Ring in 2010 with The Supersuckers

Joe's Podhole has a way for you to tell 2009 to kiss off in style.  Check out their year end interview with Eddie Spaghetti of the Supersuckers and a live recording from the band's Dec. 30th Chicago show.

If you start the podcast at 10:26pm you will be ringing in the New Year with Eddie Spaghetti and the boys.  Download it here.

The Supersuckers' website
The Supersuckers' Myspace

Rob Dickinson (Catherine Wheel) covers The Smiths (video)

If you've been reading for a while you know I'm not shy when I love an artist.  You'll also know that I love covers.  So what happens when an artist I love does a cover of another artist I love?  Well, the world stands still for a while.

That's what we've got with this snippet of video (kudos to So Much Silence for pointing the way).  We've got former Catherine Wheel singer Rob Dickinson covering The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get When I Want" at a recent acoustic show at the Rogue Bar in Arizona.

Enjoy:


The studio version of the track is available through Dickinson's Myspace page.

Rob Dickinson's Myspace

Novels (members of Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians, and more) give away EP

Novels are a Toronto indie rock supergroup comprised of Graham Wright (Tokyo Police Club), Luke Lalonde (Born Ruffians), Will Currie (Will Currie & the Country French), Dean Marino (Ex-po) and Jason Sadlowski (Sad Jay).  The group has just released their self-titled debut EP.

The EP, comprised of 5 irresistibly catchy indie pop tracks, is being distributed in a unique method.  No physical CDs will be sold in record stores.  You can download the entire thing for free from the band's website.  Once you do that they are encouraging you to burn copies and leave them around the city.

So the next time you're agonizing over how much tip to leave your server or give your pizza delivery guy, make it easy on yourself and hand them a burned copy of Novels.  They will thank you for it in the end.

Download your copy of Novels here.

Novels' website

Camper Van Beethoven's Victor Krummenacher (Q&A)

Camper Van Beethoven were undeniably on the leading edge of college rock.  Their influence on the development of the indie underground scene is immeasurable.  Well they are returning to Toronto with related band Cracker to play Lee's Palace on January 16th.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with founding Camper member Victor Krummenacher about the tour and music in general.  Here's our conversation:

T.O. Snob: First off thanks for doing this Victor.
VK: No problem.


T.O. Snob: You guys are coming to Toronto to play Lee’s Palace on January 16th with Cracker. I caught you there when you were touring on New Roman Times. What’s your favorite, or least favorite memory of playing in Toronto?
VK: Well the last time we were in Toronto it was pretty horrible. All of our gear got stolen in Montreal. That pretty much put me in a bad mood for a while. I lost a really nice bass, and I’m not planning on seeing it again any time soon. That’s no reflection on Toronto…


T.O. Snob: More of a reflection on Montreal I guess.
VK: Yeah, definitely more a reflection on Montreal.


T.O. Snob: Now you guys have been doing this for 25, 27 years now. How do you keep up it fun for yourself on stage?
VK: Yeah 1983 so going on 27 years.  The key is don’t do it all the time. Don’t burn yourself out. There are different ways of approaching it.


Where Camper is we’re all in our 40s, we all have other jobs, and there’s a really unique power to the band because it’s the first band where people really learned how to play together so there’s a really unique relationship. I don’t play with them like I play with anybody else. And I play a lot of music that’s not Camper these days.


I think the way I keep it going is to keep it fresh by not grinding it into the ground. Perhaps we start writing new music again, which we haven’t done in a few years, maybe we’ll grind it a little more. But I don’t think even then that’s really the best way for Camper to function.


Camper’s a pretty prickly entity. There’s lots of really diverse people and a strong group of personalities. Maturation allows you to realize ‘well maybe this is really fun but don’t let me do it for more than a couple of weeks at a time’.


T.O. Snob: After performing hundreds of shows there must be songs that you’re sick and tired of playing?
VK: I think I’ve calculated that I’ve played “Take the Skinheads Bowling” about 1569 times over the last 26 years. Maybe more really since I used to play it a lot when I played bass for Cracker.


