Cuff The Duke - Sidelines Of The City

Enjoy a little bit of Canadiana courtesy of Cuff The Duke. The band, from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada released their third album this year on Hardwood Records. Entitled Sidelines Of The City, the album is a little bit of a step away from the alt-country genre their fans are probably use to. But the band's roots are still firmly planted and their latest release is fused with everything from indie rock to alternative country (don't let the 'country' cause any hesitation, it's not Toby Keith or anything) to Canadian folk.

All in all, Sideline Of the City is a solid offering from Cuff The Duke. Check out tracks like 'Surging Revivals' and 'Long Road' to see what you're missing. The album has a lot of energy and some great harmonies. It should make Cuff the Duke a household name to Canadian music fans and hopefully garner them some attention everywhere else.

The band play The MOD Club in Toronto on Friday (Nov. 30th).

Download: Cuff The Duke - If I Live or If I Die [mp3]
MySpace: Cuff The Duke
Cuff The Duke: Official Website

Buy Sidelines Of The City

The Magnetic Fields

New York's The Magnetic Fields are set to release another album on January 15th entitled Distortion. The new song is an instrumental called 'Three-Way.' Well that's not entirely true. There are periodic shouts of "three-way!," dispersed throughout the track. Following the release of the album the band will embark on a mini tour of the US. Here are the dates:

2/11 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse Music Hall

2/12 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse Music Hall

2/14 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre

2/15 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre

2/21 - New York, NY - Town Hall

2/22 - New York, NY - Town Hall

2/23 - New York, NY - Town Hall

2/24 - New York, NY - Town Hall

2/28 - San Francisco, CA - Herbst Theatre

2/29 - San Francisco, CA - Herbst Theatre

3/02 - Los Angeles, CA - Music Box @ Fonda

3/03 - Los Angeles, CA - Music Box @ Fonda
3/06 - Seattle, WA - Town Hall

3/07 - Seattle, WA - Town Hall

3/14 - Chicago, IL - Old Town School Of Folk Music

3/15 - Chicago, IL - Old Town School Of Folk Music

3/16 - Chicago, IL - Old Town School Of Folk Music

Download: The Magnetic Fields - Three-Way [mp3]

The Magnetic Fields: Official Website

Buy Distortion

You Should Be Listening To: DUFFY - ROCKFERRY

Duffy's 'Rockferry' is a song that will have you listening intently from it's opening to closing notes. And then you'll play it again. The track is reminiscent of the 60's, defined by haunting strings and strong vocals. Don't know what else to say, except that this is the song you need to be listening to at the moment.

You can download the song right now from iTunes and pre-order the two track 7" vinyl which is released on December 3rd.

Download: Duffy - Rockferry [mp3]

MySpace: Duffy

Duffy: Official Website

Pre-Order Rockferry

You Should Be Listening To: THE PERISHERS - MY HEART

The Perishers' 'My Heart' is a terrific song. Actually it's just one of ten simply-crafted pop songs off of 2005's Let There Be Morning. So while I encourage you to sample the song, I strongly recommend you buy the album. I feel like I've hyped this band up a lot. But it's deserving and you'll thank me for it, I promise.

Now if only we can get some shows on this side of the pond.

Download: The Perishers - My Heart [mp3]
MySpace: The Perishers
The Perishers: Official Website

Buy Let There Be Morning

Nicole Atkins and the Sea - Neptune City

Nicole Atkins and the Sea opened for The Pipettes at Lee's Palace in Toronto this past Sunday. This was their third time in Toronto in recent months and the touring seems to be paying off. By the end of their set, the stage area had filled up and the band seemed to have gained quite a few fans. It was a terrific set. They won me and all of my friends over. And it didn't hurt that one of the band members is from Toronto.

Nicole Atkins' debut album, Neptune City, was released about two weeks ago. This was preceded by the EP Bleeding Diamonds in 2006. Atkins' 'sound' is best described as folk-pop, but with a dark edge to it. Expect to hear a lot more about her in the near future. At least that's my prediction.

