New Patick Watson song

Twitter can be such a good tool for news.

Check out the new Partick Watson song on http://wooden-arms.com/
I love the new song and can’t wait for long await sophomore album on April 28th

Metric – Fantasies (Review)

Finally the long awaited album Metric is out for the public.
Came out on March 31, 2009 on iTunes, way ahead of schedule.
The physical release will be April 7, 2009.
Its been about four years since they released Live It Out.
During the four years, Miss Emily Haines released a solo record which is different.
Mostly at their live shows, mostly sang one or two songs.

Fantasies has more a indie rock/pop feel to it.
I feel like its missing the whole new wave rock sound from their debut album Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?
At least there are two tracks that still has that Metric pop new wave sound IE one being Gimme Sympathy.
But doesn’t matter, just glad they have a new album out for everyone to enjoy.

The beginning track is the leading single Help I’m Alive, which I prefer the album than the radio edit that CBC Radio 3 plays.
Sick Muse has that high energy.
In Satellite Mind,  Emily drops the F-Bomb alot (If it is the f-word I hear).
Mellow tracks in Collect Call and Blindness.

Lyrically is great and easy to sing.

Its a great album that every Metric fan will love.
Will this album get them the success in the USA?
Since Front Row was played on a episode of Grey’s Anatomy (Sort of good to get some exposure but you could not hear the song very well because they made the song so low to hear while the characters were talking during a scene.)
Time will tell.

Best tracks:

• Help I’m Alive
• Satellite Mind
• Gimme Sympathy
• Front Row
• Blindness
• Stadium Love

Love this video because you see every member not just Emily.

Show Review: Still Life Still @ Zaphods

I had a great time on Saturday night.
The band that played at Zaphods was Still Life Still.
They are a new band from Toronto. 
Recently the band got signed to Arts & Crafts.

I was really excited to hear them.

They remind me of a young version of Broken Social Scene which is a good thing.
We need more excitement from bands like them.
A little bummed out that they had no merchandise.
But at least I got something to remember them by IE their music.
Hopefully they will be back in Ottawa very soon in time for their CD/vinyl release.
This is a band that you need to check out live.

Check out their Myspace page and find where they will be playing or what’s new.

Great Bloomers – Speak Of Trouble (Review)

I just got an e-mail from Maple Music Recordings and how they liked my “triple” review of Joel Plaskett’s 3 album.
They wanted me to check out this Toronto band called Great Bloomers.
The band is going to release their debut album “Speak Of Trouble” on April 21st.
Its a mix of indie rock, pop and folk sound.

They have a high energy vibrant sound.
Tracks like Lobbyist and The Young Ones Slept have that catchy pop sound.
While a rock sound in This Ain’t You.
Slow rock/folk acoustic in Admit Defeat & Last Of My Faith.
Rocky pop singalong in Thorn In My Side.

The band almost sounds like Wintersleep or The Fray but more of a folksy/rock sound.

Overall this is a great debut album from this band in Toronto.
Its not too hokey in the folk and not to crazy with the rock.
Lots of great catchy melodies and
I enjoy every track.

Great unique sound and would say a promising band that you should check out.

Best Tracks:

• Lobbyists
• The Young Ones Slept
• Daylight
• This Ain’t You
• Fever Days
• Last Of My Faith
• Thorn In My Side

Great Bloomers will be playing in Ottawa on May 21st at Cafe Dekcuf.
So go check them out.

Interview with Ruby Coast

Members of Ruby Coast. Mark in a Teletubby costume while the other members are lost for words.

I decided to take a shot on trying to interview and ask questions.
Ruby Coast made a last minute stop in Ottawa.

The band was formed in Aurora, Ontario.
Have been great friends and love making music together.
Members consist of:

• Mark Robert Whiting
• Nathan Vanderwielen
• Keith Bradford
• Justice McLellan
• Corey Marshall

Here goes with the questions I’ve asked them.

Joel Plaskett – 3 (Volume 3 Review)

Finally the last disc to Joel Plaskett’s album 3.
Things are more upbeat and fun.
Mix of pop, rock and folk sound (Most in the song Deny, Deny, Deny).
As I call it when Volume 1 & 2 are mixed in together.

Tracklisting on Volume 3:

• Rewind, Rewind, Rewind
• Precious, Precious, Precious
• Deny, Deny, Deny
• One Look
• Our Place in the Sun
• Lazy Bones
• All the Way Down the Line
• Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’
• On & On & On

I have the say the last track “On & On & On” is the most interesting song in Volume 3.
The tracks is up to 12 minute which is definitely an epic Canadiana song.
Love how he mentions Sheila Rogers.

