newprey

The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns

newprey — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:07:21 +0000

Current critic darlings The Rural Alberta Advantage will be re-releasing their debut album Hometowns independently in Canada through Fontana North and with Saddle Creek in the United States.

Hometowns, which they began to sell at shows in early 2008, without an official release. With no label or publicist, Hometowns began catching the ears of bloggers across the country on pure word-of-mouth. Herohill.com proclaimed the RAA “the best unsigned band in Canada”, and I Heart Music.net deemed Hometowns “a near-perfect album”.

The band’s reputation for stellar live shows garnered them a sellout crowd at the 2008 North By Northeast festival, and the band played similarly successful showcases at the 2008 iterations of the Halifax Pop Explosion and Pop Montreal. In November 2008, digital music retailer eMusic.com selected the Rural Alberta Advantage, from a fan recommendation, as an eMusic Selects artist. Repeating and surpassing the successes of past Selects artists Crystal Stilts and High Places, the RAA sold thousands of copies of their record in mere weeks, an astounding feat for an unsigned act. Hometowns became the highest-selling Selects act in history and a critical darling overnight, appearing on dozens of “Best of 2008” lists in newspapers, blogs, and radio podcasts across North America and Europe.

The inspiring DIY success story of the Rural Alberta Advantage has continued to gain momentum and attract fans and followers, with a breakthrough performance at the 2009 SXSW festival in Austin, Texas getting the ultimate seal of approval from Pitchfork (“This band could be huge”) and a nod as a “buzz band” from the Associated Press. More glowing press reviews and sold-out club dates in major cities throughout the United States have followed, and Hometowns will be released properly in the United States for the first time on Saddle Creek in July 2009.

MP3 from The RAA – Hometowns > Don’t Haunt This Place

ON TOUR – SUMMER 2009

Sat 6.20 Indianapolis, IN The Vollrath

Sun 6.21 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon

Mon 6.22 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry

Tue 6.23 Winnipeg, MB Royal Albert Arms

Thu 6.25 Calgary, AB Sled Island Fest

Fri 6.26 Calgary, AB Sled Island Fest

Sat 6.27 Edmonton, AB Brixx

Tue 6.30 Regina, SK The Exchange

Sun 7.05 Vancouver, BC The Media Club

Mon 7.06 Seattle, WA Sunset Tavern

Tue 7.07 Portland, OR Backspace

Thu 7.09 San Fran., CA Bottom of the Hill

Fri 7.10 L.A., CA The Echo

Sat 7.11 Phoenix, AZ Modified

Mon 7.13 SLC, UT Kilby Court

Tue 7.14 Denver, CO Hi-Dive

Wed 7.15 Omaha, NE Slowdown

Sat 7.25 Guelph, ON Hillside Festival

Sun 7.26 Guelph, ON Hillside Festival

Sat 8.08 Wolfe Island, ON Wolfe Island Musicfest

Mon 8.24 Chicago, IL Pritzker Pavillion

Are You Afraid Of The Danks?

newprey — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:04:18 +0000

Driven by small-town boredom and a severe distaste for contemporary pop, the Danks deliver a fistful of excitement with the follow-through of a wrecking ball in a Beverly Hills mansion. Recorded under sweltering circumstances in a Haligonian mini-mall, the quartet pounded out, among other things, the unflinchingly catchy ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DANKS. Recruiting Super Friendz alumni Charles Austin to man the mics and ex-Thrush Hermit bassman Ian MacGettigan to caress the faders, this anti-workaday foursome bashed out twelve no-nonsense pop blasts that barely clock in at thirty minutes. With cowboy capitalists sitting high on the Canadian bacon and the Buzzcocks approaching senior citizenry, the Danks propose an alternative economy, one that deals strictly in the currency of cool.

Brohan Moore, Alec O’Hanley, Phil MacIsaac and Andrew MacDonald have once more created a Frankenstein of sorts – ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DANKS is a powerhouse freak with a heart of gold. The Danks regularly play rock and roll concerts with Collagen Rock Records labelmates Two Hours Traffic, Mardeen, and Smothered in Hugs, and have also graced Tokyo Police Club and Immaculate Machine with their blistering onstage presence. In the past year, the quartet engaged in a national tour with Hey Rosetta! and Two Hours Traffic conquering Canada, caused widespread wowing of festival patrons at both Pop Montreal and North by Northeast, and depleted their once-bountiful stock of critically acclaimed SAMPLES EPs. On June 30th, the leathered chaps will unleash a fury of 2010 rock one year too soon.

Die Young MP3 from Are You Afraid Of The Danks?

Eamon McGrath

newprey — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:46:14 +0000

Current fave is Eamon McGrath. While on the trek to the office I read this great article from Sarah Liss about Eamon in eye weekly who I have never heard of prior. She had me at… ”A chance brush with punk rock led Eamon McGrath to a career as a rough-and-ready troubadour”. I immediately got the album when I got in the office and haven’t really stop listening the 16 days.