FYI: Nicole Atkins and the Sea appeared on the Late Night Show with David Letterman around the same time as the album release date, performing the track 'The Way It Is'. You can view their performance at the band's MySpace page.

Download: Nicole Atkins and the Sea - The Way It Is [mp3]

MySpace: Nicole Atkins

Nicole Atkins: Official Website

Buy Neptune City

CD Releases: Week of 20/11.07

This Weeks Notable Music Releases
Boris w/Merzbow - Rock Dream (Southern Lord)
Copeland - Dressed Up & In Line (TMG)
Cursive - Bad Sects (Saddle Creek Records)
Dan Deacon and Jimmy Joe Roche - Ultimate Reality (Cak)
Six Organs of Admittance - Shelter From the Ash (Drag City)
The Valerie Project - The Valerie Project (Drag City)
Will Oldham - Ask Forgiveness (Drag City)

The Pipettes @ Lee's Palace, Toronto (18-11-07)

I finally got the chance to check out The Pipettes at Lee's Palace in Toronto last night. I should probably start off by telling you that I've been obsessed with this group for a while now, so the chances of me not liking their show were slim to none. However, I was still slightly nervous about how it would all turn out. Maybe it was because I was dragging my friends with me, the majority of whom have never heard The Pipettes before. I mean, I've seen a lot of live clips of their shows and have quite a few mp3's of their concerts but you just don't know until you experience it for yourself right (Smashing Pumpkins, anyone?)

Anyways, none of this matters because The Pipettes were fantastic. The Cassettes sounded great and the girls sang and danced their way through a short but sweet set. The Pipettes have been touring this album for a while now and have played so many shows that I'm sure I don't really have any new information to enlighten you with. Well, before they played 'Pull Shapes' the girls taught the crowd some dance moves but I refrained from doing it myself cause if I did I probably would have pulled some muscles instead. Is that introduction new? No. Ok.

I can't remember the exact set list but I know that they started with the new track 'Catch and Boogie' and went straight into 'Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me.' Everything after that is pretty much a blur but they did manage to play the majority of their debut album and some 'new' songs they have been playing live for a while now.

But I gotta tell you, I think the Toronto audience was pretty awesome. I know I'm biased but the crowd was very receptive in my opinion. They danced and clapped along to the songs and seemed to really appreciate what The Pipettes are doing. This in turn created a great atmosphere and is probably what made the show so great, except for The Pipettes, of course.

I don't know if The Pipettes are coming this way anytime in the near future (I would say it's highly unlikely), but if you ever get the chance you need to go see them.

FYI: I'll post some pictures as soon as I can.

Buy We Are The Pipettes

Chris Walla - Sing Again

Chris Walla, of Death Cab For Cutie, is set to release his solo album Field Manual on January 29, 2008. Walla's album was hit with the spotlight not to long ago when it was seized by border officials while on its way to his label's headquarters in Seattle. However, the master tracks have since been returned and everything is ready to go.

The third track off the album entitled 'Sing Again' has been made available to download from the Barsuk Records website. It really shouldn't be a surprise that the song is pretty great. Besides his work with Death Cab, Walla has established a strong 'musical resume.' He has produced the works of such bands as Nada Surf, The Decemberists, The Long Winters as well as Canadian acts such as Hot Hot Heat and Tegan and Sara, amongst others.

And let's not forget that Death Cab have an album coming out sometime (hopefully) in Spring 2008.

Download: Chris Walla - Sing Again [mp3]

Chris Walla: Barsuk Records

Buy Field Manual

New Music From The Futureheads

Exciting new music from The Futureheads today. It's called 'Broke Up The Time' and it's classic Futureheads. If you've listened to this band before then you know what I mean. If not, I encourage you to give them a listen. The song is available to download off their official website but I'll provide it here to make every one's life a little easier.

The band are releasing their third, presently untitled, studio album in 2008. Expect the same ol'catchy, short but sweet, post-punk rock that The Futureheads never fail to provide us with.

