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

Today is Thursday, and that means one thing here at the hill: we tip our cap to the late great Dan Gallagher and then we fire up the ole video-hit-o-matic machine. After all, people are still making videos, and if moderately successful outfits like ours don't show them, how will they get seen? Exactly, so let's get to the business at hand.

Pick A Piper leads off, mainly because it's kind of a cool song from a group of folks who have, of course, also played in various other bands, like Caribou for one, but also because when I first listened to it on my headphones, my wife asked me if I was listening to Christmas music. I thought that was funny for some reason. Vancouver's You Say Party! We Say Die! are up next with Dark Days, a stylized performance vid that was, I believe, shot in their rehearsal space. I thought XXXX was some of the catchiest stuff I heard last year, and now that they are allowed back in the US, our American friends can hear them live. I'd heard of Hollerado, but heard nothing from these enthusiastic gents until being sent this clip for Juliette - which features Lois Lane, for what that's worth. It's catchy stuff, something the kids would likely go bon-kares for on MuchMusic, if, you know, MuchMusic was still a thing. Rock Plaza Central is up next with a clever video for (Don't You Believe The Words Of) Handsome Men, which lampoons a bunch of dudes that certainly need a lampooning.

As a special treat I'm adding a live vid of Matt Barber doing something from his upcoming album True Believer. It's really rather good.

Pick A Piper - Rooms

MP3:: Pick A Piper - Rooms
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/pickapiper

You Say Party! We Say Die! - Dark Days

MP3:: You Say Party! We Say Die! - Laura Palmer's Prom
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/yousaypartywesaydie

Hollerado - Juliette

MP3:: Hollerado - Juliette
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/hollerado

Rock Plaza Central - (Don't You Believe The Words Of) Handsome Men

MP3:: Rock Plaza Central - (Don't You Believe The Words Of) Handsome Men (via Daytrotter)
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/rockplazacentral

Matthew Barber - Revolution Of The Sun

Labels: Dan Gallagher, Hollerado, Mathew Barber, Pick A Piper, Rock Plaza Central, Video hits, YSPWSD

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

It's Thursday, it's raining cats & dogs here in Halifax (and perhaps wherever you are) and so you're trapped inside. That means one thing here at the hill: videos. We've been having some jumbo editions of Video Hits over the last few weeks, and that continues un-abated today, with some fine Canadian musical fair committed to metaphorical video tape.

We have a bit of a loose theme with these videos, as we're gonna start things out rather slow & moody, and steadily work our way up into a happier frame of mind. As many of you might know, Yarmouth ex-pat Brian Borcherdt released a new, free album recently, but he also released a new video from his previous release, Coyotes, as well. This clip for While I was Asleep finds Borcherdt at his morose best - the word haunting comes to mind. Somewhat less morose is the clip for Steven Bowers' Comfortably Sweet, which is a duet off his recent EP Circadian Anthem, that features the always-excellent Christina Martin. The video is morose, in that it's about a lost loved one, but the Bowers turns into a zombie, and zombies always bring the fun. The video for The Wheat Pool's This Is It also brings the fun, well, if you're idea of fun is calmly destroying everything in your boyfriend's house, then it's a blast. Just as an aside, The Wheat Pool's Hauntario is really great, I know the Ack told us all this a couple months ago, but I'm late to the party and I just thought I'd mention it in case some of you are also in that boat. Another album the Ack enjoyed: Burnout from Sudbury roots rockers Ox. I myself love their video for Prom Queen, which is a white trash-tastic slice of fun.

Ok, that's a lot of heavy packed into four videos right there. So I need to go Son Of Bazerk on you kids and change the style. I could find nothing better for that then the new video from hill favorite Louwop. One Two Check/Get Up is a live mashup of two songs from Lou's last release, The Great Escape (which is available as a free download this month I should mention), and features Shad and Zaki Ibrahim. Good stuff.

