'09 or................. '06 I guess. When Lindsay Dobbin - aka Broken Deer - recorded Our Small Going, it was a DIY release that got some great press (and had different title), but when you are isolated from large urban centers and tucked away in Whitehorse, it's tough to build a fan base no matter how good the songs are.

Thankfully, good music will always eventually get heard, and with the support of the Gandhara project - they do amazing runs of 100, hoping that the unique sounds and cover art draw you in - you can pick up a copy of the reissue. Considering the songs were written and recorded in '06, they stand the critical test of time. The former Halifax based Dobbins could easily nestle into a lineup with Ghost Bees or countless other folkies from the North End, but her songs are more than just a cross section of the sounds of a scene.

Tape hiss, loops, delays and warbles give forgotten childhood memories a tender intimacy and surprisingly accessible feel, but it's her take on decay - not of society, but man-made objects that littered her families property - that make this record so enjoyable. Somehow she's able to give the slow, inevitable process of decomposition a touching human quality, without drifting into countless metaphors about death. I have no idea where the record was recorded but at the end of the day, it strikes me as the result of a woman sitting in a room, alone, playing music that comes from her soul.

I've also posted a copy of a new song - White Woman to give you an idea where Lindsay's sound is going (short answer, somewhere interesting and delightfully dark, a bedroom project that makes the walls feel thousands of kilometers apart).

MP3:: Broken Deer - Face on the River Side

MP3:: Broken Deer - White Woman

MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/brokendeer
BUY:: http://www.gandhararecordings.org/dm/albumpage.php?id=3

Labels: Broken Deer, Canada, Music, Whitehorse, yukon

I know we call ourselves the Canadian blog, but truth be told we've neglected a substantial amount of land that lies to the North. Sure, we mentioned Kim Barlow's collaboration with Mr. Kom, but we' haven't covered any artist from the territories.

Well, this morning that changes.

Kyle Cashen is the front man and songwriter for a rotating cast of characters known as Crash the Car. I suppose, naturally, that location really plays a part in shaping these epic, sad, beautiful songs, but I really had no idea what to expect when I loaded up They Built Houses Here. I don't think you can understand what it's like to live there until you do (especially when everyone I've ever known that's gone up North comes back glowing and tells stories with a pride and loyalty unlike any I've heard from other regions), and I think the same can be said about a community's music.

I'm not sure what I thought music crafted in the cold, dark hours of the Yukon would sound like - maybe like a more Canadian take on the lush chill that Sigur Ros crafts so well or some quirky bedroom pop driven by hours trapped inside - but the textures and influences revealed on We Don't Always Have Light give us all a little glimpse at life in the Yukon.

Despite the meticulous layering of instruments, Crash the Car shows that an appreciation of a simpler life is needed to survive and thrive in a city that removes convenience from the equation. Weather hits you in the face like a stinging jab, and the band portrays that chill perfectly, but the more engaging aspect is the solace of friends and the brief hope of first light gives a huddled warmth to the affair. They show a patience that is probably a pre-requisite for the region, as the melodies and gentle crescendos move at a slower pace, but show excitement and spontaneity that helps us all understand that music, like life, is often worth the weight.

This record isn't a light listen for the faint of heart, but Crash the Car has compiled a collection of stirring, beautiful songs that make me think that this band is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to finding hidden treasures in a new scene. Highly recommended.

MP3:: Crash the Car - We Don't Always Have Light
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/crashthecar
WEB:: http://www.crashthecar.ca/

Labels: Canada, Crash the Car, Sunday Morning, yukon

Summer is probably not the ideal time for listening to a collection of songs detailing a relationship slowly breaking apart into unsalvageable pieces, but sometimes timing can't be helped. Yukon songwriter Kim Barlow and The Burning Hell front man Mathias Kom have joined forces to write a break-up record that tugs on your heartstrings but still manages to make you laugh even when the two lovers cry.

Their new band - Spring Breakup – uses nothing more than simple ukulele and banjo riffs and traded couplets, but anyone familiar with either artist knows that is all these songs need. Spring Flings starts the record and tells a story we’ve all been through before. Kim and Mathias offer up their thoughts on a new relationship with a foundation of attraction not substance (the fabulous hair of an underwear model) and one that flies too close to the sun, quickly burns its wings and plummets to a watery grave.

As you'd expect, the disc flies by – 10 songs and a slight 32 minutes – but the duo’s humor and charisma make it more entertaining than you’d think it could be. The heartache and anger of Came up Roses sets the tone perfectly for the record. It should be sad to hear a couple talking about their love falling apart, but the imagery makes it impossible to not smile along (perfect example? Mathias admits Cupid must have been drunk when he fired his arrow). Young Love is a collection of overused clichés, but somehow Kim and Mathias manage to play turn those common phrases into a touching 3-minute affair. On the closer - Hummiah - Mathias uses a simple drum machine beat and some lovely placed guitar and harmonies on the chorus to create an engaging spoken word of the icy cold of an unrequited Artic love.

They make you laugh and they make you cry; actually, on most songs they accomplish both, but Spring Breakup isn't just clever phrasing or cute images. With a few picked notes they trigger the nostalgia of that new love that consumed our every thought so many moons ago (just listen to the two-minute ditty, Cosmic Sea). Kim and Mathias also know when to change the emotion and give the listener moments of tenderness and beauty. The classic banjo that drives Peepers & Howlers lets Barlow and Kom show off how well their unique voices work together. Leaky Pail is stunning and out of nowhere, they drift into the beautiful, instrumental sounds of Deep Dark Waltz, a sophisticated track that you wouldn’t expect it to be found on this quickly record LP.

Like love itself, Spring Breakup seems so simple on the surface, but once it gets a hold of you, it can control your emotions and dominate your days. Speaking of which, the duo will be in town after Sappyfest and playing a day show @ The Company House on August 15th.

MP3:: Spring Breakup - Came Up Roses


MP3:: Spring Breakup - Leaky Pail

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

Labels: Best-of '09, Canada, Music, yukon