It’s something that people want to hear, and it’s something that if you haven’t played it in a couple of months can be fun. But it’s not something that gets me excited. Whereas something like “When I Win the Lottery”, which doesn’t get played that much, is always fun to play. “Eye of Fatima” I’m always playing with the bassline and playing with the general feel of the song.


I like a lot of the instrumentals. I’ve always been a fan of the harder stuff. Either musically harder or weirder. Don’t come to me asking for some great pop sensibility I’m not that guy. I wouldn’t sell myself short, I know what I’m doing. But I like good hard stuff. I like when the band veers off course. I’m much more of a tightrope walker.


T.O. Snob: New Roman Times came out in 2004, what are the chances that we’ll hear new material at the show?
VK: There’s usually oddities at the show but there’s nothing particularly new there. David’s been in Cracker mode for a while. There’s plenty of new music going around it’s just not Camper.


T.O. Snob: You mentioned other projects and I know you have a project of your own as well in McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Can you tell us a little bit more about the sound and inspiration behind that?
VK: That’s where most of my energy is going nowadays. You know it’s a songwriting partnership between me and Alison Levy who used to be in the Sippy Cups, they primarily played for kids, they were the kings of that whole movement of alt-rockers who are now playing kids music.


We’ve been friends for a while and she came to me a couple of years ago and said ‘hey I’dlike to do a songwriting project’. It’s kind of one part Richard and Linda Thompson, another part old soul, and a lot of ‘60s British blues, there’s a lot of folk, and there’s a lot of roadhouse music. It’s kind of like an artful bar band.


There’s a lot of playing, a lot of interplays, a lot of duets. We have some darker, murkier elements too. We’ve got a fantastic group of musicians and I’ve been having a really great time.


T.O. Snob: What I’ve heard sounds very fun and it sounds like you guys had a great time making it.
VK: Well the recordings were done in a small room, very intimate. The live band is not that. The live band is this very lively, loud thing.


The record is available on iTunes and I'll definitely have copies for sale at the show.


T.O. Snob: Finally, what is your New Year’s resolution?
VK: Jesus, no. Usually it comes down to ‘I will survive this year’.


T.O. Snob: Looks like you’ve been doing a pretty good job of that so far.
VK: So far, so good. I’ve weathered most of the storms around me pretty well. The world is a pretty screwed up place these days so you kind of put your head down and cross your fingers.


T.O. Snob: Do you have any final thoughts for your fans in Toronto?
VK: I’m just looking forward to coming back to Toronto. Hopefully we’ll be in a better mood this time. Last time literally we got out, didn’t have any instruments, and we had people bringing out loaners.


One thing I remember about that Toronto show was that someone loaned me this late ‘70s bass, it was a beautiful gesture so no complaints, but the instrument weighed about 15 or 16 pounds. It was just one of those nights where it was like ‘man this is hard’. It was a hard day for a number of reasons, it was a really big blow for us financially and otherwise.


So I’m looking forward to being in Toronto in a better mood and pulling off a better show because I feel, while it wasn’t a bad show, that we weren’t at the complete height of our game. Camper is a really good live band and I hope we can make it up to you all.


T.O. Snob:
Thanks again for taking the time to speak with us. We really appreciate it.

Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker play Lee's Palace in Toronto on January 16th.

Camper Van Beethoven's website
Camper Van Beethoven's Myspace

Hashbang Spacestar prep debut EP, give away track (MP3)

Hashbang Spacestar is an Aussie indie act whose influences run the gamut from The Pixies to Cut Copy.  The group is set to release their debut EP, Memories Travel at the Speed of Light, shortly.

Right now though you can grab yourself a copy of the lead single "Plans Can Fail" so you can evaluate on your own.  Check it out here.

Hashbang Spacestar's website

Hotel St George prep new material (MP3)

Our friends in San Diego indie rock band Hotel St George have wrapped up recording for a new album that will see the light of day sometime in 2010.  The album has a harder edge and darker feel from the roots-base of the solid City Boy Lemon.

