Friday, April 24, 2009

smooth and seductive canadians







I'd like to present you guys out in cyberspace with one of my absolute favourite duets of all time, by a great Canadian artist and a great Canadian group. Islands in The Stream by Feist and Constantines, who both belong to the Canadian "Indie" label Arts&Crafts, is a cover of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rodgers original, but they sound nothing alike. This remake is smooth and sexy, almost as if Feist and Bryan (Constantines) are sitting in bed talking to each other. If you like what you hear you can purchase the song as a single on iTunes, and it is also available on Feist's deluxe edition of The Reminder.

Click here to listen.


Thursday, April 9, 2009

Springtime Playlist

spring flowers Pictures, Images and Photos


Today it really felt like spring in Toronto, so I've made up a springtime playlist for all the readers out there. When I think of spring I think of bright colours, warm tones, happy feelings, bright sunshine, chances of melancholy rain, and a hope for summer strong in the air. These songs are a mix happy positive sounding songs and a couple less positive sounds, for those rainy days, that will bring in summer with a smile. Please enjoy.

  1. Wake Up - The Arcade Fire
  2. Too Too Too Fast - Ra Ra Riot
  3. Hustle Rose - Metric
  4. The Stars of Track and Field - Belle and Sebastian
  5. Click Click Click Click - Bishop Allen
  6. Diamonds in The Souls of Her Shoes - Paul Simon
  7. New Soul - Yael Naim
  8. A Children's Crusade on Acid - Margot And The Nuclear So and So's
  9. Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
  10. Come On! Feel the Illinoise! - Sufjan Stevens
  11. Rain - Bishop Allen
  12. The First Five Times - Stars
  13. All The Things That Go To Make Heaven and Earth - The New Pornographers
  14. That Time - Regina Spektor
  15. Clark Gable - The Postal Service
  16. Down To Earth - Peter Gabriel
  17. Rainbowarriors - CocoRosie
  18. A Duel Will Settle This - Mates of State
  19. Holland, 1945 - Neutral Milk Hotel
  20. If You Leave - Nada Surf
  21. Humble Peasants - The Most Serene Republic
  22. Poetaster - Miracle Fortress

Monday, April 6, 2009

listen up, listen up!

Metric has a new CD out, titled Fantasies, and the second single is way too infectious. Here's the video....



If you like what you hear you can preview the entire album here on their Myspace.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

i have an amethyst amulet around my neck




... if you read my blog enough you probably know I adore Adam and The Amethysts, and have posted about this awesome band before. Well I'm doing it again. On Sunday night I saw Adam and his amethysts at Sneaky Dee's and it was amazing! I've seen Adam play numerous times sans the Amethysts but never with his backing band of Katherine Peacock and Nathan Ward. Needless to say it was the best performance I've seen by them. Their amazing psych-rock-indie-pop sound is infamously catchy and their heart-felt lyrics about my (and Adam's) hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario, are very relate-able not only to Thunder Bay folk but small-town-at-heart people of every shape and size. They played many of the songs off their first c.d, Amethyst Amulet, as well as a couple new songs that are not on said disc. One that was particularly lovely included a lyrical snippet from the song "Everything's Alright" from JesusChrist Superstar, which made me rediculously excited due to the fact that I have a soft spot for musicals. Last but not least besides having the c.d. for purchase at the show there were also authentic amethyst amulets straight from Thunder Bay, and I obviously purchased one.
Anyways...

If you haven't given Adam and The Amethysts a listen, you can click here, and if you like what you hear, Amethyst Amulet is now available for purchase on iTunes, as well as at your local music store (most likely). Support local Canadian artists and give him a try!