hugs
Charlottetown P.E.I. (Eddie) - Practical Academics || MP3

Labels: Battery Point, Canadian Mixtape, Grass Mountain Hobos, Meaghan Blanchard, Milks and Rectangles, Pat Deighan, PEI, The Barnkats, The North Lakes, Tim Chaisson, Two Hours Traffic