We've got a sneak preview for you with the mind blowing "That's Why I Drink Every Night".  Grab it here.

I for one can't wait to hear the whole thing.

Hotel St George's Myspace

Introducing: Pure Finesse

There aren't a lot of 8-piece rock bands out there.  There are even fewer who combine jazz and confident funk with hard hitting rock as well as Toronto's Pure Finesse.

The band is preparing a new EP for release early this spring.  You can catch them and evaluate for yourself as the octet play Lee's Palace on January 8th.  It should be worth your time.

Pure Finesse's Myspace

The Little Death: "The Little Death" (album review)

There are plenty of indie bands out there that do the blues rock thing.  The Black Keys are probably the best at it.  What these bands have in common though is their tendency to approach the genre from a raucous bang-and-clatter lens.

The Little Death takes a completely different tact.  The New York City group, which features electronic heavyweight Moby on bass, is set to release its self-titled debut album on January 26th.  While that record is undeniably blues based, it borrows equally from soul and even gospel influences.

Lead singer Laura Dawn is the star attraction here.  Her vocals drip alternately with soulful sultriness ("Love or a Gun") and heart-wrenching pain ("Won't Ever Let You Down Again").  Backing vocals from The Deathreats add a joyous gospel flavour to the music.

The arrangements are more than capable as the band proves to be equally adept at ballads ("If Forever's Too Far"), gritty blues ("I Know You"), and the high octane Blues Brothers revue style ("Hurricane") alike.

If there's a criticism that can be leveled on the music it's that the songs tend to be drawn out a little too long.  Six tracks clock in at over five minutes in length, with several pushing seven.  That can result in some songs coming perilously close to wearing out their welcome.

The Little Death is a great way to kick off 2010 for those who like deeply emotional and moving music.  Think of it as the real, decent Emo.

Best tracks: "Hurricane", "I Know You"

Track listing for The Little Death:

• Intro
• Gather Round
• That Bone
• My Papa Done Told Me
• Mean Woman
• Why My Baby
• Won't Ever Let You Down Again
• I Know You
• Love or a Gun
• Hurricane
• If Forever's Too Far
• Shake and Tremble
• Make Me

8.0/10

The Little Death's website

Bossasaurus give away debut full length

Underground hip hop crew Bossasaurus have just dropped their debut full length project.  The album entitled Shove These Fossils Up Your Magnificent Creationist Ass (or STFUYMCA for short) sees the duo rework tracks by the likes of Aesop Rock, A Tribe Called Quest, and Wu-Tang Clan among many others.

You can get the entire thing for free from the group's website.  Grab yours here.

Bossasaurus' website
Bossasaurus' Myspace

Bono, Glen Hansard, Damian Rice, and Mundy busk in Dublin (video)

How come they don't have buskers like this on the TTC?

On Christmas Eve on Grafton Street in Dublin, a sort of busking super group performance took place as Irish musicians Bono, The Swell Seasons' Glen Hansard, Damian Rice, and Mundy spent an hour playing for passers-by.  The gig was to benefit Simon Community, an Irish homeless charity.

Check out the video of the foursome covering "Stand By Me" here:

New releases: a look ahead at 2010

Without any new releases to speak of this week, I thought we'd use this usual space to take a look ahead and give you some of the new releases confirmed to be on tap for early 2010.

