A Look at the Polaris Long List: 19. Feist – Metals

If you don’t think this is one of the main contenders to be shortlisted and quite possibly take the whole thing, you’re kidding yourself and/or just hating. This is a big record: great songs, great performances, immaculate production and the feel of real body of work, an album as a cohesive work of art. That all major label music should sound like this… oh wait, this is actually on a Canadian indie label, Arts & Crafts. Are you indie and unsigned artists that read my blog taking notes here??! This is one I am definitely paying attention to.

A Look at the Polaris Long List: 3. Rich Aucoin – We’re All Dying To Live

This album by East Coast rocker, Rich Aucoin is kind of interesting. Dude used over 500 musicians to create the record. The scope of his ambition is clear. The end results less so. The album had its moments but felt a little too all over the place to me but which might be the point. Two of the odder (or intriguing depending on your point of view) moments follow below: “Brian Wilson is A.L.i.V.E (All Living Instantly Vanquish Everything)” and “P:U:S:H” which borrow heavily from Justice‘s “D.A.N.C.E.” and Daft Punk‘s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” respectively. The rest of the album is actually pretty upbeat in tempo and feel but even in the 2012, post-mashup era, a Halifax-based indie rocker being so overtly influenced by French electronic club music is still kind of interesting and novel, no? Interesting enough to make it into my Top 5 though? Unlikely….

Intrigued though? Hit the jump to hear the full album stream via the good people at Exclaim! And while you’re listening to it, hit play on the video above as it’s actually a full length film designed to accompany the album. #realcreativity #somethingdifferent

(more…)

[Event] The Hill & The Sky Heroes – 11:11 CD Release Party is TONIGHT (June 11) at The Drake Underground in Toronto

CLICK HERE for more details. Why should you care about this? Band leader, Hill Kourkoutis is part of The Weeknd‘s live band that tore it down in his debut show at The Mod Club in Toronto. And yes the CD, whose release is being celebrated this evening does have the exact same name as a spoken word EP by AfraKaRen I posted a few months back here at The Kitchen for you more eagle-eyed readers. Weird….

Dig what you hear though? Then hit the jump for two more tracks and a link to stream the entire album.

Follow Hill & The Sky Heroes online – twitter | facebook | website

(more…)

[New Music] Introducing Hello Phones – Get It Together

This came to me via my submission inbox which, truth be told, I don’t check as often as I used to or should so it’s purely by luck that I even stumbled on this. As the official PR blur (below) says, musically NY co-ed duo, Hello Phones are a little all over the map, which from my point of view, is usually the kiss of death. The singer is also not technically a ‘great’ singer but her voice works for these songs which range in sound from everything from new wavey, synth pop to crunchy guitar and dreamy 60’s, pop-soul. But, as I opined on twitter the other day, that’s proof that great music is not just about ‘technical proficiency’ whatever that even means. Anyway, check out the entire album via the bandcamp stream above, there’s a bonus download of one track from the album, “NYID” below and here’s that PR blurb:

Hello Phones is a new band from New York City. Living and creating in New York lends itself to certain inescapable influences, musical and otherwise. Hello Phones music crosses genres and scenes, and hopes to help blur those lines as much as possible, as this has become their approach to music.

Bonus:
Download: Hello Phones – NYID [direct MP3 link, right click and save as]

Follow Hello Phone online – twitter | facebook | website

[Music Video] The Flaming Lips and Erykah Badu – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (NSFW)

Oh my lawd, this video might just completely overshadow this very odd but very cool cover of the Roberta Flack standard, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by oddball, Oklahoma City-based (go Thunder!) alternative rock group, The Flaming Lips and the equally oddball soul singer, Erykah Badu. I know the nude shots are actually of Badu’s sister, Nayrock but, after her last controversial video, “Window Seat”, this is just further evidence and reinforcement to me of why Common, 3-Stacks and Jay Elec got so sprung on Erykah and wifed her up.

While we’re on the subject though…

For my T.dot (Toronto/GTA) heads, you can see The Flaming Lips perform for FREE on June 16 down at Yonge-Dundas Sq. during NXNE as presented by AOL-Spinner. BTW: wanna win tickets for NXNE courtesy AOL-Spinner? CLICK HERE.

Not enough for you? Hit the jump for another Lips-Badu collab, “Now I Understand” also featuring Siri and allegedly, Biz Markie (where??!).

[via Spinner.com]

(more…)