The beauty of the album “13 Songs of Whiskey and Light” is it’s rawness. I wouldn’t say Eamon is the greatest songwriter, but it’s not about wit, it’s about giving simple songs life and emotion. Eamon nails it. These are country folk songs with a raw looseness to them. It’s a little Townes meets a little Modern Lovers. 2 selections from Eamon’s new album 13 Songs of Whiskey and Light out on White Whale Records.

Big River

Welcome To The Heart

Two Hours Traffic @ Whipper Snapper Gallery in Toronto

newprey — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:24:18 +0000

A band I’ve really been diggin lately Dinosaur Bones is performing with Sebastien Grainger at the Whipper Snapper gallery in Toronto on May 21. As I check out the Whipper Snapper site, I found this gem from Two Hours Traffic from their performance at WS.

On the Dino front, they are keeping very busy for a young band. The are play a bunch of Canadian festivals and starting to record some demos.

Dinosaur Bones summer shows!

May 21 – Toronto @ Whippersnapper w/ Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains
May 22 – London @ Call The Office w/ The Junction
May 23 – Kingston @ Bar None w/ Clothes Make The Man
May 29 – Ottawa @ Cafe Dekcuf w/ Arietta
May 30 – Toronto @ Velvet Underground w/ Still Life Still
June 6 – Toronto @ Edge102 In-studio set
June 11 – Montreal @ TBA
June 12 – Ottawa @ Maverick’s w/ The Lovely Feathers
June 19 – Toronto @ NXNE Horseshoe Tavern NXNE – 11:00pm
June 20 – EDGEFEST @ Downsview Park
June 28 – St Catharines @ S.C.E.N.E. Fest
Aug 1 – Barrie @ Kempenfest
Aug 2 – Kitcher @ Cutting Edge Music Fest
October – Halifax Pop Explosion

see you there!

Iron and Wine “Around The Well” free.

newprey — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:13:24 +0000

Kind of….The new Iron and Wine album “Around The Well” is streaming on his myspace for 2 days only!!!

Iron and Wine Myspace

Black Diamond Bay on iTunes Canada Next Big Thing

newprey — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:58:24 +0000

I’ve mentioned our friends Black Diamond Bay a few times. iTunes Canada have included their current release “Calm Awaits” in the Next Big Thing campaign. Now lucky Canadian can pick it up for $5.99.

Black Diamond Bay on iTunes Next Big Thing

BDB on tour with the Dears

The Antlers “Hospice”….nice to meet you.

newprey — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:36:06 +0000

I have that exciting feeling in my belly when you discover an artist for the first time and at first listen you know it’s belongs with you. Not sure how I stumbled across The Antlers, but it feels good.

From what I can gather The Antlers is Peter Silberman, Darby Cicci, Michael Lerner, Justin Stivers, & Sharon Van Etten. It all started when Silberman release the first Antlers album as a solo project, In The Attic Of The Universe in 2007.

From The Antlers Myspace – Recorded over the course of nearly two years in an apartment in Brooklyn, NY and a bedroom in Somers, NY. The transition away from The Antlers as a solo-project and toward being a band.

Right-click and save these gems from their current release Hospice.

Bear MP3

Two MP3

To stream the entire album, head to Bandcamp

TP5….The Wooden Sky, Timber Timbre, The Weather Station, $100, Bahamas, Howie Beck

newprey — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:47:26 +0000

Since it’s patio weather I will speed blog more of my current Toronto favourites….

The Wooden Sky - loved them since they were Friday Mornings Regret. They are appear to be leading an alt-country revival in Toronto. TWS is lead by Gavin Gardiner. Gavin can be found behind the mixing desk producing some of these up and coming Toronto bands. TWS are working on a new album. Can’t wait.

$100 - my favourite country album this year….is from Toronto.

Bahamas- The newest to hit my desk and on high rotation. I believe he is Feist guitar player. This gem of a record is totally intimate… If I was to place it. It’s M. Ward meets Hayden.

Howie Beck - All around nice guy, awesome drummer and producer (Jason Collett, Hayden). Oh wait, most importantly, songwriter and artist!!! Howie put out “How To Fall Down in Public” earlier this year and it’s a solid record from beginning to end.

Timber Timbre - Beautiful and dark….and a touch of soul.

The Weather Station- Check out the EPK for The Weather station. long touring coming up.

The big TP4 – Amanda Zelina

newprey — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:39:41 +0000

Last Friday on my way out of a venue to see another show I received the opening acts CD. Usually….it doesn’t get a listen, but this one was in a simple cardboard sleeve with nice black writing with a felt tip pen. I liked the simplicity. So Monday morning I popped it in the player. All I will say is that I will be making an effort to see her next time she’s in town. Just listen – Obsessed MP3

check out her Myspace for more info.

T.PT.3 – Oh No Forest Fires!!!

newprey — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:34:45 +0000

Oh No Forest Fires EP “War on Geometry” has a little bit of everything for the indie rock music fan. Great pop songs with grand arrangements. You can hear elements of The Dears or Arcade Fire in their tones and arrangements, but “War on Geometry” has some many great power pop moments. If the band continues to tour like it has and develops a broader musical vision similar to the aforementioned bands, you can hear they are capable of a break out full length. personal fave is… You Know What That Is…Trouble

ONFF Myspace