Nice change in the last disc of Three.
Joel is such a talent artist and his music is amazing to listen to.

Best Tracks:

• Rewind, Rewind, Rewind
• Precious, Precious, Precious
• One Look
• All the Way Down the Line
• On & On & On

Overall this is such a great album and representing Canada.
Conceptual maybe if you think of the ways he titles the songs three times.
There is alot of songs to like in Three.
Just will take alot of time to get to enjoy all the songs.
Great he does some name dropings for cities of Canada. But no mention of Ottawa.

Joel Plaskett – 3 (Volume 2 Review)

Now on to Volume 2 of Joel Plaskett’s epic 3 album.
This time the album goes slower, mellow and acoustic.
More conceptual in this album since it has that East Coast feel to it.
Its the Joel Plaskett we are known to love with his softer side and nice lyrical melodies.
Beginning track “Safe In Your Arms” is a softer mellow sound.
More like you need to be someone.

Its has more of a traditional Maritimes/East Coast sound like in Shine On, Shine On, Shine, Sailor Eyes, Demons and New Scotland Blues.

Raw emotions in Heartless, Heartless, Heartless.
So powerful just hearing him with just his guitar.

Haven’t been dissappointed in Volume 2 and its great listening to him sing whatever style.

Tracks on Volume 2:

• Safe in Your Arms
• Shine On, Shine, On, Shine On
• Sailors Eyes
• Heartless, Heartless, Heartless
• In the Blue Moonlight
• Down, Down, Down
• Beyond, Beyond, Beyond
• Demons
• New Scotland Blues

Best Tracks:

• Safe in your Arms
• Shine On, Shine On, Shine On
• Sailors Eyes
• Heartless, Heartless, Heartless
• Beyond, Beyond, Beyond

Volume 2 is great for those who love his acoustic materials.

Joel Plaskett – 3 (Volume 1 Review)

I got the anticipated new album by Joel Plaskett simple titled 3.
Just to be different I am going to separate the three volumes into different reviews.
So it won’t be too long drawn with the reading.

After his critically acclaim album “Ashtray Rock” with his band The Emergency.
He follows up with a three and to our surprise is a three disc album with 27 tracks.
Titles of the tracks are either a single word or word repeated three times.

The track listings in Volume 1 are:

• Every Time You Leave
• Through & Though & Through
• You Let Me Down
• Pine, Pine, Pine
• Wait, Wait, Wait
• Drifters Raus
• Gone, Gone, Gone
• Wishful Thinking
• Run, Run, Run

Have to say Volume 1 has more a experimental poppy rock fun feel to it.
Hearing the beginning track and Wishful Thinking, surprise to hear a drum machine. Kind of surprising that he is trying to be experimental with that synth sound.
There is the usual guitar riffing sound.
Of course hearing the leading single “Through & Through & Through” is always fun to listen to.
From tracks 1-6 are short tracks but the last two are the best ones and it goes epic from there.
Best tracks:

• Every Time You Leave
• Wait, Wait, Wait
• Gone, Gone, Gone
• Wishful Thinking
• Run, Run, Run
• Through & Through & Through

Volume 2 will follow very soon.
For enjoyment check out the music video for Through & Through & Through

Utada – This Is The One (Review)

This is my first review on here that I am going to feature a Japanese artist.
I rarely feature any Asian artists, mostly because I’ve sort of lost track or the music scene is not what it used to be during 1998-2004 era.
Utada Hikaru is a popular Japanese singer and I’ve been a big fan of her music since she debuted with her record breaking Japanese album FIRST LOVE in 1998.
Born in USA but later raised in Japan.
All I have to say is, that girl can really sing in Japanese and English.
This is her second English album and it just happened to be quietly released out of nowhere.
Its $7.99 right now on iTunes.
Hoping “This Is The One” that will be her breakthrough in the American market.

Show Review: Winchester Warm and Ukrainia

Second night at Zaphod Beeblebrox must becoming a habit for me.
Or becoming a second home when it comes to live music.
Tonight it was a CBC Radio 2, Canada Live taping and it was Winchester Warm and Ukrainia.
Not sure when it will be aired on CBC Radio 2 but I can’t wait to hear it.
If I want to hear myself hooting and hollering.