Brian Borcherdt - While I was Asleep

MP3:: Brian Borcherdt - Torches
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/brianborcherdt

Steven Bowers - Comfortably Sweet f. Christina Martin

MP3:: Steven Bowers - Comfortably Sweet f. Christina Martin
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/stevenbowers

The Wheat Pool - This Is It

MP3:: The Wheat Pool - This Is It
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/thewheatpool

Ox - Prom Queen

MP3:: Ox - Burnout
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/oxmusic

Louwop - One Two Check/Get Up LIVE f. Shad & Zaki Ibrahim

MP3:: Louwop - One 2 Check f. Shad
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/louwop

Labels: Brian Borcherdt, Canadian Hip Hip, Louwop, Ox, Steven Bowers, The Wheat Pool, Video hits

All right, the Ack is off gallivanting around Montreal with all the fancy music biz swells at M For Montreal, and yes, that leaves me back in Halifax minding the cyber store. And it also happens to be Thursday, so that means one thing: videos. We've had a couple of jam-packed editions of Video Hits over the last couple of weeks, and I wanted to keep that going, but I'd also been hyped on Canadian hip hop after spending the last week with Ghettosocks new album on repeat. So, guess what you're getting today? Yep, a jumbo CanRap edition of Video Hits.

Although it has been out here in Canada for ages, k-os' latest album, Yes!, was just released in the US this past Tuesday (my talking points post for it went up in March). Perhaps to celebrate this, k-os has just released a new X-produced video for I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman, which features k-os & Big Sox ripping it up Dukes of Hazzard style. I love this jam (Saukrates is awesome) and like any fellow my age, I loved the Dukes back in the day, so this is a no-brainer. We follow that up with another two-man, homage-style vid, this one from Josh Martinez and Moka, with their gonzo Fear & Loathing clip for Underground Pop (another jam I love, from Josh's excellent World Famous Sex Buffet).

Grand Analog's video for Take It Slow (Spaces and Places), is a little more traditional, the ole "let's film ourselves as we play on the back of a truck driving through Toronto", but it's no less enjoyable. Two things people love: animals and those videos where people hold signs with the lyrics on them, so I'm thinking you folks will enjoy the clip for Party Animals from Ugly Duckling-eqsue BC duo Animal Nation. We're gonna wrap up with a video that's been out for a while, but I love it and have been meaning to post for ages: Pop & Chips by More Or Les & Fresh Kils which also features Ghettosocks, Timbuktu & Uncle Fester. Enjoy.

k-os - I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman

MP3:: k-os - Uptown Girl
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/kos

Josh Martinez - Underground Pop

MP3:: Josh Martinez - Going Back To Hali
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/thejoshmartinez

Grand Analog - Take It Slow (Spaces and Places)

MP3:: Grand Analog - Electric City f. Shad
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/grandanalog

Animal Nation - Party Animals

MP3:: Animal Nation - Party Animals
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/animalnation

More Or Les & Fresh Kils - Pop & Chips (feat. Ghettosocks, Timbuktu & Uncle Fester)

Labels: Canadian Hip Hip, Ghettosocks, Grand Analog, Josh Martinez, k-os, Moka Only, More Or Les, Video hits

Ok folks, it's Thursday, and so I'm going to skip the foreplay and get straight to the hot Canadian music video action. Well, not right to it, as it's in the hill's bylaws that we must give some preamble for even the simplest of posts.

I'm sure many of you have already seen the video we're leading off with today, but that's too bad, because if Snoop picked this guy up, he'd immediately drop him, because, you know, he's hot. I speak, of course, of friend of the hill Dan Mangan, who released the video for Robots this past week, and it's a lot of fun. So enjoy if you haven't seen it yet. The Great Bloomers are a hard working young outfit from Toronto whose last album Speak Of Trouble, is highly thought of around these parts, and their fall harvest-inspired video for This Ain't You is rather beautiful. Out west we head next for a heaping slice of fun with Minto, whose 80's instructional video-inspired clip for the infectiously rebellious Burnt Down Trainbridge Blues (Lawyers) should make you smile unless you are a very unhappy person. Why not keep the old school party vibe going with the 60's vibe of Winter Gloves's Party People? There is no reason not to, so we shall. We'll go in the complete opposite direction to wrap things up with Matt Epp's chilling video for the serious-as-a-heart-attack They Won't Find The Bodies. Watch that video once and you'll know you do not mess with Matt Epp. Enjoy!

