This song feels important. There’s a weight to these three-minutes – not that you must lift, as the airy backing loops, chimes, piano and acoustic strums soar effortlessly and glow like first light – but in impact. We live in a time where any semblance of complete thought is hastily dismissed as sterile and soulless,(…)
I’m ghost, I’m gone. If you’re still hanging around here and reading the hill on a semi-regular basis, you’d be forgiven for thinking that brief quote above, from The Antiheroes latest video I’m Ghost, describes my feelings for current hip hop. This is indeed true from time to time, but not on the whole. Believe(…)
Donovan Woods is a refreshingly uncomplicated songwriter. Studio tricks, superfluous layers and cleverly turned phrases are left behind for scavengers to pick clean. Donovan’s most honest thoughts, purest emotions and best melodies are served without chasers or diluting mix. Simplicity and clarity are his two greatest gifts. Not surprisingly, Woods’ new record Don’t Get Too(…)
When you revisit the skittish pop and sensuality of Pat Jordache and his last release, fluid and loose aren’t words that often come to mind. Despite the endless number of layers, the clusterfuck of lost files and the painstaking restoration process of getting Future Songs to it’s final state, the vision always seemed laser focused.(…)
We’re getting a late start on our posting week, as the Ack has travelled back here to the motherland for a short visit and I’m once again battling my usual combo of busyness & laziness. But we can’t leave the tens of people who read the hill religiously hanging, so we’ve got a quick video(…)
UGH, I’m in a weird spot with the hip hop right now my friends. Like any rap-loving oldster I continually lament the quality of the music in the days of yore, but I seem to have a visceral aversion to the current brand of sneering, talentless, trap/tumblr type rap that we’re being sent on the(…)
There’s not much else I can say about Shotgun Jimmie. Jim is an under appreciated veteran of the Canadian scene with a catalog as consistent and accessible as Ikea furniture. Shotgun’s riffs might not be put together with Allan keys, sweat and cursing, but you come to depend on them to support everything in your(…)
Cam Penner has seen the best and worst humanity has to offer. A man that spent years slinging soup for the unfortunate and broken dreams on tattered couches, found his voice over desolate picked riffs and human suffering. Five albums deep, you hear changes in Cam’s sound. Bolder textures dance around your headphones; he’s just(…)
It’s kind of a cliche, but it’s hard to dispute that Monday nights are likely the least sexy night out of all the nights. Add in the daylight savings-type lag that many of us are dealing with today and there’s plenty of ass dragging on this particular Monday night. Well there’s no need for it.(…)
Wearing an influence on your sleeve can be a dangerous branding… just ask anyone with Chinese characters or a tribal armband. For The Shilohs, one of the most buzzed about Vancouver bands to hit the scene in years, their dedication to crafting shimmering pop nuggets worthy of the bands from ’60s and ’70s is more(…)
