More up today from the experimental music ensemble Animal Collective and their most recent EP Fall Be Kind, released digitally on November 23rd of this year, and physically on the 15th of December.  What Would I Want? Sky found it’s way into the #11 spot on Pitchfork’s Top 100 Tracks of 2009, and was the 2nd [...]

A Better Son/Daughter can be found on the LA-based indie-rock act Rilo Kiley’s 2002 sophomore release The Execution of All Things.  The album, which follows-up on the band’s debut LP Take Offs and Landings, was released via the Oberst brothers’ (Bright Eyes) founded label Saddle Creek Records; the album also features contributed instrumentation/vocals from one [...]

I had planned on putting a Boxing Day post together, but as so often is the case around the holidays, family Scattergories was beckoning.  Tonight’s song comes from the Toronto, Ontario indie-rock threesome Magneta Lane.  The all female act of Lexi Valentine, Nadia King, and Francine DiBacco have released 3 full-length albums since their inception [...]

I’ve got a quick Christmas Eve post for everyone today, before the circus known as the Ukrainian Christmas Feast begins at my family’s place.  With all the recent hoopla surrounding a possible Arcade Fire release in 2010, now seems like a good time to post another tune from the band.  If you haven’t heard the aforementioned hoopla, [...]

Today’s song comes from the Kelowna solo artist Cary Pratt, and his solo project Prairie Cat; see what he did there?  Just Cuz can be found on Pratt’s most recent album “It Began/Ended With Sparks”, which appears to have been released digitally late in October of this year, and physically early in December.  The song [...]

Wicked catchy tune today from the Cape Breton, Nova Scotia trio of cousins Mardeen.  From what I’ve read, members Matthew Ellis, Travis Ellis, and Jon Pearo have been playing together since the age of 12; other than brushing my teeth, I’m not sure there’s anything I’ve done consistently since the age of 12.  Kids can be [...]

In the same fashion as every music blogger in the world, I’ve spent the last couple weeks working on my “Best of 2009″ list.  However, it seems like as soon as I get the song-filled post-it notes in an order I feel good about, I hear something that makes me re-consider the list; is that [...]

Amongst other things, 2009 will be remembered as the year I re-discovered my fondness for hip-hop; equally as important, it was the year I discovered Steam Whistle, but my beer preferences don’t fall under the ever expanding umbrella of indie-music.  Today’s song comes to us from D-Sisive, the stage name of Canadian rapper Derek Christoff, [...]

I’ve got another fantastic song today, from a band that seems to have an affinity for creating fantastic songs.  Last year, Hey Rosetta! unleashed (yes, unleashed is a fair description) their second album Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) to the masses.  With Canadian indie legend Hawksley Workman [...]

Mr. Carl Newman (known as A.C. Newman in the context of his solo work) comes in with a gem for us today.  Powered by a driving drum beat, and Newman’s unmistakable wordplay and delivery, The Palace at 4 AM is certain to get a head bobbing, or foot tapping at the very least.  The song can [...]

More quality Canadian content coming from the west coast today, this time via the indie/alt-rock duo Kristen Cudmore and Gregor Phillips; otherwise known as Language Arts.  Originally from the other Canadian coast, Nova Scotia (I suppose we have a northern coast as well), the duo’s biography describes their latest album as “celebrating obscurities and word [...]

I Was Stabbed by Satan can be found on K’naan’s first Polaris-nominated album The Dusty Foot Philosopher, released in the summer of 2005; his second Polaris-nominated release came this year via his sophomore effort Troubadour.  On top of the nomination for best Canadian independent album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher would take home the Juno award for [...]

Vancouver’s indie-rock/alt-country ensemble Ox are back this year, with their 3rd full-length release “Burnout”.  The album, released on November 10th of this year, follows up the band’s 2006 effort “American Lo-Fi”.  Today’s song is the title-track from Burnout, and is a fine example of the dusky Americana-flannel sort of vibe the band is capable of [...]

When the Toronto hardcore punk band Fucked Up took home the 2009 Polaris Music Prize in September, they announced that the $20,000 award would be used to fund a charity release for missing and murdered indigenous women.  This past week, the idea was realized in the form of a remake of the 80’s Christmas classic [...]

Yesterday, Vancouver’s indie/folk-pop ingénue Hannah Georgas walked away with CBC Radio 3’s Bucky Award for “Best New Artist”.  Not 10 minutes later, I received a text from a friend letting me know that Radio 3’s best new artist was somehow missing from my blog that was supposed to highlight best new artists; she quickly followed this up [...]

A friend of mine lent me Brasstronaut’s debut EP “Old World Lies” 3 months ago, during a hangover-curing steak & eggs/red eye breakfast.  The EP was ultimately left at the bar, found by a waitress, passed on to the bartender, and then given to another friend of mine who spent 2 months attempting to return [...]

Listened On comes to us from the Vancouver-based indie-rock duo of Amber Webber and Joshua Wells, and their side-project Lightning Dust; Webber and Wells’ full-time project is the Canadian indie/psych-rock ensemble known as Black Mountain.  This particular tune can be found on the band’s self-titled 2007 debut effort, and would go on to reach #1 [...]

Tonight’s song is from the Brampton, Ontario trio The Junction, and their sophomore LP “Another Link in the Chain”, released on July 29th of this year.  The album follows-up the band’s 2007 self-titled debut effort, released via Universal Records.  Since the release of Another Link in the Chain, momentum seems to be steadily building for [...]

Today’s song comes to us from the Toronto, Ontario indie-rock/pop group The Ghost is Dancing.  This Thunder can be found on the band’s sophomore full-length release “Battles On”, which hit shelves on April 28th of this year; the album follows up the band’s debut effort The Darkest Spark, which was released in the summer of [...]

Calgary officially has a winter storm warning in effect, which means the 5 minute drive home from work took a staggering 90 minutes today.  This is a significant difference.  In honor of the weather outside, I’ve decided to post one of my favorites from the Canadian indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene.  I will send a [...]