Here's a look:


January 5

• Adam Green

January 12

• OK Go
• Owen Pallett
• Ringo Starr
• Vampire Weekend
• Laura Veirs

January 19

• Cold War Kids
• Eels
• Motion City Soundtrack
• RJD2
• Spoon
• Hawksley Workman

January 26

• Beach House
• Fucked Up
• Charlotte Gainsbourg
• Los Campesinos!
• Magnetic Fields
• Woodhands

February 2

• Midlake
• The Soft Pack

February 9

• Hot Chip
• Massive Attack
• The Watson Twins
• Yeasayer

February 16

• Backyard Tire Fire
• Juliana Hatfield
• Lightspeed Champion
• Joe Pug

February 23

• Groove Armada
• Sean McCann
• Holly Miranda
• Quasi
• Shearwater
• Shout Out Louds
• Butch Walker
• Xiu Xiu

March 2

• Natalie Merchant
• Rogue Wave
• The Whigs

March 9

• The Besnard Lakes
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
• Broken Bells
• Jason Collett
• Frightened Rabbit
• Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
• Liars
• Titus Andronicus

March 16

• Melissa Auf der Maur
• Drive-By Truckers

March 23

• Goldfrapp
• She & Him

March 30

• Angus & Julia Stone

Best of 2009: best songs

In one last big flaming hurrah for 2009 we are proud to bring you our list of Snob's Music's favorite songs of 2009.  We hope you enjoy it:

100 Swallowing Werewolves (I Heard Mary Timony Used To Live There) bloodsport
99 I'm Gonna Eat Your Brains and Gain Your Knowledge Victorian Halls
98 SO BORED WAVVES
97 (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To Weezer
96 I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris Morrissey
95 Lalita The Love Language
94 Ain't It Divine Meredith Meyer
93 Out At Sea Hearltess Bastards
92 Island Man Hotel St George
91 Devil Made You High Hush Arbors
90 First Train Home Imogen Heap
89 Just About Time (to Get Even) Jason Ward
88 I Want to Write A Love Song Johanna Samuels
87 Thrills Little Girls
86 Pulling On A Line Great Lake Swimmers
85 Kiss With a Fist Florence + the Machine
84 Mama's Boy Hannah Georgas
83 Eat Raw Meat= Blood Drool Editors
82 Life of a Thousand Crimes Echo & The Bunnymen
81 Pave Me Dylan Connor
80 Play It All Night Long Drive-By Truckers
79 Red Light Love Those Darlins
78 Pa Pa Power Dead Man's Bones
77 Caveman Cursive
76 My Maudlin Career Camera Obscura
75 Feel Like Taking You Home Brendan Benson
74 City Lights (Days Go By) Bob Mould
73 Fight Ben Kweller
72 Florida Awesome New Republic
71 Oh No Andrew Bird
70 Postcards An Horse
69 Blanchard Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
68 Ghost of an Earthworm Loch Lomond
67 Mistress Marissa Nadler
66 Love Your Soul Michael Bernard Fitzgerald
65 Creeping Out Sara NoFX
64 Lack of Fight Pree
63 Sacred Trixter Sonic Youth
62 Colas The David Wax Museum
61 The Rake's Song The Decemberists
60 The Cavalier The Paper Cranes
59 Goodbye P.O.S
58 Bad Ideas (Don't Give Up) Hard Drugs
57 I'm Confused Handsome Furs
56 Gotta Get Smart El Perro Del Mar
55 Home Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
54 Canada Day Off-Toronto Carolyn Mark and N.Q. Arbuckle
53 Algometric Touch Built By Snow
52 I Felt Stupid The Drums
51 Bottom of the Well Blackout Sands
50 Everyone Is Guilty Akron/Family
49 Blow Away A Fine Frenzy
48 Didn't Come Here To Love You Bella Clava
47 Starting Over The Black Lips
46 Friends (feat. Patterson Hood) Cracker
45 Alligator Song Dog Is Blue
44 Root Of The Industry Hoots & Hellmouth
43 Damaris Patrick Wolf
42 Relator Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
41 Last One To Die Rancid
40 Go then, bye Speech Debelle
39 The Girl That Everyone Forgot Valentiger
38 Reasons To Quit Phosphorescent
37 Black Hearted Love PJ Harvey / John Parish
36 Stadium Love Metric
35 I've Got Friends Manchester Orchestra
34 Fuck You Lily Allen
33 Games for Days Julian Plenti
32 Bad Body Double Imogen Heap
31 Cosmic Love Florence + the Machine

