Video: Woodhands – “CP24″

Woodhands has released their video for their second album’s first single, “CP24.” While the album isn’t out yet, this is all we have to enjoy, and I’d say it’s a great amount on its own. It’s hilarious, witty and bouncy. Dan Werb and Paul Banwatt should anchor on CP24, no doubt.

I found myself laughing through the entire thing, but that might just be because I am a journalism student… ah well.

So, did you laugh as much as I did?

Take a Look: The First Joke & Other Matters

There comes a time in any rock critic’s life when a band that they used to look upon fondly, who had since broken up, moved around but brought two of the members back in a new light. In my case, this comes to The First Joke. (Ironic, no?)

I grew up in Buffalo, New York. Halfway through my high school years I found my place in the local music scene as a reporter for NeXt in the Buffalo News. I interviewed a ton of bands (and pretty much all of them have since broken up as well, but I’ll occasionally see people when I go back home, everyone’s doing well) but every single band looked up to the slightly older band, This Day & Age. Everyone was so charmed in their presence. I knew a girl that listened to their album every night before falling asleep. I found myself at many of their shows singing along with more oomph than I usually do at live shows. (Once, they played at Media Play-ha!- and they stopped short. I was still singing. Embarrassing.)

This Day & Age broke up a year into my university life, at the cusp of becoming something really big right after the release of their second album, The Bell and the Hammer. I don’t think I saw their last show (although memory is failing me right now, anyone care to fix this?) but I did make it to a show of theirs at Club Infinity in October 2006. It was bittersweet.

In the past few years, three of the members ended up in a band called the Reign of Kindo. I never really followed them. I was so busy learning new Canadian music. I regret such, but I am redeemed in the formation of The First Joke & Other Matters. Made up of the singer and drummer of TDAA, Jeff Martin and Steven Padin, they bring back what we all loved: the low-key late-night coos. What they didn’t bring from TDAA was the gut-wrenching yet still subtle wails, but you know what? That’s perfect. The First Joke shows how they’ve grown in music and their life paths, and those of us who knew TDAA still have those great memories.

The First Joke will be releasing their first album independently on January 19th. All of me wishes that it was just a few weeks earlier, when I’ll be home for the holidays. To have that kind of reunion would be great, and I’m sad I’ll miss out when it finally does happen in Buffalo. Hopefully Jeff and Steve will take this far or at least really put their love into it. These new songs show a lot of promise, like “Runway,” which will encourage your humming reflex to pick it up immediately and “Page in Book” is an example of the sweet harmonies Jeff & Steven have created for years now. It’s good to hear Steven taking more singing leads, such as in “Winston Was Here.”And in “Perelanra,” they’ve got a lil Latin flair.

Jeff revealed this information about the few of the songs on their blog: “a fun little fact about a couple of the songs.. i wrote the song “page in book” about this guy who realizes a bit too late of the damage he has done to his relationship. steve then showed me the music to what is now called “winston was here” and asked me to write lyrics for it.. (i did).. it then became the hopeful outlook of winston (the character from “page in book”) on the day after his wife leaves him, as he begins his new life.”

But hey, I’ll like just about anything these guys do if you couldn’t tell already. Definitely check The First Joke out, and pray they’ll get bigger and come to Canada one day.

The Reign of Kindo are still in formation, even making a new album, and you and I will do well to check them out too.

(P.S. Is that the Buffalo News in the picture?!)

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to release new album in March

Oh, it’s a happy morning over here at the RoundLetters residence. I received a lovely newsletter email this morning all about everything upcoming with one of my favourite bands, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

In the past year or so, the band once and for all lost their drummer Nick Jago, released a live DVD/CD set and did some tours that were not here, basically.

2010 holds not one but three amazing bits of news for this Califor-ni-ay band:

-Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been are introducing their new drummer, Leah Shapiro from The Ravonettes (yes! woman! making this band even more bad ass, who thought that was even possible?!)

-Releasing their fifth studio album Beat the Devil’s Tattoo on March 9 in US & Canada (album name suggests yes, they can be even more bad ass)

-and doing another crazy bout of touring, one day of which lands them in Toronto (April 1) at the Phoenix.

I’ve seen this band twice and both times were some of the most amazing performances I’ve ever seen. I’m not such a big fan of them playing at the Phoenix. I must say they really used Kool Haus well, but hey I can’t complain, I’ve also seen them in a tiny venue in Buffalo.

Here’s a video of them playing a different show in Toronto in 2005. Check out the bad ass!

P.S. I love how they update their website but still keep some old things intact, like their Press section in which there is the  interview I did with Hayes in 2007!

Watch Said the Whale’s new video for “Camilo (The Magician)”

As if I didn’t need convincing on how cute everyone in the BC-based band Said the Whale are, and how they are ridiculously cute as a whole, today sees the release of their new video for “Camilo (The Magician)”.

Really, guys? Are you just asking for me to come over there and pinch your cheeks and ruffle up your hair? Because I will. Or at least, you know, maybe at your Toronto show.

However, this is interesting. What happened to the idea of fans submitting magic tricks? I guess those tricks weren’t too jaw-dropping. And I don’t mind much, seeing as I’m obviously squealing with glee over here for the song pairing of the sad little magician (and partly because I’m kind of delirious due to my insanely busy life these days).