Dan Mangan - Robots

MP3:: Dan Mangan - Robots (Live @ HPX 09)
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/danmangan

Great Bloomers - This Ain't You

MP3:: Great Bloomers - The Young Ones Slept
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/greatbloomers

MINTO - Burnt Down Trainbridge Blues (Lawyers)

MP3:: Minto - Train Bridge Blues
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/mintominto

Winter Gloves - Party People

MP3:: Winter Gloves - Invisible (ease v Remix)
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/wintergloves

Matt Epp - They Won't Find The Bodies

MP3:: Matt Epp - This Old House
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/mattepp

Labels: Dan Gallagher, Dan Mangan, Matt Epp, Minto, The Great Bloomers, Video hits, Winter Gloves

As we make our way through fall out here in Halifax, things are finally getting back to business, or rather posting, as usual. The Polaris is over, HPX is over, and so we're back to bringing you that sweet, sweet can-con, errrr, content. And because it's Thursday, that means one thing, Videos!

As you might imagine since we haven't run an episode of Video Hits in a while, we've got quite a backlog of them. So if you've sent us a vid in the last few weeks, our apologies, but perhaps send us a reminder and we'll try and get it up. So in the interest of backlog clearing, we've got a super-sized edition for you today. Five great videos on deck, so I'll do a quick intro and get out the way (Luda style).

The Tom Fun Orchestra's Bottom of the River somehow got nominated for a UK music video award, and that's pretty awesome, so I figured that deserved a posting. One great animtaed video deserves another, and so Said the Whale's vid for Camilo (The Magician) is up next. STW were one of the many buzz bands to play at the just-concluded HPX, another being Little Girls, and so their vid for Youth Tunes gets a posting. While on the subject of folks playing Halifax, Octoberman are playing Gus' Sunday night, so we've got their clip for Thirty Reasons here as well. I've said this before, but I've always enjoyed Classified's videos, and since he's got a new one for the awesome Can-rap all-star track Quit While You're Ahead, I had to put that up too. Enjoy!


Tom Fun Orchestra - Bottom of the River

MP3:: Tom Fun Orchestra - Watchmaker
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/tomfunorchestra

Said the Whale - Camilo (The Magician)

MP3:: Said The Whale - The Magician (Camilo)
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/saidthewhale

Little Girls - Youth Tunes

MP3:: Little Girls - Concepts
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/littlelittlegirls

Octoberman - Thirty Reasons

MP3:: Octoberman - Thirty Reasons
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/octoberman

Classified - Quit While You're Ahead

MP3:: Classified - Up All Night
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/hiphopclassified

Labels: Classified, Little Girls, Octoberman, Said the Whale, Tom Fun, Video hits

The latest promo for Share's excellent new album Slumping in Your Murals features an assist from the talented Matt Charlton and is shot in a tunnel. That's two things that make any live musical performance video much better. I should also remind everyone that we're still giving away 5 tickets to Share's Halifax album release show, but as the show is tomorrow, today will be the last day to enter. Here's Andrew Sisk's take on the video:

Matt Charlton is a man of many talents. He uses some of those talents as the songwriter and lead man for two excellent Halifax Bands: The Prospector's Union and Bloodsport. Matt is the sort of guy who doesn't say much but whatever he does say is either the funniest thing you've ever heard or pure wisdom.

We met up at this tunnel. I hope you can hear the reverb. There is something magical about places that echo. Not that a tunnel with a sewage pipe is very magical.

Andrew

VIDEO:: Share - Fish Out of Water - Live in a Tunnel


So, to get a spot on the guest list for tomorrow night's show, all you have to do is email us your name & mailing address (herohill AT gmail DOT COM).

