August 19th, 2010
From the ate too many chocolate bars of Aaron Levin:
Young Governor soars to anthemic heights on this six minute post-pizza buffet. Its jangly rhythm bursts with gusto, jamming the radio glam treachery of cult heros into a reverb-soaked elucidation. This day-time special is crafted for all your teenage fantasies; let it seep into your pores and shake the foundation of your pubescent ethos. A fantastic voyage into 80s pop-punk anthemy. Hand-cut lathe on “pizza glass” by Scotch Tapes. Sounds rad at both speeds. Eat it up!
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Young Governor – Pizza Face
File under: fucked up // indie // lathe // pop-punk // punk // scotch tapes // young governor
Categoria!! New Canadiana :: lathe :: ontario | 4 Comments »
August 17th, 2010
From the comyn-spiced balconies of James Goddard:
This EP from Edmonton’s Jom Comyn (sometimes Jim Cumming) speaks to the concerns of young adults in the 21st Century – I mean actual young adults, not the browsers of Gordon Korman – unemployment, cigarettes, sloppy romances, late-nights, and (of course) almost condemned balconies. The guitars carry the tunes lethargically; apathetic tones, sketchy feedback, and non-committal fuzz over dusty, stilted drumming. Jom’s vocals shine through the nest like a retired lounge singer; an odd, weathered voice spouting the words of a quarter-life savant. “You don’t know what you are doing until years after it’s through.” On Sunday morning, in a hungover haze, it all sounds like it might be the truth.
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Jom Comyn – New Raincoat
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Jom Comyn – Roomie
File under: champion city records // folk // indie // james goddard // mellow // pop // rock // ssw
Categoria!! New Canadiana :: alberta :: compact disc | 5 Comments »
August 16th, 2010
From the dead love of Jesse Locke:
Chiming and charming six-string jangle-pop moves from this aptly named quartet currently on tour across Canada. Following up the Cold Crystal Shield cassingle with a full-length eponymous effort, the band from three cities can now boast six record labels to its name (including Germany’s Coraille) and a pristine mastering job from none other than Chicago indie-rock vet Bob Weston. Male/female falsetto/hushed harmonies offset an onslaught of hooks and tricky licks, resulting in an ace set of tunes with endless replay value. RIYL: Let’s Active, Keep It Like A Secret and “I Am The Cancer.” Go see them at a bar, hot dog shop or house show near you!
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Play Guitar – Sleep
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Play Guitar – Dead Love
File under: Coraille // halifax // indie // jesse locke // noyes // pop // youth club records
Categoria!! 12" :: New Canadiana :: nova scotia :: quebec :: yukon | No Comments »
August 5th, 2010
From the disgusted mind of Aaron Levin:
The latest diamond-tip offering from Edmonton’s autarchic trio is a convergence of the varied streams binding their sound. Their wilding drummer grips the mic for “Bent Brain,” a searing foray into classic punk riffery (complete with anthemic, pit-grinding chorus), while the scalding mellowness of bass-face Sagar pierces through “Friends With Money.” The whole spectrum is collected in “Disgust,” which just happens to contain an over-the-top classique rock solo. Another brilliant travelogue into the adjective-rock cosmos. ?GRIP(to infinity).
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Outdoor Miners – Bent Brain
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Outdoor Miners – Friends With Money
File under: aaron levin // indie // pop echo // punk // rock
Categoria!! 7" :: New Canadiana :: alberta | 5 Comments »
June 11th, 2010
From the (often very) bad ideas of Aaron Levin:
The inaugural single in the Pop Echo / Weird Canada 99 Sevens 7″ series saw a departure from Sans AIDS’ previous one-boy-and-a-couple-of-kick-pedals 90s lonertude. Peter’s a man now (dawg), and he’s got a mustachiod rhythm man amassing Peter’s brilliance into pop canon; gnarled, bassy guitar with trademarked™ lead complexity, erratic pacing, and incredible catchiness forming like Voltron to create the quintessential pop marvel on two sides. SICC+++
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Sans AIDS – Got Ideas
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Sans AIDS – Flashlights
File under: 90s // 99 sevens // aaron levin // indie // lo-fi // pop // pop echo
Categoria!! 7" :: New Canadiana :: alberta | 2 Comments »
February 8th, 2010
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Collapsing Opposites
In Time
(Self Released)
Vancouver, BC
::web/sounds::
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From the bent winds of Paul Lawton:
The latest opus from Collapsing Opposites is a gem of psych-pop (poppy psych?) that sounds alien, but not alienating, quirky, but not annoying, dark but not desperate. Much of my affinity for Collapsing Opposites comes from the band leader Ryan McCormick (formerly of They Shoot Horses, Don’t They), who lends this record his warmth and charisma, and notably his strange vocal styling. Lyrics take the form of stream-of-consciousness monologue/rants that are layered inside of repetitive, swirling backdrops. I could imagine an edition of Acid Archives thirty years from now unearthing this record and freaking out over it as one of the great unheralded private-press oddities of 2010; hopefully the kids get hep to this record before then.
