we are northernly
February 8th, 2010

Review :: Collapsing Opposites – In Time

Collapsing Opposites
In Time
(Self Released)
Vancouver, BC
::web/sounds::


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

February 2nd, 2010

Review :: Adam Mowery – Port City Burning

Adam Mowery
Port City Burning
(Self Released)
Saint John, NB
::web/sounds::


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

January 27th, 2010

Review :: False Face – No Business / One Man Clapping

False Face
No Business / One Man Clapping
(Self Released)
Kingston, ON
::web/sounds::


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

December 18th, 2009

Review :: Brazilian Money – Friendly Neighbor EP

Brazilian Money - Friendly Neighbor EP Brazilian Money
Friendly Neighbor EP
(Self Released)
Edmonton, AB
::web/sounds::


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

July 7th, 2009

The spelling is entirely Canadian.

The Neighbourhood Council - Set Pieces EP The Neighbourhood Council / BRAIDS
Set Pieces EP
(Self Released)
Calgary, AB
::web/sounds::

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

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