30 The Litter And The Leaves Enter The Haggis
29 Heavenly Arms El Perro Del Mar
28 My Body's a Zombie for You Dead Man's Bones
27 I Love Pop Music Ben Lee
26 On Her Own Ben Kweller
25 Mr. Hurricane Beast
24 Le Rain Alan Singley and Pants Machine
23 Stronger Than Jesus A Camp
22 Heads Will Roll Yeah Yeah Yeahs
21 Embroideries The O' Darling
20 Darken My Door Lucero
19 Never Had Nobody Like You (Featuring Zooey Deschanel) M. Ward
18 King Hipster Little Foot Long Foot
17 All Is Love Karen O and the Kids
16 It Ain't Gonna Save Me Jay Reatard
15 The National Hannah Georgas
14 Radio Kaliningrad Handsome Furs
13 Charlie, I'm Through Flotilla
12 You're the Reflection of the Moon On the Water Grant Hart
11 Papillon Editors
10 Lately Boat
9 Whole Lot Better Brendan Benson
8 Sunday Morning Damion Suomi
7 Airstream Driver Gomez
6 One Day Matisyahu
5 People Got A Lotta Nerve Neko Case
4 Dominos The Big Pink
3 Leftover Love Emm Gryner
2 Weekend Tongue Donora
1 Beautifully Jay Brannan

This week's entertainment picks: New Year's Eve edition

With few concerts going on in Toronto this week, I thought we'd focus more on what you can do as we usher in 2010.

So here are my recommendations for New Year's Eve entertainment:

Elliott Brood, Lee's Palace
The Polaris Prize nominees ring in the new year with some solid indie rock.

Elliott Brood's Myspace

The Sadies, Horseshoe Tavern
In what's become a long-standing tradition, the country/roots rockers play the legendary venue once again.

The Sadies' website

Gentleman Reg, Tranzac
Local indie up-and-comer teams with all-female Weezer cover band Sheezer and more for a jam-packed night of fun.

Gentleman Reg's Myspace

SHIT LA MERDE NYE 2010, The Garrison
Two rooms of rockin' fun as a platoon of artists perform including the much buzzed-about DVAS.

DVAS' Myspace

For those of you into hip hop, Kardniall Offishall will be playing annual CityTV New Year's show in Nathan Phillips Square.  I must warn you though, you may also have to sit through the likes of uber-douche Karl Wolf.

Vacuity cover Wham!'s "Last Christmas" (MP3)

Yes, it may be a couple of days late, but I've been enjoying a nice Christmas vacation in the nation's capital.

Kitchener rockers Vacuity (who we have featured here before), have made a cover of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" available for free download.  You can grab your copy of this intriguing track here.

Vacuity play the Art Bar in Kitchener on New Year's Eve.

Vacuity's Myspace

The Lexingtons: "Get Lo-fi" (album review)

Rhode Island doesn't usually pop up when one is discussing hotbeds of new music.  With their debut album Get Lo-Fi The Lexingtons seem hell-bent on changing that.

The album, available for free download from their Myspace, is a collection of ornate indie pop songs.  The tracks are based on solid pop songwriting underpinnings, as one can clearly hear on the delightful "She Tells Me No".  Atop of this the band erects walls of glimmering guitars and swirling sounds.  The result sounds alternately like Silversun Pickups playing Belle & Sebastian, and early Mercury Rev.

Eric Warnacke and Audrey Kauch have a tremendous interplay between them.  Their vocal styles truly complement one another.  Unfortunately, one can't help but wish these vocals were a little more prominent in the mix as they have a tendency to be drowned out by the music.

Interspersed throughout the album are a series of short musical interludes which serve as buffers between songs.  These can often be among the most interesting moments on the record.  They can be as simple as the gently piano-based "Never Gonna Let You Go" or as complex as "Ode To Her" with it's Sandinista!-era Clash feel.

The Lexingtons are already hard at work on their next album, and we are quite looking forward to it.