[Levin's Note: This is proudly the first Acid Archives reference on Weird Canada. PS - You can order this lovely LP by visiting Geographing Records!]
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Collapsing Opposites – Diamond Mind
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Collapsing Opposites – No. One
File under: experimental // indie // lo-fi // pop
Categoria!! 12" :: New Canadiana :: british columbia | 1 Comment »
February 2nd, 2010
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Adam Mowery
Port City Burning
(Self Released)
Saint John, NB
::web/sounds::
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From the singed mind of James Goddard:
Adam Mowery began the decade singing songs about being a cat and wearing striped socks in a well-loved acoustic indie-pop trio. Here as we enter a new decade he has re-invented himself as a sort of bizarro world Harry Belafonte. His live shows are swoon inducing rock and roll revivalism at its best. On this CD-R he treats us to 13 bad luck pop songs. The old pop-sensibility that used to dominate Port City Allstars records is now tempered by lo-fi experimentalism. His falsetto voice cuts through all the tape hiss and off-beat percussion making you believe that the rain-soaked, wind-ravaged port city of Saint John, New Brunswick really is a tropical paradise. What could be better than that?
[Levin's Note: Saint John is the new Halifax.]
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Adam Mowery – Turn Another Page
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Adam Mowery – The Dragon Boat Festival (Let’s All Go To)
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Adam Mowery – I’m Forever Diggin’ Where the Well Went Dry
File under: indie // lo-fi // pop
Categoria!! New Canadiana :: compact disc :: new brunswick | 7 Comments »
January 27th, 2010
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False Face
No Business / One Man Clapping
(Self Released)
Kingston, ON
::web/sounds::
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From the I-assure-you-this-face-is-real face of Aaron Levin:
Literally out-of-nowhere mind-melding rock genre-fuckery of a very high calibre. False Face’s emergency-room resuscitation is thankfully limited to a two-track c10 so as to avoid the annihilation of your audible calibration. Atonal guitar freak-outs, droning doom breakdowns, and No Ageian walls of popular-noise are served beneath the covers of cafe-fresh vocal hooks and crunchy drums that churn your pop-music vocabulary into a beautiful puree of adjective hyperbole. An (almost) unbelievable mixture of sounds with a foot in every scene, deep-fried to perfection. A huge thanks to Garrett from The Famines for foisting this on me. Who are these dudes?
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False Face – No Business
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False Face – One Man Clapping
File under: indie // no age // noise // pop // punk
Categoria!! New Canadiana :: cassette :: ontario | 10 Comments »
December 18th, 2009
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Brazilian Money
Friendly Neighbor EP
(Self Released)
Edmonton, AB
::web/sounds::
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From the flat-broke pockets of Aaron Levin:
The immense planning that entailed Wyrd Fest resulted in a deep, sexual relationship between myself and Wicked Awesomes! guitar-player Tyler. During one of our many Magic-ticket-making missives, he looked in my eyes and whispered: “Aaron, have you heard our bass player’s solo project?” That was my first foray into the wildly contagious world of Brazilian Money. Fast-forward a month and I finally have some “official” recordings. It was sudden impact: vocalist-and-everything-else-as-well Garret’s grizzled nasal, his omnifarious pop-filtrations, and the swampy sensations ensnaring every ear-movement. I was knocked-out, surprised and excited by the EP’s stranglehold. Thankfully, with every listen came newly rewarding energies. A recommended soundtrack for the shower (replacing my current shower favorite: Mobb Deep’s Tha Infamous). Sing along and get clean, mayne.
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Brazilian Money – We Could Just Stay (In The Dead Of Night)
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Brazilian Money – Ghetto Lungs, GET ALONG NOW
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Brazilian Money – Why Am I Still Standing Here
File under: garage // indie // lo-fi // pop // wicked awesomes
Categoria!! New Canadiana :: alberta :: compact disc | 9 Comments »
July 7th, 2009
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The Neighbourhood Council / BRAIDS
Set Pieces EP
(Self Released)
Calgary, AB
::web/sounds::
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They’re young. Most of The Neighbourhood Council (now called BRAIDS) were in high-school when this album was recorded live-to-air on CJSW in Calgary. An amazing feat considering three out of the five tracks are over 7 minutes long. They’re long, but the least bit boring or repetitive. The songs weave, transform, and flow in a brilliant, sometimes experimental, fashion. It’s a mellow ride, so get comfy as you’ll quickly arrive at the kind of pop album you wish you could be making now, let alone when you were 17 years old and watching Japanese animation in your parents basement (true story). The Neighbourhood Council became BRAIDS sometime this year and will be conducting a mass exodus to Montreal. I’m posting the two shorter tracks, but they’ll give you the right idea.
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The Neighbourhood Council – She Brave Soul
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The Neighbourhood Council – Vendevel
File under: indie // pop
Categoria!! New Canadiana :: alberta :: compact disc | 1 Comment »