Watch and squeal for yourself:

Said the Whale also saw the release of their album this week, Islands Dissapear. They will be playing Toronto again on October 28 @ the El Mocambo.

What are some other cute music videos you like?

Upcoming must-see indie flick: Some Days Are Better Than Others

I don’t think I can wait until the Spring for this movie.

Starring two Portland indie greats, Carrie Brownstein of Sleater Kinney and NPR blogging fame and James Mercer, head of the now almost controversial band The Shins, this movie follows two characters that seem to be stuck in neutral.

The debut full-length feature film by Matt McCormick looks incredibly beautiful as it shows how much a place or time can have a hold on a person. And, you know, this description from the website gives it more drama: it “asks why the good times slip by so fast while the difficult times seem so sticky. The film explores ideas of abundance, emptiness, human connection and abandonment while observing an interweaving web of awkward characters who maintain hope by inventing their own forms of communication and self-fulfillment.”

It is also gives mad props to Portland. I agree with Brad Frenette – “Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax, Calgary – let’s do this.”

Watch the trailer for Some Days are Better Than Others here:

more about “some days are better than others“, posted with vodpod

Watch new videos for Grizzly Bear, Amy Millan, Great Lake Swimmers and Oh No Forest Fires

Three parts Canadian, one part American. Here are four great videos to start off your party weekend.

Starting off with the American, here are one of my favourite bands, Grizzly Bear. They’ve caused an uproar today with their new video for “While You Wait for the Others,” directed by Sean Peknold. It portrays a stressed out fencer who just wants a bit of peace.

Now there’s Amy Millan’s “Bury This,” a slowed-down awkward look into a couple’s problems of heartbreak and deceit. Watch to see how they scare their pet birds.

Next up, Polaris Prize-short listers Great Lake Swimmers video for “Still,” which takes the music video in a new direction of behinds the scenes of a video shoot slash dinner party. You can see many hipster friends including Casey from Ohbijou.

more about “Great Lake Swimmers – Still“, posted with vodpod

Last up, Oh No Forest Firesbring you to Rajiv’s mom’s backyard, and into the forest (with strangely placed recreational seating…) where they sing “New Cove Road Back Home” live, not playback, with off-key charm, hand claps and stick-hitting beats.

Watch Chad Kichula’s video for “Another Love”

I found this gem this morning as I was perusing the videos posted up on CBC Radio 3. It’s cute, sweet and shockingly cuddly. Follow the big green guy (not exactly sure what he is … loch ness new breed? big foot who ate too much seaweed?) through British Columbia as he searches for someone to love accompanied by this smooth song by Regina-based nature-loving Chad Kichula. Animation/illustration by Nat Dart.

Stream Two Hours Traffic’ new album, Territory

Resident awesome PEI band, Two Hours Traffic, are releasing their long-awaited sophomore album, Territory, next week on September 8th, but hey – we can still listen to it for free until then!

This month’s Exclaim cover band are not only all over that publication but everywhere else in Canada these days it seems. Well worth it. They deserve this success, and I’m sure the album will do really well when it comes out, even when we can listen to it online.

Go over to their website – there’s a player on the Audio/Video side.

It can also be found on their MySpace.

Here’s the new video for one of the new songs, “Happiness Burns.” The band look a lot more sophisticated, and there’s an intro from front man Liam, who appears to be talking out to a group of kids that we don’t know…

Two Hours Traffic will play with The Danks and Spiral Beach in Toronto at Lee’s Palace on October 16.

Watch Spiral Beach’s new video for “Domino”

A local band by the name of Spiral Beach that I have no problem in supporting highly has just released a new video for their single “Domino” off of upcoming album, The Only Really Thing.

It was filmed between all of their appearances at this year’s North by Northeast festival. Unfortunately, I’m feeling the burn as I somehow missed every single show of theirs that weekend, but at least I have this now!

Watch another colourful experience from Spiral Beach:

Spiral Beach releases The Only Really Thing on September 22. They will be touring with Two Hours Traffic and The Danks this fall. Go after the jump to see the dates!

The Swell Season perform six new songs for NPR

If you’ve been following this blog since before its WordPress inception, you’ll know that I’m quite the fan of The Swell Season (by entries like this one and this one).

So it’s safe to say that I’m giddy over the recent performance of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (even though they’re romantically broken up now… I think… sigh) on NPR’s cute Tiny Desk concert series. The pair performed six new songs and one more familiar track off of their upcoming album, Strict Joy. The album will be released September 29, but for now, enjoy the performance along with me.

The songs are played in this order:

“Maybe I Was Born To Hold You In These Arms”
“Low Rising”
“Fantasy Man”
“Paper Cup”
“Feeling The Pull”
“Back Broke”
“When Your Mind’s Made Up”

Can’t resist the cuteness, can you? Now, it’s a little awkward when Hansard explains the story behind “Low Rising” as it’s about a rough talk with “a girlfriend”, so it’s a little heartbreaking. But it sounds like and looks like they’re fine with one another, singing about love…

I remember seeing them play a few of these songs, if not all of them, when they came to Toronto last year. And I remember feeling all warm and fuzzy. I don’t need to remember though, as I feel it again, and it’s obvious the entire NPR office did too.

Tiny Desk concerts are available as audio downloads, but it’s a great thing to see visuals as well. Check out Canadian Julie Doiron’s video performance.