Best tracks: "Trouble", "She Tells Me No"

Track listing for Get Lo-Fi:

• The Gospel
• We're On a Mission
• Trouble
• Let's Write a Song
• Never Gonna Let You Down
• Walk
• Ode To Her
• She Tells Me No
• Hello Mr. Sunshine
• We Can Work Together
• You're a Friend (That I've Never Had)
• Ballet
• Clouds
• Sailing On an Ocean Intro
• Sailing On an Ocean

7.5/10

The Lexington's Myspace

Concerts announced this week

Here's a look at the concerts announced for Toronto this week:

• Clues, Silver Dollar, Jan 16
• GZA, Sound Academy, Jan 25
• Asobi Seksu, The Drake, Feb 1
• Holly McNarland, Dakota's, Feb 4
• Scary Kids Scaring Kids, El Mocambo, Feb 10
• Bobby Birdman, Wrongbar, Mar 4
• Alkaline Trio w. Cursive, The Phoenix, Mar 6
• Copeland, Opera House, Mar 10
• P.O.S., Sneaky Dee's, Mar 14
• Fruit Bats, Horseshoe Tavern, Mar 24
• Overkill, The Phoenix, Apr 6
• Trans Am, Horseshoe Tavern, Apr 21
• Owl City, Sound Academy, Apr 27

Portastatic release charity covers EP

Just because there's no new original material on the horizon from either Portastatic or Superchunk, it doesn't mean that Mac McCaughan has been doing nothing but sitting around watching the abysmal Carolina Hurricanes.

Superchunk has been on tour, most recently in Japan and now Portastatic has released an EP of covers entitled Make It Sound In Tune.  Personally I think making it sound in tune would ruin it, but who am I to say.

The EP is a collection of songs by Merge artists done Portastatic style.  The band covers songs from Matt Suggs, Spoon, The Magnetic Fields, Spent, Lambchop, and The Renderers with the standout being a rendition of Destroyer's "Foam Hands" complete with children's chorus.

Proceeds from the sale of the EP go to support Score Charities which include organizations like Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders.  You can purchase the album here.

Portastatic's website
Portastatic's Myspace

Quick Hits: The Jim Ivins Band

Even on the week of Christmas things pile up.

The Jim Ivins Band, The Jim Ivins Band
The Richmond, VA-based Jim Ivins Band is releasing its self-titled EP at the end of the month.  The songs are guitar-driven rock, with a firm pop foundation.  If you're looking for hooks then this is a good place to find 'em.

The Jim Ivins Band's Myspace

2009 Year In Review

We've had a great 2009 here at Snob's Music.  We've more than tripled our traffic over the course of the year and added Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook capabilities.  We even managed to get a few mentions in one of our favorite music columns, John Sakamoto's Anti-Hit List in the Toronto Star.

On the content side we began doing artist interviews this year.  We were vary lucky to be able to interview the likes of Ben Lee, Franz Nicolay, Dropkick Murphys, Marissa Nadler, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Emm Gryner, Great Lake Swimmers, Rock Plaza Central, and Lisa Hannigan.  In all we ran more than 30 interviews with musicians we like.

In the last quarter of the year we also began to run contests.  Among those we ran contests with were A Fine Frenzy and David Gray.  We hope to do many more in the new year.

Over 400 albums made their way to us this year.  While they didn't all get reviews, we did listen to each and every one.  So please keep them coming.  To wrap things up I thought we'd just recap some of our list toppers of 2009:

Best album
Lungs- Florence and the Machine

Best song
"Beautifully"- Jay Brannan


Best Canadian album
At the Moment of Our Most Needing...- Rock Plaza Central

Best hip hop album
Speech Therapy- Speech Debelle

Best EP
The Rock-N-Roll EP- Dirt Road Logic

Best miscellaneous album
Live In London- Leonard Cohen 

Best video
"Darken My Door"- Lucero

Thanks to everyone for a great 2009 and we wish all of you the best in 2010.