Download: The Futureheads - Broke Up The Time [mp3]

MySpace: The Futureheads

The Futureheads: Official Website

Buy The Futureheads

CD Releases: Week of 13/11/07

The Killers release a collection of B-Sides today in the form of Sawdust, just in time for the holiday season. It also contains the new track 'Tranquilize' featuring Lou Reed. This album is for any Killers fans who must have everything the band releases/records but do not collect singles.

Here is a list of this week's other music releases:

Notable CD Releases

Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works (Relapse)

Dirty On Purpose - Like Bees (North Street Records)

The Hives - The Black and White Album (Interscope)

The Killers - Sawdust (The Island Def Jam Music Group)

Os Mutantes - Live At The Barbican (Luka Bop)

Download: The Killers - All The Pretty Faces [mp3]

MySpace: The Killers

The Killers: Official Website

Buy Sawdust

The Organ - Grab That Gun

Several years ago there was a band out of Vancouver called The Organ that I could just not stop listening too. Music was a little boring for me at the time and it had been a while since I was really excited about something I had heard (keep in mind that a long time for me a like a month or so). I loved their debut album Grab That Gun. Mainly because vocally, singer Katie Sketch is superb. She has one of the best voices out there. The Organ is anything but upbeat and a lot of reviews labelled their music as 'depressing' or something you listen to on a rainy day when you're about to commit suicide. To me, their music is much more than that. It's actually pretty special. And yes, the organ is a dominate instrument in the songs.

Sadly the band decided to call it quits. What makes things worse is that the new songs The Organ began playing at their shows sounded terrific and a new release from them would have been fantastic. However, I don't think that makes the band any less relevant. And singer Katie Sketch seems to have another project in the works called Mermaids. I haven't heard anything about them and I have no details yet but I am interested to see what they produce. Until then I will remind people how great The Organ were and hopefully introduce them to a few new people.

Download: The Organ - Memorize The City [mp3]

MySpace: The Organ

The Organ: Official Website

Buy Grab That Gun

You Should Be Listening To: CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX - YOU TAKE THE DEVIL OUT OF ME

Crippled Black Phoenix consists of Justin Greaves, bassist Dominic Aitchison from Mogwai and a shitload of other people, all with their own diverse musical backgrounds. Seriously, there are a lot of members. They sort of put Broken Social Scene to shame. As a result of such a large group, the band compose what I consider to be some very layered cinematic/climatic songs. "You Take The Devil Out of Me" is no different. It's a good song that reminds me of a lot of the great stuff that Mogwai produces.

Their debut album, A Love Shared Of Disasters, came out in May 2007 in North America (April in the UK) and apparently the band are already set to record some new material. This is a great band to check out, especially if you're into film scores like me.

FYI: There's a fantastic instrumental download at the band's MySpace page.

Download: Crippled Black Phoenix - You Take The Devil Out of Me [mp3]

MySpace: Crippled Black Phoenix

Crippled Black Phoenix - Official Website

Buy A Love Shared of Disasters

Raine Maida - The Hunter's Lullaby

Our Lady Peace was and still is one of my favourite bands. They are one of those groups that just keep getting better with every release. The group is fronted by Raine Maida and although Our Lady Peace have been around for well over 15 year, the singer is only now releasing his first full-length solo album. Maida released an EP entitled Love Hope Hero late last year. Inspired by the art of spoken word, The Hunter's Lullaby is a collection of songs from a well established songwriter. Although Maida is used to writing songs that fill up a hockey arena, tracks on the The Hunter's Lullaby are a far cry from 'arena rock.' However, the songs are equally as powerful, just listen to the opening track 'Careful What You Wish For.'

The album drops on November 13th but you can stream The Hunter's Lullaby in it's entirely on Maida's MySpace page.

Download: Raine Maida - Yellow Brick Road [mp3]

MySpace: Raine Maida

Raine Maida: Official Website

Buy The Hunter's Lullaby

CD Releases: Week of 06/11/07

Sigur Ros release their double CD Hvarf-Heim containing studio versions of unreleased songs (Hvarf) and acoustic versions of previously released tracks (Heim).