September 24th - Halifax, NS @ North St Church
w/ Mike O'Neill, Laura Peek, Jon McKiel, David Myles, Jason MacIsaac, Matt Charlton, Matt MacDonald, AA Wallace, Gianna Lauren and Tim Crabtree.
8pm, 5657 North St, tickets - $10 in advance, $12 at the door

MP3:: Share - Maybe Always f. Jenn Grant
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/andrewsisk

Labels: Contest, Live in a Tunnel, Share, Video hits

If this latest promo video post for Share's excellent new album Slumping in Your Murals was a Scrabble move, it would be a double word score. Not only does the new video feature Daniel Ledwell (like the fellas from Share, we're also fans of Daniel), but we're also giving away 5 tickets to Share's Halifax album release show next week. But first things first, the video:

Daniel Ledwell can play a lot of instruments. He is from PEI. I only mention that because there seems to be a disproportionate amount of musically talented people from that island. I could easily name a dozen artists and bands from there who are above average in the talent department. Daniel accompanies many other artists while doing his own solo project (www.myspace.com/danielledwell) as well as being a member of In Flight Safety (www.myspace.com/inflightsafety), and The Prospector's Union (www.myspace.com/theprospectorsunion). He produced our new album and played Cello, Trumpet, Mellotron, Organs, Piano and whatever we needed. He is a gem to work with.

Andrew

VIDEO:: Share - Awake at Dawn with Daniel Ledwell


Thanks to the kind folks at Forward music, We have 5 single tickets (or rather, guest list access) for Share's release show next week in Halifax to give away - all you have to do is email us your name & mailing address (herohill AT gmail DOT COM). To support the release of their new album, Share is doing a number of release shows before heading to Quebec and Ontario, but the Halifax show is going to be a beaut:

September 24th - Halifax, NS @ North St Church
w/ Mike O'Neill, Laura Peek, Jon McKiel, David Myles, Jason MacIsaac, Matt Charlton, Matt MacDonald, AA Wallace, Gianna Lauren and Tim Crabtree.
8pm, 5657 North St, tickets - $10 in advance, $12 at the door

MP3:: Share - Maybe Always f. Jenn Grant
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/andrewsisk

Labels: Basements, Dan Ledwell, Share, Video hits

If you're like me, you've probably spent the first part of this evening pondering the perfect combination for Share's next promo video for their excellent new album Slumping in Your Murals. If you guessed the following, you're a winner: Andrew Sisk, Jenn Grant, a bedroom, a serious moustache, a large novelty pencil, and guests from the UK. Anyway, as always, some insider commentary from Share frontman Andrew Sisk, and so without further ado:

Hanging out playing music. It's what we do. Our friends Lori and Roddy who appear in this video were visiting from the UK. They are sweethearts. Lori filmed Jenn and I playing and that is why Roddy is the guy on the bed. Friends are important. Jenn and I have been friends for a long time. I used to be her drummer. It was problematic cause we would laugh so much when we were supposed to be serious. Much like in this video.

Andrew

VIDEO:: Share - Maybe Always Live with Jenn Grant

MP3:: Share - Maybe Always f. Jenn Grant
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/andrewsisk

Labels: Jenn Grant, Live, Share, Video hits

I know you're in need of a little something to soothe your soul after a rugged Tuesday doing what it is you do, and nothing's more soothing than the gentle sounds of a lake lapping at the shore mixed with some folk-rock. So here is the latest promo video from Share for their excellent new album Slumping in Your Murals (you can check the previous two here and here). I enjoyed the previous two, but this might be my favorite, the backdrop is amazing, and everything sounds better with bass. Anyway, we're happy to again have some insider commentary from Share frontman Andrew Sisk, and so without further ado:

Prairie Dogs watched us film this song. One popped out of his hole and scurried over to get a better view. There is something about performing for wildlife with a lapping lake and quiet mountains behind you that make your songs feel small. I like small songs. I like how they can say what they need within two stanzas and under two and a half minutes. I believe it was Woody Guthrie who wrote that the big songs are made up of the little ones. It's all to common to hear little songs that have big song complexes, you know, where they think they are bigger than they are. We were happy to have the mountains around to put us in our place. When we were done playing this little song, the Prairie Dog posed for some pictures and then went back to his hole by the lake. We got back into the van and continued on with our tour.

