A testament to the products of solid friendship. Composed of four friends who have been together since high school, its no wonder the songs of Braids new album Native Speaker are so cohesive. Innovative vocals will be the first thing to catch your ear. But there is a lot more to Braids. The music flows beautifully by mixing moods. There are swooning tones with a calming effect, but at the same time things tend to bounce along at a good pace. The percussion is perfect, staying simple and complimentary to everything else. There is so just much depth here, with a definitive feel of maturity running through everything. All the ingredients are here for Braids to develop into an important stand out act in Canadian music. Kinda like that other band, what are they called, Blockade Tire? Something like that anyway.

Same Mum – BRAIDS

It would appear that Baltimore has become a bit of a hot spot for music lately. With acts like Beach House, Dan Deacon, Ponytail, and Grandchildren all hailing from the city made famous in the WIRE, it’s hard to ignore. But don’t forget to add Thank You to the long list of great bands emerging from the city. The layered instrumental rock is enough to satisfy, but then you get hit with some vocals and the whole game changes. Thank you for keeping me on my toes Thank You.

1-2-3 Bad – Thank You

Just had my first listen to Nurses full length, ‘Apple’s Acre’. It sure is something else. Layer upon beautiful layer cascades upon the ear, drenching it in thought. Different, but not unfamiliar, ‘Apples’s Acre’ is provoking. It slides in and out of you in unexpected ways. Comes at you from unanticipated direction. Something exists between the notes and harmonies and drums. There is something in the sparseness that beckons. It pulls you in, and the sound of the music is your shelter. It is your blanket from the silence.

Here is one song off the album. Please do yourself a favor and go get the whole thing. It is unbelievably good.

nurses – apples acre

I’ve been informed that today is, statistically, the most depressing day of the year. What?! And it’s on a Monday. This song has made my day a little bit less depressing. Hopefully it will do the same for you.

Boyhood – Rollerskaters

DAYTROTTER!!! DAYTROTTER!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!! Incredible live recordings of sooo many great bands, including Brooklyn based Dinosaur Feathers. I had the great fortune to see these guys play when they came through Vancouver and they blew me away. A three piece (bass, guitar, keyboard) with no drummer and beautiful harmonies. These guys can really sing. They can also write great pop songs. And to top it all off, they can perform said songs in a highly enjoyable manner that pleases my ears.

Dinosaur Feathers – Parallel July

Dinosaur Feathers – Fantasy Memorial

*If you haven’t already gone to The DAYTROTTER website in the time it takes to listen to these songs then you are a fool. I don’t know what you are waiting for. If you like music it will change your life. And it’s literally just a click away.

Another song off the Parlovr EP “Heaven/Hell/Big/Love”. This band is awesome. Two of the best songs I’ve heard in a while have come off this EP (I’ll let you make up your own mind about the other two). It’s big and bouncy and fun. If you listen closely you might hear a tinge of reggae amidst the sweet vocal melody and feel-good synth. Beauty in simplicity.

Parlovr – Tehching hsieh

- slobbarooti

So winter is slowly starting to show its cold and dreary face. Personally, I don’t mind this time of year. It’s kind of nice to stay in and keep warm under blankets with a hot beverage of some sort. However, I recognize that not everyone enjoys the season that is nearly upon us. Some people hate the winter. Some people go to Mexico instead of staying up here in the cold. Some other people would really like to go Mexico but can’t afford it and are stuck here with wet socks and runny noses.

If you are one of the latter then this song is for you. The next time it snows, put on your favorite tank top, make yourself a pina colada and hop into your bathroom. Turn the shower on as hot as it will go until its all steamy, put this song on and close your eyes.

Viola, a crappy imitation of Mexico in your bathroom!

Los Hijos Del Sol was a Peruvian band lead by Angle Anibal Rosada. I heard it on a compilation called The Roots Chicha gifted to me by my friend Andrew. Thanks man.

Linda Muñequita – Ricardo Montaner

I little while ago my buddy Juice told me about a band called Cool Runnings. My response to him was that when a band picks a name shared by one of my favorite John Candy movies, they better be damn good. Thankfully these guys deliver.

SAN DIMAS OASIS – COOLRUNNINGS

REDHEADS – COOLRUNNINGS

Sometimes you come across something that just makes you happy to be wherever you may happen to be. My Friend Wallis is from Vancouver. They make beautiful, gorgeous, relaxed music. Like that feeling you get when you go on vacation somewhere warm and you are sitting outside in the sun for the first time. The ice in your drink is melting and the condensation is building on the glass. It is keeping your hands cool, it feels nice. A slight breeze is winding through the air, gently blowing your hair across your forehead and you are thinking to yourself, “Ahhh…this is nice.”

I posted a couple of songs, but you can get the whole album for free on their bandcamp.

Running – My Friend Wallis

Free Day – My Friend Wallis

-slobby

I found a burned CD in a box in my room a while ago. It was entitled “French Electro”. I remember it was given to me by a friend who told me that he didn’t know any of the track names or artists, and neither did the guy that he had received the CD from. Most of the songs on it are so horrible I couldn’t listen to them all the way through. But there are some gems.

If you know who made these songs and what they are called please share your great knowledge. I must know. I simply must. It is driving me mad.

UPDATE!!!! Our wonderful friend Tom sent us all the info on these songs. Mystery solved. Tom you are a true fan of music and a scholar.

(Tom lives in Vancouver and plays ambient music in Gak, check it out here  http://gak.muxtape.com)

Mathematiques Modern – Disco rough

Charles de Goal – Synchro

Ruth – Polaroid/Roman/Photo