Notable CD Releases
Black Swans - Change! (Southern)
Bright Eyes - Motion Sickness: Live Recordings (Team Love)
Grizzly Bear - Friend EP (Warp)
LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 (DFA)
Minipop - A New Hope (Take Root Records)
Pedro - You, Me & Everyone (Mush)
Sigur Ros - Hvarf/Heim (XL)
Tokyo Police Club - Smith (Paper Bag)

Download: Sigur Ros - Vaka [mp3] (Heim)
MySpace: Sigur Ros
Sigur Ros: Official Website

Buy Hvarf-Heim

Kevin Drew - Spirit If....

Kevin Drew is one of the founders of Canadian super group Broken Social Scene. He recently released some solo material in the form of the album Spirit If... on the Toronto-based label, Arts and Crafts. Considering that Drew is one of the chief songwriters of Broken Social Scene, it's hard not to hear remnants of BSS all over this album. And it doesn't help that certain members of BSS, such as Feist, Emily Haines and Amy Millan, appear on the album. However, this is in my opinion, a good thing as the Canadian group contains several noteworthy individual talents. The first single 'Tbtf' is a mellow offering, as are many tracks on this album. Yet, Spirit If.... still manages to provide a chaotic dreamy feel and that alone makes Drew's solo effort solid and worth checking out.

If you're wondering why the album title appears as Broken Social Scene Presents....Kevin Drew Spirit If...., it is because the album is apparently the first in a series of solo releases from members of Broken Social Scene. Next up is BSS's founding member Brendan Canning's in 2008.

Download: Kevin Drew - Safety Bricks [mp3]

MySpace: Kevin Drew

Kevin Drew: Official Web Site

Buy Spirit If...

Album of the Month: Neverending White Lights - Act II: The Blood and the Life Eternal

Neverending White Lights' Act II: The Blood and the Life Eternal is my choice for album of the month. The album is the follow-up to Act I: Goodbye Friends of the Heavenly Body, which featured colloborations on every track, minus the opener, with the likes of Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace), Scott Anderson (Finger 11) and Jimmy Gnecco (Ours). It also featured the amazing track, Grace featuring Dallas Green of Alexisonfire, a song which dominated Canadian radio in 2005.

If you have never heard of Neverending White Lights here's what you need to know in a nutshell: 1. NWL is fronted by Daniel Victor; 2. He is Canadian. (Let's here it for Windsor, Ontario); 3. This is not a band, it's a project; 4. While songs feature a different singer for each, Victor plays all of the musical instruments.

Act II is no different than its predecessor, as it features a handful of singers collaborating with Victor. Some of the notable artists include Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins, Auf der Maur), Rob Dickenson (Catheerine Wheel), Sune Rose Wagner (The Ravonettes) and Aqualung. It is also just as dramatic and melodic as Act I. The first single Always has already hit Canadian airwaves and is a terrific choice to remind people just what Neverending White Lights had to offer in the first place; romantic, rich, textured songs.

Neverending White Lights seems to be one of Canada's little secrets. But I think it's time we let everyone in on it. If you like your rock with a little bit of ambiance, this album is for you.

Tracklisting
1. Theme From The Blood and the Life Eternal
2. Dove Coloured Sky (feat. Jimmy Gnecco of Ours)
3. The Living (feat. Coury Palermo of Lynden)
4. The World Is Darker (feat. Auf Der Maur)
5. My Life Without Me (feat. Mat Joly of Mobile)
6. Miss World
7. The Warning (feat. Jonathan Bates of Mellowdrone)
8. Always
9. Where We Are (feat. Rob Dickinson of Catherine Wheel)
10. Black Is The Colour of My True (feat. Lexi Valentine of Magneta Lane)
11. Bleeds To An End
12. Nothing I Can Save
13. Distance (feat. Aqualung)
14. Last Of The Great Lovers (feat. Sune Rose Wagner of The Raveonettes)
15. Warding Off The Spirits (feat. Hawksley Workman)

MySpace: Neverending White Lights

Neverending White Lights: Official Website

Buy Act II: The Blood and the Life Eternal