Andrew

VIDEO:: Share - Getting Older Live From Banff

Labels: Mountains, Share, Video hits

How about a little pick me up to help wind your Monday down? I suggest you start with the second promo video from Share for their excellent new album Slumping in Your Murals. Seriously, if cats on pianos don't make you smile a bit, I'm guessing you might have a lump of coal where your theorical soul is supposed to be. Anyway, we're happy to again have some insider commentary from Share frontman Andrew Sisk, and so without further ado:

Friends are important in life. Talented, funny, generous, genius friends are priceless. Jason MacIsaac is just such a friend. He lent us his talent one afternoon in Halifax. In his Halifax apartment, accompanied by his cat, we made a few versions of this video and kept this take because it was the sloppiest and most amusing. Whether you like Felines or Ornette Coleman you can appreciate a cat walking on a piano.

Please begin bombarding Jason Michael MacIsaac with email requests demanding that he release the new Heavy blinkers album, Health. Its Brilliant, and the world has waited long enough.

Andrew

VIDEO:: Share - Horse and Rider (Live with Cats)


PS. You can count us amongst those who'd like to hear that new Heavy Blinkers album!

Labels: Cats on pianos, Share, Video hits

It's Thursday, and that means one thing here on the hill: videos. Well, at least it does on weeks like this when we get ourselves organized and manage to compile a few of the best clips we're sent into post format. I think it's appropriate that on the week it was announced that the hill will be crashing the Polaris Prize this year and bringing some Maritime flavour to the festivities (Ack as a Grand Jury member, myself as the Ack's Weed Carrier), that we give you an all east coast edition of Video Hits. With videos from Classified, The Danks, The Novaks, and a little bonus footage from DJ Skratch Bastid, we've got a little something for everyone, so lets get to it.

It seems like Classified has been putting out quality videos for years now, and that's all the more impressive when you consider this latest record is his first with any kind of major label support. That kind of hustle likely explains why Classified is one of the most successful hip hop artists Canada has produced. This is a simple video, for a fairly straightforward, but very catchy, autobiographical song, and it works quite well. Class is in the studio pulling an all-nighter, and the maintenance man is kind enough to hang around to sing the song's hook. Class's dad sings the hook on the record, but I have no idea if that's him in the video.

Classified - Up All Night

MP3:: Classified - Up All Night
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/hiphopclassified

Watching The Danks new video for Planet Beach made me realize that we haven't posted a review for their debut full-length, Are You Afraid of the Danks, which is unfortunate, as it is summer-ready indie pop at its finest. So we'll see if we can't do something about that (and they will certainly be on our PEI mixtape when that drops in the hopefully not to distant future), so for now you should watch their rather sharp looking video, and then go check out their album.

The Danks - Planet Beach

MP3:: The Danks - Die Young
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/meetthedanks

From one east coast island to another, The Novaks rep St. John's to the fullest, and they check in for a rather stylish effort for There Goes The Night, which was one of my favourite songs from their latest release. I have to say, although I like the look of this video, I have no idea what to make of it. I think perhaps it's some kind of commentary on corporate greed, but then again I could be completely wrong. Doesn't much matter really, so just enjoy the sights and sounds.

The Novaks - There Goes The Night

MP3:: The Novaks - There Goes The Night
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/thenovaks

** Bonus Time **
There aren't too many more enjoyable hip hop-ish things I can think of than an awesome DJ driving a crowd crazy and having a ball whilst doing it. Well this here video is exactly that, as Halifax native Skratch Bastid does the "Out Here Grindin'" rountine from his new %110 mix, and the folks at the Paragon are very appreciative of his efforts. Perhaps you feel the same.