Sail By Night: "Sail By Night" (EP review)

What better way to celebrate Christmas Day than getting ethereal on you.  That's exactly the kind of soundscape Brooklyn's Sail By Night build for you on their self-titled EP.

The EP is a collection of songs constructed around dreamy, almost ghost-like whispers.  Songs like "Skin & Bones" come across as though they are the sound the wind makes as it whips through an old rickety house with broken window panes.  It's not hard to draw comparisons between Sail By Night and slowcore acts like Red House Painters.

The vocals often feel like they are just barely attached to the music.  On "Lucky You" they almost float magically in the ether created by the arrangements.  More interesting still is "Tell Me Why", a song that could easily be mistaken for Michael Stipe fronting Galaxie 500.

There are some rough spots still for Sail By Night.  Many of the songs come to abrupt endings which are at odds with the aura created during the meat of the track.  This serves to interrupt the flow of the album and gives some songs the feeling of being incomplete.

Yes, Sail By Night are not quite there yet.  But it's hard not to feel as though they are right on the verge of pulling together something brilliant.

Best track: "Dreams"

Track listing for Sail By Night:

• Skin & Bones
• Tell Me Why
• Lucky You
• Animal Sleep
• Dreams
• Devil
• Sail In the Moonlight

6.0/10

Sail By Nights' Myspace

Devo wishes "Merry Something To You" (video)

Your friends in Devo don't believe you should be left out of the joy just because you don't celebrate Christmas.  That's why they're giving a little good will and cheer to everyone in the form of this video, "Merry Something To You":



All the best this season.

Devo's website
Devo's Myspace

Editors give fans a video Christmas present

There's little doubt in my mind that Editors are one of the best rock bands in the world right now.  That's why this is so noteworthy.

They've dropped a little limited time digital Christmas present on fans with a stream/download of footage from their 2009 show at the Forest National in Belgium.  You need to act fact though, the footage will only be available Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Watch and download it here.

Editors play the Phoenix in Toronto on February 16th.

Editors' website
Editors' Myspace

3 More To Explore: We Are The Willows, Sarah Tolar, James and Blackburn

Merry Christmas everyone.  We wish you and yours nothing but happiness.  Hopefully the fat man managed to shimmy his way down your chimney, passed the raccoon nest and left great parcels under the holiday shrubbery of your choice.

Our gift to you is these three artists for you to explore:

We Are The Willows
For those who like: Atlas Sound, Deerhunter
We Are The Willows is actually Minneapolis musician Peter Miller.

We Are The Willows' Myspace

Sarah Tolar
For those who like: Norah Jones, Fiona Apple
The Brooklyn-based Tolar plays sophisticated pop that should hold appeal for the scotch-nosing crowd.

Sarah Tolar's Myspace

James and Blackburn
For those who like: Pilot Speed
This Ottawa quartet play gauzy indie rock that shows influence from Anglo acts like Radiohead and Keene.

James and Blackburn's Myspace

Thunder Buffalo: "BeBop Sing-A-Long" (MP3)

Seattle-based experimental noise pop outfit Thunder Buffalo has had a busy 2009.  Over the course of the year the band realized three complete albums.

Now as the year draws to a close the Aaron Schroeder brainchild are giving away a free track.  Download your copy of "BeBop Sing-A-Long" here.

Thunder Buffalo's Myspace

Peter Bradley Adams gives away sampler EP

Nashville singer/songwriter Peter Bradley Adams is offering up a free EP for fans.  The 3-song set pulls one track from each of his studio albums.

You can go grab yours, and an additional bonus track, here.

Peter Bradley Adams' website
Peter Bradley Adams' Myspace

Dandy Warhols: "Little Drummer Boy" (MP3)

Always enjoyable power popster The Dandy Warhols are the latest to play Santa to music fans.  The band is making their 1994 recording of the Christmas classic "The Little Drummer Boy" available for free download.

Grab yours here while you can:

Dandy Warhols' website
Dandy Warhols' Myspace