Skratch Bastid - "Out Here Grindin" Live - from 110% mix

MP3:: Skratch Bastid - Out Here Grindin'
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/skratchbastid

Labels: Classified, Skratch Bastid, The Danks, The Novaks, Video hits

I'm sure everyone really loves hearing tremendously un-qualified ramblers such as myself discuss the artistic blood, sweat & tears of others at length, but in my opinion it's always far better to get insight on something direct from the artist. That's why we're pleased to bring you Share's breezy live performance video of KC from their new album, Slumping in Your Murals, along with an explanation of the clip from Share frontman Andrew Sisk. So without further ado:

I went to Shotgun Jimmies Farm in Sackville, NB for a visit. He is one of my favourite songwriters so I was really excited to record some demos with him and hang out. We recorded some demos and then recorded me playing KC in his back yard. Jimmie's back yard has a constant wind blowing through due to it being on the Marshlands that separate New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It is a cantakerous grassy bit of land that stretches between the two Maritime provinces and is flat and wet from the constant draft coming in through the backdoor of the Bay of Fundy. Not too long ago, these wetlands were the only things separating the British Fort Lawrence and the French Fort Beausejour during that ongoing struggle for this part of the world. I wonder if the soldiers who had to guard those forts knew that these marshlands were a vital part of the natural ecosystem? I am going to take a guess and say no. I can only imagine that most of their conversations involved the constant, unending, persistent wind.

The song KC from our new album is about another, more modern, period of Atlantic domination.

Andrew

VIDEO:: Share - KC (Live in a field)

MP3:: Share - Maybe Always f. Jenn Grant
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/andrewsisk

Labels: Live, New Brunswick, Sackville, Share, Video hits

I've gone the All-Canadian route on BOX!, our semi-regular rap single round-up, quite a few times actually, but I'm not sure I've ever done it for our video segment. Well, no time like the present I say, and that's all the more true when you consider I just so happen to have accumulated some videos from the creme de la creme of Canadian hip hop (milestone: first time I've used creme de la creme in a post I do believe). Shad, Buck 65, and D-Sisive, does it get any better when you're talking Canadian hip hop? Well perhaps Devon, HDV and Local Dre would be better, but I don't have any of those videos, so we'll go with the previous 3.

Considering I'm a huge fan of his, I always look forward to anything new from Shad (speaking of which, anyone know the status of a new Shad album? Hopefully one is well in the works), and so I was excited to post his latest video for Compromise. It's really kind of a stylized affair, with Shad and his lovely partner playing the role of sophisticated secret agents on the hunt for crooked white collar crooks. So it's a cool video, but one problem, I've just noticed that it's not embeddable, soooo, I'll just link to that one, and post the video for Brother (Watching), which I don't think I've posted before and also happens to be one of my favorite Canadian hip hop songs ever. So it's not a bad stand-in.

Shad - Brother (Watching)

MP3:: Shad - Brother (Watching)
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/shad

Buck 65's Situation has been out since '07, but animator Benjamin Logsdon has created a new video for Buck's James Dean-esque track, The Rebel, and it's pretty awesome. Is the video related to the subject matter? Not exactly, but it's just damn well done, so check it below and enjoy.

Buck 65 - The Rebel

MP3:: Buck 65 - The Ready
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/buck65

I've been pretty effusive in regards to D-Sisive and his output over the last year or so I'm not going to say much more here - except to say that I think Let the Children Die could have easily replaced the hip hop album that made the Polaris short list. Anyway, D has since released two new videos for the album, and they are certainly both worth a posting, so enjoy.

D-Sisive - Wonderful World


D-Sisive - Mr. Daydream

MP3:: D-Sisive - Veronica Vaughn (One Piece of Ash)

MP3:: D-Sisive - Like This f. Guilty Simpson
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/dsisive

** Bonus Time **
I just realized these three dudes are all on Classified's Loonie, along with DL Incognito, so I figured even though I've posted this vid before, he deserved some run.

DL Incognito - Air Play

MP3:: DL Incognito - Air Play
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/dlincognito

Labels: Buck 65, Canada, D-Sisive, Hip Hop, Shad, Video hits